Edge Davao 5 Issue 8 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

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Dabawenyos to join protest vs oil price By Lorie A. Cascaro

ABAWENYOS, through youth and student groups say they will support the massive protest action to be lodged by drivers and operators nationwide against oil price increases. The protest action will be spearheaded by Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and Bagong Alyan-

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sang Makabayan (Bayan) tomorrow, March 15. “This will be a condemnation of Malacañang for failing to stop rising prices of oil and basic commodities, including tuition and miscellaneous fees,” said Joselito A. Lagon, Jr., regional spokersperson of the League of Filipino Students (LFS), Southern Mindanao. Lagon said members of the LFS in the region, together with other orga-

nizations of youth and students like Anakbayan, Student Christian Movement of the Philippines, Karatula, Gabriela-Youth, National Union of Students of the Philippines, College Editors Guild of the Philippines and Kabataan Partylist, will join the march rally from Caltex Depot, Sasa, Davao City. Lagon mentioned the “collaboration of the US and Aquino government in the oil cartel” and the need to in-

may be recalled that horse �ighting events used to be part of previous Kadayawan Festivals that are normally held in the month of August. It is an indigenous sport. The mayor, however, clari�ied that she is not stopping indigenous peoples from holding horse �ights as it is part of their customs and traditions as long as they are held in their barangays but not within the city proper. “I understand that in Marilog district they have that, and in our barangays beside the boundaries of Bukidnon, because that’s a part of the customs of our lumads,” she said. Horse �ighting has been outlawed

almost worldwide. However, it continues to thrive in provincial areas as a part of tradition. It involves provoking fury between two male horses or stallions by bringing them together where a mare (female horse is tied to a post).Released into an open arena, the two stallions attack each other, kicking and biting until one of them runs away or, in rare instances, dies. Natives of the city the Bagobos, Manobos, Matigsalogs are known to hold horse �ighting as an exciting sport on which they also place bets. Tribal leaders consider it a big honor when their horses win.

Mayor Sara bans horsefights By Jade C. Zaldivar

Homo Bonding Page 14 Sports Page 16

AVAO City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio has thumbed down horse fighting shows within the city proper. “Dili nako siya ginatugtan diri sa Poblacion (I will not allow that here in the Poblacion)” Duterte-Carpio said Monday. Although there is no local legislation banning horse �ighting in the city, the mayor gave a verbal order. “There is no law pero di ko musugot nga nay horse�ighting diri (but I will not allow it)” she said during her weekly press conference in reply to a query. It

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Follow us on MEET THE BEAUTIES. Communication Arts graduate of University of Immaculate Concepcion); Marianne Mae Te (21, AB- Hotel and Management graduate of Philippine Women’s College of Davao); Jhoanna Myles Te (22, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Cum Laude graduate

of San Pedro College); Dorothy Maruel Ibañez (23, Nursing graduate of Ateneo de Davao University); and Jazzel Therese Gomez (23, Magna Cum Laude graduate of AB Major in English Language from Far Eastern University). See who’ll win the coveted crown tonight at the Davao City Recreation Center.

THE BIG NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

teams, media partners join Coastal residents in Samal More international boulder face race told to leave danger zone W R ESIDENTS of a coastal area in the Island Garden City of Samal had been told to leave their homes days before the demolition order against them takes effect. The local government said Sitio Pigasaan, Barangay Tagbay is a danger zone. Anacleto Gales, city administrator of Igacos, said at the weekly press forum at SM City Davao that 17 families are residing in Pigasaan. “Whether you are a Lumad or not, you should vacate the place,” he said, adding that there is also no exemption if there are existing private settlers in the area. He said the area should not be inhabited

as it could be hit by disasters in the future. A week ago, members of the Sama tribe represented by Datu Octaviano Colong, Cynthia Dumanlug and Joan Comapas spoke at a press forum, also at SM City Davao, about the impending demolition. They said the area is part of their ancestral domain, although their certificate of ancestral domain title has been pending at the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. They added there are impending demolitions at a portion of Barangays Balet and Kamudmud, both identified as private lands. Thirty-one of Samal’s 46 barangays have coastal

areas that are reportedly not suitable for human habitation. Gales said the residents would be relocated to safer ground in Sitio Pigasaan with each household to be given 75 square meters of lot for free. The local government has already conducted public consultations on the impending demolition. “It is for the public welfare,” Gales said. The planned demolition comes more than 10 years after the local government crafted its coastal resource and marine management plan. The place was also declared by the barangay council of Tagbay as a fish landing area. [MINDANEWS]

ITH barely a month and a half to go, more teams have pledged their participation in the highly anticipated 2nd International Mt. Apo Boulder Face Challenge slated on April 28-29, 2012 in the municipality of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. Team Merrell, Viet Adventure, Team Mindanao Travel Channel, Senco Link Technologies Team, and Team Loveleinell Casidsid will be joining Team NomadsConquer of Manila, TRI. NE.MO of Cabanatuan City, Yokeimun, A2A, AMOSS, Junjie Evangelista Team and Lito

Esparar Team of Davao City, Sta. Cruz Team and Franklin Baker Company Team of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, Angelito Sibayan Team and Jonathan Pido Team of Carmen, Davao Del Norte; DMX Dole Phils. Team of General Santos City, Kagrupo, HADAMS and Care Group of Digos City, Roel Ano Team and four other adventure teams from Singapore. Participating teams will vie for the top plum of P150,000, which the champion team will take home. The second and third placers will pocket P100,000 and P75,000, respectively.

Deadline for registration is on April 23, 2012. Interested teams may register at the Provincial Agri-Industrial Center Management Office in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur in a first-come-first-serve basis. On-line registration can also be done through www.boulderface.com. The race is a 24-hour extreme challenge wherein the teams will endure four disciplines, namely--mountain biking, water tubing, road running and trekking to the country’s highest peak, in the course of the country’s toughest eco-adventure race.

Araw ng Dabaw Special

‘Facets of Davao’ at SM City By Lorie A. Cascaro

HE SM City of Davao opened Monday “Facets of Davao” at the Event Center which runs until March 23, 2012. It is a mixture of exhibits and presentations featuring the works of local artists in the fields of visual, dance, music, fashion, film and multi-media. Shown in the exhibit are paintings and sculptures of Davao artists like Rey Fuentes, Maximo Labandero, Abe Garcia, Jong-Jong Tangiday, Dantoi Pintor, Obet and Joey Acyatan with special participation of Kublai Milan. Today, there will be a film festival of Davao independent filmmakers at the Event Center at 2:00 p. m.featuring the films: Mananabang, Kadena, and Seed Banking of Matigsalog Women. The Mindanao Film and Television Development Foundation is composed of independent filmmakers of Davao whose films re-

It figures

$10.3billion Worth of Chinese government bond issued to Japan, the first time the industrialized nation had bought government bonds directly from Beijing.

flect the culture, history and the peoples of Mindanao. The films have also been shown in international film festivals aside from Davao and Manila. On March 14 (Wednesday) at 5:00 p.m., Facets of Davao will feature Mebuyan Peace Project, a women-led music group based in Davao City that weaves Filipino folk and indigenous music traditions with wideinfluence from Western musicality. Mebuyan writes songs mostly about children, ecology, peace, and women issues among others. At the same time the following day, Kaliwat Theatre group will perform some of their original plays. Kaliwat Performing Artists Collective, Inc. is one of the Philippines’ leading theater institutions, which creates original plays and other performances based on Mindanaoan people’s stories and cultural traditions. Facets of Davao

will also feature professional contemporary, hiphop and jazz dancers of Davao City Mindanao Dance Artist Academy, Mainscrew and UD Force on March 18 at the Event Center. The Mindanao Dance Artist Academy is a dance company dedicated to the passions and intricacies of the human spirit, providing rich theatrical encounters. Fashion Edge: Bright Young Faces of Davao will be held at the Annex, 4:00 p.m., featuring designer Junnie Artajo, graduate of Philippine Women’s College of Davao, where he also teaches Fashion Design. As part of its Araw ng Dabaw celebration, other events at SM City Davao to entertain Dabawenyos and tourists include Youth Power Live, featuring Daniel Padilla and Jamich; GMA Kapuso My Beloved Mall Show with Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes; and, String Quartet with DJ Gary at the Annex. [LORIE A. CASCARO]

IT’S MORE FUN - AND EXCITING - IN DAVAO. In 24 hours, 35 teams will endure four disciplines and conquer 10,000 feet to reach the country’s highest peak in

AirAsia sets flights to Davao

IRASIA Philippines, the local unit of Malaysia has launched two flights to signal its entry its into the fiercely competitive budget airline market in the Philippines. AirAsia Philippines would fly to Davao from the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga , its hub, starting March 28. This was announced by Marianne Hontiveros, AirAsia Inc. chief executive officer, in a statement. The statement came a week after the airline announced its Clark to Kalibo service, in time for the expected summer tourist peak season in Boracay. “We are thrilled and excited to offer an opportunity for both local and international tourists to experience and explore

P 500million P256.1billion 1,345 The total amount that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will save every year with the closure of 10 embassies and consulates by July and October this year.

The total amount of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) flowed into the country in 2011, hitting a 15-year high, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).

the upcoming 2nd International Mt. Apo Boulder Face Challenge on April 28-29, in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.

Total number of members of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), country’s largest association of Catholic schools.

Davao, one of the most alluring gateways,” she said. From Clark, AirAsia is offering a P599 “all in” fare from Clark to Kalibo and P799 from Clark to Davao. The company describes this as “one of the lowest offers include base fares, fuel surcharges, aviation security fees, processing fees and VAT. “The reaction to our all-in fare revolution promo is overwhelming,” Hontiveros said. “We are

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currently the only local carrier that offers all-in promo fares.” To complement the flight bookings, passengers may also tap AirAsiaGo, which offers hotel packages from as low as P3,289 for a four-day, three-night hotel stay with return flights in Davao and Kalibo. In a partnership with travel website Expedia, AirAsiaGo has more than 145,000 hotel partners worldwide.

‘WE can’t just ignore the advantages of planting oil palm over bananas because it’s so obvious from other farmers who have already started growing oil palm ahead of us.’ --Rene Dalayon, president and CEO of the Federation of Farmers’ Cooperatives of Davao, whose group is opening oil palm plantations in Davao del Norte.

2.7% The inflation rate recorded in February by National Statistics Office (NSO), the lowest since September 2009 when inflation was at 2.2 percent.

P4billion The total amount that the National Power Corp. (Napocor) wants to recoup through the universal charge for missionary electrification (UCME), which it spent for the missionary electrification functions of its small power utilities group (SPUG).

EDGEDAVAO

New breed of Mindanao grower-entrepreneurs masters the supply chain A

SSOCIATIONS of growers in Mindanao are becoming increasingly competitive in the expanding fruit and vegetable supply chain by adopting a farsighted, corporate approach towards production and marketing. These market-savvy groups include smallhold farmers with limited production areas, such as the Dynamic Vegetable Growers Association based in Tagum, Davao del Norte. Dynamic, which was formed in 2005, currently

THE BIG NEWS

VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

has 130 shareholdermembers with a production area totalling 105 hectares, as well as 200 affiliate growers with about 200 hectares. Despite its relatively small size, Dynamic directly delivers an average of eight to 10 metric tons of assorted quality vegetables weekly, all year round to clients ranging from an international chain hotel and the penitentiary system, to wholesalers in the Visayas region. “Farmers can become entrepreneurs them-

selves,” said the group’s president, Ray Acain. Another group the South Cotabato Banana Creations, Inc. (SCBCI), has evolved in five years from a informal alliance of smallhold farmers selling to wet-market traders, into a seasoned corporation that grows, consolidates and markets a variety of vegetables for highend supermarket clients. Bernadette de Jesus, co-founder and corporate secretary of SCBCI, wryly admits that the group’s name no longer quite fits

FNEW, 13

ENTREPRENEURS. “Farmers can become entrepreneurs themselves,” says Ray Acain of the Dynamic Vegetable Growers Association based in Tagum, Davao

del Norte, which produces, consolidates, processes and markets vegetables to a range of clients, including bulk buyers in the Visayas region.

Casiño commends Duterte for banning mining in city

AYAN Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño has commended Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and the City Council for declaring the city a no mining zone, saying this showed that local officials had the political will to uphold the interest of the environment and their constituents despite the pressure and intense lobby of the mining corporations. “I commend Mayor Duterte and the city council of Davao for taking this bold step for the environment. Not all local officials have the guts to go against the rich and powerful mining companies. I likewise express support for other local government units now being castigated by mining companies for prohibiting mining operations in their localities,” he said. Casiño is the author of House Bill 4726 which seeks to close areas declared by local government units (LGUs) as No-Mining Zones from mining applications and operations, amending for the purpose the Philippine Mining Act of 1995. Along with fellow Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, Casiño also sponsored two resolutions supporting the mining moratoriums declared by the provincial governments of Capiz and Negros Occidental. Both resolutions have been approved by the House Committee on Natural Resources. “While mining is recognized as one of the main contributors to the country’s gross domestic product, there is a growing resistance to large scale mining in the areas where these operate. Aside from Davao City, communities

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from different provinces such as Capiz, Marinduque, Palawan, Romblon, Negros Occidental, Eastern Samar, South Cotabato and Zamboanga del Norte have passed local ordinances declaring a ban on mining operations and/or a moratorium on applications. The communities in host provinces are the ones directly affected by mining operations and therefore have the right to be heard,” the progressive solon said. “Being an extractive industry, mining poses great threats to our fragile environment. Local government units must be given the right to do what is best for the environment. Our bill seeks to do that by including among the areas closed for mining applications areas declared by local government units as no-mining zones. It also prohibits mining in prime agricultural lands as well as areas containing cultural properties,” he stressed. “The national government and mining companies should respect and recognize local government ordinances banning mining operations in their respective territories. This is in keeping with the country’s laws and in recognition of the LGUs’ role to protect and preserve the environment and the people’s welfare,” the lawmaker added. “There is a need to respect the prerogative of local government units to declare areas under their jurisdiction as no mining zones. By recognizing their role in the protection and preservation of the environment and the country’s natural resources for the present and the future generations, the people will participate more in the decision-making processes of the state,” Casiño ended.

