Edge Davao 5 Issue 78 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

EDGEDAVAO

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

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Serving a seamless society

Indulge Page A4

Game Changers Page 7

Operators war over black taxis M

EMBERS OF the biggest taxi operators association in the Davao region are opposed to the operation of taxicabs colored black because it is not safe for the riding public and allegedly hazardous to other vehicles running in the streets. The opposition is contained in a petition lodged with the Land Transportation

n Conflict pits owners of 70 percent of cabs vs operator of Mabuhay and Blue taxis n Regional director ignored by LTFRB en banc

Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) by the Metro Davao Taxi Operators Association, Inc. (Medatoa), whose members are own-

ers of more than 3,000 taxi units comprising 60-70 percent of the total fleet of cabs cur-

FOPERATORS, 13

Sports Page 15

PROTEST WELCOMES AQUINO. Protesters condemning the privatization of water and power facilities in Mindanao greet President Benigno Aquino III on his visit to Davao City on Wednesday. Aquino had earlier proposed the selling of the hydropower plants in Mindanao to private investors. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

For lack of quorum

City Council defers six resolutions Follow Us On

By Jade C. Zaldivar and Edward Lactaoen

ix resolutions failed passage in the Davao City Council last June 19 for lack of quorum.

The resolutions were automatically deferred to next week’s session. The resolutions, which involve land reclassification, need at least 21 city councilors present within the session hall in order to be deliberated and voted upon. Although majority of the city councilors

were present when the roll was called, some of them had gone out of the session hall during the deliberation. Councilor Melchor Quitain, who was temporary presiding officer, expressed dis-

FCITY, 13

THE BIG NEWS

GenSan to construct P50-M health complex

N a bid to improve its health services, General Santos City plans to establish by next year a P50-million complex that will house various offices of the City Integrated Health Services Offices (CIHSO). Dr. Edgardo Sandig, city health officer, said Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio has given the go-signal for the construction of a permanent home for the CIHSO through the assistance of the Department of Health (DOH). He said the local government, through the CIHSO, earlier applied for a P50-million financial grant from the DOH for the ambitious project. “Our latest information is that the DOH is reportedly considering the grant. Hopefully, we can start the construction by next year,” he said in an interview. The CIHSO, which is the city’s biggest department, presently occupies a portion of the city district hospital in Barangay Lagao. Sandig said their of-

fices are part of the hospital complex which has been reeling from overcrowding problems due to the lack of rooms and other amenities. For the proposed CIHSO complex, the official said they were looking at building a two-storey structure in one of the vacant lots owned by the city. He said among the sites they were considering is an vacant portion behind the city district hospital. He said the proposed site and office building should be able to accommodate all offices of the CIHSO, including its laboratory and testing units. The CIHSO is operating testing units for various diseases, among them for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV. “GenSan is not an ordinary city. Its service (coverage) area rivals that of a province and its districts are already like municipalities. So, we must also implement some changes to improve our operations and service delivery,” Sandig said. [ALLEN V. ESTABILLO/MINDANEWS]

Reform in ARMM felt-- Hataman

utonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) OIC Governor Mujiv Hataman said yesterday that reform in the region is being felt. He gave the statement during the ARMM convention on local governance at the Waterfront Insular Hotel here. In his presentation on the Reform Agenda of the ARMM, Hataman said ghost teachers and students have already exposed, resulting in P237 million savings for the region’s Department of Education (DepEd). “Inayos natin ang hiring ng mga teachers at pinutol natin ang galamay ng usurerang patuloy na nambibiktima sa ating mga kawawang guro,” he said. All departments in the ARMM had been adjusted to perform their duties according to good governance; peace and security; and socio-economic development under a program called Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance Synergy. “Alam naman natin na yung mga nagalit at nadismaya ay yaong nasagasaan ng reporma at gustong ipanumbalik ang baluktot at korap na pamamalakad ng nakaraan,” he said. Hataman expressed his appreciation for the timeliness of the agenda as bureaucracies in the ARMM have gradually been improved, saying that it is about time to expand the reforms to local government units (LGU), especially the ones pertaining to good governance. At the convention, five from the first and third class municipalities; and eight from the fourth and sixth class municipalities were awarded with the 2011 Seal of Good House-

keeping of the Department of Interior and Local Government. The each of the cited municipalities, represented by their local chief executives, received a plaque of recognition and a one-million peso check. From the first and third class municipalities, the awardees were Lester S. Snsuat of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao; Ibrahim P. Ibay of Parang, Maguindanao; Tocao O. Mastura of Sultan Kudarat; Ramin A. Piang of Upi, Maguindanao, and Elvino Balicao, Jr. of Wao, Lanao del Sur. Awardees from the fourth and sixth municipalities were Berto A. Hatta of Pandami, Sulu; Munib S. Estino of Panglima Estino, Sulu; Tahirodin Benzar S. Ampatuan of Mampasano, Maguindanao; Guaidzali M. Midtimbang of Guindulungan, Maguindanao; Tungkang A. Midtimbang of Talayan, Maguindanao; Abdulkarim T. Langku of Paglat, Maguindanao; Armando T Mastura of Sultan Mastura; Saudi T. Mastura of Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao with Saudi T. Mastura of Sean Ampatuan III. The President said a P520 million worth of Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) had already been released to 425 LGUs between 2010 and 2011. “Karapat dapat lamang po na magbuhos tayo ng pondo sa mga karapat dapat at nagpakitang gilas sa serbisyong publiko (It is only just to pour in funds to those who are deserving and have shown their excellence in public service),” he said. Congratulating the recipients of P1 million PCF, he said that he trusts the LGUs to use the funds for the development of their communities, and hopes there will more awardees to follow. [LORIE A. CASCARO]

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

PNoy okays P8.59B for ARMM By Lorie A. Cascaro

RESIDENT Benigno Aquino III said he had approved the P8.59 billion fund for the transition investment plan of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The President made the announcement when he addressed the ARMM convention on local governance at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Davao City. Included in the transition investment plan are safe drinking water systems for 77 areas in the ARMM, including initial assessments in five municipalities in Basilan, 21 in Lanao del Sur, 34 in

Police revamp

n Amount includes potable water systems for 77 areas Maguindanao, eight in Sulu and nine in Tawi-Tawi. “Ito na nga po ang papatid sa uhaw ng komunidad na matagal nang natuyuan ng lalamunan (This will quench the thirst of communities whose throats have long been parched),” he said. The fund will also be spent for the region’s health infrastructure; shelter assistance program for families affected by armed conflict; electrification program, and the construction of farm-tomarket roads and bridges. Carrying a copy of the

status of the projects under the ARMM’s transition investment plan as of May 31, 2012, Aquino told the audience that most of them have yet to be started while others are on-going. “Sana may maganda silang paliwanag bakit ‘not yet started’ (I hope they will have a good explanation why these are not yet started),” he said, adding that the moment he returns to Malacañang he would tell the concerned departments and agencies to immediately start or complete the proj-

ects. “Meron kasi kaming usapan sa Cabinet na ‘use it or lose it’ at may deadline yan. Kung hindi nyo po nagagamit, ililipat namin doon sa ahensyang mahusay ang performance (We have an agreement with the Cabinet that goes “use it or lose it” and it has a deadline. If you cannot use the fund, we will transfer the fund to agencies that have effective performance.),” he said. The President said that by good governance, the usual image of ARMM as chaotic, having violent and dirty elections, and as a center of corruption will be eradicated.

cause they are younger than their predecessor, less is expected of them,” the mayor said during a media briefing, . Duterte-Carpio supports the revamp in police station commanders, saying this is in line with the regular administrative conduct of the Philippine National Police Office. “Kinahanglan na man pud sila bag-uhon kay two years na sila (former police station commanders) sa ilang position. Kinanglan i-reassign na sila,” she said. Buhangin police station commander Chief Insp. Alfredo Baluran was

replaced by DCPO operations chief Superintendent Ruben Ramos. Baluran has been assigned as legal officer of the DCPO, replacing Superintendent Royina Garma. Meanwhile, Garma was designated as the new police station chief of Sasa. Sasa police station chief Chief Insp. Jun Neil Rojo replaced Chief Insp. Caezar Cabuhat as chief of DCPO Police Communication Relation (PCR). Meanwhile, Cabuhat will become the new chief of the DCPO Operations Office. Paquibato police sta-

tion SInsp. George dela Serna will be replaced by SInsp. Romeo Adler of the Mobile Patrol Group. Dela Rosa said Rojo and Baluran have served two years in their post. Ronald dela Rosa on Monday officiated the change of command ceremony, stressing upon the new precinct commanders their duty to prevent crime. Previously, the DCPO also implemented a revamp affecting its Investigation and Detection Management Division, the Traffic Management Group and the Talomo and San Pedro police stations.

Younger officers taking over -- Sara

By Jade C. Zaldivar

AVAO CITYMayor Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday said much is expected from young police officers who are replacing their senior officers in line with the recent revamp in the Davao City Police Office (DCPO). The revamp, effective last June 18, affected the Buhangin, Paquibato and Sasa police stations as well as the organic structure of the DCPO. “Even if they are younger or new to the position, they are expected to perform their best. It does not mean that be-

UNDESIRABLE ALIEN. Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo says the Jordanian journalist who has gone “missing” in Jolo must be banned from

the country for not following security protocol and for endangering the lives of the Filipinos whom he had hired to accompany him. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

Jordanian journalist may be banned entry in future By Lorie A. Cascaro

HE Philippine government may in the future ban the entry of Jordanian TV journalist Baker Atyani who has been reported missing in Jolo, Sulu since June 12, allegedly abducted by the terrorist Abu Sayaf Group (ASG). This was the response of President Benigno Aquino III in yesterday’s press conference at the Waterfront Insular Hotel here when asked whether or not he would support the recommendation of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo to ban Atyani. Atyani, Pakistan bureau chief of Al-Arabiya TV, who is working on a documentary of Mindanao, is reportedly in the custody of the ASG along with two Filipino crew, Rolando Letrero and Ramelito Vela, as confirmed by Malacañang last Monday. “Palagay ko doon patungo yun pero gusto kong dumaan ng proseso. Bigyan siya ng pagkakataong makasagot,” the President told reporters. “On-going ang isyu dyan. Ang umabot sa akin na report

na yung media hindi na sila lalabas, magpapahinga na. Magpapasundo kinabukasan ng tanghali, ang sinabi ng tumutulong sa kanila sa pagbantay ng kanilang kaligtasan, nilayasan… Why are you in touch with a terrorist force in the country?” he added. Aquino also raised the concern of the Philippine government about the safety of the two Filipinos who were with Atyani, saying it may have been by the nature of their employment that they are put into a situation that is uncertain, but it also has to be made sure that they are safe. Meanwhile, Robredo told local reporters last Tuesday that it is premature to say that Atyani was abducted. He said the Jordanian journalist must have been looking for someone to interview and might show up later with a scoop, adding that Atyani has been in Sulu several times. “We need to wait. It is not right to assume and not right to do an operation kung wala pa,” Robredo said, adding that the government is tracking the safety of the two Filipinos, who did not even know that they were heading there.

BFP inspects buildings prior to Balik Eskwela By Maybelle Anne C. Yutiamco

HE regional office of the Bureau of Fire Protection conducted inspections on school buildings, dormitories, and boarding houses in the Davao region last month prior to the opening of classes, according to Fire Inspector Nestor Jimenez. Jimenez said inspected were129 dormitories and boarding houses, 69 of which were issued notices to comply with standard precautionary measures. Three of the 69 are in Davao City.

Among the violations noted were substandard fire exits and faulty electrical wirings in dormitories and boarding houses and the lack of fire alarms, exit ladders, and two exits per schools. The inspection was conducted to minimize fire incidents in the region where 188 fire incidents were recorded in Region 11 from January to May 2012, an increase from the 169 fire incidents in the same period last year. Jimenez stressed the importance of buildings having standard electrical wiring and avoiding frequent use of flat cords and extension wires.

In Sarangani

REFORMS IN ARMM. President Benigno Aquino III said on Wednesday in Davao City that meaningful change and reforms in the Autonomous Region

in Muslim Mindanao can now be felt because of the efforts of his administration and the local government units. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

The special registration for persons with disabilities (PWDs) nationwide set for next month will be called off following the Commission on Elections’ decision to give priority to voter registration in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Comelec Resolution 9443 suspended all ongoing registrations from June 25 to July 31, including the National Special Registration for PWDs originally planned for July 21. The country marks the 34th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week from July 17 to 23.

book contained “hundreds of thousands of illegal and fictitious registrants.” ARMM has two cities, 113 municipalities and 2,470 barangays. As of 2007, the total population in the region was 4.1 million. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said about a thousand voter registration machines, including several new ones, and a still undetermined number of personnel from Comelec offices nationwide will be deployed to the ARMM for the general voter registration. Although the ARMM

Comelec cancels nationwide PWD voter registration in favor of ARMM listing The Comelec is holding a general registration of voters in ARMM from July 9 to 18. It said it would transfer personnel and biometrics machines from non-ARMM areas to the registration centers in the five ARMM provinces: Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and TawiTawi. On June 11, three days after Resolution 9443 was issued, Congress annulled the ARMM voters book that contained more than 1.7 million voters. Joint Resolution No. 3 approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives said the

general voter registration will last only nine days, Comelec still has “a lot of things to do” before and after the actual registration, including hearings of the Election Registration Board and the cleansing of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System, he said. “The work of the Comelec doesn’t end with the last day of the filing,” he added. Jimenez also clarified that although the scheduled PWD registrations will be affected, PWD voters can register anytime after July 31, as long as they do so before the deadline on Oct. 31.

