Edge Davao 6 Issue 169 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

VOL. 6 ISSUE 169 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

www.edgedavao.net

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

NOT EXTINCT. “Payong-payong” cabs still roam around some village roads and highways as a means of transportation along the border of Toril and Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur despite the ban on said types of public transportation. Lean Daval Jr.

Denguedeathsdown

But Region’s records show patients up by 11% By Antonio M. Ajero ama@edgedavao.net

HE number of deaths due to dengue in the Davao Region in 2013 is slightly down compared to last year. This was bared by Mary Divine Hilario, officer-in-charge of the health education and information unit of the Department of Health in Region 11, under Dr. Abdullah Dumuma, regional director. Hilario reported during last Monday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao Annex that as of end of October, the 42nd week of the year, a total of 9,593 cases of

dengue reported in Region 11 was however a bit higher (1,181 or 11 percent) than the 8,412 cases in the same period last year. However, in the number of deaths, only 60 died of the mosquito vector-borne disease in Davao Region, an appreciable improvement over last year’s 90 deaths, showing a fatality rate in dengue of 1.1 percent. This year, the fatality rate is only 0.6 percent, Hilario said. Davao City topped in the number of people sick with dengue with 5,757

FDENGUE, 10

ASSISTANCE. Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte and Barangay Captain Angela Librado-Trinidad extend financial assistance worth P205,000 and handed over food packs yesterday to the 30 families who were affected by a fire incident in San Antonio, Matina Crossing on Monday. Lean Daval Jr.

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 169 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

‘Baktin’trial continues T HE trial of alleged big-time carnapping syndicate leader Ryan Yap Yu, a.k.a. “Baktin”, will continue this morning on the eight carnapping charges filed against him before the Regional Trial Court Branch 16. “Baktin” had posted a bail bond of P1,440,000 through bondsman Ricardo Yu before RTC Branch 27 Judge Edwin Malazarte in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur last September 11. It is not known whether he will personally attend trial today. Yu became controver-

CHALLENGE. St. Augustine country manager and director for environmental permitting Clyde Gillespie says that the biggest challenge for their company is the current security threats in Pantukan, Compostela Valley during the King-king Copper-Gold Project presentation of project updates at The Marco Polo Davao Tuesday night. Lean Daval Jr.

‘We need DAP, it’s legal’-Gov. Salceda By Antonio M. Ajero ama@edgedavao.net

“Y

OU can call it DAP or by any other name, we in the countrysides need it. It is legal and practiced by past administrations.” This was the statement of multi-awarded Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, a recognized economist and currently co-chair of the $100 -billion United Nations Green Climate Fund (GCF), during a press conference in Davao City Tuesday. “There are local pro-

cesses to identify projects,” he said “one of them is CDD (community -demand-driven projects), another is BUB or bottoms up budgeting, wherein the people actively participate in the planning process.” Salceda said that in the BUB, 50 percent of the decisions come from civil society organizations, adding that the people ought to fight for honest-to-goodness CSOs because it is the people who

OME 1,000 additional core shelter units will be turned over to the victims of Typhoon Pablo in the provinces of Compostela Valley (Comval) and Davao Oriental during the first anniversary commemoration on December 3, an official said. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD ) Assistant Secretary for Operations and Programs Group and Deputy National Project Director for Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Service (Kalahi-CIDSS) Camilo G.

Gudmalin said that the houses will be more typhoon-resilient than before. Gudmalin added that the shelters have a uniform size of around 20 square meters and are reinforced with concrete walls and galvanized iron roofing shelters to ensure that they could withstand strong typhoons and other disasters. He said the construction of the core shelters are ongoing. Each shelter costs P70,000. “We have already funded 3,000 units for Davao Oriental and about

More core shelter units ready for Pablo victims S

FMORE CORE, 10

know the priority needs of their community. He said that when he first entered public service as congressman, at the time, then Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno and Economic Planning Secretary Felipe Medalla created what they called “fiscal stimulus program” in answer to the Asian financial crisis in 1997. The fund reached P40 billion then, he said. In 2008 when there was a global financial cri-

sis, he said the country’s answer was “economic stimulus fund.” Now that the government that has been slow in spending, savings have accumulated, “they gave it to those who know how to spend and called it DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program),” he said. “Di ko maindihan kung bakit may problema (I don’t understand why there is a problem),” the Albay governor added.

FWE NEED, 10

sial after Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte offered a P5-million reward for his head for allegedly stole millions of pesos worth of motor vehicles. The trial will continue even in the absence of Yu in court, but he said he would show up whenever required to do so as stated in his written undertaking submitted to Malazarte. He also said he would appear in court on judgment day. Last November 20, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) filed six charges of carnapping against

FBAKTIN, 10

Globe clarifies kidnapping victims not its employees

LOBE Telecom on Wednesday clarified that Nasri Abubakar and Dennis Aluba who were reportedly kidnapped in Baranggay Latin in Patikul, Sulu are not Globe employees. Yoly Crisanto, head for Globe Corporate Communications, said that the incident is very unfortunate but explained that the two victims are actually technical staff of QTel which was tapped by Nippon Electric Company (NEC) to set-up network transmission requirement in the area as contractor of Globe. “We have assisted our sub-contractor QTel in reporting the incident to the military. Globe will cooperate fully with the authorities as necessary. We empathize with the families of the victims and we are hopeful for their safe recovery,” Crisanto added. Police and Military officials reported Tuesday that the two were kid-

napped in Sitio Santol in Patikul, Sulu. The area is several kilometers away from the Marines brigade headquarters. Colonel Jose Johriel Cenabre, a military provincial commander, said victims along with a locally hired guide, were traveling on board motorcycles when they were stopped by about 10 Abu Sayyaf gunmen Tuesday in a village in mountainous Patikul town in Sulu province. The guide managed to escape and reported the incident to the military and police. Cenabre said marines looking for the gunmen and their victims later took into custody a suspected Abu Sayyaf militant for questioning. Although weakened by battle setbacks, the Abu Sayyaf group remains a national security threat and holds several hostages, including two European birdwatchers and a Jordanian journalist.

FINISHING TOUCHES. A worker makes some minor adjustments to the almost finished SM City Davao’s Enchanted Christmas Forest holiday set which will be used for the mall’s Christmas celebration launching on Friday at Annex. Lean Daval Jr.

NEWS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 169 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

Cops sue man In love triangle

OLICE filed charges on Tuesday against a farmer for stabbing a 19- year-old man last October 31 in Sitio Polocon, Barangay Lamanan, Calinan district. PO3 Christopher Lawas, investigator of the Calinan police station said that the suspect, Norbelito Roble, 21, of Sitio Tabuan, Brgy. Malabog, Paquibato district will be facing a frustrated murder charge before the City Prosecution Office. Roble surrendered to barangay officials of Megcawayan on Nov. 1 and was endorsed to the police. Lawas said the victim,

Rimjun Mediquillo of Sitio Malipayan is now in stable condition and presently hospitalized at the Southern Philippines Medical Center for wounds in his chest . The police claim love triangle as the motive behind the crime involving a 16-years-old girl who had a relationship with the suspect for two months but left Roble. Report said at around 6:00 p.m., while the couple was walking along the street suddenly Roble appeared and stabbed Mediquillo before fleeing from the scene of the crime. [EPC]

OLICE from different stations apprehended three persons who were wanted for theft after they were identified by their victims on November 5. Arrested were Ernesto Formentera, 22, of Purok 8, Brgy. Cogod, Island Garden City of Samal, Ryan Margate, 19, of Brgy. 21- C Piapi Blvd, and Abdul Liwalog of Buhangin. PO3 Ruben Corsino of the Buhangin police station said that Formentera was caught in the act of stealing the helmet

owned by Jeffrey Dela Cruz by the roving security guard of the Southern the Philippines Medical Center on Nov. 5. Police also filed charges for theft against Liwalog who was caught stealing in a separate incident. Margate was arrested by members of the Sta Ana police station after he was identified by the victim Morcid Barbangsa, as the one who took his touch screen cellphone worth P3,000. All three suspects are detained in jail.

Cops nab 3 for stealing Officials assure Davao City Hall is safe P T IP EXHIBIT. Judges check out one of the entries of “bahay paanakan” miniature contest at the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) exhibit dubbed “Silip” – A peek at indigenous life ways, which will run from November 5-22 at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

HE Davao City Hall building is almost 66 years old but it was built using sturdy material making it generally safe despite its age and the corresponding wear and tear. Engr. Cirinia Grace L. Catubig, head of the CEO’s Processing and Evaluation Division, said Davao’s City Hall is structurally sturdy “dahil puro buhos ang design nito.” She said the structure

itself is supported not only by beams and columns but also by shear walls. City Engineer Roland Reyes said the present foundation of the Davao City Hall is generally safe without considering any natural calamity like the one that happened in Central Visayas. “Mahirap sagutin ang safety ng isang building when faced with a magnitude 7 earthquake,” he

added. But while City Hall is generally safe, he said, it is a very old building and does not have any structural plan. “What we have is only a floor plan based on recent renovations which were made around 2004,” he added. He said the existing City Hall building is already part of Davao’s history so it has not been touched

during former Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio’s term except for some paint and minor works. The National Historical Commission has placed a seal at the entrance of the Davao City Hall declaring that it was built in 1926, destroyed during the war in 1945 but rebuilt in 1947 following the original design.

FOfficials, 10

4 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 169 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

DAVAO DEL NORTE

DavNor beefs up ‘healing field’ tag T

HE province of Davao del Norte launched the opening salvo of the Anti-Drug Abuse Month celebration by fortifying its distinction as a “healing field” of the region. The event was highlighted by the inauguration of the Chapel of the Luntiang Paraiso Regional Rehabilitation Center (LPRRC) in New Corella town that has been a haven for victims of drug and alcoholic dependency for 14 years now. Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Undersecretary Edgar Galvante and Asec. Benjie Reyes graced the launching of the LPRRC Chapel, which was preceded by the ceremonial groundbreaking of the proposed Activity/Mess Hall for adult residents of the facility. The center’s place of worship was donated by the homegrown billionaire Tagum Cooperative in the amount of P500,000, as part of its corporate social responsibility aimed at facilitating the spiritual nourishment of the residents.

