Edge Davao 6 Issue 237

VOL. 8 ISSUE 237 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

RONDA-SERYE. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, running mate of presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, listens to the problems and concerns of the Matina Aplaya Fisherfolk Association (MAFA) during a “Ronda-serye” in Barangay 75-A Dumalag 2, Matina Aplaya on Sunday. Lean Daval Jr.

VETOED

Duterte rejects City Councils’amendment to CLUP EDGEDAVAO Sports

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

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abf@edgedavao.net

AVAO City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte has vetoed the amendment made by the City Council to the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) removing the additional 10 percent area for green spaces in any subdivision development.

In a three-page Veto Message dated February 19, 2016 but released by the City Mayor’s Office yesterday (February 22, 2016), Duterte said he was vetoing the amendment because it is “vague and ambiguous, prejudicial to public

interest, and an exercise of legislative power in ultra vires (beyond its powers).”

He said while the City Council may review and amend its own enacted ordinances when the general welfare of the public is at stake, he was “particularly disturbed with the legal issues (and) dilemma resulting from the amendment.”

Duterte said the amended ordinance is vague and ambiguous because it is “not clear whether, in the development of the green spaces, this shall

be done within the allotted open space of the proponent, set back areas of home lots sidewalk strips… or whether these set back areas of home lots or sidewalk strips… are all located within the proponent’s allotted open space.”

He also pointed to the provision in the amended ordinance that the green spaces that homeowners create in their own homes “shall by eventually turned over to the homeowners’ association for proper maintenance.”

The mayor said this is

prejudicial to public interest and is an exercise of legislative power in ultra vires (beyond the Council’s power) as manifested “by the use of modal verb ‘shall,’ connoting a mandatory requirement for the turnover of these green spaces to the homeowners’ association for proper maintenance.”

Duterte also said there is now the unwarranted burden of maintaining of the green space passed on to the homeowners association which

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Escandor sizzles with 45 for EsdevcoGenesis P16

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 237 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

HANDLE WITH CARE. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 11 administrative officer 1 Gregorio Espiritu conducts a lecture and training on how to properly handle drug-related cases involving children in conflict with the law. The activity was held at the Department of Education (DepEd) 11 division training center yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Cayetano urges Comelec to mount tandem debates T

Couple caught with P450K in drugs

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

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abf@edgedavao.net

ICE presidential candidate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano urged the Commission of Elections (Comelec) to mount tandem debates and more vice presidential debates.

In an interview after his Ronda Serye in Punta Dumalag, Matina Aplaya on Sunday, Cayetano said there is a need to have tandem debates because the President and Vice President are elected at the same time.

“Alam naman po natin sa ibang bansa na president at vice president sabay ini-elect kaya kung makikita mo yung inorganize ng iba na mga forum ng mga studyante tandem

sila (We know that in other countries the president and vice president are elected at the same time. That is why in the other forums organized by the students, they invite tandems),” he said.

Cayetano said the Comelec should also organize more debates for vice presidential candidates, pointing out that the poll body only scheduled one such debate on April 10.

He said the date is “too late” for a vice presidential debate.

“By April 10, more or less, alam mo na kung sino ang iboboto mo… Napakatagal na(By April 10, more or less, the people already know who are they

going to vote for. It’s too late), ” he said.

Cayetano also said in the next debates, the Comelec should also change the time limit from 60 and 90 seconds to at least three to five minutes to really see how the candidates present their platforms.

“Yung 60 seconds, 90 seconds parang labanan ng soundbites yun, hindi labanan ng plataporma (The 60 seconds, 90 seconds is like a sound bite battle, not a platform battle),” he said.

Cayetano said the Comelec should also be sensitive to the local media, referring to the experience in the Cagayan de Oro City debate in which local

media had only limited slots.

“To the organizers, let’s be sensitive especially to the local media because although everyone watches the national news because they want to know what happens all around the country, the people listen and read their local news because the people are more concerned with the events within their area because they are concerned,” he said.

Cayetano, however, said last Sunday’s debate was “a good start.”

“What we are just saying is if we can do a better job, why not because there is a big thing at stake here,” he added.

also of the whole country,” Alvarez said in a statement.

During the debate, Duterte said Mindanao is far behind other parts of the country because of the “great disparity” in government services – where 65 percent of the total infrastructures happening in Metro Manila while only about 19 percent in Mindanao.

This is the reason Duterte is pushing for federalism, saying the central government has become the symbol of the oppression of the Filipinos by the government.

Federalism is also Duterte’s alternative to the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“We have to correct the historical wrong committed

against the Moro people,” he said.

Duterte’s push for federalism and his solutions to the Mindanao problems on peace, insurgency, and development were among those that received loud applause.

“The party fully supports Mayor Duterte in his stand to end criminality, drugs and corruption,” Alvarez said. “We believe that his character as a strong leader who is decisive and efficient is the key towards our country’s progress.”

Duterte said if elected, he will allocate P1 billion per region to help the agriculture sector.

“It is a fundamental duty of a President to make sure that

food is available and affordable,” he said.

The party, according to Alvarez, is also very happy about support and reception of the public of Duterte.

“The party welcomes the overwhelming support of the people through social media where he reaped 46.32 percent from the polls of the Philippine Daily Inquirer website and a 74 percent rating of ‘Love’ from the GMA 7 website,” she said.

Alvarez said the first presidential debate separated Duterte from the candidates who “lacked political will, clean track record, experience and maturity, and those tainted with corruption.”

PDP Laban: Only Duterte has clear Mindanao agenda

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HE PDP Laban yesterday said it was impressed by the performance of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the first presidential debate held Sunday at the Capitol University.

Lawyer Paola Alvarez, spokesperson of PDP Laban, said the party fully supports Duterte’s agenda on ending criminality and drug problem, eradication of poverty, economic development, and Mindanao development and peace.

“He was the only one who showed clear, doable vision of what is to be done once he is elected as president,” said Alvarez. “His Mindanao agenda is not only designed to solve the problem of rebellion and development of Mindanao, but

HE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 11 and Task Force Davao intercepted P450,000 worth of illegal drugs from a couple from Lanao del Sur on Sunday afternoon.

Police said Esmael Macasa, 40, and his 37-year-old wife, residents of Balabagan, Lanao del Sur, were arrested at a Task Force Davao checkpoint in Sirawan, Toril at around 2:30 p.m. on February 21.

Police said the two were

caught transporting about 50grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu).

The vehicle used in their illegal drug activities was also confiscated by the operatives.

The couple is now detained at the PDEA 11 detention facility and will face a case for violation of Republic Act 9165 the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 for possession and selling illegal drugs. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

Duterte rebuttal to Poe on Bangsamoro issue shows she needs to study more

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E spoke of righting a historical wrong, of offering the Bangsamoro Basic Law “with the same configuration” as well as federalism for all; she talked about going back to the negotiating table, forgetting there is a signed peace agreement between government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), as well as with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

The rebuttal to Senator Grace Poe’s argument on the Bangsamoro peace process by the lone Mindanawon Presidential candidate, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in Sunday’s Presidential Debate showed the audience how much Duterte understands the situation and how the senator needs to study more the issue.

The question posed by inquirer.net editor in chief John Nery to Senator Poe was:“Hindi naipasa ang Bangsamoro Basic Law dahil na rin siguro sa nangyari sa Mamasapano.

Kapag kayo po ang nahalal, isusulong ba ninyo uli ang BBL o meron kayong ibang programa? Yung paglinaw po

sa nangyari sa pagpatay kay Marwan kasama po ba yan sa solusyon?”(The Bangsamoro Basic Law was not passed maybe because of what happened in Mamasapano. If you were elected, are you going to push for the BBL or you have another program? Is looking into the killing of Marwan part of the solution?)

Poe did not say anything about the BBL but talked of a “transparent, inclusive at sustainable na pag-uusap at kasunduan” (negotiations and agreement),” giving the audience the impression that she would go for another peace negotiations, even as there is already an existing agreement – the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) that the government and MILF signed on March 27 , 2014 and is already on the implementation phase, which includes the passage of the BBL. Congress, however, adjourned on February 3 without passing the BBL. The Philippine government also has a peace agreement with the MNLF, signed in

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NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

Of 2-hour Presidential Debate, 48 minutes were advertisements

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GETTING READY. Commission on Elections (Comelec) 11 assistant director lawyer Marlon Casquejo shares the details of the scheduled Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) trainings and other preparations for the May 9 national election. Casquejo was among the guests of Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Boy killed, 41 injured in grenade blast in S. Kudarat during fiesta A

SIX-YEAR-OLD boy was killed while 41 others were wounded when a grenade exploded in a local peryahan (fair) beside a carnival during a patronal fiesta celebration Sunday evening.