Search still on for 4 missing fishermen Nadecor hails Court of Appeals decision

OVERNMENT rescuers were still searching Wednesday for four fishermen from Maasim town who went missing following the storm across Sarangani Bay last June 12. Maasim Mayor Arturo Lawa said the local government has dispatched additional patrol teams to portions of Sarangani Bay and neighboring waters to help in the search. “Our search and rescue operations have not stopped and we’re hoping that the missing fishermen are still alive and may have drifted to neighboring islands,” the mayor said. Lawa said the

local government will release an initial financial assistance of P5,000 to the families of the missing fishermen. A report released late Tuesday afternoon by the Maasim Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) noted that the number of missing fishermen from the area is gone to four from the 13 reported as on Sunday. “The other nine missing persons have either been rescued or had returned home,” said Maasim MDRRMO chief Ronald Orbita. He identified the missing persons

FSEARCH, 13

ATIONWIDE Development Corporation (Nadecor) announced that the Court of Appeals had granted a writ of preliminary injunction that restored the Board of Directors elected by 95% of shareholders on August 15, 2011 and led by Conrado T. Calalang, who is past Chairman and leads an investor group that controls over 50% of the Company. The injunction also nullified the attempts by the old Board of Directors, led by minority shareholder Jose T. Ricafort, to rescind the joint venture agreement

King-King mining project to move forward

between Nadecor and St. Augustine, and to issue new shares, without proper Board and shareholder approvals. Calalang stated, “We are pleased that the Court of Appeals has upheld our position. This decision will enable us, together with our partner St. Augustine, to accelerate the development of our flagship King-king mining project, which will bring many benefits to the Philippines, particularly the Pantukan community in Mindanao. Nadecor is committed to

building a world-class mining project that will be a model of responsible mining, will provide long term economic benefits and jobs, will be sensitive and responsive to social and community needs, and will exceed environmental and safety standards.” Tom Henderson, COO of St. Augustine (a mining company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange) added, “We are pleased with the Court’s ruling, which provides clear direction for our partner Nadecor, and strength-

[ARTHA KIRA PAREDES/VERA FILES]

ens investor confidence in the Philippines. To date our company has invested over $70 million in the project and for the completion of the critical Declaration of Mine Project Feasibility (DMPF) application, which NADECOR successfully submitted to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in May.” Henderson concluded, “The next key step for the King-king project is the Bankable Feasibility Study, which is targeted for completion later this year and will enable

FNADECOR, 13

SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Rio+20: Relief but few smiles as deal forged on summit’s eve U

N members on the eve of a global summit backed a plan on Tuesday for nursing Earth’s sick environment back to health and tackling poverty through greener growth. But relief at avoiding a repeat of the deadlocked 2009 Copenhagen climate summit mingled with disappointment for many who thought the deal was a sad compromise. “Nobody in that room adopting the text was happy. That’s how weak it is. And they all knew,” the European Union’s commissioner for climate change, Connie Hedegaard, said in a tweet. After haggling that went deep into the night, national delegates gave provisional approval to a 53-page statement designed to act as a compass for sustainable development for the next decade and beyond. It identifies measures for tackling the planet’s many environmental ills and lifting billions out of poverty through policies that nurture rather than squander natural resources. The community of nations will vow to “ensure the promotion of economically, socially and environmentally sustain-

able future for our planet and for present and future generations.” The draft is expected to be endorsed by world leaders on Friday to close the 10-day Conference on Sustainable Development, the 20-year followup to the landmark Earth Summit. Ninety-two heads of state of government are expected to make speeches, with deputy leaders or ministers standing in for most of the others. As summit host, Brazil battled to avoid asking leaders to sort out gridlocked text -- a scenario that brought the Copenhagen Summit to the brink of catastrophe. One of the biggest areas of dispute was on “Sustainable Development Goals,” or SDGs, that will replace the UN’s Millennium Development Goals after these objectives expire in 2015 and on promoting the green economy. Efforts by the European Union (EU) for text to shore up the environmental quality of the SDGs when they are negotiated in detail fell through. Developing countries, too, failed to get any figures in paragraphs about financing sustainable growth for poorer econo-

mies. The Group of 77 and China bloc had demanded $30 billion a year. “We have a text that has been agreed 100 percent by the 193 (UN) parties,” Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota told reporters. “It amounts to a victory for multilateralism... after 20 years, the spirit of Rio remains alive.” The United States was also positive. “I think it was a good strong step forward,” US Climate Change Envoy Todd Stern told reporters. “I think the outcome that we finished today will help advance goals in this area.” Others, though, said the deal was only a starting point on a long road. German Environment Minister Peter Altmaier said he was “not 100 percent satisfied,” but “after the failure of Copenhagen it is a sign of encouragement... it was very important to avoid failure at this conference.” French Development Minister Pascal Canfin sounded a similar note. “We are not completely satisfied, but we avoided Rio+20 turning into Rio minus 20,” he said. His colleague, Ecology Minister Nicole Bricq, said there were numer-

A girl eats bread next to a fake tank covered with bread on display to protest against the weapon market in the Santa Marta shantytown. After exhausting negotiations concluding on the eve of a global summit, UN members

2020, equivalent to 20 percent of the city’s emissions in 2005. To achieve the target, a variety of projects and policies have been launched in the urban sector, including doubling the number of bicycle paths, opening an exclusive four-lane Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and improving sanitation in Oeste Zone, the most densely populated area in the city. Earlier, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he would push for the sustainable and equitable economy agenda at the Rio +20 Summit. “I`ll take this opportunity to call for sustainable development at the Rio +20 Summit. Let`s take the responsibility for the future of mankind and the earth,” he added. The Rio +20 Summit will be held 20 years after the first Earth Summit in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It will be attended by over 100 heads of state. [PNA/

HE recycling of plastic and other solid waste should be given attention and support as it is a sustainable way of keeping trash out of the waste stream, and is a more productive option to an outright ban on plastic. Speaking at the recent 1st Innovation Fair of SPIK (Samahan sa Pilipinas ng Industriyang Kimika), Crispian Lao, one of the private sector representatives in the National Solid Waste Management Commission, said recycling should be supported and practiced by the community, yet, there seems to be little public awareness of this or government efforts to encourage it. He said proper solid waste segregation, recovery and recycling are mandated under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Man-

World Bank launches low-carbon program

head of the upcoming Rio +20 Summit in Brazil, from June 2022, the World Bank and the City of Rio de Janeiro have launched a low-carbon city development program. The program deals with low-carbon investment and climate change mitigation in the city. “We are honored that Rio would be our key partner in addressing the two main trends of the 21st century: urbanization and climate change,” said World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean, Hasan Tuluy, in a written statement. According to Tuluy, the ISO certification, which is also included in a comprehensive program on urban climate change, makes the Rio Low-Carbon Cities Program suitable as a climate change mitigation business model for other cities around the world. Cities are considered to account for two-thirds of

the world’s total energy consumption and 70 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The program`s implementation in Rio de Janeiro is good timing, considering the city is preparing to make huge investments, especially in infrastructure, ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. Besides, the program will help Rio in achieving lowcarbon growth and preserving its rich natural resources. According to the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, Rio de Janeiro is a leader in climate change mitigation efforts, because it is the first city to establish concrete and clear targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “By the end of this year, Rio will reduce its emissions to 8 percent. In 2020, this number would increase to 20 percent,” he said. The target of Rio de Janeiro is to reduce emissions by 2.3 million metric tons by

ANTARA]

ous pluses in the text, and these could be improved upon in the future. “EU pressure has helped us to jam a foot in the door and stop it from being slammed shut,” Bricq said. The US green group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, was upbeat about the deal’s potential benefit for the seas but criticized it for failing to beef up environmental governance, an area of jealously-guarded national sovereignty.

on Tuesday backed a plan for nursing Earth’s sick environment back to health and tackling poverty through greener growth.

“The positive steps contained in the text on plastic pollution, ocean acidification, fishing subsidies and overfishing -- if vigorously implemented -- will help reverse the decline of our oceans,” the director of its international program, Lisa Speer, said. On the sidelines, 50,000 activists, business executives and policymakers are attending the conference. The summit will be attended by President Francois Hollande of France

and President Jacob Zuma of South Africa alongside Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh of India and Wen Jiabao of China. But US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be absent. And Russia will be represented by its head of government, Dmitry Medvedev, not President Vladimir Putin as expected, according to the official list of speakers.

agement Act of 2000. Yet, 10 years after it was passed, the mechanisms and incentives of the program have yet to be properly enforced, hence, the objectives of the Act have remained unrealized, he added. “Recycling of solid wastes, whether plastic or paper, is climate smart because when you take them out of the waste stream, they can still be turned into new products,” pointed out Lao, who said the future is in recycling. “Why leave plastic in the waste stream when there are so many applications for plastic?” he asked. The commonly known applications for plastic trash are consumer items such basins, buckets, tables and chairs. But plastic can also be converted into fuel, or

when mixed with cement can be made into hollow blocks. Asphalt mixed with plastic is said to make road pavements stronger. Lao, the former president of the Philippine Plastic Industry Association (PPIA), said the local plastic industry itself is into waste recovery and recycling and is supporting various community-based initiatives to encourage people to exchange their trash with cash. The PPIA, he said, is working with the Archdiocese of Manila, various malls and other nonprofit organizations to collect garbage for recycling. In Dagupan city in Pangasinan, its program called ‘Bigas Ko, Plastic Mo, Palit Tayo’ has been successful and can be replicated in other parts of the country. [PNA]

Solid waste recycling needs gov’t support, incentives

EDGEDAVAO

Stat Watch

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

3.5% 4th Qtr 2011

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

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

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

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

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

P 43.65 Dec 2011

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

3,999.7 Sept 2011

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

128.1 Jan 2012

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.9 Jan 2012

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.4 Dec 2011

16. Visitor Arrivals

284,040 Sept 2011

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

19.1% Oct 2011

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

6.4% Oct 2011

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

2011

2010

2009

Average December November October September August July June May April March

43.31 43.64 43.27 43.45 43.02 42.42 42.81 43.37 43.13 43.24 43.52

45.11 43.95 43.49 43.44 44.31 45.18 46.32 46.30 45.60 44.63 45.74

47.637 46.421

February

43.70

46.31

January

44.17

46.03

47.032 46.851 48.139

48.161 48.146 47.905 47.524 48.217

48.458 47.585 47.207

THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

WB backs talks on Minda peace T

HE World Bank (WB) has reiterated its full support to the government’s peace initiative in southern Philippines as it announced an additional assistance of US$ 3 million (P129 million) under the 4th Program Partnership Agreement (PPA4) to hasten development in conflict-affected areas in the region. The government-run Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported the amount is over and above the US$ 450 million (P18.35 billion) the WB had provided for Mindanao the past five years, according to Motoo Konishi, WB country director for the Philippines. “Over the last five years alone, the World Bank has provided over $ 450 million in assistance to Mindanao to support better infrastructure, improved agriculture, better education and health, and, quite prominently, over the last few years, stronger social protection through the Pantawid Pamilya program (of the Department of Social Welfare and Development),” Konishi said,

Grants P129-M assistance

adding that “there are now 1.3 million beneficiaries of the Pantawid program in Mindanao alone.” Konishi also said that the WB places high priority on the development of Mindanao to resolve peacefully the longdrawn conflict in the area. The WB official said US$ 3 million will be used for the construction of health clinics, schools, farm-to-market roads, water supply systems and agricultural assistance for 65 barangays in 21 conflict-affected municipalities. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita QuintosDeles confirmed Tuesday the WB’s financial assistance for various projects in Mindanao. Deles said three civil society organizations (CSOs) recently signed a partnership agreement to step up peace and development efforts in conflictaffected areas in Mindanao. She said the signing by the

Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), Community and Family Services International (CFSI), and Mindanao Land Foundation (MinLand) demonstrated their commitment through the PPA4, which is part of the continuing initiatives of the World Bank-led Mindanao Trust Fund-Reconstruction and Development Program (MTFRDP) to deliver services to poor families in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao while capacitating the BDA to perform its role as the development arm of the MILF. Deles said the agreement will “enable BDA to strengthen its capability to address the challenges of managing community projects.” “It will provide BDA with the appropriate timeframe for more sustained engagement with, and, in turn, more positive impact in communities which have been affected by violent conflict,” Deles added. “The challenges confronting Mindanao can only be solved through a collective effort among all stakeholders,” she

said. Deles said the government welcomes all initiatives that allow development to be brought to communities that need them the most. “We commend efforts that allow a stronger partnership between government and communities, between civil society and local government units… We will continue to support all initiatives that help empower communities and institutions to rebuild what has been destroyed by violent conflict,” she said. Deles commended the World Bank, CSFI, MinLand and all the partners of the MTF,” adding that “none of these would have been possible without the continuing strong support from local and international development partner organizations.” She urged them to “continue to walk with us as we as a people continue to resolutely move towards a future that will bring the kind of peace and development our peoples justly deserve.”