While the DDB provided the funds for the construction of the upcoming mess hall of the facility, which is one of the few successful rehabilitation centers in the country being entirely operated by a province. Usec. Galvante turned over the P5 million check to Governor Rodolfo del Rosario during the ensuing kickoff program. The DDB official said the projects will fortify Davao del Norte’s prominence as the ‘healing field’ of the region. He lauded the commitment of the provincial government in providing holistic interventions for the transformation of drug and alcohol dependents to be able to safely return into the mainstream society. Dependents admitted at the center goes through a so-called “Therapeutic Community Approach” treatment modality during their six months stay that generously involves their families and loved ones. As the province pushed

GENERAL SANTOS CITY

GROUNDBREAKING. DDB Undersecretary Edgar Galvante, center, and Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, 3rd right, lead the groundbreaking of the proposed Activity/ Mess Hall of the Luntiang Paraiso Regional Rehabilitation Center in New Corella, Davao del Norte, as highlight of the Anti-Drug Abuse Month celebration opening salvo . Noel Baguio/davnor pio for more aggressive stance in the fight against drug addiction, Gov. del Rosario

said he started the facility in 1998 to give the dependents a second chance.

“Victims of illegal drugs deserve a second chance and this is what the prov-

KIDAPAWAN CITY

ince is giving them – a second chance,” he earlier said. [Noel Baguio]

LGU braces for super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ Arrested bomber T

HE General Santos City local government yesterday alerted residents on the possible occurrence of severe floods and landslides with the expected entry on Wednesday night of super typhoon “Yolanda” in the country’s area of responsibility. Dr. Agripino Dacera, acting head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said Wednesday they expect the area to experience heavier than normal rains within

TAGUM CITY

the next few days due to the effects of the weather disturbance. He said they already mobilized the city’s 26 barangay councils and their respective disaster teams to regularly monitor the weather condition in the area and prepare some contingency measures. City Mayor Ronnel Rivera has scheduled an emergency meeting on Wednesday afternoon of the CDRRM Council to finalize the city’s preparations for the possible onslaught of typhoon Yolan-

da in the area, he said. “We’re not taking any chances with this projected super typhoon so we will be drawing some measures to preempt its possible impact in our area,” the official said. As of Wednesday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) cited in an advisory has been moving towards the eastern part of the country at a faster speed of 30 kilometers per hour (kph) from the previous 20

kph. It said the eye of the typhoon, which was given the international name “Haiyan,” was located at 1,560 kilometers east of Mindanao with maximum sustained winds of 120 kph and gustiness of up to 150 kph. PAGASA said in its weather bulletin that the whole country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies and isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly over the eastern section. [PNA]

LGU boosts sweet corn production T

HE City Government of Tagum through the City Agriculture Office (CAGRO) is determined to sustain its program on sweet corn production, after farmers reported a significant increase in their income. CAGRO Chief Engr. Harold S. Dawa bared that after the successful implementation of the said program in Barangay Madaum, his office will expand the program in Barangay Mankilam and Pagsabangan.

This is still in line with the revitalized goal on food security and agriculture as advocated by Mayor Allan L. Rellon under his EAGLE WINGS Program, the tenpoint compass on the advocacies of his administration as local chief executive. The Sweet Corn Production was launched in May this year after the CAGRO looked for an alternative on vegetable farming among the farmers in Madaum, which generated unsatisfactory results both

in production and income. About 30 farmers have converted into sweet corn planting from vegetable farming after earning more income on the former. One of them is Bonifacio Montilla, who is also the president of the Madaum Vegetable and Sweet Corn Farmers Association. In an interview, Montilla shared that in a 1,300 square meter-lot he planted with one kilo of sweet corn seedlings they personally acquired, this generated a

net income of 25,000 pesos in just 72 days. The ten-hectare lot which they used as the planting site will be acquired by the government by next year. CAGRO assisted them by providing the lot for planting, fertilization and for marketing, which supplies for the demand on sweet corn here in Tagum and the nearby municipality of Mabini in Compostela Valley Province. [Louie Lapat/CIO Tagum]

flown to Manila O

NE of the country’s most wanted men nabbed by the operatives of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (CIDG-ARMM) was flown to Manila on Wednesday following his presentation before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 23 here. Chief Supt. Joe Wilson Denamarca, CIDG-ARMM director, identified the arrested bomber as Kaharudin Lakman Silungan alias Commander Tata Dagada, a long-wanted bomb-maker hiding in Maguindanao. Silongan was tailed by agents while on board a multicab vehicle in Esperansa, Sultan Kudarat, around 9:00 a.m. Tuesday and later arrested in Barangay Kamasi, Ampatuan, Maguindanao. Accordingly, Silongan is listed as the country’s 17th most wanted person with a bounty of P1.5-million on his head. Silongan is linked

behind the series of bombings in Mindanao in 2007 that included a blast incident in this city. The suspect is also facing charges of murder, multiple frustrated murder and multiple attempted murder with case number 551-2007 before Judge Rogelio Narisma of RTC Branch 23. Due to this, he was presented to Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista who made his commendation to the apprehending CIDG operatives. Silongan is an expert bomb-maker hired by various terror groups in the region. The arrested suspect was immediately transported to Davao City for a flight to Manila. Denamarca explained that Silongan is a high-risk criminal and needed to be transferred for detention at the maximum Bicutan prison facility in Taguig City. [PNA]

5 THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 169 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

Three IdeaSpace startups participate in global entrepreneurship events T

HREE early-stage startups backed and incubated by IdeaSpace Foundation, Inc. (IdeaSpace), one of the largest privately backed incubator in the Philippines, recently participated in two global entrepreneur events seeking to recognize the best startup ideas from all over the world. Two Idea Spaceincubatees, namely WEGENTECHTECH, Inc. and Tudlo, recently participated in IBM SmartCamp ASEAN 2013. IBM SmartCamps are held around the world as part of IBM›s Global Entrepreneur Program, an initiative that provides startups with coaching, mentorship and connections to venture capitalists, clients and partners. WEGENTECH made it to the Top 6 of the competition, while Tudlo made it to the Top 9 of the startup tilt. IBM SmartCamps are designed to identify and support early stage

startups bringing new cloud, mobile, analytics or big data solutions to market in fields such as healthcare, energy, environment, security and education. IdeaSpace President Earl Martin Valencia served as a mentor and coach at IBM SmartCamp ASEAN 2013. Meanwhile, AngelHack Manila winner PageSnapp—who represented the Philippines in the AngelHack Global Demo Day in San Francisco, USA—made it to the GEW 50, a list of the 50 most innovative new companies that will compete in the Startup Open during the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) in November. Backed by IdeaSpace, Pagesnapp made it to the GEW 50 list along with Medifund, a Cebubased crowdfunding platform supporting medical students who are struggling to pay for their school expenses. “All eyes are now on the

FRESH INVESTMENT. An almost finished SEAOIL Philippines, Inc.’s terminal and depot tower over Coronon, Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur which will bring in huge profit to the province through tax and additional employment. Lean Daval Jr. Philippines as we work to create and nourish our budding startup ecosystem that, based on these recent recognitions, have caught the attention of technology

leaders, investors, and supporters the world over,” Valencia said. WEGENTECH, which is part of the initial ten incubatees that won the IdeaSpace National

Competition early this year, has developed a new design for wind turbines that promises to harness more power from the wind and lower the electricity

cost for consumers. Tudlo, on the other hand, was part of the top 20 finalists of the competition but bowed out during the finals. The Cebu-based

THE ECONOMY

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

7.1 1st Qtr 2013

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

7.8 1st Qtr 2013

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

USD 3,741 million Feb 2013 USD 4,708 million Feb 2013 USD -967 million Feb 2013 USD -640 million Dec 2012 P 4,964,560 million Feb 2013

8. Interest Rates 4/

2.4 % Mar 2013 P113,609 million Mar 2013 P 5,281 billion Mar 2013

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

P 41.14 Apr 2013

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

6,847.5 Mar 2013

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

132.8 Apr 2013

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

2.6 Apr 2013

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.1 Apr 2013

16. Visitor Arrivals

418,108 Feb 2013

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

20.9% Jan 2013

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

7.1% Jan 2013

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

VOL. 6 ISSUE 169 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

Hostel now available for commuters in Davao City’s transport terminal H

ERE’S good news to all passengers who have to wait for hours or the next day before the next bus trip for their next destination, can now take that much needed rest at the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) hostel at the Ecoland, this city. “We have approved the P200 per person per day rate for those who wish to stay at the hostel up to 12 noon the next day,” said City Councilor Bonifacio Militar, chairperson of the committee on Franchises and Public Utilities. Militar said the hostel used to charge P150 for a bed at the hostel without blanket and pillow so the new rate is really very reasonable. Prior to the hostel, commuters used to rent folding beds placed beside the buses while waiting for their long trips which exposed them to

pollution and lawless elements. The hostel is located on the second floor of a two-storey building within the DCOTT compound, near the Task Force Davao headquarters. Various food concessionaires are located on the first floor. The hostel has two dormitory-type rooms with 22 beds each, one for male guests and another for female guests. Militar said the hostel is not only affordable but allows the passengers to “sleep, bathe and rest while waiting for the availability of buses to their place of destination.” Each guest at the hostel is entitled to bring one piece of luggage and will have to pay an additional charge for each piece of excess luggage deposited with the hostel management for safekeeping. [PNA]

by the numbers

Annual inflation sto

od at

2.9 percent

in October due to h igher food and beverage price hikes, the fastest in

7 months.

