Edge Davao 6 Issue 231 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 231 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7-8, 2014

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PERFUME BAR. A fragrance retail station sales lady refills a container with perfume from a special semi-automated bottle dispenser at the Annex of SM City Davao yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

ECONOMIC ABUSE TOPS VAWC cases consistently increasing By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

INdulge! A1

P16

Gilas: In our dreams

abf@edgedavao.net

CONOMIC abuse was number one culprit in cases of violence against women and children (VAWC) recorded in Davao City last year, based on the report of Integrated Gender and Development Division (IGDD) of the City Mayor’s Office. The report said economic

abuse had 567 cases or 54.47 percent of the 1,041 total VAWC cases for the period of January 1 to December 2013. Lorna Mandin, officer-in-charge of IGDD, told reporters in yesterday’s ‘I-speak media forum’ that the number of cases of economic abuse is consistently increasing.

“kasgaran mga lalaki – sa tanang panahon yata lalaki ang nag abandon sa ilang mga asawa,” said Mandin. She said that only 15 percent of VAWC cases pursued in family courts as women victims may choose not to pursue the case for fear of being abandoned.

Earlier, Ms Mercedita Barrios –Talaver, vice president of Davao Lady Lawyers Association (DALLAS), said that the reason why the victim will not pursue is because they could not sustain living without the assistance of the husband. Talaver said that victims

FECONOMIC, 10

OBLIQUE PARKING. Experimental oblique parking is now being implemted by the Traffic Management Group (TMC) along City Hall Drive in Davao City in order to decongest the area. Lean Daval Jr.

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 231 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7-8, 2014

2 arrested, charged after bungled holdup By EMILORD P. CASTROMAYOR

COURTESY CALL. Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte welcomes Indonesian officials led by Consul General Eko Hartono during a courtesy call at Park Inn by Radisson Davao in Lanang Wednesday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

MUCH ADO

FB photo irks councilors By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

abf@edgedavao.net

PHOTO posted in a facebook page of a newspaper reporter irked at least two councilors who were shown in the picture that was taken in the midst of the city council’s regular session last Tuesday. Mindanao Mirror reporter Editha Caduaya uploaded a picture showing councilors Joanne Bonguyan, Antoinette Principe, Rachel Zozobrado and Mary Joselle D. Villafuerte in a group apparently discussing among themselves. Without mentioning what the four ladies were talking about, Caduaya captioned the photo

with: “Mr. PRES. NAGTABI NA ANG IMONG MGA KONSEHAL WHILE NAGA DISCUSS ANG DUHA KA KONSEHAL..Ingon ani sila ug wala ang vice mayor,” followed by a comment: “based sa house rules bawal magtabi while naga deliberate sa floor. Bawal mag tuyok2 whyl naga sessyon..mao na ila balaud.” Zozobrado was first to react in the comment thread: “This is unfair... we were discussing the issues at hand... especially the effect of the proposal on the transport sector.. pictures can be interpreted so many ways.” Villafuerte then called

HINA’S massive claim over nearly the entire South China Sea under its so-called nine-dash line map is a form of expansionism, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday. “Expansionism in the form of the nine-dash line in the South China Sea is in gross violation of the rule of law and threatens peace and stability,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez told a press briefing. China’s nine-dash claim marks a huge swath of the South China Sea in a tongue-shaped encirclement as Chinese territory. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have been contesting Chi-

na’s massive claim. Hernandez’ remarks came after Chinese state news agency Xinhua’s commentary criticizing President Benigno S. Aquino III for comparing China’s claims in the waters to the demand for land made by Nazi Germany to former Czechoslovakia in 1938. “At what point do you say: ‘Enough is enough’? Well, the world has to say it -- remember that the Sudetenland was given in an attempt to appease Hitler to prevent World War II,” Aquino told the New York Times in an interview as he called on world leaders to stand up against China’s aggressive moves in the South

China’s 9-dash claim form of expansionism C

the attention of Caduaya and explained that she “approached my colleagues to inform them that I was present at Seda Hotel when the study on public transport system was presented to members of the council..I am sure the vice mayor is aware that we take our jobs seriously..I know it seems funny now, but since your comment is misleading, I felt compelled to correct you.” There were at least eight people who joined the discussion either supporting one of the protagonists or simply expressing amusing remarks. Villafuerte retorted:

“Well, of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion..pero ang baba pala ng tingin mo sa amin if you think we are gossiping during sessions, pretty sad ..” To which Caduaya responded: “Sorry ma’m... pero house rules po ninyo yon ma’m. Hindi po gawa gawa ng media po ma;m Mary Joselle Villafuerte... di ba klaro naman sa house rules. Hindi po kababawan yon man.” Villafuete then asked Caduaya that the matter be discussed with Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte “at the soonest possible time.”

FFB, 10

epc@edgedavao.net

19-year old man and a minor sustained gunshot wounds after they tried to hold up a soldier prompting him to shoot them on Wednesday afternoon along Del Pilar St., Davao City. P/Supt. Ceazar Cabuhat, station commander of the Sta. Ana police, said that Alejandro Paulino, 38, an army reservisr, reported to the police after he was held up by one Wenlito Asuncion, 19, and a certain Junrex, 16, both of barangay Leon Garcia, Agdao. Police immediately conducted manhunt that resulted in the apprehension of the suspects who were bleeding from gun-

shot wounds in their lower extremities after they were shot by Paulino with his pistol. The two were immediately taken to the Southern Philippines Medical Center. Paulino said that while parking his vehicle on Del Pilar St. at about 4:00 p.m., one of the suspects pointed a knife at him while the other hugged him tightly, but he broke free and shot the suspects as they ran away towards Holy Cross Drive Agdao bue were later arrested. It is only Asuncion who will be facing charges for the crime while Junrex was set free for being a minor.

PHL schools that adjusted calendars have own charters

HE schools that have adjusted their academic calendars are presumed to have weighed the pros and cons of their decisions, Malacañang said Thursday. Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. also noted that while the University of the Philippines (UP) is a government institution, it has its own charter. “Ang binanggit na paaralan ay may kanya-kanyang charter (The schools have their own charters). UP is a government institution but it has its own charter,” Coloma said at a media briefing. The Ateneo de Manila University and University of the Philippines have approved a shift of the start of

the academic calendar from June to August. Coloma said there is nothing preventing these schools from adjusting their calendars. “Siguro naman reasonable na isipin at sabihin na bago nila marating ang decision na yan pinagaralan nang mabuti (It would be reasonable to assume they studied their options well before arriving at their respective decisions),” he added. He also said adjusting the school calendar is not new, noting this had been done during the administration of President Diosdado Macapagal, when Alejandro Roces was education secretary, though the start of the academic calendar was eventually reverted to June. [PNA]

ECONOMIC ABUSE. Lorna Mandin, officer-in-charge of the Integrated Gender and Development Division (IGDD) of the City Mayor’s Office, reports during

I-Speak media forum at the conference room of City Hall in Davao City that economic abuse is the primary offense recorded in Davao City last year FCHINA’S, 10 yesterday’s against Republic Act 9262 or the Violence against Women and Their Children (VAWC) act.

VOL. 6 ISSUE 231 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7-8, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

4 NEWS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 231 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7-8, 2014

AT CBO

72-hour policy strictly followed By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

abf@edgedavao.net

HE 72-hour transaction policy of the office of the building official in Davao City has been strictly followed, Joseph Dominic Felizarta, acting assistant city engineer, said. Felizarta told reporters in yesterday’s I-Speak media forum at the conference room of the city hall, said that upon his assumption last month he strictly implemented the policy by releasing building permits of applicants within three days. “Kada adlaw naa miy report kang (city administrator) Atty. (J. Melchor) Quitain na ang 72 hours gi comply gyud namo,” Felizarta said, adding that his office is much more serious

in implementing the policy mandated by Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte. He also encourages owners and construction supervisors to transact with the office personally to assure that their permit would be released. Felizarta said that there were complaints before when permit applications were pending for a long period, but the permits were not in the office but with fixers dealt with. He said that if the owners have representatives they will be asked to show authorization is notarized by a lawyer to make sure that he or she is the official representative.

ENATE President Franklin Drilon announced on Thursday that the Senate and the House of Representatives have agreed to pass the Bangsamoro basic law before the end of this year. The agreement was reached in a meeting with the House leadership led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Thursday morning, according to Drilon. ”All of us agreed that the enactment of the Bangsamoro basic law should be made by end of this year. That is our target because

we want to see 2015 as the year when we can submit this for ratification,” Drilon said in a press briefing after meeting with Bangasamoro Transition Commission members at the Office of the Senate President. ”This is our commitment on the part of the Senate and our target dates that we want to pursue seriously in both houses of Congress,” Drilon added. Bangsamoro Transition Commission chairman Mohagher Iqbal and Office of Presidential Adviser on

LACK OF SUPPORT. A man is seen walking with a person with disability who appears to be a member of the Philippine Paralympic team along San Pedro Street in Davao City yesterday. Some concerned sectors are asking for financial support for the Philippine Paralympic team as the government does not pay much attention to them whenever they compete in international competitions. Lean Daval Jr.