Colonel Lito Sobejana, commanding officer of Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade, said the incident took place around 8:15 p.m. at Barangay Poblacion where a carnival near the town hall was established.

He said two grenades were lobbed at a populated part of the fair. One exploded but the other one did not even though its pin was already removed. Sobejana said the Army’s explosives team has attended to the unexploded grenade.

Six-year-old Elton John Antonio, who was reportedly hit in the head by a shrapnel while eating balut, was the sole fatality.

Chief Insp. Brian Bernardino Esperanza, municipal police chief, said 41 people were hurt. Fourteen of them are still recuperating in different hospitals. One, he said, is in critical condition.

Bernardino said two suspects from Maguindanao are now in custody after a witness identified them. A cartographic sketch of the third suspect, he said, was already released.

Bernardino said they are

looking at the possibility of a grudge between the suspects and the owner of the fair operator. Another possibility, he said, is that it could be a “diversionary tactic” of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freed Fighters.

Mayor Helen Latog has called for an emergency meeting with her security and disaster teams this morning.

Ferdinandh B. Cabrera/MindaNews

that period in history in an anthology, “O Susana! The Untold Stories of Martial Law in Davao,” so that the present and future generations “have an idea how oppressive martial rule was, and to share our reflections on how those times have greatly influenced what we have become.”

Now in their 60s and 70s and still activists in their respective fields, they have finally put into writing that period in history in an anthology, “O Susana! The Untold Stories of Martial Law in Davao,” so that the present and future generations “have an idea how oppressive martial rule was, and to share our reflections on how those times have greatly influenced what we have become.”

In his opening remarks at the launch, Fr. Gabriel Gonzales, Vice President for Academic Affairs, said reading the book not only gives the readers an opportunity to know the authors’ stories but also inspires everyone to share their own stories with the younger generation.“I hope our very own students will be the first ones to benefit from this,” he said.

“I hope our very own students will be the first ones to benefit from this,” he said.

“I hope our very own students will be the first ones to benefit from this,” he said.

“We were very young then,” said Redemptorist Brother Karl Gaspar, who was tasked to provide the audience

a background of the book project.

“You know how the memories play. That’s why we needed to write,” said Gaspar, who has three essays in the book.

It was “not as if we were carrying guns,” he explained to the crowd that cut across several generations, “but martial law made you subversive

just because you said the word ‘Justice’ and sang ‘Bayan ko.’”

“We were not the Gabriela Silang, Diego Silang or General Luna types. We were very simple,” he recalled, adding “we did what we did because the situation called for it.”

Susana Building, he said, “became like a sanctuary and a

ORTY-EIGHT minutes or 35.5% of the entire 135-minute Presidential Debate on Sunday were spent on advertisements, spread across six commercial breaks of eight minutes each.

MindaNews monitored 117 ad placements, seven of these campaign ads of the Presidential candidates, except Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and three from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Grace Poe and former Local Governments Secretary Mar Roxas had two ad placements each, while Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago only had one.

Duterte had none.

But Duterte generated the most buzz on Twitter, with 322,000 tweets. Binay placed second with 212,000 tweets, Roxas with 78,000, Poe with 69,000 and Santiago with 65,000.

Senatorial candidates Francis Tolentino and Martin Romualdez also had two ad placements each while Senator Ralph Recto had one .

Duterte asked hosts Jessica Soho and Mike Enriquez of GMA if they would be given additional time so the candidates could talk at length about their platform of governance.

“We’re good until 9 (p.m.). .. Give us time to explain fur-

Davao Light customer services open on Feb 25

‘O Susana’sets record: 450 copies sold on launch D

“O

SUSANA: Untold Stories of Martial Law in Davao” has set a record in book launchings in Davao City and perhaps the rest of Mindanao: 450 copies sold during its launch on February 19, Dr. Macario Tiu, Director of the Ateneo de Davao’s University Publication Office, the book’s publisher, said.

Tiu told MindaNews a second printing is in the offing as they will likely run out of copies by month’s end, based on the orders they received.

The initial print run is 1,000 copies.

Tiu, a four-time Palanca awardee, Professor and historian, is also editor of the 344-page anthology written by 34 church and social development workers who are “alumni” of the Susana Building offices in the 1970s.

The authors were then in their 20s and 30s. Now in their 60s and 70s and still activists in their respective fields, they have finally put into writing that period in history in an anthology, “O Susana! The Untold Stories of Martial Law in Davao,” so that the present and future generations “have an idea how oppressive martial rule was, and to share our reflections on how those times have greatly influenced what we have become.”

The authors were then in their 20s and 30s.Now in their 60s and 70s and still activists in their respective fields, they have finally put into writing

F‘O SUSANA’, 10

ther what we’d like to present to the people,” he said.

Mindanawon netizens wondered why only one Mindanao-specific issue was asked — the last question on the Bangsamoro Basic Law — out of five supposedly labeled “Mindanao Issues” in Round 3 of the Presidential Debate and why only two of the five Presidential candidates were given the opportunity to say their piece on this crucial issue.

PiliPinas Debates 2016 was initiated by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) which entered into a memorandum of agreement with the giant TV networks and newspapers, a move that has generated complaints from the media and earned Comelec chair Andres Bautista a lawsuit from rappler.com.

Sunday’s Presidential Debate was the first of three rounds and was presented by GMA 7 and Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The Visayas debate will be held in Cebu City on March 20 and hosted by TV5 and the Philippine Star The Luzon leg will be hosted by ABS-CBN and the Manila Bulletin while the lone vice presidential debate will be hosted by CNN Philippines, in partnership with Rappler and Business Mirror, on April 10 in Metro Manila. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

AVAO Light and Power Company’s frontline services will be available for the public on February 25, Thursday, declared as a special non-working holiday in commemoration of the EDSA Revolution.

Payment and customer services in the full service centers at Ponciano office and at SM Malls will be accepted from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., respectively.

Meanwhile, Panabo branch customer services will be open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and its payment services will be from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Toril and Calinan payment offices will be open from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon, and from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM. Only Sto. Tomas payment office is unavailable during holidays.

Emergency service will remain available 24 hours through 229-DLPC (3572).

GROUFIE TIME. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, running mate of presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, takes a “groufie” with the members of Matina Aplaya Fisherfolk Association (MAFA) and residents of the area after an hour of interaction during “Ronda-serye” in Barangay 75-A Dumalag 2, Matina Aplaya on Sunday. Lean Daval Jr.

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 237 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

Panabo City Mayor James G. Gamao leads the inauguration of the city’s new Traffic Light System. Photos by Renel Balsabas and Jasmine Paras

7 Comval short films screened in Sarajevo T

Panabo inaugurates traffic light system

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EVEN films from Compostela Valley Province and Davao City were screened last February 19 in Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia-Herzogovina.

The films coming from the Nabunturan Independent Film Exchange represented the country as official film entries in the 32nd International Festival Sarajevo “Sarajevo Winter 2016,” a yearly multiart festival organized by the International Peace Center

Sarajevo and held under the auspices of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the European Union and Unesco.

The festival has become a traditional meeting place for artists from all over the world.

It opened last February 6 and will run until March 21, 2016.

Among the e short films screened in Cinema 5 of Cinema City in Sarajevo last February 19 were two of Dabawenyo lawyer Heraclio Malaki

titled Amog and Muted, “Nilusak” a film about sexual abuse helmed by Prechelle Dally Boncales and Rodney Christian Prieto, a short film about gold and greed titled “Pasuon” by Byan Jimenez, “ Sepulturero” which revolves around a grieving undertaker and helmed by Jimmy Abayon.

Rounding out the seven shorts are Comval films “Tami-aw” about a a 4Ps beneficiary directed by Mary Ann

Gabisan and “Supot,” a short film about a teacher with kidney problems megged by Jelford Teves.

The selected films are products of the Sine Indie Workshops organized by the Municipal Tourism Council of Nabunturan, Inc. (MTCNI) which organizes the annual Nabifilmex.

The Nabifilmex films are the country’s only cinematic entries to the Sarajevo festival. (PIA/RG Alama)

DOST-ICTO Region X and Caraga cluster director Evamay Dela Rosa said that with this project, government agencies can expect a significant improvement in their operations and the delivery of their services with the use of fiber optic technology under the Integrated Government Philippines (iGovPhil) project.

Dela Rosa said the adoption of fiber optic technology will not only help government offices coordinate faster but also facilitate other necessary services like cloud computing, data center co-location, web hosting, document and records management, email and online security.