‘WE believe that should be sufficient to drive the economy, because… in the sin taxes, we’re looking at P60 billion and the rationalization of fiscal incentives..’ --Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda

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VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Maa residents cry harassment by Villa-Abrille security guards By Lorie A. Cascaro

ECURITY guards of the Le Jardin de Villa Abrille, a high-end subdivision project of the Villa Abrille clan in Bugac, Maa, Davao City, allegedly harassed the other day several families residing on an 11-hectare lot. Four bulldozers entered the lot and began operating there despite resistance from the residents. A 71-year old resident in the area for the past 47 years, Marcela Coronel Camumot (Nanay Silay), leader of the resistance against the demolition of 100 families’ homes since last year, told the media that she had asked a Steve Diaz, head of the security guards, for any legal document that authorized the demolition. Diaz was not able to present any document, she said, adding that the operation was, therefore, illegal. Camumot alleged that Diaz, drew his .38 caliber revolver and pointed it at the residents who had armed themselves with stones and slingshots

“Kung naa silay gibaril sa amoa, labayon gyud namo silag bato (had they shot any of us, we would have rained stones on them),” one of the angry residents told reporters on the scene. The commotion continued while the bulldozers continued clearing the area until police and more media reporters arrived and the demolition was suspended. Based on a police report at the Talomo Police Station, at 9:04 a.m. that day, Camumot asked for police assistance after the head of the security guards pointed a gun at her. Led by PO3 Joel Ochave of ITC Mobile#20, the police arrived in the area but the said head of the security was nowhere to be found. At 1:23 p.m., Camumot filed a police report describing the commotion in the morning, and that on her way back home after lunch, she heard gunshots. It was Leon Gelbeson Bolcan, 71 years old, secretary of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay)Davao, who said he saw Steve Diaz fire his gun in

the air four times. While filing the police report, two residents of Bugac, Maa, appeared at the police station saying they also saw a group of security guards also fire their guns. Camumot said she was offered some money by a lawyer of the VillaAbrille clan which she refused to accept. Other families had already vacated the area after they were reportedly harassed and eventually offered money ranging from P5,000 to P15,000, she added. Afraid that their houses might be included in the demolition, Camumot said most of the remaining families have neglected their jobs in order to stay put and keep guard. Police Senior Inspector Aldren Quinto Juaneza, deputy station commander of the Talomo Police Station, told Edge Davao that he was there in the area last Saturday when a similar commotion happened. The police report said Camumot is claiming ownership of the land her house stand on and that

titled “Stolen car dealer finds refuge in Pacman mansion,” while MindaNews titled it “Dealer of stolen cars last seen in Pacman mansion. “The suit comes on the heels of a view released by the UN Human Rights Committee finding that criminal libel in the Philippines violates its obligations to protect free expression under Article 19 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which it is a signatory,” said Bagares. “It would do well for Pacquiao in his job as a legislator to support ncalls for the decriminalization of libel in the country by recalling the suit he filed against Mr. Espejo,” he added. Bagares urged Pacquiao to lead the way by supporting or filing a bill to decriminalize Philippine libel laws. Espejo had tried getting the congressman’s side on the story but could not reach him as he was then abroad. He had spoken with a lawyer for Pacquiao, who promptly denied that the congressman had anything to do

with Akia. “From the legal point of view, there is no libel in what he wrote about Rep. Pacquaio,” said Bagares. “Mr. Espejo followed the standard journalistic procedure in verifying the story with sources and in obtaining Rep. Pacquaio’s side. Moreover, the issue is clearly a matter of public interest subject to reportage and fair comment.” The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) earlier urged Pacquiao to withdraw his complaint saying he is in a good position to set an example for other politicians to emulate. “It would be a shame if Pacquiao should risk his well-deserved reputation by succumbing to the same urge that has seen abusive official after abusive official resorting to our draconian criminal libel law — or even worse measures — to stifle reasonable criticism and critical coverage,” the NUJP said. Espejo heads the NUJP chapter for South Cotabato, Sarangani and General Santos City. [BONG

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Lawyers’ group to defend reporter in P75-million ‘Pacman’ libel suit

HE Center for International Law (CenterLaw) will defend a journalist here sued by world boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao for a P75-million libel suit, a lawyer said on Monday. Romel Regalado Bagares, CenterLaw executive director, said they agreed to defend Edwin G. Espejo in the libel suit the boxer’s lawyers filed last week. CenterLaw is a human rights organization dedicated to the promotion of free expression and a charter member of the Southeast Asia Media Defense Network, an alliance of regional lawyers’ and media advocacy groups providing legal support to journalists facing legal persecution for the work they do. In a statement, Bagares said it is not too late for Mr. Pacquaio to withdraw the complaint he filed against the journalist. Pacquiao’s case stemmed from the recent articles of Espejo, which appeared in online news outfits Asian Correspondent and MindaNews. In the Asian Correspondent, the piece was

SARMIENTO/MINDANEWS]

YOUTH. Davao’s youth exhibit their talent in singing and dancing as they welcome both local residents and

tourists to enjoy the festive celebration of the 75th Araw ng Dabaw. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Two priests, three others named into army reserve By Jade C. Zaldivar

HE Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) has inducted two Catholic priests and three professionals as members of the Armed Forced of the Philippines (AFP) Reserve Command. Commissioned into the Chaplain Service of the AFP are two priests, now Lt. Col. Bonifacio Ampoyas and Major Pedro Maniwang, while Capt. Arnel Florendo, Capt. Salvador Dumogho III, and Capt. Moises Juaban were installed according to

their respective fields of expertise. The donning of ranks was held at the Archbishop’s Palace on Monday and was presided over by Commodore Romeo Santiago Nebres in place of EastMinCom commander Lt. Gen. Arthur Tabaquero. Nebres noted the gratitude of the AFP towards the five newlyranked officers. “We thank them for their choice of joining the Corps of Reserve Officers and embracing new challenges of serving more people in more unique ways,” he said. Bishop Loepoldo Tu-

mulak of the Military Ordinate of the Philippines also commended the two ranked priests. “Military priests are the links between the clergy and the military to strengthen alliances and cooperation for peace and development,” Bishop Tumulak said. Other dignitaries present were Archbishop Fernando R Capalla, 11th Regional Community Defense Group commander Col. Renwick Rutaquio, and Public Safety Command Center officer Jun Adalin in place of City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

performing the functions” of mayor. The Conelec order became effective and executory on March 12, 2012.ts early as May of last year, the Comelec alrady declared as null and void the victory of Mayor Jose Zamorro in the May 2010 elections. Lawa had earlier claimed .that the Municipal Board of Canvassers (MBOC) had failed to properly count the votes cast in lustered precinct number 21 of Barangay Kablakan. He said the MBOC “erroneously counted the votes cast during the mock elections,” or during the testing and sealing of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machine in the polling precinct “and not the actual votes cast during the May 10 automated elections.” Based on the MBOC’s official count, Zamorro received 5,321 votes while Lawa only got 5,306 votes.

But the final unofficial count tallied by election watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) showed Lawa winning the mayoralty race with a total of 5,440 votes as against Zamorro’s 5,381 or a difference of 59 votes. Earlier reports quoted lawyer Chalmer Gevieso, regional coordinator of election automation firm Smartmatic-TIM, as saying “it appears that the concerned Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) erroneously transmitted the voting results from the mock elections and not the actual voting on May 10, 2010. He said the nine valid ballots counted from the precinct were among the 10 ballots that sampled the PCOS machines before the elections. “They may have made a transmission during the sealing and testing, which should not have been done by the BEIs as stated

Sarangani town mayor evicted

AYOR Jose Zamorro of Maasim, Sarangani was forced to vacate his office Monday after more than a year of clinging to power despite the final result from the Commission on Elections’ recount that he had lost in the 2010 mayoral election to rival Arturo Lawa. Lawa defeated Zamorro in the recount by 59 votes—5,440 to 5,381. Maasim Vice Mayor Uttoh Salem Cutan will serve as acting mayor pending the Comelec’s official proclamation of Lawa as the duly elected mayor of Maasim town. The Municipal Board of Canvassers (MBOC) will be to make the proclamation. Department of Interior and Local Government Sarangani director Flor Limpin served the writ of execution from the Comelec en banc to Zamorro last Monday ordering him to “cease and desist from

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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

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Ungab assures equal treatment of pending sin tax reform bills D

AVAO City Rep. Isidro T. Ungab, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, has assured fellow lawmakers that the committee shall not give preferential treatment to any particular bill to reform the excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco products as he vowed that the committee would tackle all pending sin tax reform measures. Rep. Ungab gave the assurance after Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro City) asked in a recent committee hearing why the Department of Finance-backed House Bill 5727, seeking a shift to a unitary excise tax system, is being tackled ahead of Subcommittee Report 6 recommending the retention of the present excise tax structure and imposing automatic and moderate tax increases starting in 2013 up to 2017. “We will take up simultaneously all the other pending measures in the next hearing,” Ungab said. Rodriguez said Subcommittee Report 6 is a product of six meetings of the technical working group and was signed by no less than 12 members of the committee. He said the subcommittee report should be discussed first before any other bill. “What happens to the six technical working group

meetings where we labored to complete this subcommittee report? We are now putting on the table HB 5727. If we start discussing a separate bill which was belatedly filed, then the rights of the subcommittee will not be protected. And we will not be having the proper procedure. If the subcommittee report is approved by the mother committee then that would already be the approval of action by the mother committee,” Rodriguez said. The proper procedure, according to Rodriguez, is for the committee to discuss the subcommittee report on a lineby-line basis because that has already been approved by the panel. Rep. Vincent Crisologo (1st District, Quezon City) asked if HB 5727 had been previously referred to a subcommittee which is the usual procedure in taking up a bill. “Is this bill we are discussing, HB 5727, been referred to a subcommittee? We have different subcommittees, and we should first refer this to a particular subcommittee.” Ungab said HB 5727 authored by Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya (1st District, Cavite) was directly heard in the mother committee because the panel is empowered to tackle it. Subcommittee Report 6 prepared and adopted by the

Subcommittee on National Internal Revenue chaired by Rep. Eric Singson, Jr. (2nd District, Ilocos Sur) recommends the adoption of the substitute bill to HBs 2484, 2485, 2687, 3059, 3183, 3332, 3465, 3489, 3666 & 4787. The substitute bill seeks the retention of the current excise tax structure on alcohol and tobacco products and proposes automatic and moderate tax increases starting in 2013 up to 2017. During the hearing, Abaya thanked his colleagues for being considerate enough to allow sometime for him to give a few words on HB 5727. “We do recognize it was filed late, it was given by the administration and pushed by the administration quite late. But then again, I do appreciate your consideration.” Regardless of the number of the bill, Abaya said bills referring to sin taxes will benefit from hearing out the resource persons. “The bill filed by this representation and pushed by the administration reforms the sin taxes covering both tobacco and cigarette. It sets a different framework, pushing for an eventual unitary single tiered system indexed to taxation, clear provision for earmarking revenues for funding of the Universal Health Care. In fact, I do believe this sanctuary objective of excise taxes should be

primary but close to the consequential likewise important aspect of raising revenues.” (30) RBB

Sen. Ralph G. Recto yesterday said government should expedite the fixing of its air infrastructure once tourist-drawing projects come in full swing like the opening up new gaming complexes for foreign players. “The air war must be won before we can claim victory on the tourism front,” Recto, Senate ways and means chair, said Recto said tourism potential from the opening of new casino complexes this year would be jeopardized with the unresolved issues hounding the local aviation industry. At least two casino-hotel projects would commence operations in the next two years at the expanded Manila bay area where the new Nayong Pilipino Complex would be resurrected. The estimated $20-billion development projects are ex-

pected to create new jobs, draw in tourist players from abroad and spur tourism growth. Recto said concerns on lack of enough runways to handle big commercial flights, aging terminals, landing rights issues and the global howl on the country’s solitary imposition of 3 percent common carrier’s tax (CCT) “should be addressed very soon.” “Foreign casino players are not only expected to bet their money on the baccarat tables but also fall in love with the country by spending on shopping and dining while exploring the local sights,” he said. He said no air carrier would ship in tourist players if the country’s air infrastructure remains “frozen in time” and “in legal and logistical disarray.” Recto said airport congestion could be initially addressed by temporarily diverting some

domestic traffic to nearby Sangley Point in Cavite and Lipa airport in Batangas especially privately-owned light aircrafts. He said the potential of NAIA-3 Terminal is being derailed by a long-standing legal issue that needs resolution while there should be refurbishing of Diosdado Macapagal airport as alternative terminal that could service wide-bodied airplanes. “We don’t start development of Clark as a full service international gateway from the point of view of changing its name,” Recto said. The senator said the removal of the 3 percent CCT via a legislative fiat should have been done “yesterday” to redeem the country from the blacklist of foreign carriers and usher in more tourist-bearing air lines. The country remains as the only state that imposes a com-

mon carriers tax at 3 percent of gross receipts and 2.5% on its Gross Philippine Billings (GPB) on all cargo and passenger revenues originating from the country. Such tax imposition has turned off many foreign airlines and shipping companies that some have dropped the country from its list of destinations. Recto said “it would surely be more fun in the Philippines if the air infrastructure is in place and more air lines come in.” “Our decision to welcome new casinos would be for naught if tourist arrivals are impaired because of an unreasonable tax and ill-equipped terminals with no runways to spare,” he said. He said government airport authorities may likewise look into the possibility of carving out a new world-caliber runway off Laguna Bay.

PLDT saves P8B from Digitel acquisition

HILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) expects to save P8 billion in capital expenditures this year while raising service quality levels by pursuing synergies with its recentlyacquired subsidiary Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (Digitel) and its mobile company Sun Cellular. Napoleon L. Nazareno, PLDT president said these capital expenditures (capex) savings represent 17 percent of the original P46 billion capex for PLDT, Smart Communications Inc., and Digitel/Sun this year. “We are doing a lot of capex optimization and identifying cost efficiencies,” he said. PLDT completed the acquisition of Digitel in October last year and the harmonization of its operations with those of PLDT is currently underway. Nazareno added that there will also be savings in excess of P500 million in operations every year once cell site sharing and site consolidation activities have been fully implemented.

