Edge Davao 5 Issue 76

EDGEDAVAO

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

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Serving a seamless society

Cenro says

Indulge Page A1 Science/Environment Page 4

Grace period on plastics up to SP

By Lorie A. Cascaro

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HE Davao City Ecological Solid Waste Management Board cannot decide on the petition of manufacturers and mall owners to extend the

period before banning the use of plastics and polysterene/styrofoam containers for food and beverages.

But, the city council or Sangguniang Panglunsod (SP) can, a representative of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) said yesterday,

adding that the ban will take effect on June 28.

Speaking at the Kapehan sa Dabaw, SM City Davao, Dolly Remojo, Cenro division chief of the environmental and waste management board, said the

FGRACE, 13

Sports Page 15

151ST BIRTHDAY OF JOSE RIZAL. An image of national hero Dr. JoseRizal printed on a shirt appears to peek in the foreground where mini replicas of the Philippine flag are being sold along San Pedro Street. June 19, 2012 is Rizal’s 151st birthday. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

NorCot election not yet over--Piñol Follow Us On

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ORMER North Cotabato Governor Manny Piñol, who lost in his bid to regain the position he held for nine years in the 2010 elections, yesterday said that the decision of the Commission on Elections

NOW OPEN

First Division dismissing his protest against incumbent Gov. Emmylou Taliño- Mendoza «undermined the credibility and repudiated the reliability of the computerized elections.»

“The decision is a virtual journey to a

legal Jurassic Park where a protest in an automated election is dismissed using the standards of a manual election by simply counting the physical ballots totally ignoring

FNORCOT, 13

3rd Floor, Abreeza Mall

SM Ecoland Branch: 299-3904 / Torres Branch: 225-4394

SOON TO OPEN SM GENSAN

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THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

Central 911 inventory done

AUTOMATED ELECTIONS. Former North Cotabato Gov. Manny Piñol said that the PCOS machines’ credibility must be checked for the upcoming elections to eliminate the chances of cheating. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

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HE extensive inventory of the city’s rescue response unit Central 911 by a team from the private sector is done, said Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday in a media briefing.

The team also sought to find out whether the current equipment of the emergency unit is adequate and what the most pressing items are that need to be acquired by the city to improve the Central 911’s function.

“They will be presenting their findings anytime,” she said.

Meanwhile, changes have started, the mayor said, starting with the Central 911’s call center having been centralized at the PSCC (Public Safety Command Center),” she said.

The mayor admits that certain glitches in the system are still being resolved like certain calls not being received The problem is being looked into with the PLDT, she said.

The functions of the PSCC are expected to improve following the recent signing of a memorandum of

AVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday announced that P5 million had been turned-over to the local government to kick start a housing program on the city government property in Los Amigos, Tugbok.

The money was coursed through Vice President Jejomar Binay who was in the city over the weekend.

The fund, a preliminary amount, came from the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

“Last year Vice President Binay promised to give Davao City funding for low-cost housing. Mao na ni siya ang preliminary amount para masugdan ang project,” Duterte-Carpio said during a media briefing.

“This will be located sa Los Amigos, kanang area nga gina-allot nato for relocation,” she said.

The National Housing Authority will handle the program for low-cost housing once the site is ready.

The number of units targetted for construc-

tion is 200, each unit having an area of 200 square meters.

“Naay singil nga P500 per month sa occupant although I’m not sure kung rent-to-own ni siya.

Still P500 is a very small amount which we hope will be very affordable sa chosen beneficiaries,” she said.

Meanwhile, the mayor said she and Binay did not discuss politics.

Duterte-Carpio recently announced her resignation from the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDPLaban) to which Binay chaired by Binay.

“Wala mi nag-hisgot ug pulitika. Ang among giistoryahan kani sa NHA, ang community mortgage sa Davao City which is pending pa, ug ang pagset ug Pag-Ibig housing para sa government employees,” she said.

Reason for her resignation, the lady mayor said, was because PDPLaban does not allow members to be part of another political party.

It was upon the initiative of Duterte-Carpio that Hugpong sa Tawong

Lungsod (Hugpong), the political group of Duterte allies, applied with the Comelec for recognition as a party list.

However, she said the group has yet to hear from the Comelec.

“I’m party-less right now. We’re still waiting Comelec’s processing of our papers,” she said, adding that her decision is unconventional.

PDP-Laban had recently formed an alliance with Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) of former President Joseph Estrada, giving birth to the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

“I suppose it’s a backward decision; that while everyone wants to be with PDP, here comes one who resigned from it,” she said.

Duterte-Carpio justified that she’d rather focus on local politics than continue her membership in the PDP-Laban.

“I decided also to focus on local elections.

Wala man koy interest sa national elections. I’ll just let national politics run its course,” she added. [JADE

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6 men caught with landmine materials

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OVERNMENT troops yesterday intercepted in Compostela Valley Provice six suspects with landmine paraphernalia.

Lt. Col. Lyndon V. Paniza, spokesperson of the Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said the landmine blast last June 15, 2012 that killed one military officer and wounding three enlisted soldiers prompted the troops from 66th Infantry Batallion to conduct a checkpoint in Purok 1, Barangay Andap, New Bataan, Compostela Valley Province.

The tipped off information from concerned civilians were not wasted when at around 8 a.m.

the troops intercepted six male suspects on board motorcycles without plate numbers and recovered in their possession two kilos of ammonium phosphate, 12 blasting caps and 84 feet red tie fuse detonating cord, Paniza said.

The suspects were identified as Herald Baugto, Junvin Fernandez, Mody Lindaan, Danilo Maunda, Arnesto Bagbag and Darwin Montella.

Paniza said the suspects were immediately arrested “by virtue of the evidence” and turned over to the Philippine National Police in Bataan for “proper disposition” and filing of appropriate charges.

ments. The municipality of Kibawe has withheld an endorsement because two of its 11 barangays, Pinamula and Sanipon, oppose the project.

In April, Datu Matingaw Petronilo Cabungcal, representative of the Save Pulangi Alliance reported to the provincial board that eight of the 10 barangays that endorsed the project have withdrawn their support.

He cited the alleged failure of the proponents to find a relocation site for those who live in areas that would be submerged once the dam is built.

Cortizano said he respects the position of the barangay councils but said there must have been some lapses in explaining to the villages about the project. He admitted in the dialogue that their personnel may have erred in the process as several tribal leaders and barangay captains complained that Fibeco personnel imposed a pro-forma endorsement resolution.

Kibawe municipal councilor Bert Mar Romero lamented that the endorsement did not go through the village council’s usual process in passing a resolution.

Romero headed an Ad Hoc Committee organized by the Kibawe municipal council to look into the request for endorsement.

They went to all the barangays and consulted them on their stand. He said Kibawe refused to give an endorsement because not all barangays endorsed the project. Cortizano said they will go through the endorsement process again in Kibawe although he clarified that some barangay councils requested for pro-forma resolutions to guide them.

Earlier, Fibeco officials said they may not return to the barangays because they had “spent so much.”

Vergara appealed for a “best option.” Datu Pendulonan Rogelio Lahunay, Kibawe tribal chieftain, raised the issue of kawalis or percentage share for the tribe. Vergara said Fibeco will consider but will will seek guidelines from the NCIP. [WALTER I. BAL-

Philippines.

Meanwhile, Tagum City this year enters its fourth year in its bid to pick the child-friendly Presidential Award, competing for the component city category.

Tagum City Executive officer Delia dela Cruz, who heads Tagum City’s task group on child-friendly search, said the city has consistently been a national finalist of the Presidential Award.

“We are hoping to grab the child-friendly Presidential Award this year,” she said.

Regional Sub-Committee for the Welfare of Children (RSCWC) coordinator Lorelie Ramos of the De-

partment of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 11 congratulates Davao City and Tagum City as they are the sole entry for highurbanized city and component city categories, respectively.

She too is hoping that the Davao Region will grab this year’s Presidential Award which will be conferred to winning local government units during the observance of Children’s Month in October.

RSCWC 11 last week convened the members of Regional Awards Committee (RAC) which already had a schedule for field visits starting next week.[PIA 11/

ANE/MINDANEWS]

agreement (MOA) with foreign brand IBM, wherein the latter will provide the city with their technology.

“They are set to provide the command center with additional equipment.

With the entrance of IBM, the mayor said this would mean the PSCC is assured of fail-safe equipment.

“I am happy nga ang IBM ang nadaog sa bidding ug dili na katong mga ChinaChina nga mga equipment nga dali madaot,” she said.

The PSCC together with the IBM is set to present their MOA to the public today through a press conference.

Binay turns over P5 million for city’s low-cost housing

Pulangi V proponents risking TRO sans FPIC D the letter of Manobo Datu Jose Anlacob of Kibawe to the NCIP, complaining that Fibeco proceeded with social acceptability activities without an FPIC. Fibeco officials clarified that they sought endorsements from three barangays and vowed to go through the FPIC process after obtaining an endorsement from DOE. Felix Vergara Jr, Fibeco board member, told the dialogue they could not refuse Lumad members of village councils from taking part in their consultations. According to FPIC guidelines, activities held with Lumad participants but outside the FPIC process cause undue influence on them.

Fibeco general manager Rene Cortizano told MindaNews that before the DOE could issue an endorsement, Fibeco must first secure an endorsement from the local government.

The proposed project involves 20 barangays in four Bukidnon towns.

So far, only the municipalities of Dangcagan, Damulog, and Kitaotao have granted endorse-

Sets up centralized call center

By Jade C. Zaldivar

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HE proponents of the 300-megawatt Pulangi V hydroelectric power plant in southern Bukidnon and North Cotabato should secure a free and prior informed consent (FPIC) from the Lumads (indigenous peoples) or risk a temporary restraining order from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). Santos Unsad, NCIP commissioner for Region 12 or Southwestern Mindanao told a dialogue last week that as a quasi-judicial body, the NCIP sitting en banc can issue a temporary restraining order against the First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative (Fibeco) project proponent, if they continue violating the FPIC process.

Unsad said Fibeco should secure an endorsement from the Department of Energy (DOE) which the NCIP required in initiating the process.

Unsad, and Cosme Lambayon, the NCIP commissioner representing Northern and Western Mindanao met with the Lumads and Fibeco on June 12 in response to

EDGEDAVAO

C. ZALDIVAR]

Davao, Tagum cities vie for child-friendly award

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WO major cities in the Davao Region are in the thick of the race during the search for the most child-friendly local government units (LGUs) conducted to promote child-friendly governance.

After 13 years in hiatus, Davao City this year vies for the Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities as one of the contenders for the highly urbanized category.

Davao City was at the limelight in the field of child-friendliness in 1998 and 1999 when it bagged for two consecutive years the Presidential Award as the most child-friendly high urbanized city in the

JEANEVIVE DURON-ABANGAN]

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

Landslide victims to be relocated

By Jade C. Zaldivar

n “Mea culpa” – MGB

ICTIMS of last week’s landslide in Sitio Ladian, Marilog district, this city, are set for relocation along with residents of neighboring Sitio East Marahan.

Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio told a media forum yesterday that an area in Marilog has been set aside as a relocation site for the victims of the June 12 disaster which killed 11-year old Jahira Unad and totally destroyed eight houses and [artia;;y damaged two others and a tribal office.

The mayor said houses located in high risk areas in Sitio Ladiaan and the village of Sitio East Marahan have been advised to relocate likewise to an area about five kilometers from their present location.

The target date is within two months, the mayor added, even as she admitted not being aware how come the residents and the school building in Marahan were allowed to be set up in such a high risk area in the first place.

“The relocation area is a safe zone,” the mayor added.

The city government has allotted 99 lots for the residents to put up their

dwellings, each lot with an area of 200 square meters.

Central 911, Davao City’s emergency response unit, reported that the damage to property in the June 12 landslide amounted to P312,000.

Although there had been no rain at the time of the landslide, the Office of Civil Defense for Davao region reported there had been continuous heavy rain in the area the days presvious.

Meanwhile, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) for Davao region last June 14 admitted that Sitio Ladian was not among the villages in the region identified as hazardous. MGB 11 director Edilberto Arreza said the the area had been “overlooked” in the conduct of geo-hazard mapping, as a result of which the sitio was not included in their recommendation to relocate its residents.

“Medyo isa sa mga kuan [shortcoming] namo nga wala naapil,” he said. “Kung naapil siya, na-plot, na warn nato ang residents nga highly susceptible to landslides ang ilang area. So, medyo nagkulang kita diha,” Arreza added.

By Lorie A. Cascaro

more applicants for educational assistance, saying that the GSIS is eyeing to have 67,000 grantees in the Davao region alone.

Only 50.1% of the target have availed of the educational assistance, he said, adding that the deadline for this program is December 28.

A grantee shall receive P4,000 educational assistance, which is payable in five years at six percent interest rate.

Only GSIS members with

a salary grade of 24 or below or its equivalent from May 15 to June 30 this year may nominate his or her child for scholarship.

The nominee must be an incoming freshman accepted in the schools identified by the pension fund, Manampan said yesterday.

The parents of nominees who have the lowest salary grades will be given priority in the scholarship grant.

A scholar will be entitled to the actual cost of tuition and miscellaneous fees not

exceeding P20,000 and a monthly stipend of P2,000.