one island group should not have to pay a higher price for their electricity, or have less supply of it, just because government failed to develop renewable energy resources in that part of the country,” he said. The former senator from Bukidnon made the statement as Mindanao continued to reel from brownouts due to a power shortage. According to National Grid Corp. data as of June 16, Mindanao has an available capacity of only 1,138 megawatts (MW) versus system peak demand of 1,191 MW, or a gross deficit of 53 MW. Zubiri said the five-percent shortfall means that Mindanao does not have any gross operating reserve, or extra capacity available to meet demand in case a generator goes down, or there is any supply disruption due to periodic upkeep on a generator. In contrast, Luzon has an available capacity of 8,088 MW versus system peak of 6,582 MW, or a 23 percent gross operating reserve of 1,506 MW. Visayas, on the other hand, has an available capacity of

1,816 MW versus system peak of 1,368 MW, or a 33 percent gross operating reserve of 448 MW. The Renewable Energy Law seeks to lessen national dependence on fossil and mostly imported fuels, which has made consumers and the economy extremely vulnerable to global market price fluctuations of crude oil and coal. Government hopes to double the electricity generated by renewable energy from 4,500 MW to 9,000 MW over the next 10 years. Zubiri said the P2-billion renewable energy fund is being supported by emission fees from generating facilities under the Clean Air Act, and 1.5 percent of the annual net incomes of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR). The fund is also being backed by 1.5 percent of the annual net dividends remitted by the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) to the National Treasury, and 1.5 percent of royalties from the exploitation of natural gas and other indigenous non-renewable energy sources.

NTICIPATION for further monetary stimulus by United States’ Federal Reserve on account of more signs of the flagging recovery of the world’s largest economy propped local stocks as well as the peso Wednesday. The composite index inched up by 50.01 points or 0.98 percent to 5,131.62 points from dayago’s 5,081.61 points. Similarly, the all shares index rose by 23.26 points or 0.69 percent to 3,387.52 points from Tuesday’s 3,364.26 points. Most of the sectoral indices are up except for the industrial index, which contracted by 0.65 points or 0.01 percent to 7,713.06 points from the previous trading day’s 7,712.41 points. Value turn-over amounted to P2.88 billion after the morning session as volume reached 1.91 billion. Gainers remained on top at 94 against the 44 losers while 38 stocks were unchanged. Relatively, the local currency continues to trade stronger against the US dollar after opening the day at 42.20 from the previous day’s 42.33. It further went up to 42.09 but moved down to 42.22 resulting to an average of 42.15. Volume of trade amounted to P681.09 million after the morning session.

Zubiri wants equal sharing of renewable energy fund

HE P2-billion public trust fund meant to support the development of renewable energy resources should be equally shared between Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. “The money should be distributed evenly, with the three main island groups sharing equally. This will ensure the balanced countrywide development of new energy sources that are naturally replenished,” said former Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri. Zubiri authored the Renewable Energy Law of 2008, which put up a P2-billion fund to partly subsidize new power generators that use sunlight, wind, rain, tides, geothermal heat, and biomass or biofuels. The money may be used to provide project grants, loans, equity investments, credit guarantees, insurance, or counterpart funding, according to Zubiri, former chairman of the Senate committee on environment and natural resources. He said Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao should enjoy the equal opportunity to benefit from the fund. “In the future, Filipinos in

PSE, peso continue to rally

as of august 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE ECONOMY

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

T’boli farmers get P10 M for rubber plantation

OR Pastor Cesar Tandog and fellow T’boli farmers the future has become brighter. “We thank God for making the provincial government, the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Department of Agriculture, and CFAD an instrument for this blessing,” Tandog said in local dialect. He was referring to was the P10 million assistance their association, the South Cotabato Rubber-Based Farming MultiPurpose Cooperative (SCRBF MPC), received on Monday from DA’s Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) through its Community Fund for Agricultural Development

(CFAD) component. Secretary Proceso Alcala turned over the cheque to members of SCRBF MPC on Monday during the groundbreaking rites for the P24-M Rice Processing Center in Barangay Ambalgan in Sto. Niño. The aid consists of P6-million grant from the MRDP-CFAD, P2 million from the national government and another P2million equity from the provincial government, according to information from the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Division (RAFID) of DA 12 Nelly Escote-Ylanan, chief of DA 12-RAFID, said the counterpart of

the cooperative, whose 84 members are T’boli lumads, is to provide the land – at least one hectare from each member -where rubber trees can be grown. “At least 55,500 rubber trees intercropped with coffee will be established at Sitio Basag, Salacafe, T’boli,” Ylanan said. “The rubber production project is a combination of food security intervention and community-based livelihood activities in support to the government’s initiatives for reforestation of forest lands,” she added. “Hopefully this project would solve several problems in the area including marijuana, kaingin

(slash and burn farming), and siltation of the Allah River,” said Gov. Arthur Y. Pingoy Jr. In February, authorities found and uprooted close to 4,000 fully-grown marijuana plants and 9,500 seedlings from Sitio Blu and Culi also in Salacafe. The governor believes promoting alternative sources of income such as growing high value crops, particularly rubber and coffee, could lure residents away from cultivating marijuana. Barangay Salacafe is the closest village to Mt. Melebengoy (formerly Parker) and Lake Holon (formerly Maughan), which drains into the Al-

lah River. About 60 percent of its residents live below subsistence level. Provincial Agriculturist Reynaldo Legaste said the provincial government is promoting production of rubber to improve living standards of farmers and protect the watersheds of the province. “Farmers may potentially earn about P12,000 to P15,000 per hectare by the time the actual production begins on the sixth or seventh year,” he said. Last year, a similar rubber production project was established in Barangay Lamdalag, Lake Sebu involving 157 hectares. These have also been intercropped with at least

24,000 hills of coffee, which have already started bearing berries. Legaste assured rubber farmers that more support are being prepared for them. These include training on cultural management such as proper tapping method and establishment of village-level processing facilities. Pastor Tandog said, “the project will definitely provide us with additional job for more productive livelihood, and help us restore the mountains where we live in.” “We promise to take care of this project for the education of our children and the benefit of their children,” he added.

HE country’s export promotion authority is vigorously targeting the multibilliondollar Northeast Asian market for Philippine

food exports. The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) of the Department of Trade and Indus-

try is leading a contingent of exporters in a marketing offensive that will see the best of Philippine foods gain the limelight in the Taipei International

Food Show (TIFS) on June 27 to 30. CITEM Executive Director Rosvi C. Gaetos cited the TIFS as virtually a key to the Northeast Asian market covering Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. ”Moreover, the show (TIFS) also attracts numerous importers from the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia,” Gaetos said. Food imports by the Northeast Asian countries alone reportedly amounted to billions of US dollars in recent years, with Korea reaching $ 25 billion in 2008, Japan $ 80.8 billion in 2010, Hong Kong $ 18.3 billion in 2011, and Taiwan $ 4.52 billion in the first three quarters of last year. On the other hand, China’s food imports are expected to consistently rise because of increasing consumption by its more than 1.3-billion population and produc-

tion shortfalls resulting from weather-related phenomena. “We are taking advantage of these developments by having a strong participation in the TIFS on June 27 to 30, with the aim of also attracting exhibitors and buyers to be part of our own IFEX Philippines slated on May 16 to 19 next year,” Gaetos pointed out. The International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines 2013 is the country’s biggest and most important trade showcase of Asia’s ethnic food and ingredients. Now on its 22nd year, the annual TIFS will be held at the Nangang Exhibition Hall in Taipei where exhibitors from 23 countries worldwide are participating. The TIFS enables the DTI and CITEM to promote the Philippines as an international sourcing destination for quality food products, while strengthening global awareness of Filipino

cuisine and intensifying exports by establishing direct linkages with regular foreign distributors and importers. To be showcased by CITEM in the TIFS 2012 are fresh fruits, tropical fruit juices and purees, coconut and coconut by-products, healthy and functional products (muscovado sugar, all-natural and tropical dried fruits, and banana chips), seafood and rice. Those food items will be exhibited by 14 selected private firms, which will be a mix of large and small and medium enterprises, thus enabling CITEM to also introduce new companies to the world market. This trade marketing blitz is targeted at institutional buyers, supermarket chains, and horecas, among others, while the consumer marketing aspect of the campaign is geared for the millions of overseas Filipinos, some 100,000 of them are in Taiwan.

Northeast Asia is the next export destination T

WATER INTERRUPTION

Water service interruption June 23

ESIDENTS of SIR Matina Phase II will experience six-hour water service interruption on June 23 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Davao City Water District crews will tap the newly installed pipelines along Patnubay St. corner Aquino St., S.I.R. Phase 2 in Matina as part of the utility’s mainline replacement project to

help reduce non-revenue water. DCWD acting general manager Edwin V. Regalado advises the would be affected customers to store enough water prior to the scheduled water service interruption 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 221-9412 or 09277988966 for updates, complaints, queries and other matters pertaining to DCWD services. (SYLVIA MAY L. VOSOTROS)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

GAME CHANGERS

From employee to entrepreneur By Lorie A. Cascaro

URROUNDED by chinkyeyed nationals who can barely speak a sentence in English, one overseas Filipino worker was daydreaming of having her own business back home where her daughter is longing for her embrace. And that is how the story of Lorybeth G. Alberto from Caraga, Davao Oriental, who established the Keans Special Yema Candy, started. Well, with the support of the Reintegration Program of the Overseas Worker Welfare Association (OWWA). What was first a mere suggestion by her husband, Fernando, who was also working in Taiwan, the dream of becoming an entrepreneur was a spark that soon became an unstoppable fire of passion inside her. To make her dream a reality, Lorybeth

studied and slowly acquired the technology needed for her business. “When I was young I always imagined myself standing inside a grocery store assuming it’s my own,” Lorybeth recalled, while doing the inventory in her grocery store, which blossomed from her yema business. When her contract in Taiwan expired, she returned home to the Philippines while her husband remained in Taiwan. She started her sari-sari store with a minimal capital of P3,000 as she realized that the remittances from her husband will be depleted, if only consumed for their basic needs. Saving a portion for emergency, she used a bigger amount of their money as business capital and allocated the profit for their daily household expenses.

Her first few months in the business were indeed tiresome and challenging. “I always tried to make money. It doesn’t matter if it is small or big profit as long as there is a bit of improvement,” she said. Many OFWs lost their jobs including Lorybeth’s husband when the global crisis hit Asia. Fernando returned home and availed of the training under the OWWA skills for employment scholarship program. Affected by her husband, Lorybeth applied for a loan amounting to P50,000 under the Filipino Expatriate Livelihood Support Fund provided by OWWA for the workers displaced by the crisis. She invested it to her sari-sari store, and in order to increase her sales, she sold and promoted her products to her neighborhood, and

other neighboring barangays through door-to-door delivery. From a sari-sari store, their business expanded to a mini-grocery store. After a year, they were more motivated to innovate their marketing strategy by venturing into distributorship covering the entire province of Davao Oriental and a portion of Compostela Valley province. They were continuously patronized by their locality and the neighboring barangays after having established a good relationship and special door-to-door delivery service. They were also offered a loan by the Land Bank of the Philippines amounting to P300,000 under the 2B OFW Reintegration Program,

which Lorybeth availed. She invested the loan proceeds to expand her special yema production, acquisition of a rice field, and additional capital for the grocery. With these, she was able to employ more regular

workers, including 11 full time workers for the yema candy production. Now, Lorybeth and her family enjoy each other’s company all the while earning well from the business they started from scratch.

