Edge Davao 6 Issue 13 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

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SILENCE IS GOLDEN, BUT... Grace Sarion, a deaf mute city government employee, shows her complaint affidavit against officials of Gaisano Mall for discriminating against persons with disability. The criminal case is now filed with the Municipal Trial Court. Lean Daval Jr.

INdulge

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Broken silence

Raps filed against Gaisano Mall officials By EJ Dominic Fernandez

Egg-citing Easter! Sports

All Stars in Digos

Page 16

riminal charges were formally filed before the municipal Trial Court against two officials of one of the city’s biggest malls for violating republic act no. 7277 known as the magna Carta for Persons with Disability. Charged were Jessica Canasa, officer-in-charge of Gaisano mall Davao cinema; and Joe Choa-Shi, comptroller of DSG Sons Group, inc., which owns Gaisano mall Davao. The charges were filed by city government employee Grace Sarion, deaf mute personnel of the City Treasurer’s Office and resident of matina Crossing, Davao City, who

was refused by the said mall officials after she was deployed as movie ticket checker. City prosecutor marte melchor Velasco recommended the filing of charges against Canasa and ChoaShi after finding probable cause of the complaint filed by Sarion. This is the first time in Davao City that a criminal case has been filed for discriminating a person with disability (PWD). Velasco recommended a bail of P12,000 each for both respondents. The case was docketed as municipal Trial Court Criminal Case no. 145.721-20 dated april 01, 2013. FBROKEN SILENCE, 11

SASA BOMBING REMEMBERED. Relatives of victims of the Sasa Wharf bombing light candles as acting Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte watches during the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the April 2, 2003 bombing that left 17 people dead and 56 others injured, in Sasa, Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

2 THE BIG NEWS

NPA releases abducted cop

he new People’s army (nPa) freed on Tuesday afternoon in mawab, Compostela Valley the policeman it abducted last march 18. P03 ruben nojapa Jr. was personally handed over to Davao City Vice mayor rodrigo Duterte around 2:30 p.m. in Sitio mahayag, Barangay nuevo iloco in mawab town. From mawab, nojapa was brought to

Camp Catitipan in Buhangin District here on board a helicopter to be reunited to his family. nojapa, assigned at the nabunturan PnP, was abducted in a checkpoint in Barangay mainit, nabunturan town, Compostela Valley on march 18. The cop was released after the nPa found no evidence to warrant his prosecution under their “kangaroo court.” [Pna]

VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

RELEASED. Officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Office 11 meet acting Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte when he personally transported yesterday PO3 Ruben Nojapa, Jr. from an undisclosed location in Compostela

Comelec 11says:

EDGEDAVAO

Valley Province where the National Peoples Army released the captured police officer. [City Information Office]

Recording studios make big bucks from election

PCOS machines are W guaranteed to work

By Che Palicte

By EJ Dominic Fernandez

eChniCianS of Precinct Count Optical Scanner (PCOS) machines started training yesterday as the Commission on elections (Comelec) regional office intensified preparations for the may 13 polls. The 122 technicians from the city’s second district recently hired by Comelec will be operating some of the 1,162 PCOS machines to be used in Davao City alone. another batch of 137 technicians from the third district will be completing their training today while another batch of 121 technicians from the first district will have

their training beginning Wednesday. First district election lawyer aimee Ferolino ampoloquio, guaranteed that the PCOS machines will function properly on election day. “The same PCOS machines that were used in the 2010 elections will be used for this year’s election, so far there are only minor glitches, but nothing we can’t handle,” ampoloquio said. “if there are PCOS machines that are defective, then we will replace them since the Commission on elections (Comelec) has contingency units,” she added.

according to ampoloquio, the training will teach the technicians on the basic functions of the machine, contingency procedures, troubleshooting and operations to make sure that malfunctions will be handled or avoided. The technicians along with the Board of election inspection (Bei) will conduct a final testing and sealing (FTS) procedure within a week before the elections to make sure that the machines will function properly. The newly-hired technicians are mostly information Technology (iT) graduates and Computer

engineering graduates. ampoloquio said, “only technicians are allowed to attend the training so that there will be no other entities who can tamper with the machines to make sure that the election will be fair for all.” after the series of trainings, Comelec officials will conduct voter’s education in each barangay to disseminate information to the voters on how to use the PCOS machine. “it will be up to the Comelec officials of each district on how they will conduct the Voter’s ed, and when they will conduct it,” ampoloquio said.

hen it comes to election time, recording studios are a hit. recording studios in the city, and not many of them are in this industry, are made ‘nouveau riche’ when election comes due to the high demand for campaign jingles. ryan Cris rellon, owner of Soundtrack recording Studio located in rizal Street, Davao City, told edge Davao yesterday that it is only during election time their revenues go up by three-folds. “Politicians don’t mind the cost of the song, what matters to them is to get famous and remembered during election,” rellon said. he added that the rate for an ‘all-in’ (meaning they will

were found in non-common poster areas in violation of Comelec rules. Lean Daval Jr.

FRECORDING, 11

Nograles, Avila deny using plastic posters

NON-BIODEGRADABLE. Some of the campaign posters of local candidates which are made of non-biodegradable materials like plastic and tarpaulin are found mounted in several areas in Davao City yesterday. Some of them

arrange the music, compose and provide the singer) package amounts to P40-P70, 000 per jingle which is produced in three to five days. “if they already have the music and all we have to do is compose and provide the singer, we will charge them P10-P15, 000 per jingle,” he said. The production of this type is completed in three days. rellon added that since October last year they already started recording campaign jingles for local politicians from Davao City and other provinces. “actually our clients come from different parts of the provinces, we have Surigao, Bukidnon, Cotabato, and Davao Oriental

WO local candidates denied using non-biodegradable plastic for their campaign posters following the Commission on election’s (Comelec) ban on plastic posters here in Davao City. reelectionist Congressman Karlo nograles told edge Davao that he is using biodegradable material for his campaign posters. “You can take a look at it (posters), we only have biodegradable posters and paper post-

ers,” he said. Plastic posters of rep. nograles dotted areas along major roads in the city even prior to the local campaign season. Pro-environment advocate leo avila, a comebacking council aspirant, also said that he does not have plastic posters but admitted some of his tarpaulins are for reuse after the elections. avila said he is not against the use of plastic campaign materials “as long as the candi-

FNOGRALES, AVILA, 11

SUBURBIA

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 •WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

Mindanao power woes may end by 2015 m

inDanaO may become power-sufficient by 2015, according to lawyer Cynthia P. alabanza, spokesperson and adviser for external affairs of the national Grid Corporation of the Philippines (nGCP). alabanza said the nGCP has nothing to do with the rotating brownout plaguing mindanao nowadays because the problem lies mainly in the power supply. She, however, told the media that the power problem in the island is now being addressed and it is expected to be over by 2015 with the completion of new power plants. Presently, the power consumers in mindanao have to bear with rotating brownouts ranging from four to six hours each day except for the service area of the Zamboanga del norte electric Cooperative (ZaneCO). ZaneCO has been able

to tap other power source to cushion the impact of power rationing by the national Power Corporation (nPC) due to limited supply. in the case of Zamboanga which is in the Southwestern tip of the Peninsula, the blackouts continue on an average of eight to ten hours in a day. Then Zamboanga City electric Cooperative (Zamcelco) President elbert atilano said the city’s some 150,000 consumer/ connections can expect full supply only by about 2016, the time when a coal-fired 100 megawatts power plant will start operating full time. Work on the multi-billion peso project proposed by the San ramon Power incorporated will start sometime this year. atilano has relinquished his position at Zamcelco last Friday, because he is running for councilor for the may 13 elections. [Pna]

TENT DWELLERS. Leanna Mae de Rosa (right) and sisters eat their snack, a porridge made from corn and other grains inside their tent in Andap, New Bataan, Compostela Valley on Maundy Thursday. The De Rosa sisters lost

SouthCot, Koronadal LGUs seek Comelec exemption on financial assistance outlays

he local governments of South Cotabato and Koronadal City have asked the Commission on elections (Comelec) to exempt their emergency financial assistance programs from the ban on the disbursement of public funds during the 45-day election period. lawyer hilario de Pedro iii, provincial administrator of South Cotabato, said Tuesday they applied for an exemption from the Comelec central office for the implementation of some of its financial assistance programs, especially those that cater to emergency situations and other immediate needs of poor or indigent residents. he specifically cited the assistance programs involving disaster relief and rehabilitation, medical and hospitalization, as well as free basic services. “all these are banned right now based on election regulations. We asked for their exemption so we can continue serving our residents,” he said. The Comelec banned the disbursement of public funds as part of the

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prohibited acts cited in resolution no. 9385. The prohibition covered the appointment or hiring of new employees; creation or filling up of new positions; promotion or giving of salary increases, remuneration or privilege; construction of public works; delivery of materials for public works; issuance of treasury warrant or similar devices for future undertaking chargeable against public funds; and, release disbursement or expenditures of public funds. The resolution also prohibited the release of prisoners until June 12. De Pedro, former three-term governor from 1992-2001, said the provincial government has temporarily suspended the implementation of most of its financial assistance programs and free services pending a decision from the Comelec regarding its exemption application. But he said the suspension did not cover the assistance and services that are under its regular and institutionalized programs.

‘CAPITAL for agricultural development and the expansion of rubber, palm oil and Cavendish plantations were poured into the province by big businesses that have given employment opportunities to thousands of North Cotabato residents.’ --North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Talino-Mendoza in her state of the province address last March 26, 2013.