Source: NSo

Golden rice to be launched in PHL in 2016 T

HE first genetically-modified rice to be commercially available could be approved for production in the Philippines in two to 3 years, researchers said yesterday, despite strong opposition from environmental groups. Officers of both the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Philippine government’s agriculture department said the newly-developed “golden rice” had completed field trials, despite vandalism at one test field. “Golden rice is coming. That is in the pipeline and a lot of the principal

development and research has been completed,” said Achim Dobermann, deputy director-general of IRRI. “At the moment, there is no GM (genetically-modified) rice officially released in any country,” he stressed. He said China was working on a pest-resistant variety of GM rice, but it was unknown when they would release it commercially. Dobermann said that depending on the length of the approval process, it could take a minimum of “two to 3 years” before seeds are ready to be distributed to farmers.

Controversial Field trials of the rice, a genetically-modified organism (GMO), have been completed in the Philippines. Golden rice is now set to undergo tests to determine if it is safe to consume and propagate, said Antonio Alfonso, coordinator of the agriculture department’s biotechnology program. This is despite an attack by activists on a test field in the Philippines in August that destroyed the golden rice planted there. Alfonso said it was only one of several golden rice fields, and they

were able to complete their tests. Golden rice has been genetically modified to produce vitamin A, which is lacking in the diets of many people in developing countries, leading to weakened immune systems and blindness, and often resulting in death, IRRI said. However many environmental groups oppose GMOs, saying they will have harmful side effects which will irreversibly spread even to nonGMO crops. The Southeast Asia office of environmental group Greenpeace condemned the efforts

to promote golden rice. “There are already existing solutions and programs being implemented by the Philippine government to address vitamin A deficiency in the country and these have been in place and are continuing to be effective,” Greenpeace campaigner Daniel Ocampo said in a statement. Dobermann said many of the alternatives are too expensive or impractical for poor people, who often eat mostly rice. Greenpeace previously obtained a court ruling to suspend field trials of GMO eggplant in the Philippines. [AFP]

as of May 2013 Cebu Pacific Daily Zest Air Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Philippine Airlines Daily Philippine Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun Philippine Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Thu

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

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

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

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

Cebu Pacific Tue/Wed//Sat 5J965 / 5J968 13:35 Silk Air Mon/Sat MI588 / MI588 13:35 Silk Air Wed/Sun MI566 / MI566 15:20 Silk Air Thurs MI551 / MI551 12:05 Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri 5J507 / 5J598 15:00 Philippine Airlines August 15:55 Mani2Mani 16:50 Zest Air Daily Z2524 / Z2525 16:05

Manila-Davao-Manila Davao-Singapore Davao-Singapore Davao-Singapore Cebu-Davao-Cebu

14:05 18:55 18:55 15:45 15:30

Cebu-Davao-Cebu

16:45

7 ENVIRONMENT

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 169 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

Legarda urges earthquake risk audit, retrofitting of structures S

ENATOR Loren Legarda has called for the assessment of the structural integrity of public infrastructure in the country to ensure that they can withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake, as mandated by law. Legarda filed Senate Resolution 333, which directs the government to conduct an earthquake risk audit over all government infrastructure projects and buildings. The resolution also urges the government to mandate the retrofitting of public structures to ensure compliance with the revised National Building Code, which states that all structures and buildings must be able to withstand a magnitude 8 temblor on the Richter Scale. “The recent devastation that befell Cebu and Bohol when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the Central Visayas region shows the urgent need to conduct a review of the structural integrity of all building structures and

to retrofit them to meet the standards under the Building Code,” she explained. “The national government should take the lead in promoting the structural soundness and resilience of buildings and structures in order to minimize, if not prevent, damage to persons and property in the event of a strong earthquake,” said Legarda. The death toll in the Central Visayas earthquake is at 222 and damages have been estimated at P2.257 billion, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). The Senator noted that the recent Greater Metro Manila Risk Analysis Project conducted by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), along with other government agencies, revealed that a magnitude

BANNED FISHING METHOD. A liba-liba fishing boat docks at the Cantilan River in Surigao del Sur in this file MindaNews file photo. Authorities have banned liba-liba, or Danish seine fishing method, because it destroys coral reefs, sea grass beds and other fishery marine habitats. But the practice continues in the Caraga Region. [MindaNews photo by Roel N. Catoto] 7.2 earthquake along the West Valley Fault could kill 37,054 persons and cause P2.4 trillion in total property damages. Meanwhile, the Met-

ro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS) conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2004 revealed

that a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Metro Manila could cause the destruction of 40% of the residential buildings, damage 35% of all pub-

lic buildings, kill 34,000 people, injure 114,000 individuals, and the ensuing fires could also result in 18,000 additional fatalities.

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 169 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

EDITORIAL

Anarchy in the sidewalks

HE VENDORS ‘ adamantine stand against the rule that they should only occupy one-third of the sidewalks is giving Davao City authorities a headache. We all know that the one third-two thirds policy is designed to give pedestrians enough space to walk and not expose them to danger of traffic accidents when they are forced to use the road. This policy is a product of studies and serious debate by our city fathers in the city council and the executive before it was adopted as a policy of the local government in dealing with this form of chaos in the city. However, the defiant vendors don’t seem to understand this. All they think is their own selfish interest, the welfare of the majority be damned. Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte has given the responsibility of instilling discipline in the sidewalks to a team headed by Yusop Jimlani, a retired military man, who was once decorated for putting order to the chaotic barter trade center in Zamboanga City. A believer in Islam who had written a book on “jihad”, Jimlani complains that it is fellow Muslims who are giving him a headache, or so it seems. Yusop and his team swoop down on the sidewalks,

EDGEDAVAO

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

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demolish the noncompliant stalls and confiscate theirmerchandise. The defiant vendors puts up a token resistance to the operation by holding on to their makeshift stores and goods with full coverage of media. It is like a teleserye and primetime TV news shown daily. The moment Yusop and his men leave, the vendors are back. The raid of the demolition team and the return of the vendors almost automatically is becoming a boring scene of a telenovela that failed to click with the audience. Seriously speaking, the vendors’ act of defiance, if allowed unchecked, is a black-eye to the city’s longtime reputation of being a disciplined community what with various ordinances on smoking, drinking, firecrackers, spitting and pissing in public, among many other regulations. The defiant vendors, especially those who come from other areas, are violating the beau geste gracefully extended by the local government to all those who want to live and do legit business here. It is an insult to the city’s leaders. These vendors and whoever are behind them should not test the patience of Mayor Rody Duterte. They should comply with 1/3-2/3 rule now and not act only after hearing the gnashing of the hizzoner’s teeth.

ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO Associate Editor

LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. • JOSEPH LAWRENCE P. GARCIA Photography Contributing Photographer

EJ DOMINIC C. FERNANDEZ / EMILORD P. CASTROMAYOR Reporters

Columnists: CARLOS MUNDA • MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEñA • MARY ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NICASIO AGUSTIN • VIDA A. MIA VALVERDE • Economic ENRICO“ADDIE” “GICO” G. Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER ANGELO C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO PEñA • ZHAUN ORTEGA Analysts: • BERNADETTE B. DAYANGIRANG M.QUISIDO PEREZ • Lifestyle Columnists: BAISR., FAUZIAH SINSUAT •AMBOLODTO • MEGHANN STA. INES BORBON • MARY• JONALLIER ANN “ADI” C. • LEANDRO B. DAVAL • NIKKIFATIMA GOTIANSE-TAN NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY •ZEN NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER M. PEREZ

GENERAL OFFICE SANTOS CITY CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OLIVIA D. VELASCO OLIVIA D. VELASCO RICHARDRICHARD C. EBONAC. EBONA SOLANI D. MARATAS SOLANI D. MARATAS MARKETING OFFICE | Marketing Manager General Manager General ManagerMarketingAdvertising Supervisor SpecialistFinance FinanceLEIZEL A. DELOSOLEIZEL A. DELOSO | MarketingFLORENCE ManagerS. VILLARIN

JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

AQUILES Z. ZONIO Correspondent

KRISTINE D. BORJA AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Marketing Specialist Circulation

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 169 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

Showing rare sternness

QUESTION OF PERCEPTION – Giving an inside glimpse of the country’s socio-political and economic environment during a recent meeting with leading investors and political dignitaries, President Benigno Aquino III says,” For now the market is clearly gaining ground despite minor economic meltdown in other regional economies and our political structure remains resolute.” On the same occasion, President PNoy likewise emphasized that his administration has moved aggressively to address a range of neglected issues that have long been the subject of concern: rising crime, bureaucratic red tape, basic social services, job generation and pervasive corruption. The President reiterated his course of action whenever he is invited in official functions and in other significant events as guest speaker. Already he has backed up his oft-repeated speeches railing against corruption with a swath of prosecution of middle-level government officials and businessmen, and a handful of more high-profile prosecution. He seems willing to show a little more of the iron fist than usual, underscoring with unusual sternness that there will be no compromise – or exceptions in his drive to minimize if not totally eradicate corruption. And he has proven that by cracking the whip against all those involved in the incomparable pork barrel fund scam. In responding to harsh critics, mostly remnants of the previous leadership, militant and activist groups, highly-politicized church leaders, self-professed advocates of good governance and political has-beens who accused him of being indecisive, he says with conviction the concerns raised by his power-obsessed political adversaries and detractors is a question of perception. Also, in what appeared to be a direct slap on the face of persistent critics, political opposition in particular, President PNoy maintained his adversaries have nothing else to offer to their constituencies except to find fault. The faultfinders have no tangible ideas that can be transmitted