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Who jumped first from the newspaper sinking ship? COMMENTARY BY JACK SHAFER

EDITORIAL

The President and the loggers

EOPLE behind logging activities, legal or illegal, have always defied authorities in the Philippines, sitting Presidents included. Proof of this is the current worst state of desertification in our country, admittedly causing flashfloods and many calamities we call natural disasters, including adverse effects of climate change. President Aquino on Tuesday was reported to have acknowledged that an order he gave to stop commercial logging nationwide is being defied, saying he was taking it as a direct challenge to him. Mr. Aquino, speaking at rites marking the 25th anniversary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said illegal loggers are making a mockery of his Executive Order No. 23, which bans logging, and he is not taking it lightly. “It has reached my attention that there are still those who apparently don’t be-

EDGEDAVAO

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lieve that we are serious in imposing the ban,” Mr. Aquino said during the rites in Malacañang. “People who have cohorts among members of the government continue logging activities,” he said. “We are directly being challenged and I accept the dare,” said the President. There you are, the President appears to be dead serious about his threat to run after the defiant loggers. Knowing how the loggers, many of them now part of the ruling elite of this country, successfully defied previous Presidents, we can not avoid being skeptical about Mr. Aquino’s threat. However, after he has shown his determination in doing what he sets out to do, one of them the recent ouster of the controversial Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, we should give him a chance to prove his worth in confronting this one lingering problem that is a matter of life and death to us. 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

RICHARD C. EBONA IMELDA P. LEE Advertising Specialists

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE

LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Cagayan de Oro City Tel: (088) 852-4894

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ANGELICA R. GARCIA | Marketing Manager Blk. 1, Lot 10, La Mar Townhomes, Apitong St., Marikina Heights, Marikina City Tel: (02) 942-1503

(1st of 2 part)

HEN did the ripe, bulbous, and gibbous newspaper bubble pop? It was probably in the 1990s, when the business better resembled a cruising blimp than it did the dotcoms like Pets. com, Boo.com, andTheGlobe.com, which all went kerblewy around the turn of the century. Unlike the bombing dotcoms, the high valuation of newspapers was based on real, not imaginary profits, and the belief that the profits from these deals would extend for years, if not decades, into the future. And such deals there were. The New York Times Co bought the Boston Globe for $1.1 billion in 1993. In 1997, McClatchy acquired the corporation that owned the Minneapolis Star Tribune for $1.4 billion and Knight-Ridder purchased the Kansas City Star and Fort Worth Star-Telegram (and two other smaller papers) for $1.65 billion. On the sidelines, newspaper consultant John Morton crunched the numbers and expressed the market consensus about these transactions in the headline for his January/February 1998 American Journalism Review column: “Expensive, Yes, But Well Worth It.” Morton’s column provides no sense of the impending doom, no inkling that an entire industry is arrowing its way to a hospice, no clue that all these newspaper people have booked passage on a death ship. Even after the Hearst Corp ditched its San Francisco Examiner for a $660 million dealto buy the San Francisco Chronicle in late 1999, more happy talk ensued. If anybody cited Warren Buffett’s 1991 warning that newspapers had lost their special “franchise” value and that he wouldn’t be buying any more of them soon, I missed it. The newspaper faithful were still such strong believers at the end of the century that theWashington Post, one of the most prudent newspaper operations in the universe, opened a new $130 million press facility in 1999. By 2009, the company had to shutter the place. The Post wasn’t being stupid when it built the plant, it just misread the contraction of newspapers by a decade. Many newspaper owners continued to think that profits would fund expansion forever. Arthur Sulzberger Jr. completed a modern Renzo Piano-designed Manhattan office tower for his New York Times in 2007, and as recently as 2008, Rupert Murdoch was completing construction of a new $290 million printing complex for his London newspapers. Every seller has good reason for unloading his property, but until bubbles pop the news coverage accentuates the buyer’s brilliance and vision. Thanks to the genius of hindsight, we know that the sellers of the Globe, the Star Tribune, the Chronicle, the Star, and the Star-Telegram were the dealers and the buyers were the marks. But I doubt if any of them were making a shrewd market call when they sold. The Globe, Chronicle, and Star Tribune went on the market primarily because the sprawling families that owned the properties had lost interest in the business and preferred cash to dividends. The Star and Star-Telegram went to the block because their owner, Disney, which had recently acquired them in another deal, wasn’t interested in the press. Newspaper owners who spied the newspaper bubble early were the small fry at Harte-Hanks andPark, who got out of newspapers in the late 1990s, and the multibillionaire Canadian overlords who issue my paycheck, the Thomson family. Thomson started selling its 140-plus chain of newspapers in the mid-1990s and had basically exited the market by 2000, collecting at least $2.44 billion along the way. The company used the proceeds to expand their investments inelectronic information and later, in 2007, went more electric than Dylan at Newport by acquiringReuters.

EDGEDAVAO

WENTY years after governments and private entities met in Rio de Janeiro for the first Earth Summit, all roads lead again to the Brazilian city that is more known for the tallest statue of Christ the Redeemer. It remains a question however whether redemption will mark the three-day conference that starts today (June 20), where hundreds of world leaders, as well as participants from the media and nongovernment organizations, will try to come up with policies intended to address global economic and environmental problems. Central to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, more popularly known as Rio+20, will be the negotiations concerning carbon dioxide emissions. Will the world finally herald a new era that will see the highly industrialized countries in particular reduce [their] carbon emissions as the measure that will significantly mitigate the impacts of global warming? Countries aim to reduce carbon emissions through a so-called cap and trade system, which a government uses to set a limit, a cap, on allowable emissions to reduce pollution in the atmosphere. A government issues permits to companies specifying the amount of carbon they may emit. As a market-based tool, the cap and trade system allows these permits to be traded as credits. Thus a

HE recent decision by the Obama administration to ease economic sanctions on Myanmar (also known as Burma) presents an important opportunity to reintegrate that country into the international community. But caution is necessary to make sure that the inflow of new investments does not end up harming the country’s long-suffering citizens. In spite of recent ethnic violence, changes in Myanmar (Burma) over the past year provide reasons for hope. Hundreds of political prisoners have been released from jail, and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, once the country’s most famous prisoner, now sits in parliament. Over the weekend in Oslo, Ms. Suu Kyi accepted the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded when under house arrest in 1991. Today she is inBritain for the first time in 24 years. And on Wednesday, she will accept the honorary doctorate from Oxford that she was awarded in 1993, also while she was under house arrest. Under President Thein Sein, Myanmar has made economic reforms a priority and the government has announced plans to set up a press council and abolish media censorship. These are positive steps, but governments and companies should proceed with caution. Myanmar is a country rich in natural resources, yet poverty persists. Concerns over corruption remain high as can be seen in the Transparency InternationalCorruption Perception Index, which ranks the country third from the bottom in the world. The rule of law is weak in Myanmar – as seen in the sectarian conflict that erupt-

Monkey Business

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

The carbon conspiracy

company that emits more carbon than it is allowed may purchase credits from another that produces fewer. Starting in January 2005, the European Union has embarked on such a setup for its member states. Called the EU Emission Trading System, carbonemitting industries are given “emissions allowances” under a national allocation plan. Firms that emit less than their quotas may sell their “surplus” allowances. On the other hand, if they emit beyond the allowed limits, they may buy from other firms or may use credits from the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). As defined in Article 12 of the Protocol, the CDM allows countries with emission-reduction or limitation commitments to implement emission-reduction projects in developing countries. Such projects, which may include reforestation and renewable energy undertakings, can earn saleable “certified emission reduction” credits, each equivalent to one ton of CO2. Developed countries that wish to accumulate carbon credits – either for sale or for their own use – can do so by providing funds to such projects. We need not elaborate that these investments have generated windfall profits for the donor countries. “Operational since the beginning of 2006, the mechanism has already registered more than 1,650 projects and is anticipated to produce CERs amounting to more than 2.9 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in the first commitment

period of the Kyoto Protocol, 2008– 2012,” according to the website of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. This setup presents some problems. For one, the CDM scheme relies only on voluntary project standards. The absence of regulations puts doubts on its ability to reduce CO2 emissions. In fact, critics have pointed out that some of those new companies and projects did not need the credits. Another problem is that by putting in place a system that allows for the offsetting of emissions and by turning CO2 into a commodity, the system may fail to actually curb emissions. Industries may buy or sell carbon credits as they please without having to concern themselves with the net global effect of their business-asusual attitude. Moreover, it allows industrialized countries to maintain or even exceed their current levels of CO2 emissions as long as they give a pittance to indigenous, forest-dwelling communities somewhere in a developing country. In the end, the unknowing indigenous peoples of Mindanao will be among those that will have to sustain the flawed production process dominated by the rich countries. The latest news from Rio suggested that nothing is going to change in the coming years. [MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. H. Marcos C. Mordeno can be reached at hmcmordeno@ gmail.com.]

OPINION

challenge for companies because Myanmar’s government and local business have been closely intertwined. In such an environment, foreign businesses will need to undertake enhanced due diligence. This includes exercising caution about whom they obtain access to land from, how they gain that access, and how they conduct consultations with affected communities. It also means ensuring that workers are able to form unions, are paid a fair, legal, living wage, and that no force is used in hiring workers or in their conditions at work. Companies will also have to take concrete steps to see to it that their partners, local or regional, also adhere to international standards. They must also ensure that these partners are not implicated in any past conduct that may expose investors to complicity risks. Foreign companies need to take effective steps to conduct activities without discrimination, as well, particularly while operating in regions divided by ethnic conflict. To achieve real progress, governments, businesses, and civil society will have to work together to find a responsible way forward for foreign investment in Myanmar. For starters, that means consulting with local actors as well as assessing potentially adverse human rights impacts on business activities. The home governments of foreign investors should provide clear guidance about the context in which companies will operate, including the human rights risks. [John G. Ruggie is a professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School and chairs the board of the London-based Institute for Human Rights and Business].

Suu Kyi signals change in Burma BY JOHN G. RUGGIE ed in Rakhine last week – and the judiciary is far from independent. The military has a significant stake in many sectors of the economy, and human rights groups have shown conclusively that abusive practices such as forced labor are still widespread. When the European Union partially lifted sanctions in April, it emphasized the importance for investors to adhere to the highest standards of business practices. These include the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights, which were approved unanimously by the UN Human Rights Council in June last year. Those standards also include the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the EU’s new policy for corporate social responsibility, both of which draw on the UN Guiding Principles. The Guiding Principles were the result of six years of research and consultations with many stakeholders during my mandate as UN special representative on Business and Human Rights. With their adoption, governments have reaffirmed their obligations to protect against human rights abuses involving companies. The Guiding Principles also clarify that all companies, including those operating in Myanmar, have a responsibility to respect human rights and conduct due diligence to ensure that their activities do not cause or contribute to harm, regardless of the conduct of the state. In Myanmar’s case, conducting this due diligence on human rights poses a special

The bones belonging to John the Baptist SPECIAL FEATURE BY STEPHANIE PAPPAS

small handful of bones found in an ancient church in Bulgaria may belong to John the Baptist, the biblical figure said to have baptized Jesus. There’s no way to be sure, of course, as there are no confirmed pieces of John the Baptist to compare to the fragments of bone. But the sarcophagus holding the bones was found near a second box bearing the name of St. John and his feast date (also called a holy day) of June 24. Now, new radiocarbon dating of the collagen in one of the bones pegs its age to the early first century, consistent with the New Testament and Jewish histories of John the Baptist’s life. «We got some dates that are very interesting indeed,» study researcher Thomas Higham of the University of Oxford told LiveScience. «They suggest that the human bone is all from the same person, it›s from a male, and it has a very high likelihood of an origin in the Near East,» or Middle East where John the Baptist would have lived. Mysterious bone box The bones were found in 2010 by Bulgarian archaeologists Kazimir Popkonstantinov and Rossina Kostova while excavating an old church site on the island of Sveti Ivan, which translates to St. John. The church was constructed in two periods in the fifth and sixth centuries. Beneath the altar, the archaeologists found a small marble sarcophagus, about 6 inches (15 centimeters) long. Inside were six human bones and three animal bones. The next day, the researchers found a second box just 20 inches (50 cm) away. This one was made of volcanic rock called tuff. On it, an inscription read, «Dear Lord, please help your servant Thomas» along with St. John the Baptist›s name and official church feast day. A grotesque gift The findings paint a story of a man named Thomas charged with bringing relics, or body parts, of St. John to the island to consecrate a new church there. It was common in the fourth and fifth centuries for wealthy patrons to pay for new churches and to gift saintly relics to the monks who staffed them, Higham told LiveScience. [8 Alleged Relics of Jesus] “We can imagine that the construction of this church was predicated on the basis of this very important gift, perhaps from the patron to the monastery,” Higham said. The human bones in the box included a knucklebone, a tooth, part of a cranium, a rib and an ulna, or arm bone. The researchers could only date the knucklebone, because radiocarbon dating relies on organic material, and only that bone had enough collagen for a good analysis. The researchers were able to reconstruct DNA sequences from three of the bones, however, showing them to be from the same person, likely a Middle Eastern man. “Our worry was that the remains might have been contaminated with modern DNA,” study researcher Hannes Schroeder, formerly of Oxford, said in a statement. “However, the DNA we found in the samples showed damage patterns that are characteristic of ancient DNA, which gave us confidence in the results. Further, it seems somewhat unlikely that all three samples would yield the same sequence considering that they had probably been handled by different people.” Schroeder added that “both of these facts suggest that the DNA we sequenced was actually authentic.” Strangely, the three animal bones (one from a sheep, one from a cow, and one from a horse), were all about 400 years older than the human bones in the reliquary. Those three bones all seem to come from the same time and location, Higham said. They may have been placed there as a way to desecrate the human bones, he said. Or someone may have just been trying to make thebone box look a little more impressive. “It is very curious,” Higham said. [Gallery of Dead Sea Scrolls: A Glimpse of the Past] Elusive identification Historical research by Oxford professor Georges Kazan suggests that relics supposedly from John the Baptist were on the move out of Jerusalem by the fourth century. Many of these artifacts were shuttled through the ancient city of Constantinople and may well have been gifted to the Sveti Ivan monastery from there.