TAX COLLECTIONS

Riola expects to hit Senate, House agree to pass the Bangsamoro basic law 12 to 15% increase S BEFORE YEAR-END

F72-HOURS, 10

FBEFORE, 10

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

crc@edgedavao.net

T is too early to conclude but Davao City local government expects to attain its target of 12 to 15 percent increase in 2014 tax collections, an official told Edge Davao in an interview. City treasurer Rodrigo S. Riola said that even after the business permit renewal period, they cannot conclude as early as now. Riola added that col-

lections during the renewal period (January 2 to 20, 2014) reached P625 million, a small portion of the P5.1 billion 2014 target collection. Business bureau officer-in-charge Lawrence D. Bantiding said in his latest report that a total of 30,080 business establishments renewed their licenses. On the other hand, Riola said earlier that the

2014 target collection is higher by P573 million from the 2013 collection which was P4.5 billion. He is positive the city will hit the target, saying the city usually hits its target every year. Riola, meanwhile, said that the increase in the collection target will come from business and real property taxes. The collection from various fees and charges by the

city will help in attaining the target, Riola said. He believes that the sound economic activity in the city will invite more investors to make their business in the metropolis. He attributes it to the leadership of City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte. The peace and order in the city gives a positive effect to the influx of investments in the city.

DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES

BCCII president cites market power abuse T

72-HOUR POLICY. City Engineer’s Office acting assistant head lawyer-engineer Joseph Dominic Felizarta boastfully discloses during yesterday’s I-Speak media forum at the conference room of City Hall in Davao City that the 72-hour transaction policy of the Office of Building Official in Davao City has been strictly followed.

O avoid monopolization and market power abuse among distribution utilities in Mindanao, Bukidnon Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., (BCCII) president Roderico R. Bioco proposes to reduce from 50 percent to 10 percent the amount that can be sourced out. Section 45 paragraph b of the R.A. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 and its Implementing Rules and Regulation (EPIRA) stated “no distribution utility shall be allowed to source out

from bilateral power supply contracts more than 50 percent of its total demand from an associated firm engaged in generation but such limitation, however, shall not prejudice contracts entered into prior to the effectivity of this act.” Bioco, during the consultative dialogue on the amendment of the EPIRA Law at the Waterfront Insular Hotel yesterday, said the provision promotes monopoly and power market abuse. “They should not be sourcing out from 50 per-

FBCCII, 10

5 THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 231 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7-8, 2014

DOT 11 eyes hosting APEC meeting in ‘15 By CHENEEN R. CAPON

crc@edgedavao.net

EPARTMENT of Tourism in Region 11 officer-in-charge Arturo Boncato, Jr. is positive that Davao City will host one of the APEC meetings in 2015 because of feedbacks from the Apec National Organizing Committee who visited the city last Saturday and Sunday. Boncato, in a press briefing at Club 888 at The Marco Polo Davao Wednesday, said that the visitors were satisfied. He said that the Public Security Command Center, according to the visitors was their most “unique” experience, adding that it is the only city among the bidders who has the security facility. It is one of the important factors that should be considered when hosting an international event. The Davao Organizing Committee composed of City Government of Davao, DOT and private sector tried to simulate the actual meeting during the visita-

tion as there was a welcome feast at the Davao International Airport upon the arrival of the members of the committee. “We hosted a luncheon and a dinner just to show them that we are capable of staging events that are afar from the events hosted by other countries of the Apec in the past,” he said. They were shown the facilities in the metro that can be a venue for worldclass meetings aside from the world class services the city can offer. At this point, Davao City is still bidding to be a host of one of the meetings of Apec next year, specifically the senior officials meeting. The meeting will be attended by 100 officials from various countries and will stay in the city for a week. “If we get one or two, it is already an achievement for Davao,” Boncato said. “We are already putting our best foot forward to show them we are capable.” He said that aside from

LACKLUSTER. Native products may already lose their luster nowadays as passersby at Sangguniang Panlungsod hardly notice the handwoven mats locally known as “romlon” and rattan plates being sold by a “lumad” from the hinterland of Davao City. Lean Daval Jr. Davao, the committee also visited Boracay, and Cebu earlier for inspection.

Smart wins global innovation award W IRELESS services leader Smart Communications, Inc. was presented with the prestigious Innovation Award at the recently concluded TMT Finance & Investment Asia 2014 Awards ceremonies in Hong Kong, besting other industry leaders such as NTT Com, SK Telecom, and Hutchison. Smart was the only Philippine telco to be named finalist in the awards program organized by TMT Finance, which provides specialized news, research, and high-end networking conferences to senior executives from the telecom, finance, and professional advisory communities globally. This is the first year the awards were presented in Asia. Smart was recognized for its world-first innovations such as Smart Money, an electronic wallet linked to a mobile phone; Smart Load, an over-the-air prepaid reloading service offering airtime in sachet-like packages; and Pasa Load, which allows prepaid subscribers to pass airtime credits to each other. Another Smart innovation that gained recognition is the Netphone, a phone backed by a Smart platform designed for the Internet habits and purchasing power of Filipinos. Smart BayadLoad, a service that enables people to pay

Deborah Anne Tan, head of Smart’s investor relations and group enterprise risk management, receives the award from Coleago Consulting director Chris Buist for mandatory government contributions for social security, housing, provident, and health insurance using load on their Smart-powered phones, is another example of the company’s passion for excellence and creativity in addressing the needs of the communities being served. In recent years, Smart finished supercharging its network under a P67.1-billion transformation program, launched the first commercial

and widest LTE (Long Term Evolution) service in the Philippines, linked up its cell sites via fiber optic cables, and launched rich-content offerings such as Spinnr which is an online portal that makes available three million music tracks to more than 70 million Filipinos. Smart was also shortlisted for the TMT Finance Awards’ Operator of the Year distinction and for the TMT Leadership Award.

6 THE ECONOMY Stat Watch Indicator

Latest

1. Gross National Income 1. GrossRate National Income Growth Growth Rate2000 Prices) (At Constant

7.1 1st Qtr 2013 6.8

2.2.Gross GrossDomestic DomesticProduct Growth Rate Product (AtGrowth Constant 2000 Prices) Rate

7.8 1st Qtr 2013 7.5

(At Constant 2000 Prices)

3. Exports 1/ 3. Exports

4. Imports 1/ 4. Imports

5. Trade Balance Trade Balance 6.5.Balance of Payments 2/

7.6.Broad Money Liabilities Balance of Payments

2nd Qtr 2013

USD 3,741 million 5,045 FebUSD 2013 million USD 4,708 Sep 2013 million FebUSD 2013 5,711 USD -967 million million Sep 2013 Feb 2013 USD -665 USD -640 million million Sep 2013 Dec 2012 P 4,964,560 USD 692 million million Feb Jun2013 2013 P2.45,980,938 % million Mar 2013 Aug 2013

8. Interest Rates 4/

7. Broad Money Liabilities

P113,609 2.0 % million Sep2013 2013 Mar P P5,281 127,336 billion million Mar Sep2013 2013

9. National Government 8. Revenues Interest Rate 9. National Government

10.Revenues National government outstanding debt outstanding debt

P 5,609 P 41.14 billion Apr 2013

11.Stocks Peso per US $ 12. Composite Index 6/

6,847.5 P 43.83 Mar Sep2013 2013

12. Stocks Composite

6,191.8 132.8 Sep2013 2013 Apr

13. Consumer Price Index

135.2 Oct2.62013

10.Peso National government 11. per US $ 5/

Sep 2013

13. Consumer Index Price Index 2006=100

2006=100 14. Headline Inflation Rate 14. 2006=100 Headline Inflation

Apr 2013

2.9 Oct3.12013

Rate 15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

Apr 2013

2006=100

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100 16. Visitor Arrivals

2.5

418,108 Oct 2013 Feb 2013

382,022 Aug 2013 20.9%

16. Visitor Arrivals

17. Underemployment 7/ 17. Rate Underemploymen

Jan 2013 19.2%

18. 18.Unemployment UnemploymentRate Rate7/

7.1% Jan 2013 7.3%

Rate

Jul 2013 Jul 2013

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2011-September 2013) Month Average December November October September August July June May April March February January

2013

2012

2011

43.83 43.86 43.35 42.91 41.30 41.14 40.71 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 231 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7-8, 2014

No answer found vs Panama disease

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

crc@edgedavao.net

NTERNATIONAL and local research groups agree that nine years after the Panama disease or Fusarium wilt almost wiped out the banana plantations in the country, there’s still no internationally- accepted cure for it. University of the Philippine-Mindanao chancellor and social scientist Dr. Slyvia Concepcion said that the spread of the disease is faster than finding a cure for it, adding that it is faster than science. Concepcion said that private companies hit by the disease have been trying to find a cure for it but are still reluctant to make their respective findings available to the public. Panama disease started to devastate banana plantations in the country in 2005. It originated from Central America half a century ago but there is still no cure for it. Dr. Gert Kema from Wageningen University, The Netherlands, said that it can easily spread through transfer of contaminated soil to other plantations. It can migrate from one place to another.

RUSH ID. An elderly who urgently needs ID pictures for his senior citizen identification card application poses before a park photographer along City Hall drive in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr. “It is soil-borne and uncontrollable compared to the Sigatoka, an airborne and controllable banana disease,” Kema said, adding that the fungus causing the Panama disease has a very complex structure. In a statement released, Panama disease or

Fusarium wilt is caused by the strain called Foc TR, a genotype of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp cubense. In Southeast Asia and Philippines, this is a new race of the most devastating plant disease epidemic that has spread rapidly in all kinds of banana production sys-

tem. Concepcion, guesting in at a media forum yesterday, said that not only big banana plantations were affected by the disease but also small and contracted growers. Concepcion said that no existing variety of banana is resistant to Fusar-

ium wilth. Banana varieties like saba, Cavendish, Lacatan, Tundan, and Seniorita are all vulnerable. Dr. Sietze Vellerma of Wageningan University, The Neatherlands, said that Panama disease is a global problem that raises issues on food security.