“We’re very careful with these programs because we don’t want to face any problem with regards to our compliance with the election laws,” the official said. aside from the exemption application, de Pedro said they submitted a list to the Comelec of all infrastructure projects in the province that are being implemented by the provincial government and other agencies. he said the listed projects are now in the implementation stage and all their preliminary requirements, especially the bidding and awarding, were completed before the march 29 election ban. “This is to inform the Comelec that these projects were not covered by the ban,” de Pedro said. among the major infrastructure projects being implemented by the provincial government are the allah Valley Community hospital in Surallah town, renovation of the provincial hospital in Koronadal City and several road projects in the province’s upper valley area. [allen V. estabillo/ mindanews] Koronadal City administrator Cyrus Urbano said they also applied for the exemption from election prohibition of the city’s burial assistance program, assistance to individuals in crisis situation or aiCS and other emergency financial assistance initiatives. he said the application was filed by the City legal Office before the

city Comelec office. “These assistance programs are temporarily suspended pending the Comelec’s response to our application,” he said. Urbano said the local government sought for the exemption so it can attend to the emergency financial needs of some residents during the election period. “We want to have (legal) basis in implementing these programs so we asked for their exemption,” he said. Koronadal City election officer evangeline Basan said they have forwarded the city government’s application for exemption to the Comelec central office. “all these concerns are decided by the Comelec central office,” she said. if eventually granted an exemption, she said the city government can immediately continue with the implementation of the concerned programs and will no longer be questioned with regards to election-related violations. regarding the infrastructure projects, Basan said they required the city government to submit a list of all initiatives that are being implemented through local, national and internationally-funded programs. She said they have asked the barangay councils to submit a list of projects that are being implemented in their areas to validate the city government’s list. [allen V. estabillo/mindanews]

their home to super typhoon Pablo on December 4, 2012. Andap was the hardest hit among areas struck by the disaster. [MindaNews/Toto Lozano]

Evacuees from Sabah: 750 new arrivals; total 5,189 since March 6

VaCUeeS from Sabah: 750 new arrivals; total 5,189 since march 6 The number of evacuees from Sabah since march 6 has reached 5,189 as of 5 p.m. on april 1 or 750 more arrivals from the 11 a.m. march 27 update of 4,439, records from the regional human rights Commission (rhrC) of the autonomous region in muslim mindanao (armm) showed. The rhrC’s “Sabah evacuee map” as of april 1 lists as among the new arrivals 143 persons who were “part of one big group that arrived in Taganak (Tawi-tawi) on unknown dates in different smaller boats.” Two navy boats, PG 370 Jose andrada and PS 36BrP apolinario mabini were dispatched to rescue them from Taganak. Thousands had been

fleeing Sabah for fear of getting caught in the crossfire in the operations malaysian authorities launched against members of the “royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and northern Borneo” to flush them out of lahad Datu in Sabah. The figure 5,189 does not include the 288 persons on board a commercial ferry who arrived in Zamboanga City on march 2 following their deportation from Sabah and whose deportation had nothing to do with the standoff in lahad Datu. The rhrC’s “Sabah evacuee map” (see attached map) shows a total of 5,189 evacuees, 288 classified under “organized” or those officially deported by Sabah, and the remaining 5,189 classified under “self” or voluntary evacuation. [Carolyn O. arguillas/mindanews]

Fogging conducted for Kidapawan village with high dengue cases

iDaPaWan City health authorities conducted fogging activities monday at a village in this city with high cases of dengue fever, a health worker said. luningning alqueza, midwife of Barangay Sibawan, said the insecticide spraying targets the aedes aegypti mosquitoes, carrier of the dengue virus. Since last January, 15 dengue cases have been recorded in Barangay Sibawan, the highest last month with 10 cases, she said. alqueza said one of the

patients, an eight-year old girl died, last month, while seven others are still undergoing treatment. The chemical spraying will eradicate the breeding grounds of the dengue-carrying mosquitoes, she noted. The measure, however, is limited because the chemicals will only last for a month, she said. “We want the permanent eradication of the breeding sources of the dengue-causing mosquitoes,” she stressed, urging residents to regularly clean their backyards. [malu Cadelina manar/ mindanews]

VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Team PNoy vows to stick to issue-based campaign T

AERIAL SHOW. Amidst overcast afternoon skies, a private-owned Cessna plane is seen flying over Davao City Monday with a huge streamer that reads “Duterte-Dute-

rte”. It was not known who commissioned the aerial campaign. Lean Daval Jr.

he Team Pnoy senatorial slate will continue its issue-based campaign tact even as it expects mudslinging in the remaining days of the campaign period for the mid-term elections, Bam aquino said yesterday. another Team Pnoy senatorial bet, risa hontiveros, meanwhile, urged the Commission on elections (Comelec) to hold more debates among senatorial candidates to educate voters on various issues and platforms of governance by contending political coalitions. in a press briefing at the Team Pnoy headquarters in makati, aquino said: “One thing that won’t change is the Team Pnoy strategy to stick to the issues and push for a clean and issue-based type of campaign.” aquino, who broke into the magic 12 in recent surveys, said he expects the campaign to heat

up in the remaining few weeks, and the opposition to step up its mudslinging tactics against President aquino›s hand-picked candidates to help him in the last three years of his term. “i’m sure talagang iinit yung laban. marami sigurong ibabatong mga kung anu-ano. But rest assured na the candidates of Team Pnoy will stick to the issues, to our advocacies, sa mga plano natin para sa bayan,” Bam aquino said. aquino said further the Team Pnoy coalition will work to keep the may 13, 2013 elections “honest and clean as much as possible.” aquino called on all political candidates to address directly socio-economic concerns of the greater number of Filipinos, notably poverty alleviation and job-generation. “hindi na iyong bangayan na personalan or

mga bagay-bagay na hindi naman importante sa taong bayan,” aquino said. On the other hand, hontiveros said: “at kung pwede, my wish sa remaining campaign days, sana mas maraming debate pa. So Comelec, kayo ba ang aking fairy godmother? media, kayo ba ang aming fairy godmothers? Wish. Sana mas maraming debate pa.” hontiveros acknowledged her low-ranking in survey, but noted that she is “nearing the striking distance.” “i’m still the lowest in our team pero every survey, nag ge-gain ng ilang percentage points. So, iyong mga ganyang survey results, always just inspire me to fight harder, work harder. Ganoon pa rin ang gagawin ko,” hontiveros told the press briefing. hontiveros said she expects to enter the magic Circle of 12 in the second half of the campaign.

they said akbayan violated Comelec regulations regarding posting of campaign materials. They also said akbayan first nominee rep. Walden Bello failed to follow the Comelec rule forcing media personalities, including columnists to take a leave of absence from work during the campaign

period. Bello published three articles as an inquirer.net columnist during the campaign period. “if Comelec is truly being ‘strict’ regarding campaign rules, how come it has been turning a blind eye regarding violations of administration allies? Comelec should not have

any reason now, except maybe their being unabashedly biased towards administration bets, not to act on the complaints vs akbayan. The rule forcing columnists to take a leave is pretty clear and simple,” said anakbayan national chairperson Vencer Crisostomo.

Casiño, Villanueva Youth groups file new disqualification top 7-11 online polls case vs ‘Malacanang’s pet party list’

F votes were counted based on purchase of drinks or online votes, alternative candidates Teddy Casiño and eddie Villanueva would have won the Senate race today. “it seems that the young voters and netizens are eager to quench their thirst for real change in the government,” said makabayan senatorial candidate Teddy Casiño, alluding to 7-11’s Gulp vote campaign. Casiño and Villanueva, both from alternative parties, have consistently been in the top spots of the retail giant’s online mock polls at 7-election. com.ph/results. The progressive solon said he is happy that netizens have been supportive of his campaign and that the survey reflected other online and youth polls. in addition to online surveys by various groups and websites, Casiño was also

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a front-runner in a recently conducted poll by a student organization in the University of the Philippines. The survey which interviewed 1,072 students from FeU, DSlU, ateneo, UST and UP put Casiño in the 7th spot. he was ranked #3 in UP alone. Casiño attributes his stellar performance in online polls to the enthusiastic campaigning of his netizen supporters. “We might not have as much funds to spend on television commercials but internet is relatively free and that is what our volunteers are utilizing. Through the internet, i am able to explain my platform. Through Facebook and our website, our team of volunteers come out with infographics and other creative materials that show what i have done and what i intend to do in the Senate to bring change to the common folk,” he said.

OUTh leaders from anakbayan, league of Filipino Students and Kabataang artista para sa Tunay na Kalayaan today filed a new disqualification case against akbayan Party-list over violations of election campaign regulations. in their complaint,

ELECTION 101 (Part 2 of a series)

eCTiOn 18 of Comelec resolution no. 9615:

a. a common poster area does not refer to a post, a tree, the wall of a building or an existing public structure that is in active use, but a structure, the location and number of which are herein below determined, that is temporarily set up by the candidates or political parties for the exclusive purpose of displaying their campaign posters; b. in no instance shall an election Officer designate any trees, flowering plants, shrubs locat- e d along public roads, in plazas, parks, school premises or in any other public grounds as common poster areas. in cases where parties and candidates still persist in displaying, post-

ing, or exhibiting of their campaign or election propaganda on trees and plants, they shall be prosecuted for violation of these rules, without prejudice to the institution of a criminal complaint for the violation of republic act no. 3571.

When told of the manner of making bigger election posters by putting together many smaller ones was no longer allowed by the Comelec:

‘There has already been a previous ruling on that, that’s prohibited.’ Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes info graphics courtesy of Gma news

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

Construction boom ‘domino effect’

THE ECONOMY

Small businesses also profit

By Greg G. Deligero

hO says the construction industry is only for big business? The main players no longer have the monopoly of Davao’s current construction boom. The small businesses are also raking in profits from an animated construction industry. Teolulo T. Pasawa, director of the Department of Trade and industry-Davao City Field Office (DTi-DCFO) said the booming construction industry helped the small businesses to flourish stemming from the increased demand for services and other business activities ancillary to the industry. The ancillary business activities, he said, include professional service, transportation, repair shops, fabrication, retail, warehousing, security and

food processing and communication. The Davao City engineer’s Office issued last year a total of 6,624 business permits, an increase of 115 percent from the 5, 776 issued in 2021. The total investment recorded from the construction of buildings reached P14.45 million, a 179 percent increase from the figures posted in 2011. “The high degree of construction activities increases the intensity of small business activities,” Pasawa said, noting that even cafeterias and beer joints usually flourished near the construction sites. Pasawa said the micro, small, and medium enterprises (mSmes) provide the economy with a continuous supply of ideas, skills, and innovations necessary

in the creation of employment and income generation. in the last five years, the mSme sector accounted for about 99.6% of the registered businesses in the country by which 63% of the labor force earn a living. around 35.7% of the total sales and value added in the manufacturing come from mSmes as well. in 2012, investments from mSmes in Davao City reached P35.94 billion, 33 percent of which are from the small enterprises or business establishments with capitalization P3 million to P15 million. employment generated by mSmes totaled to 446, 131 with 88 percent provided by micro enterprises or businesses with capitalization below P3 million.

CONSTRUCTION HAZARD. This tower crane at the construction site of a university building project hovers

on top of a busy street along Roxas Avenue, Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

6 THE ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO Stat Watch TESDA eyes 65% employment rate for 2013 scholars in Davao VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

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

he Technical education and Skills Development authority (TeSDa) is targeting a 65-percent employment rate for its scholars who will graduate this year from this city and for the province of Davao del Sur. nestor Tabada, director for TeSDa’s provincial office for Davao del Sur, which includes in its jurisdiction this city, said in a media forum at Sm City Davao that a total of 4,321 scholars for the entire province are being eyed to avail of the P36-million scholarship fund starting the second quarter of this year. The TeSDa scholarship programs for Davao del Sur, according to a document Tabada showed to reporters, include the Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP) for 1,665 students, Private education Student Fund assistance (PeSFa) with 576 slots, Cash for Training Project (C4TP) for 1,080 students, and the Coke-TeSDa S3Tar for 1,000 scholars. he said the TeSDa will ensure that at least 2,808 or 65 percent of the scholars will be

hired after their graduation. interested beneficiaries should be at least high school graduates, Tabada said. interested applicants can only avail once in any of the scholarship programs, he added. noting that Davao del Sur comprises 65 percent of the TeSDa areas in the Davao region, he cited that 66 percent of 18,000 TeSDa graduates in 2012 in the province have been employed. he said the total number of graduates eyed this year will be just about the same with that of last year. Tabada said TeSDa-Davao has partnered with 125 schools, of which 101 are in the city. he cited that the Coke-TeSDa S3Tar aims to “transform women sari-sari store owners into becoming better entrepreneurs.” Coke is interested in sari-sari store owners because they are the soft drink company’s partners in the retail business, Tabada noted. in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the C4TP has the biggest budget with a total of P21.6 million. Tabada

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

Large companies in Davao City invested in 2012 a total of

P157.54 billion and generated a total of

18,736 employment.

