Edge Davao 6 Issue 10 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VOL.6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

Have a soulful Holy Week everyone

LENTEN BREAK. Churchgoers attend mass at San Pedro Cathedral along San Pedro Street, Davao City on Wednesday. Catholic faithful are expected to go on traditional church visits or “Visita Iglesia” as part of Holy Week observance. Lean Daval Jr.

INdulge

Page A1

Rocking the mall

Ilagan raps PNoy ON MAGNA CARTA FOR THE POOR VETO

By EJ Dominic Fernandez

Sports

Page 16

ack of government funds is not a valid excuse for President Benigno aquino to veto the proposed Magna carta for the Poor bill, according to one of its coauthors. Gabriela Rep. congresswoman Luzviminda Ilagan said in an interview with Edge Davao, “What can you expect from a

president who comes from a rich family, he does not understand the needs of the poor?” Through the legislation process, there are implementing rules and regulations to help agencies determine the amount needed, and the P3 trilFILAGAN RAPS PNOY, 11

It’s Sabah not Sabah, Malaysia

hE Department of Foreign affairs has called on all government agencies not to refer to Sabah as part of Malaysia due to an existing Philippine claim over the resource-rich territory.

Sweet revenge

In an inter-agency meeting Tuesday at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management council, lawyer Roy Ecraela of the DFa’s Office of Special concerns said Mem-

FIT’S SABAH , 11

SECURITY CHECK. Southern Mindanao regional police director Jaime Morente (left) and Davao City police chief Ronald Dela Rosa (right) conduct routine security inspection at the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal as the volume of passengers going on a Holy Week travel increased on Wednesday. Lean Daval Jr.

2 THE BIG NEWS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

DPWH 11 clarifies “Wednesday only” policy

EDGEDAVAO

By Cherry Mae D. Palicte

hE Department of Public Works and highways (DPWh) backtracked on its earlier pronouncement to limit media interviews only on Wednesdays. In an interview with Edge Davao, Dennis Flores, DPWh information officer, said the “Wednesday only” policy is a carry-over rule from DPWh regional director Mariano alquiza during his tour of duty in cordillera and Ilocos regions. Flores clarified that they can accommodate media interviews on other days provided they seek appointment and provide an interview brief. Flores clarified that the director will only entertain media “if it is really important, but during the setting of appointment, the director should

be oriented about the issues that he will be answering.” DPWh top officials announced last March 21 during a press conference that their schedule for media queries is scheduled only on Wednesdays. This left the media groping to find answers on matters of public concern involving the agency. Flores said that the “Wednesday only” schedule was imposed by alquiza since he assumed office last June 25, 2012. “he found out that it worked well with him and the media,” he added. Government offices like the DPWh are required to observe transparency as provided under the right to information provision of the constitution especially on matters of public concern.

GETTING READY FOR “SUGAT”. This elevated structure which will be used for the traditional “Sugat” (the meeting of resurrected Jesus Christ and

Virgin Mary) is erected by volunteer workers along San Pedro Street, Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Dabawenyos “fed up” with politicians, say a

For Holy Week

Police, military observe heightened alert status

By EJ Dominic Fernandez

aBaWENyOS are “fed up” with the same faces of politicians and their promises. This was the majority of the opinion coming from prominent personalities after Edge asked them for their take on why there was only a small crowd in attendance during the rallies of Team PNoy and the United Nationalist alliance (UNa) in Davao city. Gabriela Rep. congresswoman Luzviminda Ilagan said that the rallies had the same faces and the same promises. “The new candidates are replicas of traditional politicians who happen to be their fathers,” she said. “also, it is a mid-term election, it is not viewed to be exciting and finan-

cially beneficial to the electorate and there were no big stars who accompanied the political parties during their rallies,” she said. a police officer who requested anonymity said, “I can just speculate that the present candidates are less appealing to the public and perhaps the voters are tired of seeing the same faces again.” Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Davao city chapter outgoing president, Jonathan Jocom thinks that the people are fed up with politicians. “They (political candidates) spend too much of our money, some even go to bogus beneficiaries, they should shape up, otherwise the people will rise up to change them

and the system,” he said. Regional Development council (RDc) vice-chairman Vic Lao also thinks that the people are fed up with the old promises of politicians. “It might be time to shift to a parliamentary form of government wherein the party takes charge of the programs of the government and will be answerable to the people,” he said. Davao association of catholic Schools (DacS) executive director Jimmie-Loe dela Vega enumerated six reasons why only a few people attended the rallies of Team PNoy and UNa here. First is that people are seeing more of the same politicians, second is that there is no need to sweat under the heat of the sum-

mer sun to join the rallies because people can easily get information through technology such as television and the Internet. Third is the stricter rule of the commission on Election (comelec) on campaign materials and strategies, especially tightening the budget on campaign funds. “Fourth is that the people are more fascinated with the more entertaining side of the news such as the kris-James and the chiz-heart controversies,” he said. Fifth is that the Reproductive health Bill controversy is too strong, and sixth is that the Filipino electorate are getting more educated and mature. according to amnesty International-Philippines (aIPh) Mindanao coordinator hope Fernandez, “the people are disillusioned with the electoral process.”

UThORITIES have heightened the security measures in the city to ensure the safety of residents and visitors during the observance of the holy Week. Senior Superintendent Ronald de la Rosa, director of the Davao city Police Office, said police and military personnel under Task Force Davao are deployed in churches, terminals, seaports, airports and other places of convergence to monitor and act immediately on contingencies. he said tighter security checks will be imposed at the Davao city Overland Transport Terminal in Ecoland, Sasa Wharf, and the Davao International airport. “We will observe maximum police visibility in areas where people gather for the holy Week celebration,” De la Rosa said. he said five hundred policemen will be deployed for the occasion. De la Rosa also called on all policemen to reflect on the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus christ even while on duty. “you can reflect on the teachings of christ even

uips

‘THE obligation of a licensed recruitment agency to its hired OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) does not end upon their deployment to the worksite. The employment agency has the continuous obligation to ensure protection of workers, especially domestic workers.’

DEVOTEE. A Catholic devotee checks on statues sold outside San Pedro Cathedral along San Pedro Street, Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

--Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz

at the time we are serving the people,” he said. De la Rosa also urged local residents to be wary of the security of their houses once they leave to attend religious services. he advised residents to lock all windows and doors and not give opportunity for break-ins. Lt. colonel Roberto Rivas, deputy commanding officer of the Task Force Davao said the military supports the security measures being implemented by the police in all public places. he said tighter checks have been imposed at the established choke points in Barangay Sirawan, Toril in the south, Barangay Lacson, calinan in the north and Barangay Bunawan in the northeast as part of the measures to prevent crime and acts of terror. “We call on the riding public to cooperate with checkpoint operations since it is for their own safety,” Rivas said. he also said tighter checks on baggage are also strictly observed at the overland terminal to ensure the safety of travellers. [RGa/JSD/PIa 11]

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 •THURSDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

4 SUBURBIA

VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Former banker takes seat as new chairperson of Tagum Cooperative F

ORMER bank manager Miriam Baloyo now takes the seat as chairperson of the Board of Directors of the billionaire home-grown Tagum cooperative replacing Norma Pereyras who will be taking a break after serving three consecutive terms as an elected official. Baloyo earned the favor of the members of the Board of Directors and officers present during the election conducted Monday night which was immediately followed by a simple turn-over and oath-taking ceremony of the 2013-2014 Tagum cooperative set of officers who were inducted into office by atty. Jennifer Namoc. her stint as the Philippine National Bank branch manager in Tagum city and in Monteverde, Davao city placed her as former chairperson of the credit committee of Tagum cooperative before she became a member of the Board of Directors with which she served her second year before finally getting into position as the concurrent chairperson. aside from Baloyo, other recently inducted officers of Tagum cooperative included Monica L. Salido, vice chairperson of the Board of Directors; Nenita Malbas and Edgardo T. Silagan as new members

of the Board of Directors while albert M. Omega was re-elected into the Board of Directors. Other members of the Board of Director are antonio aranas and Fe adlawan who both are serving their second year of their current terms. In her acceptance speech, Baloyo bared two major concerns she would like her administration to focus on: financial sustainability and promotion of social responsibility for the marginalized members of Tagum cooperative. She acknowledged the “gigantic challenge” to equal or surpass the past administration’s performance but she expressed confidence to hit the “higher bar of achievement.” “Let us continue to innovate, to persevere in our respective roles and responsibilities, and to consistently work hard for that aim of socio-economic sustainability,” she urged fellow members of the Board of Directors, officers, key management officers and management staff. aside from sustaining the economic viability of Tagum cooperative as a self-sustaining cooperative with P1.8 billion assets as of end of 2012, Baloyo wanted to steer the cooperative towards transforming the economic plight of

members who have less in life. She wanted that to ensure that marginalized members would “achieve economic growth in the same pace as Tagum cooperative grows.” She was glad to note that the Savings and credit with Eduction (ScWE) store recently established at the heart of Tagum city Public Market generated sales of about P52,00 in just 17 days.

citing such performance, she believes that Tagum cooperative can become an “agent for income generation that can help members in the marginalized and disadvantaged sectors”. “We can develop products and services that will empower them and promote self-reliance and self-improvement,” she said. On the other hand, Baloyo was inducted into

office along with other elected officers of Tagum cooperative. Mark Mahinay takes the seat as the new chairperson of the audit committee, vice chaired by Brendo Bayocot with Rose Torrejano as the secretary. atty. Jennifer Namoc now chairs the Election committee vice chaired by Edgardo apuya with Flordeliza alegarbes as the secretary. In giving her turnover

rangays,”” he added. “Maski taga-dughan na ang tubig ga-alsa gihapon mi para sa sand bagging. Para man gihapon gud ni sa atoang tanan busa dapat magtinabangay ta (Even though the water is chest deep, we still helped in the sand bagging of the damaged dike. This is for us so it is just right that we help each other),” expressed Samuel casuga, a resident of Barangay Ising. Samuel is a Purok Leader at Barangay Ising. at 70 years old, he still is very active especially in community activities. “ang amoang balay naabtan sa tubig ug naapektuhan ang amoang basakan ug mga binuhi nga baboy. apan bisan luyo niana, ginapaningkamutan gyud namo nga motabang sa kalihokan sa komunidad (Our house was flooded. Our rice field and piggery were affected. But these did not

stop us from helping),” he shared. There are 40 cFW recipients in Ising. “Naa may uban tingali nga nagbagulbol apan diri sa Barangay Ising, dako gyud kaayo ang natabang sa DSWD (There may be others who keep on grumbling but here in Barangay Ising, DSWD has helped us a lot),” he continued. Samuel’s younger brother Ricardo casuga, 58, also a resident of Barangay Ising is also very thankful to the department. “Dako kaayo ang amoang pasalamat sa DSWD sa relief assistance nga gihatag nila diri sa lungsod sa carmen. ang relief goods nga ilahang ginahatag amoa gayud nga gina-diretso og hatod sa mga residente nga nanginahanglan (We are very grateful to DSWD for the relief assistance it has been extended in carmen. The relief goods that they provided were readily given to those

who are in need),” Ricardo said. The cash For Work (cFW) project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provides temporary work to those individuals who are affected by ‘Pablo’. cFW workers render a 10-day labor by helping in the clearing of debris; building of temporary shelter; clearing of roads, school grounds, tent sites, barangay hall gounds; repair of chapels; coastal clean-up; fencing of school grounds; cleaning of market site; repair of canals, dikes and puroks; and other relief operations-related work. Upon completion of the 10-day work, each cFW participant will receive P 2,260 remuneration. DSWD disbursed P 1,130,000.00 total amount of cFW in a payout conducted in the municipality recently. [DSWD]