He or she may also opt to take a four-year or five year course, but must meet the scholastic requirements set by the school for student retention under the program.

The current Board of Trustees of the GSIS revised the scholarship program to ensure that low-income members will be given the opportunity to send their children to colleges and universities that provide quality education, Manampan said.

he noticed the land titles inside a plastic envelope.

The two transfer certificates of title (TCTs) were in the name of one Ian Jeremiah L. Pacquiao.

Pacquiao’s certificates were for lots of 1.5 hectares and 1.6 hectares and were entered in the Registry of Deeds of Davao Oriental on January 31, 2011, originally registered on August 24, 1982.

Tubal wanted to return

the certificates personally but saw that the addresses of the lands as well as the owner were in Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental.

Tubal said he realized right away the importance of the documents and the need for them to be returned to the rightful owner as soon as possible. The envelope contained the original land titles and several photocopies.

The original titles being very important documents,

Tubal decided that he should forward the documents to others who might be able to help in returning them to Pacquaio, the rightful owner.

Tubal handed the certificates over yesterday to Danjoe Revilla, a reporter at ABS-CBN, hoping that Revilla would be able to help in notifying Pacquiao that his important documents had been recovered and that he could claim them from the ABS-CBN television station.

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11 chief

PLASTIC BAN. Environment and Waste Management Board division chief of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office Dolly Remojo said on

Monday that the various stakeholders, particularly the business community, are willing to abide by the plastic ban policy in the city. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

In Davao region

GSIS wants more scholarship applicants 188 fire incidents

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AVAO regional manager Deity U. Manampan of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is calling for more applicants for the GSIS College Scholarship Program whose deadline for filing is on June 30.

The GSIS is opening 200 scholarship slots for school year 2012-2013 as part of celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Manampan is calling for

Lost CARP land titles found in jeepney by Brgy. Captain

By Edward C. Lactaoen Cub reporter

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WO unattended land titles were found in a multicab motor vehicle last Friday, June 15, by Romulo Tubal, barangay captain of Barangay Dacudao, Calinan district, Davao City.

Tubal boarded the multicab from the Ponciano Reyes St. branch of Davao Light and Power Company, Inc. when

in 2012, says BOF

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HE Bureau of Fire Protection (BOF) in the Davao region has recorded 188 fire incidents this year, 85 of which were electrical wiring-related incidents, followed by open flame-caused fires, usually during cooking with LPG, fire inspector Nestor Jimenez said yesterday.

This year has a higher number of fire incidents than in the same period last year, which had a total of 169, Speaking at the Kapehan sa Dabaw, SM City Davao, Jimenez said this year the BOF has further intensified its inspection of boarding houses/dormitories and public schools to see if these are complying with and/or violating fire protection requirements.

“Most violations of boarding houses were substandard fire exits and the use of flat cords for permanent electrical wirings,” he said.

During inspections, the BOF immediately issues “notice to comply” for owners of boarding houses who are not compliant with the standard electrical connections, he added.

In the region, BOF had inspected 129 boarding houses, 60 of which are in Davao City, and issued “notices to comply” to owners of 69 (out

of 129) boarding houses, three of which are in the city.

Jimenez mentioned that the Department of Interior and Local Government central office issued a memorandum to the Department of Education 11, addressing regional director Susana B. Estigoy to correct violations by some public schools.

Public schools that had been issued “notice to correct violation/s” by the BOF include 29 in Davao City, 51 in Davao del Sur, seven in Davao del Norte, 21 in Davao Oriental and eight in Compostela Valley.

He mentioned some of their violations such as substandard electrical wirings; no fire protection appliances; no exit ladders at the second floor; and most classrooms only have one door, while it is part of the requirement that each classroom should have two doors.

Violators are given five to seven days to comply with minor violations such as the use of flat cords for electrical wirings, and at least 15 days for major corrections, such as construction of fire exits.

Penalties that range from P4,000 to P100,000 will be imposed fpr noncompliance of the requirements as mandated by the law. [LORIE A. CASCARO]

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SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Climate change accelerates spread of malaria, vector-borne diseases

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ID you know that climate change can accelerate the spread of disease?

That’s right, not only will we face a world beset by stronger typhoons, floods and droughts – we’ll have hordes of disease-ridden mosquitoes and bacteria-filled pools to contend with.

A study published in February 2012 by the New York Academy of Sciences has shown that rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns might have a substantial effect in spreading both waterborne and vectorborne diseases.

Higher temperatures will see mosquitoes – which require temperatures of about 17*C – invading once cold and mosquito-free areas. Malaria and other vectorborne illnesses carried by mosquitoes shall thus spread.

Increased flooding from heavier rains on the other hand, threatens people with Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection which causes fever, diarrhea and severe rashes.

Owing largely to stagnant pools left behind by typhoons ‘Pedring’ and ‘Quiel’, the Philippine Department of Health recorded 2601 Leptospirosis cases from January to September 2011 alone – twice as many compared with 2010.

In its ‘World Health Report’ for 2002, the World Health Organiza-

tion (WHO) stated that climate change might be responsible for approximately 2.4% of worldwide diarrhea and 6% of malaria cases.

To educate students on the crucial link between climate change and health, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFPhilippines) recently allied with Pascual Laboratories to teach 900 students and 10 teachers in two schools not just how to cope with outbreaks of disease – but how to reduce their personal environmental impacts to mitigate climate change.

The programme shall run from June until August.

Says WWF-Philippines Environmental Education Head Obel Resurreccion, “Climate change affects the fundamental requirements for human health – clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food and secure shelter. By inspiring a new generation to dream of new climate change and health-management solutions, WWF and Pascual Laboratories aim to improve tomorrow’s lives today.”

Continuously assailed by storms, rising sea levels and fluctuating temperatures, the Philippines currently ranks third in the roster of countries most vulnerable to climate effects. The jointinitiative aims to prepare Filipinos to adapt to its effects.

“As one of the pioneering projects under

Mother and daughter negotiate a flooded road in Hagonoy, Bulacan. More frequent storms will cause floods, which can accelerate the spread of diseases like Malaria and Leptospirosis. [LORY TAN] our CSR program, the Pascual Lab SEED Initiative, we are very excited for we feel that WWF can best help us impart better health and environmental practices for the next generation,” adds Pascual Laboratories Corporate Communications Director Mia Pascual Cenzon. “As a company that champions natural remedies, we strongly believe in taking care of nature because it also takes care of us. Each person, family and corporation benefits from a thriving Earth – which is precisely why we must protect it.” [PR]

Biz sector appeals to local gov’t to defer ban on plastic bags

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HE business sector has appealed before the local government of Davao City to defer the implementation of the Davao City Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance banning the use of plastic bags and polystyrene foam as food and beverage containers that will take effect on June 28.

Solid Waste Management Board division chief of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Dolly Remojo said some manufacturers, vendors associations, store owners and other business establishments at a recent consultation meeting appealed to the board to delay the implementation as they have yet to get rid of the old plastics which are non-biodegradable and shift to the use of biodegradable plastics as prescribed under the ordinance.

The group at the same time appealed that wet food products be exempted from the ban.

Remojo said the group has already consolidated their appeal in Board Resolution No. 8 of the Solid Waste Management Board.

The resolution is due for the approval or otherwise

by Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio, she said, adding that the resolution will be released by the Board anytime soon.

She said the manufacturers present at the consultation expressed their willingness to adopt the use of biodegradable plastics.

However, they said the use of said plastics is costly, hence, would result in an increase in the market price of food and beverage.

Pending the decision of Mayor Duterte-Carpio on the resolution, CENRO chief Joseph Dominique Felizarta

had earlier said the office would push through with the implementation of the ban on June 28 as provided under the Ordinance, Remojo said.

Earlier, Councilor Melchor Quitain raised a suggestion to amend the ordinance due to some gray areas. He specifically cited that the ordinance is not so clear if the ban includes plastic bottles for mineral water and other beverages and if imported food and beverage products that are stored in non-biodegradable plastics shall also be banned.

But Felizarta said it is the Solid Waste Management Board that should push for the amendment.

Effective June 28, the ordinance provides that violators will be fined from P300 to as high as P5,000 or imprisoned up to six month, he added. [PNA]

Correlating and crafting solutions to health and climate change might save untold numbers of lives tomorrow.

From left to right are WWF’s Ruel Bate, Joel Palma,

Isobel Resurreccion and Kim Ang. Pascual Laboratories is represented by Mia Pascual Cenzon, Kristine Gonzalez and Charmaine Lara. [GREGG YAN / WWF-PHILIPPINES]

PHL NGOs urge world leaders to commit to toxics-free future

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S government negotiators race for a crucial agreement that many hope will set the path for a sustainable planet, over 150 groups from the Philippines asked world leaders not to neglect the harm caused by toxic chemicals and wastes and the need for resolute action to protect the public health and the environment.

In an effort to elevate the chemical safety agenda at the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development on June 20-22 in Brazil, the groups signed the “Common Statement for a Toxics-Free Future” initiated by IPEN and its international civil society partners and supported by some 1,000 organizations from over 90 countries.

The groups affirmed and asked government leaders to uphold that “living in a pollution-free world is a basic human right.”

“We join the global campaign for a toxics-free future where exposure to toxic and

hazardous chemicals is no longer a source of harm and where people have the right to enjoy healthy and sustainable green livelihoods that do not harm their bodies or the environment,” the groups declared.

Among the groups that have signed the statement were the EcoWaste Coalition, Alliance of Progressive Labor, Alyansa Tigil Mina, Asian Peasant Coalition, Buklurang Manggagawa ng PilipinasNCR, Cavite Green Coalition, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control AlliancePhilippines, Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy Food and Sustainable Economy, Jubilee South Asia/Pacific Movement on Debt and Development, NGO Forum on ADB, No to Coal Coalition, Save Babies Coalition and the Save Sierra Madre Network.

Through the statement, the groups challenged world leaders to take steps to create a safe, sustainable approach to chemicals that include:

* Global phaseout of toxic chemicals that harm human health and the environment; * Protection, right to know, fair compensation, medical treatment and environmental justice for workers and families impacted by chemical pollution; * Cost structures for chemicals that reflect their true cost to people and the environment and which will help eliminate pollution; and * Investments to create a sustainable chemical industry based on the precautionary principle.

The groups noted that health problems such as cancer, heart disease, reproductive and developmental disorders, asthma, autism, diabetes, degenerative diseases and mental health illnesses have been shown to have links to the pollution of air, water, soil and food, as well as toxic consumer products and wastes.[PNA]

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

THE ECONOMY

NGCP explains separation of power companies T

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BSP projects lower foreign currency reserves for 2012

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HE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has explained the need to separate generating companies, transmission companies, and distribution companies in delivering power to the community.

During Friday’s Power 101 forum and press briefing held at Almont Hotel’s Inland Resort in Butuan City, Attorney Cynthia Alabanza, NGCP spokesperson and adviser for External Affairs, there is need to separate these areas in power delivery as mandated under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) Law. Under the law, its structure has segmentized the energy industry.

“Sa ilalim po kasi ng EPIRA, ang structure n’yan ay talagang… sinesegmentize niya ang energy industry (Under the EPIRA, the structure is

segmentizing the energy industry),” Alabanza said.

Alabanza added this is also to ensure that there is no monopoly in the competition of power price.

The official, however, said that in some jurisdictions, generation is separated from transmission while in other jurisdictions, like the United Kingdom, she said the two power deliveries are being operated by one company.

Alabanza further said that the country’s lawmakers have chosen an action prohibition between transmission and distribution and transmission and generation, when tasked to craft the EPIRA Law. Alabanza also explained that if the owner of the generation is also the owner of transmission, there is a possibility that the transmission

company will give favor to their sister company by giving priority to dispatch the line of transmission’s sister company.

“Kung ang may-ari ng generation ay siya ring may-ari ng transmission, posibleng paboran ng transmission ang kanilang sister company sa pamamagitan ng pagpa-prioritize sa pagdidispatch o palabasin ng una ang linya ng sister company upang ito ay kumita (If the owner of the generation is also the owner of transmission, the transmission will possibly favor their sister company by giving priority to dispatch their line for them to gain income),” Alabanza said.

The Power 101 forum and press briefing was made to inform the local media in Mindanao on the role of NGCP in the power industry. It also served as venue for the

participants to ask frequently asked questions that were unanswered before.

In a previous interview with the Philippine Information Agency, Milfrance Q. Capulong, NGCP Regional Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Officer for Mindanao, said the activity is a program of their division which is intended for the media community nationwide as they want to reach out to their media partners not only because of the power situation in Mindanao but also because they have been constant partners in their information dissemination efforts.

With the sixth leg having conducted here in the city, the team is also expected to conduct the same activity in Dipolog City, which is the last leg of the Power 101 forum and press briefing.

HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expects a lower surplus for the balance of payment (BOP) surplus as well as foreign reserves given the impact of external volatilities.

Monetary officials see a US$ 77.5 billion to $ 78 billion gross international reserves (GIR), down from the US$ 79 billion earlier, and a US$ 2.6 billion BOP surplus, from US$ 2.8 billion previously.

BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., in his speech during the The Asset-Philippine Financial Market Forum (FINEX) forum Monday, said there are “numbers of clear opportunities” that the Philippines can gain from, but pointed out that “there remain serious storm clouds in the external environment.”