“The agencies connected

to the government network (GovNet) will be able to access files and data easily and conveniently, thus providing unified and simplified services to the citizens,” dela Rosa said.

“The connection is going to be faster and the bandwidth capacity is expected to be larger,” she added.

HE city government of Panabo conducted the inaugural blessing and switch-on ceremony of the newly operational Traffic Light System situated at crossing TADECO Road, Panabo City on February 12, 2016.

Rev. Fr. Randy Murillo of Sto. Niño Parish officiated the blessing and cutting of ribbon while Mayor James G. Gamao did the honors for the Switch On Ceremony and was assisted by Vice Mayor Janrey G. Gavina together with the SP Members and

Department Heads.

The recently operational Traffic Light System is aimed at addressing the traffic concerns at the intersection of Maryknoll High School and TADECO Road.

Gamao reminded residents that since the city has a traffic light system, they should follow traffic rules.

He said traffic lights will also be installed in the area of sa Rizal Elementary School by the second quarter of the year. Other intersections will also get traffic lights. Debbie Calope – CIO

Fiber optic network to link 80 gov’t agencies in Butuan Kidapawan rations water

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HE Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO) is set to install its fiber optic network linking up 80 government offices in the city.

During its collaboration meeting with government agency representatives here,

IMPOUNDED. At least 206 motorcycles and pedicabs have been impounded in Pikit, North Cotabato following the Lambat Bitag Operation of the Cotabato Police Provincial Office on Thursday, February 18. CPPO

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head Senior Superintendent Alex Tagum says the program aims to ensure that no stolen or undocumented motor vehicles ply the highways and streets of the province. Photo courtesy of CPPO

to dry spell-affected villages

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HE city government of Kidapawan yesterday began rationing drinking water to villages affected by the dry spell.

Slated for water rationing on Monday are the Sitio Nazareth and Quarry in Barangay Amas and Sitio Lika in Onica.

Each household in these communities, according to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office , will be provided 25 liters of potable water.

City Mayor Joseph Evangelista said besides damage to crops, the months of drought have also depleted the supply of potable water in some parts of the city, prompting the city government to apportion water to affected residents.

Evangelista said the need to keep the residents healthy prompted him to seek help from the Metro Kidapawan Water District (MKWD).

For this initiative, the

City LGU will be buying water from the MKWD. Also, the city LGU has prepared 2,000-liter and 1,000-liter capacity tanks for storage of water to be used in the rationing.

Evangelista reminded beneficiaries that the rationed water is strictly for drinking purpose only.

Water rationing will be done in the said areas and other affected communities while the dry spell persists.

Kidawapan City has already declared a state of calamity due to El Niño.

In South Cotabato, the local government of Polomolok has also carried out water rationing in Puroks 1, 2 and 3 of Barangay Kinilis after the springs where the residents get their drinking water dried up.

According to DOST PAGASA, the current dry spell could last until June this year. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12 with report from Kidapawan City Information Office)

VOL. 8 ISSUE 237 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

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EDGEDAVAO

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 237 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

SSS benefit releases, collections set double-digit growths in Luzon

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30 YEARS. The SM Store manager Alex dela Peña (right) and SM City Davao marketing manager Cherry Enares promote the upcoming promotions and activities of the mall in line with its 30th anniversary. The two women were guests in yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

HE Social Security System (SSS) has attained double-digit growths in total benefit releases and contribution collections in Luzon, with both reflecting an increase of 11 percent for the first 11 months of 2015.

SSS Senior Vice President for Luzon Operations Group Josie. Magana said that benefit releases for Luzon-based members from January to November 2015 grew by P2.13 billion, for a total of P21.58 billion which was 11 percent higher than P19.45 billion disbursed for the same period in 2014.

“Pension payments of P19.06 billion for 484,137 pensioners comprised 88 percent of total benefit disbursements in Luzon. We also disbursed benefits of P1.81 billion for 226,745 covered employees,

P

spending (which rose 19 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2015, according to HSBC), and the steady flow of remittances from its diaspora of overseas workers.

“FinanceAsia noted that Philippine debt-to-GDP has fallen to 44.8 percent as of end-2015 with foreign debt minimized to 15.6 percent of GDP amid extended maturities. The publication also recognized how the government’s tax collection has expanded too, from 12.1 percent in 2010 to 13.7 percent for January-November 2015,” the DOF said.

The DOF said the Philippines has used its expanding fiscal space to invest heavily, increasing the social services budget fivefold over 5 years and and hitting its goal of spending 5 percent of GDP on infrastructure, the publication notes.

The latest credit rating

upgrade by NICE Investors Service to a notch from the minimum investment grade (BBB) makes the Philippines the most upgraded sovereign in the last five years with 24 positive credit rating actions, the DOF said.

The Philippines also won both the Best Philippines Deal and Best Sovereign Bond awards for its $2 billion 25year bond offering, praised for its “consistency…coupled with terrific timing and a tender switch that once again marked the sovereign out as one of the region’s savviest borrowers.”

National Treasurer Roberto B. Tan was also in the awards night to receive the awards along with transaction managers.

“We have come full circle in restoring robust confidence in the Philippines,” Purisima said. “A pattern of recognition makes it clear this is no longer about me, but about the

underlying vision President Aquino has led this country with. This does not speak of the excellence of individuals, but rather of the excellence of our guiding governance philosophy. This is something we hope we can follow through on for the next six years.”

The DOF said Purisima was first recognized by Emerging Markets as 2011 Finance Minister of the Year for Asia, and was named 2012 Finance Minister of the Year by Euromoney.

“He was once again the choice of Emerging Markets for 2013 Finance Minister of the Year for Asia and by The Banker on the same year as 2013 Finance Minister of the Year for Asia Pacific. Last year, he was awarded the Finance Minister of the Year 2014 by FinanceAsia for his leadership in driving the turnaround story of the Philippines,” the department added.

HE Philippines must continue to invest in renewable energy to achieve the global commitment signed at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) to reduce global greenhouse gas emission in which the country is a signatory, Repower Energy Development Corporation (REDC) chief executive Dexter Y. Tiu emphasized as part of the company’s celebration of the World Sustainable Energy Days.

Under COP21, 196 countries including the Philippines agreed on the goal to cut carbon emission which will reduce global warming under 2⁰ Celsius and build a carbon-free world economy in the second half of the century.

Developed countries with existing renewable energy plants have also committed to further investments in renewable technologies.

“We need more investments in renewable energy for the country to reach its carbon commitments,” said Tiu who heads REDC, a renewable energy company utilizing breakthrough technologies for energy production through hydropower that promote environmental sustainability.

ist’s Office in its report dated February 5 said P402.74 million worth of crops – rice, corn, oil palm, coconut, rubber, cacao and coffee — have been damaged due to the drought.

Magliwan said the contract for cloud seeding is for a minimum of one hour per day and maximum of three hours “depending on the presence of seedable clouds,” for a total flying time of 60 hours.

He said it is also possible that there will be no sortie for a day if there are no seedable clouds.

The provincial government, he added, secured a permit from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to use the airport because it will be very costly if the cloud seeding operations were to

take off from the airports of Davao City or General Santos. “Pag start ng engine ng eroplano, patak na ang metro” (The billing starts from when the aircraft’s engine is switched on), Magliwan sa He said the first objective of the cloud seeding operations is “to recharge our watershed, so we can recharge the rivers and save our existing crops.”

The provincial government opted to do their own cloud seeding because even as the Department of Agriculture has been doing it, these are likely on a regional scope and “we’re not receiving sufficient rainfall,” Magliwan said the hardest hit areas are the upland towns of Arakan, Antipas, upper part of President Roxas, upper part

of Matalam, Pigcawayan and Banisilian.

He said the corn farmers were still able to plant in October-November but what was supposed to be due for harvest in February 2016 did not survive as rainfall had been below normal since the latter part of November.

He said the estimate yield loss for high value crops like oil palm, rubber and coconcut is 30 percent.

The February 5 report said that out of a total P 402.72 million losses as of February 5, rice suffered the biggest loss at P 118.9M followed by coconut at P 115.7M, corn at P 110.8M, rubber at P 48.3, oil palm at P 5.9 M, cacao at P 2.3M, and coffee at P 713,406.

(Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews)

NOW OPEN. A cow grazes not far from the runway of the Central Mindanao Airport in Barangay Tawan-tawan, Mlang, North Cotabato in this file photo taken on August 3, 2015. MindaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO

M’lang airport’s first use: To fly a plane seeding clouds

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HE M’lang airport in North Cotabato is now operational, but only for cloud seeding operations.