Recto urges review of airline taxes

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 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

Small scale mining, poverty, pollution and failed dreams FEATURE

by Carlos Munda

“

Marami pang puno nung una kaming lumipat dito (There were more trees when we first came here),” says Manang Ising, recalling that day some 30 odd years ago when she and her husband Mario first climbed the steep and rugged cliffs of the Pantukan mountain range. Back then it wasn’t gold or the promise of instant riches that drove people to seek the solitude of the mountains, it was simply a desire to have a piece of land that they can call their own. “Matagal na kaming nakatira sa syudad, pero lagi kaming pinapaalis sa bahay namin. Nung bata pa ako, parang laging nagaalsa-balutan ang pamilya namin. Kaya nung nakapagasawa ako, sabi ko dapat meron kaming sariling bahay. Maski saan pa, basta

wala ng magpapaalis sa amin. (We lived in the city for a long time, but we were always driven from our homes. When I was growing up, it seemed like our family was always on the run. That’s why when I got married I wanted to have a house of our own. I didn’t care where, so long as no one would make us leave.)” The decision to move to the hinterlands of Pantukan wasn’t an easy one to make. Despite the hardships found in the squatter colonies of Davao City, there were at least the basic amenities – electricity, running water, paved roads – that gave a semblance of civilization. This was in stark contrast to a life in the mountains where every scrap of food had to be scrounged, fought over, hoarded like the precious lifeline that it was. Mario warned her of the difficulties that awaited them. He knew them well,

having grown up in one of the remote sitios of Pantukan. He talked constantly of his own hard childhood – the perilous treks up and down the trails, the unending darkness at night and the loneliness. But there was nothing he could say to change her mind. She was used to a hard life. And in the end, uncertain hope won over certain despair. That was three decades ago and much has changed since then. Mario died in 2002, her four children – all born and raised in the same small shanty that she helped build with her own hands – have all gone down to the city to seek their own fortune away from the mountains that was their childhood home. Around her, the community had grown but not progressed. Where once it would have been days or weeks before you heard another person’s voice, the noise now all but drowns

tations imposed by law, and provides LGU with wide ranging authority to undertake major infrastructure improvements and to seek financing for this purpose. Among the list of projects eligible for PPP offering are: power plants, slaughterhouse, tourism projects, piggery, swine semen processing center, hydropower projects, farm facilities, farm to market roads, agricultural mechanization, public markets, public toilets, public terminal, education and health facilities, mega-infrastructure projects, solid waste management, land reclamation projects, drainage, dredging and other infrastructure and development projects as may otherwise be identified by the PPP Executive Team pursuant to E.O. 51 issued last December 29, 2011. The PPP projects that will be entered by the City of Butuan will observe the following principles under the ordinance: 1) that the LGU of Butuan shall adopt and implement a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interests; 2) that the LGU of Butuan City shall uphold its advocacy of entering into a clear, honest and transparent PPP contracts; 3) risk allocation should be based on the party most capable to manage the risk; 4) PPP partnerships should be feasible and affordable. From the onset, the

project should be feasible, demonstrating the need for the project, broad level project costs estimation and indicative commercial viability; 5) PPP partnerships should be bankable. PPP should be bankable as financiers will be reluctant to commit funding when a project entails high participation costs, unreasonable risk transfer or lengthy and complex contract negotiations; 6) PPP partnership projects should provide value for money. PPPs should provide value for money and good economic value, which is not necessarily the same as least cost, and includes: allocating risks to the party best able to control and manage them; and maximizing the benefits of private sector efficiency, expertise, flexibility and innovation; 7) PPP partnership projects should provide economic and social benefits. PPPs underlying principle stems from the fact that the public authority remains responsible for services provided to the public, without necessarily being responsible for corresponding investment; and 8) PPP projects should have due consideration for empowerment of Filipino citizens. The implementation of PPP projects should have due consideration for the empowerment for the citizens as a strategy for economic growth and sustainability.

the old sounds of the forest. The constant din of motorcycle engines as they roar up and down the makeshift mud-and-rock roads, straining with their overload of passengers, livestock and all the things necessary to sustain a burgeoning shanty town. Everyday more and more people arrive, drawn by the promise of easy gold. Some stay, but most get their fill of the stark reality of small scale mining and leave within a month or so – only to be replaced by others clinging to the same dream. “Dahil yan sa ginto. Maraming gustong yumaman kaya sila pumupunta dito (This is because of the gold. Many people want to become rich, that is why they are coming here.),” she says of the newcomers. All along the slopes of Pantukan thousands upon thousands of small-scale miners scramble on bare rock and mud, digging like

ants for scraps of gold buried in the mountainside. Like the veritable Pied Piper of Hamlin, the gold pulls strongly on those willing to risk life and limb for the chance to “strike it rich.” But lost in all the mad rush for gold is the destruction that these small scale mining activities bring. Once lush forests are now cleared of even the smallest tree. Rivers are clogged with toxic mercury. Entire mountain ridges have been reduced to nothing more than crumbling hills of mud and muck, where the most daring – and foolhardy – build their homes on the sheer cliff-faces unmindful of the danger from landslide and natural calamities. The social costs are mounting as well. The rapid growth of these mining towns often outstrips the development of moral codes in these communities. In this vacuum, a sort

of “wild west” morality becomes the established norm. Rules are flexible, laws are optional, families are no longer the anchors that society expects them to be. Children are growing up without knowing the walls of a classroom or the feel of textbooks in their hands. For Manang Ising, the years – like her life dreams – have come and gone and she has come full circle. From despair to hope, she fled to the mountains all those decades ago. And now, in the twilight of her years, she is forced to confront her old familiar enemy once more. “Nung lumipat kami dito, galing sa hirap nakahanap kami ng paraiso. Ngayon, marami sa mga nagpupunta dito, dala nila ang kahirapan. (When we first came here, from poverty we found paradise. Now, many of those arriving bring poverty with them.)”

over the years in trying to attract investors to pour their investments here. Since 2010, numerous foreign and local investors have already forged ties with the province. The LASBUENASCAR Agro-Forestry Project area has been their favorite investment spot because of its vast area and its soil suitability perfect for crops. The latest of which was in March 2011, when a MOA was signed between the province and a Korean-based firm, Newphilcorn Corporation for the establishment of a yellow corn plantation and processing plant consisting of 1,000-5,000 hectares of land. Last January of 2011, a ground-breaking ceremony was held for the es-

tablishment of a banana plantation by La Agusana Fresh International, Inc., a local investor based in Davao City. And in 2010, a MOU was inked with Shine Art Valley, another Korean company for a banana and oil plantation. The province is expecting a significant turnaround of its economy in the coming years vis-à-vis the surge of employment in the affected areas. “The memorandum of understanding serves to establish cooperation between the two parties and define their respective roles and responsibilities for the effective and sustainable implementation of the proposed plantation project,” a resolution of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan said.

Butuan City sets Korean firm eyes mining in Agusan rules for PPP T

HE Sangguniang Panlungsod of Btuan City recently approved an ordinance authorizing City Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr. to offer potential Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects to prospective private investors. The ordinance, principally authored by Vice Mayor Lawrence Fortun, is in line with the Executive Order No. 51 issued by Mayor Amante creating the PPP Executive Team to advocate, conceptualize, initiate, organize, coordinate, direct and oversee the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the different PPP programs, projects and activities. In his explanatory note, Fortun emphasized the following as basis in filing the ordinance: 1) the natural and economic resources of Butuan City present enormous potentials for rapid economic growth and sustainable and equitable development; 2) there is an impetus to develop and implement a comprehensive economic agenda to maximize and convert potentials into concrete and environmental gains; 3) the PPP as advocated by the national government is seen as a pivotal and key strategy in the implementation of the economic agenda; and 4) the Local Government Code of 1991 vests upon the LGU the prerogative to enter into contracts involving its properties, subject to limi-

T least seven municipalities in the province will benefit from a Korean company when its starts operating here in Agusan del Norte. This is the intent of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that is set to be signed by Governor Erlpe John M. Amante, in behalf of the province, and the International Agricultural Development Institute (IADI), based in Seoul, Korea. “Our company is very much interested on cassava, palm oil, and the processing of wood pellets, which are highly indemand abroad,” Nam Kyu Park, the Philippine Branch Manager said in a letter sent to the provincial governor. IADI wants to occupy 5,000 – 15,000 hectares of land for a period of 25 years at the LASBUENASCAR area (composed of Las Nieves, Buenavista, and Carmen), inclucing the towns of Tubay, Santiago, Jabonga, and Kitcharao. Provincial officials are ecstatic over this development since this is a fruition of their efforts

Quips

‘SCHOOLS train students to become employees. I want you to go into schools and educate kids to become entrepreneurs.’ --Hapee toothpaste mogul Cecilio Kwok Pedro before members of the Davao City Chyamber of Commerce.

EDGEDAVAO

ICT HUB

VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

Yahoo sues Facebook for infringing patents

Web giants’ new privacy strategy faces hard sell Y E

MBOLDENED by their victory in quashing online piracy legislation, U.S. Internet companies are gearing up for a battle over whether consumers should be able to restrict efforts to gather personal data. Google Inc, Facebook, Apple Inc and other tech companies have lobbied against congressional and federal agency proposals that would let Internet users press “do not track” buttons on their browsers to block targeted advertising. Consumers could also edit personal information that has been stored about them. With the privacy issue, the multibillion-dollar Internet industry faces a challenge larger than potentially harmful legislation or regulations that could limit their advertising and corporate growth. Their efforts to self-regulate continue to suffer setbacks amidst accusations of privacy violations and last year’s Federal Trade Commission findings that Facebook and Google engaged in deceptive privacy practices. The FTC is expected to issue new privacy recommendations in the coming days, and companies are watching several legislative proposals on Capitol Hill. Privacy advocates are pushing to give consumers greater control over data collection. The companies must convince consumers that they benefit by allowing personal data to be collected and shared. Their pitch - in efforts like Google’s current “Good to Know” advertising campaign - argues that data collection lets companies offer faster, smarter prod-

A security personnel answers a call at the reception counter of the Google office in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad

ucts, like better search results and customized mapping. Internet companies successfully fought legislation to limit Internet piracy. Medley Global Advisors analyst Jeffrey Silva said Web companies may feel confident that they can tackle other government intervention. “I think the lesson they’ve learned is if they don’t like a certain bill, they can organize and create a lot of static and pushback,” Silva said. Internet data collection allows advertisers to target users in a demographic who are more likely to buy their product. These ads often subsidize Web content. Google, for example, has come under fire for a new policy that took effect March 1 that treats information from most of its products, including Gmail, YouTube and Google+, as a single trove of data for ad-

vertisers. Google contends the change will benefit customers. The company would be able to spot a signed-on user looking for recipes and seamlessly direct them to YouTube cooking videos. “When we talk about how the Internet will improve and grow for consumers, that’s coming from online behavioral advertising,” said Daniel Castro, senior analyst at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. Strict privacy rules could lead to substantial cuts in online advertising dollars and an even larger hit to growth over the next five to 10 years, Castro said. A 2010 study by University of Toronto professor Avi Goldfarb and MIT professor Catherine Tucker revealed a 65 percent decrease in ad effectiveness after European countries implemented data collection rules for targeted

Lumia Intel eyes Internet- Nokia now comes based TV service in white

HIPMAKER Intel Corp is developing an Internet-based TV service for consumers and has been promoting it with media companies, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the effort. The world’s top chipmaker plans to create a “virtual cable operator” that would offer media companies’ TV channels in a bundle over the Internet, the WSJ said. An Intel spokeswoman declined to comment on the story. The product could

use an Intel set-top box and Intel’s name, and the chipmaker has told its potential partners it wants to start the service before the end of the year, the WSJ said. In October, Intel wound down its efforts to make chips for digital “smart” TVs, although it continues to make chips for set-top boxes. At the same time, it formed the Intel Media business group, headed by former BBC executive Erik Huggers, aimed at promoting digital content on Intel-based platforms.

N case, you needed any proof that white is the “it” colour for phones today, Nokia has come up with the snow-coloured version of its flagship Lumia 800 to add to its cyan, fuchsia and black options. The phone will sport the same “pillow” of a screen that has impressed – indeed surprised – many users, as part of an attractive sales pitch that also includes a nifty Windows Phone interface. Like its other variants, the white Lumia 800 comes with a handy 8-meg camera and has a pretty impressive AMOLED screen that boasts some of the best contrasts on a small screen.

advertising. Around 96 percent of Google’s $37.9 billion revenue comes from advertising, financial statements showed. Filings ahead of Facebook’s muchdiscussed initial public offering revealed 85 percent of its $3.71 billion in revenue last year came from advertising.

AHOO! filed suit against Facebook in a California court on Monday accusing the social networking giant of infringing on 10 patents held by the Internet pioneer. Yahoo!, in a 19-page lawsuit filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California, accused Facebook of infringing on patents in several areas including advertising, privacy and messaging. The Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo! asked the court in San Jose to order Facebook to halt its alleged patent-infringing activities and to assess unspecified damages. “Yahoo! has invested substantial resources in research and development through the years, which has resulted in numerous patented inventions of technology that other companies have licensed,” Yahoo! said in a statement. “These technologies are the foundation of our business that engages over 700 million monthly unique visitors and represent the spirit of innovation upon which Yahoo! is built,” the company said. “Unfortunately, the matter with Facebook remains unresolved and we are compelled to seek redress in federal court,” it said. “We

are confident that we will prevail.” Yahoo!’s lawsuit comes about five weeks after Facebook filed to go public on Wall Street with an estimated valuation of up to $100 billion. Patent suits are a frequent occurrence among smartphone and tablet computer makers and the world’s best known brands are ensnared in a complex web of legal claims but such suits are relatively rare among social media companies. Facebook, which was founded in 2004, a decade after Yahoo!, expressed disappointment with the Yahoo! move. “We’re disappointed that Yahoo, a longtime business partner of Facebook and a company that has substantially benefited from its association with Facebook, has decided to resort to litigation,” a Facebook spokeswoman said. “Once again, we learned of Yahoo’s decision simultaneously with the media,” the spokeswoman said. “We will defend ourselves vigorously against these puzzling actions.” In the suit, Yahoo! said that Facebook’s growth to more than 850 million users “has been based in large part on Facebook’s use of Yahoo!’s patented technology.”