Utilities sector at P74,067, followed by Industrial and Machineries sector at P69,063, Information Technology Software industry at P59,678, and Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical industry in the fifth rank which is paying managers at P57, 394. Completing the top ten industries with highest salary-offers are: Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Managers with salary at P57,688; Transportation and Logistics at

P51, 685; Manufacturing at P48,784; Insurance sector at P48,758; and Fast Moving Consumer Goods Managers (FMCG) offering a P48,427-salary. Further, the Utilities sector offers the highest salary for supervisors at P50,441 per month. For the same position, this is followed by Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) at P43,165; IT Software at P34,679; BPO at P33,691; FMCG at

P30,751; Telecommunications at P29,041; Banking and Finance at P28,779; Advertising at P28,328; Oil & Gas at P27,055 ; and Hotel sector at P26,952 salary on a monthly basis. On the other hand, NGO’s junior executives have the highest monthly salary at P25,697. The Utilities sector junior executives gain second largest monthly pay at P24,400 followed by IT Software junior

executives at P23,671; BPO at P21,590; IT Software at P23,671; BPO at P21,590; IT Hardware at P20,721; FMCG at P20,131; Oil and Gas at P19,848; Banking and Finance at P19,135; Mining at P18,893; and Media junior executives at P18,853. The report was based on the data of listed companies in Jobstreet.com from September 1 to November 30 last year. [PNA]

Which industry pays the highest salary in PHL? J

OBSTREET.com disclosed in a press briefing Wednesday the local industries giving the highest salary for employees with one year to four years of experience. The Jobstreet.com 2014 Annual Salary Report said that for managerial position, Oil and Gas sector pays the highest salary with an average value of P74,297 a month. Second largest salary-offer for managerial position comes from the

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

EDGEDAVAO VOL. VOL.66ISSUE ISSUE231 231• •FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FRIDAY-SATURDAY,FEBRUARY FEBRUARY7-8, 7-8,2014 2014

PROPERTY

Year of the Wooden Horse a good year to invest in Northpoint

HE Year of the Wooden Horse has been ushered in by the Chinese New Year, bringing with it good tidings on the real estate market. Feng shui experts predict 2014 to be a good year to make property investments. With this bright prospect, now is a great time to buy a condo unit at Northpoint, the British colonial themed condo development at the junction of Davao City’s two major thoroughfares, Buhangin Road and JP Laurel Avenue, Bajada. Sophisticated investors know the positive

outlook for the industry means they should acquire their Northpoint condo unit now as the chances of a better return on their investments are higher than ever. “The important thing is to take that first step to get in the game. And there’s no better time than now to make that wise move with Northpoint,” said Marlon B. Escalicas, Camella Southern Mindanao Cluster Head. Escalicas said homeowners and real estate investors will never go wrong with Northpoint, as it is a landmark development of Vista Residences,

the vertical marketing arm of Vista Land, the country’s largest homebuilder. The reputable track record of Vista Residences as a developer of successful vertical developments, coupled with over three decades of homebuilding expertise of Vista Land are enough to solidify Northpoint’s reputation as a development of prime value. Northpoint’s value is also influenced by its strategic location, nestled within the heart of north Davao’s growth area where business and commercial developments are currently taking place, shaping the city’s landscape with ongoing real estate developments. With the progress taking place around the area proximate to North-

point, the condo development’s market value also grows. That’s a boon to investors who put a premium on investments that give them clear returns. Its central location gives Northpoint a premier address, making it a most desirable home location. Northpoint’s condo units therefore can fetch high rental values, commanding P20,000 for a studio and P30,000 for a 2-bedroom unit, comparable to condo rental rates in Manila. Another point homeowners and investors find most desirable are Northpoint’s facilities and amenities, showcased by the clubhouse, Wakefield Manor, featuring a multi-purpose hall, fitness gym, cabanas, grill pits, a wellness pool with sali-

nated water, and access to free WiFi. There are pocket gardens, a nature park, jogging trail, preserved Acacia trees, hundreds of imported Caribbean pine trees, shuttle service within the condo property, and round-the-clock security. A professional property management team takes care of Northpoint’s maintenance and provides asset management services to unit owners who rent out their condo units. With its overall maintenance under the care of an able management team, Northpoint’s property values continue to appreciate. Northpoint’s curb appeal is very attractive, with meticulously kept and landscaped grounds adorned with colorful

plants and shrubs. Soon a lifestyle center will rise at the hill where the White House stands, making Northpoint a most desirable destination in itself. Clearly, Northpoint is a masterplan development unparalleled in its location, amenities, and commercial area, making it more valuable than any other condo development in Davao. All these contribute to its property appreciation of about 15% to 20% annually since it first opened four years ago. Vista Residences continues to offer irresistible promos and packages for buyers of Northpoint, available at the Camella offices at Delgar Bldg. (fronting Northpoint), JP Laurel Avenue, Bajada, Davao City, telephone 2953973.

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

VOL. 6 ISSUE 231 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7-8, 2014

EDITORIAL

Davao and rice smuggling

HE role of Davao and Dabawenyos in big-time smuggling of rice which has allegedly resulted in the loss of more than P6 billion in unpaid taxes annually, is unclear up to this writing. No less than Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials publicly admit that part of this huge amount of uncollected taxes go into the pockets of corrupt Customs men as bribe from smugglers. However, the constant mention of Davao and Dabawenyos in the riveting controversy (and investigation) is admittedly intriguing. The hot issue was further spiced up by the appearance last week of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte in the Senate, where the maverick leader told millions of Filipino television viewers that he would gladly kill suspected bigtime rice smuggler David Tan Bangayan if he unloads smuggled rice in Davao City. The latest to be in the news in connection with the hot issue, albeit in a negative light, is Judge Emmanuel Carpio of the Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 16, who has been charged before the Supreme Court with “grave misconduct” and ”knowingly rendering unjust judgment” in issuing an injunction order that led to the release of 167 containers of Vietnamese rice earlier held by the Davao Customs collector. The case was filed with the High Tribunal by the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), a group of farm producers headed by Rosendo So. Undoubtedly, this is a big challenge in the career of the Dabawenyo judge. One other rice smuggling controversy that remains unresolved in the Court of Appeals, actually only one of the 157 cases of rice

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smuggling that the appellate court, has to resolve since 2010, has to do with the legal fight between businessman Rodolfo Reta and a group of BOC officials headed by Anju Castigador, former BOC Davao district collector. Reta accused Castigador of shutting down his (Reta’s) container yard, which was contracted by the BOC for 25 years as the sole Designated Examination Area (DEA), instead of acting on Reta’s lawyer letter about the detected presence of smuggled rice in the container yard. The following day, fully armed Customs guards forcibly entered Reta’s container yard and withdrew several container vans of rice after pointing a gun at Reta’s guard, a matter recorded in the Sasa Precint police blotter. For his series of mistakes, Castigador and his wharfinger were dismissed from the service by the Ombudsman. Castigador and his cohorts, who were believed to have been made fall guys by a rice smuggling syndicate, have appealed their case. Also in the news yesterday was the statement of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima that the National Bureau of Investigation has expanded its probe into rice smuggling beyond David Tan or Davidson Bangayan. She said the NBI has been provided the names of big-time rice smugglers all over the country, particularly in Cebu, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Davao. Makes one wonder if there’s really a big-time rice smuggler in Davao. If one listens to the whispers at the waterfront, he’ll be told there really are Davao smugglers, and not only in rice but a lot of other imported products.

KENNETH IRVING K. ONG Creative Solutions

ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO Associate Editor

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

ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. EMILORD P. CASTROMAYOR / CHENEEN R. CAPON 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

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Marketing Specialist Cagayan de Oro City c/o PZ Villarin Marketing Cagayan de Oro City Tel: (088) 852-4894

Tel: (088) 852-4894

Salvani St., Oringo Brgy. City Heights Tel: (083) 303-2215

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

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

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 231 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7-8, 2014

Having FAITH in your own backyard

HIS HAS always been a wishful thought and a persistent dream--having a big backyard, a vacant lot maybe or even a nearby small farm I could go to on weekends. I’ve always thought that there’s no need to set aside a budget for weekly groceries if you have everything right there at your own backyard or a nearby farm lot. “Food Always In The Home” or FAITH has always been a dream for me, even now in my twilight years. I know one day it will come, like a quick snap of a finger--- to have this piece of land, small, but big enough to plant all kinds of vegetables, food crops and some livestock to complete the whole picture. Guys who are now deep in agriculture know what I’m talking about. Yes, I’m talking about growing vegetables like string beens, pechay, squash, tomatoes., onions, pepper, patola, okra, eggplant, etc. And all these to be surrounded by other food crops like cardaba bananas, lacatan bananas, papaya, kalamunggay, avocado and dwarf coconut trees. If the farm lot has enough space, maybe I can also have chickens and roosters moving around a fenced area to produce eggs and maybe, just maybe, a pond

big enough to grow tilapia or catfish --- with ducks shitting on the water to feed the fish. Wouldn’t that be nice? And maybe, just maybe, I can built a hut in the middle of all these crops and livestock to store my cache of organic fertilizer and organic pesticides, just to make sure all my vegetables are organic. Someone behind me suggested I should also have a little library inside this nipa hut, which is a good idea, so I can read all the books that I love to read, especially on rainy days. No, I don’t intend to sell my vegetables. This is just a pastime to feed my little passion for growing my own food crops---which I can’t do at this time yet because I don’t own a piece of land. I’ll probably just give away my vegetables to neighbors for free instead of watching them rot.