Primary to these challenges is the ongoing negative developments, particularly in Europe.

Tetangco, in an interview with reporters, said the downward adjustments in the GIR and BOP projections for this year was made after taking into account latest figures on these reports.

As of last May, the country’s GIR level stood at US$ 76.02 billion, lower than monthago’s US$ 76.54 billion but higher than yearago’s US$ 68.85 billion.

The BOP surplus last April stood at US$ 79 million, a turn-around from month-ago’s US$ 1.084 billion, bringing the four-month surplus to US$ 1.164 billion, which is lower than year-ago’s US$ 4.577 billion.

BOP is the sum of a country’s economic

transactions with the rest of the world.

Tetangco cited that amid the decrease in the BOP surplus projection for 2012, “it’s still a surplus notwithstanding the difficulties that are facing the global economy at this point in time.”

He explained that these projections are what monetary officials see as “reasonable projections” to date and these will be reviewed in the fourth quarter.

“We will review this again towards the latter part of the year, in the fourth quarter, and assess the developments that we see today up to that period and evaluate whether this will necessitate changes in the balance of payments projections,” he said.

“If there’s an improvement in the global economy, then I think there might be some scope for raising the balance of payments projection particularly next year,” he said.

The central bank reviews their economic projections twice a year namely in April and in October.

Meanwhile, monetary officials maintained their five-percent growth projection for remittances this year as well as the 10-percent imports growth.

Tetangco said foreign direct investments (FDI) and foreign portfolio investments “will continue to rise even under the revised forecast”, but noted that “the rise now is somewhat slower than what we had expected in December last year.

“It’s understandable because of the risk aversion that hits the market every now and then,” he added.

Shop at Abreeza Mall’s techno fair

A

BREEZA Mall caters to your gadget needs as it opens Techno Fair from June 29 to July 01, 2012. This three-day even t presents a variety of gadgets and telecom services from Abreeza Mall stores like Globe, ICenter, Mobile Networks, Silicon Valley, Digital Walker, Gui, 8telcom, The Sun Shop, Sony

Center, Samsung Concept Shop and more. Shop and avail of big discounts at the Techno Fair, ground floor, Robinsons Supermarket Hallway.

For further inquiries, visit our Concierge Counter or check out our Facebook page for updates on mall store sales at www.facebook.com/AbreezaMall.

6

THE ECONOMY

Stat Watch

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

3.5% 4th Qtr 2011

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

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

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

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

9. National Government Revenues 10. National government outstanding debt

P 43.65 Dec 2011

11. Peso per US $ 5/ 12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

3,999.7 Sept 2011

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

128.1 Jan 2012

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.9 Jan 2012

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.4 Dec 2011

16. Visitor Arrivals

284,040 Sept 2011

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

19.1% Oct 2011

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

6.4% Oct 2011

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

2011

2010

2009

Average December November October September August July June May April March

43.31 43.64 43.27 43.45 43.02 42.42 42.81 43.37 43.13 43.24 43.52

45.11 43.95 43.49 43.44 44.31 45.18 46.32 46.30 45.60 44.63 45.74

47.637 46.421

February

43.70

46.31

January

44.17

46.03

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

47.032 46.851 48.139

48.161 48.146 47.905 47.524 48.217

48.458 47.585 47.207

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Virgin coconut oil exports up by 138% P

HILIPPINE Coconut Authority (PCA) Administrator Euclides G. Forbes reported a 138.65 percent increase in export earnings for Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) for the first quarter of this year with earnings of $ 7,566,132.00 compared with figures of the same period last year in the amount of $ 3,170,394.00. He added that the first quarter 2012 volume likewise registered an increase of 93.58 percent with 1,719.23 MT compared with last year’s 888.11 MT. VCO is exported to 27 countries in Asia, Europe and the United States. Forbes said that the first quarter export to France registered the highest with a 1,011.76 percent increase in value with earnings of $ 76,000 for this quarter compared with last year’s figure of $ 6,836. Volume also increased by 662.96 percent

with this quarter’s volume recorded at 16.48 MT as against last year’s 2.16 MT. Forbes bared that export to the following countries registered a big leap in value and volume from last year’s first quarter figures to this year’s export of the same period.

These are as follows: Taiwan up in value of - 912.24 percent - from last year’s $ 6,600.00 to $ 66.808.00, up in volume from 1.11MT to 35.87MT; Finland – 714.92 percent increase in value from $ 14,045.00 to $ 114,456.00 and 900.81 percent in volume from 2.47MT to 24.72MT; Hongkong – up by 549.90 percent in value from $ 11,907.00 to $ 77,384.00 and 950.57 percent in volume from 1.74 MT to 18.28 MT.; Bermuda – 502.53 percent up in value from $ 198.00 to $ 1,193.00 and 880 percent increase in volume from 0.05 MT to 0.49; Malaysia – up in value

of 471.39 from $ 18,276.00 to $ 104,428.00 and an increase of 333.16 percent in volume from 3.89 MT to 16.85MT; New Zealand likewise registered a 349.54 percent increase in value from $ 12,145.00 to $ 54,597.00 and 390.34 percent in volume from 2.07 MT to 10.15 MT. The USA registered a 154.12 percent increase in value from last year’s first quarter earnings of $ 1,835,199.00 to this year’s $ 4,663,582.00 of the same period and 116.20 percent increase in volume from 488.70 MT to 1,056.59 MT; Germany – up by 143.38 percent in value with $ 115,890.00 earnings from last year’s first quarter compared with that of the same period this year of $ 282,057.00 and an increase of 65.95 in volume from 43.61 MT to 72.37 MT. The Administrator added that last year’s total VCO export was a high 0f 169.74 per-

senior member of the House of Representatives favors the national government’s plan to establish a fresh and highly progressive mining policy.

“We are hoping that the new policy will reinforce environmental protection and ensure more inclusive economic and employment growth, particularly for communities around mine sites,» said Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas.

«We have to secure our fragile environment at all times,” he said, adding that mining communities should not only be kept safe, but should also benefit to the greatest extent from the exploitation of mineral resources in their areas.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje earlier said that President Benigno S. Aquino III is set to sign a new mining policy in the

next few days.

Meanwhile, Gullas cited Philex Mining Corp. and Nickel Asia Corp., which have emerged as the country’s top taxpayers in the mining sector.

Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) records show that 54-year-old Philex paid P1.804 billion in taxes on gross sales of P12.673 billion, making it the industry’s biggest taxpayer, and the ninth-largest among all corporate taxpayers in the country.

Next to Philex, 37-year-old Nickel Asia’s four subsidiaries -- Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp., Taganito Mining Corp., Cagdianao Mining Corp., and Hinatuan Mining Corp. -- paid a combined P1.149 billion in taxes on cumulative gross sales of P8.293 billion.

All figures were based on the BIR’s Top 500 Non-Individual Taxpayers for Taxable Year 2010.

Chaired by businessman Manuel Pangilinan, Philex operates the Padcal mine in Benguet.

Philex, which is the country’s largest mining entity by gross revenue, produced 37.955 pounds of copper and 140,113 ounces of gold in 2011.

On the other hand, partlyowned by Japan’s Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd. and chaired by businessman Manuel Zamora, Nickel Asia is the country’s biggest producer of nickel ore, and the world’s fifthlargest.

Nickel Asia churned out 10.4 million wet metric tons of nickel ore in 2011 from four mines in Mindanao and Palawan.

Both Philex and Nickel Asia are publicly traded companies.

Their shares of stock are traded on the Philippine Stock Exchange.

EADERS who are to attend the summit of the Group of Twenty (G20) have been urged to make good on their commitment to food security, despite the urgency of European financial crisis.

Ahead of the G20 Leaders’ summit, which runs Monday and Tuesday in Los Cabos, a seaside resort in Mexico, Felipe Calderon, president of the host nation Mexico, issued a list of five priorities for the summit.

These are food security, green growth, financial stability, improved financial architecture and growth-centered economic re-

form.

With worries about the eurozone, and especially Greece, growing, however, many fear that these ideas will be swept aside.

“All indications are that the crisis in Europe is going to dominate talks,” said Sameer Dossani, the advocacy coordinator for Action Aid International, a non-governmental organization dedicated to anti-poverty, in an interview with Xinhua on Sunday.

He said with the billion people going hungry worldwide, however, food security “is equally if not more important.”

The European crisis has to be

solved, because it is turning into a serious problem for developing nations, which are already suffering volatile food prices and cuts in international aid, said Carlos Zarco, spokesman for Oxfam, a British NGO dedicated to food security, in an interview via email.

He insisted it was not enough for the G20 to fix the European crisis.

At the last G20 summit held last November in French coastal city of Cannes, the G20 decided to launch a database seeking to make food markets more transparent by publishing data detailing commodities markets transactions.

cent increase in value with $ 22,498,130.00 as against $ 8,340,742.00 in 2010. It was also up by 79.51 percent in volume with 4,913.50 MT as against 2,737.17 MT the previous year.

The administrator attributes increasing demand for VCO to the growing awareness on the health benefits of VCO. He reiterated the announcement of Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala early this year that VCO intake is good for the body based on the PCA sponsored study conducted by the University of Santo Tomas Research Team on the Effect of VCO on Human with Emphasis on Cholesterol.

VCO is obtained from fresh mature, kernel of the coconut by mechanical or natural means with or without the use of heat is suitable for consumption without further processing.

Solon backs new mining policy A

Global leaders urged to act on food security

L

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

as of august 2010

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

PSE bounces back after Greece polls

The positive turn-out of the Greece’s polls wherein the probail out party garnered majority votes proved positive even to the local bourse with the main index going up to the 5,000-level again.

The composite index rose by 109.11 points, or 2.21 percent to 5,039.74 percent, from last Friday’s 4,930.63 points finish.

Relatively, the broader all shares index trekked to 3,347.88 points, up by 51.91 points or 1.57 percent from the previous trading day’s 3,295.97 points.

All the sectoral indices also ended the first half of the session up led by the mining and oil index, which grew by 2.83 percent or 666.69 points to 24,234.38 points.

Value turn-over reached P2.46 billion after 1.26 billion shares changed hands.

Similarly, the local currency improved against the dollar after opening at 42.10 from last Friday’s 42.44.

Its opening salvo is the peso’s strongest in the morning session as it slipped to 42.19 during the trading, resulting to an average of 42.15.

Volume of trade reached US$ 460.20 million.

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

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

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

PROPERTY

7

ANFLOCOR employees sneak a peek at Damosa Fairlane

Damosa Fairlane is conveniently located within the DAMOSA District, a bustling commercial hub where business meets leisure.

NFLOCOR, via its wholly owned real es- meters to 250 sq. meters.

“With various selectate and property development comtions of sophisticated pany Damosa Land, Inc., recently gave house models, Damosa its employees a sneak-peek of a future lifestyle Fairlane residents will that they can enjoy in the soon-to-rise Damosa have an ideal city center address while owning a Fairlane. detached dwelling unit,” “As ANFLOCOR’s way the Davao International added Villaver. of thanking its employees Airport, schools, church, This way, families will for their loyalty and hard hotels as well as other have more valuable time and work, we gave them the business and leisure es- quality moments to spend opportunity to have a pre- tablishments. with their loved ones inview of this first urban resElaborating on the stead of the usual long drive idential community that unique living experience to and from work or busiwe are building. We want- that Damosa Fairlane will ness. ed to involve them in this soon provide, Ed Villaver, Damosa Fairlane is the first-of-a-kind project,” Vice President and General first residential commusaid Ricardo R. Floirendo, Manager of Damosa Land, nity project of ANFLOCOR, Senior Vice President of Inc., the company that will who has partnered with ANFLOCOR. handle the development real estate industry leadDamosa Fairlane will be of Damosa Fairlane, gave ers like Ayala Land, Inc. in a primary residential com- a preview of the deluxe fa- establishing the first-class munity nestled in a prime cilities and amenities of the mixed-use urban developlocation amidst a fast-grow- community. This includes ment Abreeza Complex in ing DAMOSA district where resort-inspired clubhouse Davao City and the soonthe latest commercial and with banquet hall, basket- to-rise Centrio in Cagayan mixed-use urban develop- ball court, lush tropical de Oro City; with Landco ments are taking place. landscape, pocket parks, Pacific in putting up SaProximate to Damosa children’s playground, and mal’s ultimate resort comFairlane is the DAMOSA swimming pool. munity Playa Azalea; and District where a host of It will also have distinc- with DMCI in creating the corporate firms like AN- tive streetscape design, high-rise residential conFLOCOR Corporate Center underground storm drain- dominium Amaryllis in and DAMOSA IT Park, as age, water system, com- Quezon City. well as commercial estab- plete electrical facilities, In spite of the fact that lishments provide a work- perimeter fence, and two this is ANFLOCOR’s first life balance to its future entrance gates with 24/7 venture into exclusive resiresidents. Other primary security system to seal and dential community develdestinations that outline secure the entire exclusive opment, this Davao-grown this booming district are village. company prides itself the soon-to-rise SM Mall Following a mid-cen- with long and successand Convention Center, tury modern residential ful years of experience Robinsons Cybergate, and theme that is fused with Fil- in hospitality. ANFLOCOR Abreeza Complex. ipino architecture, Damosa owns the world-renowned Among other key places Fairlane will have four mod- Pearl Farm Beach Resort, within the immediate vicin- el houses with lot dimen- which is known for its picity of this urban enclave are sions varying at 120 sq. turesque seascape and lush

A

Ed Villaver, Vice President and General Manager of Damosa Land, Inc., the wholly owned real estate and property development arm of ANFLOCOR. foliage, not to mention its of its franchise of another FLOCOR is indeed fully 5-star class accommodation world-class hotel - the Mi- equipped in developing which has continued to cap- crotel Hotels and Resorts its very own residential tivate local and foreign tour- - which branches in Davao community project.