into some realistic programs. They just want to promise the wary public with unimaginable solutions to their tribulations. But amid the brighter socio-economic outlook and peaceful environment envisioned by the Aquino administration, the opposition and other groups extremely critical with the present system and their spokespersons who always act like loose cannons with runaway mouths alleged the Aquino government is actually struggling to keep up with the prevailing crisis – services disorganized and unreliable and lately massive corruption. This fits into a pattern of distrust the opposition and stubborn faultfinders now feel besides bearing a simmering resentment about PNoy’s much-ballyhooed “Daang Matuwid” (Straight Path) policy. They solely blame the Aquino leadership for the intermeshing problems that continued to plague the country. Well, they’re good at it, but to be frank, have these people contributed something beneficial to the people and the government? What hypocrisy! Will those criticism and tirades ever stop? Some adversarial groups and disgruntled factions with vested interest are now turning more attention to destabilization campaign. They had already spent time and money on smear drive. After the startling revelation about the multi-billion PDAF or pork barrel scam embroiling some members of Congress who were in cahoots with unscrupulous traders, his detractors tirelessly embarked in negative pronouncements with a spot calling the President; “wrong on socio-economic policies, wrong on political decisions, wrong on taxes, wrong on defense” and every

wrong thing they could ever imagine. Looking from different angles, impartial political experts say the opposition and different critical groups have not produced anything but hate and distrust. It was a risky move for severe critics who aside from the opposition are composed of people who once served the previous administrations holding positions dealing in economic planning, budget and financial management. Sad to note, these over-assuming figures left the government with insignificant records. Now they are again trying to flex their muscles to gain attention and offer their unsolicited opinions. What the heck! There is likewise a stealth maneuvering by some groups allegedly orchestrating a “demolition job” and keep on pounding President PNoy and his leadership, and engaging in a vigorous political game. It’s clear enough that the pattern of the besmirch campaign is to directly link the President to the DAP issue which his critics say is a culpable violation of the Constitution. Logically, to weaken the political strength of the majority party and the administration, vested interest groups have to destroy first its titular head – the President. For an incumbent President, the kind of intense engagement and personal attacks undertaken by political adversaries and detractors over the radio, TV and print that have characterized the recent weeks and months should be considered part of the country’s traditional mucky political game. But the power of the office and the extreme media coverage are guarantees that would give President PNoy the luxury of staying above the fray. The Palace political advisers already saw the next few months or perhaps next year going to the 2016 presidential polls as a window of opportunity for the other political camps in which to inflict real damage on the President and the administration’s political contenders. What the other power-hungry aspirants probably didn’t know was that at the appropriate time the dominant party was also planning to pull a surprise of its own.

people who buy branded shirts, pants and shoes worth P5,000 to P10,000 each without blinking an eye--- and there are few of them”. “And the ones with shallow pockets ?” “You’re probably one of them, Fidel.” “Why me?” “Let me guess--- you bought your denim pants for only P700 and shoes for only P800 ?” “No, you’re wrong. This Levi, I got it for only P200 and this Nike shoes I got for only P400. “You’re not a shallow pocket,” I said flatly. “Of course, you know where I got them!” “Sounds to me like ukay-ukay??” My friend looked at me like I just arrived from Mars, still figuring out why I didn’t notice so easily. “It’s not so obvious, is it ?” “It’s not,” I admitted. “ I thought you bought it from one of the big shopping malls here. Suddenly, it dawned on me that I failed to include the ukay-ukay stalls at Sta Ana, at Ponciano, at San Pedro, at Bankerohan where, even people with deep pockets look for high-class brands from Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and

China, hoping to stumble into a very expensive world-class brand for only a few hundred pesos. It shouldn’t be surprising for “no-pockets” like me to see very few people venturing around the shiny, lacquered floorings of Abreeza and the two SMs, gawking at all the world-class branded clothing, shoes and fashion accessories, hopelessly dreaming of wearing them one day, if one is so fortunate enough not to be short listed by robbers or kidnappers who love to stalk out people with the deepest pockets. But still, I’m guessing that in the years to come, at some point in time, people in Davao will have deeper pockets to be able to stop window shopping at these big modern shopping malls and instead, start shopping--plunging crisp P1000 blue bills or credit cards like there’s no tomorrow--- to their hearts content. That was why, I was so surprised to find Fidel last week, trying on a new pair of world branded pair of pants at a clothing store at Abreeza and later on, at SM Lanang where he picked up a new rice cooker at very, very low prices, it was almost unbelievable. When I saw a big “SALE 50% OFF” tarpaulin sign outside the mall, that’s when I sighed in relief ---- these new malls after all, can fight off the stiff competition from ukay-ukay stalls and old malls in Davao that are still drawing many shoppers… (Comments ? Email me at > tradingpost_davao@yahoo.com)

The deep pockets of shopping malls

FRIEND of mine who sits with me in industry cluster meetings couldn’t help noticing the big crowd of shoppers at the old shopping malls and aging department stores here in Davao, places like Victoria Plaza, Gaisano Mall, JSGaisano at Ilustre and NCCC at Sta Ana. Why are there more people strolling and shopping around these old places than the newer, bigger and more modern shopping malls like the SM Premiere at Lanang, Abreeza Ayala at Bajada and even SM City at Quimpo boulevard at Ecoland ? I told my friend that I’m not inclined to agree since I’ve seen the huge crowds at these new shopping malls whenever there are big events like trade exhibitions, movie stars, special shows, and national conferences that are big crowd drawers. “But what if there aren’t any big events happening there? Why are there less people strolling or shopping around in the new, bigger malls?” asked my friend Fidel who still prefer looking for bargains at Victoria or at the NCCC in Chinatown. Patiently, I had to explain to Fidel that the types of people who go to shopping malls have different kinds of pockets---- the deep pockets, the shallow pockets and the no-pockets. “You know what I mean,” I said, hoping he’d stop asking me that same stupid question. Fidel took a deep breath, strengthened up on his seat to his full height and said: “Yup, I know what you mean. The deep pockets are the

VANTAGE POINTS

Bohol mon amour A SOJOURNER’S VIEW By Karl M. GaSpar, CSSr

(Conclusion)

HILE travelling across the affected areas of Bohol, I had conversations with all sort of Bol-anons: those living in evacuation centers, those lining up to receive relief goods, habal-habal drivers, LGU and DSWD personnel, doctors and lawyers, priests and lay leaders, students and children. I asked them all sorts of questions including: where were they when the earthquake took place, how they felt about the incident, what thoughts came to their minds as they sought cover, and related questions. To some I also posed the question: what could be the meaning as to why the Bohol churches were badly hit with a few totally collapsing into ruins? I thought the last question was most relevant as Bohol is known as a wellspring of Filipino spirituality. No other island in the country has produced the most number of bishops, priests and religious. Ordinary Bol-anons take seriously their faith tradition in terms of popular religious practices. Their churches are the bedrocks of their identity; their patron saints as close to them as their beloved ancestors. So why did the churches crumble in the wake of this awesome calamity? The answers were instructive and they revealed the perspective of my conversation partners. A philosophy professor echoed the sentiment of the rational ones: this is but bad luck for Bohol owing to its location vis-àvis fault lines. Those who have heard discussions on environment issues blame the diggings that have taken place across Bohol since it became a tourist destination (especially as a hundred sinkholes have appeared after the earthquake). The older people believe that this disaster is due to the changes that have taken place with young people no longer attending church events. A priest told his flock it is because only a few have held on to their religious tradition. There are also the faithful ones who echo the opinions of the conservative clergy who lay the blame on secularism and materialism that came with tourism as well as the RHB-law. In the Old Testament, when a calamity hits God’s people, a prophet arises to discern the meaning of the event and lead the people to conversion. I have asked if there was such a prophet in Bohol these days. No one seems to know. The only thing that people know is that Bohol - mon amour, pinangga ug hiniguma - will go down in their memory as a place hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on 15 October 2013. For a long, long time they will not forget where they were on that earth-shaking moment of their lives. (MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Redemptorist Brother Karl Gaspar of Davao City, former head of the Redemptorist Itinerant Mission Team and author of several books, including “To be poor and obscure,” and “Mystic Wanderers in the Land of Perpetual Departures,” writes two columns for MindaNews, one in English [A Sojourner’s Views] and the other in Binisaya [Panaw-Lantaw].

NEWS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 169 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Dengue...FFROM 1

KUDOS. Christopher “Bong” Go, executive assistant to the city mayor, congratulates newly-elected barangay captain Angela Librado-Trinidad yesterday in San Antonio Gym where Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte extended cash assistance to the victims of last Monday’s fire. Trinidad won the keenly-watched poll battle in Brgy. Matina Crossing during the last barangay elections. Lean Daval Jr.

SGV & Co serves as official tabulator for Globe Media Excellence Awards S

GV & Co., the country’s largest multidisciplinary professional services firm, will serve as official tabulator for the 2nd Globe Davao Media Excellence Awards on November 21, 2013 at Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City. “SGV’s participation in this important undertaking will further lend credibility to the determination of winners. With its reputation and track record of having a high level of professional and ethical standards, we can assure everyone an honest and error-free counting and validation of winners,” said Yoly C. Crisanto, Head of Globe Corporate Communications. At the same time, Globe released the names of judges and members of the screening committee for the 2nd DMEA. The eight-man panel

of judges is led by Ednar Gempesaw Dayanghirang, Chairman, Reciprocal Working Committee on Social and Economic Reforms of the GPH Negotiating Panel for Peace Talks. He is joined by Marriz Agbon, President, Department of Agriculture-Philippine Agricultural Development and Commercial Corporation (DA-PADCC); lawyer Sam Matunog, President, Segworks Technologies Corporation, ICT Davao, Inc., and Torres Matunog Gevieso Montero & Associates; Irene M. Santiago, Chair Emeritus and CEO, Mindanao Commission on Women; Aleli Agoncillo – Quirante, PhD, Professorial Lecturer 2, UP- Mindanao; Jos Ortega, Chairman & CEO, Media Contacts Philippines/Havas Digital; Angel “Lito” Bunag, Managing Director, Investor Relations Global, Inc.;

Hans Roxas-Chua, Director, International Institute of Digital Marketing. On the other hand, the screening committee is composed of Corferia Puralan, PhD., Dean, College of Liberal Arts, University of the Immaculate Conception; Renante Pilapil, PhD, Assistant Dean, Head for Humanities, Ateneo de Davao University; Mary Ann E. Tarusan, University Professor 2/ Former Chair, Mass Communication Program, College of Arts and Sciences Education, University of Mindanao; Antonino Salvador S. de Veyra, Chairman, Dept. of Humanities, UP-Mindanao; and Vivien Grace A. Jubahib, PhD, Coordinator, Education/ Humanities Division, San Pedro College. Journalists, photojournalists, bloggers, and social media advocates in Davao will be competing

in the following categories: Reporter of the Year for Print, Feature Story of the Year for Print, Feature Story of the Year for Broadcast, Columnist of the Year, Reporter of the Year for TV, Reporter of the Year for Radio, Blogger of the Year, Photojournalist of the Year, and Social Media Advocate of the Year. As in the previous year, entries shall explore and promote advocacies in business and entrepreneurship, information and communications technology, environment and disaster response, governance and social progress, and youth and education. The awards were initiated by Globe to provide an opportunity and venue for print and broadcast journalists as well as bloggers to be recognized in their fields of work.