This sounds ironic of course, because I know a lot of people who own hectares and hectares of land but don’t have the faintest idea what to do with them, either because they don’t have the time, or they don’t want to dirty their hands. To many of them, it seems so unglamorous to be a “farmer” especially if they’re holding on to white collar jobs with fancy names. You don’t have to be a farmer to plant vegetables of your own and grow some poultry to produce your own chickens and eggs. There ought to be a law that allows anyone to “take over” any piece of titled land being used by the owner basically for speculation, waiting for the price of land to go up before selling it for a big profit. Sometime in the past, I’ve heard of a law like this. It allows anyone who applies for it, to “take over” a land temporarily to produce vegetables and other food crops. If you know of this law, let me know. We’ll make a big splash out of it, to discourage land speculation and encourage more food production. (Comments? Email> tradingpost_ davao@yahoo.com)

Another problem confronting the poor farmers is that despite government’s act expressing noble intentions to address their pressing concerns, the reality was that the number of lands devoted to rice production had dropped and the income of the average farmer had tremendously suffered. Of course, the farmers were thankful but remained adamant about the DA’s plan to allocate several millions for the country’s rice production program using high-yielding varieties. The situation, particularly after the devastation caused by typhoons and frequent flooding has become desperate in many rice-producing areas. More than that, farmers seemed unease with the situation because the feel the NFA was not fully committed to buy palay at higher prices and could cover only less than twenty percent of total national production. Aghast and disgusted farmers construed the NFA cannot possibly meet the desired buying mark of 20-30 percent with the status of its current funds. Unfortunately, the DA was not able to narrow down the farmer’s problems despite its much-vaunted fund appropriation for palay production program. The farmers’ demand could not be meet if the NFA, one of DA’s line agencies talked more about the lack of funds for buying palay instead of looking for other sources. Sad to lament, though, different farmer’s organizations were stunned to learn that the DA and NFA are committed to im-

port several thousand metric tons of rice from Cambodia and Vietnam to serve as buffer stock during the lean months. Goodness gracious! What an irony! Here’s now a situation where government reportedly lacks the needed funds to buy palay from local farmers at higher prices, yet it has the audacity to allow importation of rice from other countries worth several million dollars. What’s your point, gentlemen? The Aquino administration allows rice importation at reduced tariff rate of 40% if it is within the Maximum Access Volume (MAV). The irony of it all is that the NFA sub-contracted the import quotas to rice cartels who at the same time are also rice importers. Under the law only the NFA is authorized to import rice but budget constraint obliged the agency to certify various groups that are mostly unauthenticated importers. Now it can be told. The rice cartels and importers benefited from government importation policy or legalized smuggling. They gain substantial profit from importation than buying local palay from local farmers. But other businessmen are voracious still, engaging really in rice smuggling by establishing “unholy alliance” with corrupt government officials. The illegal activity is considered an economic sabotage depriving the government several millions annually in revenues. As a result of the ongoing Senate investigation surrounding the rampant rice smuggling, progressive farmers’ organizations across the country likewise have charged the government as the biggest coddler of rice cartels and unlawful importers. The current cartel manipulation in palay supply and prices of rice are meant to justify the continuation of the government policy of massive rice importation not to mention the blatant rice smuggling activities.

Providing relief to farmers’ woes

ICE SMUGGLING DEPRIVES GOVERNMENT BILLIONS IN TAXES – I could still vividly remember when the Aquino administration was just starting President Benigno Aquino III promised to look into the problems raised up by the country’s poor farmers. Seeing the need to broaden and strengthen the commitment of the government in addressing the recurring problems besetting the farmers, the President directed the Department of Agriculture (DA) to allocate substantial funds for programs that will encourage more farmers to plant hybrid rice varieties. The government’s goal aims to attain national rice efficiency and avoid relying more on importing the staple food. At the outset the Aquino leadership through the DA expressed support for the farmers by assuring different peasant groups that the government intends to act to the extent of its capabilities to provide relief to the nation’s agriculture sector notably the rice farmers. The agriculture department which allocate and generate funds indicated the government’s resolve on the prevailing farmers’ concerns. But farmers’ organizations raised other issues citing as example the present situation where the farmers notably those in well-irrigated farm lands are on the verge of their major harvest for the year. The National Food Authority (NFA) is not buying enough palay (unmilled rice) to make the country’s farms more viable. Different farmers’ groups wanted the NFA to raise the buying price of palay from P14-15 for class-B (wet) to P16-17 per kilo and from P18-19 to P20-22 per kilo class-A (dry). With the NFA not buying enough of the local farmers’ palay production, the situation had become intolerable, thereby leaving the poor farmers and consumers at the mercy of unscrupulous middlemen.

VANTAGE POINTS

There’s a different focus in emerging economies OPINION BY ZACHARY KARABELL

Part 1 of 2

HE start of the year has not been an easy one for financial markets. The Federal Reserve is continuing its policy of trimming its bond purchases by $10 billion a month, and the immediate result has been a sharp pullback of the currencies, and to some degree equities, of countries such as Indonesia, Turkey, India, South Africa and Argentina. The reason? According to traders, commentators, and even the head of Brazil’s central bank, Fed policy will trigger interest rate rises around the world, staunching the flow of easy money that has purportedly fueled global growth — and leading to struggles everywhere. That thesis is hardly new. It was widely circulated last summer, when the Fed first hinted that it might begin to wind down its more aggressive measures to stimulate economic activity, which it introduced after 2009. In this reading, the boom times of many countries around the world has had nothing to do with the change in economic fortunes, or skilled leadership, or shifting global sands. It was and is simply a derivative of U.S. policies. This view has wide play, and goes nearly unchallenged. That does not make it correct. Indeed, it is likely wrong for at least two major reasons: it forgets that financial markets are not perfect proxies for real world economies, and it misses the fundamental transformation in countries around the world that has taken place over the past few decades and is about to accelerate this year. As I wrote in a column last August, a U.S.-centric view extends well back into the 20th century, and the only wrinkle today is that China has now entered the mix. Low and behold, China, too, has recently seen some slowing of its growth, largely because of the determination of the Chinese government to shift the mix of its economic growth from state-led infrastructure and exports to domestic consumption. That transition will, inevitably, result in diminishing demand for commodities and raw materials, and that demand had also been a key factor in the strength of other economies, including many of the ones above. Yes, China’s voracious demand for raw materials did provide a boost to countries as far-ranging as Chile, South Africa, Indonesia and Brazil. And yes, easy money from the Federal Reserve did get deployed to more speculative currencies ranging from Turkey to Argentina. But that speaks only to the narrow — albeit attention-grabbing and important — financial markets. Financial markets are roiling, as they do from time to time, but that doesn’t result in less activity by companies such as Unilever or Starbucks, nor a halt in the emergence of a global middle class in numerous countries. We shouldn’t overweight the significance of financial markets when evaluating the status of emerging markets; to do so is to espouse a particularly U.S.-centric view of how the world works. More voters, and more Starbucks lattes, are bellwethers for progress, irrespective of how markets are performing.

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have no choice but to go back to their partners or sometimes look for another partner that could, unfortunately, also subject them to the same violence that they left behind. Under section 3 of Republic Act 9262 or the “Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004” economic abuse refers to acts that make or attempt to make a woman financially dependent. This include withdrawal of financial support or preventing the victim from

engaging in any legitimate profession, occupation, business or activity; deprivation or threat of deprivation of financial resources and the right to the use and enjoyment of the conjugal, community or property owned in common; controlling the victims’ own money or properties or solely controlling the conjugal money or properties. Aside from economic abuse IGDD also recorded 143 cases of physical abuse,123 psychological abuse, 117 marital infidel-

ity, 30 threats, seven rape cases, four sexual abuse, three sexual harassment, and one abandonment. The office also recorded other cases, such as child custody which has 20 cases, six for visitation rights, three cases of separation of property, and two for child abuse. There 15 alleged victims who sought legal advice. In comparison, 2013 VAWC cases record is higher compared to 2012 which only had 1015 cases recorded.

China Sea. Xinhua called Aquino “an amateurish politician who was ignorant both of history and reality.” In an apparent attempt to assert control over the disputed waters, China has set up an administrative region that covers the South China Sea and has imposed a fishing ban for non-Chinese vessels in the area. Such moves drew sharp

protests from claimants and Western nations led by the United States, a longtime Philippine military ally. “This expansionism is being driven by might and not what is right,” Hernandez said. “We should learn from history that appeasement does not halt expansionism. To prevent the mistake of the past, the entire interna-

tional community should unite in upholding the rule of law.” Last year, the Philippines challenged China’s sweeping claim before an international tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. China, which claims “indisputable sovereignty” over the South China Sea, refused to join in the proceedings, saying the Philippine case is baseless. [PNA]

At first, Caduaya questioned Villafuerte’s purpose to “drag” into the issue the vice mayor who is on official business, reiterating that her intention “is not to malign any Honorable member of the 17th City Council. It’s the council’s house rules which governs every

member.” But she later agreed to a meeting with the vice mayor after Villafuerte explained that the only way to “put this issue to rest” is to discuss the house rules with Duterte since he is head of the council. It is uncertain why

Villafuerte wants Caduaya to be present in discussing the city council house rules with Duterte when the media practitioner is not a member of the council. She is neither officially connected with the Office of the Vice Mayor, according to Duterte’s staff.