SUBURBIA

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

DavNor guv won’t give up on the poor

UP Mindanao students oppose educ budget cut W

EARING black shirts and shorts, students of University of the Philippines Mindanao in Bago Oshiro, Mintal this city, posed with placards opposing yearly budget slashes for state colleges and universities in the country. Their activity is part of the system-wide protest action of the University of the Philippines against budget cuts in state colleges and universities. On June 21, UP students will troop the offices of the Department of Budget and Management all over the country to call for the prioritization of education budget and the re-channeling of debt servicing and military budget to social services. According to the a statement released by the UP Mindanao University Student Council (USC), although UP System receive P 7.4 billion budget this 2012, which is around P1 billion higher than the previous budget, it is still not enough for the needs of the premier state university. “Last year, out of the 17 billion proposed budget of UP, only 5.54 billion, or 32% was endorsed by

the Department of Budget and Management. This amount is still not enough to provide quality education in the university. This budget slash will result further to internally generated projects and privatization” said Trisha Aligato, Chairperson of UP Mindanao USC. “Because of budget cuts, students are made to pay more for their schooling,” Aligato added. Aligato cited the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) of the University which is now implementing a new bracket system. “The default bracket for new UP students in UP Mindanao is Bracket A, meaning, freshmen students in the university are now paying P1,000 per unit. This translates to a total of 500% increase in UP tuition since 2006,” she said. UP Mindanao’s tuition in 2006 is only P200 peso per unit. In UP Diliman, however, all students who failed to submit Bracket B certification is affected with the default bracketing system with P1,500 per unit . “It’s sad to say, but in our premier state uni-

Sarangani in Photos

GROUND BREAKING. West District acting principal Argilio Arago, KALAHI CIDSS deputy area coordinator Ederlyn Samulda, and Barangay Captain Fredemin Wanan lead the groundbreaking ceremony of the three-classroom elementary school building at Ticulab Elementary School Tuesday, June 19. The project which has a total cost of P1,830,000 is one of the projects under the DSWD through Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan - Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services - Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay (KALAHI-CIDSS:KKB). The DSWD is now working to expand its KALAHI-CIDSS projects to cover 8,000 barangays in 334 municipalities nationwide to extend the benefits of the program to more people.

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versity, a student is considered rich until proven poor. Besides, if the government truly prioritizes education, why does the merging of state colleges and universities in the country continues?” Aligato lamented citing the proposed creation of Davao Region school through House Bill 5311 or the Davao Regional State Universities Systems (DRSUS). DRSUS Bill, authored by Davao City Third District Representative Isidro Ungab, aims to merge four state colleges and universities in Davao Region namely: University of Southern Philippines (Usep), Davao Oriental State College for Science and Technology (DOSCST), Southern Philippines Agribusiness and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST), and Davao del Norte State College. “The government, through then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has successfully pushed UP into commercialization of its assets by turning the University into being self-reliant. Now, under the administration of President Aquino, they are doing it to other state

colleges and universities in the country,” Aligato said. Various student organizations in UP Mindanao are gearing towards UP System-wide Day of Action for Higher State Subsidy on June 21. Student councils launched an Alternative Classroom Learning Experience or ACLE to inform students about the issue on budget cut. “Instead of having formal lectures, student leaders took over the classes, permitted by the professors, and discussed social issues most particularly on the education issue,” Aligato said. Other student organizations sponsored free body paintings with designs supporting the campaign against budget cut. Today, a cultural program dubbed “Ignite the Fight for our Right to Education” is scheduled at the atrium of the university. Activities for this program include poetry reading, acoustic presentations, prayer rally and candle-lighting activity. The students will also be joining the citywide action of the Education for All Campaign on Thursday.

Saying the Dabaonon people are worth living for, Governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario is determined to continue his human development strategy until poverty is significantly reduced in the province. The governor said the thought of giving up on the poor never crossed his mind even though he was disheartened that the poor apparently failed to fully exploit anti-poverty programs to improve their lot. “We cannot give up, since no matter what we see around, it is our duty and responsibility to continue doing what we intend to do as public servants,” he said. Del Rosario, who championed a no-nonsense pro-poor local governance from the start of his governorship in 1998, reviled how the culture of impecuniosity become self-perpetuating among many indigents. He recalled the plethora of infrastructure projects and essential services that his administration has implemented, particularly starting from the minimum basic needs (MBN) program of his first term up to the comprehensive RDR WHEELS strategy he carried out during his comeback term in 2007. He revealed about P1-billion worth of water systems, farm-to-market roads and bridges, electrification, day care centers,

rural health centers, and barangay halls, among other infrastructures accomplished in his previous term, on top of the numerous projects coming from the national government and the official development assistance. Still, to put a human face to all the physical facilities, the governor now realigned his focus on improved health, better education and livelihood opportunities, as he pursue his P.E.O.P.L.E. agenda that is also in line with the thrusts of President Aquino. Yet, he lamented that the countless projects seemed to have failed to attain the goal of alleviating poverty because of the supposed cultural factors that contributed to the persisting indigence in the countryside. He said many poor recipients of the government’s anti-poverty programs fail on their commitments, citing as an example the president’s flagship 4Ps program, where some beneficiaries reneged on the conditions set for them to stay in the program. “I really do not know what we need to do. Siguro gusting-gusto natin ang poverty,” he quipped. “But, still we cannot give up on our people,” he quickly retorted, reiterating his hallowed commitment to continue uplifting the quality of life of his people.

WITH THE LUMADS. Governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario greets Lumad chieftains and residents during a tribal festivity in Talaingod, Davao del Norte.

National Day Care Workers Week. Headed by their provincial president Julie Fe Rosete (3rd left), members of the Day Care Workers Federation of Maitum pose with (4th, left to right) MSWDO Nelia Quimsing, Mayor Elsie Perrett, Board Member George Perrett and, Sangguniang Bayan Member Ruben Balanag as they finish celebrating the National Day Care Workers Week Monday, June 18. With this year’s theme “Day Care Workers Kaagapay ng Pamilya at Pamahalaan sa Programang Early Childhood Care and Development”, the program with 43 service providers caters to 1,555 three- to four-year

old day care enrolled kids enjoying free supplemental feeding daily since November 2011, with complete eating materials. The program also caters to children in need of protection, and children with disability under the supervision of the municipal social welfare and development officer and the Local Government Unit of Maitum. The National Day Care Workers Week is a government program mandated in Proclamation No. 404 series of 2003, declaring June 7 to 11 and every year thereafter as day care workers’ week.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

POWER INTERRUPTION

Davao Light sets 30-minute switching power interruptions

AVAO Light and Power Company will conduct rerouting of power lines due to the upcoming construction of Panabo Flyover. For safety purposes, two 30-minute switching power interruptions will be necessary in implementing the said works. To keep the power interruptions within the least possible time, loads connected to San Vicente Substation will be transferred to nearby substations which will take place on June 23, Saturday, from 11:30 p.m. to 12:00 p.m. Normalization

or return of loads back to its normal set-up will be on the following day, June 24, Sunday, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. after maintenance works will be completed. Affected by these power interruptions are the customers residing in some parts of Panabo and Carmen particularly the following areas of San Francisco, New Visayas, Southern Davao, Nanyo, San Francisco, New Pandan, Sto. Niño, Tubod in Carmen and its nearby environs. Davao Light apologizes for the inconvenience of these scheduled power

interruptions but it will exert all efforts to restore electric service as scheduled or earlier. However, there may be instances where restoration may extend beyond the schedule due to unavoidable circumstances. The electric utility’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) allows Davao Light to remotely control switches in the substations and along the distribution lines making it efficient in implementing maintenance works or restoration of power supply at its barest minimum during service interruptions.

ing night on June 29 at SM Davao Cinema 3, the event will feature a special screening of excerpts from the film “Thy Womb” which was shot in TawiTawi helmed by Cannes Best Director awardee Brillante Mendoza and which stars Nora Aunor and Lovi Poe. Both Mendoza and Aunor are expected to grace the opening of the festival. The festival films are a diverse collection of productions from Kalinga, Tawi-Tawi, Marawi, Davao City, Iloilo, Cebu, Manila among many other places. These 18 films were originally chosen as finalists by the FDCP from the National Film Competitions held last year; they were awarded seed money from the FDCP to start and finish their projects.

These finalists will have theatrical screenings for the duration of the festival in the four large malls in Davao City these are in SM City Davao, Gaisano Mall, Abreeza and NCCC Mall. The films will vie for awards which will be held Abreeza Cinema 4 on July 1. Another highlight of the festival is the unveiling of the Davao Cinematheque a 150- seat small cinema located adjacent to the People’s Park in Palma Gil Street a joint project of the FDCP and the City Government of Davao. The Davao cinematheque is the second of its kind to be constructed in the country, the first one was built in Baguio City and was unveiled in 2011.

forward to the full participation of Comvalenos to run for the scouts and help promote its mandated programs and projects. Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP COMVAL) will also have its presentation of candidates for Scout of the Year 20122013, pursuant to LCM No. 06 series of 2012 on July 13. This will serve as the highlight of the overnight camp to give interested scouts the opportunity to earn the merit badge for camping. The BSP is the national Scout organization of the Philippines. Its mission is to imbue the youth with love of God, country, and fellow men; to train

young people to become responsible leaders; and to contribute in nationbuilding. Scouting in the Philippines became official in 1923 with the establishment of the Philippine Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The Philippines became an independent Scouting nation in 1938, with the handover of assets and duties of the BSA Philippine Council to the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. In 1940, the Girl Scouts of the Philippines was founded. In 1959, the 10th World Scout Jamboree was held in Mount Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna, the first world Scout jamboree held in Asia.

Davao hosts national film festival

BOUT 18 fulllength films and documentaries made by filmmakers across the Philippine archipelago will be featured in the Sineng Pambansa or the National Film Festival to be held in Davao City on June 29July 1. The event is initiated by the Film Development Council of the Philippines and partnered by the City Government of Davao and the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Sineng Pambansa is part of the FDCP’s program in bringing Filipino films to different provinces across the nation and also in communities of overseas Filipinos. The festival will commence with an open-

Boy Scouts to stage fun run on July 14

Run For Scouts will be conducted on July 14, the proceeds of which will be used to finance the Local Council Executive Board’s programs and projects. The Run for Scout will have three categories (10K, 5K, and 3K) with a P250 registration fee, inclusive of singlet, race bib, finishers certificate, and light breakfast. A special rate for students is offered at P75, inclusive of race bib and light breakfast only. It will be begin at 5:00 a.m. and to start at the Nabunturan Central Elementary School Grand Stand. Governor Arturo Uy, who is also the BSP Council chairman, is looking

COMMUNITY SENSE 11

12 NATION/WORLD NATION BRIEFS

Least likely HOCKING or not? A

study claims teenage wives were least likely to use contraceptives compared to women aged 20 and above. National Statistics Office said survey results showed that women between ages 15 to 19 were the least likely to practice family planning. Respondents aged 20 to 44 were meanwhile more likely to practice family planning. However, some women will likely skip contraceptives by the time they reach 45 to 49.

Asked

T least three groups have asked President Aquino to revoke what they said was a “midnight” administrative order issued by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo two weeks before she stepped down from the presidency in 2010. Administrative Order (AO) 288 signed by Arroyo on June 10, 2010, authorized a reclamation project in Pampanga Bay that the groups said would cause massive flooding in Central Luzon and even parts of Metro Manila.

Approved

HE United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) can now field its senatorial and local bets in the 2013 midterm polls after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday granted its petition to officially become a political coalition. In a seven-page resolution, the First Division of the Comelec had approved the merger of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and former President Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

Pledged RESIDENT

Benigno Aquino III has pledged to fill around 750,000 hectares with trees during his term, or as many as the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources has in the last 25 years. Speaking at the anniversary of the DENR, Aquino said the Philippines has already lost around half of its 15.8 million hectares of forests. He added regreening efforts in the past administration had gone slow, and that if the current administration adopted the pace of those efforts, it will take around 280 years to restore the country’s forests.