8 VANTAGE POINTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

PEEK – A – BOO! THE EYE By Manuel “Nel” Ruiz

EDITORIAL

IGaCoS blues

ONCERNED residents of three separate barangays in the Island Garden City of Samal alleged they are facing threat of losing their homes through demolition by the government. The barangays are Balet, Pigasaan and Camodmod, all along the shoreline. The complainants, led by Datu Octaviano Colong, Joan Comatas, and Cynthia Dumanjug, reportedly belonging to the indigenous Isama tribe on the island, claim that their houses are located in their ancestral domain and under the protection of the law. In an interview with Davao City-based media, they alleged that a number of wealthy investors are behind the move to relocate them elsewhere. At first blush, the story as told by the Isamas is pregnant with serious implications as to the legality of the alleged plan of the local government to demolish their homes. However, IGaCoS City Administrator Cleto Gales Jr. said that the barangays mentioned here are only three among the 31 barangays identified by the government as danger zones whose residents must be moved to safer grounds invoking the social welfare clause of the law. The affected barangays are covered by the city’s coastal resource and marine development program. The program

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mandates the city government to set aside areas for fish landing and public beach in every barangay. The program includes the relocation of houses standing within the shoreline deemed to be danger zones. Gales said that hundreds of families along the shoreline have voluntarily left the areas at risk and relocated to safer grounds after accepting financial help. Also, the application for Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claims for 80,000 hectares in IGaCoS has not been acted upon by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The controversy is just part of the growing pains of IGaCoS as a fledgling city trying to find its place in the sun. There are challenges that the leaders of the local government unit must face and overcome ,whether they like or not. Another challenge is the sale of shoreline properties and rights to developers that has been going on since IGaCos became a favorite beach destination not unlike the fabulous Boracay in the Visayas. Would-be buyers are forewarned that that there are matters they have to know regarding the real status of the lands they are eyeing to buy. Caveat emptor. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

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

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

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

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

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

FTER more than 10 years of living it up and climbing the highest rungs of the corporate ladder in Manila, I’m finally back home. For good or merely exploratory? Your guess is as good as mine... (he-he-he). A good friend suggested that I write down all my observations on the changes in Davao since I was last here. This I will surely do now and in the coming issues of The Eye. I must say I am extremely impressed with the physical changes that have swept Durian City ---- from the world – class international airport upon my touchdown to huge, spacious malls that have sprouted like mushrooms everywhere. I have also done my own share of oculars of hotels in the city, revisiting the old established ones and taking a peek at the newbies (which actually are more of inns) and I must say, as far as tourism in Davao City is concerned, still so much can be done and potentials have to be tapped and used to the fullest. So, what was the first thing I did when I landed? Gobble up everything “durianish” of course ---- from the actual fruit to cakes, jams, pastries, pies and what – have - yous. Despite my national and international exposure to cuisine from different lands and cultures, my taste buds and craving for the distinct Davao durian has not been altered a single bit. I still love durian and will always do. I am a true blue, homegrown Davaoeno alright. ON A DAVAO HOTEL A deluxe hotel downtown ought to review their existing floor plan and set up, particularly their buffet area. Any seasoned hotelier ought to know that all areas where buffet are set up should not only be accessible, presentable, impressive and free from human traffic but more importantly, safe. Thus, setting up a buffet in an elevated platform where a diner has to brave a couple of slippery steps while holding a plate of food and doing a balancing act in the process is not only very inconvenient but downright dangerous and unsafe. Common sense must have been blown by the wind when this buffet area was conceived. Has the local tourism and regional office looked into this? ON A DAVAO MALL Speaking of malls, it is disheartening to know that despite the apparent progress of Davao City in terms of infrastructure and urban development, Jurassic and shotgun mentality still prevails, particularly among employees of a particular mall. And this mall is not SM. Thus the old adage goes, “you can take Mohammed out of the mountains but you cannot take the mountains out of Mohammed.” Any citizen with common sense (and you don’t have to be a lawyer to know this) knows that a person is innocent until proven guilty. You will be aghast to know then the modus operandi of a mall near an educational institution. This mall purposely whitewashes the inefficiency and ineptitude of its bumbling, amateur cashiers and pins the blame, nay, even frames its patrons. Trumped – up charges are fabricated to scare the wits out of the hapless customer and more often than not, a charge of shoplifting is concocted. Caveat emptor then! Let the buyer beware! More of this next issue. Happy 75th Araw ng Dabaw to all! Sarva Mangalam! For comments, please email to nelruiz888@gmail. com

EDGEDAVAO

Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona is defending himself against the charges filed against him before the Senate impeachment court as much as against what he perceived is an attempt of a colleague to grab his position. The only worrisome about his defense posture is that he is making rounds with the press instead of taking the witness stand where his statements and allegations are to be taken under oath and could be rebutted. That the Chief Justice is taking it against President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III is understandable. That he is insinuating conspiracy against him should not be taken against the man who faces removal from a high government position, the highest in fact being a primus inter pares in the Supreme Court. But to take it publicly against a colleague who he is accusing of eying his post smacks of a character unbecoming of a man that is supposed to hold his position in high esteem. His object of tirade is Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who has so far maintained the moral high ground by not dignifying the accusations hurled

T’S NO big deal really, for Ayala Abreeza Mall committing to plant 100 trees for every 10,000 raffle coupons, linking up with World Wildlife Fund to distribute mango and citrus seedlings to the farmlands in the Abuan Watershed in the northern Sierra Madre Natural Park. What business do we have here in Davao to try to save a watershed in northern Luzon when we have our own watersheds to protect right here in Davao City ? It’s unbelievable why one developer finds it so difficult to plant ONLY 100 trees which aren’t even strong indigenous trees, but simply fruit trees, not in Davao, but so far up north in Luzon when the immediate concern of Davao residents. I remember joining a mountain climbing group together with DENR officials years ago to plant nearly 5,000 trees, mostly indigenous trees like lawaan, bagras, etc. on the southern slopes of Mt. Apo and it wasn’t such a big deal then-- no raffles, no rewards, no news

Monkey Business

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

Corona and Carpio: The ties that unbind by his former news editor. Carpio was editor in chief of the The Guidon during their college days. Yes, their acquaintances dated back more than 40 years when they entered college at the Ateneo de Manila University about in the same year and at the height of student activism, when the country was swept by student protests that eventually culminated into the First Quarter Storm of 1971. By then, both had already separated ways with Carpio taking up law at the University of the Philippines while Corona sticking with his alma mater. They may not be the best of friends when they were in college, but the fact that it was Carpio who always excelled both academically and professionally already pointed to the their ‘rivalry’, friendly or otherwise, early on. Both Carpio and Corona were honed by the same Ateneo school system which motto is Men for Others. Carpio took his pre-school, elementary and high school at the Ateneo de Davao University graduating in 1966 while Corona was a product of Loyola campus from grade school until he finished his law school. They took the bar in the same year (1975) but it was again Carpio who performed better at 6th place while Corona’s profile, as reported by www.interaksyon.com, placed him in the ‘Top 25’ of the 1,965 who took

that bar exams. Both also entered government service almost the same time with Carpio appointed as chief legal counsel of former President Fidel Ramos. According to sources, it was Carpio who ‘recruited and took in’ Corona who joined the Malacañang legal office as its head. In 2001, Carpio was appointed associate justice of the Supreme Court by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Corona followed him the following year. In 2010, the position of Chief Justice was left vacant following the retirement of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno. But naming a replacement became a constitutional issue as the matter of appointing a Chief Justice fell within the constitutional ban on appointments of government officials and hiring of government employees within the election period and just barely 45 days before the presidential term of Arroyo ended. Both Carpio and Corona were nominated but the former declined the nomination citing the election ban. Corona however accepted the post despite legal questions although the Supreme Court upheld his appointment with Carpio dissenting on the majority decision. The rest is history, ongoing at least.

Malls should replace trees they cut releases. And the best part of it all, we were trying to save the mountain forests which are the sources of all the water that goes into rivers and watersheds and into the aquifer from which we draw our potable water in Davao City. Up to now, I am still trying to fathom how much love of the Ayalas, the Sys and Robinsons of this country for trees allowing them to live like any living creation of God. Look what they’ve done to all the trees at the former Lanang golf course---they were all cut down to give way to that huge concrete mall building now under construction. That spot was the best part of Lanang, a fresh green breathing space for all the dust and carbon monoxide fumes then threatening that part of this city. My only consolation is the way they deliberately include green landscapes within their overall architectural designs--- those little lagoons, those little nature parks with trees like the ones I saw at Ayala Cebu Center. Of course, their Abreeza mall in Davao is a more refreshing sight than all the other malls mainly

because of the beautiful landscape which has started a trend among the shopping malls here. Gaisano Mall Davao has finished its roof garden with bamboo trees and dancing fountains while the new SM North Mall is trying to outdo the landscape of Abreeza by making, hopefully, a better looking landscape. I still mourn over all the trees that started growing during the time of Americans in the 1900’s and the Japanese in the 1930’s here in Davao which are gone to give way to the shopping malls. Also gone are the birds in the old Lanang golf club, which was identified as a haven of bird watchers from all over the land. That was why I suggested to Abreeza during a recent presscon that it would be a terrific PR image for them if they start planting 100 trees in Davao for every tree they cut down during the construction stage of their mall along Bajada. Simply put, if they cut down 20 trees, Abreeza must replace them with 2,000 trees at the Davao watershed areas in Calinan---not in northern Luzon. (Comments? Email : tradingpost_post@yahoo.com)

ASEAN economic community: The implications for Australia COMMENTARY By Nattavud Pimpa

(Conclusion)

UR schools and universities need to offer more educational program in South East Asian languages (i.e. Thai, Indonesian, Malayu, Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian or Tagalog) as well as cultural and regional studies. A study by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) in Singapore predicted that the AEC may become old wine in a new bottle as the packaging is still to operationalize the single market for goods and services in ASEAN. Capital has long been globalised as well as technology and ideas. We can predict that the free movement of labours in ASEAN can pose some potential challenges among ASEAN members. The labour and educational standard among ASEAN nations contribute significantly to this challenge. For instance, Singapore has led other ASEAN members in this aspect, due to its on-going investment and strong public policy on education and training since 1960s. Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand are competing with any other developing nations in the world to accelerate their human resources development policies. Australia should play a pivotal role in supporting and promoting quality of education and training among ASEAN members. Australia has done a number of projects through the mechanism of AUSAID and other Government agencies. Australian business and educational organizations need to take active roles in promoting education and training of Australia in the South East Asian context. Some of our key industries in the region such as mining, education, finance and manufacturing should promote collaborative education and training with partners from South East Asia. Contributions in the form of education, training or human resource development will strengthen our bonds with ASEAN members and will subsequently benefit the region. Finally, AEC focuses on some areas of co-operation such as human resources development and capacity building; consultation on macroeconomic and financial policies; trade financing measures; enhanced infrastructure and communications connectivity. Australia, as one of the world leaders in technology and infrastructure as well as information communication technology, should contribute to the development of some of these issues in South East Asia. ASEAN members understand that the time-frame for building the Economic Community is short enough to meet the competitive challenge of China, Korea and India, which are currently growing rapidly and integrating globally. ASEAN nations clearly need partners to facilitate the transformation from FTA to the full economic community and Australia should actively play this role. A cohesive ASEAN Economic Community should be a potent force for regional stability and economic vitality in the Asia-Pacific region. More importantly, the expected boost to ASEAN’s economic and political growth should lead to greater opportunities for Australian exports and foreign direct investment. We, hence, need to be aware of the future of Australia and ASEAN social, political and economic relationship.

Quips

“I understand probable cause as the probability that the accused did what he is being accused of. How could I be convinced if there was no document or proof being presented?”

--Navotas Representative Tobias Tiangco in justifying his non signing of the impeachment complaint filed by the House of Representatives against Chief Justice Renato Corona.

10 COMMUNITY SENSE

VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

Rotary car raffle M results bared

EDGEDAVAO

Homecoming like no other

Bukidnon High ’65 to hold first reunion after 47 years

HE grand draw of the car raffle of Rotary District 3860 was conducted on March 8, 2012 during the welcome fellowship night during the district conference in Davao City. RSM Events Center at the PWC Campus, University Avenue, Juna Subdivision, Matina, was the venue of the raffle draw. The draw was conducted in the presence of City Director Teodulo Pasawa of the Department of Trade and Industry and by an independent licensed auditor, Atty. Ely Bretana, president of PICPA, Davao Chapter. The winners were determined by the drawing of ping pong balls, which continued on when no winners were declared. Among others, as stated on the face of the raffle

tickets, only holders of sold and paid tickets will be recognized as the official awardees. District car raffle chair Louie Bonguyan, formerly Davao City vice-mayor, was assisted by several district offcers in the conduct of the raffle. Among them are Assistant Governors Thelma Ciudadano of RC Downtown Davao; Frank Buno of RC Davao; Walter Diu of Tacloban; and Council of Presidents chairman Arthur Uy of RC South Davao. The grand prize, a 4x2 Ford Everest, was won by the RC Davao under Pres. Oscar Gonzales. The winning ticket no. 10142, sold and paid for by the mother club in Davao City, was drawn by Rotary District Governor Leoncio “Nonoy” Villa-Abrille. Other official win-

ners are – 2 nd prize, ticket no. 22890, Samsung LED TV 46” 3D, was won by RC San Juanico Leyte; 3rd prize, ticket no. 04632, Samsung LED TV 40” 3D, was won by RC Downtown Davao; 4th prize, ticket no. 61776, Samsung LED TV 40”, was won by RC Central Cabadbaran; and 5 th prize, with ticket no. 16091, Samsung LCD TV 40”, was won by RC Central Davao. The 5 consolation prizes, comprised of IPAD 2 each, were won by the following – ticket no. 68484 of Uy Ching Siong - Dimdi; ticket no. 57048 of Dr. Rudy Medina-Surigao City; ticket no 05657 of RC Downtown Davao; ticket no. 13772 of Nanette Macapundag; and ticket no. 57721 of RC Ormoc. Winners are re-

quested to claim their prizes at the Rotary District Office at Suites 203-204 Don Cesareo Villa-Abrille Bldg, Fronting Ateneo de Davao University, Jacinto Street cor. Juan Luna Street. Kindly call tel. no.226-2144 and look for either Ms. Hivy Endaya or Ms. Chat Ceniza. To claim their prizes, winners are required to present the winning ticket and proper identification. Prizes not claimed by the winners within 60 days from date of publication, shall be forfeited in favor of Rotary International District 3860.

ALAYBALAY City – The planting of a single narra tree and sinking a time capsule that would contain valuables and messages for Bukidnon High School’s graduating Class of 2065, will highlight the first-ever, but Grand Alumni Homecoming of BPHS class of 1965 on March 17 and 18 here. Class president, now, Dr. Florencio T. Flores, Jr., representative of the 2nd congressional district of Bukidnon, will preside over the two-day reunion, which shall kick-off with a motorcade, an ecumenical religious rites, planting of the class tree, a gala dinner and a picnic with the families of the 1965 alumni. While the class tree is meant to remind the youth of today about Class of 1965’s struggle for selffulfillment, the time capsule shall define the community’s high expectations on the graduating class a

full century later. The Class of 1965 shall also pray for their fallen comrades. Ms Marian J. Capili, class coordinator, said that a consensus to build a structure for the school has been made by the class, but the details of the project shall be announced following a meeting during the class outing on Sunday. Among the surviving teachers of Class of 1965, who have committed to join the fun on the affair are: Mr. and Ms (nee Lilia B. Avila) Felipe Quijote, Ernesto Evora, Albert and Benjamin Manuel and Ms Gregoria Fernandini-Limbo. This reunion was organized in the United States by Ms Eden BantugPenalosa, registered nurse; Judith Eduave-Bauri, another nurse; Alpha Omega Lim–Estrada, Dr. Elicita Naguio–Bergola, Susan Valdehuesa-Apatt and Casiano A. Navarro, all of who are now retirees.