The provincial government of North Cotabato on Wednesday began its daily cloud seeding operations from the M’lang airport to “recharge our watershed” and avert further crop losses brought about by the drought, Engr. Eliseo Magliwan, provincial agriculturist, said.

The province’s 17 towns and Kidapawan City have been declared under a state of calamity.

Magliwan told MindaNews that P3.4 million, sourced from the provincial government’s calamity fund, has been allocated for the 60-hour contract for cloud seeding.

The Provincial Agricultur-

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Repower Energy claims COP21 goals achieveable

Sec. Purisima awarded 2015 T Finance Minister of the Year HILIPPINE Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima has been awarded Finance Minister of the Year 2015 by FinanceAsia, second in a row from the publication and his sixth in total for his sixyear tenure under the Aquino Administration.

In a statement, Purisima said, “With our five-year average growth rate of 6.2 percent hitting the highest in 40 years, the turnaround project is complete. The Philippines, once the sick man of Asia, is now the region’s resilient bright spot.”

The award was given in a ceremony on January 27, 2016 in Hong Kong.

The Department of Finance (DOF) said FinanceAsia cited the Philippines as one of the few bright spots in Southeast Asia, faring relatively well in part because of its service industry focus, strong domestic consumption, government

P458.46 million for 74,125 voluntary members, P205.54 million for 27,275 self-employed members, and P52.26 million for 6,428 overseas Filipino workers,” Magana noted.

Apart from the P19.06 billion disbursed for SSS pensions for retirement, disability and death, lump sum payments for these same contingencies amounted to P78.70 million, P128.49 million and P557.45 million, respectively.

SSS also paid out P674.39 million for maternity claims; P150.18 million for sickness benefits, medical services and rehabilitation; and P932.87 million in funeral grants.

Meanwhile, contribution collections in Luzon from January to November 2015 reached P25.20 billion, which was

With the country’s buoyant urban and economic growth, energy requirements grow at a rate that is difficult to fulfill. REDC said that this can be solved by increasing investments in renewable energy to fill the gap and at the same time cut the country’s carbon emissions.

In 2008, the government enacted the Renewable Energy Act to promote renewable energy, but the country is still struggling to boost the industry because investing in renewables is more costly than coal and fossil fuel.

Tiu said the debate between advocates of traditional sources of energy and renewables should not be a matter of choosing between a vibrant economy and a healthy environment.

“Some companies in the country are now using energy from renewable sources like solar, geothermal, and hydro power plants. For them, it’s not just a strategy to sustain future energy needs but also a business policy.”

The Philippines has a strong potential capacity in renewable energy which makes up a significant portion of the 12,128 MW daily energy gen-

FREPOWER, 10

EDGEDAVAO

7 BIGGER PICTURE Traveling by air:

VOL. 8 ISSUE 237 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

How safe?

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – selfdetermined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins

T

HERE was no word from the pilots, no sign that anything was wrong with Malaysian Airlines as it hovered over the waters of South China Sea on its way to Beijing. And then it was gone.

Flight MH370 last had contact with air traffic controllers 120 nautical miles off the east coast of the Malaysian town of Kota Bharu after climbing to a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet (10,670 meters).

There were no reports of bad weather and no sign why the Boeing 777-200ER would have vanished from radar screens about an hour after it took off. The aircraft left Kuala Lumpur on March 8 at 12.21 a.m. and was due to land in the Chinese capital at 6.30 a.m. on the same day.

“We accept God’s will.

Whether he is found alive or dead, we surrender to Allah,” Selamat Omar, a Malaysian whose 29-year-old son Mohamad Khairul Amri Selamat was heading to Beijing for a business trip, told Associated Press. He said his son would call him once he arrived at 6:30. He did receive a call but it came from the airline telling him that the plane was missing.

Although air travel is statistically the safest way to go, fears and controversy remain.

“There’s still this mystique about flying,” said Ron Nielsen, a retired US Airways pilot who’s found a second career counseling people who are afraid to fly, told The Seattle Times. “There’s a fear of being closed in, and there’s a fear of dying.”

The website of crashstuff. com shares this statistics: “Your chances of being involved in an aircraft accident are about 1 in 11 million. On the other hand, your chances of being killed in an automobile accident are 1 in 5000.

Statistically, you are at far greater risk driving to the airport than getting on an airplane. However, the perception is that you have more control over your fate when you are in your car than as a passenger traveling on an airplane. Experience shows otherwise, considering that over 50,000 people are killed on

the highways every year.”

The Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 defines an aviation accident as “an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight until such time as all such persons have disembarked, where a person is fatally or seriously injured, the aircraft sustains damage or structural failure or the aircraft is missing or is completely inaccessible.”

Historical records show that the first fatal aviation accident occurred in a Wright Model A aircraft at Fort Myer, Virginia, in the United States on September 17, 1908, resulting in injury to the pilot, Orville Wright and death of the passenger, Signal Corps Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge.

In over one hundred years of implementation, aviation safety has improved considerably. But despite this, there are airplane crashes that could not be forgotten. On March 27, 1977, 583 people died when a KLM Boeing 747 attempted to take-off without clearance, and collided with a taxiing Pan Am 747 at Los Rodeos Airport on the island of Tenerife, Spain. Both aircraft were completely destroyed.

On August 12, 1985, the single-aircraft disaster with the highest number of fatalities: 520 died on board a Boeing 747. The Japan Airlines Flight 123 suffered an explosive decompression from an incorrectly repaired aft pressure bulkhead, which failed in mid-flight, destroying most of its vertical stabilizer, severing all of the hydraulic lines, making the 747 virtually uncontrollable. Pilots were able to keep the plane flying for half an hour before crashing into a mountain.

Perhaps, the world’s deadliest mid-air collision happened on November 12, 1996 over Haryana, India, involving Saudia Flight 763 and Air Kazakhstan Flight 1907.

The crash was mainly the result of the Kazakh pilot flying lower than the assigned clearance altitude. All 349 passengers and crew on board the two aircraft died.

Inside a British Airways flight (from Wikipedia) On May 25, 1979, American Airlines Flight 191, following improper maintenance and the loss of an engine, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10, lost control and crashed near O’Hare International Airport in Des Plaines, Illinois. The crash killed all 271 passengers and crew on board, as well as two people on the ground.

On November 12, 2001, American Airlines Flight 587, an Airbus A300, crashed in the Belle Harbor neighborhood of Queens, New York, just after departing John F. Kennedy International Airport bound for Las Américas International Airport, Santo Domingo. The first officer’s overuse of the rudder in response to wake turbulence from a Japan Airlines 747 was cited as cause.

The crash killed all 260 people on board, as well as five people on the ground.

On April 2000, the worst air disaster in the Philippines

At the airport (Henrylito Tacio)

Melbourne Airport (Henrylito Tacio)

happened. The Air Philippines Boeing 737-200 was preparing to land at Davao airport when it crashed and burst into flames on the Island Garden City of Samal, killing all 131 passengers and crew on board.

A year earlier, on February 2, 1998, Cebu Pacific Flight 387 from Manila crashed near the top of a fog-shrouded Mount Sumagaya in Claveria, Misamis Oriental, killing all 104 people on board.

Not all those who figured in plane crashes die. Between 1983 and 2000, over 95% of people in plane crashes in the United States survey.

According to US Federal Aviation Administration (FFA), only 6% of commercial airliner accidents occur during the cruise phase of the flight.

Accidents during landing and approaches account for 65% of the crashes.

An article, which appeared

in Popular Mechanics, quoted a 2007 study that found passengers sitting at the back of a plane are 40% more likely to survive a crash than those sitting in the front. However, the FFa and a website on aircraft safety, all claim there is no “safest” seat.

The article, which was based on a study of 20 crashes, did not take into account the developments in safety after those accidents. But on second thought, a flight data recorder is usually mounted in the aircraft’s empennage (tail section), where it is more likely to survive a severe crash.

There are some reports that a lightning striking a plane is fatal, but safety experts said planes are built to withstand such strikes. “The metal in the fuselage and the wings conduct electricity and keep the lightning from damaging the plane,” explained Vladimir Rakov, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Florida and an expert on lightning.

Turbulence is an unpleasant but familiar experience for those who travel by air.

According to the FAA, turbulence is the number one cause of injuries to passengers and flight attendants in nonfatal accidents. Two-thirds of those injuries happen above 30,000 feet – just when you’re told you can get up and move about the cabin.