Source: BuSineSS Bureau

said scholars for this program should be at least 17 and a half years old so they can be employed after the training. he said each scholar of C4TP will receive P20,000 for allowances and tools for his or her chosen skills to learn for fu-

ture employment. Tabada said the trainings available are for employment in industries, particularly tourism, agri-fishery, electronics, and contact centers, among others. [lorie ann a. Cascaro / mindanews]

mella Tagum, Camella General Santos, and Camella northpoint, as well as its upcoming developments in Communal in Davao City and in marbel, South Cotabato. it will feature mockups of actual home designs for viewing and will offer packages with big discounts and easy financing terms. reservation fee for homebuyers will also be reduced and exciting freebies await homebuyers. all these will be highlighted by the grand launch of Camella’s latest development in the city, Camella Davao, in a lavish program at six in the evening. adding more excitement are various activities that will be open to the public featuring Davao’s renowned personalities such as artist Vic Secuya for the art workshop and contest, and photographers Jojie alcantara and rhonson ng for the photography workshop and contest, both on april 6. These shall be followed by a symposium on interior design titled “Beyond the Box: Contemporary Design for Small Spaces”. The second day will also be eventful with the art and photography exhibit, a landscape symposium, culinary demo, and a fashion show of

the latest trends. Since Camella’s first project in Davao 17 years ago, the masterplanned developer has remained strong to its goal of intensifying its presence with six masterplanned developments in Davao, Tagum, and General Santos City. “True to our mission of dominating the industry, we are further broadening our reach with a new project in Davao that will be launched this Saturday evening, and yet another in South Cotabato very soon,”said marlon B escalicas, Camella Southmin Gm. Camella is a subsidiary of the largest homebuilder in the country, Vista land & lifescapes. Vista land understands it is the ultimate dream of every Filipino to own a home, thus making it its vision to build a home for every Filipino. Fulfilling this goal has made Vista land the leader in Philippine residential real estate development as revealed in a 2011 study of Colliers international research. in that year alone, Vista land built a total of 18,422 houses, houses and lots and sold out condominiums. it is no wonder then it is the market leader in real estate development.

Camella showcases market dominance in two-day exhibit

n a two-day exhibit presenting its various masterplanned projects, Camella showcases its expanding reach in Southern mindanao. The exhibit, dubbed “a Showcase of Camella lifestyle”, will be held on april 6-7, 2013,

at the SmX Convention Center hall 3, Sm lanang Premier in lanang, Davao City. The exhibit will depict the charming and vibrant lifestyle of existing communities built by Camella such as Solariega, Toscana, Camella Cerritos, Ca-

BUSINESS SKILLS TRAINING. Nestor Tabada, training officer of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, bares that the agency will conduct a formal training program for female sari-sari

store owners during the weekly Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao last Monday. The program aims to help enhance the sari-sari store owners’ skills in managing their businesses. Lean Daval Jr.

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

Davao By the numBers

It figures

P5 billion Money the Philippine government will infuse into the state-run People’s Television Network (PTV) pursuant to newly approved law which empowers the network to sell advertising.

476,408

NUMBER of marriages registered by the National Statistics Office in 2011, down by 1.3 percent from 482,480 recorded in 2010. NSO said the number of marriages has been declining since 2009. The PhiliPPine STar, March 27, 2013

7.1

GROWTH of Pacific economies slowed to 7.3 percent in 2012, down from a post-global financial crisis high of 8.3 percent in 2011, pulled by the easing growth in resource-exporting economies of Papua New Guinea (9.2 percent) and Timor Leste (10.6 percent), according to the Manila-based Asian Development Bank.

$4.4 trillion

THE BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations have a combined foreign currency reserves of $4.4 trillion and account for 43 percent of the world’s population, and are seeking greater sawy in global finance to march their rising economic power, a reason they are uniting to set up institutions that encroach on the roles of the World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 •WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT 7

Making science and technology work for the National Greening Program T

he country’s premier reforestation program, the national Greening Program (nGP), has turned to science and technology in its bid to rehabilitate the environment and achieve other objectives, foremost of which is to upgrade the lives of people in the uplands. This time around, the Department of environment and natural re-

sources (Denr) not only adopts new strategies like social mobilization to engage the entire citizenry in tree planting; harmonization of greening initiatives and provision of incentives like conditional cash transfer (CCT) to eligible peoples organizations, the agency also makes sure that all these efforts shall not be for naught. The nGP has combined the weight of science and technology

going for it. at its early stage, the significance of proper planting site characterization is observed during watershed planning to ensure species-site and market matching of target areas. The nGP recognizes that adherence to this critical stage spells higher percentage of survival and greater productivity when tree species are compatible with soil type, eleva-

tion of planting sites and respective climate. Denr technical field men work closely with peoples’ organizations and local government units, as major stakeholders, in the implementation of this fundamental activity. On the other hand, market matching is another factor that nGP puts premium into to push the livelihood component of the Program and thus reduce the incidence of poverty in the uplands where some five million poor families reside. now, the appropriate tree species should not only be compatible to sites, they should preferably be species with ready market. The nGP promotes the use of quality planting materials of indigenous, native and endemic forest tree species for high survival and productivity. While seedlings are normally propagated through seeds, Denr’s ecosystems research and Development Bureau (erDB) has an alternative way of multiplying stock insofar as species with erratic flowering and fruiting characteristic, the ones with long

DCWD celebrates world water day with various stakeholders

P P r O X i m aT e lY 200 participants from different water districts in mindanao and schools and government agencies in Davao City joined the activities that Davao City Water District prepared for the World Water Day celebration (WWD) last march 22 at rizal Park. These were “run for Water” fun run, sticker brigade, “Blue hands” mural painting, motorcade and national Water Caravan (nWC). The celebration is an international and annual activity which promoted the importance of freshwater and sustainable management of freshwater resources. The activities centered on this year’s theme “Water Cooperation” which emphasized the importance of cooperation in striking a balance between the different needs and priorities and share precious resource equitably by using water as an instrument of peace considering that the fulfilment of basic human needs, our environment, socio-economic development and poverty reduction are all heavily dependent on water.

The celebration started with the invitational five-kilometer fun run “run for Water” joined in by employees from DCWD, Bureau of Fisheries and aquatic resources, City engineer’s Office, Department of environment and natural resources, Department of agriculture, Department of Science and Technology, Philhealth and Philippine red Cross, university and college students and faculty from the mindanao medical Foundation inc. and Brokenshire College and some walk-in participants. assembly time was at 4:00 am and the starting point was at rizal Park en route San Pedro St., Quezon Boulevard, Sandawa road, Quirino avenue, Pelayo St., Palma Gil St., C.m. recto and then back again to rizal Park. emerging winner for the male category was anthony nersa and for the female category was Criselyn Jaro both from Brokenshire College. Special awards were also given to matt ronald Tan as the 40th runner, Fred Garado for the early bird runner, isagani Quintos for the Blue runner and raymond Sunga for the latest

runner. after the Fun run, participants hailed jeepneys along San Pedro street and placed stickers on watershed protection and water conservation on their back portions. Then, they handmarked their support using blue water-based paint on a cloth during the mural painting activity dubbed “Blue hands”. The painted hands represented DCWD’s campaign for water and water resource protection which included the support of people from all walks of life. midway through the celebration, local Water Utilities administration (lWUa) acting deputy administrator for administrative services manuel T. Yoingco, employees and general managers of the water districts of Kabacan, Tagum, Digos, Carmen, Panabo and Sultan Kudarat and representatives from Philippine College of Technology and ateneo de Davao University arrived to participate in the motorcade and nWC which started from rizal Park to DCWD Bajada office and then back again to rizal Park. a short pro-

gram followed wherein Yoingco conferred plaques of appreciation to Southern and Central mindanao Water information Council (SOCemWiC) and DCWD for hosting the nWC in the Davao region. receiving the awards were Kabacan WD general manager Ferdie mar S. Balungay as the president of SOCemiC, DCWD’s OiC – assistant general manager for operations exequiel B. homez in behalf of acting general manager edwin V. regalado. DCWD also actively participated in the Watershed Summit 2013 themed “Strengthening Cooperation towards Water resource Protection” at Grand men Seng hotel. aside from being one of the presenters in the summit, DCWD also put up an exhibit showcasing its environmental protection efforts that help promote water resource sustainability in Davao City through different rehabilitation programs in the three major watershed areas in Davao City, namely, mt. Talomo-lipadas, mt. Tipolog-Tamugan and malagos. [Jovana T. Duhaylungsod]

interval of seed years or those with short seed viability like dipterocarp and other demand-driven species are concerned. This is through clonal propagation. erDB defines clonal propagation as a tool for tree improvement and establishment of clonal plantations done not only by grafting in the nursery but also by growing small parts of the plant inside a laboratory. Cloned seedlings are ideal for commercial production to attain greater profit for nGP beneficiaries inasmuch as cloning propagates genetically superior quality stocks for timber, fruit production and other economic purposes. The Denr through the erDB has established 22 clonal nurseries and has likewise forged memoranda of agreement with 17 state universities and colleges offering forestry courses in order to boost quality seedling production initiatives of the nGP. The erDB shall extend technical assistance to SUCs for guidance and to ensure compliance to standards and prescribed height and diameter of plantable quality materials. in addition to observance of proper nursery practices, the nGP promotes organic biofertilizers like mycorrhizal fungi. Unlike its inorganic or chemical versions that cause pollution and contaminate the soil, forestry experts extol the merits of biofertilizers because they are environment-friendly as they are living microorganisms that enrich the quality of the soil. moreover, as part of optimizing land use, nGP planting sites are zoned into production and protection areas with the latter planted with endemic, native or indigenous species while production areas are planted with fast growing forest tree species, preferably indigenous trees. Tracking planted trees a national reforestation program as massive

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as the nGP in terms of coverage and number of target trees – 1.5 million hectares with 1.5 billion seedlings - planted by 2016 calls for an innovative manner of monitoring compliance of implementers. a system to monitor and evaluate accomplishments in the field should be one with minimal margin of human error and ideally be open to public scrutiny. The implementation of the nGP after the issuance of executive Order no. 26 on February 24, 2011 called for the harmonization of all tree planting activities in the country and partnership of government agencies under the convergence initiative strategy. The eO likewise rallied the private sector to support the Program. Under eO 26, the nGP is to be carried out in the following lands of the public domain: forestlands, mangrove and protected areas, ancestral domains, civil and military reservations, urban areas, and abandoned mine sites as government’s blueprint for poverty reduction, food security, biodiversity conservation, environmental stability and climate mitigation and adaptation. Owing to the seriousness of Program objectives, the Denr gives premium importance on transparency and accountability in the implementation of activities. a recurring point of contention as regards government reforestation programs is location of planted trees. Critics are quick to say that plantations are nowhere to be found or that successful reforestation programs are just products of imagination of government public relations officers. Blame this on lack of maps of plantations, an element lacking in government reforestation efforts in the past. There was no way to distinguish that presence of standing trees were the outcome of a reforestation program. [irma S. Paulme/Denr]

‘THERE was no single entity who chose them. I did not choose them. It was a convention, and so it was our covenant to support our chosen candidates.’ --Vice Mayor RodyDuterte on recalcitrant members of HugpongsaTawongLungsod who are supporting non-Hugpong candidates.