500 families in Sendongaffected communities in the area. BIRTH-DEV is also a member of the Mindanao Emergency Response Network (MERN) which received 200 Globe Bridging Communities (GBC) SIM cards and nonfood donation from Globe as part of their relief operations in Iligan last December. “These are the projects that we have identified so far but we are still finalizing plans for the best use of the Softbank donation. We are very grateful to SBPS for this philanthropic act. The funds that they provided will definitely help significantly in the rehabilitation of the Sendong victims,” Nazal said. Shinichi Ata, President and CEO of SBPS, said: “We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the people affected by the typhoon which hit Southern Philippines last December, and we extend our deepest sympathies to bereaved families. We donated P500,000 to the affected people. The donation has been delivered through Globe who is our remittance partner in the Philippines. We pray for the fastest possible res-

toration of the areas afflicted by this disaster.” SBPS earlier partnered with G-XCHANGE, INC. (GXI), a whollyowned subsidiary of Globe, for an affordable, convenient, and secure remittance service that will greatly benefit Filipinos living and working in Japan. Japan is the Philippines’ fifth largest source of OFW remittances, with total inflows reaching close to $900-Million in 2010. Using the GCASH platform, Filipinos in Japan can send money to their families and loved ones in the Philippines anytime they want. The recipients, on the other hand, can take advantage of GCASH REMIT’s thousands of outlets nationwide, thus, allowing them to withdraw the amount even if they live in far-flung provinces. SBPS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Japanese telecommunications and media corporation giant Softbank Corp., which also owns Softbank Mobile, one of Japan’s largest telecommunications companies. Softbank Mobile is one of the most widely-used wireless carriers by Filipinos living in Japan.

Softbank donates P500,000 for Sendong victims; Globe to facilitate project implementation

OFTBANK PAYMENT SERVICE CORP (SBPS) OF Japan has donated P500,000 to finance continuing rehabilitation efforts for Typhoon Sendong victims even as it tapped leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom for project implementation. SBPS and Globe are partners in the international remittance business. Rob I. Nazal, head of Globe Corporate Social Responsibility, said that part of the amount is intended to purchase 35 tents for ChildFund. The tents, to be used for counseling seminars as well as various activities for children and adults, will be set up at various Tent City temporary shelters in Cagayan de Oro, one of two hardest hit provinces in the country. ChildFund currently runs the Child-Centered Spaces Program for 1,000 parents and 2,500 children victims of Sendong who are still staying at Tent City. Together with its partner 4K (Kaabag sa Kalambuan Pinaagi sa Kamtangan sa Katinlingban), ChildFund holds psycho-social group sessions to aid the emotional recovery of Sendong victims who suffered from profound stress as a result of their experience during the typhoon onslaught. Nazal said that another portion of the funds will be used to support Balay Integrated Rehabilitation Center for Total Human Development (BIRTH-DEV), a nongovernment organization based in Iligan, which runs a similar program for

Quips

‘I THINK you can see from the turnout tonight that Gani was truly loved. There are people here whom I haven’t seen for 20 years..Gani was truly loved by us.’ --Philippine Daily Inquirer president Alexandra “Sandy” Prieto-Romualdez on the late Isagani Yambot, PDI publisher.

EDGEDAVAO

SUBURBIA 11

VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

Lagdameo, Floirendo support local Kusog Baryohanon party

By Lan Daval

ANABO City – Kusog Baryohanon or KUSOG, a local political party formed two years ago held its first provincial assembly at Maria Clara Resort and Restaurant this city on Saturday, March 10. Based in the second congressional district of Davao del Norte, Kusog started with only seven convenors among them City Mayor Jose Silvosa, Jr. and newspaper publisher- editor Dennis Denora. Copied after two local political groups, Uswag Comval and Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, it was inspired by former congressman Antonio Tonyboy Floirendo, Jr. who saw the importance of local political parties in

Philippine politics. The political assembly has only two major agenda: ratification of its constitution and by-laws and election of provincial officers. As expected, the presentation of the plan goes on smoothly without a hitch. Some 450 people attended the political gathering notably the pioneering convenors, political advisers, municipal chairmen and their officers, barangay chapter chairmen and political wards all over the province, in particular district two. Also present during the remarkable occasion were Rep. Anton F. Lagdameo, 2nd district, Davao del Norte and Federation of Association of Barangay Captains (FABC) president Vicente Floirendo.

The two officials delivered their respective inspirational messages giving encouragement and all-out support aimed at strengthening the political foundation of Kusog. Tonyboy Floirendo who was instrumental and the leading figure behind the formation of the local political group failed to attend the meeting because of previous out-oftown business commitment. Kusog first flexes its political muscle in Panabo City and later on expanded district-wide. According to its prime movers it will soon expand to other parts of Davao del Norte. The party aims to promote a responsive government that will make strong, democratic and effective governance. It

“Live a happy and healthy life,” the governor said. Malanyaon also said that by not smoking, the employees serve as good role models to the youth and even to their own children. “Make your home a comfortable and happy place to live in.” The governor also reminded the employees to

clean up their surroundings and to properly dispose garbage. She also urged from proper waste segregation not only within the Capitol but also ni their respective homes. “Love your family and love your jobs, I want you all to be happy as we serve the public,” the governor said. [SARX LANOS]

Gov. Malanyaon asks employees: Quit smoking

AVAO Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon urged the employees of the provincial capitol to stop smoking. During last Monday’s flag raising ceremony, Malanyaon met and asked the employees to refrain from smoking, or to smoke in duly designated smoking areas.

The UP Mindanao delegation to the International Women’s Day parade held on March 8 in Davao City.

UPMin celebrates Women’s Month

P Mindanao is celebrating the International Women’s Month in March with the theme, “Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures”. Various public events are being organized by the Gender Committee with the Office of Extension and Community Service (OECS) and the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). The public is invited to any and all of the events, most of which will be held at Lorenzo Hall, Administration Building, UP Mindanao, Mintal, Davao City, except where indicated. On March 5 was the Opening

Program with a Keynote Address by Prof. Jhoanna Lynn Cruz-Daliling, where she stated that, “a woman who gives birth to a daughter must confront her own unresolved conflicts from the past and her hopes and dreams for the future.” This was followed by the AntiSexual Harassment Forum with Atty. Romeo Cabarde on March 7. On March 8, a UP Mindanao delegation joined the International Women’s Day Parade in Davao City. Film Festivals were set on March 9 and March 23, 1-5PM. An HIV Forum was held on March

12, 8AM-12NN, and a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexuals, Transgenders, Intersexuals (LGBTI) Forum on March 14, 1-5PM. A Gender Sensitivity Seminar (GSS) for Students Part 2 will be held on March 19, 1-5PM. An Echo Forum for workshops sponsored by the UP Center for Women’s Studies will be on March 21, 8AM-12NN. A Medical Mission will be held on March 24, all day at the College of Science and Mathematics. On March 28, 8AM-12NN will be the Updates on PhilHealth Policies and the Closing Program of International Women’s Month.

Lagdameo with barangay leaders

will also pursue a firm, dynamic political party that guarantees the political, economic, environmental and socio-cultural development of the community. Mayor Silvosa, party interim chair inducted the new set of officers of the Executive Provincial Council. Elected were the following: Congressman

Anton Lagdameo, chairman; FABC president Vincent Floirendo, vice chair; Octavio ‘Tabot’ Valle, secretary-general; Mayor Lolita Moral of B.A. Dujali, treasurer; vice mayor Alberto Sarin of Carmen, auditor; Trends and Time publisher-editor Dennis Denora, PRO. Representing the members of the board

were several provincial and municipal officials namely provincial board memberDr. Daniel Lu, vice mayor James Gamao of Panabo City, vice mayor Samuel Pacres of Dujali and vice mayor Daniel Batosalem of Sto. Tomas. Also during the same meeting, Silvosa inducted new members of Kusog. (LBD)

WORLD/NATION

NATION BRIEFS

Approved

HE House of Representatives has approved on second reading a bill that penalizes the theft or tampering with government equipment or devices used to monitor disaster, natural calamities and seismologic phenomena. House Bill 5932 seeks to impose stiffer penalties on the offenses of stealing or tampering with government risk reduction preparedness equipment, accessories and other facility items.

Denied

HE Senate impeachment court denied on Monday the desire of defense lead counsel former Justice Serafin Cuevas to dismiss the impeachment complaint, saying the court has already denied similar motion on January 18, two days after the trial formally started. ”As much as we want to accommodate the desire of the defense, this presiding officer, with the permission of the impeachment court, regrets to deny the desire of the defense,” Senate President and Presiding Officer Juan Ponce Enrile said in his ruling.

Condemned

HE Malacanang Press Corps (MPC), headed by Joyce Pañares of Manila Standard, on Monday strongly condemned the brazen attack on one of its members, Fernan Angeles, a reporter of The Daily Tribune, covering Malacanang. “We, the officers and members of the Malacañang Press Corps, strongly condemn the attack against one of our members, Fernan Angeles,” the MPC statement said. Angeles sustained at least six gunshot wounds after he was shot by a lone gunman near his house in Pasig City Sunday night.

Confined

ORMER Maguindanao Governor Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr., one of the principal accused in the November 23, 2009 massacre of 58 people in Maguindanao, many of them members of the working press, is still confined at the V. Luna Hospital in Quezon City. Col. Arnulfo Burgos, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said that the working impression on Ampatuan Sr. is that he still has pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic alcoholic liver disease.

VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

US on alert for Afghan reprisals U

S troops in Afghanistan have been placed on alert following the killings of 16 Afghan civilians by a US soldier. US officials warned of reprisals after the soldier went on a rampage in villages near a base in Kandahar. Nine children were among those killed. President Barack Obama phoned his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai to express condolences. But Mr Karzai has said the massacre is “unforgivable”. And Taliban militants have vowed to avenge the deaths. US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has said a full investigation is under way. The soldier, believed to be a staff sergeant, is reported to have walked off his base at around 03:00 Sunday (22:30 GMT Saturday). In the villages of Alkozai and Najeeban, about 500m (1,640ft) from the base, he reportedly broke into three homes. At one house in Najeeban, 11 people were found shot dead, and some of their bodies set alight. At least three of the child victims are reported to have been killed by a single shot to the head.

Merged

OBILE app trailblazers and former rivals Chikka and Wolfpac have merged. Chikka, whose flagship Chikka Text Messenger is installed in millions of computers and mobile devices around the world, will be the surviving entity.

US soldiers keep watch at the entrance of a military base near Alkozai village following the shooting of Afghan civilians allegedly by a rogue US soldier in Panjwayi district, Kandahar province. Sixteen Afghans

The US military said reports indicated that the soldier returned to his base after the shootings and turned himself in. His motives are unclear - there is speculation that he might have been drunk or suffered a mental breakdown. But officers are worried that the attack might have been planned. The soldier is being detained in Kandahar and the military is treating at least five people wounded in the attacks, officials

including women and children were killed in their homes in the pre-dawn rampage, plunging relations between the US and Afghanistan into a new crisis.

said. The detained soldier has not been identified, although US officials quoted by the Associated Press news agency said he was from Joint Base LewisMcChord in Washington state, 38 years old, married with two children, and had served three tours in Iraq and was on his first deployment in Afghanistan. The killings come amid already high anti-US sentiment in Afghanistan

following the burning of Korans at a Nato base in Kabul last month. US officials have repeatedly apologised for the incident but they failed to quell a series of protests and attacks that killed at least 30 people and six US troops. Fragile friendship The BBC’s Bilal Sarwary in Kabul says the latest incident has damaged already fragile relations between Kabul and Washington.

Top US bank sets up BPO in PHL

ESPITE moves by US President Barack Obama and the United States Congress to discourage outsourcing, one of the biggest US banks has decided to locate some of its non-core business support activities in thePhilippines. Wells Fargo & Co., the second largest US bank in deposits, home mortgage servicing and debit cards with $1.3 trillion in assets, is setting up a business support center in Manila as the country’s booming business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is projected to produce more than 120,000 new jobs this year. Company officials did not disclose the value of the investment neither the number of BPO workers the operations would employ. “We selected the Philippines to be part of Wells Fargo’s international footprint based on the country’s reputation for strong customer service, a large English-speaking population and a cultural affinity to the United States,” said David Caldwell, managing director of Wells Fargo Philippines Solutions, the local subsidiary of the US banking giant. The new investment is also good news for property developer Megaworld Corp. on whose McKinley

WORLD TODAY

Call center agents wait for calls from their United States clients as they work overnight daily in Manila’s Makati financial district February 6, 2012. The number of Filipinos who work graveyard shifts to answer calls

Hill Cyberpark project will rise a new building to serve the outsourcing needs of the US banking giant. “Our location in McKinley Hill gives us a strong foothold as we are among our peers in the industry,” Caldwell said. Wells Fargo joins other high-profile BPO locators at the 14-hectare McKinley Hill Cyberpark, including Accenture, HP and Thomson Reuters. Wells Fargo Philippines Solutions already occupies two floors of buildings 8 and 10 Upper McKinley Road, and it will also lease a campus-type building currently being constructed in McKinley Hill Cyberpark. PH reputation enhanced The US bank’s launch

on behalf of big multinational companies like Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase is now greater than India’s 350,000, earning the Philippine’s the title - Call Centre Capital of the World.

of an in-house business support center here was welcomed by labor leader and former Sen. Ernesto Herrera, saying it has reinforced the Philippines’ reputation as “an exceptional global hub for laborintensive and information technology-enabled outsourcing services.” “We are counting on Wells Fargo’s new center to help provide gainful employment to our collegeeducated, fluent Englishspeaking professionals, many of whom remain idle,” said Herrera. Variety of functions He said Wells Fargo’s new Philippine center deals with a variety of functions, including customer service and back office support.

Herrera, who is locked in a struggle for leadership of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), said his labor group’s new members include VOICE, a labor federation of contact centeremployees. According to Herrera, the country’s booming BPO industry, which fully employs some 630,000 Filipinos, produced $11 billion in revenues in 2011. The Business Processing Association of the Philippines sees industry revenues jumping 18 percent to $13 billion this year, he said. Based on the projected incremental revenues of $2 billion, Herrera said the industry could create around 126,000 new jobs this year.

Right-wing

right-wing opposition party on Monday led by a slim margin in El Salvador’s general election in which the leftist government of President Mauricio Funes faced a key test of its popularity. With more than 89 percent of precincts reporting, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal said the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) was ahead with slightly over 39.7 percent of the vote.