HE Mindanao Science and Technology Centrum Foundation Incorporated, first science-oriented facility in Mindanao opened Tuesday its more than a month-long Science Sparks exhibition at Barangay Bago Oshiro, Mintal aimed at enhancing the interest and knowledge among school-children the

relevance of science and technology. Dr. Maria Delia Morados, president of the MSTCI said the significance of the exhibition is for the young to have a better understanding of the need to develop and to conserve sources of energy and to come up with scientific basis for new technologies

that will derive new source of energy. She said there is also a need to motivate the young minds to come up with means and gadgets to conserve energy. “In reality, the exhibit will help school children understand the necessity of the basis of the kind of courses to take in the fu-

ture,” Morados said. She said a better understanding of science will give the children the basic scientific literacy why energy must be conserved and be developed. Morados stressed that science and technology are the pillars of development. [PIA 11/Joey Sem G. Dalumpines]

2,000 units in Comval. Once the initial amount of money is liquidated, we will be providing additional funds to complete our requirements of 17,000 houses built,” Gudmalin said.

Some 500 units will be turned over to each of the two hard hit provinces. He also cited that the locations where the houses are being built are in accordance with the disaster risk reduc-

tion and management (DRRM) regulations set by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Their target houses

are 17,000 in the affected provinces and they are still 30% from accomplishing it, adding that they are set to liquidate the funds used in the previous construction project. [EPC]

cases , followed by Davao Oriental with 1,130 cases; Davao del Sur with 1,004; Compostela Valley 971; and Davao del Norte 731. In fatalities, Davao City as expected topped again with 31 deaths as of October 31, 2013, followed by Davao del Sur with 13; ComVal 8; Davao del Norte 5; and Davao Oriental 3. As in the past, the topnotcher in dengue both in the number of morbidity (patients) and deaths (mortality) rates in Davao City is Buhangin District with 1,002 patients and 7 deaths, followed by Talomo South with 971 patients and 5 deaths, Talomo North 733 with 3 deaths, Bunawan with 314 patients and

3 deaths, Calinan with 300 patients and 4 deaths, and Agdao with 535 patients, but no death. The same data indicated that most of the dengue cases come from the 5-9 years age group with 1,291 patients and 14 deaths, followed by the 1-4 years group with 867 patients and 12 deaths. The statistic data released by Ms Hilario were based on the reports coming from 10 National Sentinels Sites and Epidemiology Surveillance Unit in the Davao Region pursuant to the standard case definition of the Philippine Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (PIDSR).

“I don’t think there is any problem. It’s legal. It’s just another use of savings,” he said, adding “the only problem is that they gave it a name.” “Next time, don’t name your mistress,” Salceda said in jest. The Albay governor give a presentation on the best practices of his province in disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) to officials and employees of the Com-

postela Valley province headed by Gov. Arthur T. Uy prior to signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on a learning exchange on DRRM between the two provinces with the assistance of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The project will run for six months, according to DSWD Regional Director Priscilla N. Razon.

Yu based on complaints filed by Filmore Escobal, Carlos Asturias, Joselito Marces, Napoleon Saliog Jr., Eliazar Macabinlar and Ibrahim Buog. Two other complainants, identified as Delilah Galgala and Aldrich Palados, also filed separate complaints carnapping cases in court against Yu. Last year, some of his members pleaded not guilty to similar charges before RTC Branch 16. They were identified as Hermie S. Tahum, 37, of Tandag City, Surigao del Sur; Jerry M. Paulino, 30, of NHA Buhangin; Diego L. Macatimbang, 19, of Sigaboy, Davao Oriental; and Eddie T. Lopez, 19, of Balite, Marilog district.

They denied the charges filed by the police for violating Republic Act 6539 or the “Anti-Carnapping Act of 1972.” Yu’s group is described by authorities as the most notorious in Mindanao where 90 percent of carnapping incidents in the Davao region were perpetrated by it. Highway Patrol Group 11 regional chief Sr. Supt. Gred Pimentel said the group was so efficient it could steal a vehicle in a matter of 10 seconds. Proof to this was the CCTV footage in Tagum City where a “Baktin” group member was seen stealing a parked vehicle in only a matter of seconds. [EPC]

But while Davao City has always been prepared for calamities, a magnitude 7 earthquake like the one that hit Bohol and Cebu is entirely a different story. “Ready tayo pero kung massive ang earthquake just like Bohol and Cebu then we will be hard put in responding,” Duterte said. The city, he said, has existing infrastructure that cannot be easily changed except for some dilapidated buildings which can be rebuilt. Reyes said there is a presumption that all of the buildings in the city,

that have been issued a building permit, have complied with the minimum standards required under the National Structural Code of the Philippines and Presidential Decree 1096 or the National Building Code. Buildings are required to follow specific standards depending on the type of use such as residential, commercial, industrial and institutional. Among the four standards to be followed, he said, are architectural, structural, line and grade, mechanical and electrical. [PNA]

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Science Sparks exhibition opens in Davao City Officials... T

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NATION

VOL. 6 ISSUE 169 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

MANILA

Senior PAO lawyers to represent Napoles at Senate hearing today T

HE Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) will send three of its most senior lawyers to assist alleged “pork barrel” scam principal accused Janet Lim Napoles when she appears before the Senate on Thursday. PAO Chief Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta, in a text message Tuesday, said they will send senior public attorney IV Howard Areza, Marlon Buan and Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao city

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ- DUAL Ordinary Regular Service.

MArCeLinA L. DAGAtAn, Petitioner Case No.99-XI-00662

x- - - - - - - - -- - - -------x

notiCe oF HeArinG

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ-DUAL Ordinary Regular Service on the route: SASA VIA JP LAUREL AVENUE ROUTE and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in Region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which certificate will expire on August 10, 2014. In the petition filed on October 22, 2013, petitioner request authority to extend the validity of said certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on NOVEMBER 18, 2013 at 9:20 a.m. at this office at the above address.

At least, TEN (10) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao

Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

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

WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, this 22nd day of October 2013 at Davao City. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer

Analisa Soriano. Buan is officer-in-charge of PAO National Capital Region, Areza is the head of PAO Executive Services, while Soriano is the assistant head of PAO Special & Appealed Services. The PAO is sending lawyers for Napoles upon request of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. Atty. Lorna Kapunan earlier withdrew as Napoles counsel. While there is a common notion that PAO represents only the underprivileged, Acosta said that under Republic Act 9406 or the PAO Law, “in the exigency of the service, the PAO may be called upon by government authorities to render such services to other persons.(sec 3, RA 9406).” PAO has represented former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada on the initial stages of his plunder case before the Sandiganbayan in the early 2000. [PNA]

DISASTER RESPONSE EQUIPMENT. Rear Admiral Rodolfo Diwata Isorena (left), Philippine Coast Guard commandant, and other officials inspect the new Coast Guard equipment being used in disaster response on Wednesday (November 6, 2013) at the South Harbor in Manila. Incoming super typhoon “Yolanda” is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility on Thursday morning. [PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan]

MANILA

PNoy personally monitors Gag PNoy, Cabinet on DAP super typhoon Yolanda “P SC urged

Malacanang official on Wednesday said President Benigno S. Aquino III is closely monitoring the super typhoon which will be named Yolanda’ once it enters the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Thursday. ”In this kind of situation, the President is

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personally monitoring the situation because of our objective of achieving zero casualty. The life of everybody is important and should be protected,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Sonny Coloma said in a press briefing. Coloma said President Aquino has directed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to make necessary preparation for the arrival of super typhoon Yolanda to achieve ‘zero casualty.’ He said NDRRMC chairperson and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin has been directed by the President to coordinate with all local disasters risk and reduction and management councils in areas to be affected by the typhoon. ”While waiting for the entry of super typhoon

Yolanda in the Philippine area of responsibility tomorrow (Thursday), the President asked Secretary Gazmin to make sure that our people will be able to prepare for this super typhoon,” Coloma said. Coloma said President Aquino has also appealed to the media organizations to help the government in disseminating important information as the country braces for the arrival of the super typhoon. ”It is in response to the directive of the President to achieve our objective of zero casualty in this kind of calamity,” Coloma said. Coloma said rescue boats and medical supplies have been prepositioned in strategic areas and all concerned government agencies are on heightened alert to assure quick response specially in low-lying and floodprone areas. [PNA]