The fear of flying may never leave some travelers, but as the industry continues to tweak its safety net. A report from Associated Press cited few examples of how airplane accidents kick-started safety upgrades: Cockpit alerts: The FAA

ordered Boeing 737s to be upgraded so they could alert the cockpit crew of failures in the rudder control system following an investigation into a United Airlines crash in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1991 that killed 25 people.

Electrical: After a Swissair MD-11 crashed in the North Atlantic in 1998, killing 229 people, the FAA ordered the inspection, repair, and replacement of wiring, insulation and circuit breakers in the cockpits and cabins for every carrier that flew the same model.

Reducing wear: Regulations for lubricating critical aircraft systems were tightened after an Alaska Airlines MD-83 flight crashed into the Pacific in 2000, killing all 88 on board. Investigators discovered that the plane had excessive wear on parts of its horizontal stabilizer trim system.

“Accidents in the air have become so rare that investigators no longer find common reasons why commercial airplanes crash,” wrote Associated Press’ Chris Kahn.

“If you try to say, what’s the next common cause (of airline accidents) that we can address, the answer is there isn’t one,” Les Dorr, FAA spokesman, was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the Philippine government will review the existing security measures in the country following the mysterious disappearance of the Malaysian airplane. “Right now, I think our security measures are very strict,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during a press briefing, “but certainly it gives us pause to look into again our security measures.”

EDGEDAVAO

8 VANTAGE

VOL. 8 ISSUE 237 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

EDITORIAL

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Who’s the real winner in the debate?

HE first round of the Presidential Debates held on Sunday in Cagayan de Oro City provided the electorate a closer look at the five candidates out of whom the next leader of this country will come from.

There are a number of matters of concern that surfaced after yesterday’s debate. Among them are the lack of material time for the candidates to present their platforms of government, their strategies and timeframes for implementing and attaining their goals, the lack of engaging rebuttals and counter rebuttals, the seemingly long litany of motherhood statements, the unresponsive answers and even the long commercial breaks in between.

First, there is obviously lack of time to present their platforms but since this is just round 1 of the debates, we expect that the next editions will go up the next tier of discussions and will be more specific on significant areas of governance.

Candidates like Sen. Grace Poe and administration bet Mar Roxas spoke much on motherhood statements without timelines, goal-settings and implementation mechanics. Vice President Jejomar Binay sounded he is still locked from his territory in Makati City. The only saving grace in the otherwise uneventful round 1 of the debate were the two senior presidentiables in Sen. Miriam Santiago and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who spoke with sharpness and less re-

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straint. None of the sugar-coated statements Roxas and Poe were much into.

In sum, there was not much spark in the debate. We understand these are but preliminaries but we already saw a glimpse of what these candidates are bringing to the table. Poe sounded impressive with her programs of government although an expert in government service can easily tell these are not novel programs like the ideas of holding more BBL dialogues and devolution. The promise of passing the FOI bill is also reminiscent of the promise of President Aquino when he began his term over five years ago.

And then there’s the long commercial breaks. We understand that the debates, albeit hosted by different news organizations and television networks, are essentially public service in nature and must stand as that instead of a commercial venture where the advertisements of well-funded machineries like that of Roxas, Poe and Binay hog the breaks.

Finally, there must be clear cut guidelines among the audience brought in by the candidates. Among all of them, Roxas probably brought a crowd ready to cheer him on for some audience impact.

The rest of the other crowds behaved quietly.

So who’s the winner in the first debate? That leaves us clamoring for more in the same way Mayor Duterte asked for more time.

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 237 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

Think positively, live longer!

MAGINE someone holding a glass of water and he asked you whether it is half empty or half full. What will your answer be could make a difference, not only in your daily health, but in how long you live.

So say the results of a new Mayo Clinic study that tracked 839 people over 30 years.

In the 1960s, study participants took a “standardized test” to determine whether they were optimistic, pessimistic or somewhere in between. Those who scored high on the pessimism scale turned out to have a 19 percent greater chance of premature death than those who scored more optimistically.

This reminds me of the statement of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. “The optimist sees opportunity in every danger,” he pointed out, “the pessimist sees danger in every opportunity.” American author Ralph Waldo Emerson echoed the same sentiment: “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” Well, that’s being optimistic.

“I believe we have compelling evidence that optimists and pessimists differ markedly in how long they will live,” commented psychologist Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania in his editorial accompanying the Mayo Clinic study. “It is not clear if pessimism shortens life, optimism prolongs life, or both.”

For decades, psychologists have studied the link between positive thinking and physical and mental health. Dr. Seligman, the man behind Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, claimed that it’s more important to change negative thought patterns into positive ones than to worry about being optimistic.

The picture of optimism Dr. Seligman paints is not one of Pollyanna-like blindness to reality, but of a learned optimism grounded in accuracy and non-negative thinking. (For the uninformed, Pollyanna is a character of a famous novel who goes through life finding a good side to everything.)

Based on the results of several largescale, long-term, carefully controlled experiments, Dr. Seligman discovered that opti-

O

mists are more successful than THINK ON THESE! pessimists— optimistic politicians win more elections, optimistic students get better grades, optimistic athletes win more contests, and optimisHenrylito D. Tacio tic salespeople henrytacio@gmail.com make more money.

What’s the difference between an optimist and a pessimist? Felix Adler differentiates, “An optimist is a person who sees only the lights in the picture, whereas a pessimist sees only the shadows.” Albert Schweitzer shares, “To the question whether I am a pessimist or an optimist, I answer that my knowledge is pessimistic, but my willing and hoping are optimistic.”

Here’s one from William Arthur Ward: “The optimist pleasantly ponders how high his kite will fly; the pessimist woefully wonders how soon his kite will fall.” By this time, you probably understand why an optimist is better than a pessimist. Think of light and dark, positive and negative, good and bad, first and last. Okay, I won’t go on. You get the idea.

“The essence of optimism,” says Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “is that it takes no account of the present, but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others have resigned; it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy.”

Between the two, optimists are the usual winners. “In this world,” explains David Landes, “the optimists have it, not because they are always right, but because they are positive. Even when they are wrong they are positive, and that is the way of achievement, correction, improvement, and success. Educated, eye-open optimism pays.”

Now, why do people who think positively

live longer? According to Dr. Seligman, there are at least four ways that optimism can affect longevity. For one, optimists tend to be less passive than pessimists and less likely to develop “learned helplessness” or negative and debilitating responses to things that happen to them. For another, optimists tend to be more likely to practice preventive health measures because they believe their actions make a difference.

The third reason: Optimists suffer depression at a markedly lower rate than pessimists; depression is associated with mortality. And finally, optimists’ immune systems have been shown to function more effectively than those of pessimists.

But then, optimism isn’t always the answer. “The idea that optimists are healthier than pessimists is overly simplistic,” says Dr. Howard Friedman, a psychology professor at the University of California. “Many times, excessive optimism can be harmful to one’s health. This is especially evident among teenagers, who take many risks.”

Friedman contends it can be damaging to think optimistically when it comes to difficult health choices like quitting cigarettes, using condoms or wearing seatbelts. “I do not agree that in general we could try to make everyone more optimistic. There is absolutely no evidence that trying to do so will improve the general health of the people,” Dr. Friedman says.

Whether you are an optimistic or a pessimistic, listen to the words of Christian D. Larsen: “Be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

Make all your friends feel there is something in them. Look at the sunny side of everything.

Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best. Be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your won. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give everyone a smile. Spend so much time improving yourself that you have no time left to criticize others. Be too big for worry and too noble for anger.”

ing us to evenMY TWO CENTS’ tually import the commodity we once may have been able to sustainably produce on our own.

The major issue hounding many crops John Tria with potential ecisouth@gmail.com is that there is no holistic commodity strategy that can make the crop a viable industry that can increase production and do so while providing jobs and income for stakeholders like farmers and millers, manufacturers, and, yes, agriculturists.

There is therefore a need to converge the growers with buyers, and encourage buyers to be local downsteam industries that will further process the raw material or agricultural commodity. This way, every kilo of the grown commodity creates more jobs as it is processed and value is added.

Marcos tried to achieve this with sugar, imposing regulations and assuming virtual state control over the production. He also tried to do this with coconuts, to the point of imposing a levy on farmers supposedly to invest on creating the oleochemical factories, oil mills, and technology that would have expanded the profits of the Filipino farmer and employed millions. Of course, his efforts were proven as just some of our historical failures, which drove these industries from potential to bust. Much of the ruin we see today is a result of these miscalculations tainted with terrible cronyism and corruption, Succeeding governments were unable to undo the damage.