Massacre

HE massacre of 16 villagers by a U.S. soldier has triggered angry calls for an immediate American exit from Afghanistan as Washington tries to negotiate a long-term presence to keep the country from sliding into chaos again. Just days before Sunday’s attack, Kabul and Washington had made significant progress in negotiations on a Strategic Partnership Agreement that would allow American advisers and special forces to stay in Afghanistan after foreign combat troops leave at the end of 2014.

Axe

HE long-haul arm of budget carrier AirAsia said Monday it would axe flights to New Zealand, its latest move to shed unprofitable routes and refocus on the group’s core Asian market. Malaysia-based AirAsia X, which will cut its four-weekly flights to Christchurch, has already announced plans to cease service to London, Paris and Delhi this month, after scrapping flights to Mumbai in January.

Killings

YRIA’S opposition on Monday accused security forces of massacring 47 women and children in the restive city of Homs and urged the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the killings. Hadi Abdallah, a Syrian activist in the besieged central city, told AFP the bodies of 26 children and 21 women, some with their throats slit and others bearing stab wounds, were found in the Karm el-Zaytoun and AlAdawiyeh neighbourhoods.

EDGEDAVAO

Davao...

I do...

FFROM 1

FFROM 1 vestigate big oil companies on the overpricing. “Sobra na ang pagtaas sa presyo sa lana (the oil price increases are too much),” Cherry Orendain, regional spokesperson of Anakbayan said, adding that fare increase is not a solution to the problem because it would only worsen the economic condition of the poor. “Band-aid solution lang ang pagtaas sa pamasahe,” she said. The correct solution, she added, is to exempt oil from the 12% value added tax. Edil Gonzaga, spokesperson of PISTON, Southern Mindanao, said the protest action which the group will conduct on March 15 is in coordination

Maa...

with a nationwide protest, and a build-up activity towards May 1, Labor Day. “Other regions will conduct transport strikes and other forms of protest,” he said. In Davao City, the PISTON-led march rally will be participated in by hundreds of drivers, operators, and other sectors. The group chose to stage their protest at the Caltex Depot because, according to Gonzaga, “they dictate the prices of oil.” No transport strike Saying that PISTONSMR does not plan to stage a transport strike, Gonzaga said there is still a need for more forums and discussions for people to understand the bases of protest and why they are invited to par-

ticipate. “Para maporsige ang gobyerno nga mangita og kongkretong lakang para masolusyunan ang walay puas nga pagsaka sa presyo sa lana (So the government will be urged to look for concrete solutions to the incessant oil price hikes),” he said. In the national level, the government continues to be deaf and dumb to drivers’ call despite the bills passed in Congress, he added. Rep. Teddy Casino filed House Bill 4355, Downstream Oil Industry Regulation Act of 2011, seeking to scrap oil deregulation law and regulate downstream industry; and, House Bill 2719, an act exempting petroleum products from the vat.

ownership of the land. The document overpowers the TRO which Camumot is relying on, Juaneza said. The Villa Abrille group has entered into a contract with a private contractor who also provides the security guards, to do the construction of Le Jardin. The construction firm began its operation in the area unaware of the residents’ clamor. Camumot and the remaining families continue to defend their land and what they have planted there by throwing stones or lumps of soil at the equipment owned by the private

contractor. Juaneza said what he can only do as a police officer is to ensure that no human rights are being violated. Yesterday, the Alyansa Kontra Land Grabber Villa Abrille (AKLAS) staged a protest picket in front of the Sangguniang Panglungsod before proceeding to the Villa Abrille office at the corner Jacinto St. where they demanded for the housing development operation to cease and to respect the status quo order at Purok 13, Bugac, Maa, as well as to stop the harassment of the residents.

decision dated October 14, 2011, the SC denied with finality the motion for reconsideration filed by Zamorro against the earlier decision of the Comelec declaring Lawa as the win-

ner of the last elections. “No substantial arguments were presented to warrant the reversal of the questioned resolution,” the SC stated in its final decision. [BOT]

FFROM 4

she was born, has lived since 1947, and raised her family in the same lot. Juaneza said Camumot told him that her ancestors own the land, and not the Villa Abrille clan. Camumot has a document showing the Court’s Temporary Restraining Order in 2008 which directed the maintenance of a status quo, meaning no demolition or any construction shall be done in the area, the police inspector said. However, the Villa Abrille clan had also shown him a decision issued in 2011 by the Court of Appeals in Cagayan de Oro City proving their

Sarangani... FFROM 4

in their general instructions manual provided by the Comelec,” the Smartmatic-TIM official said. The Supreme Court En Banc also resolved the issue in favor of Lawa. In a

VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

CULTURE. Popong Landero, one of Davao’s finest local artists, splendidly performs a foot-tapping number

during the opening of the celebration of Davao’s 75th founding anniversary. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

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its profile. “We started out just like other farmers, selling saba bananas to local traders. But they would dictate the terms, and take their time to pay us,” she said. “So we thought of dealing directly with the market ourselves, and started figuring out what fruit and vegetable products would sell best.” SCBCI established itself as a produce concessionaire in a mall in nearby General Santos City. Today, the company procures and retails up to five metric tons of about 70 varieties of fruit and vegetables weekly, through outlets in four high-end mall supermarkets. The group has remained relatively compact throughout its existence. Currently it has 15 active members with a total growing area of 40 hectares, and 15 affiliate growers, according to SCBCI co-founder and treasurer Victoria Motril. Its largest farm is eight hectares. Dynamic and SCBCI credit the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for giving them technical assistance at critical junctures in their development. USAID works with growers’ associations, farm cooperatives, including cooperatives composed of former combatants of the Moro National Liberation Front, industry councils, and other business support organizations to strengthen the competitiveness of Mindanao’s agriculture sector. Through its Growth with Equity in Mindanao Program, which is implemented under the oversight of the Mindanao Development Authority, USAID provided Dynamic and SCBCI with training and on-site technical advice to improve production quality and post-harvest handling, as well as marketing support. USAID partnered with local government units, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and other agencies in order to maximize this assistance. A crucial step for both growers’ groups was learning to diversify and to create economies of scale. “Our problem at first was that we could not consistently provide the volumes required by our clients,” said De Jesus. USAID provided training in the practice of commodity clustering, in which groups of farmers focus on cultivating a specific commodity according to strict protocols,

following delivery schedules and volume specifications agreed upon by both growers and clients. “In this way, we can regularly deliver products of consistently good quality to our clients,” said Motril “We also help each group of farmers select a second commodity for intercropping,” said Acain. “This diversification provides a safety net.” Acain laments the fact that there are still smallhold farmers in Mindanao who would go hungry if they didn’t hire themselves out as labourers, in addition to working their land. This doesn’t have to be the case, he said. “If production and distribution are planned and handled well, vegetables can bring in a big return on investment,” Acain noted. “Consider that the cost of production for a kilo of eggplant is just five pesos, while the current farmgate sale price ranges between 20 and 25 pesos per kilo.” Dynamic’s members in Davao have seen their incomes rise by more than 50 percent from vegetable production and marketing alone, according to Acain. “These are small farmers who have been able to buy their own vehicles, and put their children through college.” The ability to market their own produce also brings in quicker returns, said De Jesus. “We established a corporate cash flow system, and pay our members cash upon delivery,” she said. Once they’d hit their stride, both groups began marketing their produce further afield. USAID assisted Acain’s group in conducting market reconnaissance trips in the Visayas region, where Dynamic succeeded in establishing supply agreements with a bulk buyer. USAID also facilitated meetings which led to supply agreements being established between SCBCI and leading mall chains. Acain and Motril note that their experience has helped to empower other farmers. “People believe what they can see for themselves,” said Acain. He said that the demonstration farm established by Dynamic in partnership with USAID, the DA and other support agencies was a critical factor in bringing more farmers on board as members. “Gaya-gayalangyan. It’s a process of imitating what works well.” “In the past people

were content to simply plant anything, going by the season. Now they are becoming more marketdriven, focusing on varieties selected for specific volumes, harvest schedules, and shelf life. There’s emphasis on quality and year-round production planning,” he added. But they do have to go through a learning curve, Acain said. “We advise them to start with a small cash outlay, and be ready to learn their craft.” In the last five years, Dynamic’s members— many of whom had been subsistence farmers--have improved their land management, planting systems, and financial planning. “They’ve learned to estimate precisely the costs of each cropping, and to set aside part of their proceeds for the next planting,” Acain said. The operations of groups like Dynamic and SCBCI also created a ripple effect on the rural logistics side of the supply chain. “We negotiate with jeepney drivers plying regular routes to serve as our transport system. For a smaller fee [than hired trucks] they pick up and deliver produce left by the roadside at agreed hours, without the farmer having to hire vehicles and spend time waiting to load the cargo,” Acain said. “Developing this routine and this kind of trust was possible only because of daily production.” Through the steady improvement of their supply chain skills, these grower associations are also helping to bring about a paradigm shift in Mindanao agriculture. “They’ve become adept at working with different industry stakeholders, from the DA to local governments and wet-market traders to institutional buyers,” said Acain. “But they are essentially self-reliant and ‘corporate’ in the way they carefully assess the market before making any investment.” SCBCI and Dynamic are already planning to expand their processing operations, which would add yet more value to their produce. Acain said. “When we succeeded in expanding our market, our farmers likewise expanded production, because they had seen for themselves the rewards.” “Nakakatuwa [It’s heartening] to see our members so enthusiastic,” said De Jesus. “Now they want to increase our capitalization and go after opportunities.”

SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

Spread of banana fungus revealed A

banana and plantain fungus which has spread across the world originated in South East Asia, new research has found. Black leaf streak disease (Mycosphaerella fijiensis) affects leaf photosynthesis, and causes premature ripening. It also delays harvests and can affect banana quality, size and numbers. A Molecular Ecology Journal study found “an original and unprecedented global scenario of invasion”. It is the most important and destructive banana disease in the world, says one of the authors, Stephanie Robert. “It starts with small flecks and spreads to the whole banana leaves - the disease can totally destroy the whole banana plant,” she says. Using genetic markers, the team were able to map the streaks on 735 banana leaves from 37 different countries and identify genetic similarities. “The historical hypothesis was that it came from South East Asia,” Ms Robert says. While the fungus was first recorded in Fiji in 1963, it was initially thought that the centre of origin could have been Papua New Guinea or the

Iceman’s nuclear genome gives fresh insights

N Solomon Islands. However, the study found the whole of South East Asia could be the centre of diversity - encompassing at least Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It says the area is home to a diverse array of wild banana and plantain species and defines “the area of banana and plantain domestication that began several thousand years ago”. But the exact point of origin of the host plant could not be pinpointed without further comparison between wild and domesticated banana plants. Ms Robert says fungal spores cannot travel more than a few metres and are very sensitive to UV rays, but when travelling on

the wind spores can be dispersed up to several hundred kilometres. So this does not explain how the disease has travelled so far around the world, she says. “I don’t think the disease would have spread so far without human contribution. “It’s very difficult to understand exactly how the disease is dispersed it’s currently proceeding through the Caribbean and has just invaded Martinique,” she says. Originally it was thought that the fungus travelled through Africa after just a few introductions, but the research suggests it was spread through a single source near the South China Sea. In the Americas, the fungus is thought to have

been derived from mingling between genetically different sources in South East Asia and Oceania, through multiple introductions in the same place, or at different times and places. The pathogen was first identified in Honduras in 1972 but would have been present in the 60s, it is thought. Ms Robert says she hopes the study will help the banana industry reduce fungicide use and develop better control strategies. “It’s very important for the creation of pathogen-resistant varieties in a sustainable way because the pathogen does adapt,” she says. The study calls for more precise investigation into the disease.

Female bonobos ‘advertise’ homo bonds

EMALE bonobos “advertise” their homosexual activity to important audiences, say scientists. Researchers studying communication among the apes found that females made the most noise during sex if the “alpha female” was nearby. Low-ranking females that were invited to have sex with high-ranking females would also call to tell other group members about the bond. Experts suggest females communicate the encounters to boost their status. The species Pan paniscus are referred to as the “erotic” or “promiscuous apes” because they regularly engage in sexual contact with both their own and the opposite sex. “[Sex] is used to reduce stress and competition, develop affiliations, express and test social relationships and for reconciling conflicts and consoling victims in distress,” explained Dr Zanna Clay, from Emory University in Atlanta, who has been studying vocalisations in the species for five years.

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EW clues have emerged in what could be described as the world’s oldest murder case: that of Oetzi the “Iceman”, whose 5,300-year-old body was discovered frozen in the Italian Alps in 1991. Oetzi’s full genome has now been reported in Nature Communications. It reveals that he had brown eyes, “O” blood type, was lactose intolerant, and was predisposed to heart disease. They also show him to be the first documented case of infection by a Lyme disease bacterium. Analysis of series of anomalies in the Iceman’s DNA also revealed him to be more closely related to modern inhabitants of Corsica and Sardinia than to populations in the Alps, where he was unearthed. ‘Really exciting’ The study reveals the fuller genetic picture as laid out in the nuclei of Oetzi’s cells. This nuclear DNA is both rarer and typically less well-preserved than the DNA within mitochondria, the cell’s “power plants”, which also contain DNA. V

Oetzi’s mitochondrial DNA had already revealed some hints of his origins when it was fully sequenced in 2008. Albert Zink, from the Eurac Institute for Mummies and the Iceman in Bolzano, Italy, said the nuclear DNA study was a great leap forward in one of the most widely studied specimens in science. “We’ve been studying the Iceman for 20 years. We know so many things about him - where he lived, how he died but very little was known about his genetics, the genetic information he was carrying around,” he told BBC News. He was carrying around a “haplotype” that showed his ancestors most likely migrated from the Middle East as the practice of formal agriculture became more widespread. It is probably this period of transition to an agrarian society that explains Oetzi’s lactose intolerance. Prof Zink said that next-generation “wholegenome” sequencing techniques made the analysis possible.

WORLD TODAY

Serving a sea mless societ y

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

Davao In order to understand more about communication among the apes, Dr Clay led an international team of researchers to observe a group at the Lola Ya Bonobo sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa. Building on earlier work, their findings published in the journal Scientific Reports identified a pattern in the calls made by females during homosexual encounters. «Using vocalisations, females only advertise sexual contacts with important group members,» said Dr Clay, «It›s all about climbing up the social ladder for female

bonobos.» By invitation The team found that calls were most likely to be made by lower-ranking females, particularly if they were “picked” by a higher-ranking female. The females also appeared to consider their audience - calling more if the most important group member, the alpha female, was present. “Bonobos appear to be highly aware of the dynamics governing their social worlds,” said Dr Clay. She suggests that the females have adopted the calls, usually associated with reproduction, as a strategic tool.