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EDGEDAVAO

Senate awaits House version of Cha-cha

HE Senate will await for the House version of Charter change (Cha-cha) before initiating separate discussions on the highly-divisive measure, a House leader said Thursday. Marikina City Rep. Miro Quimbo, who chairs the House committee on ways and means, issued the statement after leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate met in a threehour conference at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ortigas Center. “The Senate leaders are receptive to the Charter change proposal but they will just wait for the version of the House of Representatives. Right now, there is no similar measure on cha-cha pending in the Senate,” Quimbo told reporters after at-

tending the meeting. Belmonte said other proponents of cha-cha have withdrawn their proposed measures in favor of House Concurrent Resolution 1 which seeks to add the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” to the economic provisions of the Constitution. “There are quite a number of members of the House committee on constitutional amendments that have agreed to co-sponsor it. So, those who filed separate resolutions to call for Constitutional Convention for instance, have withdrawn their resolution in favor of what is obviously doable - which is to pass this proposed economic changes,” Belmonte told reporters in a separate

interview. Also in attendance aside from Belmonte were House Majority Leader and Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales II, House Minority Leader and San Juan City Rep. Ronaldo Zamora, Senate President Franklin Drilon, Senate Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Vicente Sotto III. During the meeting, Quimbo said congressional leaders agreed on a list of pending bills to be prioritized and in preparation also to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting that President Benigno Aquino III will convene soon. [PNA]

cent from their own affiliates. Masyadong mataas ang threshold na un. That is prone to abuse,” he said. He said that based on the history of making the Epira law, there were so many insertions made in the congressional level before it reached the president for final approval. “Kung gusto walang abuse sa distribution utility that should be limited up to 10 percent lang of their requirements to be

sourced from their affiliates or related fields hindi pwedeng 50 percent,” he said, citing the incident where Meralco Power Corporation is involved. “Ito ang nanagyari sa Meralco, nobody can generate power without colluting with Meralco kasi they exude so much power, 50 percent ang limit e.” “In fact, they are saying effectively ay 55 percent na yata ang nasosold-out ng Meralco from its affiliates

like First Gen Corporation and First Philippine Holdings Corporation,” he said. “Okay lang san kung sinabi nila na 50 percent can be sourced from one firm pero kung ang intention mo is you should not be buying from your own dapat you can only sourced 10 percent from your own affiliates. “ “Dapat tanggalin ang pang-aabuso na ito at palitan ang 50 percent to 10 percent,” Rioco said. [CRC]

Aside from asking for authorization, Felizarta said that their office will have an information system which will be initiated by the City Information Technology Center. He said it is an online system in which they will publish the payments of applicants so that the owners will not be duped by their representative.

This information system is yet to materialize pending study by the CITC. Last month, city administrator J. Melchor V. Quitain designated former city environment officer Felizarta the assistant city building official “just to oversee what is exactly going on “inside the office. In an earlier report, some businessmen alleged

that they are made to go back to the building office several times for the release of requirements by installment. For instance, come complaining businessmen said they were first given a list of, say, five requirements, but after compliance more requirements were issued, so they had to return another time.

Peace Process (OPAPP) Secretary Teresita Deles led the delegates in the meeting also attended by Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, chairman of the Senate committee on peace, unification and reconciliation. Drilon reminded the transition commission that the basic law should be within the four corners of the Constitution. ”That is the commitment of the President (Benigno S. Aquino III) to the people that there will be no Constitutional amendment necessary as a result of the basic law,” Drilon said. He said the transition commission has imposed deadline on themselves to submit to the OPAPP and Office of the President the first draft of the Bangsamoro basic law before March 31, this year. ”The OPAPP and OP will go over this and will discuss informally with other sectors and we’ll be wait-

ing in the Senate the administration version of the Bangsamoro basic law. We hope that we can have the administration bill when we come back first week of May 2014,” Drilon said. The Senate regular session will take recess on March 15 and will resume on May 4. Guingona, for his part, assured the full support of his committee for the passage of the Bangsamoro basic law. ”We are nearing the fruition of the long-awaited peace talks. After 17 years of hard work, finally, it will be coming to the Senate and to the House of Representatives,” Guingona said. Iqbal thanked the Senate leadership for the support even as he assured “everybody that there is no other way except to push that there will be peace not only in Mindanao but the entire Philippines.” ”Everybody will reap

the fruits of this peace. I know that with peace in Mindanao, this country can be great,” Iqbal said. Iqbal also requested the senators for some advice and words of wisdom in crafting the Bangsamoro basic law. ”Hopefully, I’m very sure that whatever problems that would crop up from time to time, especially on the technical aspect, we will be able to overcome them,” Iqbal said. Deles also expressed appreciation for the commitment made by the Senate and the House to pass the basic law of the peace framework agreement between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government before 2015. ”We cannot underscore how important this moment is and how grateful we are that we are part of this process,” Deles said. [PNA]

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TAGUM CITY

Village execs get crash-course on governance N

BARANGAY GOVERNANCE. Tagum City Mayor Allan L. Rellon discussed before barangay leaders of Tagum his administration’s EAGLE WINGS Program during their seminar on barangay governance held at the Royal Mandaya Hotel last February 4, 2014. The local chief executive challenged them to formulate and innovate programs right in their respective areas that are paralleled with his administration’s development thrusts. [Leo Timogan/CIO Tagum]

KIAMBA, SARANGANI

MGB 12 presents responsible mining T

HE Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 12 presents responsible mining at the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office at Kiamba, Sarangani on January 23, 2014 during its program review and updates held at Woodbridge Resort, Bialong, Kiamba, Sarangani. Engr. Hernani G. Abdon, Officer In Charge of the Mine Management

SOUTH COTABATO

Division and Mary Ann C. Tenorio, Mining Claims Examiner presented the responsible mining for sustainable development under the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and the issuance of ore transport permit (OTP) and mineral ore export permit (MOEP) respectively. The provincial, municipal and barangay officials of the municipalities of Maasim, Kiamba, and Maitum

(MAKIMA), active members of the social action centers, military and police officials and stakeholders within the area were among the attendees of this activity. The Environment Management Bureau, Region 12 (EMB) and other sectors of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of Region 12 which includes the Land Management Sector (LMS), Forest Management Sector

(FMS) and Protected Area and Wildlife Coastal Zone Management Sector (PAWCZMS) also made their presentation. The activity is supported by the Regional Executive Director Datu Tungko Saikol. He commended the newly designated CENRO of Kiamba, Radzak B. Sinarimbo for his initiative to update the people in the area about the priorities and mandates of the DENR.

“We have adopted Lake Holon as one of our top priorities this year in terms of tourism development,” he said in a media forum. Sulit said the construction of the lakeside view deck was earlier pushed by Gov. Fuentes to provide additional attraction for visitors to the area. He said the view deck will be built in one of the sides of the lake, which is nestled atop Mt. Melebingoy (formerly Parker), that offers an “extraordinary view” of the area’s wildlife. “Using a telescope, visitors may catch a glimpse of the area’s abundant wildlife like monitor lizards, snakes and wild monkeys,” he said. Sulit said part of the funds will be utilized for the implementation of conser-

vation and protection measures for the area’s forest cover. He said Mt. Melebingoy, which is part of the 92,450-hectare Allah Valley Watershed Forest Reserve, has around 5,000 hectares of still intact forest cover. The official said they will also introduce adventure activities that will not much affect the natural state of the area, especially the lake. In coordination with the Allah Valley Landscape Development Alliance (AVLADA) and the municipal government of T’boli, he said they are working on introducing kayaking and other non-motorized activities at the lake. AVLADA is a local gov-

ernment-led body that leads the management of the Allah Valley watershed and its environs. For prospective visitors, Sulit said they are set to include the area for its “glamping” or glamour camping activities. He said “glamping” is an outdoor adventure package that is mainly offered to more affluent or “high-end” visitors and tourists. “In glamping, we will manage and provide all the basic needs of the visitors like food, accommodation, transportation and activities for a reasonable fee. Visitors will only need to bring their personal items and we will take care of the rest,” he added. [MindaNews]

LGU allots P5M for Lake Holon tourism development

HE provincial government of South Cotabato has allocated an initial P5 million for the construction of various tourism facilities at the famed Lake Holon (formerly Maughan) in T’boli town. Cesar Sulit Jr., South Cotabato tourism officer, said Wednesday such funding is part of the investments approved by the local government for this year to facilitate the development of the crater-lake as a premiere tourism destination. He said the funds will mainly be utilized to fund the construction of a lakeside view deck, the improvement of its camping area and the introduction of several tourism activities in the area.

EWLY-minted barangay executives from the 23 barangays of Tagum learned the basics and dynamics of barangay governance in a three-day seminar organized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Royal Mandaya Hotel last Feburary 4-6, 2014. City DILG Director Eliza P. Mendoza said her office conducted this training to equip barangay leaders the necessary inputs for them to effectively manage their respective areas of responsibility. Such training will further ensure a dynamic and results-oriented governance at the barangay level, she added. Among the modules tackled during the seminar are barangay governance, finance and procurement, accounting, development planning, legislation, barangay justice system, mobilizing community participation, gender and development budget preparation,

governance performance management system and strategic management. Kicking-off the series of lectures during the seminar is no less than Mayor Allan L. Rellon—a holder of a doctorate degree in public administration—who tackled before barangay leaders his administration’s tenpoint development thrust stipulated under the EAGLE WINGS Program. The local chief executive challenged them to formulate and innovate programs right in their respective areas that are paralleled with his administration’s development thrusts. City Administrator Giovanni L. Rellon also oriented the participants on disaster preparedness and management basing on the experience of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office. The second batch of the said seminar is scheduled on February 11-13, 2014. [Louie Lapat/CIO Tagum]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY

BFAR to get 270,000 hybrid tilapia breeder fingerlings

HE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Region 12 will acquire an additional 270,000 hybrid tilapia breeder fingerlings this year to help augment the region’s dwindling tilapia stocks. Ambutong Pautong, BFAR Region 12 director, said Thursday the move was mainly aimed to offset the impact of the continuing fish kill at Lake Sebu in South Cotabato and the declining quality of tilapia stocks at Lake Buluan in Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat. He said they initially acquired last month an initial 30,000 hybrid tilapia breeder fingerlings from the National Freshwater Fisheries Technology Research Center in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. “For this month, we’re getting an additional 40,000 fingerlings and this will continue on a monthly basis until we reach our target of 300,000 breeder fingerlings,” Pautong told MindaNews. Based on BFAR-12’s assessment, the official said the region presently needs around 500,000 hybrid tilapia breeder fingerlings to ensure the availability of quality tilapia stocks in the area in

the next two years. But he said they reduced their target to 300,000 fingerlings due to the limited capacity of the hatchery in Nueva Ecija. Pautong said the fingerlings will be distributed by the agency for free to its partner breeders in Banga town in South Cotabato. He said a portion of the tilapia fingerlings that would be produced by the breeder stocks will be distributed later on to the fish cage operators who were affected by the fish kill in Lake Sebu. As of Wednesday, the municipal government of Lake Sebu reported that a total of 68.219 metric tons of tilapia worth around P5.2 million had been devastated due to the fish kill in the last three weeks. Lake warden Rudy Muyco said some 54 fish cage operators were already affected by the fish kill, which occurred in the eastern and western sections of the 54-hectare lake. Muyco said the latest fish kill, which is the first this year, was caused anew by kamahong, a phenomenon that is mainly caused by the sudden rise in the water’s temperature. [MindaNews]

12 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 231 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7-8, 2014

Culture of Personal Excellence at SMX FRANCIS KONG

“A

great leader surrounds himself with people who are smarter. And in the process the people make the leader smarter.”With a number of inspirational speakers out there, words such as these make Francis Kong a cut above the rest. A regular guest as a business expert in the hit morning news show UmagangkayGanda, Francis Kong is also a recipient of the 2006 Gold Quill Philippine Award for public speaking back by The International Association of Business Communicators. A successful motivational speaker for years, Francis Kong is co-founder of Inspire Leadership Consultancy along with Anthony Pangilinan.One can finally experience Francis Kong’s inspirationalwords on March 1st 2014 at SMX Convention Center in SM Lanang withCulture of Personal Excellence (COPE)an all-day lead-

ership seminar aimed to empower one’s confidence and discipline in the workplace. Focusing on acquiring a purpose driven entrepreneurial mindset, Culture of Personal Excellence encourages growth in one’s self to inspire growth in their company. With best-selling books such as “One Day at a Time” and “The Early Bird Catches the Worm”, Francis Kong’s focus is not only on helping others achieve excellence in their role in the organization but excellence as an individual makes his leadership seminars go beyond applying into business and applied to life. This event is organized K Magis Advertising and Productions (K-MAP) located at Atheno Business Center for more details please contact usat 0933-3625512 or 09193659089 or email us at mallette.p@gmail.com

BMW Night at G Café

hink about this. Shiny cars, sexy girls and rockin’ mixes all in one party. That’s just about your heckuva idea for a Friday night gig to wash away the week’s stress at the workplace and school. Jump in to G Café and you never imagined this dream Fantastic Friday would all shape into one party as G Café brings in Beer Music and Wheel (BMW) Night at the G Cafe Compound in Ecoland. Party time starts at 6 o’clock and

ends at 12 midnight. Catch Davao’s top DJs play awesome mixes, gulp down zero-degree chilled beer and ogle at a bevy of wheels. In short, catch up with what you’ve been dreaming all these years to happen. It’s just a start, but who cares? BMW Night is a collaboration of Genesis 88 Auto Center, Genesis 88 Advertising, The Royal Mandaya Hotel, Mesa, Brothers Burger and Davao Classic Sports Car Club.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 6 ISSUE 231 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7-8, 2014

SPORTS 13

DC tankers 3rd in BPinoy D

ESPITE funding their own participation, the Davao City swimming team showed them up with splashing third place finish in the just-concluded Batang Pinoy National Games held in Bacolod City. The Davao tankers, composed of students from different schools, pocketed a total of 5 golds, 9 silvers and 7 bronze medals in the 31-team competition organized by the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee. Quezon City (14-11-11) and Baguio City (10-5-2) finished over-all first and second respectively. Davao City bested 28 other teams including early favourite Manila, which settled overall fourth place with a 5-2-3 gold-silver-bronze haul. Eleven-year old Zoe Marie Hilario, a grade 5 pupil of Ateneo de Davao University powered the Durians by bagging four golds and three silvers, while the other gold medallists were 15-year olds Samantha Janne Cambronero of Precious International School and Katrina Nicole Aguelo of Stella Maris Academy, Fil-Australian siblings Cedrich Joseph Fox and Sheannetelle Fox, both of the Philippine Nikkie Jin Kai College. Cabronero, 15, also won two silvers and a

bronze, while 14-year old Cedrich added a silver and 3 bronzes. Sheannetelle,12, also got two silvers and one bronze. The other medalists from the Davao are Fritz Jun Rodriguez (1 silver, 3 bronzes), Juan Antonio Mendoza (2 bronzes), Rey Jacob Alino (2 bronzes), Pia Alessandra Ballos (1 silver) and Aaron Dave Alinsub (1 bronze). PNJK high school principal Luz Josol and Antoinette Mendoza, president of the League of Swimmers lauded the swimmers for their achievement during the SCOOP Forum at the Royal Mandaya Hotel recently. Mendoza said that the city’s lack of having the standard 50-meter swimming pool did not stop the swimmers from winning in the national event. “Although, it would have been different if we had our own standard 50-meter pool here in Davao,” she said. “We could have won more medals had we brought all our qualified swimmers,” said Mendoza. Only 10 of the original 19 qualifiers from the Batang Pinoy Mindanao Games held in Tagum City made it to Bacolod after failing to get the financial support from the city government. [PNA] AGUILAR. “The points will come. I’m not worried about not making my 20-point games. That will come.” Nuki Sabio

Japeth: I’ll do anything for Kings to win

IN OUR DREAMS

Gilas to face face B world’s best squads W

ITH the release of the schedule of the upcoming group stages of the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain, Gilas Pilipinas will attempt to crash into the second round in what many experts believe to be the second most difficult group in the tournament. We would have preferred that the Philippines landed in Group C (USA, Turkey, Dominican Republic, New Zealand, Finland and Ukraine) or even Group D (Slovenia, Lithuania, Angola, Mexico and Australia—Korea was the FIBA Asia zone qualifier that was drawn here). But Dino Radja’s hand pulled out the miniature FIBA ball that contained the name of the Philippines when FIBA Sports Director Lubomir Kotleba asked for which team in Pot 3 will be placed in Group B and so we’re

stuck with Argentina, Croatia, Puerto Rico, Senegal and Greece. The Philippines needs to win at least twice in the group stages to advance to the second round. While being placed in this group may have made that task a little bit more exigent, there still could be a chance that coach Chot Reyes may be able to orchestrate an uprising by the boys and pull the rug from under at least two of the favored nations. This series is dedicated to breaking down (in almost minute detail) the would-be opponents of the Filipinos and attempt to find a weakness in the opposition—if any. Here’s the official Philippine schedule, all games to be held at the Palacio Municipal de Deportes San Pablo in Sevilla.

ARANGAY Ginebra San Miguel forward Japeth Aguilar isn’t getting his usual numbers in their PLDT Home DSL Philippine Cup semifinals series with the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers. For him, though, none of that matters as long as the Gin Kings get the wins. In Game Four, he only scored seven points but grabbed 10 rebounds, blocked two shots, and scored on a crucial follow-up that put Ginebra up

82-79 in the last 1:18 of the game. “I did the rebounding kanina. The points will come. I’m not worried about not making my 20-point games. That will come,” Aguilar said after the game. “Basta yung sa ‘kin, I want the team to enter the finals and eventually get that trophy so that everyone will be happy.” He acknowledged his struggles in Game Three, where he shot poorly. His

coach Ato Agustin said he needed to control himself and not force things offensively. “That’s true. Nung Game Three, gigil ako. I wasn’t making my usual shots. I was three out of 10. Yung mga move ko, yung mga drive ko in that game, usually I make them eh. I was gigil. Tapos yung mga free throw ko, they were long. Kaya kanina medyo nag-control ako kanina,” said Aguilar. He said the San Mig Coffee defense is taking

away his usual spots but he doesn’t mind adjusting his game to counter that. “Yeah. They’re taking away my drives. So ang ginagawa ko, pinapasa ko na lang, usually kay Greg. Maganda yung pagka-cut niya sa basket kanina. We had one crucial layup from him,” he said. “Yung role ko lang is to be there inside. Mga pulot pulot. Ok lang kahit ganoon muna ako. “Sa akin, I’ll do anything to win.”

to go to a little-known NBA rule to hold on for a 119-108 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. ‘’That was, by far, one of the strangest games I’ve ever seen,’’ D’Antoni said. Rookie Ryan Kelly scored a career-high 26 points and Steve Blake had his first career triple-double for Los An-

geles, which snapped a seven-game losing streak. The Lakers set a franchise record for 3-pointers, going 18 for 37 from long range. But Los Angeles’ first win in two weeks was overshadowed by a bizarre ending. The Lakers had eight available players coming into the game. Then Nick Young twisted his left knee in the

first half and Chris Kaman fouled out early in the fourth quarter. When Jordan Farmar left with leg cramps in the final period, that put Los Angeles at five players. Sacre committed his sixth foul with 3:32 remaining, but stayed in the game because D’Antoni was out of healthy bodies. The Lakers were assessed a technical foul.