EASTER SUNDAY BUY. A parent examines angel costumes up for sale near the St. Augustine Cathedral in Cagayan de Oro City on March 25, 2013. [MindaNews/Froilan Gallardo]

Carmen town commends DSWD’s “Cash For Work”

hOUGh not roughly-hit by ‘Pablo’ as compared to the seven heavily affected areas in compostela Valley and Davao Oriental, the Municipality of carmen in Davao del Norte is one of the most frequently flooded areas in the Region. “The January 20 deluge here in carmen left five barangays heavily flooded. Severely-affected barangays are Mabaus, Salvacion, Guadalupe, Tuganay and Ising,” shared carmen Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Designate Noli Blasquez. “cash For Work has really helped our municipality in clearing our canals which is one of the major causes of the flooding. Some of the workers helped in clearing riverbanks, sand bagging of the damaged dike, and repair of damaged puroks. There are 500 cFW recipients in 14 ba-

remarks, Pereyras expressed hopes that Tagum cooperative officers together with the management staff would continue to bear in their hearts the consciousness that “Tagum cooperative is our apostolate.” She stressed the Godcenteredness core value of Tagum cooperative which also values trustworthiness and unified competence. [Tagum cooperative]

SouthCot pols heeding bishop’s appeal to start campaign Monday OLITIcaL camps in South cotabato province have decided to delay the start of their campaigning until next week in observance of the holy Week or Lenten holidays. Leaders of the local Liberal Party-National People’s coalition (LP-NPc), Lakas-christian Muslim Democrats (cMD) and United Nationalist alliance (UNa) parties made such decision in response to an appeal from Diocese of Marbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez for local politicians “to devote the holy Week to God.” he urged them instead to just start their campaign activities on Monday next week or a day after Easter Sunday. “after that (Easter Sunday), they’re free to do anything they want,” Gutierrez said. The bishop reminded candidates to focus their campaigning on issues affecting their constituency and refrain from hurling personal

attacks. South cotabato (2nd District) Rep. Daisy avance-Fuentes, who is running for governor under the LP-NPc ticket, said they decided to start campaigning on Monday or april 1. “We at the provincial level will abide (with the bishop’s request). I think the holy Week is a time for us to do some spiritual reflection,” she said. But Fuentes said she could not assure whether the group’s municipal level candidates would also defer their campaigning until Monday. “I’ve been asking my mayoral candidates to just postpone their activities until april 1 but there were some who are really eager to start early,” she said. Lakas-cMD gubernatorial bet Fernando Miguel, who has not fielded a full provincial slate, said he will not begin his campaign activities until april 3. [allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews]

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 •THURSDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

For Holy Week, Cayetano stresses love for family I

FOR RE-ELECTION. Gov. Emmylou “Lala” Taliño-Mendoza who delivers her State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Tuesday at the Provincial Capitol in AMAS, Kidapawan

City will be challenged once again by former governor Manny Piñol for the gubernatorial seat of North Cotabato. Lean Daval Jr.

T was a weekend of celebrations as the cayetanos trooped as one family not only to support Senator alan cayetano in his reelection campaign but to celebrate a birthday and a wedding anniversary as well. Senator alan and his wife Taguig city Mayor Lani cayetano celebrated their 9th wedding anniversary last weekend along with the rest of the cayetano siblings Senator Pia, businessman Ren and director Lino. The oldest of the brood, Senator Pia, also celebrated her birthday making it a double treat for the tight-knit family. “We’ve always been close as a family. So when they learned that I had to go to Bicol for my campaign, they decided to all go to support me and to celebrate the wonderful occasions happen-

ing in our family,” Senator alan said. cayetano was in the Bicol region last weekend as part of his PTk Listening Tour - a series of events where he holds discussions with various sectors of Philippine society to learn of their needs related to PTk: Presyo, Trabaho, kita. While in the region, he was able to talk to tourism operators and surfing instructors in Daet, camarines Norte; elementary teachers and daycare workers in Naga; students of the Bicol State University and barangay officials in Legazpi, albay. For their anniversary, Senator alan and Mayor Lani made a quick stop to Tiwi, albay to pay a visit to Lani’s paternal side of the family who hails from the region. They grabbed their favorite halo-halo at the DJc restaurant established by Lola Telet,

Lani’s grandmother. cayetano cemented his title as a family man as his love for his family shone brightly as he took time away from his busy campaign schedule to plan a small birthday celebration for his older sister Senator Pia with the help of siblings Ren and Lino. “These are the moments that are truly special to me. My siblings and I always have the best fun simply because we support each other no matter what,” he said. cayetano underscored the need to preserve such values especially in these modern times when it is so easy to just take family values for granted. he urged Filipinos to take the time to just treasure their families and commit to upholding the values of respect, love, and faithfulness during the holy Week.

acIONaLISTa Party-Team PNoy senatorial candidate cynthia Villar said the 111 livelihood projects she built in the country is just too small as there are 1,600 towns and municipalities across the nation. Due to this. Villar said she dreams of going to the other places in the country to build her livelihood projects that would give jobs to the Filipino people especially the poor. In the Team PNoy’s campaign sortie in Naga city, Villar said at present, she had established her livelihood projects in 111 different places. Of the 111 livelihood projects, she related that 69 are found in Luzon, 35 in Mindanao and 7 in Visayas. Villar, who has earned the moniker “Misis hanep Buhay,” said she initially started with her livelihood projects in Las Pinas city. She remembered that while she did a house campaign when running for congresswoman, she found out that many of our people have no job particularly women. She said women can’t leave their houses or their children to work. Because of this, she decided to come up with

programs that would help women earn without having to leave their house or children. “and I intend to give jobs especially to women so that they can help their husbands and eventually improve their lives,” also said Villar who served as Board of Regents of the over a hundred state universities and colleges (SUcs) during her stint as chairperson of the house committee on higher and Technical Education (chED). She said many of the SUcs are found in the Bicol Region. During her term as chairperson of the congressional Spouses Foundation from 1998 to 2000, Villar also said they built 11 regional centers for women who are victims of abuse, and one of them is found in the Bicol Region, in Ligao, albay. Villar, who is No. 4 in the latest Pulse asia Survey, was also the guest speaker in the induction of the newly-elected officers and members of the Federation of Baao women in Baao, also in camarines Sur. She promised to return and help them establish livelihood projects if she wins in the coming elections.

to extend livelihood Legarda observes century-old Villar projects all over the country family tradition during Lent N S

ENaTOR Loren Bautista Legarda continues to observe the century-old tradition of the Bautista family during the holy Week and encouraged Filipinos to likewise practice the Lenten traditions they grew up with. “The Lenten Season, especially the holy Week,

is a time for contemplation. We renew our relationship with God as we reflect on the sacrifices of Jesus christ. There is no better way to do this than by engaging in church activities and observing Filipino holy Week traditions,” said Legarda. The Senator said that

her great grandparents, Gregorio Bautista and agapita Torres-Bautista, started the Bautista annual pabasa in the early 1900s in their house along avenida, Rizal in Manila. The chanting and singing of the Pasyon did not stop even during the worst times of the Japanese occupation.

“With the impending arrival of the Japanese during World War II, my grandparents hid two sacred images over which the Pabasa was sung. The images were cared for by a couple who used to live in the place where San Lazaro hospital presently stands,” she narrated.

of the caucus with some women legislators who responded positively to it. “If elected in May, ,I will be part of the proposed caucus in which all male legislators could be classified as FOW, of Friends of Women, ” he stressed. The lawmaker from aurora has championed the cause of women in congress. The Magna carta lays down a comprehensive “ Bill of Rights “ for women which seek parity for both men and women in every area of human undertaking . he said that as the Magna carta mandates, the re-

maining vestiges of gender inequality should be eliminated as are the unequal treatment of women in the work place, at home, and in the economic mainstream. It also provides that women should have access to education, health , economic opportunities including the right to engage in business , and the full freedom to improve their lives and enhance their professions and careers. Earlier this month, angara urged the government to fully implement the Magna carta of Women, particularly the provision that guarantees equal employment oppor-

tunities for women in the country. he cited the Philippines’ performance in the World Economic Forum’s 2012 Global Gender Gap report where the Philippines ranked first in asia and eight in the world in terms of gender equality. Some 135 countries were included in the WEF gender report. Of the report’s four fundamental criteria, the Philippines was among the countries that scored very high on education and health but was only among the top 20 countries in terms of economic participation and political empowerment.