The Sugar Industry Development Act of 2015 is one such measure that aims to create this potential. It aims to consolidate growing areas and milling enterprises, providing the technological and market support from different state agencies to make the industry as a whole, more competitive and capable to face the realities of stiffer competition in the ASEAN free market. Like many other laws, however, whether it is actually implemented remains to be seen. (To be continued)

Commodity strategy and the agriculture president (Part 1)

UR history in agriculture is replete with failed crops and the often lamented outcome of the best and the brightest agriculturists in Asia being trained at the best agriculture schools like UP Los Baños or our brightest Filipino agriculturists lured to foreign shores to be employed in competing foreign countries to develop their agriculture sectors. I even heard of a Filipino agriculture professor teaching in Costa Rica, which is where some of our banana companies source their consultants. People ask me why is such the case. Is this an embarrassment we should just accept?

Our agriculture strategies are often limited to growing more to meet an actual or perceived demand. However, when we grow too much, the commodity price goes down, and the poor farmer loses more while the buyer cannot absorb any more. This oft repeated reality is the norm nowadays, for exports as well as local markets. In turn, these failures make the agriculture sector less viable and fewer investments are obtained in this crucial sector to grow it further. What often happens is that agriculture shrinks in favor of more bankable investments like real estate, forc-

VANTAGE POINTS

9

Did EDSA One bring genuine change?

M

Y anSPECKS OF LIFE swer is a BIG NO! So why then is the nation celebrating EDSA Day every year since 1986 as if it were something worthy of remembrance?

While EDSA One brought the Fred C. Lumba long-oppressed Filipinos together to bring down the despotic Marcos conjugal dictatorship, the leaders of that “bloodless” revolution committed the biggest blunder of their lives: they meekly handed the power to politicians and anti-Marcos oligarchs salivating to take over the reins of government.

Obviously, the ring leaders – Juan Ponce Enrile and Fidel Ramos – were not prepared to run the entire gamut of the government machinery by themselves because, if not for the late Cardinal Sin’s plea for the Pinoy masa to come out in droves and fill the streets, they could have easily been run over by the military juggernaut ordered by then AFP Chief Fabian Ver. Maybe they initially did not want to turn the reins of power but I have a sneaking suspicion that the brilliant mindset of Cardinal Sin had something to do with the transfer set-up.

Unlike Mao Tse Tung and his hordes of proletariats who marched their way to Peking and overthrew the corrupt Kuomintang of Chiang Kai Shek, they seized the reins of government convincingly and maintained control. Mao hated politicians who did nothing but lip service.

Looking back thirty years later, we are appalled that NOTHING has changed. YES, NOTHING HAS CHANGED! The previous oligarchy that the late dictator dismantled is back, only this time the number of corrupt cronies has grown liberally bigger in size. But the greed remains. After all, there’s so much to share among crocs and alligators. They are of the same breed, aren’t they?

What is wrong with Philippine society?

Think about this. Only those with the DNAs of the Aquinos, Roxases, Marcoses, Osmenas, Macapagals, Magsaysays, Guingonas, Pimentels,Tanadas, and of late, the Enriles, Estradas, Arroyos, De Venecias, Binays et al – are the ones lording it over the national political scene.

They appear to have a “serious” monopoly of what Einstein has in his head.

Oh, pardon me but I did not intentionally omit the names of showbiz superstars – past and present – that are now threatening to hog the political limelight. I just thought they were merely results of “freak accidents” in the lab.

I came to visit India for a month way back in 1978. Believe it or not, the living conditions here and there are almost similar in scale. We are in a caste system, like the Hindus where the poor hundreds of millions find it very difficult to rise up and get out of poverty on their own.

A pandesal delivery boy, Manny Pacquiao, who wore rubber “chinelas” long before he knew there was a famous Nike shoe brand, is trying to squeeze into the elite political circle but his candid, Bible-based declaration about LGBTs is almost dooming him in.

I hope not though. Folks in SOCCSKSARGEN need him badly for his pro-poor, philanthropic ways. I will try to deal with this in my next piece.

Political power is ONLY in the hands of a few. The government is so centralized that the Malacanang tenant, while relaxing and smoking in his swivel chair, can order the impeachment of a Supreme Court Chief Justice with a wave of his hand.

Only in the Philippines. Hey, but wait.

Google this. I picked up this info that a South American nation, tired of electing do-nothing politicians, has recently installed a comedian-actor as its president.

BTW, for those not in the know, EDSA (Epifanio delos Santos) is just a long stretch of an avenue traversing several cities from Monumento in Caloocan City in the north and going south to Roxas blvd in Pasay City. People Power no longer resides on EDSA. P.S. AJ, a manager of Penong’s BBQ Sasa branch, emailed: “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for your column on Poe & PNoy. I really enjoy reading your column.

Specks of Life brought me even tears because it touches me. I declare abundance to you and your family and also to EDGEDAVAO as well.”

(Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo. com). God bless the Philippines!

10 NEWS VETOED... FROM 1

exceeds the requirement of Presidential Decree No. 1216 defining “open space” in residential subdivisions and amending section 31 of Presidential Decree no. 957 requiring subdivision owners to provide roads, alleys, sidewalks, and reserve open space for parks or recreational use.

“Under PD 1216, only parks and playgrounds of the entire open space may be donated to the homeowners associations,” he said.

Duterte said questions may arise on who should shoulder the damages, if there are any, which may result from the negligence in the maintenance of green spaces. “Definitely, the homeowners’ association cannot be compelled to assume the obligation to pay for the very simple reason that it is only acting as caretakers of these green spaces, ” he said.

Duterte said the amended measure unnecessarily makes the city government liable for the damages that may arise from the negligence of homeowners associations or their representatives.

“In such an event, the city will be forced to disburse public funds to cover the indemnity for damages resulting from acts of the homeowners

associations or its representatives to which it has no control over,” he said.

Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (IDIS) lauded Duterte’s veto.

In an interview with EDGE Davao yesterday, IDIS advocacy coordinator Chinkie Pelino said the environmental groups in the city were celebrating after learning that the mayor rejected the amendment.

“Actually, gabii (Sunday) pa namo siya nahibaw.an gikan kay Mayor mismo after sa debate sa CDO (Cagayan de Oro City) (We learned it from the Mayor on Sunday night after the presidential debate in CDO),” she said.

Pelino said their youth representatives went to Cagayan de Oro City to ask Duterte if he approved or rejected the amendment.

“Mayor Duterte said that he vetoed the amendment based on the recommendation of the City Legal Office,” she said.

She said the groups conducted a vigil at Quezon Park yesterday and gave seedlings to all department heads during the flag raising ceremony.

“Just to give them good vibes because seedlings also symbolize life,” she said.

eration or a minimum of 30% in the country’s total energy source, indicating great potential for growth.

As part of its effort to accelerate its investments in renewables, REDC recently acquired Philippine Power and Development Company (Philpodeco), owner of the country’s three oldest operating mini-hydropower plants in Laguna, to increase the plants’ output after a considerable P300 million overhaul.

REDC’s investment in Philpodeco’s hydropower plants is one of its initiatives to promote environment-friendly

renewable energy generation.

“We are confident that REDC will continue our 89year legacy in providing clean energy and mitigate climate change for the next 100 years,” said Manuel T. Frondoso of Philpodeco.

Established just two years ago when the country was grappling with inadequate energy supply, REDC has become of one the frontrunners in the hydro energy industry, introducing modern European technology for hydropower energy production optimization and has over 100 MW of projects in development.

P2.54 billion higher than the P22.66 billion total for the same 11-month period in 2014.

“Contributions for employees under large accounts, which refer to employers with at least 100 workers, amounted to P12.91 billion. It was eight percent more than our P11.98 billion total for the same 11-month period in 2014. Over half of total Luzon collections also came from large accounts,” Magana said.

Branch account collections — which covers contributions from individually-paying workers such as self-employed and voluntary members as well as payments from employers with less than 100 employees — rose to P12.29 billion, or 15 percent more than the P10.68 billion total during the first 11 months of 2014.

Magana said SSS collection initiatives such as partnerships with local governments, cooperatives and microfinance institutions (MFIs) aim to facilitate easier and more convenient remittance of contributions, especially for self-employed and informal sector workers in hard-to-reach areas and industries.

“For example, parts of Luzon have limited access to banks

and payment facilities. Hence, we have started accreditation of cooperatives and MFIs, which have established networks and designated personnel to collect payments from their own members and clients, to become SSS collecting agents,” she explained.

The state-run pension fund has 6.81 million registered members in Luzon, which accounted for about one-fifth of the total 33.62-million SSS membership. A total of 121 local SSS offices are located in Luzon, including 61 branches, 33 Service Offices and 27 representative offices.