Bizarre victory for depleted Lakers C

LEVELAND (AP) -- The Los Angeles Lakers left Robert Sacre on the court after he fouled out in the fourth quarter. Coach Mike D’Antoni felt it was the best move for his depleted team. It’s been that kind of year for the short-handed Lakers. Los Angeles lost two more players to injuries on Wednesday night and had

14 CLASSIFIEDS EDGEDavao Davao Partners

VOL. 6 ISSUE 231 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7-8, 2014

EDGEDavao Davao Partners

EDGEDavao Gensan Partners

Tel No. (083) 553-2211 / (083) 877-0019 / (083) 878-0308

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VOL. 6 ISSUE 231 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7-8, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

EVENT

Rockin’ the house at SM’s Lanang Premier’s Fountain Court PHOTOS By Lean Daval Jr.

CHILL JILL ATHENA JILLIAN BRAVO DAVAO’S party minions decked in their weekend party garb and all charged up for a once-in-48-years happening filled the every space there is at the SM Lanang Premier’s Fountain Court on the first day of February. The event was part of SM Lanang Premier’s Chinese New Year weekend treat to Dabawenyos complete with an outrageous

The crowd meter registered 4,126 who came to just romp it all away ‘til

DJ Ace Ramos

DJs Wacky and Torch

three-day sale. Republiq’s resident DJ Ace Ramos along with home-bred party kings DJ Wacky and DJ Torch got the crowd going with their adrenalin-raising catalogue of mixes guaranteed to turn the most static into the craziest colloid. The event, weaved by SM Lanang Premier’s marketing and events brains team, was aptly called Elements: The Sonic Escalation Party.

the outlawed hour. DJ Wacky made the headstart with his upbeat tunes drawing the crowd in beginning at 8 PM (traffic on all roads leading to SM Lanang Premier, by the way, was insane that night). “Bald Bomber” DJ Torch took it to another level with a barrage of house music at 9 PM to set up the muchanticipated manic revolution with DJ Ace Ramos. With everyone all

FROCKIN’, A4

The Philippine Association of Water Districts (PAWD) is honoured in the presence of Association of Barangay Councils president and Brgy. Catalunan captain January Navares-Duterte (2nd from R) as she cuts the ribbon during the opening of exhibits on products and gender and development programs with (from L) Davao City Water District Board of Directors Chairman Eduardo A. Bangayan, Local Water Utilities Administration Board member Eduardo C. Santos and administrator Andy Ibarra and DCWD director Ma. Luisa L. Jacinto on February 5 at the SMX convention center. The exhibit is among the many activities of the two-day 35th PAWD national convention from Feb. 5 to 6.

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge! UP AND ABOUT

Healthy Smile for Kids at SM City Davao DENTAL clinic Healthy Smile for Kids opens at SM City Davao. Healthy Smile believes that a child’s first visit to the dentist should be enjoyable and positive. The newly opened dental clinic, specializing on children’s dental care, makes every visit to the dentist non-frightening and pleasant. The cozy ambience makes its clients feel at ease from the moment the family arrives at the reception. According to the experts, children should visit the dentist by their first birthday. It is important that their newly-erupted teeth (erupting at 6-12 months of age) receive proper dental care and benefit from proper oral hygiene habits right from the beginning. Primary teeth are shed at various times throughout childhood, and permanent teeth begin erupting at age 6 and continue until age 21. Adults have 28 permanent teeth, or 32 including wisdom teeth. Get the best care for your child’s pearly whites. Visit Healthy Smile for Kids at the Level 2 of SM City Davao.

Angel Aquino opens up about turning forty in working Mom Magazine

AN ACTRESS whose ever-blossoming career has blended perfectly into her becoming a mother opens up about love, her job, her family, and the big four-zero—as Angel Aquino graces Working Mom’s February with her two lovely daughters. In the magazine’s cover story “Independent Woman,” Angel shares the details of life as a teen mom, the annulment of her marriage and other significant experiences—standing testament to the idea that it is undeniably important to love yourself. She also goes into how her love for her mother helped her on her path to success, saying, “I wouldn’t have become who I am today without Nanay. She’s always been my big angel.” Working Mom this month also sets the stage for romance this Valentine’s Season with feel-sexy tips to boost moods and energy, with ways to switch things up with sexy sleepwear. Aside from these, indulge in pages of divine desserts for a romantic night in. Love is also at new heights in the magazine’s Let’s Talk section, where real couples share unique wedding proposals. Grab a copy of ABS-CBN Publishing, Inc.’s titles Metro and Working Mom this February at newsstands and bookstores nationwide.

Winners for the FDCP Genre Film Scriptwriting Competition announced THE Film Development Council of the Philippines announces the winners of the Genre Film Script Writing Competition 2013. Three scripts were selected to win P200,000.00 each and another six were selected to win P100,000.00 each. The top three scripts and their respective writers and genre, each garnering a prize of P200,000.00, in alphabetical order are HABAGAT (Hybrid) by Eduardo Lejano, JEEPNEY, JEPROX, A PINOY RAK (Comedy) by Agustin del Mundo Sugatan Jr., and WAKASAN (Action) by Jose Alejandro M. Eduarte. The six succeeding scripts and their respective writers and genre, each garnering a prize of P100,000.00, in alphabetical order are AS ONE (Horror) by Juvy Grado Galamiton, BACAO (Thriller) by Edgardo Vinarao, FRAT WAR (Horror) by Hector M. Fernandez, MALIGAMGAM (Comedy) by Jerome Zamora, MISTERIYOKLAS (THE BEKI FILES) (Hybrid) by Mario L. Mendez Jr., and THE UNBELIEVERS (Action) by Reuben R. Canoy. The nine winning scripts will be part of a pitching that the FDCP will hold in March of 2014 at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in order to option them with local and international producers.

VOL. 6 ISSUE 231 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7-8, 2014

EVENT

Angels Walk at SM Lanang Premier raises autism awareness THE 18th National Autism Consciousness Week was recently held at SM Lanang Premier to spread awareness and campaign for the rights and welfare of persons with autism (PWAs). On January 19, the program was kicked off with an inspirational talk at SM Lanang Premier’s SMX Davao Convention Center. It was then highlighted by ‘Angels Walk,’ a project of SM Cares in partnership with the Autism Society Philippines (ASP), that promotes awareness for autism through the participation of individuals, government agencies, schools and private organizations. More than 500 people consisting of PWAs with their families and friends, representatives from the Davao City Special School, volunteers from the medical field and other sectors of the society joined the Angels Walk from SM Lanang Premier mall area towards The Fountain Court. The Angels Walk was jointly organized by the Autism Society Philippines Davao Chapter and SM Lanang Premier with the support of SMX Davao Convention Center, SM Science Discovery Center Lanang, and Alsons Properties. SM Cares, the mallbased division of SM Foundation, has partnered with the ASP to commemorate Autism Consciousness Week every year. It implements corporate social re-

Members of Autism Society Philippines with SM Lanang Premier Assistant Mall Manager Jerome Yeo (center) at The Fountain Court.

Persons with autism stage a dance number at Students and teachers from Davao City Special the opening of the Autism Consciousness Week School turned up to show support for persons at SMX Davao Convention Center in SM Lanang with autism at the Angels Walk held at SM Lanang Premier. Premier.

Over 500 articipants of the Angels Walk come together at The Fountain Court, SM Lanang A marching band leads the Angels Walk Premier. participants to The Fountain Court grounds. sponsibility initiatives for PWAs and provides an op-

portunity for communities to better understand and

appreciate the needs of the differently-abled.

Persons with autism stage a dance Members of Autism Society Philippines Davao campaign for autism awareness during the presentation at the kick-off program for Angels Walk. Autism Consciousness Week.

EDGEDAVAO

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ENTERTAINMENT

First-rate documentary show ‘i-witness’ moves to a new timeslot HEEDING the clamor of many viewers for an earlier timeslot, internationally acclaimed documentary program I-Witness now airs on Saturdays at 10:15pm starting February 8. Hosted by topnotch documentarists Howie Severino, Kara David, Jay Taruc, and Sandra Aguinaldo, IWitness continues to deliver first-rate documentaries that often serve as eye-opener to the viewing public. And for its premiere this weekend, I-Witness kicks off with Kara David documenting the lives of people affected by the infestation of rats in a town in Isabela and a barangay in Manila. In the farming community of Luna, Isabela, some farmers are in a “rat race.”

With harvest season coming soon, rats are out in the rice fields gnawing at every palay in sight. And although some farmers may feel helpless with these pests, the Luyon brothers are not. They are in a race, out in

the field, racing out to get the rats. These rats are their source of living. And in harder times, these rats are food on their plates. Meanwhile, in the cities of Metro Manila, Tondo is notorious for living with its rats. In Vitas Tenement, rats freely walk among the residents in the corridors and alleys outside. These rats scamper on broad daylight, they gnaw at food, at trash, even at helpless children. In the city and in the countryside, Kara David finds different ways of dealing with rats. But what is the root of this pest problem? Find out the answers from the two-time George Foster Peabody awardee, I-Witness, this Saturday at 10:15pm on GMA.

ABS-CBN’s “Maalaala Mo Kaya” ushers the month of hearts with a cute story that will make viewers smile and realize the real ‘face’ of love. Being a super fan of actress Sheryl Cruz, Tirso (to be played by Sam Concepcion) dreamt of nothing but to have a girlfriend as beautiful as her. So when his father told him to marry someone who was a far cry from his dream girl Sheryl, he left their house and lived away from his family. Will Tirso still run away when he finally sees a Sheryl Cruz look-alike? Also part of the upcoming “MMK” episode are Ynna Asistio, Malou Crisologo, Noel Colet, CJ Navato, Giselle Sanchez and William

Lorenzo. The Nuel C. Navaldirected episode is written by Joan Habana and Arah Jell Badayos, and researched by Michelle Joy Guerrero. “MMK” is led by business unit head Malou Santos, production manager Roda Dela Cerna, and executive producers Lindsay Dizon,

Fe Catherine San Pablo, and Niña Laureano. Don’t miss “MMK” this Saturday (February 8), after “Wansapanataym” on ABSCBN. For more updates, log on to MMK.abs-cbn.com, follow @MMKOfficial on Twitter, and “like” Facebook.com/ MMKOfficial.