Angara urges Congress to form gender equality caucus promoting women’s rights

ONGRESS should form a “Gender Equality caucus” to promote women’s rights to the fullest and make sure that there is gender equality across all social, economic and political spheres , Team PNoy senatorial candidate Edgardo “Sonny “ angara said yesterday. The caucus should also be gender-neutral and bicameral, said angara, author of Republic act 9710, or the Magna carta of Women, at the close of International Women’s Month, which is celebrated every March . angara said that he has discussed the formation

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

Stat Watch

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

5.4 4th Qtr 2012

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

6.8 4th Qtr 2012

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

USD 3,969.51 million Dec 2012 USD 5,135.46 million Nov 2012 USD -1,585 million Nov 2012 USD -209 million Mar 2012 P 5,171,689 million Dec 2012

8. Interest Rates 4/

3.6 % Jan 2013 P155,308 million Nov 2012 P 5,381 billion Nov 2012

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

P 40.67 Feb 2013

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

6,242.7 Jan 2013

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

132.4 Feb 2013

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.4 Feb 2013

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.8 Feb 2013

16. Visitor Arrivals

352,438 Nov 2012

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

20.9% Jan 2013

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

7.1% Jan 2013

THE ECONOMY

More firms under BIR watch By Cherry Mae D. Palicte

hE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) regional office said it has put some 100 business establishments under surveillance for non-compliance with tax obligations. BIR regional director Lawyer Glen Geraldino bared to Edge Davao the agency’s aggressive efforts to implement basic tax requirements. The BIR refused to divulge the list of businesses under surveillance saying the said firms are still being evaluated. “In time, we’ll let you know,” Geraldino said. So far, the BIR has made one closure this year with the padlocking of Bluejaz resort in Island Garden city of Samal (IGacOS). The closure is part of the agency’s “Oplan kandado” program. The resort’s closure last Monday was due to the under-declaration of more than 30 percent of their taxable sales, and under the Tax code, the establishment will be subjected for closure. “This year, remember that ‘Oplan kandado’ takes awhile before it will be enforce because there is a sit down surveillance for at least minimum of 10 days and after that there will be a communication between the taxpayers and BIR or the so called due process por-

VISIT SAMAL 2013. Art Boncato, Department of tourism director (left) together with Jennifer Cariaga, city investment and tourism officer (2nd from left), Araceli Ayuste, provincial tourism council chairperson (3rd from left), IGACOS Mayor Aniano Antalan (4th from tion,” the lawyer added. he added that the resort owner paid the deficiency of more or less P1 million last Friday and was allowed to resume operations the following day. “They promise to pay the taxes on time so that won’t happen again,” Geraldino said. he stressed that the BIR is currently evaluating the list of businesses included in the ‘hot list’ under the ‘Oplan kandado’ program. “We already gave communications to the ‘hot lists’ and

Average December November October September August July June May April March February January

2013

2012

2011

40.67 40.73

42.23 41.01 41.12 41.45 41.75 42.04 41.91 42.78 42.85 42.70 42.86 42.66 43.62

43.31 43.64 43.27 43.45 43.02 42.42 42.81 43.37 43.13 43.24 43.52 43.70 44.17

right now we cannot divulge the names yet because it is still under evaluation,” Geraldino explained. Oplan kandado, he said, will cover all sectors and business industries. “The long arm of the law is always there, kung ano ang unang mahinog for kandado, then we will shut it down.” he added. Under the program, business operations of non-compliant taxpayers will be suspended and establishments will be temporarily closed if found to

have committed violations like failure to issue receipts or invoices by a VaT-registered or registrable taxpayer; failure to file a VaT return; understatement of taxable sales or receipts by 30% or more of the correct amount thereof in the case of a VaT-registered or covered taxpayer; or failure to register. The closure of a business establishment shall last for a period of not less than five days, and shall be in force until the violation is rectified by the concerned taxpayer.

Globe mobile browsing segment on the rise, grows 55% in revenues [ ] Revenues swell to P3.1 billion in 2012

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2012-February 2013) Month

left), IGACOS vice-mayor Al David Uy (2nd from right) and Richard Guindolman poses after the press briefing for Visit Samal 2013 at Punta del Sol, Peñaplata last Saturday.

MOST SELLABLE. A churchgoer buys herself a fan which could ease the warm weather brought by the summer’s afternoon heat on Wednesday outside San Pedro Cathedral

It figures

$67 billion THE Thai cabinet has approved legislation allowing the government to raise $67 billion to finance infrastructure investments including a high-speed train project.Manila Bulletin, March 21, 2013

along San Pedro Street, Davao City. Aside from umbrella and face towel, fan is among the most sellable item during summer season. Lean Daval Jr.

A former stockbroker was convicted and sentenced to pay P2.1 million for seven violations of securities laws. The Makati Regional Trial Court foun d Francisco Borromeo, former president of the defunct Asian Capital Equities, Inc. PDI, March 21, 2013

ITh a highly saturated mobile market, Globe Telecom is looking to its mobile browsing segment to sustain growth momentum and reinforce its position as a formidable challenger in the telecommunications industry, as of end-2012, Globe mobile browsing revenues have increased to P3.1 billion, a significant 55% growth from previous year’s P2.0 billion on the back of increased smartphone penetration and growing popularity of internet access via the mobile phone. The growth figured prominently in steering a hefty 67% increase in other mobile data revenues, growing from P4.3 billion the previous year to P7.2 billion in 2012. “We are happy to see how our mobile browsing segment has grown in 2012 driven by the strong take-up of our offers that allow subscribers to maximize use of their smartphones beyond call and text,” said Jen-

ny Granada-Echevarria, head of Mobile Data Services in Globe. In 2012, Globe also unveiled its roster of mobile internet bundles that provide Globe Prepaid and TM subscribers a day of unlimited access to various social networking sites on their mobile phones for only P20. SOcIaL20 gives users access to Facebook, Multiply, and Twitter; FUN20 gives users access to Facebook and youTube; while MaIL20 gives users access to Facebook, yahoo! Mail and GMail. In partnership with internet giant Google, Globe also became the world’s first telecom operator to offer free data access to the World Wide Web and select Google services via Free Zone powered by Google. With Free Zone, Globe Prepaid and TM subscribers get easy and instant access to Google Search, Gmail, and Google+ on their feature phones and smartphone without any cost via http://libre.ph.

P2 billion P23.9 billion FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS (FDI) last year hit P2 billion exceeding forecast as investors favored better-than-expected growth, stable prices and the country’s external payments position, according to the BangkoSentralngPilipinas (BSP).

POWER-BASED conglomerateAboitizEquity Ventures Inc. grew its net profit in 2012 by 13 percent to P23.9 billion on higher earnings from its power, banking and food related businesses.

THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 •THURSDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

GenSan coop calls for ‘sacrifice’ to save up to 5.4-MW electricity G

ENERaL Santos city and parts of nearby South cotabato and Sarangani provinces could save up to 5.4 megawatts (MW) of electricity if about 20 percent of the area’s 135,000 power consumers would switch off their 200-watt refrigeration units for at least four hours daily. Distribution utility South cotabato II Electric cooperative (Socoteco II) made such projection as it linked up with the city government here for a campaign to encourage local consumers to lower their daily power consumption in the wake of the worsening power shortage in the Mindanao grid. Rodolfo Ocat, Socoteco II general manager, said they are targeting to enlist around 27,000 households or 20 percent of their franchise area’s power consumers for the massive adoption of energy or power conservation measures. he said such move was aimed to complement the planned implementation in the area starting next month of the Department of Energy’s (DoE) Inter-

ruptible Load Program (ILP), which is a voluntary de-loading scheme for large power users. Socoteco II serves this city, the entire Sarangani province and the municipalities of Tupi and Polomolok in South cotabato. The electric cooperative is presently implementing two sets of daily rotating brownouts lasting seven hours each or a total of 14 hours due to the power shortage, which was mainly attributed to the declining generation capacity of the National Power corporation’s (NPc) hydroelectric plants in Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte. “We want to create awareness among our consumers, particularly those who have refrigerators, that they can help remedy our present situation by unplugging their units for four hours every day for a particular period,” Ocat said. Such scheme will only have a minimal impact as it would not totally defrost the refrigerators, he said. Ocat said consumers may unplug their refrigerators during the peak pe-

riods or specifically from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily. “assuming that 20 percent of the 135,000 Socoteco II customers own a refrigerator with average wattage of 200 watts each, we can save about 5,400 kilowatts or 5.4 MW daily through the scheme,” he said. The city government has been implementing its own energy conservation measures and has started replacing the lights in all its buildings and offices with power-efficient units through the help of the DoE. city Mayor Darlene antonino-custodio said they are currently assessing the power consumption of all their offices and will be regulating the use of their cooling and heating appliances. She said the bidding is also ongoing for the purchase of the power-efficient light-emitting diode or LED lights to replace all existing streetlights in the city, which could reduce the city’s energy consumption by 1 MW. Socoteco II and the city Economic Manage-

Veterans Bank traveling exhibit at SM City GenSan

ITh the celebration of Veterans Week in the Philippine just a few weeks away, Philippine Veterans Bank is bringing its World War II Traveling Exhibit in General Santos city from March 26 to april 14. In simple ceremonies, the Exhibit was formally opened by Veterans Federation of the Philippines District

commander Nazario Fermil, Veterans Bank VP Mike Villa-Real, PVB General Santos Branch Manager Norberta Magtajas, and SM General Santos hR head alexis de los Santos. The multi-awarded and much traveled exhibit, entitled “War of Our Fathers”, will be on display at the 2nd Floor of the new SM city Gen-

eral Santos to captivate viewers with its wide array of World War II photographs, memorabilia, and artifacts that pay tribute to the bravery, patriotism, and determination of Filipinos – men and women – who fought and died for our country’s freedom during the war as well as for those who survived those dark years.

ment and cooperative Development Office have been also conducting information and awareness drives regarding the ILP and the power conservation scheme as well as the power situation in the area. ILP is a demand-side management scheme that provides compensation to participating customers who enter into a contract with a distribution utility for the voluntary interruption or reduction of the power supply to them during peak periods and emergency conditions. Two of the city’s four shopping malls and five other companies have already expressed commitment to take part in the ILP scheme, the mayor said. She cited the kcc Mall and SM city General Santos as well as Dole Philippines, Inc., citra Mina Group of companies, cargill Oil Mills, General Tuna corporation and SaFI Group of companies. “With more companies being negotiated to participate, we expect to de-load the grid by at least 28 MW for three hours a day,” custodio said.

Davao by the Numbers During the first two months of 2013, Davao Region shipped out

6.82 M kilograms of banana chips to other countries with

US$ 10.60 million total value.

Source: PorT oF DAVAo

In an advisory, Socoteco II’s technical services department noted that the area’s power deficit has so far dropped to 33 MW from last week’s 42 MW due to increased generation capacity of the NPc’s hydroelectric plants. From 40 MW last week, it said the NPc and the National Grid corporation of the Philippines increased the area’s power allocation to 49 MW because of the improved situation.

aboitiz-owned Therma Marine Inc. augments the area’s power supplies by 30 MW based on a power sales agreement that it earlier signed with Socoteco II. “NPc, however, has no official forecast if such reduction in deficiency will continue over the week… Duration of rotational brownout is still at seven hours per group divided in two settings daily,” the electric cooperative said. [allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews]

alty condonation. Only the outstanding loan will be deducted from the death benefit claim; 100 percent of the accumulated penalties will be condoned or written off. however, the beneficiaries must file the Death Benefit claim and apply for condonation on or before March 31, 2013. after that date, the condonation Program is officially ended. The Loan Penalty condonation Program for individual members, which ran from april 2 to September 31, 2012, differed from other condonation programs that SSS offered in the past, in that its

terms and requirements depended on the situation of the member-borrower. The percentage of the penalty written off varied, depending on the reason behind the delinquency. as of December 15, 2012, the SSS was able to collect a total of P2.878 Billion from payments made under the condonation Program. Partial to full amnesty on loan penalties were granted to about 208,502 delinquent borrowers who availed themselves of the condonation Program and repaid their loans either on a one-time or installment basis.