RESIDENT Aquino [had an] utter lack of respect for a coequal branch of government and a cavalier attitude to basic constitutional tenets.” In a manifestation to be filed on Wednesday, November 6, Former Iloilo Rep Augusto Syjuco Jr asked the Supreme Court to issue a gag order prohibiting President Benigno Aquino III, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Senate President Franklin Drilon and anyone acting on behalf of the President from making public comments on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP). Syjuco is one of the petitioners asking the Court to declare the DAP unconstitutional. There are at least 8 petitions against the DAP. A copy of the petition was released to media. The Court will hold oral arguments on the DAP on November 11. In his manifestation, Syjuco said Aquino’s primetime TV address defending the legality of the administration’s spending program was a “clear violation of the sub judice rule.” Citing jurisprudence, Syjuco said the sub judice rule bars parties to a case from commenting on judicial proceed-

ings to avoid prejudging the issue, influencing the court or obstructing the administration of justice. “To ask the sentiment and approval of the public on the constitutionality of the DAP by presenting the alleged benefits derived from it, makes his speech in utter violation of the sub judice rule,” Syjuco told the Court. “At worse, his speech constituted a very contumacious act of impressing a hint to the Supreme Court. In effect, he was subtly exerting pressure on the Supreme Court. Clearly, his speech was not only intended for the general public but also for the Supreme Court,” he added. In his speech, Aquino said the DAP was legal and benefitted disaster preparedness, livelihood and scholarship programs. Aquino said, “The [DAP] is not pork barrel. Of the DAP releases in 2011 and 2012, only 9% was disbursed for projects suggested by legislators. The DAP is not theft. Theft is illegal. Spending through DAP is clearly allowed by the Constitution and by other laws.” [Rappler. com]

12 CLASSIFIEDS There’s a better way to get attention.

VOL. 6 ISSUE 169 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2013

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1) 1-hectare commercial lot at P10,000/sq m, along National Highway, facing east, beside NCCC panacan, Davao City. 2) 17,940sq m commercial lot at P2,500/sq m, along Matina Diversion Road. 3) 3,831 sq m lot along Matina Diversion Road. 4) 41,408 sq m commercial/ industrial lot at P800/sq m along the National Highway, Bunawan. 5) 7,056 sq m at P1,200/sq m commercial/residential lot along Indangan Road, Buhangin District. 6) 27,411 sq m commercial/ industrial lot along the National Highway in Bincungan, Tagum City. 7) 116.15 to 245.92 sq meters , at P5.5M to P12.3M commercial/ office condo units in Bajada, Davao City. 8) 699 to 1,117 sq m at P4,100/sq m commercial lots at Josefina Town Center, along the National Highway, Dumoy, Toril. 9) Ready-for-Occupancy Residential Properties: 4BR/3T&B in a 240 sq m lot with 177.31sqm floor area (2-storey) at P4.8M in an exclusive beachfront community in Dumoy, Toril.; 3BR 2-storey in a 71.25 sq m 2-storey in a 143sq m lot in an exclusive flower village in Maa, Davao City; 180 sq m lots with 71.25sqm to 126.42 sq m floor areas, priced at P3.751M to P5.773M in an exclusive mountain resort community along Matina, Diversion Road. 10) 1BR/2BR residential condo units located in Bolton, Maa, Obrero, Davao City. 11) FOR ASSUME (RUSH): 1BR res’l condo unit in Palmetto, Maa. P600K negotiable. Note: Items 1-9 can be paid in cash, in-house or bank financing. If interested, please call Jay (PRC REB Lic. 8237) at 0922-851-5337 (Sun), 0908-883-8832 (Smart) or send email to propertiesindavao@yahoo.com.

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13 COMMUNITY SENSE Aboitiz, Davao Light grant graduate scholarship to selected Davao elementary science teachers EDGEDAVAO

HE Aboitiz Foundation and the Davao Light and Power Company is giving a graduate scholarship grant to 18 selected elementary science teachers from different public elementary schools here. Aboitiz Foundation executive vice president and chief operating officer Augusto P.I. Carpio III and Davao Light executive vice president and chief operating officer Arturo Milan signed the Memorandum of Agreement with

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partner-school University of Mindanao represented by the school president himself, Dr. Guillermo Torres Jr., and the Department of Education-Davao City Division represented by Superintendent Dr. Helen D. Paguican. The signing was held Thursday (October 31, 2013) afternoon at the Bistro Rosario along F. Torres Street in the presence of the teacher-scholars and their immediate district supervisors and school principals, as well as

General Santos Drive, Koronadal City, South Cotabato 9506 General Santos Koronadal City, South Cotabato 9506 Tel. No.Drive, 083-228-2511 ; Fax No. 083-228-2654 Tel. No. 083-228-2511 ; Fax No. 083-228-2654

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Requirements: Requirements: 1. Driver’s License with Official Receipt 2. 21.x 2Driver’s I.D. picture pcs.) License(2 with Official Receipt 3. Certificate of Employment 2. 2 x 2 I.D. picture (2 pcs.)or clearance from 3. Certificate of Employment or clearance from

previous employment May apply in person at Human Resource Department, YBLI Office, General Santos Drive, May apply in person at Human Resource Koronadal City. Department, YBLI Office, General Santos Drive, Koronadal City.

MOA. Executive from partner organizations in the Graduate Scholarship program for elementary science teachers sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that seal the trail blazing project implementation. They are (from left) DepEd Davao City Division Schools Superintendent Dr. Helen D. Paguican, Aboitiz Foundation Exec. Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (EVP-COO) Augusto P.I. Carpio III, Davao Light EVP & COO Arturo M. Milan, and University of Mindanao President Dr. Guillermo Torres Jr. the graduate school teachers from UM all of whom are members of the university’s International Fellows association. Both Carpio and Milan shared that quality education has been on the core of the corporate social responsibility (CSR)program of the Aboitiz Group of Companies, with 80 percent devoted thereto.. “We are very excited during the conceptualization of this project. And finally,

it is already a reality,” Milan said in his short message. As his response, Torres lauded the Aboitiz Foundation and Davao Light for their generosity in sending the selected science teachers to learn more about their chosen field. In recognition of such partnership Dr. Torres offered to add two (2) slots to make the total number of grantees 20. The two more teacher-scholars will be at UM’s expense.

He said he is proud to say that UM has graduate school teachers who have undergone international studies, making them more competent to teach masteral and even doctoral degrees. For her part, Dr. Paguican said that the scholarship grant is now the opportunity for their teachers to be more capable to handle science subjects. Only few teachers make Science as their Major,

that’s why, some are teaching science subjects even as they are not Major in Science. The graduate scholarship program is considered a trail-blazing initiative by Davao Light and the Aboitiz Foundation and their partners University of Mindanao and the DepEd. This is because it is the first ever such project being undertaken nationwide where the major initiators belong to the corporate sector.

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EDGEDAVAO

Davao’s Cali faces Smolka in PXC title fight D

AVAO City's 22-year old pride, 22-year old Ale Cali gambles with his Pacific X-Treme Combat fly crown versus Louis Smolka come Saturday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City Cali will be making his second title defense in headlining the 41st edition of the long-time mixed martial arts promotion that also features Mark Striegl, Crisanto Pitpitunge, Harold Banario, and lady fighters Gina Iniong and Nathalie Heidel. Smolka has a healthy respect for Cali since he is quite young and has had no experience of being beaten. But Smolka is confident in winning because he's got more speed than the youngster. Cali told the Tuesday weekly PSA that he is recovering from last year's shoulder injury sustained while dealing legendary fighter Erwin Tagle in PXC 3 a TKO for a 5-1 win loss card.

TOUGH DEFENSE. Ali Cali (left) of Davao, will be facing a tough title contender in the PXC in Louis Smolka.

Ginebra struts Slaughter

ARANGAY Ginebra San Miguel showcased its new look in a tuneup game Wednesday at the Ronac Gym, coming away with a 95-90 victory over Rain or Shine. The Gin Kings paraded top overall pick Greg Slaughter, who showed his mettle against the shorter but physical Elasto Painters. Another Ginebra rookie James Forrester also saw action, making a quiet debut. But it was veteran guard Jayjay Helterbrand who stole the spotlight as the former Most Valuable Player appeared in tip-top condition to lead his team to victory. “Kailangan talagang magpa-condition because we have our best chance of winning the champion-

ship this year,” said Helterbrand. “We got the kind of people that we need. We’ve got people who can help us in rebounding and defense and can also help us establish our run and gun game.” The seven-foot Slaughter wasn’t much of a factor on offense but was an intimidating presence on the defensive end. Along with the 6-foot9 Japeth Aguilar, he helped tighten up the Gin Kings’ defense inside the shaded lane. Rain or Shine was without its top pick Raymond Almazan, who is still seeing action for Letran in the NCAA playoffs. Rookies Alex Nuyles, Jeric Teng, and Gayford Rodriguez saw action for Rain or Shine.

Aguilar gets back at Bornok in 2013 Phoenix motocross V

ETERAN Glenn Aguilar escaped with a thrilling win in the fourth and penultimate leg of the 2013 Phoenix Motocross Series to snap the dominant run of rival Bornok Mangosong before a big crowd at the Mx Messiah Fairgrounds, Club Manila East in Taytay, Rizal. The 14-time Rider of the Year awardee Aguilar bounced back from a sorry spill in the first heat,

which he led for 14 of the 15 laps before falling from his bike after a positional battle and allowing Mangosong to take the heat. But he made sure to top the second heat and eventually rule the leg. “I had a good pace. I had a two bike lead. That’s for 14 laps. So on the 15th lap, I would be first,” recalled Aguilar. “But on the last four corners of the track, I had a mistake. Then Man-

gosong passed me. We had a side by side incident when I crashed.” Mangosong, the pride of Davao, saw his claim to the overall championship delayed. Mangosong will have a chance to win the title in the final leg on November 15 in the same venue under the management of Xtreme Adrenalin Sports, headed by CEO Sam Tamayo. Tamayo, a former top

motocross rider, expects a thrilling conclusion n the final leg. “To Jesus be all the honor and glory,” he said. Rising star Jacob Orbe made it four in a row in the Pro Lites Production while McLean Aguilar ruled the kids senior. Jing Leongson edged out Jovie Saulog for the Veterans Open Production while Saulog’s daughter Jovie won the ladies category.