“As a low-ranked female, advertising [a] social-sexual bonding with another dominant group member may serve to strengthen their social position, and signal this to the alpha.” Unlike their close relatives, the chimpanzees, bonobo societies are not male-dominated. Dr Clay suggests that this may be due to the strong relationships between females. “In bonobos, sexual interactions represent a powerful means to enable females to develop and maintain social relationships, and it is these bonds which lie at the heart of their raised status in bonobo society.”

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS.

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VOL.5 ISSUE 8 â&#x20AC;˘ MARCH 14, 2012

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WOMEN

Sittings Editor: Carlo P. Mallo s Photographer: Charisse Ann Ho Bibera of Maniniyot Community Lighting Assistant: Sherwin Obrero Estacio s Director: Rudolph Alama

By Jade C. Zaldivar

OOGLE her name and links would show that Davao Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youngest ever mayor is one tough lady.

In 2011, she was criticized and praised when her pictures punching a court sheriff in the face non less than four times went viral in the internet, You-Tube., etc. She was incensed when the sheriff ignored her plea to stay the demolition for two hours while she was in another side of town attending to the hungry and the sick victims of a devastating flood. Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio stood her ground on the matter, which others viewed as arrogance.

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WOMEN

This is the same thirtyish mayor who’s fighting for the city (which stretches at 2,443.61 square kilometers, one of the largest in the world) to be declared as a “No-Mining Zone” due to its environmental effects– an advocacy drowned in the current national debate over mining. During her 2010 State of the City Address, the mayor admitted to her “youthful idealism,” saying: “If idealism is doing what is correct, then I do not want to grow old.” In her two years as city chief executive, Duterte-Carpio has earned a reputation of one who does not shy away from acting or commenting on sensitive issues, many times in a collision course with her maverick mayor-father Rodrigo, now occupying the position of vice mayor. As expected, she earned not only critics but admirers as well. In collision course An example, in the first days of her administration, when her appointment of city administrator and a number of other chiefs of offices was questioned with her father coming from the vice mayor’s podium to lead the barrage, she simply withdrew the papers and proceeded to appoint them as officers in charge, an action which does not need concurrence of the Davao City Council. Another instance was the application of AboitizPower for the establishment of a coalfired plant. Citing environment concerns, she vetoed the council action, which in turn, overrode her veto. Early on, she disapproved the budget of Task Force Davao, a known favorite of her father, for submitting a plan which she said was too combat-heavy. The task force was organized by Mayor Rody sometime in 2004 to help the city police maintain law and

“In the house? I’m not the mayor in our house. I’m the one who gets the busted bulbs changed, the plumbing fixed. No one will notice these if I don’t. That’s my job at home”

order and fight terrorism. In this, our exclusive interview, Mayor Sara bares a softer side to her rather steel exterior. In celebration of the Women’s Month, we asked the iron-fisted lady mayor privy questions, detailing aspects of her family life and how her father former mayor incumbent Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, affected her growing up. Peek into home life Mayor Sara, married to lawyer Mans (for Emmanuel) Carpio, said that at home she’s “not the mayor.” “Sa among balay? Dili man ko mayor sa balay. Tig-paayo sa guba nga bumbilya, guba

“My daughter wakes up earlier than us. Between 7:30 to 8:30 we usually plan for the day. My husband and I discuss our activities for the day. Where he’ll be at and where I’ll be at. I remind my daughter that she needs to go to school. Things like that,” she said in dialect. Top priority Duterte-Carpio said she fulfills her role as a mother by allotting time for her daughter and devoting her free time to her. “Kung naa koy time, free time, ako ang nagahatud sundo. (When I have free time I take her to and from school.) Or if I have to do something

adoption forum of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Daughter to her mom Although trying to avoid the question, the mayor obliged to describe herself as a daughter to mother. She said her mother calls her “maldita,” the Filipino connotation for “bad girl.” “Muingon akong mama ako ang iyang pinaka maldita nga anak,” she said. Asked why her mother thinks so, Duterte-Carpio laughed that she does not know why. “Ambot niya. Butan man ko. (I don’t know about her. I’m not bad).” “Muana ko nga, ‘Dili man

even katong dili pa ko VM. Katong ga-iskwela pa lang ko. Katong high school pa ko si Mayor Rody man gud he’s always been a mayor. (We do not talk to each other even before I became vice mayor, while I was still in school. Mayor Rody has always been a mayor)” she added. Duterte-Carpio said while she was growing up, Vice Mayor Duterte was a “parttime father, full-time mayor.” “Ingana gyud. Mayor gyud na siya. At that time man gud mao pud tong height sa iyang trabaho. Trabaho niya ato grabe gyud. So siguro in a way nakaapekto iyang pagiging fulltime mayor to the relationship

na pud.” The lady mayor also stressed that she and her father are not enemies. “Pero dili mi magkaaway,” she said. Women’s Day Duterte-Carpio said Women’s Day, March 8, is also her daughter Sharkie’s birthday. The mayor then gave her message on such an important day for women. “I would like everybody to know that I fully support and advocate women power and as a woman myself I believe that women contribute to society and the city,” she said. And just like any mother, Duterte-Carpio said she wants

“I’m with her mornings and evenings. Usually I do not accept invitations at night so most of the time I’m home by 8 or 9pm. By then (my daughter) will be at our room ready to sleep,” she said, After her daughter falls asleep, she goes to work. nga tubo. Wala may mupansin ana kung dili nako pansinon. Ingana akong trabaho sa balay. (In the house? I’m not the mayor in our house. I’m the one who gets the busted bulbs changed, the plumbing fixed. No one will notice these if I don’t. That’s my job at home),” she said. Earlier in their marriage, she and her husband had decided on how to split housework. “The grocery, water bills, and energy bills, are handled by my husband. All the rest are mine. The house help, this and that,” the mayor said in dialect. Unless there are emergencies or she needs to attend events of the city, the mayor said her day starts when her 4-year old daughter Sharkie, real name Mikhaila Maria Duterte-Carpio, wakes her up.

for her, I cancel my event just to comply. Siya gyud ang priority. (She’s my top priority)” she said. “I’m with her mornings and evenings. Usually I do not accept invitations at night so most of the time I’m home by 8 or 9pm. By then (my daughter) will be at our room ready to sleep,” she said, After her daughter falls asleep, she goes to work. “I answer e-mails and what needs to be done sa internet,” she said. Last February, DuterteCarpio said she wants to adopt again, Sharkie being legally adopted. The mayor however said her hectic schedule constraints her intention to become a foster parent to another child. “I want to have more children, kasi malungkot ang bahay pag walang bata,” Duterte-Carpio said during an

ako imong paborito.’ Ang paborito man ka yang elsest namo. Muana siya ‘Dili, paborito tamo tanan.’ Ana ko, ‘Dili oi’ Muana pud siya, ‘O, dili tika paborito kay maldita ka.’ (I’d say ‘I’m not your favorite’ because the favorite is our eldest. And then she’d respond ‘No, you’re all my favorite’ then I’d say ‘That’s not true’ and she’s answer back ‘Yes, you’re not my favorite because you’re maldita’)” DuterteCarpio said. Full-time mayor When asked about her father, the mayor could not hide her discomfort. “Ay nako diyos ko Lord. Dili. Dili lagi. Dili masabtan sa mga tao nga we’re a family pero… ingana ra gyud mi nga pamilya. (A lot of people do not understand our dynamics as a family. It’s just the way we are)” Duterte-Carpio said. “Wala lagi mi naga istorya

sa family,” she said. Duterte-Carpio added that while she was in high school she and her siblings never got to see much of their father. “Kay siyempre, unsang oras na to siya naga-uli. Naga-sulod gud mi ug high school, 8 am to 5pm, so dili gyud mi mag-abot. Pag-muabot siya tulog mi. Pagmulakaw mi tulog siya because he comes home at 4 to 5 in the morning.So siguro iyahang passion sa iyahang trabaho naka-apekto,” she said. The mayor however added that during Christmas, Vice Mayor Rody made sure he’s present at the table. He still does. Duterte-Carpio said Vice Mayor Duterte has now “mellowed down.” “I think karon medyo ga lie-low na siya. Ang iyang approach being a father is different na karon sa iyahang isa ka daughter. Kay siguro tigulang

her daughter to grow up a good person. “I hope she grows to become a person with integrity and love for country and love for family,” she said. Taking from the list of things women do, this reporter asked if the mayor also cooks at home prompting her to admit that she doesn’t know how to cook. “Of course not. I don’t know how to cook. I don’t know how to buy food at the public market. I don’t even know how to scrutinize whether a fish is fresh,” Duterte-Carpio said in dialect. “Pero kabalo ko mag-init. (But I know how to heat stuff)” she said. Asked whether she meant “heating water,” the mayor yes, but argued that “Hoy, pero pwede na na siya makaluto og itlog (But you can already cook an egg with that).”

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ENTERTAINMENT

Pinoy rock icon Karl Roy passes away O

ne of the prolific icons in the Pinoy rock scene, Karl Roy passed away early morning Tuesday (March 13) As confirmed from the Facebook account of his sister Kathryn Roy.

“It is with deepest sadness that I share the news of Karl’s passing. He was called Home today at 1:01 a.m. Manila time (Tuesday, March 13th), surrounded by those who loved him most – mommy, Keith, Kevin, Krys, his daughter Arianna, and our cousin Jack (Roy-Duavit),” Though the cause of death was not stated, it was known that the vocalist of bands such as Advent Call, P.O.T and Kapatid is suffering from a delicate heart condition, In 2008 his fellow musicians mounted a benefit concert after he suffered a series of strokes. Considered as the

purveyor of the country’s indie rock music Karl Roy was known as the frontman of the band Advent Call during the resurgence of Pinoy rock in the 1990s. After the band disbanded, Roy moved on to funk rock group P.O.T despite releasing only one eponymous album in 1997, it is still considered as one of the seminal masterpieces of Pinoy rock during the glorious decade. Later Karl Roy would form the band Kapatid along with rock industry’s heavyweights; nathan Azarcon (Bamboo) bass, J-Hoon Balbuena (Kjwan) drums, Ira Cruz (Passage and Bamboo) on rhythm guitars and the late Chico Molina on lead guitars. Despite evolving landscapes of the local music industry and changing band members, Karl Roy and Kapatid continued to plod on performing in numerous gigs and concerts across the country slowly earning a core of die-hard fans and admirers.

Waiting for the smile

WITH a villainous turn in this month’s Mirror Mirror, Julia Roberts takes her own fairy tale in a new direction. Sam Kashner sits in on Roberts’s heart-to-heart with the legendary Mike Nichols, who directed her in Closer and Charlie Wilson’s War, while the two chums chart the road to happily ever after. Read more about Julia Roberts and her classic smile in the April 2012 issue of Vanity Fair. Photographs by Mario Sorrenti.

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge! WELLNESS

Risks of sleeping pills

provocative new study finds that people who take prescription sleeping pills -even once in a while -- have a higher death risk than non-users. The top third of sleepingpill users had a 5.3fold higher death risk. They also had a 35% higher risk of cancer, the study found. “We are not certain. But it looks like sleeping pills could be as risky as smoking cigarettes. It looks much more dangerous to take these pills than to treat insomnia another way,” says study leader Daniel F. Kripke, MD.

The sleeping pills in question are known as hypnotics. They include newer drugs such as zolpidem (the best known brand name is Ambien) as well as older drugs such as temazepam (the best known brand name is Restoril). Hypnotic sleeping pills actually cause a person to fall asleep. This sets them apart from other sleeping aids, such as the supplement melatonin, which promote sleep through relaxation. Other sleep drugs described as hypnotics by Kripke and colleagues include eszopiclone (Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata), triazolam (Halcion), flurazepam (Dalmane), barbiturates, and older antihistamines such as diphenhydramine. Kripke, emeritus professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, began looking at a possible link between sleeping pills and death risk in 1975. Since then, he and others have published 18 studies that found a link. In their latest study, Kripke’s team analyzed 2002-2007 data from a large Pennsylvania health system. They obtained medical records for 10,529 people who were prescribed hypnotic sleeping pills and for 23,676 matched patients who were never prescribed sleeping pills. Over an average of 2.5 years, the death rate for those who did not use sleeping pills was 1.2%. It was 6.1% for people with sleeping pill prescriptions. Even those prescribed 18 or fewer sleeping pills a year had a 3.6-fold higher death risk. Based on these find-

VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

ings, Kripke and colleagues estimate that sleeping pills are linked to 320,000 to 507,000 U.S. deaths each year. “We think these sleeping pills are very dangerous. We think they cause death. We think they cause cancers,” Kripke says. “It is possible but not proven that reducing the use of these pills would lower the U.S. death rate.” Most of the people in the Kripke study were taking Ambien or Restoril. Sanofi-Aventis, the maker of Ambien, notes that the Kripke study has a number of shortcomings. “Ambien has more than 17 years of realworld experience and is safe and effective when prescribed and taken according to its labeling,” says Sanofi. “Ambien should be prescribed in strict adherence to its labeling and patients should take their medication as prescribed. The Ambien labeling carries specific warnings against driving and against intake of alcohol together with Ambien.” In 2010, as many as 1 in 10 Americans used one of the sleeping pills in the Kripke study. Can they really be that deadly? Experts consulted note that the Kripke study certainly raises a red flag. But they all note that this study -- a lookback study based on patients for whom there is incomplete information -- is not proof that sleeping pills kill. This “very provocative and interesting study raises a lot of questions,” says Nancy Collop, MD, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and director of the Sleep Center at Emory University School of Medicine. “However, you cannot assume, just because you find this kind of association, that hypnotics are killing people,” says Collop. “People who go on sleeping pills are a sicker population. I know they tried to control for that, but these people simply are not as healthy.” Bryan Bruno, MD, chair of psychiatry at New York’s Lenox Hill

Hospital, notes that the actual number of people who died in the study is small. “This does not establish any direct causeand-effect relationship between hypnotic use and death,” says Bruno. “But it does remind us that these drugs have risks, and even mortality, associated with them.” Michael Yurcheshen, MD, head of the sleep fellowship program and assistant professor of neurology at the University of Rochester, N.Y., notes that much can be missed in a study that looks back at medical records rather than at the patients themselves. “It is implausible to think that so many of these medications, spread across several different drug classes, could have the same biological effects,” says Yurcheshen. “One part of the Kripke study I really did like is when they point out that part of the prob-

lem with hypnotics is they are really best for people with acute, short episodes of insomnia,” Yurcheshen says. “Very few insomnia drugs are approved for long-term daily use. And so it is fair to say that the long-term safety of these drugs has never been explored for use in that way.” Collop says she personally is “torn whether hypnotics are good or bad.” She notes that it can be harmful to be dependent on hypnotic sleeping pills for a long period of time. They can help a person who is having a hard time falling asleep for some specific reason. “These sleeping pills are mostly for shortterm use,” she says. “So the ideal patient would be someone with a very high stress level for some reason, such as the recent loss of loved one or a divorce, or for a traveler adjusting to a new time

zone. This should be for a limited time period and only as needed, not on a nightly basis. In such situations these drugs are appropriate and effective.” Bruno notes that hypnotic sleeping pills affect the quality of sleep. When used too often, he says, “people don’t feel as restored after sleeping with them.” He also points out that many hypnotic sleeping pills are habit forming. “For those at risk of addiction, or with other addictions, they can be dangerous,” he says. “And most of these drugs increase the effects of alcohol.” It may sound surprising, but sleeping pills are not the best way to treat insomnia. The drugs clearly help people with shortterm trouble getting to sleep. But for most insomnia sufferers, they are not the answer. Bruno says that even

when he prescribes hypnotic sleeping pills, he educates patients on proper sleep hygiene. “This means basic education about the importance of a regular bedtime, a regular time to wake, avoiding naps, avoiding extreme physical exercise in the evening, and saving the bedroom for sleep,” he says. Kripke and all of the other experts agree that a form of short-term psychotherapy -- cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT -- is surprisingly effective for people with chronic insomnia. Collop says it’s time to see a sleep specialist if you have tried sleeping pills and they don’t work any more. Looking for another brand of sleeping pill will not work. Think twice before popping that sleeping pill. Try alternative means before resorting to sleep inducing drugs. And consult your doctor always.