SSS loan penalty condonation program for death benefit claimants to end on March 31

hE Social Security System (SSS) is reminding beneficiaries of members who passed away since april 2, 2012 and who have still not filed for an SSS Death Benefit claim, that the Loan Penalty condonation Program will end on March 31, 2013. Under Situation B of the condonation Program that was implemented in 2012, beneficiaries of deceased m e m b e r - b o r rowe r s with unpaid loans who will file for Death claim within the period of april 2, 2012 up to the last working day of March 2013 can avail themselves of loan pen-

uips

AWARD WINNING. Philippine Veterans Bank’s award-winning World War II Traveling Exhibit will be in General Santos City from March 26 to April 14 for public viewing, free of charge. The Exhibit was formally opened in simple ceremonies by (L-R) SM General Santos HR

Head Alexis de los Santos, Veterans Federation of the Philippines District Commander Nazario Fermil, Veterans Bank VP Mike Villa-Real, and PVB General Santos Branch Manager Norberta Magtajas.

‘A $1-billion mining investment is achievable.’

--Director Leo Jasareno of the DENR Mines and Geosciences Bureau BuSineSSMirror, MArcH 17, 2013

8 VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Cyprus deal best of a very bad job COMMENTARY

By Hugo Dixon

(1st of two parts)

EDITORIAL

A time to rein in excesses

S the catholic faithful go into the solemn days of the holy Week—from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday— we enjoin everyone to slow things down and fathom the real depth and value of our faith. It’s that moment that comes only once a year when we pause to revisit the teachings of Jesus christ who died for mankind and renew our faith in the hope of it coming back to life again in this season of Lent. It’s that feeling of being burdened all year and carrying so much weight—either of physical fatigue from our earthly existence or spiritual stress from a culture of sin. yes, our bodies need to recharge. But our souls also need to be “revived” in the same fashion as christ’s resurrection. There is too much ‘bad cholesterol’ in our spiritual veins from the bondage of sin. There is also pain in our hearts from ruined relationships and political enmities proliferated by the current electoral season. Without having to go to a bigger spectrum like the conflict in Sabah, we feel sorry for families and friends who begrudge each other and exchange hate. Look at former President Joseph Estrada and his former friend and close ally Manila Mayor alfredo Lim, chiz Escudero and heart Evagelista and her parents, presidential sister kris aquino and star athlete James yap, and celebrity couples cesar Montano and Sunshine cruz. They are only a few of good friends and families wracked by conflict.

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If we trickle down to the nameless and the poor, the conflicts that happen in the families and circles of the affluent are also very much present among the ordinary Filipinos. What could be a worse reality than the recent heartless rejection of the pro-poor legislation Magna carta for the Poor by President aquino’s veto? as the holy Bible teaches us, “in order to be born again, we need to die.” Death comes before resurrection. Not the other way around. and in this Lenten season, we take a deeper reflection of christ’s dying and his eventual triumphant resurrection. There is simply too much emotional and spiritual baggage like the proverbial yoke on our necks. Death is not far-fetched for our worries, and triumphant resurrection is still a ray of hope we are all looking forward to. We put the worries aside for now and reflect truly in these days of the holy Week. On Saturday, the trumpets of the election season in the local level will signal the resumption of political salvoes. With much hope, the electorate--tired from the heavy bombardment of political information and gimmickry—will awaken to a different election experience guided by their faith and renewed spiritual existence. Let us pray for a truly honest, peaceful and free elections in May, and the government’s positive response to the call of Pope Francis to help the poor and the weak.

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yPRUS’ economy is going to suffer terribly in the next few years. Some of that is inevitable given how bloated the banking system had become. But the disastrous handling of the crisis, especially in the past week, will make things much worse. That said, the bailout deal that cyprus reached with its euro zone partners in the early hours of Monday morning makes the best of an extremely bad job – both for the small Mediterranean island and its rescuers. It establishes three important principles. First, there will be no losses for insured deposits. Last week’s aborted deal foolishly involved taxing them at 6.75 percent. Second, uninsured creditors rather than taxpayers will pay the entire cost of bailing out cyprus’ two troubled banks – cyprus Popular Bank (cPB) and Bank of cyprus (BOc). Third, cyprus’ oversized banking sector, which depended heavily on somewhat dubious Russian cash, will be slimmed down. There are two lingering doubts. Will capital controls be imposed? and is cyprus’ debt sustainable given the economy will be clobbered? The key to the deal was to impose the entire pain of bank restructuring on the lenders’ uninsured creditors. cPB will be “resolved” – a euphemism for being put into controlled bankruptcy. Its good assets and insured deposits will be merged with BOc. But its 4.2 billion of uninsured deposits will be kept in the remaining bad bank and converted into equity. They could lose most of their money. BOc is being treated slightly less harshly. It will continue as a going concern and will be recapitalised so that it enjoys a capital ratio of 9 percent. The money to do this will come from converting a portion of its uninsured deposits into equity. Until the number crunching is finished, these deposits – which amount to perhaps 10 billion euros – will be frozen. It’s unclear what the eventual losses will be but the cypriot government says they could be about 30 percent. Meanwhile, shareholders and bondholders in both banks are going to be virtually wiped out. There are only about 1.4 billion euros of these. The deal will be extremely painful for the unsecured creditors of these two banks. But they are the ones who ought to suffer the most pain. There is also a silver lining in that many of these will be precisely those Russians who poured money into cyprus, cutting somewhat the impact on the domestic economy. That said, there’s no denying that local businesses and others will be savaged too – tipping some into bankruptcy and stifling activity. The flip side of the decision to inflict all the cost on creditors is that taxpayers don’t have to pay a single euro to bail out the two big banks. So cyprus may not suffer a repeat of the Irish problem – where a decision to bail out its oversized banks dragged down the government too.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.6 ISSUE 9 •WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

VANTAGE POINTS

Putting on a unified front

POSSIBLE SOPhISTIcaTED SLEIGhT OF haND – Faced with mounting criticism over unabated crime, controversial Rh Bill, anti-poor issues, Sabah standoff and his sister kris’ verbal tussle with ex-beau, President Benigno aquino III may have to seek the services of notable problem-solution experts with extensive experience in handling political glitches. The sole purpose is to ease out the tension swirling around his coveted leadership. With the 2013 midterm elections scheduled for May, political observers are predicting that by treating the crucial issues with cold shoulder, it can badly affect the winning chances of the Liberal Party’s (LP) Team PNoy senatorial candidates. Not surprisingly, President PNoy and his trusted political adjutants worked overtime to cushion the impact brought about by the critical issues hurled against the administration and stress solidarity in the LP ranks. That may prove quite an impossible task given the gravity of the mounting issues raised by various quarters. Nevertheless, party chiefs acknowledged they have dodged all the political “low blows” emanating from different directions and putting on a unified front instead geared at accelerating Team PNoy’s senatorial candidates to an overwhelming victory at the polls. as the midterm elections draws near and about to go full swing public dissatisfaction has risen with the wrong impression that the aquino administra-

tion has been unable to tackle, in particular, issues of utmost concern. The series of criticism even eaten into the popularity of the President and Team PNoy senate bets, so political adversaries and avid detractors think. Moreover, there are persistent rumors that a possible sophisticate sleight of hand had something to do with the issues confronting the present leadership taking as hint the topics have no indication whatsoever of simmering down. Some political sources insist there is a driving force behind the “war of nerves,” stealthily fanning the prevailing issues aimed at blowing out of proportion. This would seem a matter of some interest for the LP and Team PNoy, far more important than whether the overrated senate contenders of the other contending party is better positioned to win the senatorial derby against them. Taking the verbal attack in stride is less strenuous, and less dangerous specifically in clarifying crucial issues. In this case, it may be the most important question of the campaign: Do you

believe a certain vested interest group is pulling and delivering its punches because it wants to derail the political aspirations of some leading senatorial hopefuls who are keeping a moist eye on higher posts during the 2016 presidential elections? and these popular personalities, of course, are treats to the ambition of another wily and power-obsessed politician? Speculations are thick that covert operatives who are in cahoots with political figures adverse of the Aquino administration probably have done this early an effective demolition job – a prelude to the 2016 presidential polls. clearly enough, the anti-administration campaign was pure dirty political tricks aimed primarily at besmirching the person and character of some promising political figures. Meanwhile the LP and Team PNoy may be able to do more than just put a smiling face on the assorted of brickbats and bitter side comments trained at their direction. Their action to take the denigration in stride is well taken, and will only prove that the party remains solid, moderate, united and strong – as it has through the pre-campaign period up to the official campaign season. Sad to lament, though, at this very early stage there are already dirty political maneuverings that are designed to break the entropy of the political campaign. For sure, many things haven’t changed in politics – Philippine setting.

Even Britain has now abandoned austerity

hE age of austerity is over. This is not a prediction, but a simple statement of fact. No serious policymaker anywhere in the world is trying to reduce deficits or debt any longer, and all major central banks are happy to finance more government borrowing with printed money. after Japan’s election of Prime Minister Shinzo abe and the undeclared budgetary ceasefire in Washington that followed President Obama’s victory last year, there were just two significant hold-outs against this trend: Britain and the euro-zone. Now, the fiscal “Austerians” and “sado-monetarists” in both these economies have surrendered, albeit for very different reasons. Much attention has been focused this week on the chaos in cyprus. coming after the Italian election and subsequent easing of Italy’s fiscal conditions, the overriding necessity to keep cyprus within the euro — and its military bases and gas supplies outside Russian control — will almost surely mean another retreat by Germany and the European central Bank from their excessive austerity demands. But an even more remarkable shift has occurred in Britain. The cameron government, which embraced fiscal austerity as its main raison d’etre, was suddenly converted to the joys of debt and borrowing in this week’s budget. Of course, the rhetoric of British

ANAlYSIS By AnAtole KAletSKy

(1st of two parts) chancellor George Osborne’s budget speech gave no hint of his Damascene conversion. On the contrary, it ridiculed “people who seem to think that the way to borrow less is to borrow more.” But Osborne’s trademark sneers could not disguise the meaning of the policies and numbers he presented. Long after the U.S., Japanese, chinese, canadian, australian and most European governments, Britain has finally been forced to accept keynes’s “paradox of thrift”: a government that tries to reduce its borrowing during a recession generally weakens the economy so much that it ends up increasing its total debt. conversely, a government that expands deficits during periods of weak economic activity, or finds ways to encourage private borrowing and discourage private saving, usually ends up lightening the national debt burden. Osborne’s budget numbers presented a textbook example of keynes’s paradox. In last year’s budget, Osborne predicted that government debt would peak at 76% of GDP in fiscal year 2014/15; but

this week, despite (or because of) another year of Draconian tax increases and spending cuts, he has projected the government’s debt burden to keep rising for a further two years, to 86% in 2016/17. contrast this with the U.S. budgetary experience, where the debt ratio has already stabilized near Osborne’s original 76% target, despite (or because of) the Republicans’ refusal to raise taxes and the Democrats’ refusal to cut spending on anything like the British scale. This contrast suggests that the main reason for Britain’s inability to stabilize its debt burden has not been any lack of fiscal effort but, on the contrary, the impact of excessive austerity on economic growth. and while Osborne will never publicly admit this, the big surprise of his budget is its implicit acceptance of this keynesian view. Instead of trying to reduce borrowing any further or aiming for a balanced budget, as it originally promised, the British government has now accepted that deficits will keep rising in absolute terms and will still be worth 6% of GDP by the next election in 2015. That would leave Britain with by far the highest deficit ratio among the major economies after five years of unprecedented austerity. Meanwhile the U.S., with comparatively little fiscal effort, is projected to reduce its deficit to just 2.4% by 2015.