8 VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

China as peacemaker ANAlYSIS

By ElizaBEth CoBBS hoffman

(Conclusion)

EDITORIAL

The voice of silence

raCe Sarion, a widow and mother of two, has lived her life in enveloped silence. Despite being deaf mute, Grace overcame her physical disability and earned a college degree elementary education. She could have been a teacher with her credentials, but in a highly competitive profession she ended up among the growing statistics of education graduates without a teaching job. By twist of fate, Grace landed a job with the City Treasurer’s Office last year and was assigned as movie checker by the city government. her hopes buoyed with her new employment, Grace was ready to report for work until she was told that the mall management nixed her assignment at the cinema. The reason given by the mall officials is due to Grace’s “incapability to speak and hear might be misunderstood by our customers as non-accommodative which might have a negative impact on us which may prejudice our cinema, especially in the instances if she is left alone as movie checker.” For refusing her to work at the cinema, Grace filed a case against Gaisano mall’s officials for violation of Section 32 of the republic act 7277 otherwise known as “magna Carta for Disabled Persons.” The said law provides that “no entity, whether public or private, shall discriminate against a qualified disabled person by reason of disability in regard to job application procedures, the hiring, promotion, or discharge of employees, employee compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.” it may be a case of David versus Goliath but Grace is undaunted. She is fighting for her right

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against discrimination. For her courage, Grace is now the silent voice of the physically-challenged. The case of Grace Sarion comes at the heels of the impending signing into law by President aquino of a bill promoting equal opportunities for employment to qualified persons with disabilities (PWDs). house Bill 5475, as amended by Senate Bill 3371seeks to expand the positions reserved for PWDs. The measure seeks to amend republic act 7277. This bill encourages private corporations with more than 100 employees to also reserve at least one percent of all positions for persons with disabilities. an employed person with a disability shall be subject to the same terms and conditions of employment and the same compensation privileges, benefits, fringe benefits, incentives, or allowances as a qualified able-bodied person. it is ironic that while the government seeks to advance the interests of the marginalized, some entities in the private sector continue to shut its doors to PWDs like Grace. Grace’s work in the cinema does not require utmost communication skills. add to it the fact that the mall is not her employer, it is the city government. her presence there is a regulatory function on behalf of the government. For sure, she is not going to be the reason why people will watch a movie or not. her silence is no reason to drive away moviegoers. in fact, sympathy and appreciation is in order for an establishment who affords people like Grace the respect for her physical handicap and recognition of her capabilities. What a pity Gaisano mall missed a lot of social responsibility points.

ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

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hOUGh China’s manufacturing base has gone viral, it does not make these precious chips in any significant amount — partly because foreign investors won’t set up shop, given the lax enforcement of intellectual-property rights. China depends heavily on imported semiconductors, for which its best and closest suppliers are South Korea and Taiwan. Semiconductor plants require enormous investment; a single factory costs $6 billion or more. They are geese, laying golden eggs. The last thing China wants is a nuclear or conventional war between its immediate neighbors that might destroy this industrial infrastructure. li Baodong, China’s envoy to the United nations, said as much in early march, after the last round of sanctions against north Korea to discourage Kim Jong-Un’s nuclear ambitions. “We are formally committed,” li insisted, “to safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.” This statement is of critical importance to Washington, which should do everything possible to encourage China to take on the role of peacemaker and enforcer. The United States has played bad cop in relation to north Korea for six decades. We still have 28,500 troops on the ground in a war without end. an armistice brought the three-year civil war between north and South to a temporary halt in 1953. The peace treaty, however, never followed. modern world history shows that Band-aids need to come off for healing to happen — despite the sting. Japan’s recovery after World War ii was delayed for six years, until the allied countries finally agreed to sign a peace treaty in 1951. Thirty years after the surrender of nazi Germany, the helsinki accords of 1975 formally established peace in europe. The accords reduced tensions across the continent and eventually led to the end of the Cold War. The 60-year delay in formally ending the Korean War has had costly repercussions. no blue-helmeted U.n. troops patrol the demilitarized zone, as in other post-conflict areas, to keep peace once it’s been established. instead, the United States has borne the expensive military burden of enforcing another country’s day-to-day defense for six decades — enabling South Korea to democratize and flourish. in addition to straining our national budget, this commitment has bought us animosity on both sides of the 38th parallel. a survey of South Korean military cadets in 2004 found that more ranked the United States as the “country’s main enemy” than ranked north Korea as the primary threat. Young americans who teach english in Seoul find signs at some restaurants saying, “no Foreigners allowed.” if not an example of the axiom “no good deed goes unpunished,” these reactions may belong in the category of nationalist responses to the long-term presence of foreigners — regardless of how helpful they may be. a former graduate student at San Diego State University, where i teach, recalls liking the cookies that friendly U.S. soldiers brought to the South Korean orphanage where he was raised in the 1980s. But he also remembers being mystified as to why the “white men” were there. it’s a question the majority of americans might have a hard time answering, given that the U.S. commitment predates their birth. The United States has given South Korea more in the way of shelter than any competitive nation-state has given another in perhaps all world history. But this effort has hit a point of diminishing returns for everyone involved. more of the same promises little in the way of progress. it’s time for China to become umpire and peacemaker of the region, consistent with its historical record and modern aspirations. The 60th anniversary of the Korean armistice is July 27, 2013. let’s celebrate with a peace treaty that allows Washington to bring our troops home for good.

EDGEDAVAO VOL.6 ISSUE 13 •WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

Deciding political issues

anDiD POliTiCal SPUrT – We must look into the state of our national political parties – seeking to move them from issues to personalities, from political platforms to political patronage system. Patronage politics merely change the person in power, but it doesn’t reform the system. We really cannot institute reforms when we are under political pressures. For example, Cabinet members and top-level officials appointed by the Chief executive owe allegiance only to the appointing authority – and to one else. They came from big businesses or the elite professions and naturally, they tend to serve and protect not the masses of their countrymen but their own kind. PriCKlY POliTiCal iSSUeS– The high incidence of illegal logging throughout the country specifically in the provinces of the Davao region is cause for serious alarm not only by environmentalist groups. The large number of people mostly from the rural communities where illegal logging is rampant confirms a series of research and surveys showing about the people’s growing dissatisfaction with local government units (lGUs). Furthermore, it is likewise reflective of the Department of environment and natural resources (Denr X1) regional office and its attached agencies’ ineffectiveness and irresoluteness in attending to their job to say the least. Well, maybe Denr executives are too preoccupied concentrating on their “extra-curricular” activities. While most if not all of Region XI’s top to bottom local officials are trying hard to explain in frequent media interviews that they are implementing a strict anti-logging measures,

VANTAGE POINTS

it is perceived that they have not squarely faced the causes of severe flooding and landslides, which is of course, aside from illegal logging there’s also the equally disastrous illegal mining activities and quarrying operations. For the affected residents in floodprone and mudslide areas in many parts of the vote-rich provinces, they could say with certainty that lGUs and DENR personnel including officials of the Bureau of mines did not exert maximum efforts to minimize if not totally eradicate illegal logging, mining and quarrying activities, which could have been done by the simple expedient of urging higher authorities and various law enforcement units not to treat habitual violators with kid-glove procedures or perhaps take their responsibilities lightly. There is a widespread belief that some local executives and environment officials are playing “lovey-dovey” and dancing to the tune orchestrated by deep-rooted and well-connected unscrupulous businessmen. With the unabated illegal logging, mining and quarrying operations, speculations are thick that they have established a so-called “unholy alliance.” This is a painful but at the same time a convincing assumption, not to mention bureaucratic bungling.

The unbearable situation of the people inundated and displaced by floodwaters and mudslides are perhaps one of the prickly social and environmental issues. as clearly shown during the latest typhoons that resulted to severe flooding and landslide incidents in different areas of the Davao region, government relief effort is nowhere near adequate and worse, marred even by confusion. Government pledges and promises sound great and cleanly efficient but the people’s bold description whose villages are destined to be submerge again in floodwaters whenever typhoons come due to environmental destruction brought the bitter, unavoidable reality. The upheaval is even greater for the thousands who make a living directly from the lowlands adjacent to the forested areas. not only that, the affected farmers including fisher folks will be competing with hundreds of thousands already suffering from extreme poverty and who also badly need government care and support. With the political campaign now on full swing and reaching fever pitch, local officials particularly those seeking reelection probably are concentrating on promising the annoyed and disgusted voters that they would run after illegal loggers and miners after the polls in order to minimize if not totally stop their illegal but highly lucrative activities, which is likewise part of the government’s trust to protect and preserve the environment. Together with criminality and peace and order, these will be the deciding issues in the midterm elections scheduled for may, although we surmise any political assurance comes a little bit late.

COMMENTARY By REihan Salam

vancement can form alliances across the political and cultural spectrum. although this argument has gained at least some currency among younger conservatives, who’ve been raised in a culture that takes gay equality as a given, it is far from becoming the conservative conventional wisdom. if anything, opponents of same-sex civil marriage see this “call for a truce” as a reflection of a basic misunderstanding about the real meaning of marriage. The central argument against same-sex civil marriage, as advanced by socially conservative scholars like ryan anderson, robert George and Sherif Girgis, is that real marriage is a permanent and exclusive union that is inherently oriented toward the bearing and rearing of children. This connection to the rearing of children is why most opponents of same-sex civil marriage believe the state has an interest in regulating marriage but no obligation to extend it beyond opposite-sex unions. according to this view, the larger cultural changes that have made it optional to have kids, and that have made marriage less permanent and less exclusive, have badly undermined the health of marriage as an institution.