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

Gullible Pinoys tricked into working in Syria R

WORLD TODAY

CORES of “gullible” Filipinos are being tricked into going to work in Syria each month despite an official ban on travel to the violencewracked country, the Philippine government said Tuesday. The Filipinos, mostly women who go and work as maids, are being duped into working in Syria with false promises of high salaries and assurances that they will be safe, Labour Department spokesman Nicon Fameronag told AFP. “They are illegally recruited. These are gullible people who are sweettalked by the recruiters despite the repeated warnings of government,” he said. Fameronag said an average of 100 Filipinos were going into Syria each month, an estimate based on reports from the Philippines’ labour attache in Damascus. They were joining almost 7,000 Filipinos already there, a figure based on registrations with the

Filipino protesters call for the repatriation of workers in Syria during a rally in Manila in March. Scores of “gullible” Filipinos are being tricked into going to work in embassy, he added. The Philippine government banned Filipinos from working in Syria and ordered a mandatory evacuation of its nationals there in December, some 10 months after an uprising against the rule of President Bashar alAssad broke out. The Filipinos are mostly travelling through

Syria each month despite an official ban on travel to the violence-wracked country, the Philippine government said.

the country’s maritime border to Malaysia and then making their way to the Middle East, Fameronag said. “We suspect that there is connivance with Syrian recruiters,” he added. Over 1,500 Filipinos have already heeded a government order to return home, department

records showed, but many have refused to come back, not wishing to lose their jobs in Syria, said Fameronag. Nine million Filipinos, or about 10 percent of the population, work overseas many in low-skilled jobs such as maids and sailors, earning salaries much higher than they could get at home.

immigration to US: study

thriving. “Asian Americans are the highest-income, besteducated and fastestgrowing racial group in the United States,” the study concluded. The Pew center said the change in immigration figures is largely due to declining immigration from Mexico -- the source of more US immigrants than any other country -- amid weakness in the US job market and a crackdown on illegal immigration. At the same time, the number of Asians arrivals has remained steady or in-

creased slightly. The reversal is a reminder of how the recession and bumpy recovery have altered who lives in America, and augur a possible boost, in the long term, for Democrats, who have a stronger hold on immigrant voters. In the short term, it could further sour some Americans’ disdainful view of immigrants, who sometimes are seen as taking jobs or draining social services, particular in dire economic times. The study found that Asians are three times

Born in China, Zachary Shields, 6, holds up his citizenship certificate during a 2011 citizenship ceremony in Fairfax, Virginia.

Asians recently passed Hispanics as the largest group of new immigrants. [AFP]

more likely to be admitted on work visas, and 61 percent of adult Asian immigrants (defined as 25 years old or older) in recent years have had at least a bachelor’s degree -double the share of other arrivals, making them “the most highly educated cohort of immigrants in US history.” Pew also estimates that 13 to 15 percent of Asian immigrants are undocumented, versus 45 percent of Hispanic immigrants. A survey of attitudes also found striking differences between Asians and the broader US society. Asian respondents said they “are more satisfied” than the general public with their lives overall, their personal finances, and the direction of the country. They expressed stronger family values than the average American, saying a successful marriage and being a good parent were key priorities. Also 69 percent buy in to the notion that people can get ahead if they are simply willing to work hard, a view shared by a somewhat smaller share of the American public as a whole (58 percent).

Treaty

N international treaty expected to be signed next week is an important step to protect the intellectual property rights of actors and the creative industries but hard work will be needed to enforce it, an official involved with the pact said. Hollywood stars including Meryl Streep and Javier Bardem have backed efforts to push the treaty, which has been more than a decade in the making. Digital technology has made it easy to download movies or television shows without paying for them.

V Asians leapfrog Hispanic

SIANS recently passed Hispanics as the largest group of new immigrants to the United States, according to a survey Tuesday predicting a demographic trend bringing powerful economic, social and political changes. The survey by the Pew Research Center found the ranking switch of the two largest groups of newcomers to the United States started in 2009. And it determined that the growing Asian population in the United States not only is large, but it is

Not agreed

USSIA and China have not agreed to any plan for the removal of President Bashar al-Assad from power but do recognize the danger of an all-out civil war in Syria, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday as Assad’s forces bombarded the city of Homs and clashed with rebels. International efforts to halt the violence are deadlocked because Russia and China, which wield vetoes in the U.N. Security Council, have blocked tougher action against Assad. They say the solution must come through political dialogue, an approach most of the Syrian opposition rejects.

First

teenage Pinoy student has been chosen as the first Filipino delegate to the Youth Leadership Program at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy in Virginia. Cyril John Sindac, a high school junior at the Ateneo de Manila, will join 60 other high school students from each U.S. state and from FBI’s eight regional chapters, at a nine-day leadership seminar, according to a statement from the Philippine National Police.

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Forecast

ENEZUELAN President Hugo Chavez forecast he would win October’s election with more than 60 percent of the vote after a new poll showed on Tuesday he held a large lead over his opposition rival. The survey taken in May by respected local pollster Datanalisis found that 43.6 percent of voters in the South American OPEC nation favored Chavez, versus 27.7 percent for the Democratic Unity coalition’s candidate, Henrique Capriles.

Emotional

UNG San Suu Kyi made an emotional return to Britain on her 67th birthday Tuesday, visiting her former home of Oxford and speaking of the “sacrifice” her family were forced to make. The Myanmar democracy icon was greeted at Oxford University, her alma mater, after taking part in a debate at the London School of Economics (LSE) and meeting the radio DJ she credits with giving her a lifeline during 24 years spent mainly under house arrest.

Refuge

IKILEAKS’ founder Julian Assange has taken refuge in Ecuador’s embassy in London and asked for asylum, officials said on Tuesday, in a last-ditch bid to avoid extradition to Sweden over sex crime accusations. Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said his country would weigh the request from the self-styled anti-secrecy campaigner, whose website is famous for leaking hundreds of thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables.

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Operators...

PLCPD advocates say

FFROM 1

rently running in the streets of Davao City. Medatoa operators are against the application of Dr. Manuel T. Tan, operator of Mabuhay and Blue Taxi cabs. Tan is reportedly applying for 30 units colored black. The petition of Medatoa, headed by Wenceslao Bascones, chairman, is joined by Durian City Transport Service Cooperative, Rosie Tan, Southern Maligaya Taxi, Inc., Ricardo Santiago Jr., Davao Holiday Transport Service Corp., Merlita Pasia, Ryan Sia, Lolita Largo, Danny Algabre, and Enrique Tay as oppositors. Black taxis risky The opposing operators said the operation of black colored taxicabs in the city “will inevitably pose great risks to pedestrians and other vehicles, considering that many streets in the city are not well illuminated, coupled with the fact that the city frequently experiences power outages due to lack of power supply.” They said that “other vehicles including other taxi units will certainly be exposed to increased risks of vehicular collision with black colored taxi units due to poor visibility.” Hermenegildo “Jun” Marante Jr., chairman emeritus of Medatoa, said their group is opposed not only to Dr. Tan’s application but to all other applications to operate taxi units colored black due to safety considerations. Any color but black This was confirmed by another oppositor –Rodolfo Jao, operator of Maligaya, Taxi who happened to be the sonin-law of Dr. Tan. Jao said that Medatoa will not oppose Dr. Tan’s application if the color is not black. Rogelio G. Largo of Largo Bernales-Largo Tumanda &Hernandez, who is Medatoa’s legal counsel, said taxicabs colored black are also discouraged in developed

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countries such as Great Britain because black is prone to accidents. Edge Davao’s research on the matter indicated that during the 1990s, the Philippines “did not have a color coding system but in 2001, LTFRB mandated that all taxicabs should be white. Some taxicab companies, however, still use their own colors to distinguish their units while keeping the roof and pillars white. Airport taxis, on the other hand, are yellow. A taxicab has a maximum operational lifespan of 10 years before being pulled out of service.” Actually Dr. Tan’s request to operate black colored taxi units was made with the LFRB regional office headed by Regional Director Benjamin Go on May 8, 2012. Medatoa’s opposition was filed on May 14, 2012. Without waiting for the regional director to act on his petition, Dr. Tan reportedly went up to the LTFRB en banc and filed a similar request. Without consultation Dr. Tan’s petition was submitted in Manila on May 24. The LTFRB (Manila) granted posthaste his petition the following day, allegedly without consulting its regional director in Region 11 (Go) and the other taxi operators. The LTFRB order granting Dr. Tan his request to operate a fleet of black colored taxi units was signed by LTFRB board members Manuel M. Iway and Samuel Julius B. Garcia but was not signed by lawyer Jaime D. Jacob, the chairman of the three-man board. Following the granting of his request to operate colored black taxis, Dr. Tan reportedly asked LTRB 11 Regional Director Go “to issue the confirmation of units, inspections, testing and sealing of the taxi meters,” but Go reportedly refused to act on the request since the grant has not become final.

Go’s inaction reportedly prompted Tan to go up again to the LTFRB in Manila on May 31, 2012. The following day, Tan was granted his request in an order dated June 1, 2012. Following this, on June 14 and 15, two LTFRB men from Manila came to Davao to conduct inspection, testing and sealing of the meters of the black taxi units. This happened despite the motion for reconsideration filed by Medatoa a week before, on June 6. ‘Improper and illegal’ In their motion for reconsideration, the aggrieved taxi operators charged that LTFRB erred and that its order authorizing the confirmation, inspection, and testing and sealing of meters of Tan’s black colored taxis was “premature, improper and illegal.” They said the LTFRB “has no jurisdiction“ to take cognizance of Tan’s motion, because under the LTFRB rules, only the regional director who issued the franchises “has exclusive jurisdiction or authority over these matters.” The oppositors also expressed surprise why the LTFRB, particularly Commissioners Iway and Garcia took only a day to grant the request of Tan in two instances, on May 25 and June 1. They likewise accused Dr. Tan of “deliberate forumshopping when he filed a petition to adopt color scheme on taxi units directly with LTFRB en banc, after he had filed a similar petition with the LTFRB regional office” in Region 11. Initial effort last night to contact Dr. Tan for his comment on the opposition failed . A lady assistant in the Mabuhay office at Guadalupe Subdivision said Dr. Tan will be available only during office hours. His lawyer is based in Manila.

left one fisherman dead. The LPA brought heavy rains in the area, causing flashfloods in several coastal villages in the municipality of Glan. Ben Solarte, Sarangani Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) head, said the Philippine Coast Guard has not yet called off the search and rescue operations for the missing fishermen and maintained its notice to mariners to help look out for them. The Sarangani provincial board’s regular session on Tuesday passed three resolutions “supporting immediate relief operations for internally displaced families and individuals in the municipalities of Glan and Maasim. Glan and Maasim were

placed under a state of calamity last week. Solarte said the provincial board resolutions, which were adopted from the PDRRM Council resolutions passed during its emergency meeting last Monday, “authorized the augmentation and downloading of funds amounting to P1.5 million for Glan and P500,000 for Maasim from the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund (LDRRMF).” The board authorized the allocation of P50,000 from the LDRRMF for the travel expenses of a team from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office who would conduct psycho social stress debriefing sessions to the typhoon victims who were experiencing “psychological trauma.” [ALLEN V.

FFROM 3

as Roberto Alberca alias “Lolong” of Barangay Poblacion, Cesar Sunico of Barangay Kablacan, Nestor Leones of Barangay Kabatiol and Nasser Andong of Barangay Tinoto, all of Maasim. Orbita said Francis Vil Fadal and Ronnie Fadal, who were among the 13 persons earlier listed as missing, have returned to their homes in Barangay Colon around 1 a.m. Tuesday. The PDRRMO earlier noted that 368 fishermen had already been rescued in the area following last week’s storm surge, which was triggered by a passing low pressure area (LPA). The storm surge, which triggered giant waves reportedly as high as 30 feet, destroyed over a dozen fishing boats and

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

ESTABILLO / MINDANEWS]

Rise in maternal deaths due to lack of RH policy

GROUP of reproductive health (RH) advocates cited the lack of a national policy that will provide comprehensive services on RH and family planning as one of the major reasons why maternal mortality rate (MMR) has not declined in the past decade. According to Romeo Dongeto, executive director of the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD), the results of the 2011 Family Health Survey (FHS) present a clear picture of the current state of our health system and underscore the grim reality that the efforts of the government have failed to meaningfully address the poor’s lack of access to health services, particularly on reproductive health. Dongeto laments that through the years, access to family planning services remains a chal-

lenge. The government’s maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition (MNCHN) grant program has not been very effective since it has resulted in uneven and non-standardized provision of services, he said, adding that the decision to provide RH and FP education and services is left to LGU officials. “It has left the impression that MCHN is optional,” Dongeto said, citing facts that certain LGUs ban family planning services, which denied their constituents, especially poor women, of the much needed information and services on how to plan their pregnancies. The 2011 Family Health Survey showed that between 2006 and 2011, the MMR increased from 162 to 221. This means that the number of Filipino mothers who died in childbirth had risen from 162 in

2009 to 221 in 2011 per 100,000 live births. “Too close and too frequent pregnancies, coupled with lack of services are causing the deaths of poor women,” Dongeto said. “We do not want to point fingers. But we are calling the leadership of Congress to pass the RH bill now. This is what we’ve got after more than 10 years of dillydallying on the proposed measure - an alarming increase in maternal deaths,” he said. “We do not claim that the enactment of the RH bill will address all maternal health related issues, but a law on RH will help resolve the lack of access to RH and FP education and services among women, especially the poor. A national law will ensure that LGUs will allocate funding and will implement concrete programs on reproductive health,“ he said.