Of Popes and men

aBEM U S Papam – We have a Pope! This is the centuries-old traditional announcement spoken from the papal balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking the mammoth oval St. Peter’s Square in Vatican city immediately after a new pope has been elected in the conclave. yes, we have a Pope, and he is 76-year old Jorge Mario cardinal Bergoglio from argentina. he chose the papal name Francis in honor of St. Francis of assissi. his election established three distinguished firsts in the 2000-year history of the catholic church: 1) First Pope in 600 years to come from Latin america; 2) First Pope who comes from the order of Jesuit fathers; 3) First Pope to use the name Francis. he is the 266th Roman Supreme Pontiff. The history of papal succession is wrapped in incredible mystique and divine revelations, spiced by shocking manifestations of human failings and imperfections. There were good and saintly popes. There were also bad and evil ones. however, the good outnumber the bad. During the first 500 years of the early church (64-537), 57 out of 64 popes were canonized as saints. In the next 337 years (537-974), 75 popes led the church, but only 19 were declared saints. In the subsequent 396 years (9741370), there were 66 popes, but only three became saints. The next 643 years (1370-2013), the church had 66 pontiffs, but only two were saints. The names most frequently used by popes are: John (23), Benedict (16), Gregory (16), clement (14), Leo (13), Pius (12), alexander, Urban (8), Innocent (13), Stephen (10). Pope Benedict IX is the only pope who assumed office three times because of rival claimants, who were ultimately declared illegal and considered anti-popes. The shortest reign belongs to Pope Urban VII (1590) – 12 days. he died of Malaria. There were eight popes who were murdered while in offices. Pope John VIII was poisoned and beaten to death (882). can a teenage boy become a pope? Not today, of course. But in year 955, John XII was, chosen pope at age 18. he was deposed six years later. he was the illegitimate son of Pope Sergius III. here are more glimpses of the black years of the papacy: Pope Sergius III – he became Pope in 904 after masterminding the assassination of his predecessor Pope Leo V. Pope Boniface VI – he ruled in 896, but was suspended thrice for immorality. Pope Leo VIII --- elected in 963. he was the only layman to occupy the papal chair. he had to be consecrated bishop to be eligible to reign as pope. Pope celestine V – he was a hermit and uneducated. he was named pope in 294. he resigned because of administrative incompetence in Dec. 13, 1294 after just three months in office. He decreed thru a papal bull, that it is the right of a pope to resign. He was the first of seven popes to resign. Pope Benedict XVI is the seventh. From the Fifth up to the Tenth century of the church’s history, father and son tandems ascended the papal throne, namely: Pope Innocent I, illegitimate son of Pope anastasius (401), Pope Silverius (516), illegitimate son of Pope hormisdas (514-23), Pope John XI (955), illegitimate son of Sergius III (935). These papal father and son tandem played politics with kings and emperors of Europe, and maneuvered their way to the papal throne. For hundreds of years, popes, kings and emperors alternately ruled over all of Europe. So there were popes handpicked by kings and emperors, and popes anointing and installing kings and emperors. It was in the late 8th century during the reign of Pope Zacharias when the Pope claimed superiority over the temporal sovereigns of Europe. This papal dominion ended in the 15th century under the reign of Pope Martin when the spiritual supremacy of the papacy was emphasized.

10 NATION/WORlD

VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

N. Korea sets top leadership meet as border nerves fray N

ORTh korea Wednesday announced plans for a top leadership meeting and launched a tirade against South korea’s new president, as heightened military alert levels frayed nerves on the tense border. State media said the politburo of the ruling Workers’ Party would meet sometime in the next few days to discuss an unspecified “important issue” and make a “drastic turn”. The military remains the ultimate powerbroker in North korea, although analysts say leadership changes undertaken by the country’s new young leader kim Jong-Un have given the party added muscle. The politburo is meant to convene once a year. News of the meeting came a day after North korea’s military put its “strategic” rocket units on a war footing, with a fresh threat to strike targets on the US mainland, hawaii and Guam, as well as South korea. Military tensions on the korean peninsula have been at an elevated level for months, following the North’s long-range rocket launch in December and the third nuclear test it carried out last month. Both events triggered UN sanctions that infuriated Pyongyang, which has spent the past month issuing increasingly threatening statements about unleashing an “all-out war” backed by nuclear weapons. On Wednesday the

North’s committee for the Peaceful Reunification of korea, a state body in charge of propaganda and inter-korean affairs, launched a scathing verbal attack on South korea’s new president, Park Geunhye. It accused Park, who was only sworn in a month ago, of slander and provocation after she made a speech warning the North that failure to abandon its nuclear weapons programme would result in its collapse. “If she keeps to the road of confrontation... she will meet a miserable ruin,” the committee said. In Seoul some analysts suggested the North was fast running out of threats and targets for its invective as it sought to bully the international community into negotiating on Pyongyang’s terms. “They are upping the rhetorical ante in every possible way, but the international community is not reacting as it had hoped,” said cho han-Bum, an analyst at the korea Institute for National Unification. cho said the coming politburo meeting would probably seek to keep “the momentum going” through some symbolic gesture. “I envisage a resolution that further raises the alarm, like declaring a top alert for the entire nation beyond the military, or something like that,” cho said. although North korea is a past master of brinkmanship, there are concerns in South korea and beyond that the current

LANDING GRILL. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) watches a naval and army landing drill at an undisclosed location on the east coast, March 25, 2013. [AFP] situation is so volatile that one accidental step could escalate into serious conflict. Tuesday’s military warning of strikes on US military bases in the Pacific prompted a response from Japan which, unlike many of the other potential targets mentioned, is well within the range of the North’s current missile arsenal. “We demand that

Education budget cut

provocative actions must not be taken. The government is on full alert,” said chief cabinet Secretary yoshihide Suga. Pentagon spokesman George Little said US forces were ready to respond to “any contingency”. The US and South korean militaries signed a new pact last week, providing for a joint military response to even low-level provocation by North ko-

rea. In a sign of the growing tensions along the North-South border -- one of the most heavily fortified frontiers in the world -- a South korean guard Wednesday threw a grenade at an “unidentified object” and triggered a brief alert. a subsequent patrol uncovered no sign of any North korean infiltration, a defence ministry spokes-

man said. For all the dire threats emanating from the North, officials in the South say they have detected no substantial troop deployment to suggest an imminent attack. however, there are fears Pyongyang might resort to a limited artillery assault similar to its 2010 shelling of a South korean border island that killed four people. [aFP]

ceiling set at P30.2 billion. The Budget chief’s statement came only a day after he claimed that the budget for government-run schools in 2013 had been increased significantly, contrary to budget cut complaints fueled by a state university student’s suicide. “To say that we decreased the budget for SUcs is grossly inaccurate,” abad said. “as a matter of fact, the aquino administration gave the sector a 44-percent budget boost over its 2012 allocation,” he added. abad stressed that the University of the Philippines System received the highest part of P9.53 billion in new appropriations under the 2013 national budget. Militant groups have

recently renewed calls for the government to increase support for state schools in the wake of the suicide of 16-year-old kristel Tejada. Tejada, a behavioral sciences freshman at the University of the Philippines Manila, took her own life Mar. 15, days after filing for leave of absence due to failure to pay tuition. Wide protests have so far pushed the UP administration to lift its “no late payment” policy and vow reforms in its Socialized Tuition and Financial assistance Program (STFaP). Groups, however, continue to urge UP to scrap the STFaP, impose an across-the-board tuition rollback, and make accountable officials involved in Tejada’s case. [yahoo!]

Abad slams ‘premature criticisms’ a

PROTEST. Students raise placards calling for justice for the late Kristel Tejada and against tuition fee increases in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Manila, in light of the recent suicide of University of the Philippines Manila student Kristel Tejada. [Mike Alquinto/NPPA Images]

cabinet official on Tuesday slammed what he called “premature” criticisms of next year’s budget for state universities and colleges, noting that allotment ceilings remain tentative and are subject to discussion. “These pronouncements on the 2014 budget for SUcs are premature, not to mention misleading to the public,” Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” abad said in statement. Indicative budget ceilings, he added, “are by no means final and inflexible” and only serve as “guideposts” for agencies’ budget formulation and “may even be subject to increases.” abad cited as an example how the approved budget for state schools stood at P34.9 billion this year despite an budget

EDGEDAVAO

Davao’s bid to host 2015 APEC events underway

hE Davao city local government is finalizing the proposal to host some of the meetings of the 23rd asia-Pacific Economic cooperation (aPEc) summit in 2015 for submission to organizers not later than this month, an official said. Jason Magnaye, Davao city Investment and Promotion center (DcIPc) chief, told MindaNews that acting Mayor Rodrigo Duterte signed last Friday the bid letter to be submitted, along with the proposal, to the aPEc-National Organizing committee (aPEcNOc). Magnaye said that Roberto alabado, head of the Davao city Planning and Development Office (DcPDO), is in charge of preparing the documents alabado earlier said

that aPEc-NOc required the city to submit a letter of proposal which shall contain information of the city’s accommodation, transportation, air connectivity, safety and security capacities, among others. To be attended by 21 countries, the aPEc summit will have five senior official meetings (SOMs) with up to 1,400 delegates, and eight sectoral ministerial meetings (SMMs) with up to 500 delegates from different countries in the asia Pacific region, according to alabado. Both SOMs and SMMs will be held for two to three days, he said, adding that the cities that will host the meetings will be known in June. Davao city was reportedly shortlisted as possible venue for the SOMs and SSMs events along with

Metro Manila, Tagaytay, clark, Subic, cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod and Boracay. Magnaye initially said the city will propose to host the SOMs, SMMs and some working group meetings, but the DcIPc, DcPDO and the Department of Tourism- Region 11 will still have to finalize the proposal next week. Noting that Davao city is one of the “most livable cities in asia,” he said the city has a total of 7,000 rooms in about 196 hotels. alabado earlier said the host cities will be chosen according to the availability of power, water, infrastructure and facilities, including hotels and areas for conventions, public safety and security, disaster risk assessment and preparedness, and medical services. [Lorie ann a. cascaro/MindaNews]