Magana, along with SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emilio de Quiros and other senior SSS officials, visited Meycauayan and Malolos in Bulacan for a series of consultations and forums with SSS stakeholders including members and employers, branch employees, and the local press.

“The SSS visit to Bulacan also featured the blessing of the relocated SSS Meycauayan Branch, which we moved to a more accessible site with better office amenities for the comfort and convenience of transacting members, beneficiaries and employers in the area,” Magana said. █

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1996 but whose implementation remains in question to this day and although the Tripartite Review with the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) last month was reported to be the last review, implementation will still be carried into the next administration.

“Ang nais ko po magkaroon ng isang transparent, inclusive at sustainable na pag-uusap at saka kasunduan. Kailangan talaga sa pagbuo ng bagong kasunduan o pagtulak nito, kailangan isama natin lahat ng mga grupo – MILF, MNLF, lahat ng mga grupo hindi lamang Maguindanao kundi Tausug Maranao, Badjao, kung ano pa, pati IPs, pati mga Kirsitiyano dito sa Mindanao”[What I want is a transparent, inclusive and sustainable negotiations and agreement. What is needed in the crafting of a new agreement or pushing it is to include all groups – MILF, MNLF, all groups not just the Maguindanaon but Tausug and Maranao, Badjao, also IPs (Indigenous Peoples) and Christians here in Mindanao], Poe said.

The government and MILF peace negotiations took all of 17 years before the CAB was signed. Under the Aquino administration, efforts were undertaken to ensure inclusivity, through consultations with various sectors and representation of sectors in the peace process mechanisms.

While negotiations are going on, Poe said, these should be accompanied by projects, including the Mindanao Railway project, job generation, power generation, rehabilitation of Agus (she referred to it as Angus) and Pulangui dams, roads, tourism.

Duterte brought Poe back to Ground Zero with his rebuttal: “Let me focus on Mindanao and what is happening today with the failure of (Congress to pass the) BBL, there is a great, great hurt there,” the seven-term Davao City mayor said.

“Unless I said we can come up with another card which is federalism, nothing, nothing at all can appease Mindanao.

Yan ang nangyayari dyan and that is why it is very important na kung ako ang mapupunta dyan, I will not only offer the BBL with the same configuration but I will offer federalism to all pati kay Nur Misuari on the western side,” he said.

“That would maybe appease everybody because every Moro politico would really like to see federalism kasi pumalpak nga ang BBL. And we have to do this because nothing, nothing short will appease and bring peace to Mindanao. Yan ang importante sa lahat dyan. You have to right the historical wrong committed against the Moro people,” Duterte said.

On August 3 last year, in M’lang, North Cotabato, Duterte said that more than just talking peace, the next President “should understand the root causes of the conflicts and honor the peace agreements.”

In her counter-rebuttal, Poe said she respects Duterte’s bid for federalism and acknowledged the need to discuss if this would really be good for the country as she referred to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as “pinakamalapit sa federalism” (closest to federalism).

But it is not the ARMM that is closest to federalism; it is actually the proposed Bangsamoro which will replace the ARMM when the BBL is ratified, that is nearest to federalism as its system of government, as agreed upon with the Philippine government, will be parliamentary and there is power and wealth-sharing between the central government and regional government.

The ARMM is autonomous in name only but in reality is an administrative body with no fiscal autonomy. “Malayo sa federal” (far from federal form), says former ARMM Executive Secretary Naguib Sinarimbo.

“Mas powerful pa sa ARMM ang barangay kay may fiscal autonomy at di kailangang mag beg sa Congress for its budget” (The barangay is more powerful than the ARMM because it has fiscal autonomy and does not need to beg Congress for its budget).

The barangay gets an automatic share from the internal revenue allotment while the ARMM has to “beg” Congress for its budget.

Poe said the discussions on federalism would be done at the start of the term of the new President “pero sa tingin ko ang kailangan ng ating mga kababayan ay devolution of powers kung saan ang local government ay may prerogative sa pag gasta ng kanilang pondo. Sa ngayon po, dapat ay 40% pero less than 30% or mga 30% lang ang nabibigay sa local government. Mali po yun. Kailangan ay taasan natin ito” (but I think what our countrymen need is devolution of powers where the local government has the prerogative to spend their funds. Now, the local government should have 40% share but receive less than 30% or around 30% only.

That is wrong. We have to increase that.”

The Bangsamoro issue was the last question asked in the 135-minute debate (48 minutes of that in advertisements). To the dismay of Mindanawons, it was the only Mindanao-specific question out of supposedly five under the label “Mindanao Issues” in Round 3 of the debate’s Mindanao leg held in Cagayan de Oro City.

The issues of the Lumads (Indigenous Peoples) in Mindanao were ignored not only in the debate itself but also in the video clips shown by the TV network. Most of the images featured onscreen focused only on the Moro when Mindanao is multi-cultural.

(Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

Project manager Alona Isidro of iGovPhil Infrastructure said the total cost of the Butuan project is pegged at P17 Million.

“ICT office will shoulder the costs for the installation of GovNet while the identified agency will be responsible for

housing and monitoring of ICT office’s network equipment.

They are allocated 1 Gbps of connection,” Isidro said.

Also forms part of the GovNet project is the free public Wi-Fi to 49 identified locations in the city, it was learned.

(FEA/PIA-Caraga)

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‘O Susana’... FROM 3 revolutionary area” as various offices were set up there, working and fighting for justice and people empowerment.

Sixteen of the 34 authors were present at the book launch.

Authors Flora Ninfa Santos-Leocadio, Nonoy Rodriguez, Melot Balisalisa, Elvira Ang Sinco, Cesar Ledesma, read excerpts from their essays while Gus Miclat, Jesus Dureza, Pat Sarenas, Raizsa Mae Anayatin and Bitoy Carillo read or spoke about their reflections about the book.

Miclat said the stories easily grab you as they are written from a first-person account.

“One can feel the gut, the emotions, the pulsating of life and in a lot of instances—the electrifying brush with death. Be it in a safehouse while being interrogated, in front of a motley band of paramilitary CHDF’s (Civilian Home Defense Force) or in the vortex of two-story high waves about to engulf a puny banca one was riding.”

Miclat said the authors’ stories “are our stories, too.”

Sarenas, chair of the Mindanao Coalition of Development NGO Networks (Mincode), said the authors’ stories “will be out there in the world as we launch the book today and hopefully, their stories will touch the hearts of all the younger generations of Filipinos, born after those dark days under martial law so that they will not join the calls to ‘just forget the past and move on’ and bring back to power the very people who committed/ abetted/ perpetuated the many crimes

against thousands of Filipinos, the senseless loss of lives and property – salvagings, the kidnappings, the sexual abuse of women, the state-sanctioned executions, tortures, and intimidation and many other human rights violations, the insatiated greed and the sheer impunity of it all that marked the dictatorial regime.”

She said the stories in this book must serve as a lens to see the reality of the heroes and heroines who dared to fight for the truth, for justice, for freedom.”

Bitoy Carillo focused on four essays in the book written by Remy Arquize-Guillena, Toto Bolcan, Rebecca Jolito, and Nonoy Rodriguez. He thanked his former co-workers at Susana Building for what he has become.

Anayatin, Mincode executive director, said reading the book “makes me realize that we are one, after all,” referring to Muslims and Christians in Mindanao.

“The unpeace during the Marcos regime and Martial Law, was not about differences in religion or culture, but only about the greed for wealth, might and power.”

The book, Anayatin said, is “not about the writers, but rather about the future generation.,” about how, despite the difficulties in revisiting the past, the authors wrote their stories “so that the young Filipinos may know the truth and be reminded about this gloomy part in Philippine history.” (Carolyn O. Arguillas / Mindanews)

11 PROPERTY NEW MILESTONES FOR MATINA ENCLAVES EDGEDAVAO

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Esdevco sets Building 1 topping off and Building 2 groundbreaking

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO njb@edgedavao.net

I

T’S going to be a double milestone, and yes truly deserving of a double celebration, when the Matina Enclaves project of Davao-born developer Escandor Development Corporation (Esdevco) is set for construction breakthroughs by the end of the month.

Matina Enclaves project head Gerald Kent Garces announced yesterday the topping off ceremony of Building 1 of The Residences, the condominium sector of the mixed use complex, as well as the groundbreaking of The Residences’ Building 2 set on February 27.

“We are all excited for these events to happen as we continue to push forward and bring to our clients our promise of on-time construction and turnover,” Garces said.

The Topping Off ceremony marks the end of the structural construction of Building 1 which

has a scheduled turnover by the end of the year.