Attendance The city council secretary’s Attendance Report notes who were absent, on official business, vacation leave, sick leave or on domestic emergency leave on the day of the session. In last May 22’s regular session, councilors Jimmy Dureza and Edgar Ibuyan were on vacation leave, Jackson Reyes was on domestic emergency leave, Rachel Zozobrado was on sick leave. On May 29, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was out on official business as he was Acting City Mayor while on official business were councilors Nilo Abellera Jr., Association of Barangay Captains president Paolo Duterte, Sangguniang Kabataan president Jashera Gonzales, Leah Librado-Yap. On sick leave were Indigenous People’s representative

Berino Mambo-o Sr., and Myrna Dalodo-ortiz, Jose Louie Villafuerte, and Zozobrado. In last June 5’s regular session, Councilor Duterte was out on official business, on domestic emergency leave were Emmanuel Galicia Sr. and Mambo-o Sr., while Zozobrado was still on sick leave. On June 18 (Monday), on official business was Councilor Marissa Salvador-Abella, on domestic emergency leave was Dalodo-Ortiz, Councilor Arnolfo Cabling was on sick leave, and Zozobrado was on vacation leave. During the recent June 19 session, Councilor Duterte was on official business, Reyes on domestic emergency leave was Librado-Yap, on sick leave was Salvador-Abella, while Zozobrado was on vacation leave.

St. Augustine’s leadership team members have played key roles in developing and managing some of the largest mining projects in the world, including Grasberg in Indonesia (the largest open pit copper/ gold mine in the world), Nchanga in Zambia (a

world class copper deposit) and Mount Hope and Liberty in the US (two of the largest molybdenum projects in the world). St. Augustine’s major shareholders include global institutional investors Wellington, Franklin Templeton and Passport.

Operators... FFROM 1

pleasure over the development, telling Floor Leader City Councilor Tomas Monteverde IV to “take control of the members of the council.” It was not the first time Quitain as presiding officer had noted the lack of quorum. “Don’t they know that every time they go out they are disturbing the proceedings? There is no use continuing if there is no quorum. This practice cannot go on,” Quitain had said last in May 8’s council session. City Council acting secretary Charito Santos said, however, said that there are “no habitual absentees among the councilors.” “Naay uban na ma-late. Naay uban na mu-absent. Pero dili sila kanunay,” she told Edge Davao in an interview yesterday. “Naa ra man gud mugawas during session kay mu-adto sa ilang office,” she added.

Nadecor... FFROM 3

construction to begin in 2013. Once approved, the project will generate high paying jobs for the residents of Pantukan and nearby communities in Compostela Valley, including more than 4,000 jobs during construction and 2,000 careers during operation.

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

PTA: bringing back tennis’ glory days

Phil Younghusband scores against a Philippine Navy defender during the recent UFL match between Phil’s team Loyola-Meralco and Navy. Meralco won 10-0 with Phil scoring an amazing 5-goal output.

By Neil Bravo

Cherifer football on Sunday By Neil Bravo

HE Cherrifer 7-A-Side Football tournament kicks off on Sunday at the Tionko Field with some 50 teams expected to crowd the hunt for the five titles at stake. Davao Football Association (DFA) Secretary General Erwin Protacio said

the tournament will be held in cooperation with the UP Mindanao’s CWTS program and is supported by Cherifer Vitamins. The categories, according to Protacio, are Under-14 girls and boys, Under 12 boys, and Under-10 boys/ girls or mixed, and Under 8 boys/girls or mixed. Team entries will be

limited to 8 in the U-8, 16 in U-10, 16 in U-12 and 8 in U-14. “Teams, clubs, or schools in Davao City are welcome to participate. Deadline of submission of line up and photo copies of birth certificates is at the Coaches’ Meeting on 22 June 2012 (5:00 PM) at the DFA Club House at Tionko Field,” said Protacio.

Players not listed in the line-up and without birth certificates will not be allowed to play. Each team shall be composed of 12 players. Trophies and medals will be awarded to the top three (3) teams in each category. There will be a special prize for the Most Valuable Player. (NJB)

Joseph Ng (left) and aul Gotianse (right) show fine form dring the recent Dynasty Cup at the Rancho Palos Verdes. First Tee won the championship. (BOY LIM)

The Money Game: Floyd, Manny goes 1-2

EW YORK – Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, the boxers that fight fans worldwide want to see in the ring together, top the list of the 100 highest-paid athletes released by Forbes magazine on Monday. Mayweather, who ranks No. 1 for making $85 million off two fights last year, is serving a threemonth jail sentence for domestic battery in Las Vegas, having failed in a bid to serve the remainder of his

time under house arrest. While his doctors and co-manager warned that staying behind bars might cause irreparable damage to his fitness and risk his boxing career, the undefeated US fighter is expected to climb back into the ring, likely later this year. But Mayweather will not be fighting Filipino icon Pacquiao in the megabout that boxing fans have sought for years. Pacquiao, second on the list at $62 million from

earnings and endorsements, lost to unbeaten US fighter Tim Bradley on June 9 and they are set to fight a rematch in November. Tiger Woods, who had topped the Forbes list since 2001, fell to third this time with $59.4 million, his earnings off $16 million from the previous year and by half since his peak in 2009, mostly due to lost endorsement deals. It was in 2009 that Woods, a 14-time major

champion chasing the 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus, saw a sex scandal erupt that caused him to start his 2010 season late and 2011 saw Woods nagged by injuries. Woods went on a 17-month win drought until he won last March at Bay Hill in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He followed up with a victory earlier this month at the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial but has not won a major since the 2008 US Open.

EMEMBER the glory days of tennis? Time was when the best junior players that roamed this planet were home-grown players from the Philippines. Felix Barrientos, Manny Tolentino, Andres Battad, Raymond Suarez, and Joseph Lizardo. And then came the void in between the juniors ranks and the pros. Today, tennis is slowly but surely picking up its lost glory once more. One reason is a group that is working to bring back the glory days of the sport, sans much of the fanfare. The Philippine Tennis Academy (PTA) has been working quietly since August last year. The group works behind the scene with the primary objective of selecting young tennis talents and enable them to reach the top 10 in the International Tennis Federation junior rankings. With a common bond to resurrect the sport, long time tennis lovers and patrons led by sportsman -businessman Jean Henri Lhuillier, Oscar Hilado, Rommie Chan, and Hanky Lee, the bunch of tennis-crazy businessmen formally got together and formed the PTA. The PTA’s vision is not only limited to identifying and training talents from the homefront but more importantly, provide the opportunity to under-privileged boys and girls in the countrysides to use their skills and help them out of poverty. Afterall, the country teems with talents, especially those from the ranks of ballboys and ballgirls, whose only window of opportunity is when they are picked up by a generous supporter or when they get an athletic scholarship. What better way to start the program than to enlist the country’s former standouts. Thus enter former national tennis players Barrientos and Suarez who unselfishly pitched in their share of international tennis experience with the young PTA talents. PTA’s first wave of trainees were composed of Roxanne Resma from Cagayan de Oro, Anthony Craig Pantino from Cebu, Khim Iglupas from Iligan City, and Tami Nguyen from Alabang, Muntinlupa. The first batch was formed last year and within a short time, these young tennis hopefuls have already shown tremendous

improvement. Resma is the country’s top-rated 16 and under player today and has represented the country in the Junior Federation Cup in Australia. Pantino at 11 is already dominating the 14 and under group and already plays in the higher and tougher 16 and under class. Nguyen was a semifinalist in the PCA Open and has earned a tennis scholarship to the University of San Diego while Iglupas is currently the country’s best in the 14 and under girls. “Individually, we have been sponsoring players in the past and we felt it was time to pool our resources together with Nino Alcantara as our first project. We believe Filipinos are talented tennis players especially at their younger ages but when they get older, nawawala na competitiveness. That is why we will start them young and look for college scholarships for them in America,” said Chan. Chan said among the US colleges they are targeting to send the PTA talents are Fresno State University and Sta. Clara University both in California. To get the PTA program rolling further down to the countrysides, former tennis standout-turned-coach Andy Maglipon was hired by PTA as project director. Maglipon’s mission is to bring the PTA pool to a nationwide coverage. In a matter of months, the PTA created four satellite centers in Davao, Cagayan de Oro, La Carlota and Bais to serve as the stable of junior players and ensure the steady flow of talents. The PTA plans to expand the program further to Subic, Cebu, and Palawan.

Jenni Celine Dizon (top) and Dana Mariella Abad (bottom) are among the standouts of the PTA Davao satellite center.

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EDGEDAVAO

FOOD

It’s not just fried chicken! Bonchon 6drumsticks 12wings rack

Bonchon chicken sandwich

By Carlo P.Mallo

WAKING up to the sound of rain early in the morning is already heaven for me, add the fact that it is a Saturday makes it extra special. And oh, a box of Bon Chon chicken in the fridge waiting to be heated is the ultimate concoction for a weekend of pleasure.

Bonchon Bulgogi

Bonchon fish & chips

Bonchon ginger tofu salad

Bonchon chapchae

Even as my doctor told me to stay away from anything spicy, lest I aggravate the irritation my throat was experiencing at that moment, I threw all caution to the wind and chomped away on chicken heaven. A lot of Dabawenyos may have heard and tried the latest craze to hit the chicken world. Yes, it’s not just Manila but even New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, and even in Europe wherein it is already the new alternative to their expensive cuisine. What’s not to like about a piece of Bon Chon chicken? It’s crispy, an explosion of flavors, and yes, it’s from Korea. Ever since I had my first bite of Bon Chon, I never looked at chicken the same way again. And if you are wondering if it is another fried chicken, let me reiterate what the title just said: IT’S NOT JUST FRIED CHICKEN. Bon Chon is an entirely different league of its own. You have to taste it to fully comprehend what I’m talking about. My words will not suffice or do justice to the pleasure that your palate will experience. Since the Bon Chon store here in Davao is yet to open at the ground floor of SM City Davao’s Annex, I get my fix from the kindhearted friends who’d bring me a box from their sojourns in Manila. (Thank you, Denise.) Aside from the chicken, my other favorites from Bon Chon, which I’d always get from their store at Greenbelt 1, are the Bulgogi rice, the chap chae, and their fish tacos. I can just imagine the pandemonium when the Bon Chon store opens, and I think I’ll have to content myself with the Bon Chon rations I get from Manila, even if I have to reheat it in the toaster.

Bonchon 4wings ricebox

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VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

FOOD ENTERTAINMENT

Fuel your mood! By Bai Fauziah Fatima Sinsuat Ambolodto, MBA

DAYDREAMING feels like an ultimate waste of time. However, according to studies, it is the total opposite -- during daydreaming, your brain is actually processing important issues that are not relevant at that immediate moment. Thus, forgive yourself for spacing out; you have got other things on your mind.

I admit I am guilty of spacing out.It is my quickie escape from reality and bittersweet visit to my never never land. However, it is also my way of coming up with new recipes. Weird? Yeas, but I actually let my mind wander and imagine the possibilities of combining and mixing imgredients before testing them in my quaint kitchen. That is how I come up with recipes -- I daydream. This week’s recipes came about one fine morning while I was patiently waiting for someone to meet me for breakfast. My brain was literally flying and was on fire -- I was loving it. My imagination woke my muse up and thus, I was able to come up with recipes that would soon be a staple during parties or spur of the moment get togethers. Tell me what you think of this recipe. Email me your questions, suggestions and comments at iamtheroyalchef@gmail.com. Happy Cooking!

Jimmyrific Nacho Pockets Nachos are a popular food of Mexican origin that can either be made quickly to serve as a snack or prepared with more ingredients to make a full meal. It was first created in 1943 at El Moderni restaurant in the border town of Piedras Negras, Coahulia by Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya. The original nachos consisted of fried corn tortillas covered with melted cheese and jalapeno peppers. Eating nachos could really messy. Getting my inspiration from our favorite merienda dibble, empanada,nI thought of making one but with the nacho filling inside. It is a fun, quick and easy to make dibbles--a sure hit to my friends Jimmy and Freah. Lovelots! 1. Season lean ground meat(I used chicken) with salt, pepper, cayenne powder, cinnamon powder, cumin powder, safron powder and garlic powder. Let stand and set aside. 2 In a pan, melt a knob of butter and oil. Saute shallots until translucent and minced garlic. Stir. 3 Add lean ground meat into the pan. Saute until completely cooked or until it turns brown and then pour tomato sauce and let simmer, over low heat, for until bubbles form. 4 Add diced ripe tomatoes and white onions chunks. Add grated cheese and continue stirring to incorporate all ingredients. Simmer for a full minute or two. Set aside. 5 Scoop nacho filling

unto molo wrapper and seal edges. The shape of the nacho pockets will depend on you --- you can have triangular, dimsum shapes or plain flat like a ravioli. Deep fry until golden brown. Serve hot with sauce (combine hot sauce, sweet chili sauce and light syrup) on the side or toss pockets in sauce. Shrocky Spritzer Tired of sipping the same old drinks? Try mixing and concocting your own spritzer and enjoy it with your family and friends. In a chilled pitcher, mix 1 cup of ready made iced tea, 3 cups apple juice, 3 cups orange juice, 3 cups of soda and 2 cups of ginger ale. Place ice cubes (You may opt to use shaved ice) in glasses, fill it halfway and pour your spritzer. You may add mashed fresh ginger for a fuller taste. Lucena Mussels In Tomato and Basil Flavors and colors make

my heart skip a beat. I love the interplay of colors to my eyes and the explosion of flavors inside my mouth. The simplicity of the ingredients is well received and anticipated by my tastes buds, tummy and my friends’ tummy. Poach cleaned mussels in water. Cover and let boil until all mussles open up. Important to note that when mussels do not open up after poaching, throw them out. In a pan, heat oil and butter. Saute onion until translucent and add minced garlic. Add in diced and deseeded ripe tomatoes and continue sauteing until tomatoes wilt but not burned. Dump in poached mussels and stir. Add tomato sauce and shredded cheese (I used cheddar. I want the tangy and sharp flavor.). Toss to evenly coat the mussels. Let simmer for a full 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and chopped fresh Siam Basil and more grated cheese. Serve hot as appetizer or main course.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Zhang Ziyi speaks up ZHANG Ziyi is sharpening her legal daggers.