Waiting on the world to change

S the Supreme Court weighed arguments over California’s Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of marriage act last week, the cultural and political momentum in favor of same-sex civil marriage was extraordinary. One after another, prominent Democrats who had been reluctant to endorse same-sex civil marriage switched their positions, recognizing that they were in grave danger of being “on the wrong side of history” (a phrase we’re hearing a lot lately). Some of the reversals have been surprising only because they’ve come so late, as in the case of hillary Clinton. Others, like Senators Jon Tester and Kay hagan, were surprising because they represent states, montana and north Carolina, where same-sex unions aren’t recognized. But this rush among politicians, including a small but growing number of republicans, to back same-sex civil marriage won’t settle the issue. assuming the Supreme Court doesn’t decide to invalidate the laws of the 37 states that limit civil marriage to opposite-sex couples, 31 of which have constitutional amendments to that effect, this debate will go on for many years. and we’re already starting to see the

(1st of two parts) contours of what comes next a battle between those fighting to return cultural values to what they were before the sexual revolution, and those convinced that there is no turning back. a number of conservatives, myself included, have argued that the right needs to shift from opposing samesex civil marriage to focusing on the broader erosion of marriage, particularly among working- and middle-class americans. Over the past half-century the share of 18- to 29-year-olds who are married has fallen from 60 percent to 20 percent. This wouldn’t be much of a problem if young adults were delaying child-rearing until after marriage, as is true among college-educated americans. But the out-of-wedlock birthrate now stands at 41 percent. By changing the subject from fighting same-sex civil marriage to strengthening marriage for all families, conservatives who believe that stable marriages are crucial for child-rearing and economic ad-

Magna Kwarta for the Poor

R o POOr. What’s

that? it’s a term that refers to a policy, program or project designed to benefit the poor. it may also refer to a person who has the welfare of the poor in his heart. Wonderful! But, to a professional politician (read: unscrupulous, corrupt), it’s just a euphemism signifying an empty gesture of sympathy for, and bogus identity with, the greater mass of our people who have less in life and rich in dreams. The professional politician is never pro-poor. he is forever pro-me. This pro-me syndrome has been developed and fortified through the years by a mandate that he gets after winning one election after another election, and another election and another. . . President aquino’s veto of the magna Carta for the Poor bill should not come as a surprise to us. he is not a poor Filipino. he is an elite landed Filipino, according to one of my favorite partylist representatives, luz ilagan. let’s listen to what P-noy has in his head regarding the veto: in other words, i could have played cute. i could have signed this into law, and earned brownie points, but i know the government wouldn’t be able to meet this. (Ph 3 – 4 Tr budget). Too bad, mr. aquino’s cute remark reflects his elitist mindset and his sorry lack of understanding of poverty and the miserable plight of the poor. 25 million (maybe more) poor Filipinos badly need decent homes, adequate food, good education, and proper health care, and their president could only think of brownie points and “pa-cute-cute” rhetoric. aquino’s wholesale rejection of the poverty alleviation magna carta measure is anchored solely on insufficiency of funds. The government cannot raise the budget, he said with obvious finality. i beg to disagree. The government Can. P-noy’s economic gurus should crack their heads, and conceive a grand design that would make the magna carta bill a reality, not a perpetual dream. They can start by adopting the slogan of a private bank that says, “We find ways”. They need not fear of being accused of plagiarism. The least that they could be guilty of, is copying which according to Tito Sotto, founder of the University of iskul Bukol, is not a crime, but just a form of flattery. now, here are three ways to raise money for the poor: One: Take away the pork barrel (PDaF) from the senators and congressmen/women. (We do not help the poor, we also curb corruption); Two: Source fund from PaGCOr; Three: Tap the PCSO funds. We live it to the aquino economic geniuses the initiative to find other ways to raise the magna carta budget. C’mon gentlemen, have a heart. Don’t let the poor down.

10 NATION/WORlD

VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Gov’t steps up drive vs oil smuggling T

he government has stepped up its drive to curb oil smuggling in the country. Presidential Spokesman edwin lacierda, in a press briefing Tuesday, said the Dept. of Finance, Bureau of Customs, and the Bureau of internal revenue, “have aggressively stepped up the campaign to curb oil smuggling, and to make sure that we bring justice to smugglers.” “Proactively, we’ve identified some smugglers and, in fact, we’ve already filed a certain number of cases,” he noted. DOF Secretary Cesar Purisima, in a statement, said one of the administration’s priorities is to combat smugglers directly, especially in high-risk commodities such as oil. “We in the DOF and its attached agencies are using a proactive, i n fo r m a t i o n - d r ive n approach to fight oil smuggling. This is part of establishing ‘tuwid na daan’ (straight path) for all businesses in the Philippines,” he said. according to the latest data from the Dept. of energy, Philippine oil demand amounted to 106.9 million barrels in 2011. however, Purisima said, current BOC data only records 67.6 million barrels of oil imported in the same year, “signifying a discrepancy of 39.3 million bar-

rels that is likely made up through smuggling.” as part of the DOF’s run after The Smugglers (raTS) campaign, he said, nine cases have been filed against oil smugglers since the start of the aquino administration, with total dutiable value of products amounting to P37.97 billion. last year, the Bir issued revenue regulation 2-2012, which would have changed tax administration on petroleum products to require upfront payment of the value added tax (VaT) and excise tax on imported oil. if the oil was to be used within special economic zones and qualifying for tax exemptions, tax-exempt parties would have been able to file for refunds under rr 2-2012. implementation of rr 2-2012, however, was delayed for nearly a year due to a petition filed by 1st District Pampanga rep. Carmelo lazatin, which resulted in a temporary restraining order issued on march 16, 2012 by regional Trial Court Branch 58 Judge Philbert iturralde. iturralde followed up the TrO by issuing a writ of preliminary injunction against rr 2-2012 on april 4, 2012. it took almost a year for the Court of appeals to reverse iturralde’s order on Feb 14, 2013. in the decision, the

WHERE IT’S PROHIBITED, THEY MOUNT MORE. Passersby walk past this array of posters of a candidate running for a local position mounted in a non-common poster area along Quezon Blvd., Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Ca noted that “the contested rr was issued as a corrective measure to ensure the collection of correct taxes from whom they are due, as explicitly delineated in the introduction of said rules.” The decision further stated that “it cannot be overemphasized that any injunction that restrains the collection of taxes, which is the inevitable result of the suspension of the implementation of the assailed rr is a limitation upon the right of the government to its lifeline and wherewithal.” The BOC, meanwhile, has been instructed to implement the rr and should hold

Malaysia requires passports, seaman’s books for barter traders in Sabah

miD fears of an influx of Filipinos and armed groups from mindanao into Sabah, malaysia has imposed stricter immigration policy requiring barter traders to present passports or seaman’s books to enter the disputed territory. effective april 15, 2013, “all crews of barter trade ships or vessels will be required to produce valid travel documents, i.e international passport or

seaman book at all entry ports in Sabah,” the malaysian Foreign ministry said in a note verbale sent to the Philippine embassy in Kuala lumpur and other diplomatic missions. Seaman identification card or SiC, it added, will no longer be issued to crews of barter trade ships or vessels without valid travel documentation. malaysia’s new guideline underscores Kuala lumpur’s latest bid to re-

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‘IF there are verified reports of candidates from Hugpong who are posting in illegal areas, I will personally request that candidate to removbe his or her poster.’

--Davao City Councilor MelchorQuitain, Hugpong secretary general

inforce control over Sabah, where nearly 200 followers of Philippine Sultan Jamalul Kiram iii landed by boat from Tawi-Tawi last Feb. 12 to reclaim the land they said originally belongs to the sultanate. Violence erupted between malaysian security forces and Kiram’s men amid efforts from the Philippines and malaysia to resolve the tense standoff peacefully. at least eight men believed to be among Kiram’s followers have been put to trial while dozens remain in malaysian custody. Philippine officials declined to say if all those arrested were Filipino nationals. in Sabah, there are three ports allowed to engage in barter trade, namely Sandakan, Tawau, Kudat and labuan. [Pna]

oil importations until payment of VaT and excise tax. in addition to the smuggling cases filed, Purisima said the Bir is conducting detailed audits of subject companies that the department has identified to be high-risk smugglers. To further heighten efforts to curb oil smuggling, Purisima said the DOF, BOC, and the Bir, have visited seven major district ports to gather data, among them major oil importing ports such as the Port of limay. The first wave of visits were undertaken from Feb. 5 to march 15, and the second wave of visits begins

this april to the manila international Container Port, the Port of manila, the Port of naia, and the Port of Batangas, another major oil importer. Purisima said the DOF will also implement soon a system of port accreditation for commodities at high risk of smuggling. Only particular ports will be accredited for importation of sensitive commodities such as oil and steel, subject to standards and technical requirements, he said. accredited ports would be required to submit to the DOF monthly reports that will be cross-checked

with data from the DOe and the Philippine Ports authority, on a per volume, and per vessel basis. “The port accreditation system will prevent ‘port shopping’, and hinder unethical importers from literally evading tax collection,” said Purisima. all importers of sensitive commodities will also be asked to submit annual rolling import plans indicating quantity, type, source and location of intended port arrival. “So we’re making sure that all these ports are visited and that efforts are made to curb smuggling,” said lacierda. [Pna]

operate under the ambit of the United nations with a mandate from the Security Council. These peacekeepers in all missions... deserve the full support of the international community, consistent with obligations and commitments under international law,” Del rosario said in a statement from new York. Some 21 Filipinos, who are part of the Un mission monitoring the armistice line in Golan heights between Syria and israel following the 1973 arab-israeli war, were seized by rebels on march 6 in al-Jamla. They were released by the rebels on march 9 after negotiations with the U.n.

While he commended the U.n. and all those in the international community who contributed to the safe release of the Filipinos, Del rosario said the experience from the incident should be used to make sure that peacekeepers “are able to fulfill their mandate with greater safety and security through improved measures and procedures.” Del rosario said Filipino peacekeepers already serve under risky situations and therefore “deserve the full backing of the United nations through the implementation of measures and procedures that will respond to existing and perceived threats.” [Pna]

Stronger protection for Filipino peacekeepers sought

OreiGn Secretary albert del rosario has asked the United nations to ensure stronger protection for Filipino peacekeepers, particularly those deployed in the Golan heights, after last month’s abduction by Syrian rebels of several Philippine troops serving the U.n. Del rosario, in a meeting monday (Tuesday in manila) with U.n. Undersecretary-General hervé ladsous at the world body’s headquarters in new York, said “appropriate measures” should be “continuously put in place to ensure the freedom of movement and the safety and security of U.n. peacekeepers.” “Our peacekeepers

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

11 Dolfo cites contribution to PNoy social contract D

A stall selling fancy jewelries along City Hall drive, Davao City catches the attention of mostly lady bystanders yesterday. The jewelries are selling like hot cake as they’re sold for only P50 per piece. Lean Daval Jr.