With around 200 availists. For that, Pearl Farm has and soon-to-rise in General helped put IGACOS and the Santos are owned by the able units, DAMOSA Fairlane is projected to be entire Davao Region in the company.

Combining its com- completed towards the map of global tourism.

ANFLOCOR’s hospi- petence in various real third quarter of 2013 with tality expertise is further estate development and initial residents moving in strengthened by the success hospitality business, AN- by the last quarter.

8

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Amnesty for illegal immigrants against the law COMMENTARY

I

EDITORIAL

Drainage and plastics

D

AVAO CITY Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio said the city government’s plan to build three main drainage canals will cost billions of pesos.

The canals will form parts of a longterm comprehensive drainage system designed to liberate the city from frequent street flooding that it has been suffering from for the longest time.

The master plan on drainage system is not new. The plan has been there for years. After a comprehensive review by the city’s Task Force Drainage, assisted by a Dutch expert, it was decided that the old plan could do the job and that there is no need to revise it.

The most vital part of this effort, as admitted by the mayor herself, is the search for funds to bankroll the project.

This funding business is the “bloodiest” aspect, not only because money is not easy to come by, but not all landowners

EDGEDAVAO

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would be willing to sell their landholdings that are supposed to be crisscrossed by the drainage canals at the price/s the city government would pay. Take note that then Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte preferred to divert some P90 million of the old drainage funding to other projects rather than insist in continuing the acquisition that will unnecessarily tie the city government down in long drawnout civil suits with the landowners.

While we are at it, it is suggested that the city government should go ahead with the ban on non-biodegradable plastic products starting June 28. We all know that plastic is the culprit in the clogging of our canals and other waterways. Who knows but that totally doing away with plastics would do the trick, if not at least minimize flooding of streets while the city government is looking around for a huge, mind-boggling amount of funding for the drainage system.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

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

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

JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

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BY LAMAR SMITH

T’S said that desperate times call for desperate measures. But in these dismal economic and political times, the Obama administration has called for unlawful measures that grant amnesty to potentially millions of illegal immigrants.

Today, Janet Napolitano, secretary of Homeland Security, announced immunity from deportation for illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States before they turned 16 and who are younger than 30 – among other criteria. They can apply for a two-year work permit that can be renewed indefinitely.

The decision is not just a breach of faith with the American people. It blatantly ignores the rule of law that is the foundation of our democracy.

In an interview with Univision television earlier this year, President Obama said that he can’t just “waive away the laws that Congress put in place” and that “the president doesn’t have the authority to simply ignore Congress and say, ‘We’re not going to enforce the laws that you’ve passed.’”

But ignore Congress and the Constitution is exactly what the president has done – and this isn’t the first time. Throughout the past three years of his administration, Mr. Obama has waived applying several of our immigration rules and has refused to enforce other immigration laws.

Earlier this year, administration officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) outlined their plan to ignore a rule that requires illegal immigrants to leave the US before they can then ask the federal government to waive a law that bans them from legally returning here for several years.

While the waiver of this rule is sometimes allowed under current law, it is only applied on a case-by-case basis, not to entire categories of illegal immigrants. But Obama and his administration have bent these established rules by applying them to potentially millions of illegal immigrants.

And this decision comes on the heels of an even larger plan to reward illegal immigrants. Last year, political appointees at DHS issued new deportation guidelines to target illegal immigrants that have been identified

by DHS. That amounts to backdoor amnesty and strikes another blow at the 13 million unemployed American workers.

Under Obama’s deportation policy, DHS officials review all incoming and most pending cases before an immigration court to determine if the illegal immigrant can remain in the US. Since DHS political appointees have made clear that many illegal immigrants are not considered “priorities” for removal, this means that potentially millions of illegal immigrants can remain in the US without a vote of Congress.

The administration’s amnesty policy, expanded once again, not only violates the rule of law, it only benefits illegal immigrants, not Americans, and is a magnet for fraud. Many illegal immigrants will falsely claim they came here as children or are under the age of 30 and the federal government has no way to check whether their claims are true.

And once these illegal immigrants are granted deferred action, they can then apply for a work permit, which the administration routinely grants 90 percent of the time. This could put even more US citizens on the unemployment rolls.

Ignoring Congress and the Constitution may be politically convenient for President Obama, but this huge policy shift has horrible consequences for unemployed Americans looking for jobs. It violates the president’s oath to uphold the laws of this land.

It doesn’t matter how bleak poll numbers are or how low campaign coffers may be, the president of the United States cannot ignore the rule of law.

[Rep. Lamar Smith (R) of Texas is Chairman of the US House Judiciary Committee.]

EDGEDAVAO

S

O when M a n n y Pacquiao almost inexplicably lost to Timothy Bradley, an early 1-7 long shot, reactions swung from one extreme of the pendulum to the other.

When the decision was announced, every living room in the Philippines tuned in to the fight collapsed into deafening silence.

The shock however quickly turned into defiant howls. Then the outrage turned into bemusement and disbelief. Did they not just watch another boxing match?

From all conceivable angles and perspectives, Pacquiao looked like he was in total control of the fight. Indeed, from the statistical point of view, Pacquiao was the more effective, accurate and the bigger puncher.

Oh, he landed more than Bradley by disparity ratio of close to 2 is to 1, too.

So why did Pacquiao lose?

Was he a victim of a bum, if not deliberate, decision? Was the fight an unforgivable fix? Or has Manny simply lost a step and is now ripe for the picking?

When looking at the Bradley bout, Pacquiao’s 60th professional fight, it is best to range it against Manny’s body of work as a prized knockout artist.

Manny’s boxing career is best defined in three chapters.

The first is when Manny was virtually a non-entity in international boxing. Second is when he started to make a name for himself and finally, the third, when he hit pay dirt.

You can argue that a fourth is now dawning on him. But it is not easy to exaggerate his “untimely demise” from the sports. Manny will tell you that straight in your face with a

U

Robbed or rigged: Take your pick (1st of 2 parts)

wide grin.

Early struggles Manny was so driven to make it big in boxing he had to stow away from home and start his professional boxing career in faraway Mindoro Island – 900 kms from his hometown in General Santos City – against a kid named Edmund Enting Ignacio. He won his professional debut with an inconsequential unanimous decision victory. That was in 1995 when he also fought a total of 10 times during that year. Back then, he was a hungry kid hoping to make it big and was taking fights in a week or two’s notice. He took his first loss, a knockout, against Rustico Torrecampo in his 12th professional but bounced back by racking up 12 consecutive victories (10 by KOs) before coming from behind and knocking out Chatchai Sasakul in Thailand to win the World Boxing Council flyweight title. He would lose it to Medgoen Singsurat in his third defense but not before abdicating the title at the weighing scale.

Fighting at an average of close to six fights a year in his first six years as a professional, Pacquiao never even merited a second look from international boxing promoters even though he already won a championship crown – until he took Las Vegas by storm in mercilessly pummeling Lehlo Ledwaba into submission in the undercard of the Oscar de la Hoya-Javier Castillo title fight at the MGM Grand. He won his second world crown, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super bantamweight title in that impressive display of predatory hunger. Still, many thought Pacquiao was a one-hit wonder.

No one-hit wonder Sports scribes who saw Pacquiao shellacked Ledwaba were impressed but many never thought he was something special. He was pitted against dangerous and equally hungry fighters. To the astonishment of cyn-

ics, Pacquiao actually thrived and prevailed.

Unbeknownst to them, Manny lives up to challenges and enjoys pulling surprises.

Then the time of reckoning came. He was handpicked by the handlers of Marco Antonio Barrera to a non-title 12 round fight after the latter was stripped of his featherweight title for refusing to pay the WBC sanctioning fee.

Pacquiao would serve the world notice by taking the fight in less than a month’s call. A new boxing superstar was then born on November 13, 2003. He completely dominated Barrera, then at the prime of his career and one of boxing’s most feared fighters, en route to an 11th round TKO win. Pacquiao followed up his victory with an exciting but controversial draw with Juan Manuel Marquez but not after sending the Mexican thrice to the canvass in the first round. Many thought Pacquiao won that fight and victory would have been his had one judge not erred in scoring the first round for Marquez.

Pacquiao’s career took another spill as he suffered his third defeat at the hands of Erik Morales, the last of the Mexican triumvirate with whom Manny would do memorable battles. Pacquiao, however, would avenge that loss with two knockout victories in as many rematches with Morales.

Top of the heap When Pacquiao turned 30, he was running out of opponents in the featherweight class. He took yet another leap and sought more glories in the higher weight divisions although at that time, Manny already had four world titles in as many weight divisions. (One was for the lineal super featherweight title he won over Barrera).

[MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Edwin G. Espejo writes for www.asiancorrespondent.com]

ANALYSIS

larly what’s going on in the eurozone.”

Many American experts hold similar views. Matthew Goodman, an expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Xinhua that the eurozone crisis “will not only be at the top of the list but will dominate the conversations in Los Cabos.”

To avoid the same fate that has befallen so many of his fellow world leaders, Obama is feeling an urgent need to push the Europeans to take more decisive measures.

While recognizing a “number of very important steps” taken by the Europeans, Froman, who is responsible for the preparation for Obama’s G20 summit visit to Los Cabos, said: “It’s clear now that the markets expect more. And more is needed.”

Bruce Jones with the Brooking’s Institution, based in Washington, D.C, said he was very much concerned about the Obama administration over the European debt crisis. In his belief, the current crisis, even well short of a disaster, can put “substantial pressure” on growth in the United States and even globally.

Given the ongoing election campaign, “the timing is very acute,” Jones said.

But he also suggested that Obama’s push is “not irrelevant, but not decisive.”

“Ultimately, it will be decided by the Europeans,” he said. [PNA/XINHUA]

Campaign pressure at G20 summit

.S. President Barack Obama arrived Sunday in the beautiful Mexican seaside resort of Los Cabos for the Group of 20 (G20) summit where he is expected to bustle around among top leaders from the world’s most powerful nations.

With less than five months away from the U.S. presidential election in November, Obama, despite the anticipated great diplomatic fanfare, may not be all smiles and free from mounting pressure of the dead-heat race against his Republican rival Mitt Romney back home.

As a matter of fact, Obama is in a hot seat right now due to grim economic outlook at home. In May, the U.S. economy only added a disappointing 69,000 jobs, well below market expectation and the number needed to absorb new labor, with unemployment rate edging up to 8.2 percent.

According to latest polls, the incumbent American president is tying with Romney in approvals on handling of economy, which is rated by a majority of voters as the single most important factor when they cast ballots in November.

In a Gallup poll released on June 4, challenger Romney even had a 49 percent to 45 percent edge over Obama among middle-income voters.

Obama has every reason to be alarmed. Since the G20 summit in Lon-

Monkey Business

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

BY RAN WEI don in April 2009, a long list of Western leaders have already been pushed out of office, primarily because of the public anger ignited by the global economic downturn.

They include Britain’s Gordon Brown, Spain’s Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, and Silvio Berlusconi of Italy. The latest victim of a drowsy economy should be Nicolas Sarkozy who was defeated by Francois Hollande in the French presidential election last month.

Haunted by domestic campaign pressure, the American president will probably utilize G20 Leaders¡¯Summit at Los Cabos as an ideal platform to press others, particularly the Europeans, to do more, for fear that the troubles in Europe will further drag down growth in America and ultimately affecting his reelection efforts.

In a recent forum in Washington, D.C., Michael Froman, the senior economic aide to Obama, called the ongoing eurozone crisis the “biggest issue” of global economy right now. He expected the G20 leaders to spend a “disproportionate” amount of their time to talk about the state of the global economy, “particu-

9

Rizal’s cravings for sumptuous food SPECIAL FEATURE

BY MA. TERESA YOSORES

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R. Jose Rizal’s serious side have always been at the fore. The national hero’s writings helped in the Philippines’ liberation in 1898 from Spain’s imperialism, tyranny and cultural suppression. We know of him as the author of the all-time popular novels El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere. He wrote letters to his family which were collected, preserved and published by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) under the titles “One Hundred Letters of José Rizal to his Parents, Brothers, Sisters, Relatives” in 1959 and “Reminiscences and Travels of José Rizal” in 1977.

But since it’s Rizal’s 151st birthday on June 19, featuring his favorite dishes could be more delightfully appropriate for a celebration.

Knowing these dishes would make us understand how he was like as an ordinary person. His writings were very much instrumental as they reveal those dishes that he craved for.

Thus, the “Kulinarya Kalayaan” food festival, which has been running from June 10 until June 20, has the theme called “Rizalian” menu. The management of participating hotels and restaurants read books and researched, particularly about Rizal’s favorite dishes and came up with their own versions, highlighted with a twist.