‘MMK’ shares cute love story of a Sheryl Cruz super fan

“HONESTO” SCORES NEWEST ALL-TIME HIGH TV RATING! ABS-CBN’s top-rating Primetime Bida drama series “Honesto” continues to capture the hearts of more TV viewers as it hit its newest alltime high national TV rating of 35.1%. According to the data from Kantar Media last January 30 (Thursday ), the timely drama series that shares the value of honesty and kindness scored almost 20 points higher than its rival program in GMA “Adarna” which only got 15.2%. Meanwhile, the plot of “Honesto” continues to thicken now that it will soon be revealed that Diego (Paulo Avelino) is the real father of Honesto (Raikko Mateo). What will Diego do when he finds out that his former girlfriend Fina (Maricar Reyes) is already gone? Will he still be able to stop his father’s evil plans despite Hugo’s (Joel Torre) threat to hurt Honesto? Don’t miss the continuation of the t, “Honesto,” weeknights after “TV Patrol” on ABS-CBN Primetime Bida. For exclusive updates, pictures, and videos, log on to “Honesto’s” official social media accounts Facebook.com/Honesto.TV and Twitter.com/Honesto_TV.

AMERICAN HUSTLE 2D Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence R 13

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

LEGO THE MOVIE 2D Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell GP

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

HAUNTER 2D / * GEOGRAPHY CLUB 2D

R-16

R 13 / * PG13

Abigail Breslin, David Hewlett / *Cameron Deane Stewart, Justin Deeley 12:25 | 2:20 | 4:15 LFS / * 6:10 | 8:05 | 10:00 LFS

ROBOCOP 2D Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton PG 13

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

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EDGEDAVAO

EVENT

Rockin’...FFROM A1

hyped up, Manic Nightnings’ dancing diva Kat Dalisay raised the temperature to a feverish pitch as she “owned”

the stage and literally torched it with Tribu K’Mindanawan fire dancers as the colorful Dancing Fountain of SM

Lanang Premier lit up the perimeter to the music beat. When it was over, everyone was gasping for

more. Well, more could not be far ahead. SM’s witpack are aready thinking of another blast.

Celebrating the dazzling Bacolaodiat Festival with MX3 THE “City of Smiles”, Bacolod City celebrated the Chinese New Year dubbed as Bacolaodiat Festival on the theme “Two Cultures, Hundreds of Families Celebrating”. Bacolod’s very own celebration marked with cultural shows, colorful Chinese lanterns, Chinese food alley and fireworks display.

DJ Torch The crowd getting wild overthe party

Lisa and Missy Macuja-Elizalde, Bryan Termulo, and Ballet Manila grace Ballet & Ballads at Abreeza Mall On January 31, 2014, Davaoeños witnessed an extraordinary artistic showcase that saw graceful ballet and gentle balladry coming together in a onehour show. Abreeza Mall proudly presented Ballet & Ballads, held on January 31, 6:00 p.m. at the Activity Center. The unique entertainment treat featured breathtaking performances by the Philippines’ most prominent ballerina, Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, as well as daughter and fellow ballerina Missy Macuja-Elizalde and dance company Ballet Manila, while Bryan Termulo, singer of theme songs of popular ABSCBN primetime series, serenaded the audience. Lisa, who is founder and Artistic Director of Ballet Manila, dazzled with every number, demonstrating why she has the distinction of being the first Filipina prima ballerina. Missy clearly took after her mother as she smiled

and charmed her way to the hearts of the viewers. One particular highlight of Ballet & Ballads was a touching performance by the mother- daughter tandem to the timeless Filipino lullabye “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan”. The men of Ballet Manila—Rudy de Dios, Alvin Santos, Glenn Ragel, Romeo Peralta, Junmark Sumaylo, Gerardo Francisco, and Michael Divinagracia—were just as aweinspiring as they went from intense to menacing to hilarious with every song. Singer and actor Bryan Termulo was a winsome addition to the evening’s entertainment as he regaled the audience with song renditions he recorded for ABS-CBN series, such as “Sa Isang Sulyap Mo” from Juan Dela Cruz and “Bakit Ba Ganyan” from Honesto. Ballet & Ballads culminated with a finale that had the entire Ballet Manila cast dancing as

Bryan sang Akon’s “Right Now (Na Na Na)”. After the show, Lisa, Missy, and Bryan stayed to sign autographs and have their pictures taken with audience members, making the experience even more memorable for the Davaoeños who came to watch. For information on

upcoming events and happenings at Abreeza Mall, visit the concierge at the ground floor or call (082) 321-9332. Stay updated by liking www.facebook.com/AbreezaMall and following @abreezatweets on Twitter and @ iloveabreezamall on Instagram.

MX3 and the casts of “The Borrowed Wife”Camille Prats, Pauleen Luna and Rafael Rosell joined the festivity during the Kapuso Night at the North Capitol Road. People from different walks of life cheered with the fun games sponsored by MX3. Participants of this game brought home gift packs of MX3 products and additional cash prize for the winner. MX3 game winner, Marivic Giducos, said “Nalipay guid ako kay ako ang nagdaog sang MX3 Hooray kag ang isa pa MX3 Coffee lover ako kay manamit guid ang MX3 Coffee nyo, salamat guid sa MX3!”. The huge crowd amazed with the presence MX3, renowned as Most

Outstanding Dietary Supplement Brand by the National Customers’ Choice Annual Awards for Business Excellence 2013, MX3 continue to share its blessings through gift giving: MX3 product samples, MX3 t-shirts and MX3 eco-bags. The success of the Festival was a sign of solidarity between the Chinese community and folks of Bacolod.

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Realty FOR SALE:

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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Male / Female, not more than 30 years old Candidate must posses a Bachelor/ College Degree in any Business field. Willing to work under pressure, flexible, persuasive, can speak fluently and computer literate A team player With Basic Salary, Transportation, Communication, allowance + Commission General Santos Drive, Koronadal City, South Cotabato 9506

Tel. No. 083-228-2511 ; Fax No. 083-228-2654

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

WANTED FOR IMMEDIATE HIRING!

BUS DRIVER

Qualifications: Qualifications:

1. Male, 28 – 40 years old 1. least Male, high 28 – school 40 years old 2. At graduate 2. At least high school graduate 3. With 5 years driving experience (bus, trucks) 3.

With 5 years driving experience (bus, trucks)

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

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

For interested applicants, you may send your resume to: HR Department EDGEDavao

Doors 13 & 14 Alcrej B;dg., Quirino Ave., Davao City Tel. No. (082) 221-3601 Email: edgedavao@gmail.com

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VOL. VOL.66ISSUE ISSUE231 231••FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FRIDAY-SATURDAY,FEBRUARY FEBRUARY7-8, 7-8,2014 2014

Miculob, Mata top JVA Group golfest L

ARRY Miculob and Bok Mata grabbed the limelight in the recent 1st JVA Group Golf Challenge at the Apo Golf and Country Club. Miculob carded 27 points to cop the over-all gross title while Mata shot 35 points to emerge as the over-all net champion in the event participated in by current and past executives of the JVA Group of Companies. Miguel Ayala awarded them with their trophies

and a set of grand new Titleist balls. Ayala, however, also won first gross runner-up in the Class C division. Class A 1st gross runner-up was Tony Avancena (19) followed by Jing Abella (16) while 1st and 2nd net runners-up were Tommy Iñigo (28) and Alex Nitorreda (28), respectively. Iñigo beat Nitorreda in a countback, 19-13. Obet Solitania (14) routed Bert Gura for the Class B gross title while

Rey Segura (26) took the net crown. Gene Arcena and Mark Villorenta shared top honors by bagging the Class C gross and net titles, respectively. Ayala copped the gross 1st runner-up followed by Tonying Llamas. Pinky Villamor and Rod Salazar settled for the net 1st and 2nd runner-up honors, respectively. The event was held in memory of the late businessman lawyer JV Ayala.

OS ANGELES (AP) -- The Miami Heat played the final minutes the way championship teams are supposed to. The Los Angeles Clippers are still perfecting the art of closing out games against the elite teams. LeBron James had 31 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, Ray Allen hit a clinching 3-pointer in the final minute, and the Heat snapped a fivegame road losing streak against the stubborn Clippers with a 116-112

victory on Wednesday night. Allen had 15 points off the bench for the two-time defending NBA champions, who began a six-game road trip that will be interrupted four games in by the All-Star break. Dwyane Wade, one of seven Miami players scoring in double figures, had 14 points and eight assists in his 700th regular-season game. The Heat had lost 10 of their previous 12 road games against the Clippers, and hadn’t beaten

them at Staples Center since Dec. 9, 2007. Los Angeles, coming off Monday’s stinging 116-115 loss at Denver on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by ex-Clipper Randy Foye, got a season-high 43 points and 13 rebounds from Blake Griffin and 31 points from Jamal Crawford. DeAndre Jordan extended his franchise record of consecutive double-digit rebound performances to 29 games with 16 boards and 16 points.

Heat snaps 5-game skid in LA L

THE CHAMPIONS. (L-R) Mike Ayala, Bok Mata, Larry Miculob, Ed Pacana (photo by Tommy Inigo)