Broken silence... FFROM 1

edge Davao checked with the court yesterday but was told that the case is yet to be raffled. The case stemmed from the assignment of Sarion on april 14, 2012, as movie ticket checker assigned at Gaisano mall cinema by esperanza G. Parinas, city government moviehouse inspector. however, Canasa and Choa-chi allegedly rejected Grace Sarion’ assignment as movie ticket checker of Gaisano mall Cinema because of her physical disability as a deaf-mute. in a letter dated august 12, 2012, Cho-shi said in part their reason for refusing Sarion. The refusal, accord-

ing to the letter, was based on the ground that Sarion’s “incapacity to speak and hear might be misunderstood by our customers as non-accommodative, who might have a negative impact on us, which may prejudice our cinema, especially in the instances if she is left alone as movie checker.” association of Differently able Persons (aDaP) president redendo martinez said, “at last the differently abled persons will have a taste of the ‘magna Carta for Persons with Disability,’ because most of the differently able persons in the city who experience discrimination can’t com-

plain against bigger entities.” “This serves as a warning to all establishments, that differently able persons should not be taken lightly, and that aDaP is here to help them (Differently able persons),” he said. “The government gave an opportunity for the differently abled persons by giving them their salary as ticket checkers in cinema houses, but then big entities reject them, this is not good,” he said. martinez said, “since august 30, 2012 until present, no one from the side of Gaisano mall approached them to make amends and ask for apologies.”

in limiting as to how many minutes a jingle would take. “By this, a politician will always be remembered by the voters because campaign jingles repeatedly mentioned their name all throughout the song,” rellon added. Pastor eufronio manguiob, a political

candidate of Baganga, Davao Oriental and a client of rellon, said that election campaign jingle gives candidates that needed name recall value. “Campaign jingles are very effective i guess, this will serve as a tool for our names to be remembered,” manguiob added.

production of their campaign and election propaganda. he said, “what is lamentable is, if after the campaign they will forget that they placed their plastic posters in certain areas.” Comelec region 11 director, lawyer Wilfredo Jay Balisa-

do told edge stressed that Comelec discourages the use of plastic for campaign materials. “Candidates should observe local ordinances that prohibit the use of plastic in placing ads,” said Balisado referring to the clarification in

Recording... FFROM 2

and right now we are recording Governor arturo Uy’s campaign jingle,” he explained. he added that the impact of campaign jingles is more effective than seeing tarpaulins and leaflets of a certain candidate, since Commission on elections (Comelec) didn’t impose laws

Nograles, Avila...

aVaO del norte Governor rodolfo P. del rosario views some accomplishments of his administration as contribution to efforts on realizing the social contract of President Benigno S. aquino iii with the Filipino people. in delivering his recent State of the Province address (SOPa), Del rosario incorporated reports on accomplishments of national programs and projects he adopted and mainstreamed in his development agenda dubbed as P.e.O.P.l.e. among the national concerns which he prominently figured out in his SOPa were the Philippine commitment to the millennium Development Goals (mDG), the Universal Philhealth, and the Public-Private Partnership. he discussed how the provincial government of Davao del norte fared with the mDG commitment on eradication of extreme Poverty and hunger and on reduction of Child mortality and maternal mortality rates. he thanked President aquino for extensively rolling out the Universal health Program which absorbed in 2012, “60 percent

norte Sports and Cultural Center with a private contractor which agreed to build it in a turn-key scheme of payment. in citing these initiatives, Del rosario made known the contribution of the provincial government to realizing the Filipino people’s aspiration to achieve changes in governance. “in our humble way, we are able to give flesh to the lofty ideals of the Social Contract of President aquino; we are able to convey the message that as a Contract, the government cannot unilaterally be responsible for influencing the development course; that ordinary people too primarily bears the responsibility to dictate their own development direction; that as contracting parties, government and people should together walk the Daang matuwid,” he said. a definition in the internet says that a social contract is the belief that the state only exists to serve the will of the people, and they are the source of all political power enjoyed by the state. They can choose to give or withhold this power. (Pia Xi/ Jeanevive D. abangan)

closely monitoring the implementation by the Saudi government on its ongoing drive to go after erring employers and illegal workers as mandated by its Saudi labor law,” Foreign affairs spokesman raul hernandez said in a text message. “The embassy and the consulate are ready to extend the appropriate assistance to Filipinos who are arrested during this drive,” he added. amid the ongoing operation, aimed at clearing Saudi’s labor force with illegal workers, hernandez asked Filipino work-

ers to ensure that their residence and work status are in accordance with the regulations for work and residency permit of Saudi arabia. The Philippines is among the world’s largest labor exporters, mostly housemaids and construction workers to asian, middle eastern and Western countries. earnings sent home by about 10 million Filipino overseas workers are a lifeline to manila’s economy and fuel domestic spending amid the hard times worldwide. [Pna]

PHL to assist undocumented Filipinos who’ll be arrested in Saudi crackdown

he Philippine government will provide the necessary assistance to undocumented Filipinos who may be arrested in Saudi arabia’s crackdown on illegal workers, the Dept. of Foreign affairs said on Tuesday. authorities in Saudi arabia – home to more than 1 million Filipino documented and undocumented workershave recently raided offices and put up immigration checkpoints across the country. “The Philippine embassy in riyadh and the Philippine consulate general in Jeddah are

FFROM 2

dates who use it (plastic posters) have the responsibility to properly dispose or recycle the plastic posters.” Comelec resolution no. 9615, Section 6, provides that candidates must avoid materials that contain hazardous chemicals and substances in the

of the 60,185 enrollments we did in 2010, leaving us with only 23,600 not-sopoor beneficiaries.” “By freeing us of the 60 percent, we gained elbow room for other health investments,” Del rosario said. meanwhile, Del rosario disclosed setbacks such as reduction of internal revenue allotment (ira), rejection of the Philippine bananas, and raging storms experienced last year, that could have slowed down the development pace set by the provincial government. however, the Governor was grateful for the PPP approach which “complemented our limited government resources, and enabled us to efficiently achieve higher results,” he said. among the landmark PPP his administration clinched last year included the dairy project in new Corella implemented in partnership with land O’lakes; road projects with the World Bank and the australian agency for international Development (ausaiD); tourism access roads with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Davao del

ra 9615 that plastic shall be banned in local government units where there is an existing ordinance banning the same. Davao City is among ten lGUs in the country with an ordinance banning the use of non-biodegradable plastic.

uips

‘CATHOLICS should also understand that penitence, fasting or abstinence should not be simply be done to follow tradition, but to acquire self-control and will power so that, just like Jesus, one can analogically suffer and die for wrongdoing or sin.’ --Msgr. Fernando Capalla, retired archbishop of Davao Archdiocese

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VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

Realty

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EDGEDAVAO

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LANDBANK President and CEO Gilda E. Pico signs the Deed of Donation to the Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. (KCFI) for the Gawad e-dukasyon Program. KCFI President and CEO Elvira Lopez Bautista accepted the donation on the Foundation’s behalf. Under the program, the Bank will fund the production of videos on e-modules on agriculture and related topics. Also in

the photo are KCFI Resource Mobilization Division Senior Manager Jerome Montemayor and Transmedia Division Senior Manager Edric Calma, LANDBANK Senior Vice President for Corporate Services Julio D. Climaco, Jr. and Vice President for Corporate Affairs Catherine Rowena B. Villanueva.

LANDBANK, Knowledge Channel tie up for Gawad e-Dukasyon Program

he land Bank of the Philippines recently partnered with the Knowledge Channel Foundation inc. (KCFi) for the Gawad e-Dukasyon Program, an initiative geared towards renewing enthusiasm for the agricultural sector and promoting financial literary, especially among students. This forms part of lanDBanK’s campaign towards agri-aquapreneurship to shift the perception of agriculture and fisheries, from being a traditional means of livelihood to a profitable business venture. Under the program, lanDBanK and KCFi will produce videos on agriculture and agri-preneur-

ship, which will be aired over Knowledge Channel and complemented with e-modules that will be made available on the internet. “By engaging students through a more modern medium that they are familiar and comfortable with, we hope to bring forward the message that agriculture and fisheries are truly viable sources of income and business. We also want this project to be a platform for pushing financial literacy among our youth,” lanDBanK President and CeO Gilda e. Pico said during the signing of the Deed of Donation held recently at the lanDBanK Plaza in malate, manila.

This complements the Bank’s Gawad Patnubay Scholarship Program, a two-pronged program offering both formal and informal education—a college degree in agriculture and a TeSDa-certified ladderized education program—for poor but deserving dependents of farmers and fisherfolk in agrarian reform communities. The videos, which will be aired four times during the scheduled airing week for five school years cover topics which range from crop production; animal husbandry; aquaculture/ fisheries; and other agricultural-aquaculture entrepreneurship concepts and skills.

14 SPORTS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

Pacers trip Clippers lOS anGeleS (aP) -- roy hibbert wasn’t available the last time the indiana Pacers faced the los angeles Clippers. This time he was, and that made all the difference monday night in a battle between division leaders. hibbert scored 15 of his 26 points in the first quarter and grabbed 10 rebounds before fouling out, and the Pacers barely completed a sweep of their four-game road trip with a 109-106 victory. ‘’i just wanted to get out of the gates early, be aggressive, make the right plays and don’t force things,’’ hibbert said. ‘’Obviously, you don’t want to lose a 24-point lead, but we got the victory. We

knew they were going to make a run, but the fact that we weathered the storm is great.’’ hibbert, who was serving a one-game suspension from the league when the Pacers lost to the Clippers 99-91 at indianapolis on Feb. 28, made all eight of his shots in the first half and finished 11 for 14 from the field to help his team extend its winning streak to five and increase its Central Division lead to 6 1/2 games over idle Chicago. Paul George added 23 points and 10 assists. Clippers center Deandre Jordan, whose games this season have fluctuated between dominant and invisible, played 17 score-

less minutes and went to the bench for good with 6:26 left in the third quarter. The Clippers were outscored 42-25 while he was on the floor. ‘’roy’s good, man. he’s skilled. he can use both hands and he’s a big body,’’ Jordan said. ‘’They have a lot of guys who can drive, so you’ve got to help - and when you help, he’s got the hammer. he really got going early on tonight. he didn’t really get a lot of stuff in the post. it was more jump shots from the elbow.’’ all five Pacers starters scored in double figures, with David West getting 16 and backcourt mates lance Stephenson and George hill chipping in

EDGEDAVAO

with 13 apiece. Jamal Crawford scored 25 points off the bench for the Pacific Division-leading Clippers, whose magic number to clinch the first division title in the franchise’s 43-year history remained at two. They failed on their third attempt at their 50th victory, which would break the franchise record set by the 1974-75 Buffalo Braves. Blake Griffin had 17 points. los angeles is 2-4 since clinching its second straight playoff berth. The Clippers host Phoenix on Wednesday. ‘’We’ve had three chances to get to 50 wins, and we still haven’t been able to do it. So Wednesday’s a big game for us,’’

SLAM. Indiana Pacers forward Paul George, left, dunks as Los Angeles Clippers forward Caron Butler watches during the first half of

their NBA basketball game, Monday (Tuesday Manila Time), April 1, 2013, in Los Angeles.(AP)

SP cagers battle CCRO in semis

hIRD-sEED Sangguniang Panlungsod and no. 2 seed City Civil registrar’s Office squares off in the semifinal round of the 76 th araw ng Dabaw – DaChea Category a Basketball Tournament with the Vice mayor’s Office-led team seeking payback on an elimination round loss. Top-seed City environment and natural resources (7-1) battle it out with the fourth-rank General Services Office (5-3) in the other final four encounter. no date yet for the knockout double-header set at Davao City recreation Center almendras Gym, according to Tournament inCharge nestor espinosa. Christopher “Bong” Go will be at the forefront of the SP’s quest to get back in the finals against CCrO which was touted as title-favorite this year. Go, the sweet-shooting executive assistant of Vice mayor rodrigo Dute-

rte, averaged close to 40 points per game in the classification round. The City Council-based dribblers (6-2) are expected to ride on the momentum mounted on their five game winning streak at the end the first round going to the CCrO match. CCrO (7-1) will lean on former holy Cross of Davao Crusaders Weng Villagonzalo and ryan Josol and swingman rommel Barot. CCrO defeated SP, 98 – 94, on February 4. GSO is seeking out an upset against the power-house City enrO, which only loss once in eight games in the preliminary round. Carrying the load for GSO in the semis are rodel Bantilan, ryan Dela Pena and rusel Venus. not to discount emmanuel montalban and alain Punzalan. City enrO will put its hands full on ryan lomutos, Jerson Dela Pena, epe Decena and Wilson Panes. (rico Biliran)

INdulge!

VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

WOMEN

Party Sy-ster

ChArISSe Ann Sy, 25 yrs old, is the newest member in today’s brood of talented event stylists. “I never thought my fascination with flower arrangements would bloom into a career in event styling. When I was a kid, I killed boredom by picking out Santan flowers in the garden and turn them into bracelets for my friends in school. Since then, I became more interested in arts and crafts. Those skills were well put into use when I was in high school and college. I was part of this group who made props for the school plays.” “I was always the party organizer in my group of friends, even way back in school. I had this knack for wedding magazines which

I found useful whenever I think of ways to spruce up a friend’s birthday surprise and other family celebrations.” This chinky-eyed gal was still in college when she and her sister decided to put up their own events

production outfit, amply called as Party Sy-sters. (taken from their own surname). “It all began with my sister’s return from a balloon workshop. She taught me everything she learned from that seminar. It took quite a while before I learned the ropes of balloon twisting and all the magic involved in styling a whole room with balloons. We had fun mastering all the techniques because it was something we wanted to learn when we were kids. We decided to turn this hobby into a profitmaking exercise.” “We didn’t want to be this typical shop where people just order in balloons. We had quite a number of other skills we

knew we could try and put to use. We have this vision of setting up big events not only with balloons, but also with paper crafts, flowers, fabric, light, candies, and decorative plates. We did a couple more research on interior design and events planning. It took a couple of months before we officially branded ourselves as event stylists. We were unsure of where we would stand as there were already several event stylists in town who have made a name for themselves. It was merely by word of mouth that our services became known to people in our circle. At first, our availability was only limited to weekends as I had classes during weekdays. Straight after

college, I devoted myself fully to this job and we began accepting events of all kinds. We’re now on our 3rd year in business, and I’m very grateful to say that our clientele continues to improve over the years.” “We work with mood boards, which make it easy for our clients to understand the ideas we present to them. We are very hands on, even to the smallest detail. We put forward suggestions to our clients on how to personalize their event through custom-made details. We conceptualize and articulate our client’s desired theme and we work hand in hand with them to turn

their vision into a harmonious celebration.” “I think of this job as a medium to express reality. Together with my sister, we dedicate our time and passion to make innovative set designs for all occasions. Our goal is not only to make a beautiful setting, but also a wonderful and memorable experience for our clients and their guests.” For more about the services offered by the Party Sy-sters, you can visit their office at Door 102, LMGG Building, Mabini corner Avancena Street, 8000 Davao City. You can also contact them through mobile number 0922-3158777.

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge!

VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

HEALTH

When it comes to sex: Use it or lose it AlThOugh male sexuality is very different from female sexuality, studies say that it turns out for both sexes, that you need to “use it or lose it.”

The advice from researchers for older men who want to preserve their sexual function is this. have sex, and have it often, huffington Post reported. In a study that followed nearly 1,000 older Finnish men for five years, researchers found those who regularly had sex at the start of the study were at lower risk of developing erectile dysfunction (ed) by the study’s end, said huffington Post. “It’s what we in vascular surgery refer to as the ‘use it or lose it’ concept,” dr. hossein Sadeghi-Nejad, an associate professor of urology at New Jersey Medical School hackensack university Medical Center told uSNews.com. “Sexual activity will promote maintenance of normal erectile function

down the line.” Women need to use it or lose it as well. Women who have sex with themselves or a partner have better vaginal lubrication and elasticity of vaginal tissues than those who are abstaining, wrote FoxNews. com. More frequent sex also goes a long way in boosting a woman’s enjoyment of sex. Some researchers believe that there’s a psychological component as well, said WebMd. People may stop wanting sex if they go a long time without it. Sometimes this is true because people “turn off sex” to avoid feeling sexually frustrated. having more frequent sex can

actually maintain interest in sex. Men and women may experience sexual changes as they age. WebMd advised that some changes may be the first sign of a medical problem. So talk with a doctor about any concerning changes. he or she may

be able to recommend treatments that will help. Illness and side effects of medications can hinder sex, warned FoxNews. com. So be active, informed and communicate with your doctor about

Can your breath predict weight gain? A cheeseburger to you is the same as a cheeseburger to me, right? Maybe not. A new study suggests the microorganisms in our gut could affect how efficiently we extract nutrients from food, and the presence of certain bacteria could contribute to obesity for some individuals. And we might not need an invasive procedure to find out what’s going on inside: Researchers claim simply analyzing the breath we exhale could point out who’s predisposed to obesity. What It Is The study, published in the upcoming issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, analyzed breath readings from 792 people. They found that people with higher concentrations of both hydrogen and methane in their breath were more likely to have higher BMIs and more body fat. How can this be? Methane production in the gut is normally associated with the proliferation of Methanobrevibacter smithii (try saying that three times fast), a hydrogen-consuming

microbe which produces its namesake gas. This gas, in turn, shows up in the air we exhale. The more hydrogen available, the better this methaneproducing bacteria does. But while more hydrogen and more methane likely indicate an excess of gut bacteria — organisms the body needs in moderate amounts for healthy digestive function — it’s still unclear exactly how they’re contributing to weight gain (or if they’re the direct culprits at all). Some researchers speculate that having more of the gasproducing bacteria could help organisms in the gut extract nutrients more efficiently, meaning some people’s bodies could

be getting more energy from the food they eat — and gaining weight as a result. It’s also been suggested that the presence of methane slows down food in the digestive tract, giving the body more time to extract energy from food. Whatever the cause, researchers are hopeful the findings will give more insight into what happens in our intestines. They’re also working to figure out if controlling the bacteria could allow us to better combat obesity. Is It Legit? Yes, but maybe not for the obvious reasons. The researchers themselves aren’t sure exactly how to interpret these results.

As Science Daily reported, lead author Dr. Ruchi Mathur expressed words of caution: “We’re only beginning to understand the incredibly complex communities that live inside of us.”And while the study’s sample size wasn’t small by any means (you try asking 792 people to breathe into a test tube), the study didn’t control for factors like diet. The researchers also can’t rule out the possibility that the bacteria only thrive after a person becomes obese, which would mean the little microbes may not be the main factor in weight gain. Whatever the underlying cause of human obesity — and it’s likely there are a bunch of factors involved — the study does illustrate that gut bacteria definitely has some relationship with weight. We’ve also known for a while that methane and hydrogen breath tests can be good indicators of gastrointestinal disease. The next phase of research — which Mathur’s team is currently working on — is to determine the exact relationship between M. smithii and our metabolism. The next great diet pill might have more to do with the bacteria in our guts than the food we put into them.

any medical conditions or medications that can hamper sexual intimacy. People who have heart conditions can still enjoy full, satisfying sex lives, wrote WebMd. If arthritis is a problem, experiment with different

positions. Women, use water-based vaginal lubricants to reduce vaginal dryness or irritation. FoxNews.com advised staying physically healthy. exercise and have a healthy diet. don’t smoke, don’t abuse drugs or drink excessive amounts of alcohol. Prescription medications that can enhance the sexual response are also available, said WebMd. Some people find herbs such as ginkgo biloba and ginseng enhance their sexual function. But remember, both prescription drugs and herbal remedies carry the risk of side effects, so talk with a doctor. What can people do now? One researcher suggests the best predictor of later-in-life sexual activity is the amount you’re having at mid-life, wrote FoxNews.com. So what better time to get started than right now?

Sleep disturbances linked to Alzheimer’s Disease AdulTS who have certain sleep quality disturbances may be experiencing very early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. One study published on MedPageToday.com was conducted by Washington university School of Medicine in St. louis and “studied 142 cognitively normal people, ages 45 and older, taking part in long-term studies of memory and aging.” researchers studied the amount of time spent in bed and the actual amount of sleep people got each night for two weeks. researchers discovered that participants who had high levels of beta-amyloid42 in the cerebrospinal fluid were at an increased risk for amyloid depositions. Amyloid depositions have been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. According to ScienceNow, “In both humans and mice, levels of a peptide called amyloid-? rise during waking hours and decline during sleep, researchers have found. They also report that sleep-deprived mice are more prone to developing deposits of amyloid-?, called plaques, like those found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

Although far from proven, the finding suggests that sleep disorders could be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s.” While Amyloid-? is found naturally in the brain, an abundance of this molecule may lead to Alzheimer’s later on in life. In studies, sleep deprivation raised the levels of amyloid-? molecules and created more clusters of this molecule in the brain. “experiments at Washington university showed that nocturnal mice slept for 40 minutes during every hour of daylight. however, as soon brain plaques started to form the mice were sleeping for only 30 minutes.The findings suggest that people who are chronically sleep deprived may have higher levels of amyloid-? that make them more susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease,” according to a BBC News article. Sleep patterns in Alzheimer’s patients are often already affected and tend to get worse as the disease advances, so taking proper precautions is key. In those people already diagnosed with the disease, sleep disturbances can be caused by factors such as anxiety, depression, restless leg syndrome, or even having inadequate lighting in the room.

VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

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ENTERTAINMENT

Lindsay Lohan not flying home, stays in Brazil “against everyone’s advice”

LINDSAY Lohan is extending her Brazilian vacation.

The troubled 26-yearold star, who’s been in South America since Thursday for a promotional gig with John John Denim, isn’t returning home to the U.S. just yet, a source confirms to E! News. We’re told that Lohan made her way to the São Paulo airport tonight only to decline to get on the plane back to New York City. “She’s staying on her own dime,” a source says of LiLo, who tried to get someone else to foot the bill for her extended stay in Brazil. Lindsay has since left the airport with her friend Patty and checked into the Emiliano Hotel. Her manager left the country without her. “She is staying against everyone’s advice,” a source says. LiLo was scheduled to leave Brazil today for New York before heading back to L.A. for this month’s Coachella music festival. But as we told you exclu-

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DINOSAUR PROJECT 2D (PG-13)

QUEST FOR THE HEART 2D (GP)

OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL 2D (G)

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DJANGO UNCHAINED 2D (R-16)

sively earlier today, the Liz & Dick star wanted to stay longer to hang out and have “fun.” Lohan has had a whirlwind few days partying (and working) in São Pau-

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JACK THE GIANT SLAYER 2D (PG-13)

MUST BE…LOVED 2D (GP)

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OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL 3D (G)

lo and Florianópolis. Her festivities have included hiding under tables, deejaying at John John’s bash at the Café de lá Musique nightclub and dodging pesky photographers.