Examples of the food that Rizal craved for were Laguna cheese, mangoes, anchovies, tinola and monggo soup which Rizal repeatedly requested in his letters to his family while he was in exile in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte from 1892 to 1896.

Chef Rudy dela Passion of Century Park Hotel said that he and his culinary team prepared “a diverse gastronomic journey” for their guests. He presented to the media his unique version of five dishes such as the Monggo soup with “tinapa” (smoked fish) meat.

Aside from Rizal’s favorites and other local dishes, they are also offering Mussel Mariniere from France (mussels sautéed in white wine, onion, celery, leeks, and butter); Cocido from Spain (boiled chicken, beef, bacon, sausage and vegetables); and Hong Kong (crispy) Fried Noodles.

Apparently, these dishes originated from the countries where Rizal had traveled.

Passion said there were still other dishes he included to connect with Rizal’s works abroad. Among them are Lengua Estofado from Spain (where Rizal practised his medical career and wrote his first essay), Fish Cordon Bleu from France (where Rizal served as an ophthalmologist and honed his skills in music), Sunday Roast from England (where Rizal co-founded the Asociacion Hispano Filipino), Sauerbraten from Germany (where Rizal came up with his Noli Me Tangere novel), Chinese Dimsum from Hongkong (where Rizal began to be recognized as an excellent eye surgeon), and Belgian Meatballs from Belgium (where Rizal finished his second novel, El Filibusterismo).

Philippe Bartholomi, the hotel’s General Manager, said that they have allotted a great deal to prepare for the food festival. “We brainstormed quite a long time to try to do something different. So we thought that going around the world with Jose Rizal was really a good way of having something special on the menu,” he said.

According to Eric Beza, the hotel’s Public Relation Assistant, they learned that the other participating hotels and restaurants presented dishes from the country’s regions. “I think we’re the only hotel featuring dishes from the different places, those from the travels of Dr. Jose Rizal,” he said, adding that the hotel usually prepare theme buffets – Chinese on Mondays, Filipino on Tuesdays, International on Wednesdays, Asian on Thursdays, Seafood on Fridays, Mediterranean on Saturdays and Filipino Family Fiestas on Sundays.

Meanwhile, Sous Chef John Philip Gomez of Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila, beamed that it brings him so much honor to be doing the Rizalian presentation of his dishes. He wanted to come up with a menu combination showcasing what Rizal liked in real-life and as his fictional character. Gomez also included other dishes which are “hyped” like his “escabeche,” cooked in his own standard.

“I found out that this guy (Rizal) is amazing. He was what a food blogger should be – he wrote well, spoke well and ate well.

This is a guy with the Filipinos in his mind.

He is an icon for me. So when I had to this (Rizalian menu), I said ‘I had to do this right’,” Gomez said.

The “Kulinarya Kalayaan” food festival is a joint undertaking of the Department of Tourism (DOT), the 114th Independence Day celebration Inter-agency Committee and the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP). [PNA]

EDGEDAVAO 10 SUBURBIA Floirendo Foundation welcomes more scholars VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

Some of the new college scholars of the Floirendo Foundation pop a pose with their parents after the orientation.

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ON Antonio O. Floirendo, Sr. Foundation continuous to strengthen its scholarship program as it welcomes 70 new scholars for the school year 2012-2013.

On its eleventh year of providing scholarship grants to dependents of employees of the ANFLOCOR Group of Companies, the Floirendo Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the ANFLOCOR Group of Companies, now has a total number of 169 scholars under its program.

“The Floirendo Foundation is very happy that the number of scholars is growing year on year,” said Russell U. Barrizo, Programs Director for the foundation.

Barrizo added that the main thrust of this scholarship program is to assist the employees of the ANFLOCOR Group of Companies in giving their dependent children the best realm of education.

“This is one way of thanking the employees of the ANFLOCOR Group of Companies for their dedicated service and commitment. As they are the principal resource of the organization, the company wants to provide them opportunities for their own growth and the growth of their families as well,” explained Barrizo.

Among the privileges accorded a Floirendo

Foundation scholar are exemption from tuition fees, semestral allowances for books, subsidy for transportation and other miscellaneous fees, and regular monthly stipend.

Side by side with these, scholars will have the opportunity to enroll in any course or degree program that they want to take in 20 affiliated schools located in Davao City, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Iloilo, Laguna, and Metro Manila.

Patricia Dian L. Morgia, one of the new freshmen scholars, extended her sincere gratitude to the foundation saying “I am very fortunate to receive this scholarship grant. This would be a great help to my parents.”

“Now that my college education is free, I am more determined and motivated to do better than best,” she added.

Likewise, Barrizo encouraged all the Floirendo Foundation scholars to give their best to maintain a good academic standing so that they will continue to enjoy the scholarship grant.

Besides sustaining their scholarship, Barrizo also reminded the scholars to “study well to finish their studies on time and be able to help their families and respective communities as well.”

“On our part, this is just the start of our journey towards suc-

cess. We will not waste this golden opportunity given to us. Instead, this scholarship will be our pedestal to achieve our goals and, of course, to make the Floirendo Foundation and our parents proud,” said Jerwin B. Jeruela another scholar of the foundation.

The Floirendo Foundation College Scholarship Program was established in 2005. To date, nineteen (19) scholars have graduated from the program and most of them are now gainfully employed in the ANFLOCOR Group of Companies.

Jeanrose Salundaguit, alumni of Floirendo Foundation scholarship program, now works as a Project Officer of the foundation.

Richell Argones, alumni of Floirendo Foundation scholarship program, now works at Anflo Management and Investment Corporation as a Software Application Support Staff of IT Department.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

Water Advisory

Water service interruptions sked June 19 and June 21-22

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WO sets of water service interruption are scheduled by Davao City Water District to allow its crews to conduct separate improvement projects.

The first water cut is scheduled from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM of June 19 due to emergency replacement of headshaft and stuffing box bushing to avoid burning out of electric motor at Tugbok Production Well No. 5.

Customers being served

by Tugbok Water Supply System will experience low water pressure to no water particularly in Tugbok Quarry, Deca Homes Subd. in Tacunan and all their immediate environs.

Second water interruption is set from 8:00 PM of June 21 until 4:00 AM of June 22.

The eight-hour water cut will affect residents of Barangay Talomo specifically Talomo Proper, Sunnyville Subd., Talomo Teachers Village I, AR Village, PNB Village, Manggahan, Solariega Subd., Josefina Village, PLDT Subd., Talusa Village, Mandaya-Talusa Village, Talomo Cemento, New Washington Village I and II, Benedictine Sisters Road, Gulfview Executive Homes and Versari Village.

Said water cut is needed to allow the tapping of the newly installed 10-inch diameter Ductile Iron Pipe to the existing 14-inch and 10inch diameter Mortar Line Coated Steel Pipe (MLCSP) for the transmission / distribution pipeline from Talomo Cemento to Gulfview in Brgy. Talomo. Comple-

tion of the said project will help improve the water pressure in the area.

In behalf of DCWD management, acting general manager Edwin V. Regalado appeals for the understanding and cooperation of would be affected customers as water supply may be restored earlier if work goes smoothly or later if unforeseen problems arise.

The general public may call the DCWD trunk line at 221-9400 and press “1” on their phone dial to listen to the latest daily water updates, or contact its call center through the 24-hour hotline 2219412 or 0927-7988966 for updates, complaints, queries and other matters pertaining to DCWD services.

wide. No commercial drumming or any large container is allowed other than the vehicle’s own internal fuel tank.

The discount is valid for cash or credit card transactions.

Employees of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc., participating Phoenix stations, advertising agencies, Phoenix retailers, suppliers and contractors and their relatives up to second degree of consanguinity or affinity are disqualified from joining the pro-

mo.

Promo runs from June 18 to June 25, 2012. Per DTI-NCR Permit No. 3993 Series of 2012.

Phoenix Petroleum is the leading independent and fastestgrowing oil company in the Philippines. It is engaged in the business of trading refined petroleum products, lubricants and other chemical products on a wholesale basis, operation of oil depots and storage facilities, and allied services.

ers inquiring through 09229993572 will experience the same on June 21, from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. only.

The said service will not be able to cater customer queries on electric bills during these schedules to facilitate two (2) separate system maintenance to be conducted by SMART and SunCellular telecommunication com-

panies to provide for a more improved service to their customers.

The ASKDLPC BILL service will become available as soon as the said maintenance will be finished.

The electric distribution utility apologizes to those who will be affected by the temporary unavailability of this text messaging service.

Phoenix Phils launches Balik-Eskwela promo

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HOENIX Petroleum Philippines is offering fuel discount in all Phoenix stations from June 18 to 25. Off the pump discount of Php 0.80/ liter on diesel, and Php 1.00/liter on gasoline can be availed by Phoenix customers nationwide as part of the Balik-Eskwela Price Discount Promo.

To qualify for the discount, a customer should purchase a minimum of 1 liter of gasoline or diesel in any Phoenix station nation-

Davao Light’s text broadcast out of service on June 20-21

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AVAO Light and Power Company announces that its ASKDLPC BILL text broadcast will be out of service on June 20 and 21.

Customers using 3913572 will not be able to use this text messaging facility from 10:00 p.m. up until 8:00 a.m. of the following day, June 21. On the other hand, sun cellular subscrib-

COMMUNITY SENSE 11

12 NATION/WORLD NATION BRIEFS Not weaken

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HE pullout of Philippine ships from Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal would not weaken the country’s claim over the disputed area, the Department of National Defense (DND) said yesterday.

“If the concern is looking into the area, there are other ways of monitoring,” DND spokesman Peter Galvez said. “It will not weaken our claim.”

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Support

HE Philippines sought Myanmar’s support in its maritime territorial dispute with China. Philippine foreign secretary Albert del Rosario said he brought up the two-month long standoff in the South China Sea in his talks with visiting Myanmar Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin in Manila.

“We discussed the West Philippine Sea issue, the peaceful resolution of the dispute in accordance with international law,” del Rosario said, using the Philippine term for the South China Sea.

Condolences

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HE Philippines will extend its condolences to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after the passing of its Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz alSaud.

Vice President Jejomar Binay is set to leave for Jeddah on Tuesday to meet King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud on behalf of President Benigno Aquino III.

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Reawakening

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HE first decade of the Philippines’ reawakening ties with Spain has been proven productive and beneficial for both countries, a senator said Friday. This year marks the tenth year celebration of the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day which is being celebrated every June 30.

Senator Edgardo Angara, chair of the Philippines-Spain Parliamentary Friendship Group, said the two countries have signed nine bilateral economic and cultural agreements as well as P9.2-billion worth of investments and grants in ten years.

EDGEDAVAO

Iran, world powers in P ‘last chance’ nuke talks

WORLD TODAY

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Iran’s Russian-built nuclear reactor in Bushehr. Iran and world powers on Monday locked horns in Moscow for a new round of high-stakes talks on the controversial Iranian nuclear programme seen as a last chance to solve the crisis diplomatically. [AFP] also the explosive core of an atomic bomb.

“If this demand isn’t recognised, the negotiations are certainly headed for failure,” an unidentified Iranian official at the talks said, according to state news agency IRNA. Russia’s Kommersant daily said Iran would be offered a compromise plan under which it would scale down the degree to which uranium is enriched at its main enrichment facility in Natanz from 20 percent to 3.5 or 5 percent.

The proposal would also require Iran to freeze all enrichment at its underground Fordo facility deep in the mountains outside the holy city of Qom or even close the plant altogether, Kommersant said, quoting diplomatic sources.

The West accuses Iran of seeking an atomic bomb under the guise of a civilian nuclear energy programme, a charge vehemently denied by Tehran. Host Russia has long taken a more cautious line, saying Iran must restore confidence but not

explicitly accusing it of military intentions.

The urgency for Iran is compounded by the July 1 deadline the European Union has slapped on a full oil embargo against Tehran and the June 28 rollout of tough US sanctions against a host of countries that buy Iranian oil.

“This meeting is going to be decisive. (If the talks fail) a toughening of sanctions against Tehran will be unavoidable and the use of military force very real,” said Kommersant. [AFP]

Suu Kyi gets pop star reception in Europe

OBEL peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has enjoyed pop star treatment wherever she has gone on her first trip to Europe in nearly a quarter of a century, after Myanmar’s rulers finally freed her from house arrest.

She has been showered with flowers, Norway’s King Harald almost ran to greet her, and 12,000 people waited patiently in Oslo’s icy rain just to say “Thank you Mother Suu”.

Shelling

RESIDENT Bashar al-Assad’s army intensified shelling of Sunni Muslim regions in central and northern Syria on Sunday, killing at least 50 people and wounding hundreds hours after U.N. monitors suspended their work, opposition activists said.

The monitors’ decision on Saturday was the clearest sign yet that a peace plan brokered by international mediator Kofi Annan had collapsed after repeated violations

by Assad’s forces and rebels backing a Sunni-led revolt across the country.

I

RAN and world powers on Monday locked horns in Moscow for a new round of high-stakes talks on the controversial Iranian nuclear programme seen as a last chance to solve the crisis diplomatically.

Chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili sat down with representatives from six world powers including Tehran’s arch foe the United States for two days of talks which will show if there is any hope of progress in resolving the standoff.

With an initial show of protocol smiles and polite cordiality, Jalili and the Iranian negotiating team sat at one side of the table opposite the envoys of the six world powers and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Failure in the talks could carry a heavy cost with the United States and its ally Israel refusing to rule out the option of airstrikes against the Iranian nuclear programme and Tehran facing sanctions that could cripple the economy.

But Iran made clear ahead of the negotiations it has no intention of abandoning its right to enrich uranium, the process which can be used to make nuclear fuel but

Awareness

ILIPINOS online are urged to join the social media awareness campaign dubbed “Walk Free Movement” to end the war against human trafficking and slavery.

Harnessing the power of social media will bring widespread awareness on the online petition for the ratification of ILO Convention 189 on decent work for domestic workers.

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

“We fought so long for her release and she’s finally here,” said Brigt Olav Gaasdal, who travelled half a day from his country home on Sunday to join thousands in Norway’s second biggest city Bergen to catch a glimpse of Suu Kyi. “She could have left Myanmar, she could have given up and I want to celebrate her incredible commitment,” said Gaasdal.

Suu Kyi, 66, the Oxfordeducated daughter of Myan-

mar’s assassinated independence hero Aung San, arrived in Norway on Friday to accept her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize and the 1990 human rights prize from the Bergen-based Rafto Foundation.

“We don’t have to see the end of the road far away in one instant, we just have to see the right road to get there,” Suu Kyi told thousands near Bergen’s historic waterfront.

“One step is enough for

Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi (top) speaks to a large audience outside Oslo’s City Hall June 16, 2012. [REUTERS]

me. If there is enough light to make us take the right steps one by one, then we’ll reach our goal in safety and peace.”

One woman cried. An elderly Asian man clutched Myanmar’s flag. Children took pictures. Burmese girls, having waited hours, nervously walked up on stage to kiss Suu Kyi. Even the relentless rain, which drenched Bergen all morning, stopped.

From the moment she landed in Norway, she has received star treatment.

Arriving in Oslo on Friday, a screaming, chanting, and dancing crowd, a mix of Norwegians and Burmese, welcomed her at the iconic Grand Hotel.

VISIBLY MOVED A visibly moved Suu Kyi turned back from the hotel door, even as her protocol team tried to usher her through, to accept as many flowers as she could carry from the crowd chanting “Mother Suu”.

Two weeks earlier, the crowd awaiting teenage pop idol Justin Bieber in front of the same hotel was tiny by comparison.

“

Acceptance

MADE in China” is a phrase Americans know mainly as an indicator of pervasive offshore manufacturing.

But increasingly it’s being attached to products originating in China from domestic companies - and gaining acceptance in the West.

A recent survey by LiNing, a leading Chinese athletic footwear and apparel company, found that a growing number of consumers in the United States are willing to buy products of Chinese origin.

S

Reforms

TRENGTHENED by his Socialists winning a majority in parliament, French President Francois Hollande faced the daunting task Monday of pushing left-wing reforms in the face of Europe’s debt crisis.

As Hollande flew to Mexico for a G20 summit expected to dominated by the eurozone’s financial woes, the Socialists and their supporters basked in taking control of France’s lower house National Assembly from the right.

E

Winner

GYPT’S Muslim Brotherhood said on Monday its candidate won the country’s first free presidential election, but a sweeping legal manoeuvre overnight by Cairo’s military rulers made clear the generals planned to keep control for now.

An election committee source told Reuters that Islamist Mohamed Morsy, a U.S.-educated engineer, was comfortably ahead of former air force general Ahmed Shafik with most of the votes tallied.

But the count, which would make him the first civilian leader in 60 years, had yet to be officially finalised.

G

Hailed

ERMANY expects the next Greek government to stick to the terms of the bailout agreement which remain non-negotiable, officials said on Monday, while comments from the foreign minister about giving Athens more time for reforms were quickly slapped down.

Berlin hailed Sunday’s election victory for the conservative New Democracy over the radical leftist SYRIZA block as a clear vote by Greeks to remain in the euro zone and respect bailout terms imposed by Europe and the International Monetary Fund.

EDGEDAVAO

NorCot...

Grace...

FFROM 1

FFROM 1

board can only submit a resolution that states the sentiments of manufactures addressed to the city council but it cannot decide on the matter.

The board forwarded its resolution to the city council last June 5, following a consultation with manufacturers last May 23, which is expected to be tabled for discussion during its session this week.

She cited in the board resolution that plastic manufacturers and distributors are asking for consideration to dispose first their voluminous supply of banned plastics and styrofoams.

“The manufacturers requested for an extension because it will also cost them more money to produce oxo-biodegradables with an additive which will be mixed Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao city

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate A FILCAB Ordinary Regular Service APIE BUCAY, Petitioner Case No.2010-XI-00563 x- - - - -- - - - - - -x NOTICE HEARING Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a FILCAB Ordinary Regular Service on the route: CIRCULATION ROUTE 4 with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate will expire on December 31, 2012. In the petition filed on March 30, 2012, petitioner request authority to extend the validity of said certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on JUNE 27, 2012 at 09:40 a.m. at this office at the above address.

At least, FIVE (5) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence.

WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, this 30th day of March 2012 at Davao City.

TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer /hoc Copy furnished: Petitioner, Apie Bucay, Mini Forest, Quezon Blvd, Davao City Counsel, Atty. Magin C. Natividad, Balusong Ave.,Davao City NOTE: Affidavit of Publication and newspaper where notice was published must be submitted three (3) days before the scheduled hearing.

13

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

in the ingredients during the process of production,” Remojo said.

Aside from resulting in an increase in prices of plastics, mall owners mall and grocery store owners requested to exempt from the ban plastic and/or polysterene containers of imported frozen meats.

The plastic ban on food and beverage containers is mandated in Section 7, Article V of the Ordinance 0361 series of 2010 of the Davao City Ecological Waste Management of 2009.

The region’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources said the ban on these non-biodegradable containers will significantly reduce the City’s burden in managing wastes that are very damaging to the environment.

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao city Petition for Approval of Sale and Transfer of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ- DUAL Ordinary Regular Service JOAN S. DELA PEÑA, Petitioner-Vendor DOMINGO A. DELOS REYES, JR., Petitioner-Vendee Case No.2012-XI-00277 (2010-XI-00221) x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF HEARING Petitioners request authority for the Approval of Sale and Transfer executed by JOAN S. DELA PEÑA in favor of DOMINGO A. DELOS REYES, JR. of a Certificate of Public Convenience with Equipment issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ DUAL Ordinary Regular service on the route: PANACAN VIA JP LAUREL AVENUE ROUTE and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in Region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate is still valid and subsisting up to December 17, 2016 NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on June 26, 2012 at 09:10 a. m. at this office at the above address.

At least, FIVE (5) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence.

WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, This 28th day of March 2012 at Davao City.

TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer /hoc Copy furnished: Petitioner-Vendor, Joan S. Dela Peña, DDF Village, Mandug, Davao City Petitioner-Vendee, Domingo A. Delos Reyes Jr.P11 B23 L36, King St., Emily Homes, Cabantian, Davao City Counsel, Atty. Napoleon F. Sango, Rm 204, Caritas Bldg., CM Recto St, Davao City NOTE: Affidavit of Publication and newspaper where notice was published must be submitted three (3) days before the scheduled hearing.

glaring proofs of computer irregularities and manipulation,” Pinol said in a statement.

“Why then do we have to computerize Philippine elections if the electronic footprints are ignored in a protest? Why do we use the standards of a manual election in evaluating the merit of a protest under an automated system?” he asked.

In a motion for reconsideration (MR) filed with the COMELEC on June 13, lawyers for the former governor said that the decision is “contrary to law, and is not justified by the evidence and data disclosed in the recount proceeding.”

Mendoza however shrugged off Piñol’s motion for reconsideration.

“He can question it but he cannot erase the fact that I won. I hope he will have the humility in his heart to accept defeat,” she said in a text message.

In a decision dated June 7, the 1st Division presided

by Commissioner Rene Sarmiento with Armando Velasco and Christian Robert Lim as members, dismissed Piñol›s poll protest based on the physical count of the ballots saying that the number of ballots recovered was not sufficient to overtake Talino-Mendoza›s lead of over 37,000 votes.

Piñol›s lawyers said that while COMELEC Resolution 9164 stated that «the merit or legitimacy of an ejection protest in the automated election system is to be determined by the Honorable Commission on the basis of its appreciation of lie ballots and other documentary exhibits,” the 1st Division «totally ignored other evidence such as computer records of manipulation and feeding of ballots beyond voting hours.”

The COMELEC Revision Committee which conducted the review of the first 56 precincts from North Cotabato uncovered proofs of computer manipulation including S-Logs and Audit Logs of the PCOS machines which showed continuous feeding of ballots with gaps of only 14 to 20 seconds, feeding of ballots even after voting hours and even on May 11 and 12.

Data downloaded from the COMELEC›s Computer Central Server which were produced following the request of Piñol›s lawyers showed that many precincts in North Cotabato had late transmissions including about 40 precincts which transmitted the results to the CCS only on Aug. 3, 2010.

“Part of the totality of the evidence would be the result shown by the elec-

tion documents, such as those submitted by the protestant, to wit: the ballot images, audit logs, s-logs, EDCVLs, Minutes of Voting and Counting of Votes, VRRs, data retrieved from the COMELEC Central Server, etc., which tend to establish, prima facie at least, the frauds and irregularities alleged as grounds for the election protest,” Piñol›s lawyers said in the MR filed with the COMELEC. In a press conference held in North Cotabato June 14, Piñol said that among the major findings mad|by the COMELEC Revision Committee were: 1. In Barangay Damalasak, Pikit, the CF card in Precinct 4712027, where Piñol got only ONE vote as against 592 of Mrs. TalinoMendoza, when manually decrypted showed results of the Presidential Elections in Colombia, South America; 2. In Barangay Kisandal, Magpet, over 70 members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo complained in sworn statements that their votes “disappeared» as their candidates received ZERO vote in their precinct; 3. Computer S Logs and Audit Logs, which recorded every activity involving the PCOS machines, showed that in many of the precincts reviewed, ballots were con-

tinuously fed into the machine within seconds of each other suggesting that it was not the voters themselves, but only a few individuals which inserted the filled ballots into the PCOS; 4. The CF card in Barangay Kilala, Carmen when decrypted showed that while the physical count of the ballots cast in favor of Mrs. Mendoza was over 700, the ballot images in the CF card had only over 300 counted in her favor; 5. Computer S Logs and Audit Logs in many of the precincts showed that ballots were still fed into the PCOS machines after the close of voting hours and even on May 11 and May 12, two days after the elections; 6. The ballot box for CP 47l|b33 included ballots for CP 4713021, both in Pres. Roxas; 7. Data downloaded from the COMELEC Central Computer Server, which received all of the results of the elections nationwide, showed that results from several precincts in North Cotabato were transmitted only Aug. 3, 2010; 8. A review of the EDCVL showed glaring irregularities which included only one or two thumbprints for the hundreds of voters in the precincts questioned.

Spurious and questionable votes as shown by the computers› S Logs and Audit Logs credited for TaliñoMendoza based on the summation totaled 8,237.

“We ail rejoiced as proofs of massive election were uncovered by the Revision Committee and we expressed relief that the Computer, while it may be manipulated by election Cheaters, will provide a faithful account of all the activities it was commanded to perform through the S Logs and Audit Logs,” Piñol said.

“But with this decision by the VL Division ignoring all proofs of computer manipulation, we are left wondering why would we be using computers in Philippine elections after all?”

Piñol asked.

In spite of the setback in the 1 Division, Piñol said he is hopeful that the COMELEC En Banc will consider the submitted arguments in the MR that proofs of computer manipulation must be considered as evidence of fraud in an election protest.

Vowing to take the case up to the Supreme Court, if needed, Piñol said: «This is no longer about Manny Pinol becoming governor again as a result of the protest but this is about truth and justice.”

“The fight against election cheats must be waged because cheating in an election is a crime worse than murder. In murder, one life is snuffed; electoral cheating kills the voice, the dreams and the aspirations of the people,” Pinol said.

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SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Halfway to the title Miami rides on James to take 2-1 lead

Lebron James (left) scored 29 points in Game 3 to lead the Heat past OKC. (Right) Kevin Durant pours his frustration after the Thunder missed so many chances to turn the game around.

M

IAMI -- Halfway to a title, LeBron James shows no sign of letting this one get away.

James had 29 points and 14 rebounds, and the Miami Heat took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals with a 9185 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night.

Dwyane Wade had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, who were in this same position through three games last year, then didn’t win again against the Dallas Mavericks.

James’ poor performance was part of the problem then, but he seems on top of his game this time.

His 3-pointer sent the Heat to the fourth quarter with the lead, and he scored five straight Miami points when the Heat were building just enough cushion to hold off another late flurry by the Thunder.

Game 4 is Tuesday night.

Kevin Durant had 25 points for the Thunder, but picked up his fourth foul in the third quarter and had to go to the bench when they had seemed to have control of the game. Russell Westbrook finished with 19 points.

The Heat survived their own fourth-quarter sloppiness by getting enough big plays from their Big Three.