The Beijing-born actress sued the U.S.-based China Free Press for libel last week over a story that she carried on sexual relationships with a number of high-ranking Chinese officials in exchange for roughly $100 million over the last 10 years—a story that she has vehemently denied. Ziyi’s attorney, John Mason, exclusively tells E! News that his client was never approached for comment before the report suggesting that she was a six-figure prostitute was published. “Zhang Ziyi is not a prostitute, never has been a prostitute, never met this person that she’s alleged to have this very expensive sexual relationship with,” Mason says. The story “flew around

‘I am not a prostitute!’

the world on the Internet to the point that it seriously damaged her reputation and business, and she intends to defend herself,” he adds. “No matter what it takes and no matter what it costs, we really do intend to bring these people into court and find out why they published what they did and where this information came from. From our side, we can’t put this genie back in the bottle, but we can definitely get to the bottom of where the bottle came from.” The original story linked Ziyi most prominently to former Chonqing party head Bo Xilai, who was booted from his position earlier this year in connection with an unrelated scandal.

“They don’t even have a photograph or a statement from anybody that

Justin Bieber’s battery charges elevated! Justin Bieber’s rap sheet remains blank THE Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Malibu/Lost Hills Station has completed its investigation into battery allegations lobbed at the 18-year-old by a photographer who claims the Biebs roughed him up in the parking lot of a Calabasas shopping center last month, E! News confirmed Tuesday. And now, it’s up to a higher power to decide if Bieber should be charged with a crime. “Our investigators at the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff’s department investigated the case and presented it to the [L.A. District Attorney’s Office] today,” a station rep tells us. “It is now in the D.A.’s hand to decide whether they are going to file charges.” He could not confirm whether or not Bieber was ever interviewed— authorities previously said they planned to talk to him—but he said that the department “completed a thorough investigation.” Just days after his May 27 alleged confrontation with the paparazzo, Bie-

ber jetted off to Norway to kick off a whirlwind mini-tour of Europe. The “Boyfriend” singer tweeted today that he had just finished signing CDs for thousands of fans

in New York and thanked those who showed up for their patience. “Glad that [it’s] finally all about the music. #BELIEVE,” he wrote before the event.

she ever met him,” says Mason.“People put stories out there often enough

just to get attention, just to get more readers...This is outrageous in its face in

the way it was intended to damage her career. You don’t call somebody a prostitute and allege multimillion-dollar sex acts without having some evidence.” China Free Press has stood by its reporting, saying the paper “merely published what it believed to be true as provided by an anonymous source.” Ziyi, who according to Mason was refused the retraction she originally sought, is seeking punitive and general damages. Her lawsuit, filed June 14 in U.S. District Court in California, alleges libel, false light invasion of privacy, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, negligent interference with prospective economic advantage and unlawful business practices.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

STYLE ENTERTAINMENT

SM kids go crazy for colors!

WITH kids going Crazy for Colors, this fashion roadshow recently made stops in SM City Cebu and SM City Davao with a dance party that celebrated all that is young, fun, and bright.

The event featured dance diva Regine Tolention, who gave a short tutorial on “Shakeyebody”, the Crazy for Colors Dance Craze. Dance fever continued with amazing performances by different professional dance groups. Kids also had fun at the Wii Dance Challenge, Get Spotted, Photo Booth, and the My Own Music Video Booth. It also showcased the SM Kids collection of bright tees and denims as well as fun basic wear from Justees and Zapped. Kids can collect all five (5)

stamps for every purchase worth of Php300 from any regular priced SM Exclusives participating brands: Justees, Zapped, Boys Got Style, Bradley, Dude, Little Miss, Lizzie, Girls Edition, Blush, and Crib Couture. On their 5th stamp, they can claim their Php100 discount coupon. Plus they can enjoy a free multi-colored baller on their 2nd stamp. Promo period is from April 1 to June 30, 2012. Crazy For Colors denims and tees are available at the Children’sWear Department in all SM Stores.

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SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 78 • JUNE 21, 2012

Just a breath away Charging Chalmers saves day for Miami

EDGE SCOREBORD

1 Lebron James (top) grimaces in pain in the fourth quarter. Cris Bosh gives Mario Chalmers a warm hug after Chalmers saved Miami in Game 4. Oklahoma’s Russel Westbrook could only heave a sigh after his big 43-point night went to naught.

IAMI-- LeBron James better get well fast. He’s about to play for a championship. Hardly able to move, James returned from a left leg injury to make the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2:54 remaining and the Miami Heat held off Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 104-98 victory on Tuesday night and a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. With James watching the final moments, Mario Chalmers finished off a stellar 25-point effort that matched Dwyane Wade. James had 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, only missing a triple-double because he was on the bench at the end after hurting his leg with a fall to the court. Game 5 is Thursday night and James will have a chance to finish a championship chase that started in Cleveland before he famously -- or infamously -- left for South Florida. No team has blown a 3-1 lead in the finals. Westbrook scored 43 points for the Thunder, who wasted an early 17-point lead but were never out of the game because of their sensational point guard. Kevin Durant had 28 points but James Harden threw in another clunker, finishing with eight points on 2-of-10 shooting. Westbrook and Durant were

the only Thunder players to score in the last 16:46. James stumbled to the court on a drive midway through the fourth quarter, staying on the offensive end of the floor as the Heat regained possession on a blocked shot, and he made a short jumper that made it 9290. After Westbrook missed a jumper, the Heat called timeout as James gingerly went to the court. Unable to walk off, he was carried to the sideline by a pair of teammates. He returned to a huge roar with a little over 4 minutes left, and after Chris Bosh tied it, James slowly walked into a pull-up 3-point attempt - perhaps doing so knowing he couldn’t drive by anyone. That made it 97-94, and when Wade followed with a layup with 2:19 left, the Heat finally enough room to withstand Westbrook, who kept coming all night. ‘’Whatever it takes. No excuses,’’ Wade said. ‘’You don’t want to leave this arena saying you missed opportunities.’’ Chalmers sure didn’t. The player who was struggling so badly that the Thunder put Durant on him in hopes of avoiding further foul trouble made 9 of 15 shots, scoring more points than he had in the previous three games. ‘’Mario Chalmers is a winner,’’ Wade added. ‘’He’s due for a big game and he came through for us.’’

IAMI – LeBron James had controlled this night as he’s controlled most of these NBA Finals, and as he knelt on the sideline watching the game – and maybe even his best chance at winning his elusive NBA title – slip away, he vowed one thing: No more. James had limped off the court moments earlier with a quadriceps injury and now he limped back on it. Not this night, not this year. Not again. James raised up and buried a 3-pointer, and the Miami Heat suddenly had new life. It was an improbable shot, given James’ condition, and a necessary one, helping the Heat turn back the Oklahoma City Thunder 104-98 Tuesday night and move within a single victory of the championship. James would have to hobble off again in the game’s tense final minute, but he left with a near

triple-double: 26 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. With Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers each scoring 25, it was enough for the Heat to overcome an epic performance by Russell Westbrook, whose 43 points came on the 24-year anniversary Isiah Thomas scored 43 in the Detroit Pistons’ Game 6 Finals loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. James briefly left with the game tied after hitting the court hard on his side. He writhed in pain on the sideline as Miami’s training staff tended to him, but returned after the Thunder took the lead. Chalmers helped save the Heat, hitting a clutch 3-pointer and a pair of free throws. No team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals under the 2-3-2 format. The Thunder’s only hope is to win Game 5 on Thursday and send the series back to Oklahoma City.

Rooney lifts England over Ukraine Lebron limps but hits the big shot M

IEV – England rode their luck to top Euro 2012 Group D on Tuesday as they beat co-hosts Ukraine 1-0 while France also made it despite being outclassed in a 2-0 defeat by already eliminated Sweden. A goal by the recalled Wayne Rooney – thanks to a howler by the Ukrainian goalkeeper – was enough for England although Ukraine were desperately unlucky not to be level when the ball clearly crossed the line but the fifth official didn’t see it. France were woeful as

they saw their 23 match unbeaten run under Laurent Blanc brought to an end with a stunning bicycle kick by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and one from the outstanding Sebastian Larsson. Victory gave the Swedes their first win over the French in almost 43 years,

dating back to October 1969. England’s win sees them avoid defending champions Spain and instead they will play Italy in their quarter-final in Kiev on Sunday while it is the French who will face the Spanish in Donetsk on Saturday.

Wayne Rooney heads home England’s only goal against Ukraine.

A 48th-minute header from the talismanic Rooney gave the English some breathing space over a Ukrainian side – shorn of its own talisman Andrei Shevchencko, who was unable to start as he was injured – that had to win to go through.

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SPORTS

tried to bait a wager with my aide de camp Jumar before the start of Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Plus 5, OKC. He wouldn’t bite. This guy is a dyed-in-the-wool Heat-hater. Not really an OKC diehard. My daughter Jill is a Miami freak though. Kind of balances the fan base in my household. The wild wagers would have us toast to bottom-

less ice tea after each game in this exciting finals that has so far drawn the attention of this basketball-crazy republic. In Facebook and Twitter, the Philippines topped the most active nation on social media in terms of following this NBA Finals. As it was, Game 4 ended with Miami taking it by 6. 104-98. Had I went on with the bet, I still would have lost even with the plus 5.

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I had always believed Lebron James is not yet the man-of-the-moment type of a player. For the many times he had choked in game-deciding situations, I had dismissed him as a boy locked in Conan’s body whose maturity when a game is on the line is yet suspect. If this were a Game 7, I will not have Lebron get the ball in the dying sec-

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Plus 5 onds. In this Game 4, however, Lebron went somewhere beyond and I could only think of another man named Willis Reed. Willis Reed owns the most inspiring story in the NBA Finals history. In the 1970 Finals, Reed led the New York Knicks to the championship against the fabled Los Angeles Lakers that had the legendary Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain. At that time, New York is still hunting for their first ever NBA title. In the first four games of the Finals against the formidable Los Angeles Lakers, Reed had scored 37, 29, 38 and 23 points, respectively, while averaging 15 rebounds. In the fourth quarter of Game 5 he sustained a deep thigh injury. The Knicks managed to survive that encounter but were demolished by the Lakers in Game 6. It all went down to Game 7. Reed wasn’t supposed to play when all of a sudden he emerged out of the locker room in his uniform. Limping on the court, he started the winner-take-all match. He beat Chamberlain to the opening tip and then scored the first basket.

Then another basket. And then he would not score again. Those four points were the fuel that ignited New York’s spirit. The Knicks went on to win their first title. Yesterday, Lebron was trying to do a Willis Reed. He went down apparently ‘untouched’ that I was even suspecting he flopped. At a time where flopping is close to being criminalized by the NBA, Lebron is not about to wear a fitflop. He went down, sank a basket, then limped and called for a timeout. He was carried to the bench and grimaced in pain so loud you can hear the boy cry from the sidelines. He would sit down and watch for a few minutes as Oklahoma went two points closer. Then he came in with the three points that mattered most in Game 4. He doused cold water to an Oklahoma uprising with a triple from beyond the arc. Against no less than Serge Ibaka who had earlier criticized Lebron. I don’t know what’s on the mind of Ibaka. Here is a guy limping and definitely with a trauma of aggravating an injury, there is very less probability that he will drive to the

basket. And yet, he gave Lebron the space enough to throw the three. Boom goes the triple, and boom goes Oklahoma’s chances. Lebron limped back to the bench after that. He watched the rest of Game 4 from the sidelines in pain. What I saw in OKC is its shallow bench is clearly exposing its chink in the armor. OKC has 8 good men every night. Outside their starters, they only got Nick Collison, James Harden and for his experience, Derek Fisher to turn to. Compared to Miami, coach Erik Spoelstra can play 9 to 10 men, even 12. Miami is just too deep and well-tooled in this series where variation and spontaneity is a key. It’s easy to say that in this match-up OKC needs plus 5 men to keep up with Miami. Let’s hope this one stretches beyond Game 5.