“This makes lack of budget a weak excuse,” she said. “how can he say that the government does not have enough budget when Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile distributed bonuses to senators last December, and even the capita commercial Trust (ccT) grants from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is wrongly distributed,” she said. “The aquino administration even arrogantlt

announced in June last year that it pledges to lend $1 billion to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to assist economically struggling nations, when in fact, the Philippines is a poor country,” she said. “The poor will definitely suffer because the president does not prioritize the needs of the poor,” she said. “Basic rights, like health service, education, livelihood and the like should be given to the poor for free,” she said.

ippines and Malaysia. a Philippine claim for sovereignty over Sabah has lain dormant for decades, but Malaysia continues to pay a yearly rent to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu who claim to be the descendants of the original Filipino sultanate which had control over the territory for centuries. hernandez said the directive discourages government agencies from referring to Sabah, home to 800,000 Filipinos, “as being part of a larger national or federal territory” and for them not “to make any act or statement expressing or implying any recognition of a foreign state’s sovereignty over Sabah.” “This is because of the existing claim that we have in that area,” her-

nandez said. “It is important that we follow these guidelines of 2008 so that we have a consistent position regarding this issue.” On Feb. 12, Sulu Sultan Jamalul kiram III sent his followers to Sabah to reclaim their homeland, which prompted a bloody crackdown by Malaysia. kiram said he deployed his men to Sabah as efforts to get it back from Malaysia have been relegated to the backburner by the Philippine government. kiram said his forebears leased Sabah to a British company in the 1870’s but was illegally annexed by Great Britain which then handed over the territory to Malaysia when it gained independence from the British crown in 1963. [PNa]

Ilagan raps PNoy... FFROM 1

lion-budget will not have to be given immediately, according to Ilagan. The implementing rules and regulations may require only a certain amount of budget for this year, then another amount the next year and so on with improving measures implemented on the bill for 10 years or so, she said. “There is no need to provide P3 trillion right away, the bill only needs an appropriate and feasible budget for every year,” she said.

It’s Sabah... FFROM 1

orandum circular 162 issued during the time of former President Gloria arroyo calls on all government agencies to use only Sabah when referring to the Malaysian-controlled territory, where the Philippines has an existing claim. Separately, Foreign affairs spokesman Raul hernandez explained that the 2008 memorandum is an “existing regulation” and must be complied with by all government departments, agencies and instrumentalities. “It is an existing circular which has not yet been amended or changed,” hernandez told a press briefing. Sabah, located south of Mindanao, is territorially disputed by the Phil-

VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

RDR cites pro-people strategy in his SOPA By Cherry Mae D. Palicte

aVaO del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario heralded the many accomplishments of his pro-people strategy in his 6th State of the Province address (SOPa) last Monday at the Tagum capitol in Tagum city. The governor highlighted the triumphs of his human-centered development agenda P.E.O.P.L.E. last year in support of President aquino’s Social contract with the Filipino People. his accomplishments include the suc-

cess of the Davao del Norte convergence for Peace and Development program, as well as big ticket projects like the new Davao del Norte Sports and cultural center. The governor cited his excellent rating in environmental governance and valuing fundamentals of governance, while receiving a high performance grade in administrative governance, social governance, and economic governance. The SOPa was attended by government officials, leaders and

representatives of different businesses, the academe, religious sector as well as his constituents. The governor is running for reelection unopposed in the May 2013 elections and hinted that his next administration will embark on a new strategic direction that intends to protect the development momentum of the province through vital mechanisms that take into great consideration the current realities of climate change, disaster risk reduction, and globalization.

ally extend gratitude in behalf of her family for their statements of support. “We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for their statements of support. also, this is the time to be more aware of the real issue in reclaiming Sabah,” she said during the TROPa forum here Tuesday noon. She said her family’s hope is still high that the Sabah standoff

will end soon with the intervention of international communities like the United Nations, Organization of Islamic countries and other foreign groups. The young kiram explained that this is not just her family’s fight to claim Sabah but it is a fight of all Filipinos. She said she still believes that to end the stalemate “we have to use peaceful means through talks.” [PNa]

a code White alert is raised by the DOh during national holidays or when a cyclone is on forecast. Under code White alert, “emergency service personnel at the hospital dorm shall be placed in an on call status” while “emergency medicines should be stocked and made available.” Ventura said local health personnel will specifically monitor possible cases of heat stroke and illnesses triggered by the prevailing intense summer heat. She warned residents, especially those planning to join various church-related activities during the Lenten holidays, to avoid over-exposure to direct sunlight. “It’s important to always use or bring along umbrellas or head gears

to ensure protection from the intense heat or possible rains that might occur,” she said. Dr. Jean Genevieve aturdido, acting city health officer of koronadal city, said their assessment showed that the prevailing weather condition in the area might pose serious health risks to residents. “It could result to heat stroke or trigger the sudden rise of blood pressure,” she said. She urged residents to immediately seek medical attention in case they suffer from severe headache or dehydration as a result of the warm weather. aturdido said they should also avoid getting exposed to direct sunlight in long periods without any protective gear. [allen V. Estabillo/ MindaNews]

Sabah standoff

Princess Jacel Kiram making rounds to thank sympathizers

RINcESS Jacel kiram, daughter of Sulu Sultan Jamalul kiram III, admitted she was making the rounds of the country to thank those who sympathize for their cause in reclaiming Sabah. She said she was here in Davao city since Monday to talk with leaders of civil society organizations, and non-government organizations to person-

Soccsksargen hospitals on alert for Lenten holidays

hE Department of health (DOh) placed Wednesday all private and public hospitals in Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region on code White alert in connection with the holy Week or Lenten holidays. Jenny Ventura, DOh12 health education officer, said the raising of the alert status is mandatory for all hospitals to ensure immediate response to emergency cases that might arise during the holy Week break, specifically from March 27 to april 1. She said the alert covers health facilities or stations operated by local government units. “all public and public hospitals are automatically on code White alert every time we celebrate or observe national events,” Ventura said.

12SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Aboitiz leads Earth Hour a

BOITIZ Equity Ventures (aEV) president & cEO Erramon aboitiz led some 250 aboitiz Group team members during the Earth hour celebration in cebu city last weekend. “We believe in the Earth hour’s cause, and for the 4th straight year, are taking part in this movement,” aboitiz said. The aboitiz Group partnered with the Ramon aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RaFI) and the cebu city Government to organize a full program, with festivities held at the historic Plaza Independencia. This annual historic event is consistent with the policy of the city to ensure environmental sustainability, for the current generations and for the generations to come,” said cebu city councilor Nida cabrera, who led this year’s switch-off as chairperson of the council’s committee on environment. according to Visayan Electric company (VEcO), this year’s one-hour switch off saved 11 megawatts (MW) in its franchise area, surpassing the 3 MW in 2012, thus a stronger commitment to the campaign.

aboitiz Group team members from cebu-based aEV, aboitizLand, city Savings Bank, Metaphil, Pilmico, VEcO, Tsuneishi heavy Industries, and RaFI joined the walkathon to the Plaza in a show of solidarity. They were joined by delegations from nearby barangays Ermita, Luz, and San Roque. Earth hour is a global event organized in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to encourage households and businesses to switch off their lights for one hour to raise awareness on the need to take action on climate change. This campaign spread to more than 50 countries, generating momentum behind Earth hour’s push to be an ongoing movement for change. The “I Will If you Will” campaign was launched by the WWF in 2012 aimed at engaging the growing global community to go beyond the hour and through the digital community, inspire people from all corners of the globe to take sustainability actions and share their commitment to the environment. I will ride the bike to school every day if you

SYMBOLIC. Ramon Aboitiz Foundation president Roberto Aboitiz (left), Cebu City Council environment committee chair Nida Cabrera (middle), Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) president & CEO Erramon Aboitiz (2nd from

right), and AEV chief reputation officer Susan Valdez (right) are joined by environment-friendly Cebuana beauty queens during the Earth Hour symbolic switch off at Plaza Independencia, Cebu City.

will make a bicycle lane for me,” said 13-year old angel when interviewed onstage during the “I Will If you Will” commitment portion of the cebu Earth hour program. This challenge posed

who is also co-chair and private sector representative of the McDcB, “The Mega cebu movement is seen to change cebu’s landscape in the next 30 years, to be at par with other metropolitan destina-

tions of the world.” The project envisions to make Metro cebu physically, economically and socially integrated where individual growth areas are compact and walkable, even bikable.

aRGaRETa Wahlstrom, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations for Disaster Risk Reduction, said on Monday all aspects of society should work together to reduce disaster risks. It showed that the damage from disasters gets accelerated in developing countries as well as poor countries, Wahlstrom said at “Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Bosnia and herzegovina (Bih)” in Sarajevo, first of its kind in the Bih. “With this conference, the Bih joins activities that are primarily related to socio-economic issues related to disasters and their preven-

tion, and how to mitigate losses, both material and human,” said Wahlstrom, adding that it needs all aspects of society to work to reduce risks. Wahlstrom added the media have a particularly important role in educating the public, raising public awareness, not only about the disaster, but also levels of disaster in order to protect the population. Fahrudin Radoncic, Security Minister of Bih, said all state institutions and communities should work on prevention of disasters. The conference was attended by safety experts, officials and representatives from institutions dealing with risk reduction. [PNa/Xinhua]

by angel will be fulfilled in the future as it is aligned with the vision of the Mega cebu project of the Metro cebu Development and coordinating Board (McDcB). according to RaFI president Roberto aboitiz,

Temporary henna tattoos could leave permanent scars M I

F you want to show off some cool body art over spring break, but you’re not willing to have it permanently etched onto your arm, realistic-looking temporary tattoos seem like a healthy compromise. But the U.S. Food and Drug administration on Monday warned people to watch out. apparently, certain temporary tattoos can still cause permanent damage. also on Shine: More Women are Inking Up Than Men “Just because a tattoo is temporary it doesn’t mean that it is risk free,”

Dr. Linda katz, director of FDa’s Office of cosmetics and colors, said in a statement. The FDa’s warning has to do with temporary tattoos made with “black henna” ink containing para-phenylenediamine (PPD), a coal-tar product that is approved for use in hair dye but is known to cause skin reactions in some people. Traditional, reddish-brown henna and stick-on temporary tattoos (the ones that look like stickers and are applied with water) are not part of the warning. also on Shine: Regret that Tattoo? These celeb-

rities Sure Do Unlike permanent tattoos, in which ink is injected under the skin, “black henna” tattoos are drawn or stenciled onto the skin’s surface. They’re popular with vendors at beaches, boardwalks, resorts, and fairs because they’re easy to apply quickly and make for long-lasting, dark, realistic-looking temporary body art. But PPD can also have horrible side effects. The FDa has received reports of “redness, blisters, raised red weeping lesions, loss of pigmentation, increased sensitiv-

ity to sunlight, and even permanent scarring” in adults and children who have had “black henna” applied to their skin. Reactions can occur right away, a few days after exposure, or even as long as two or three weeks after the temporary tattoo was applied. One mother, whose teenager had gotten a black henna tattoo on her back, told the FDa that her daughter’s skin looked “the way a burn victim looks, all blistered and raw” and that doctors have said she will have permanent scars. another mother reported that her 17-year-old daughter’s “black henna” tattoo began to blister soon after it was applied.