James scored 30 and 32 points in the first two games, his two best finals performances. He fell just shy of another 30-point effort but reached his 20 points for the 20th time this postseason, two shy of Wade’s franchise record set in 2006. ‘’It’s all about chemistry,’’ James said. ‘’We understand

where we like to get the ball, what we like to do in close situations, and it’s good to see us execute down the stretch. But more importantly it was great to see we were able to get stops. That’s where the game is won and

we did that.’’

Chris Bosh had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who can win a second title by winning the next two games at home.

They seemed out of it when Oklahoma City

opened a 10-point lead midway through the third. But Durant went out, Thunder coach Scott Brooks decided to sit Westbrook with him, and the Heat charged into the lead by the end of the period.

ARSAW – Greece’s footballers brought some much-needed and unexpected joy to their hardpressed compatriots back home on Saturday as they reached the Euro 2012 quarter-finals with a stunning 1-0 win over Russia.

Fittingly, it was a goal by one of their heroes from the Euro 2004 triumph captain Giorgos Karagounis that delivered victory to a country which is wilting under the pressures of the euro zone

crisis with high unemployment and swingeing cuts.

Russia’s despair was complete as a 72nd-minute goal by Petr Jiracek gave the Czech Republic – who were beaten by the Greeks in the Euro 2004 semi-finals – a 1-0 victory over co-hosts Poland to finish top of the table, sending both the Russians and the Poles home.

Polish coach Franciszek Smuda promptly announced that was the end of the road for him, while Russia’s Dutch coach

Dick Advocaat had perhaps wisely already said he was leaving for PSV Eindhoven.

Karagounis’s joy at his goal was tempered later in the game by a booking that brought an anguished reaction from the 35-year-old as it means he will miss the quarter-final.

However, he reflected afterwards how much this victory meant to the wider Greek community.

“When we left Greece, we all said in one voice ‘we will give everything and we

will give everything when our compatriots aren’t having the best of times’,” said Karagounis.

“I believe that this tonight puts a smile on their faces.”

For Greece’s Portuguese coach Fernando Santos this victory was inspired by Greece’s rich history as a country.

“What inspires us is the history of Greece,” said Santos, whose 45percent pay rise before the tournament raised eyebrows.

EDGE SCOREBORD

Euro 2012: Greece shocks Russia

W

Greek players celebrate after upsetting Russia in the Euro Cup 2012.

1

2

Wasted chances for OKC

M

IAMI -- For the next two days, the Oklahoma City Thunder will lament plenty of things.

Missed free throws.

More foul trouble. Lategame turnovers. And perhaps above all else, four bad minutes that went a long way to costing them Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat.

A 10-point lead coming down the stretch of the third quarter became a two-point deficit entering the fourth, and the Thunder simply couldn’t keep overcoming mistakes in what became a 91-85 Heat victory on Sunday night. Miami now leads the best-ofseven championship series 2-1, with Game 4 back on its floor Tuesday night. ‘’We gave ourself a chance to win. That’s what you want to do on the road,’’ Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. ‘’The game was basically anybody’s ballgame that fourth quarter.’’

True. Except it probably should have not been that

way.

Down by eight in the early going, the Thunder clamped down defensively to change the complexion of the evening, taking away the easy paths to the basket that Miami feasted upon in the first half and forcing the Heat to shoot from outside. It simply couldn’t have worked better for the Thunder, with Miami missing 11 straight jumpers in one stretch and finishing 5 for 31 on shots taken from outside the paint for the game.

The Heat needed help to win. And the Thunder accommodated them, with mistake after mistake. ‘’This is not over,’’ Thunder guard Kevin Durant said. ‘’It’s not over.’’

He repeated the words for emphasis. If the Thunder repeat the mistakes, then it might be over. ‘’Game 4 is crucial,’’ Thunder guard James Harden said. ‘’It’s the series.

We don’t want to be down 3-1.’’

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TRAVEL

Hong Kong underground

WHENEVER I travel, I make it a point to do what the locals do. To experience eating the food the locals love, going to the places the locals love to hang out in, and commuting the way the residents do.

Be it biking in Cambodia, taking a tuktuk on a romp across Bangkok, it is more fun for a traveller to immerse oneself in the locality, taxis are a no-no for me.

My favorite form of

transport though would be the Mass Transit Railway or MTR. And the best MTR system I have experienced so far is that of Hong Kong. Operational since 1979, the Hong

Kong’s MTR services about 2.3 million passengers a day. Given that the population of the City stands at 6.8 million, that is a feat in itself.

The MTR has around 85 stations located at all major entertainment, shopping, eating, commercial and residential areas of Hong Kong and is the most popular public transport in Hong Kong.

Which means shopping areas and places of interest are just a short walk away from any MTR station in the territory. One thing that I also love is

the British efficiency of the system, the trains of the MTR run around 2-3 minutes and on the whole the system is prompt up to 99.9% of the time.

And don’t get me started on the fares. Where taxis can set you back an arm and a leg, the MTR charges are a mere fraction of the cost for a taxi ride. If you plan to go about using the MTR system a lot, I suggest travelers purchase an Octopus card. The re-loadable card allows you to just tap and use the system saying goodbye to the hassles of lining up and buying a single travel card, the card can also be used for small purchases at the convenience store and the bus.

The Hong Kong MTR operates from 6am to 1am daily so it might be difficult if you plan night outs, unless you plan to crawl back home at 6 in the morning, but on the whole, the MTR is the fastest and most efficient way to explore Hong Kong.

So the next time you visit Hong Kong, you might want to give the MTR a try.

Follow me on twitter @ kennethkingong for travel finds, foodie picks, and random ramblings in and around Durianburg and beyond.

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

TRAVEL ENTERTAINMENT

My current love affair with Amici

By Ariel Bolofinos

PRESUMING that we all believe in reincarnation, then I might as well be Italian in one of my past lives given my insatiable love (or lust?) for pizza and pasta. My earliest memory of the spaghetti dish during my younger years would be the “Filipinized” version of the Bolognese (which, in Italian, is pronounced as bo-lon-ye-se) with ground meat, grated cheese, hotdog slices, and sweet sour tomato sauce. On the other hand, my taste for pizza began much later, with the very humble yet appetizing Mommy’s Pizza that dominated the school canteen scene back in the 1990s. I remember that it was just small stall (this was way before the word ‘food cart’ became a part of our vocabulary), which had a small green stovetop oven that served a12inch flat bread with a thin layer of sauce, grated cheese, pieces of ham, and pineapple tidbits. The taste surely appealed to many because of its sweet-sour blend.

From then on, I have ordered pasta dishes in restaurants and even small eateries, (yes, including those with banana ketchup as the ‘star ‘ingredient! Ha ha ha) as well as pizzas in fast food and restaurant chains.

Work-related meetings and conferences held at different hotels in the country also allowed me to sample pasta and pizza dishes that they themselves prepare.

So, needless to say, my palate expanded, that is, from the very sweet to the very sour blend. When I had the great opportunity to go to Rome, Italy in 2007, I really made sure that I try a truly Italian pizza, which, at that time, cost Eu 1.90 for a hefty slice.

And yes, dear friends, it was really sour because it was purely tomato-based with herbs and spices and nothing else.

Just last year, my peers from our office in Makati encouraged me to try Amici. You see, I have passed by this restaurant many

times (the one located at the corner of Pasay Road and Pasong Tamo) but I have not bothered to try it until I heard them raving about it. So, one day, I decided to give it a try and let me just say this, I had an orgasmic experience, to say the least! (my apologies to the young readers but I can’t think of any other way of characterize how I felt! Ha ha ha). And there, my friends, was the beginning of what I think will be a long and passionate love affair with Amici.

Amici’s menu contains a brief history and I think this is a must-read in order to appreciate the restaurant more. It tells us that Amici actually had humble beginnings as a ‘canteen’ that was set up in 1994 by “Fr. Guianluigi Colombo, a Salesian Italian priest who was overseeing the operations of the Don Bosco Printing Press, to address concerns of its employees about not having access to good food during lunch and break hours.” The canteen featured “authentic freshly made Italian dishes in a ‘turo-turo’ setting.”

The canteen started out with Italian coffee and gelato and eventually introduced wood-fire oven baked pizza and homemade pastas. It was in June 2007 that it was finally established as a business entity to serve Don Bosco students and later on, a broader market. News of the Italian cuisine spread and attracted people from all over Metro Manila making this “printing press café” known for its “authentic pizza, pasta, and gelato”.

Fast forward to 2012: Amici now has five branches, which serve an amazingly-composed menu that consists of Insalata (salads), Zuppa (soups), Antipasti, Pizza, Pasta, and Favorita della Casa. From my side, I make it a point to visit the restaurant each time I go to Manila and this is what I

now refer to as my “Amici fix”.

My favorite antipasti would have to be the Mozzarella Fritto (golden fried mozzarella sticks served with tangy pomodoro sauce) for antipasti. It has the right crispiness outside and but once you take a bite, your mouth will be greeted by the soft mozzarella cheese that oozes out of the golden brown strips.

I have tried a number of their amazing pizzas- Salsiccia e Formaggio Blu (Italian sausage, blue cheese and mozzarella topped with freshly sliced white onions), La Vegetariana (tomato sauce with 3 cheeses, roasted veggies, and tomato slices), Arrabbiatta Magnifica (sautéed garlic, tomatoes, and spices topped with provolone, pepperoni, and onions, and olives) as well as their Al Quattro Formaggi (a cheeselover’s delight. A flavorful combination of Mozzarella, cream, parmesan, and blue cheese). But no matter what I do, I would always find myself being cradled by the wonderful taste of their Chorizo e Spinaci (gourmet Spanish Chorizo and Spinach in White Sauce. I just can’t get over the lovely harmony between the salty chorizo and somewhat sweet spinach. For pasta, Linguine Fantastico has been a regular order although I have tried Ragu alla Bolognese (creamy meat ragu sauce on spaghetti), Spaghetti al Pomodoro (pasta tossed in a flavorful blend of classic tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil), and Lasagne al Ragu (hearty meat ragu sauce in layers of cheese and baked pasta sheets). I have yet to try their Spaghetti ai Tesori del Mare (mildly spiced feast of spaghetti tossed in fresh tomatoes, scallops, clams, mussels, and chili oil), which, I have been told is a favorite among customers.

And so we move on to

their desserts, which are all heavenly! They have a good set of gelatos to choose from and they all taste great! But my salivary glands go on hyper mode when I see their gelato cakes (cakes with ice cream!) and they have a lot to choose from. The top 3 on my list, so far, would be their Rouge (a refreshingly fuity-bursting treat of delightful blueberry, strawberry, and vanilla gelato on a crust of crushed graham), Choco Tartufo (chocolate and vanilla gelato mixed with bits of nuts and cherries in a shell of rich, moist chocolate cake topped with ganache), and the Banana Blast (banana, strawberry, and chocolate gelato) I know some of you might already be drooling by now and trust me, I completely understand that. But more than the food that is being served, I think that what makes Amici stick out in my favorites list is the feeling that it evokes every time I am seated at the table. Many of the pizza and pasta shops may approach it via the extraordinary size, the layer of toppings, and frills along the edges, the variation in the ingredients, etc. However, with Amici, there may be some sense of simplicity and humility in the approach; but once you take a bite, then you’d finally understand that the food’s special ingredients, the harmonious mix of flavors, and the presentation, are not carelessly concocted but are all prepared with care, passion, and perhaps love. Substance over form, as they say…

The allusion to Amici’s humble beginnings is really noteworthy. There are historical accounts that point out that pizza was actually considered as a dish of the poor people back when it was actually ‘invented’. It is said that it was sold in the street and was not considered as a kitchen, and much more, as a restaurant recipe.

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INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Lindsay jokes about unconscious Twilight situation will make tears flow Well, at least she’s finding some humor in the situation.

Just hours after her “nap” turned into an overblown “unconscious” situation, Lindsay Lohan hit Twitter early Saturday morning to address the situation… with a joke.

“Note to self.. After working 85hours in 4days, and being up all night shooting, be very aware that you might pass out from exhaustion & 7 paramedics MIGHT show up @ your door.... Hopefully theyre cute. Otherwise it would be a real let down.

XL @mrsalperez -back on set,” Lohan wrote.

Reports flew Friday that the Liz & Dick star had been found unconscious in her Ritz-Carlton room after emergency services were called to the hotel in Marina Del Rey that morning.

However, while it looked like things had taken a turn for the dramatic, it appeared Lohan had just fallen asleep a little too hard while on a break from shooting the production.

“Lindsay has been working a grueling schedule for the last couple of days,”

EXPECT to see lots of tears when the second Breaking Dawn movie premieres later this year.

Not only will diehard Twilight fans be crying, but…

The stars of the vampire franchise will also need plenty of tissues.

“I think we’re all going to have wear waterproof mascara,” Ashley Greene, 25, told us at last night’s Young Hollywood Awards.

“It’s been such an exciting thing and I think none of us are quite dwelling on the end yet because we still have the press tours and all that stuff. So it’s still kind of exciting.”

But when that final fanpacked premiere comes around, Greene predicted,

Lohan’s rep Steve Honig told E! News at the time.

“Last night she worked from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. She was exhausted and went back to her room to sleep.