Greg is slower than Junmar

ENG Guiao became the first opposing coach to get a closer look at Barangay Ginebra San Miguel rookie Greg Slaughter on Wednesday, when his Elasto Painters took on the Gin Kings in a tuneup match. The coach was impressed by Slaughter’s size, but said the 7-foot rookie still needed to improve to the PBA game. “He has a lot of work to do, but the size is an inherent advantage. You cannot coach height. You cannot make height out of nothing,” said Guiao, who noted that Slaughter was slower than another young giant, June Mar Fajardo, who was Petron’s top overall

pick last year. “Andun naman yung materyal, but he’s not like a Fajardo na mas mobile. I think he has to work on his mobility,” Guiao said. Slaughter’s presence in the shaded lane was enough to alter some shots of his smaller counterparts from Rain or Shine, but he had a difficult time on offense. Slaughter admitted he has to improve on certain things. “There are some things which I need to work on. I need to jell more with the team, get the plays. But there’s plenty of time we can work on our jelling, so I’m optimistic about my future,” said Slaughter.

BROKEN STREAK. Davao’s Bornok Mangosong (19) at the podium with veteran Glen Aguilar (1) during the recent Phoenix Petroleum Motocross leg. (InterAKTV)

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FOOD

One continent at a time For so LonG, the clamor for authentic tasting dishes has surpassed the clamor for a smart phone. Admittedly, more and more yearn to eat something that reminds them of memories – with family, friends, and significant other or by themselves. The idea of relieving what you have had is one of the best feelings in the world. It not only takes you back in time but it allows you the serenity and happiness you once felt. Hence, many restaurants and cafes in the Metro opt to replicate the original – but with an added flare. Kelleher’s Irish American Pub is one dining place to look out for. Located at the Damosa Gateway Compound, it is a true heaven of flavors. Well, to put it, it is like travelling from one continent to another.

House Salad Crispy, refreshing and bursting with flavors, this is the best way to start your meal. The exquisite flavors of vegetables ignite your gastronomical pal-

ates as you take a bite after another. This comes free with every purchase of entrée or main dish. Appetizer First stop was a bowl of french fries packed with olives, dressing, onion and more. It was nachos supreme –minus the nachos, that is. The interplay of flavors signals your senses to open and be aware of every bit of flavor you taste. It was like a roller coaster ride – on a plate! As if that was not enough, out came the best looking plate of whole white onion fried to perfection. A staple in western table, this is nothing like your ordinary onion rings. Just imagine a whole bulb, slithered, battered and fried until golden brown. Yes! Do I need to say more? Sandwich They say turkey meat is bland but this one, with whole wheat bread, cheese and dressing, this is one thanksgiving delight I’d be happy to munch on. The simplicity of this meal makes it more appealing to the palate – believe me, it does! Pasta If you think chopsuey is just vegetables, think again. Kelleher’s American Chopsuey is a pasta

dish packed with meat and vegetables. It is so good; you would never believe you are eating vegetables together with your pasta. The sauce is just right – complimenting the tasty flavors of the vegetables and the pasta itself! Must try! Any meal will not be complete with a pasta dish, right? Aside from the chopsuey, have a bite of their shrimp Pasta coated with garlic, oil and herbs. Truly, a naked pasta as you can verily see the ingredients combined to make dish more than appetising! Main Dish Main dish was the most

tender beef stew in all of Davao. The mixture of flavors takes you in an Irish backdrop complete with a scenic meadow outside an old rustic house by the lake. The smell alone is enticing. The moment it hits your senses, you will immediately be drawn to it and cannot help but take a bite. no, do not take a bite. Take more than bite! Indeed, Kelleher’s Irish American Pub is a gastronomical adventure worth the try. With its cozy pub ambiance, soothing sound and wide selection of imported beers, go ahead and indulge. Bring noy only yourself but you hungry companions , as well.

once you see the green and gold sign, come right in! Get ready Davao and the whole of Mindanao, Kelleher’s Irish American Pub is now open to serve you! Congratulations! Cheers! *** Happy birthday to my JSOW mate, Zeus Salcedo. May the force be with you To my Tito Papa Thoy, cheers for more years. Be a part of Davao’s Thursday habit! Email me at bffsa457@gmail.com or visit www.chefroyale.com for more recipes. Follow @ chefroyaleofficial and me @herroyalheiress on instagram! Lovelots!

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EDGEDAVAO

eVeNTs

Smart expands LTE roaming services with SG’s Starhub Wireless services leader smart Communications (smart) has expanded its long Term evolution (lTe) roaming services by offering the first commercial lTe roaming service between the Philippines and singapore through a partnership with starHub, a leading info-communications firm in the lion City. The strategic partnership allows smart lTe subscribers to utilize the extensive starHub lTe network and enjoy consistent and reliable internet whenever they roam in singapore. smart subscribers may now enjoy the same lightning-fast lTe experience they have in the country when they head to singapore with a rate of only UsD 10 per day. singapore remains to be among the top international destinations among Filipinos, drawing over 670,000 tourists from the [From left] Starhub Senior Vice President Philippines in of Personal Solutions Chan Kin Hung and Starhub CEO Tan Tong Hai test2011 alone. drives Smart’s LTE roaming with Smart “As the forerun- Communications Inc. President and CEO ner of lTe in the Napoleon Nazareno and Smart EVP and country, smart Head of Wireless Consumer Business cements its domi- Charles Lim nance in the lTe space through this partnership that enables us to provide seamless and high-quality connectivity to our subscribers here and abroad,” said smart Chief Wireless Advisor Orlando B. Vea. With lTe, currently the fastest fourth-generation (4G) wireless connection in the world, users can rely on speeds as fast as 100 Mbps, making it ideal for high-speed broadband applications. it allows users to stream high-definition videos without buffering, download files in minutes, and play lagfree online games. “These partnerships for lTe roaming services elevate our commitment to our subscribers by providing not only mobile services of the highest quality, but also the fastest and most dependable – not only in the country, but also beyond our borders,” said Conexus chair Alejandro Caeg, also the smart Head for international & Carrier Business Division. smart pioneered lTe in the Philippines in August 2012, and now offers the widest coverage with more than 1,000 sites covering 180 cities and municipalities in the North luzon, south luzon, Visayas and Mindanao areas. smart lTe also covers all the cities in Metro Manila. smart and starHub are members of Conexus Mobile Alliance (Conexus), one of the largest mobile alliances in Asia, aimed at developing roaming and other corporate mobile services among its member-networks. The alliance has a total customer base of 280 million mobile subscribers in its members’ markets, and 690 million subscribers when combined with the Vodafone Group, its strategic partner.

GET DISCOUNTS WHEN YOU SHARE. This Christmas season, share your blessings with The SM Store & Toy Kingdom’s Share-A-Toy Project! Give your toy to The SM Store or Toy Kingdom from November 8 till December 21 and get P50 discount on your next toy purchase.

Flashback to the 80’s at Club Velvet with AMDG’88 THe new Club Velvet at oroderm City was abuzz with energy last november 30 with the 1st Halloween skin Party. The air was electric as the best dance hits of the 80’s and beyond spun by Davao’s spin Doctors Doc Yen and Doc niel together with DJ Gary riled up the crowd. Amazing prizes were also given away throughout the evening including Globe Tattoo supersticks, Botox Treatments and Laser Hair Treatments courtesy of oroderm. The 1st Halloween skin Bar Party is organised by the Ateneo de Davao High school batch ‘88 (AMDG’88) siver Jubilarians and sponsored by Globe Telecom and oroderm. The event is just one of a series of events leading up to Ateneo Flashback 2013, the upcoming Ateneo de Davao Grand Alumni Homecoming to be held on December 30, 2013 at the sMX Convention Center in sM Lanang Premier. For more information on upcoming events visit the AMDG Flashback Facebook page at Ateneoflashback2013.

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eNTerTAiNMeNT

Janine defends Ariella sPeAkiNG english is not a pre-requisite to winning Miss Universe.

Just like what she answered at the Miss Universe pageant last year, Miss Universe 2012 first runner-up Janine Tugonon reiterated her view and defended Philippines bet Ariella Arida from criticisms of her poor command of the english language. “Honestly, i’m not that good in english but still i managed to clinch the first runner-up title,” explained Janine. “What they care about is what’s in your heart, your personality, and your stand on certain issues. knowing Ara, i know she has a good heart and so i’m confident with her interviews.” Janine, who just finished her two-month acting class in the los Angeles branch of the prestigious New York Film Academy, believes Ara is a very strong contender and may be the one to finally bring back the Miss Universe crown to the country after 40 years. Margarita Moran last won the title in 1973. “i believe Ara really has the face and the body. i’ve been seeing her pictures and i love them. she trained hard so i know she’ll do good. i can’t say exactly how she will fare in the competition but with Ara’s beauty, which for me is very Filipina,

i think she stands a good chance because they love Filipina beauty,” said Janine. The preliminary round of judging for Miss Universe has already begun. After the closed door preliminary interview, Ariella was recently adjudged wearing her national costume, alongside 85 other candidates, in the National Costume competition held in Vegas Mall.

This year’s Miss Universe will be crowned this sunday (Nov 10) in Crocus City Hall in Moscow, russia. The show will be hosted by Thomas roberts of “MsNBC live” and Mel B of “America’s Got Talent.” Watch it live on Velvet Channel at 2 AM with a delayed telecast on ABs-CBN at 9 AM and a primetime replay at 10 PM.