UN official calls on concerted effort for disaster reduction

uips

‘TODAY, government is deprived of more than P100 billion in forgone revenues because of rampant smuggling. This number is derived by taking the difference between the reported exports from the other countries to the Philippines by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United Nations Comtrade, and the National Statistics Office (NSO).’ Ernesto Ordonez --ForMer TrADe unDerSecreTAry

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

SPORTS 13

Jr. NBA Camp starts Monday NBA Cares activity will help provide Davao with safe, potable water

hE Jr. NBa Philippines 2013 presented by alaska swings its Regional Selection camp to Davao city right after holy Week on april 1 and 2 at the University of Southeastern Philippines in Bo. Obrero, Davao city. an NBa cares tree planting activity at the Malagos Watershed area in Malagos, calinan on april 3 will also be conducted to help preserve Davao city’s clean water sources. The Jr. NBa’s return to Davao after a record-breaking attendance of 1013 participants in school clinics held last January now enables young players aged 10 to 14 try for the chance of becoming this year’s Jr. NBa all Stars. Participants will partici-

pate in a learn-and-achieve camp that will test their physical and basketball smarts through NBa style skills tests and basketball drills. The two-day selection camp starts at 9 a.m. on april 1 and ends april 2. The first day is devoted to skills tests and drills and the selection of the Top 40 performers. The second day will consist of more drills and scrimmages among the Top 40, and as much as 10 players who will represent the region in the National Training camp in april will be chosen at the end of the day by Jr. NBa coaches led by coach Sefu Bernard, Director of Basketball Operations, NBa asia and local Jr. NBa coaches led by PBa Legend Jojo Lastimosa.

ARRESTED. Jamille Cornley, former best import awardee off the PBA and Goldstar Hardware’s import in the recent Araw ng Dabaw tournament, was arrested for punching a cop.

Knicks sink Celtics 100-85 B OSTON (aP) -The New york knicks are winning no matter who they play. Somehow, beating Boston feels special. ‘’Let’s just be quite frank about them,’’ carmelo anthony said after the knicks cruised to a 100-85 win over the celtics on Tuesday night. ‘’We always want to beat Boston. New york in anything wants to beat Boston and when we do it’s a great feeling.’’ J.R. Smith came off the bench to score 32 points, anthony added 29 and the knicks extended their winning streak to five games while handing the celtics their fifth straight loss.

The win moved the knicks into second place in the Eastern conference, percentage points ahead of the Indiana Pacers. The celtics, who could face the knicks in the first round of the playoffs, remained in seventh and dropped to 0-2 at home against New york despite being 24-9 there against the rest of the NBa. ‘’It’s tough for a lot of teams to come here and win (but) we’re playing for something,’’ knicks coach Mike Woodson said. ‘’They’re playing for something, too, and they’re a little beat up, like we are. and I just thought tonight our defense set the tone early and it was a nice flow for 48 minutes.’’

NO WAY. J.R. Smith (8) of the New York Knicks goes up for a layup in front of Jeff Green (8) of the Boston

Celtics during the game on Wednesday (Manila Time) at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

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VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

Realty

EDGEDAVAO

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INdulge!

VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

FOOD

Davao’s Sinugba Festival

ArAW ng Dabaw might be over but the festivities that come with it lingers even up to today. Parties and bazaars lined the streets as people from all over the country came to celebrate one of the most colorful festivals in the country. Despite the traffic, both of people and cars, I found my way to the Tienda del Mercado over at Acacia Street, Juna Subdivision with my friends as we anticipated the Davao Sinugba Festival. By the time we arrived, it was already packed with people and smoke from numerous grills clouded the booths as exhibitors prepared their best sellers. I felt like a kid lost in a maze as I scouted for foods from every nook of the bazaar. Focused, I found my way through the many booths that sold every bit of

food – from grilled burgers to grilled beef, kebabs and bottled buko shake - the fair was certainly a gastronomical heaven on earth. Of the many stalls, I found myself all excited as

I came across one that sold organic finds, Aloha Organic Graden. Preserved Strawberry Jam and Homemade Sun Dried Tomatoes plus an abundant selection of herbs lined their stacks. The tablea lover in me was verily intrigues and thus I ended up buying more than what I need from them. All that walking certainly made us hungry and it was time for the Sinugba Festival. People lined and waited to get a chance at their buffet table. Ivan, Jefferson, Jacob, Michelle, Lendle, Ada, Clappy and

me merrily gobbled the night away. Indeed, it was a fun night to spend with friends. Saffron and Pepper Infused Pasta with Tuna, Caramelized Carrots and Sun Dried Tomatoes drizzled with Tomato Infused Olive Oil Cooking gourmet is as easy as 1-2-3. With the

food finds at the bazaar, I was able to play around with the ingredients and came up with my own recipe that speaks of health and easy to assemble. Ingredients: 200 grams pasta, cooked according to package ¼ cup pasta water 1 180 grams tuna flakes in brie, drained 1 medium size carrots, julienned 1 medium size shallots, chopped 2 pieces garlic, chopped ½ teaspoon saffron powder ½ teaspoon black pepper 3 pieces sun dried tomatoes, chopped Olive oil infused tomato Sea Salt Olive oil Method: In a pan over low heat, slowly sauté the carrots until it wilts. Do not turn the heat up or add oil as you want it to cook with its

natural oil and sugar. Once done, take off the heat and set aside. In a pan over low heat, heat oil and sauté onions until transparent. Add the garlic and sauté until brown but not burnt. Next, add the tuna flakes and sauté until cooked. Do not overcook. Add the caramelized carrots and stir continuously. Next, add cooked pasta and pasta water. Cook for 30 seconds and add the saffron and black pepper. Toss until well coated. Add the chopped sun dried tomatoes and turn off the heat. Season to taste. Drizzle with tomato infused olive oil, pepper and more of the sun dried tomatoes. Serve hot. Do you want to be a part of Davao’s Thursday habit? Send me your recipes, questions, suggestions and comments and be featured. If you are interested, then email me at leebai@ chefroyale. com or visit w w w. c h e froyale.com for more recipes. Happy Cooking!

A2 INdulge! UP AND ABOUT

Celebrate Easter joy and so much more at SM Lanang Premier

IT’S a festive Easter season at SM Lanang Premier with its fun lineup of engaging activities for kids and adults alike.

This Sunday, March 31, parents can take their kids to SM Lanang Premier to join an Easter Egg Hunt filled with enticing goodies and go creative with a face painting session. They can also dress up their kids in their best Easter bunny outfit to participate in the search for the cutest, most colorful and wackiest Easter costume. Attractive prizes await the winners of the costume competition. Interested parties can sign up their kids ages 12 and below by submitting a completed application form and Php100 registration fee. Registration entitles participants to receive a pair of Bunny ears and an Easter basket and a free pass to the egg hunt, the face painting session (free for the first 100 kids to register), and the costume party and contest at 3 pm. Pre-registration is on-going until March 30, from 11am-8pm, at the designated mall registration booth at the Atrium, SM Lanang Premier. Registration will also be open from 10am-2pm on March 31 at the same venue. Going highly interactive, SM Lanang Premier is also spreading the joy of Easter online through an Instagram Photo Contest from March 25-31. Open to all users of the popular photo app, Instagram (IG), interested participants must follow SM Lanang Premier on IG and visit the mall to start their hunt for the Giant Easter Eggs. They must take a photo with at least one Giant Easter Egg and upload it on IG using the tag @ smlanangpremier and #easteratsmlanang up until March 31, 10pm. Two winners will be selected via random raffle and will win special prizes. Joining the mall’s Easter festivities on March 31, Krispy Kreme’s “Design Your Donut” Activity and Toy Kingdom’s Coloring Activity will also be held. For inquiries, call 285-0943 local 136. Like SM Lanang Premier on Facebook or follow @SMLanangPremier on Twitter for news and event updates.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

Lenovo celebrates graduation season with big smartphone discounts LENOvO celebrates this year’s graduation season with their Gift for Graduates promo that offers big discounts on premium smartphones, featuring top-of-the-line gadgets that fit any lifestyle.Open not only to fresh grads but to everyone wishing to grab the latest Lenovo handsets, the promo lets them score new phones without breaking the bank. From March 18 to April 30, fresh grads and Lenovo fans looking to get their hands on Lenovo’s flagship phone K860 can take it home for only P17,999 from its retail price of P19,999. The stylish S560 and S880 that boast huge high-definition screens are avail-

able for only P8,999 and P9,999, tempting choices for those looking to get into style-savvy jobs in fashion and advertising. Multi-taskers who want a professional-looking phone can take on the dual-core P700i,which is tagged at only P8,999 from its original price of P10,999. For purchases made through credit cards buyers may avail of these units at 0% interest for 3 to 6 month payment terms. Now, everyone can get affordable handset upgrades

Tech-savvy consumers can now get the stylish Lenovo S560, which boasts of a huge, highdefinition screen.

and enjoy their favorite apps, browse the internet to look for jobs, and expand their contact list as they dive into the professional world with the latest Lenovo phones, available in all authorized

Lenovo phone retailers. The Lenovo Gifts for Graduates promo is open not only to graduates but to all consumers purchasing K860, S560, S880 or P700i units during the promo period.

Lenovo’s dual core P700i is perfect for professionals on the go.

Lenovo’s flagship phone, the K860, is now more affordable thanks to the Gift for Graduates Promo.

Colors of Summer with Sugar Kids and Tough Kids

FREE BEACH MATS FROM SM DEPARTMENT STORE. It’s time to soak up the sun and get a limited edition summer beach mat from March 26 to May 15. Get a free beach mat for a minimum single-receipt purchase of P2,500 of regular priced items from SM Ladies and Girls Teens Wear Department. Don’t miss out on this fashionable summer giveaway and collect all 4 colors. Head on to the Ladies’ and Girls Teens’ Wear section at all SM Stores near you from March 26 to May 15 only.