Producers were apparently concerned and called the fire department and para-

medics found her sleeping but determined that she was fine, just extremely exhausted and slightly dehydrated.”

Lohan headed home after the incident and was set to return to the production later that day.

Kate treats kids to theatre WHILE Kate Middleton continues to stay mum on baby bump rumors (not even this could make those go away), one thing’s for sure: the Duchess of Cambridge loves the kiddies.

The fashionable royal met up with 150 children Friday for a charitable production of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Threesixty Entertainment on the grounds of Kensington Gardens in London Friday, according to People.

And in true royal fashion, Middleton looked fantastic doing so.

Donning a teal dress from Zara, a Whistles black jacket and an Anya Hindmarch clutch, Prince William’s wife reportedly asked the kids, “Did you see all the animals on stilts? Wasn’t it amazing?

“I just loved the way it is held in a tent,” she added.

“Really clever.”

The young people in at-

tendance were from her charity the Art Room, which offers art therapy to children who suffer from emo-

tional and behavioral difficulties (Middleton became Royal Patron of the charity in January).

“It’s probably going to be a tearjerker when we all realize that it’s over.”

How about that last party? Jackson Rathbone recently told us, “It’s going to be a wild and wacky time.”

We can only imagine.

The Twilight Saga: Break-

ing Dawn Part 2 is set to hit theaters Nov. 16.

Now we want to hear from you. Just how sad are you that the Twilight franchise is coming to an end?

Or have you had enough and think it’s time to move on? Sound off below.

A4 INdulge!

UP AND ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

Cebu Pacific now flies from Davao to Palawan and Kalibo

THE Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific (PSE:CEB) strengthens Philippine tourism with its new direct flights from Davao to Puerto Princesa in Palawan, and Kalibo, gateway to Boracay starting August 1, 2012.

Both Davao-Kalibo and Davao-Puerto Princesa routes will be on a four times weekly schedule, operating every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

“We are proud to offer even more connectivity to and from Davao, a region with a lot of potential for tourism. Now, tourists can proceed to Davao from Palawan or Boracay. More residents from Davao and neighboring areas can take direct flights to two of the Philippines’ most popular beach and diving destinations,” said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.

Passengers may book the lowest year-round all-in fares of P1,964 from Davao to Kalibo, and

P2,244 from Davao to Puerto Princesa.

All-in domestic fares are inclusive of fuel surcharge, administration fee, aviation security fee, 12% VAT and 7 kilos hand carry baggage allowance, but exclusive of check-in baggage.

“CEB remains committed in providing the most extensive route network in the Philippines, so more passengers can book CEB’s trademark low fares on direct flights. This will translate to savings as much as 55% as compared to booking connecting flights,” Iyog added.

The largest airline operating in Davao, CEB posted 47% market share in Davao in 2011, where it operates more than 200 weekly flights.

With these new destinations, CEB continues to offer the most number of flights to and from Davao. It also operates up to 8 daily flights to Manila, 4 daily flights to Cebu, daily flights to both Zamboanga and Davao, and 4 weekly flights to Cagayan de Oro.

For bookings and inquiries, guests can go to www. cebupacificair.com, or call the reservation hotlines (02) 7020-888 or (032) 230-8888. The latest seat sales can also be found on CEB’s official Twitter and Facebook pages.

CEB currently operates 10 Airbus A319, 20 Airbus A320 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft. Its fleet of 38 aircraft – with an average age of 3.6 years – is the largest aircraft fleet in the Philippines. Between 2012 and 2021, Cebu Pacific will take delivery of 22 more Airbus A320 and 30 Airbus A321neo aircraft orders.

It is slated to begin longhaul services in the 3rd quarter of 2013.

In its 16th year of operations, CEB had flown over 60 million passengers.

It provides access to the most extensive network in the Philppines, with 32 domestic and 19 international destinations. The airline also remains a pioneer in the Philippine aviation industry by being the first to offer web check-in, self check-in, e-ticketing, and Lite Fares.

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SPORTS

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15

Another ‘wrong guy’ wins S

Simpson bags US Open

AN FRANCISCO -- Webb Simpson refused to think of himself as a U.S. Open champion until he sat with his nervous wife in a quiet corner of the locker room Sunday, staring in disbelief at a television as Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell tried to catch him.

He was up against a pair of major champions.

He was at The Olympic Club, where the wrong guy always wins a U.S. Open.

Simpson should have known now how this would end.

He did his part with four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn, and a tough par from the collar of the 18th green for a 2-under 68. It was enough to capture his first major when Furyk bogeyed two of his last three holes, and McDowell couldn’t recover from a bad start and too many tee shots in the rough. ‘’Oh, wow,’’ Simpson said when McDowell’s 25foot birdie putt to force a playoff stayed left of the cup Simpson emerged from a fog-filled final round as a U.S. Open champion, and he put two more names into the graveyard of champions. ‘’I never really wrapped my mind around winning,’’ said Simpson, who finished at 1-over 281 to win in only his fifth time at a major. ‘’This place is so demanding, and so all I was really concerned about was keeping the ball in front of me and making pars.’’

Olympic is known as the ‘’graveyard of champions’’ because proven major winners who were poised to win the U.S. Open - Ben

Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Payne Stewart - all lost out to the underdog.

Perhaps it was only fitting that the 25-year-old Simpson went to Wake Forest on an Arnold Palmer scholarship. ‘’Arnold has been so good to me,’’ Simpson said. ‘’Just the other day, I read that story and thought about it. He’s meant so much to me and Wake Forest. Hopefully, I can get a little back for him and make him smile.’’

No one was beaming like Simpson, who followed a breakthrough year on the PGA Tour with his first major.

No one was more disgusted than Furyk, in control for so much of the final round until he snaphooked his tee shot on the par-5 16th hole to fall out of the lead for the first time all day, and was unable to get it back. Needing a birdie on the final hole, he hit into the bunker. He crouched and clamped his teeth onto the shaft of his wedge. Furyk made bogey on the final hole and closed with a 74, a final round without a single birdie.

McDowell, who made four bogeys on the front nine, at least gave himself a chance with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th and a shot into the 18th that had him sprinting up the hill to see what kind of chance he had. The putt stayed left of the hole the entire way, and he had to settle for a 73.

McDowell shared second place with Michael Thompson, who closed with a 67 and waited two hours to see if it would be good enough.

Tiger Woods, starting

five shots behind, played the first six holes in 6-over par and was never a factor.

He shot 73 and finished six strokes back.

Furyk was fuming, mostly at himself, for blowing a chance at his second U.S. Open title. He also was surprised that the USGA moved the tee up 100 yards on the 16th hole to play 569 yards.

It was reachable in two shots for some players, though the shape of the hole featured a sharp turn to the left.

PFF wants complete side for Azkals in 2012 Suzuki Cup

I

N an effort to form a formidable squad for the 2012 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup, the Philippine Football Federation is looking at the option of paying European clubs to allow their players to see action for the Philippine national men’s football team.

PFF president Nonong Araneta said that they are ready to spend big to duplicate or even surpass the Azkals’ semifinal run in the tournament two years ago.

“We’re prepared to put up the best team, at whatever cost,” Araneta told aseanfootball. org.”“If we can compensate for their services, then we’ll do the costing and talk to the clubs.”

Some members of the Azkals play in clubs

based in Europe, such as Neil Etheridge of Fulham (England), Jerry Lucena of Aarhus Gymnastikforening (Denmark), Paul Mulders of ADO Den Haag (Netherlands), Manny Ott of FC Ingolstadt 04 II (Germany) and Stephan Schrock of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (Germany).

Football clubs sometimes refuse to allow

their players to compete for international duty due to commitments or fear of injury.

Aside from ensuring the availability of its international-base players, the Azkals will also undergo several training camps abroad in preparation for the 2012 Suzuki Cup in November hosted by Thailand and Malaysia.

HE Philippine under-13 girls football team yielded to leaders Thailand, 2-1, to wound up in fifth place Friday in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-13 Girls Festival of Football at the Thong Nat Stadium in Vietnam.

Prior to the match, the nationals lost their last three games after an impressive 5-1 victory over Cambodia, who finished last in the group af-

ter failing to notch a win.

The Philippines is composed of the core of Davao City’s Under-13 squad which won the qualifying tournament held in Bacolod last April.

Thailand, meanwhile, topped the group, followed by Guam, Vietnam and Myanmar.

The AFC formed the festival to develop young football players and coaches in Southeast Asia.

Webb Simpson’s victory was a case of another ‘wrong guy’ winning the US Open trophy.

Teener steals limelight

S

AN FRANCISCO -- A standing ovation awaited 17-yearold Beau Hossler as he walked off the 18th green Sunday.

So did future Texas teammate Jordan Spieth, who also offered a well-done handshake to the California kid who couldn’t steal the U.S. Open but won over plenty of hearts along the way. ‘’I feel bad the way it ended with Beau, I really do,’’ said Spieth, who ended up as low amateur Sunday after Hossler finished with a double bogey. ‘’It would have been nice for both of us to be standing out there with the week

that he had. You’re going to see him not too far from now having plenty of success.’’

Spieth closed with rounds of 69-70 to finish at 7-over 287 - two shots better than Hossler, who shot 70-73-70-76 on the tight, twisting layout of The Olympic Club.

While the Texas native scrambled to find his way into the U.S. Open then played virtually unnoticed all week, Hossler earned as much air time as Tiger Woods after briefly taking sole possession of the lead Friday then playing his way into contention after a solid back nine Saturday.

In the process he went

from relative unknown high school junior to Hook ‘Em Hossler, the teen who thought he could win the U.S. Open.

Fans cheered him when his name was announced on the No. 1 tee, and thousands chanted ‘’Let’s Go Hoss-Ler’’ as he walked up to the amphitheater-like eighth green Sunday.

Hossler would take off his Imperial white visor, and tip it to the crowd while his caddie/ godfather Bill Schellenberg flashed the Hook ‘em Horns sign. ‘’To hear them chanting my name, that’s pretty awesome,’’ Hossler said.

Phl Girls U-13 finishes 5th

T

TIGER FAN. A fan of Tiger Woods, not losing hope despite his idol’s collapse in the third round, walks in full costume in the final round of the US Open. Woods had a fat 73 and finished 21st.

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SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 76 • JUNE 19, 2012

DYNASTY CUP. Members of the First Tee squad (from left to right) Director Jose Francisco V.A. Llamas, Joseph Ng, Oscar Laguna, Diemy Monedero, Victor Co, Alex Rivera, Leo Yap, Paul Gotianse, Ricky Hao, and Albert Caseñas show

EDGEDAVAO

off their trophy after winning the Dynasty Cup 2012 at the Rancho Palos Verdes recently. (Boy Lim)

Pagunsan 2nd in Queen’s Cup

B

ANGKOK – Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines carded a 4-under par 68 but Thai veteran Thaworn Wiratchant equakled his final round output to score a recordequalling 13th Asian Tour title, and his first win in nearly two years.

Wirachant thus closed out with a three-shot victory over reigning Asia’s no 1 Pagunsan at the Queen’s Cup in Koh Samui on Sunday.

The 45-year-old star had a glorious eagle at the last hole of the Santiburi Samui Country Club for a three-under-par 68 to hold of challenges from Pagunsan and Bangladesh’s Siddikur.

Thaworn matched countryman Thongchai Jaidee’s number of tri-

umphs on the circuit with a winning total of sevenunder-par 277, earning himself $47,550 in the process, but he had to come from behind after bogeying the first.

“There was pressure from the first tee as I didn’t hit a good tee shot and made bogey, said Thaworn in comments released by the organisers.

“I’m very happy as I have worked hard in the past few weeks. My experience helps with the mental game. It helps me calm down and not get nervous.

I can control that.”

Siddikur, chasing a second Asian Tour title, missed a costly par putt from two feet at the 15th hole while he was one ahead of Thaworn.

The Thai hero took full

advantage, holing a fivefoot birdie on 16 before a 12-foot eagle conversion at the 18th hole.

“The turning point was the 15th hole when Siddikur missed his putt,” said Thaworn.

“On 18, I was teeing off first and I couldn’t afford to make any mistake.

I hit a good drive and I was quite confident. I could then smile after that,” he added.

Pagunsan closed with a solid 68 to finish tied second in what was the 11th leg of this season’s Asian Tour.

Final scores at the Queen’s Cup Bangkok Airways (par 71): 277 – Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 70-67-7268 280 – Juvic Pagunsan

(PHI) 75-65-72-68, Siddikur (BAN) 70-68-71-71 281 – Himmat Rai (IND) 70-72-72-67, Guido Van Der Valk (NED) 7072-69-70 282 – Prayad Marksaeng (THA) 69-75-69-69, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 7168-72-71, Varut Chomchalam (THA) 72-71-66-73 284 – Boonchu Ruangkit (THA) 67-74-73-70 285 – Chinnarat Phadungsil (THA) 76-70-7564, Miguel Tabuena (PHI) 67-70-72-76 286 – Namchok Tantipokhakul (THA) 71-7371-71, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 68-7274-72, Baek Seuk-Hyun (KOR) 68-73-70-75, Jonathan Moore (USA) 72-7267-75 287 – Adilson Da Silva (BRA) 73-69-71-74