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Sports

VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

Bulls deal Knicks th 6 straight loss C

HICAGO—Derrick Rose scored 32 points and the Chicago Bulls beat New York 104-99 on Monday night, handing the Knicks their sixth straight loss. Rose shot 12 of 29 from the floor and had six rebounds and seven assists as the Bulls got their 10th win in 11 games. Taj Gibson had 15 points and a team-high 13 boards for Chicago, which outrebounded New ork 56-38. The Bulls entered the game leading the league in rebounding margin. Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points and Amare Stoudemire added 20 for the Knicks, but the two combined for just seven points in the fourth quarter as the Bulls pulled away. Jeremy Lin had 15

points and eight assists for New York, but shot just 4 of 11 from the floor and had little luck stopping Rose. The Knicks have lost six straight for the second time this season and, combined with Milwaukee’s win at New Jersey, are now tied with the Bucks for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. New York has lost eight of 10 since Anthony returned to the lineup from an injury on Feb. 20. Carlos Boozer scored 15 points and Joakim Noah had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls. Rookie Jimmy Butler played a key role with eight points in 29 minutes, making several big energy plays to excite the sellout crowd. The Bulls’ dominance on the boards led

CHINESE INVASION. China’s Li Yue Ny (left) and Yan Qian Ting in action during the ITF-Asia 14-Under

to the key basket of the game midway through the fourth quarter. With the shot clock expiring, Rose flipped up a long shot that bounced off the back of the rim, but Gibson chased down the rebound, bringing the United Center crowd to its feet. Then Rose cut behind Lin, who had turned his head, took a bounce pass from Noah and threw down a thunderous, onehanded dunk to put the Bulls ahead 91-84 with 6:01 to play. A couple of minutes later, Butler put an exclamation point on his performance by roaring in from the baseline to dunk Boozer’s missed shot. Anthony hit a 3 to cut the lead to four with 49.8 seconds remaining but that was as close as the Knicks got.

Developmental Championship at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Chinese roll past rivals in Asian jrs tennis C HINESE Li Yue Nv and Yan Qian Ting of China overpowered their respective rivals in yesterday’s rain-drenched start of the ITF Asia 14 and Under Development Championships–Division I Week 2 to cruise into the second round at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center. Foiled by compatriot Cao Si Qi for the girls’ title in Week I of the ITF Ranking event last Saturday, Li cranked up her game early and swept Indonesia’s Aulia Rosma Pramudani, 6-0, 6-0, to set up a clash with the winner of the No. 15 Chen Tzu Hui of Chinese Taipei-Daria Sevchenko of Kazakhstan being played at press time. Li, the top seed in Week One, dropped a 1-6, 1-6 setback to an in-form Cao in the finals but is out

to redeem herself this week and gain another title crack in this week-long tournament put up by the International Tennis Federation in cooperation with the Philippine Tennis Association. The fourth-ranked Yan, on the other hand, walloped local bet Ma. Dominique Ong, 6-0, 6-1, to likewise advance against the victor between No. 13 Valeriya Popova of Uzbekistan and Yus Syazlin Yusri of Malaysia in the tournament backed by the Philippine Tennis Academy, Mariposa Foundation, Dunlop Fort Balls, Magnolia Purewater and Century Park Hotel. Most of the matches were delayed due to intermittent rains. Fil-Am Meredith Jones, seeded 11th, was

one game away from disposing of Choi Seo In of Korea after leading 6-4, 5-0, before rains forced the organizers to halt the match. Also leading before the rain delays in the event, supported by Fresh Fruits, Fiesta Brands, Cebuana Lhuillier, Phinma and the Philippine Sports Commission, were No. 3 Pranjala Yadlapalli of India against the Phl’s Maia Bernadette Balce, 7-6 (2), 2-1, Rifanty Dwi Kahfiani of Indonesia over No. 16 Jacinta Yuan Sze Chen of Hong Kong, 6-3, 4-2, and Vanshika Swashney of India against Nurin Nabila Roslan of Malaysia, 6-3, 4-1. Ingrid Mariz Gonzales was also ahead of No. 7 Gozal Ainitdinova of Kazakhstan, 3-0, before their duel was halted.

NO MATCH. Chicago Bulls guard Derek Rose moves past Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks in their NBA match won by the Bulls. The Knicks went down to their sixth straight loss.

NU wins UAAP baseball title

ANILA (PNA) -“Good teams win games, but great teams win championships.” With this proposition, inculcated in their players’ mind, the National University Bulldogs finally reaped the fruits of their threeyear build up program by winning the 74TH UAAP baseball championship. It’s NU’s only third title since forming the “Big Three,” along with the University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas. The three separated from the NCAA and organized the varsity league in 1938. The latest championship was NU’s third since completing a back-to-back feat in the 1965-66 and 1966-67 season. Baseball, actually, is the only team sport where NU athletes reign supreme in the varsity league. This started in the Bulldogs’ glorious years in

the 60s when Jose “Pepe” Pinga, acknowledged as the finest short stop Philippine baseball has produced, Simplicio Castillo, Roberto Ballesteros, Toti Ballesteros and Gay Concepcion were battling the likes of legends Filomeno “Boy” Codinera, Reynaldo “Baby” Manzanarez and Rudy Lugay in both the collegiate and commercial leaagues. “If possible, we want to build an NU dynasty in baseball to give honor to “Mommy” (Leticia) Paguia whose spirit has kept baseball alive in the UAAP even years after her death, Zamora said. The late “Mommy” Paguia is still acknowledged as the matriarch of the baseball and softball movement in the country and had been a long-time high-ranking officials of both the Baseball Federation of Asia and the Amateur Softball AssociationAsia (ASA-Asia), she helped organize.

TEBOW-WENG. Weng Sasuman of M78 United FC, a second division club taking part in the ongoing DFA Second Division League, does a Tim Tebow in this action against Solido Youth. M7 will be among the teams expected to take part in the forthcoming PSC-DFA Jose Te Memorial Football Festival. (Dapoy Diamante)

SPORTS RATES Eastern Conference Standings Atlantic Philadelphia Boston New York Toronto New Jersey Central Chicago Indiana Milwaukee Cleveland Detroit Southeast Miami Orlando Atlanta Washington Charlotte

W 25 21 18 14 13 W 35 23 18 16 15 W 31 27 24 9 6

L 17 19 24 29 28 L 9 16 24 23 27 L 9 15 17 31 34

Western Conference Standings Southwest San Antonio Dallas Houston Memphis New Orleans Northwest Oklahoma City Denver Portland Minnesota Utah Pacific LA Clippers LA Lakers Golden State Phoenix Sacramento 1 2 3 T4 T4 T6 T6 T8 T8 T8 T8 12 T13 T13 T13 T13 T17 T17 T17 T20 T20 T20 T20 T24 T24 T24 T24 T24 T29 T29 T29 T29 T29 T29 T35 T35 T35 T35 T35 T35 T35 T35

W 27 24 23 22 10 W 32 23 21 20 20 W 25 23 19 17 14

Justin Rose Bubba Watson Rory McIlroy Charl Schwartzel Peter Hanson John Senden Luke Donald Bo Van Pelt Steve Stricker Matt Kuchar Keegan Bradley Aaron Baddeley Francesco Molinari Graeme McDowell Adam Scott Johnson Wagner Nick Watney Charles Howell III Zach Johnson Robert Karlsson Jason Day Greg Chalmers Martin Kaymer Marcus Fraser Robert Rock Thomas Bjorn Martin Laird Hunter Mahan Bill Haas Garth Mulroy Jason Dufner Gary Woodland Anders Hansen Lee Westwood Dustin Johnson Branden Grace Nicolas Colsaerts Juvic Pagunsan Chez Reavie Jonathan Byrd K.J. Choi Webb Simpson

L 13 16 20 20 32 L 9 19 21 21 21 L 16 16 21 21 27 272 273 274 275 275 276 276 277 277 277 277 278 279 279 279 279 280 280 280 281 281 281 281 282 282 282 282 282 283 283 283 283 283 283 284 284 284 284 284 284 284 284

SPORTS

VOL.5 ISSUE 8 • MARCH 14, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

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

Koronadal

Gen. Santos Drive, Koronadal City Telefax No.: (083) 520-0816 Mobile No.: 0922-843-9427 email: manggorio09@yahoo.com

PHOENIX MARATHON. Arnold Unabia of Tangub City (middle) receives his P30,000 prize money for winning the recent Araw ng Dabaw Phoenix Marathon. Debbie Uy of Phoenix Petroleum (second from left) awarded

the prize to Unabia who won the 42-kilometer centerpiece event. (ScoopDavao photo)

That’s a mismatch, Manny PSC-DFA Jose Te Memorial football festival March 17-18 By Neil Bravo

General Santos T

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HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DECISIONS.

HE Davao Football Association will be staging the first ever PSC-DFA Jose Te Memorial Football Festival will be held on March 17-18 at the Tionko football field. DFA President Edward “Chaya” Lam said the two-day tournament will be held as part of the celebration of the 75 th ArawngDabaw and in commemoration of the revered late football coach Jose “Sensei” Te. The festival-type event is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission with no less than PSC Executive Director Atty. Guillermo, Iroy, Jr. attending the opening and awarding ceremonies. Iroy is a product of Te’s coaching program and is one of Davao’s finest football products. “We would like to honor Sensei for his great contribution to the sport and to us whom he guided. We owe it all to him,” said Iroy in a text message. “This is our contribution to the ArawngDabaw and we are hoping that our football players will support this event. We are proud to have a Sensei Te in Davao who really put Davao in the football map,” Lam added. Davao won several

national championships and PalarongPambansa titles in the 90s under the stewardship of Te. DFA Technical head Albert Ryan Lim, meantime bared that nine categories from age group to Men’s and Women’s Open will be played. The categories are: Boys born 1997 & later Maximum Number of Teams: 12 Date: 17 March (Saturday) Girls – Elementary Maximum Number of Teams: 6 Date: 17 March (Saturday) Boys born 1999 & later Maximum Number of Teams: 12 Date: 17 March (Saturday) Boys born 2001 & later Maximum Number of Teams: 12 Date: 17 March (Saturday) Boys / girls born 2003 & later Maximum Number of Teams: 6 Date: 17 March (Saturday) Boys / girls born 2005 & later Maximum Number of Teams: 6 Date: 17 March (Saturday) Women’s Open Date: 18 March (Sunday) Men’s Open Date: 18 March (Sunday)

Manny Pacquiao, busy with his congressional work, could also be a busy man in the courts. After signing up to fight Timothy Bradley, Manny found himself fighting two other battles. One with the BIR and one with a mediaman. In the BIR case, Manny is the respondent. In the mediaman’s case, he is the complainant. The BIR case stemmed from Manny’s apparent failure to submit tax documents. He has asked for a reconsideration and time for filing the required documents to the government tax agency. The case with the BIR is a contempt case for Manny’s failure to submit documents like copies of his endorsement contracts and fight earnings overseas despite three notices made by the BIR. A contempt case is not in the same gravity as a tax evasion case. For what it’s worth, the BIR case was a good publicity for the embattled tax agency fishing a big catch like Manny—a billionaire congressmanboxer, although I am not saying this is a stunt. Good thing it was just a contempt case. I wonder if an ordinary businessman who fails to submit his tax documents would merit a similar simple contempt case. As far as this case is concerned, Manny will surely get a reconsideration in the end. And now for the other case—a libel case filed by Manny against Edwin Espejo of General Santos City, chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Socksargen chapter, who also writes a column for the EDGE. This one must have hurt Manny so bad he demanded P75 Million for damages. In his entire career, Manny could not have hurt himself in the ring worth that much. Now all of a sudden, one blow from a journalist hurt him bad. The kneejerk reaction to file a libel case really

surprised me. Unlike the oral defamation he filed against Floyd Mayweather, this case could have been prematurely thought of. I will not pass judgment upon Manny’s camp jumping on the libel charges but what I am saying is for a Congressman, an issue like that in the Espejo report could have been better dealt with by ascertaining the truth. When the report says a suspected criminal is hiding inside his mansion, prudence dictates he answer the charges or better yet diligently search his entire mansion if indeed a fugitive is hiding inside. But filing a P75 Million libel suit could be outrageous. Was he hurt that bad? On the lighter side, this gives the court easily P7.5 M in filing fees from the boxer-congressman— he can throw that much, that easy. Is Manny getting very sensitive? I wonder. If Manny’s promoter Bob Arum is saying Manny’s endgame is not Mayweather but the Presidency, this sensitivity surely does not speak well of his political construction. As a journalist, Edwin could not in his lifetime earn P75 Million, much less pay Manny that amount. On Manny’s part, P75 Million is but three minutes and 5 seconds of boxing or just one round and 5 seconds in the ring. That’s the mismatch. Maybe Manny could well be fast with the filing of his tax documents, rather than filing a libel case. That will define a fine example of a public servant and a taxpayer.