Princess Diana dressed as a man to go to a gay bar with Queen’s Freddie Mercury, according to new book PRINCESS Diana continues to fascinate.

A surprising, if hard-toprove, tale about the late royal’s life is now coming to light. According to a new book, the late princess once dressed up as a man and sneaked into a gay bar in London with Queen frontman Freddy Mercury, British deejay Kenny Everett and actress Cleo Rocos. Rocos reveals the supposed incident in her new book, The Power of Positive Drinking, claiming that the royal was unrecognizable in a large jacket and Aviator shades while at London’s Royal Vauxhall Tavern. According to Rocos’ tale, the incident took shape after Diana had spent the afternoon drinking champagne with the trio, which led to the group deciding to head out to the gay bar. Everett apparently tried to talk the royal out of it, but Mercury argued

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

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

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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

convincingly, “Let the girl have some fun.” Rocos is the only surviving member of the four-

some, so none of the other principals can weigh in, but if nothing else it’s certainly a lively tale.

Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson PG-13

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A4 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

EVENTS

Bunnies at the Waterfront The Waterfront Insular hotel davao celebrated easter Sunday with the theme, “Be like a bunny, eat healthy and stay healthy!’ It was more of a drive in eating the right food that can make kids go, grow and glow. eating healthy and staying fit can also best be achieved by engaging into sporty activities like wushu, zumba dance and other exercise. The More than medals team performed amazing wushu number while Yakult presented how good bacteria like lactobacili can help kids fight bad bacteria in the body. An enjoyable and energetic zumba dance session with kids gave a perfect warm up for the super exciting egg-hunting around the hotel grounds. Aqiva milk gave away samples in promoting good nutrition for growing up kids. Pool passes and cute bunny items were also given as prizes to kids in their parlor games while an overnight stay at Waterfront was awarded to the luckiest kid who found the golden egg. Instead of the usual candies and lollipops as give-aways, Waterfront specially prepared baked cookies formed into animals and cute figures as give-aways, making easter at the Waterfront a day to remember for the entire family.

Egg-citing Easter at Marco Polo Davao

The whole family experienced the magic of easter at the Marco Polo davao, with face painting, egg coloring contest, bubble machine, easter egg piñata, and a mesmerizing magic show by Patrick Salvador of Magic rainbow.

highlighting the event was the wild hunt for the easter eggs, with the silver, gold, and Marco Polo eggs as the most coveted ones. Prizes won were certificates for merienda buffet for two at the lobby lounge, lunch or dinner buffet for two at Café Marco, and an Overnight stay for Two in a Superior room. easter is definitely magical at the Marco Polo davao.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

Will Tiger ever win the Masters again?

SPORTS 15

OUT OF THE WOODS? Tiger Woods, now back at golf’s no. 1 position, will try to win the green jacket of the US Masters again.

he masters doesn’t begin until april 11, but the golf world is already focusing its eyes on augusta. This is hardly a new phenomenon, of course, but the anticipation is heightened this year because of the recent efforts of one Tiger Woods, whose play has been attracting attention of late. Woods’ victory at the recent arnold Palmer invitational was his third this year and the 77th PGa Tour victory of his career. it also put him back atop the world rankings. it was at augusta national Golf Club that Tiger Woods truly became Tiger Woods by winning the 1997 masters at age 21. it’s hard to grasp the fact that that was 16 years ago. The record Woods has compiled, one that includes 14 major championships (including four masters titles) is truly extraordinary. But he hasn’t won a major

championship since 2008 and, amazingly, hasn’t won a green jacket since 2005. and the view from here is he won’t win one this year, either. Woods will be the favorite in the eyes of a lot of people, but there are factors working against him. leaving his off-course issues aside, time has extracted its inevitable toll. Woods is 37 years old now and his body is feeling the effects of his nearly two decades as an elite athlete. his driver often takes him east to west rather than north to south; through march 26, he was ranked 24th on the PGa Tour in driving distance but just 142nd in driving accuracy. The real question mark for Woods, however, is his putting. at Bay hill, he looked like the Tiger of old, rolling in birdie putts from points far and near. But he was never under serious pressure during the final round and in his

two previous wins this season at Torrey Pines and Doral, he seemed less than focused down the stretch. We’re not dismissing what Woods has accomplished already in 2013. But an unanswered question remains. Does he still have the ability to handle the atmosphere of a major championship? To fight off a challenger or challengers over the last nine holes and all the way to the finish? a decade ago the answer to that question would have been obvious. But that is no longer the case. Since Woods last won a major, and certainly since he last won at augusta, a new group of challengers has emerged who respect his record but are not in awe of it or of him. We still think Tiger Woods will win another major two. But the 2013 masters will not be one of them.

NBA legend Bogues coming for Jr. NBA T

YrOne Curtis “muggsy” Bogues, who at 5’3” is the shortest player ever to play in the nBa,will visit the Philippines from april 26 – 28 to participate in the 2013 Jr. nBa presented by alaska national Training Camp. Bogues will be in manila to help coach participants from all over the country vying for a spoton the Jr. nBa all-Star Team. “i have heard many wonderful things about the Filipinos’ passion for the game of basketball and i am looking forward to my first visit to the country,” said Bogues. “i’mdelighted to have the opportunity to share my

skills and knowledgewith all the Jr. nBaparticipants that have worked so hard for their spots at the national Training Camp.” Bogues will join Jr. nBa head Coach Sefu Bernard and PBa legend Jojolastimosa of the alaska aces to help run the national Training Camp. Bogues will also conduct nBa Cares activities in metro manila. he is the fourth nBa legend to be part of the Jr. nBa Philippines Program, following BJ armstrong, aC Green, and luc longley. Drafted no. 12in 1987 by the Washington Bullets, now Washington Wizards, Bogues eventually joined the Char-

Grizzlies drop Spurs

DIVE. Luisville’s Bria Smith battle Purdue’s April Wilson in the Women’s NCAA match. Luisville advanced to the Final Four after beating Purdue and later on defending champion Baylor.

lotte hornets, and still remains the career leader in minutes played, assists and steals for the team. Bogues was also a member of the U.S. national Team that won the FiBa World Championships in 1986. The national Training Camp is the culmination of the 2013 Jr. nBa presented by alaska program, providing the top 50 participants an opportunity to train with and compete against their peers. The top 50 were selected from more than 1,000 participants from regional selection camps in lucena, Dagupan, Davao, and the nCr, as well as the alaska Power Camps.

emPhiS, Tenn. (aP) -- matching the most wins in franchise history was a nice moment for memphis. The Grizzlies have their sights set on much, much more this season. mike Conley got memphis to 50 wins by driving for a layup with 0.6 seconds left, and the Grizzlies rallied to beat the San antonio Spurs 92-90 monday night for their third straight victory. The Grizzlies won 50 in a season for the first time since 2003-04, and they also won their 12th straight at home. They improved to 26 games above .500 in a game where Conley’s bucket gave them their first lead since 18-16 late in the first quarter. ‘’We have loftier goals,’’ memphis coach lionel hollins said. ‘’i’m proud of the players and the

coaching staff and what we have accomplished, but i remember when the team got 50 before and we didn’t win another game.’’ The Grizzlies lost their final four games in the 2003-04 season, then were swept in the playoffs - by the Spurs. ‘’Winning 50 is nice, but there is a lot more,’’ hollins said.’’ Conley scored the final five points and finished with 23. Jerryd Bayless had 17 points, marc Gasol 16, Zach randolph 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Tayshaun Prince had 11 points. Tony Parker had 25 points for the Spurs. Parker tried to beat the buzzer with a jumper that was too late. ‘’They hit the biggest shot,’’ Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of the Grizzlies.

EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 6 ISSUE 13 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2013

JR. NBA. An aspirant performs a layup as Jr. NBA camp coaches give him the grade as part of the Regional Selection Camp in Davao City presented by Alaska in partnership with Phoenix Petroleum Philippines.

Jr. NBA Nat’l Camp

10 players make it

en players including five from Davao made it to the Jr. nBa national Training Camp at the end of the record-breaking Davao City regional Selection Camp yesterday at the USeP Gym. The other qualifiers were two each from Bacolod and Bukidnon and one from General Santos City. They bested 30 other regional camp finalists at the University of South

Digos hosts PBA All-Star May 1-6

iGOS City in nearby Davao del Sur will roll out its red carpet for the country’s basketball stars from may 1-6 for this year’s PBa all-Star Week. The Davao del Sur Sports Center, which has hosted several out-of-town games of the PBa will be the official venue of the week-long mid-season bonanza. San mig Coffee’s James Yap, alaska’s Calvin abueva, and Barangay Ginebra San miguel’s mark Caguioa are leading the cast of PBa allStars selected by fans that will challenge the Philippine national team in Digos City. arwind Santos, alex Cabagnot, Jay Washington, and marcio lassiter of Petron, Chris ellis of Ginebra, Cyrus Baguio and JVee Casio of alaska, Beau Belga of rain or Shine, and KG Canaleta of air 21 complete the line-up which will be coached by the aces’ luigi Trillo. Yap led all players in fan voting, and will star the game alongside Caguioa, abueva, Santos, and ellis.

eastern Philippines Gym in Davao City april 2 and will represent the mindanao region at the national Training Camp of the Jr. nBa Philippines 2013 presented by alaska on april 26-28. The qualifiers are Paolo Coquilla, Wynch hart montemayor, mahloney Tarranza, Cornelio reta and John Cañete from Davao, Jan Gabriel Sobrevega and Jose antiporda from Bacolod City,

John lloyd Bernales and lorenz Viajar from Bukidnon and anthony Sistoza from General Santos. The selected players were among the Top 40 performers singled out on april 1, Day 1 of the Davao regional Selection Camp, where the participation of 499 kids aged 10-14 toppled the high attendance record of 355 kids previously set in manila in 2011. The Davao finalists

ALL STARS. PBA stars Calvin Abueva (top), James Yap, Mark Caguioa and Arwind Santos will lead the cast in the 2013 PBA All-Stars in Digos City on May 1-6.

were chosen by the Jr. nBa evaluation committee headed by Jr. nBa head coach Sefu Bernard, Senior Director of Basketball Operations of nBa asia and PBa legend Jojo lastimosa of the alaska Power Camp. Their all-around basketball skills and how they exhibited the Jr. nBa’s core S.T.a.r. values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, (a positive) attitude and respect were key factors in their selection.