HAvE a delicious summer treat with the refreshing line-up of summer shoes from Sugar Kids and Tough Kids. Inspired by the bright flavours and colours of summer faves such as ice cream and popsicles, these shoes are sure to give you a treat for the feet! Girls can beat the heat with a scoop of delightful styles from sweet flats, cute espadrilles and stylish wedges. Boys can chill out with footwear as cool as ice pops, with comfy loafers and hip rubber shoes. Get a summer style-high with our Sugar Kids and Tough Kids shoes exclusively available at SM Department Stores nationwide.

VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Britney Spears suffers near nip slip in strapless dress BRITNEY Spears can’t blame the wind on this one!

Yesterday, the 31-yearold pop star stopped by a friend’s house in Malibu for some bikini-clad sunbathing and narrowly avoided suffering a wardrobe malfunction. The almost-nip slip happened as the former X Factor judge was stepping out of the passenger’s seat of a white car. Spears was snapped laughing while pulling up her strapless black dress as it headed south. Thankfully, the dress, which had a lacy peekaboo cutout revealing her cleavage, didn’t fall down too far.

Afterward, Spears and her pal headed out for lunch at Cafe Habana. Spears suffered a windy

wardrobe malfunction the other week when breeze blew her dress up at her kids’ soccer game.

most of her time talking to Sheen and was generous with everyone she worked with, resulting in—it’s nice to report—no complaints from the set.

And, judging by these pics of Lohan in cleavage-baring black lingerie and a shirtless Sheen, the costars cozied up to each other right away.

Lindsay Lohan in bed with Charlie Sheen Anger Management has taken a turn for the Scary Movie 5.

As E! News first reported yesterday, Lindsay Lohan’s guest appearance on pal Charlie Sheen’s FX sitcom involves the MayDecember duo ending up in bed together. And we’ve got photos! Lohan plays a patient of Sheen’s anger management counselor and— part of the therapy, we guess—they wind up getting intimate. A source tells us that Lohan was the consummate professional, even showing up early for both days of shooting. She spent

Stella McCartney honored by Queen Elizabeth II FASHION is important to the Queen.

Queen Elizabeth II honored yet another big Hollywood name today, when she pinned designer Stella McCartney with the Order of the British Empire award for excellence and service in the fashion industry. The 41-year-old, who told ITv News she felt “really proud and really excited and honored,” was dressed to impress (obvs) in a blue pencil skirt and peplum blazer suit, which was, of course, one of her own creations, as she arrived at Bucking-

ham Palace alongside her husband, Alasdhair Willis. Along with Adidas, with whom she collaborates on a sportswear

line, McCartney created the Olympic 2012 outfits for Team Great Britain, a job which involved creating over 500 individual pieces. Last year, McCartney told The Telegraph she “really enjoyed the experience” and that her brand “wasn’t just plucked from nowhere, we’ve been doing this collaboration for eight years and it was an honest approach. It wasn’t like, let’s just get a British fashion designer to chuck some flag on a jacket, it was genuine.” Clearly, her efforts did not go unnoticed.

IT TAKES A MAN AND A WOMAN John Lloyd Cruz , Sarah Geronimo GP

12:40 | 3:00 | 5:20 | 7:40 | 10:00 LFS

G. I. JOE RETALIATION-3D Bruce Willis , Dwayne Johnson PG-13

12:00 | 2:30 | 5:00 | 7:30 |10:00 LFS

THE HOST *IT TAKES A MAN AND A WOMAN R-16

PG-13 GP

Gerard Butler /*John Lloyd Cruz 12:40 | 3:00 | * 6:30 | 08:50 LFS

G. I. JOE RETALIATION Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson PG-13

12:40 | 3:00 | 5:20 | 7:40 | 10:00 LFS

A4 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

EvENTS

How DJ Callum rocked the mall By Kenneth Irving Ong

WHeN it comes to festivals, what normally comes into mind are the street parties that used to choke the city streets with people and acts that can range from acoustic chill out, to club music, all the way to hardcore, head-banging rock and roll.

Wanting to create a new party experience for Dabawenyo urbanites, SM Lanang Premier turned the second floor area of the mall’s Fountain Court into a virtual street party featuring who else but one of Manila’s in-demand spinners, DJ Callum David. The alfresco area of the Fountain Court was teaming with people even before the official opening of 9PM many thanks to a meet and greet earlier at SM Lanang Premier’s gigantic atrium that was full to the rafters. Participating in the event were the restaurants located at the Fountain Court of SM Lanang Premier namely Hog’s Breath, Bulgogi Brothers, Bistro

Selera, Cellar de BoCa, Hukad, Mesa Filipino Moderne, Sumo Sam, New Orleans, and Clawdaddy. By 10PM, people were already either hitting the dance floor or dancing where they stand given that the area was more like a long street that reminded me of Singapore’s Clarke Quay or Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong. Hopefully, these kinds of events will be regular at the Fountain Court, and by the way DJ Callum David rocked the house, I believe this is just the beginning of more things to come. Follow me on Twitter and on Instagram @kennethkingong for more foodie finds, happening events, and travel pics from in, around, and beyond Durianburg.

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS 15

VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

Is he back? Only Tiger knows for sure ORLaNDO, Fla. (aP) -- Life must be going well for Tiger Woodswhen he can make headlines in the gossip pages for dating Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn and in the sports pages for winning Bay hill and returning to No. 1 in the world. all in the same week. The studio photos of Woods and Vonn that were posted on their Facebook pages looked more suitable for a catalog showcasing their clothing sponsors. Far more natural were the poses Woods struck Monday afternoon with arnold Palmer after winning his tournament - left arm draped around Palmer’s

shoulder, both unable to contain their laughter over whatever was said that could not be repeated. ‘’But it was funny,’’ Woods said, breaking into a broad grin as he replayed the exchange in his mind. ‘’Really funny, actually.’’ yes, Woods appears to be in a happy place. Winning does that, and Woods is starting to win with alarming frequency. In the one year and two weeks since he limped off the course at Doral with tightness in his left achilles tendon - the same injury that forced him to miss two majors in 2011 - Woods has won six times in his last 20 starts on the

PGa Tour. In his three wins this year, no one got closer than two shots at any point in the final round. The limp has been replaced by a swagger. ‘’he looks a lot more comfortable out there. he doesn’t really miss many shots. and if he does, it’s not by a whole lot,’’ said Rickie Fowler, who played with Woods in the final group and has seen plenty of him at practice at The Medalist in South Florida, where both are members. ‘’you know when another guy is playing well and he’s on top of his game,’’ Fowler added. ‘’he’s got a little something.’’ haven’t we heard this

ate in light of Woods’ past marital woes. It’s the latest controversy from the athletic giant who has recently had to cut ties with biker Lance armstrong and runner Oscar Pistorius due to separate scandals. Woods has long used the phrase - at least since 2009 - whenever reporters ask him about his or other golfers’ rankings. The ad has garnered more than 8,000 likes and 2,000 shares on Facebook, as well as hundreds of comments, many congratulating Woods on the ranking, but others comment-

ing that the ad sends the wrong message out in light of Woods’ past problems. his 5-year marriage to Elin Nordegren collapsed in 2010 after multiple affairs came to light. Others responded on Twitter. annie kessler, 25, in columbus, Ohio, tweeted that the ad was a ‘’poor choice’’ for Nike. She said in an interview that she felt compelled to tweet because even though she understands why Nike would want to promote Woods, the phrase itself is inappropriate because of Woods’ past infidelity.

Nike ad on Tiger draws critics

EW yORk (aP) -- Maybe winning doesn’t take care of everything. Nike is causing a social media storm with its latest online ad showing a picture of Tiger Woods overlaid with a quote from him, ‘’Winning takes care of everything.’’ The ad, posted on Facebook and Twitter, is supposed to allude to the fact that the golfer recovered from career stumbles to regain his world No. 1 ranking on Monday, which he lost in October 2010. But some say it’s inappropri-

BACK AT 1. Tiger Woods is now back on top of the golfing world. Will he stay there for long and pad his PGA tour collection of titles?

VOL. 6 ISSUE 10 • THURSDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 28-30, 2013

EDGEDAVAO Sports

Azkals exact sweet revenge c

aLL it lucky shot but coach Michael Weiss will still take the victory just the same. yes, a win is a win,

and the Philippines got lucky with a neat shot by Phil younghusband and then kept its composure when the ace striker was

PHIL GOES TO WORK. The Philippines’ ace striker Phil Younghusband goes for the goal in the 67th minute in the Azkals match against Turkmenistan on Tuesday night. Younghusband’s goal gave the Azkals a 1-0 win over the Turkmens in Group E of the AFC Challenge Cup. Below, the Azkals whoop it up after the win. Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and communications LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao city

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ Ordinary Regular Service ARNEL P. BERSABE, Petitioner

Case No.2003-XI-00384

x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE HEARING

Petitioner is a grantee of a certificate of Public convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ Ordinary Regular service on the route: PANACAN VIA CABAGUIO AVENUE ROUTE with the use of ONE (1) unit, which certificate will expire on May 27, 2013. In the petition filed on February 13, 2013, petitioner request authority to extend the validity of said certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on APRIL 08, 2013 at 09:10 a.m. at this office at the above address. at least, FIVE (5) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence. WITNESS the honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, this 13th day of February 2013 at Davao city. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ chief Transport Development Officer

gone late in the match to notch a 1-nil victory and win Group E of the asian Football confederation challenge cup qualifiers Tuesday night at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. younghusband found himself at the right place at the right time slotting home a curling shot from inside the box for the winning goal in the 67th minute. Defender Dennis cagara actually crated the scoring opportunity after leading an attack and dishing off a pass to striker Javier Patiño, who was marked well by a Turkmenistan defender. The trailing younghusband then found the ball inside the box and blasted away to the delight of the homecrowd. The star striker, however, left the match moments later in the 85th after getting his second yellow card but the azkals, playing only ten men the rest of the way, were just lucky enough to hang on and survive a Turkmenistan onslaught. The win gave the azkals a slot in the challenge cup proper in Maldives next year. “We we’re just lucky, but we will take his win just the same. a win is a win no matter if it comes by luck,” Weiss said in a television interview after the match. The azkals came out roaring right after the first whistle, as Stephan Schrock intercepted Turkmenistan play which led to a clear shot by younghusband, whose attempt hit the post at the first minute. The Filipinos continued to dominate the possession until Turkmenistan got its rhythm and threatened in the attack. The visitors had two straight quality shots but only went to the hands of azkals goalkeeper Roland Mueller. The azkals almost gave up an easy goal at the 45th minute, as a Turkmenistan player got past defender Rob Gier and Mueller right inside the box. Luckily, defender carli de Murga was there to flip the ball outside to prevent the neat attack by the visitors and end the halftime with a nil-nil score. Turkmenistan then became aggressive at the start of the second half, finding at least three shots at the goal which were saved once again by Mueller.