Aiai learns to let go in ‘Wansapanataym’ AiAi delas Alas, izzy Canillo, and Cherry Pie Picache will teach TV viewers the importance of family and forgiveness in the last episode of “Wansapanataym Presents Moomoo knows Best” this saturday (November 9). After discovering the long lost Yaganaki treasure, Joanna (AiAi) is forced to turn it over to her rival spiritualist lavender (Cherry Pie) in exchange for the freedom of her mother’s soul. What will Joanna and kwatzy (izzy) do to stop the greediness of lavender? Will Joanna be able to let go of all the anger in her heart and finally learn to forgive lavender? Also featured in “Wansapanataym Presents Moomoo knows Best” are Carla Martinez, Marco Gumabao, Michelle Vito, Jojit lorenzo, lui Villaruz, and Tony Manalo. it is written by

STATUS: IT'S COMPLICATED 2D Maja Salvador, Jake Cuenca, Eugene Domingo

R 16

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

ROMEO & JULIET 2D Hailee Steinfeld, Douglas Booth PG 13

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

SAPI 2D Dennis Trillo, Meryl Soriano, Baron Geisler R 13

12:00 | 2:00 | 4:00 | 6:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

R-16 THOR: THE DARK WORLD 2D Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman PG 13

Arlene Tamayo and directed by erick salud. Don’t miss the final episode of AiAi, Cherry Pie, and izzy’s month-long Halloween special this saturday in the sto-

rybook of Pinoy kids, “Wansapanataym” after “TV Patrol Weekend” on ABs-CBN. For updates, log on to www.abs-cbn. com or follow @abscbndotcom on Twitter.

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

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Delicious finds in Phuket’s supermarkets WHAT I love to do whenever I travel is to visit the local grocery for the local produce and snacks items that fill the locale’s shelves. The experience is truly amazing especially when you find something at at first sounds weird but is actually good eats. on my last trip to Phuket, I was able to explore the supermarket at the Jungceylon Phuket Mall and I was just amazed at the variety of local snacks and treats it had to of-

The dried shimp with tamarind sauce is sweet with a kick of heat in the end. fer. From different varieties of dried fruits from strawberries, mangoes, guava, kiwis, pineapples and plums, the curiously tart dried mangosteen and the ever more curiously crispy (and relatively odourfree) Durian chips, I was overwhelmed by the way these

EDGEDavao Davao Partners

fruits were processed into good eats. Another good find in the supermarket were the seafood snacks. shunning from artificially flavoured chips, I went straight to the crispy dilis, spicy squid as well as the spicy dried shrimp with tamarind. each one has a bit of heat in every crispy savoury bite. of course when in Thailand, don’t forget to gram some local tea. With choices

ranging from flower teas to herbal infusions, the supermarket is definitely the place to go. Aside from immersing oneself into the local food culture by way of the supermarket, another benefit from supermarket shopping is the relatively lower prices of the goods which means more things to bring home and more local delicacies to eat and share when you get home.

Can’t decide what dried fruit to get? Get a combo pack.

I love the crispy durian chips, curiously the smell of the durian is not here. Crispy dilis.

Colourful tins of tea.

EDGEDAVAO

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TO THE BASKET. Indiana Pacers forward Luis Scola (4) goes to the basket past Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe (10) during the first half of the Indiana-Detroit game.

DSA Forum at Dexter’s Pizza Stadium today T HE Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum resumes its weekly edition at Dexter’s Pizza Stadium in Matina at 10:30 a.m. today with football, basketball and cycling as the main topics. Football coaches Reynalyn Ravanes and Ching delos Reyes of the Ateneo de Davao University along with Rex Rodriguez of CIDG will discuss their participation in the annual Alaska Football Cup set on to open this weekend at the Alabang Country Club. Joining them in the

first batch of guests will be city councilor Leonardo Avila III who will tackle the Flight of the Eagles fun ride, and the champion coach and most valuable player of the Davao Champions League. Organizers of the PBA game between Rain or Shine and Alaska on Nov. 17 at the University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep) Gym, led by Rameses Tancontian, will also guest in the second batch of the forum sponsored by Dexter’s Pizza Stadium owners Jimmy and Bai Lim.

San Mig trades rookie pick

SPOTLESS

Pacers remain unbeaten in 4 games A

UBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- The Indiana Pacers lost six of their first nine games last season - and they seem intent on making up for that in 2013. ‘’We just want play well and get out of the gates,’’ center Roy Hibbert said. ‘’We’re an experienced team and we know every win’s important.’’ Paul George scored 31 points, and the Pacers remained the NBA’s only unbeaten team with a 99-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night. Indiana matched its best start in franchise his-

tory. The Pacers are 4-0 for the first time since the 2004-05 season. Indiana blew a 15-point lead in the first half but took control again with a strong third quarter. C.J. Watson had 15 points and David West finished with 12 for the Pacers. Hibbert had eight points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks. Indiana will try to extend its unbeaten run Wednesday night against Chicago. ‘’It would be a big win, a huge confidence booster,’’ George said. ‘’But it’s no statement. The season’s still early.’’

Brandon Jennings scored 17 points for the Pistons, who were done in by their 5-for-25 shooting from 3-point range. Detroit led 44-40 early in the third quarter before the Pacers went on a 15-2 run capped by an alley-oop to George. He scored 14 points in the quarter, and Indiana led 74-63 entering the fourth. ‘’Our starters’ disposition and attitude and energy took the game back over,’’ Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. ‘’We were able to ride it out.’’ Detroit cut the deficit to four early in the final peri-

od, but Indiana responded with six straight points to lead 82-72. The Pacers stretched the lead to 19 at 94-75 before the Pistons rallied in the final minutes to make the final score more respectable. It was 96-91 after Detroit’s Kyle Singler made two free throws with 32.6 seconds left, but the Pacers broke Detroit’s pressure and the Pistons didn’t foul. West made a layup with 16.6 seconds left. The Pacers have won six straight over the Pistons, and the previous three wins had been lopsided, by 19, 32 and 18 points.

HE PBA draft may have ended last Sunday, but the wheeling and dealing involving rookies is far from over. The San Mig Coffee Mixers are set to acquire Isaac Holstein from GlobalPort in exchange for fellow rookie Justin Chua and veteran forward Leo Najorda, according to coach Tim Cone. Holstein was taken seventh overall by the Batang Pier last Sunday while Chua was the Mixers’ pick at the No. 10 spot. “We just wanted the taller guy and a more defensive-oriented player while Globalport was looking for a big that was more polished offensively,” said Cone. Holstein was measured at 6-foot-7 in socks, while Chua stood a shade below

6-foot-5. But Chua is considered the more seasoned prospect, while Holstein is expected to be a project. Najorda, a rugged tweener forward, was acquired with the Mixers prior to the Commissioner’s Cup last season, but has failed to find playing time under Cone. He will be reunited with at GlobalPort with Junel Baculi, his former coach at Barako Bull. “Chua, I believe, along with Leo, can help them right away while we can take our time and develop Holstein,” said Cone. “Global had been calling about Leo for a couple of weeks already. They certainly have a role for him, and with us he was kind of buried behind Ping (Marc Pingris) and Joe (Devance).”

Heat gets first road win

ORONTO (AP) -- LeBron James reached his latest milestone in signature style. James scored a season-high 35 points, Dwyane Wade had 20 and the Miami Heat beat the Toronto Raptors 104-95 on Tuesday for their first road victory in three tries this season. Ray Allen scored 14 points for Miami, which lost at Philadelphia on Oct. 30 and was beaten 101-100 at Brooklyn on Nov. 1. James also had a season-high eight rebounds and handed out eight assists as Miami topped 100 points for the fifth straight game, extending their team-record run to begin the season. With a putback dunk at 2:31 of the first quarter, James became the fifth player in NBA history to score 10 points or more in 500 consecutive games. ‘’When I see a stat like that, I’m like ‘Wow,’ because I know the history of the game, I know the

guys who paved the way for myself and my teammates,’’ James said. ‘’To be in such a great class like that, it’s an amazing feeling.’’ James said he was humbled to join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (with streaks of 787 and 508 games), Michael Jordan (866), Karl Malone (575) and Moses Malone (526) as the only players to accomplish the feat. ‘’That’s apt company,’’ teammate Shane Battier said. It was the 162nd time during the streak that James has reached 10 points in the opening quarter. ‘’I just go out and play every night and those are the results,’’ he said. James has reached double figures in every game since being held to eight points at Milwaukee on Jan. 5, 2007. He scored 19 at New Jersey the following night.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

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EDGEDavao Davao Partners

KING OF THE JAM. Jenell Franz Fuentes rams it down with a two-hander to win the Phoenix Accelerate Vega Slam Dunk contest in the Davao Champions League. Lean Daval Jr.

Agro forces rubber match vs Kings in Champions League

WINNER TAKE ALL A

GRO Industrial Foundation College lived for another day by hacking out a close 89-88 win on Tuesday over Jose Maria College to level the championship series at one game apiece and forge a winner-take-all Game 3 in the Phoenix Davao Champions League set late last night at the Davao City Recreation Center.

The Sailors thus avenged a 76-80 loss to the Kings in Game 1. The rubber match of this tournament that will determine the collegiate champion from the Davao Region was being played as of presstime. Meantime, Ateneo de Davao Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Neil Taculin won the Phoenix Accelerate Vega Three-Point

Shootout title by besting Christopher Ray Santos of Holy Cross of Davao College and teammate Niko Marte of ADDU. In the exciting Phoenix Premium 98 Slamdunk Contest, Jeneil Franz Fuentes of JMC Kings was crowned King of the Jam after winning the title over Micchael Canete of the John Paul College of

ALL FOR ONE. Three Agro Sailors gang up on a JMC King in Game 2 of the Davao Champions League. Lean Daval Jr.

Davao and Miguel Emmanuel Pacheco of Ateneo de Davao University. The individual winners will be receiving their cash prizes and medals on November 13 at the Abreeza Mall Activity Center. The DCL is supported by the City Government of Davao and the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas. [NJB]