Likewise, coinciding with the Building 1 Topping Off is the groundbreaking of Building 2 which begins its construction phase after being launched last year. Turnover for Building 2 has been set by the end of 2017.

Garces also reported the construction activities as of Feb 19 which comprises on-going building B construction and construction activities of Building 1(B) including preparation of the slab works on the roof-deck area; installation of interior walls on the second floor; preparation of mechanical works on the 2nd floor; and preparation of plumbing layout.

Matina Enclaves prides itself with value for money offerings on its condominium units.

The sprawling complex also distinguishes itself from the other real estate

projects in the city with its strategic location to major commercial, educational and recreational destinations.

Another bright spot Matina Enclaves is cooking up for its clients and prospects is the soonto-be-launched Arcadia project situated across the gated community. It will house state-of-the-

art sports and recreational facilities that promote a healthy lifestyle.

In a related event, guests and sales team of Matina Enclaves celebrated an early Valentines Day treat dubbed “Celebrate Love at Matina Enclaves” last February 12. The intimate dinner was held at the posh Clubhouse at Matina Enclaves (CAME).

12 CLASSIFIEDS

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 237 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

EDGEDAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENT Serving a seamless society

EDGEDAVAO GENSAN PARTNER ESTABLISHMENT Serving a seamless society

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INdulge!

VOL. 8 ISSUE 237 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

EDGEDAVAO TRAVEL Merdeka Square and The Sultan Abdul Samad Building.

MERDEKA SQUARE: Exploring the historical heart of Kuala Lumpur

I LOVE SHOPPING AND EATING WHENEVER I TRAVEL, but I also love a shot of culture and history to my brain when I get a chance to.

The Kuala Lumpur City Gallery.

Learning more about Kuala Lumpur through maps.

On a quick visit to Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, I was fortunate enough to visit the city’s Merkeka Square. Literally meaning Independence Square, the park was originally the cricket green of the Selangor Club. The square was where Malaysia formally declared its independence from British rule exactly on midnight on August 31, 1957.

Grandly overlooking the square is the Sultan Abdul Samad Building which was designed by British architect A.C. Norman who was inspired by Indian Moghul architecture creating a truly unique building. I could not help but stare at its wonderful copper domes and intricately designed facade.

Aside from the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, surrounding the square are many buildings of historical interest. Opposite the square is the famous Royal Selangor Club Complex built in 1884, originally a meeting place for high-ranking members of the British colonial society it not also houses various

URBANISSIMO A4

Inside the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery.

EDGEDAVAO

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ARTS AND CULTURE

Globe Art Gallery features Comrades in Clay as first exhibit for 2016 AS ITS FIRST EXHIBIT FOR 2016, the Globe Art Gallery is featuring Comrades in Clay, which highlights the ceramics creation of husband and wife Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn, along with their potter friends.

Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn have been teaching pottery since the late 70s. Through their commitment they have converted many pottery enthusiasts into serious potters, long after their pottery school closed. Their workshop continues to welcome those interested in working with clay.

In recent years, many Pettyjohns’s students meet at least once a month in Pansol to get their “clay fix”. During these “pot sessions”, they get high from kneading, slabbing, throwing and trimming the clay, as well as in glazing their bisque pots.

Each month, they come back with eager anticipation almost akin to parent-to-be’s anxieties on how their glazed pots will finally come out of the kiln. Every Christmas season, they try to get together for Raku firing and “exchange pots”.

Jon studied pottery and ceramics in Spain in a school called Escuela Masana while the former Tessy San Juan is a product of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts.

Aside from the Jon and Tessy, Comrades in Clay also draws attention to the works of the Pettyjohn’s potter friends and mentor friends, who come

Globe Chief Human Resource Officer Renato Jiao (left) leads ribbon cutting for the launching Comrades in Clay, feature the works of clay masters Jon & Tessy Pettyjohns and their potter friends. With Jiao is Jon Pettyjohn.

from varied backgrounds: Rita Gudino, Head of Ceramics

Studio of the UP College of Fine Arts; contemporary pottery

artist and UP teacher Joey de Castro; noted painter Tensie Bello; Dr. Peppon Rondain, Head of Makati Medical Center’s Nuclear Medicine; Finance Assistant Secretary Didith Tan; Ging Pajaro, founder/owner of Via Venetto; freelance TV commercial producer Sonny Cruz; investment banker Dedette Bautista of ING Bank; ceramics

engineer EJ Espiritu; Japanese restaurateur Ritsuku Kikuchi; Kiko Demetillo of St. Luke’s Medical Center’s International Patient Care; entrepreneur Johann Gohoc and retired public servant Rescy Bhagwani.

Aside from Comrades in Clay, the Globe Art Gallery also featured a photo exhibit by Paolo Rondain.

Shop N’ Fly to Hong Kong Disneyland at SM malls FROM FEBRUARY 12 TO MARCH 13, shoppers of SM City Davao, SM Lanang Premier, SM City Cagayan de Oro, SM City General Santos and other SM malls nationwide get a chance to be one of the 120 lucky shoppers who will be flown to Hong Kong for an unforgettable trip at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Winners will receive round-trip airfare (economy class), 3-day-2night hotel accommodation at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel and 2-day Hong Kong Disneyland

park tickets – all for a family of four persons.

To join, shoppers only need

to present PHP 1,000 single receipt purchase from any SM mall tenant dated February

12 to March 13, 2016 at the redemption booth. Any Disney merchandise worth PHP 500

from select SM affiliate stores entitles a customer to one raffle coupon. ePLUS card members will automatically receive two raffle stubs with every minimum purchase of PHP 1,000. The 30 lucky winners will be drawn on March.

Redemption booths are located at the ground floor of SM City Davao-Annex, SM City General Santos, SM City Cagayan de Oro and the upper ground level of SM Lanang Premier.

Treat your family to a summer with Mickey! Shop at SM now to win a magical trip to Hong Kong Disneyland!

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EDGEDAVAO

ENTERTAINMENT

Jennylyn Mercado reveals the state of her home and heart JENNYLYN MERCADO graces the cover of Yes! Magazine’s March issue and welcomes us to her home. The Kapuso actress also shared the status of her heart.

Jennylyn has been on a roll when it comes to her successful romantic comedy films. After three blockbuster movies namely: “English Only, Please” with Derek Ramsay, “The PreNup” with Sam Milby and “#Walang Forever” with Jericho Rosales, the queen of rom-coms is working again on a new film with her “ultimate crush,” John Lloyd Cruz.

Since the Kapuso star is juggling work and being a single mom, she shares in Yes! that her son Alex Jazz is the one keeping her motivated. She revealed that she’s working hard for her cute seven-year-old son’s future.

In Jennylyn’s feature, she also shared her status with former leading man in My Faithful Husband Dennis Trillo. She said that she’s more careful the second time around being with Dennis and she wants to keep everything low-key.

“Ayaw na lang naming

INdulge! A3

Julian Trono overwhelmed with Music Awards nomination

JULIAN TRONO is nominated in the ‘Favorite New Artist’ category alongside Alex Gonzaga, Jason Dy, Jensen and the Flips and The Juans in the ‘2016 Myx Music Awards.’ Julian says that he is overwhelmed to be nominated in the awards show.

“Sobrang overwhelming kasi hindi ko siya inexpect,” he says on an interview.

Julian also shares that it is a big deal for him to be recognized by another network since he’s trying to make it in the music industry.

“Medyo big deal siya sa akin kasi nga it’s with another network and for them to recognize me medyo [good vibes] siya. Yes, I’m trying to make my name in the music industry so I think it’s a good start and okay siya for that career path,” he says.

i-broadcast, kasi ano, e—gusto na lang namin, tahimik na lang.

Gano’n. Kasi ang hirap, e,” said Jennylyn in Yes! Magazine.

Jeepney TV brings back the magic of love in Kathniel’s ‘Got to Believe’

SPREADING LOVE doesn’t end on Valentine’s Day in Jeepney TV.

The throwback cable channel is bringing back the the magic of love with the phenomenal 2013 hit Kathniel teleserye “Got to Believe” starting February 22 (Monday).

The rom-com teleserye helmed by Cathy Garcia-Molina, was one of the highest rating teleseryes and one of the most talked about on social media that helped made Daniel and Kathryn solidify their status as Philippine showbiz’s Teen King and Teen Queen. The finale episode of “Got to Believe” also topped Kantar Media’s most watched programs.

Other must-see shows in Jeepney TV this month include the Angelica Panganiban drama “Rubi” and the

Zanjoe Marudo and Cristine Reyes starrer “Kristine.”

The celebration of love month on Jeepney TV was even jumpstarted by a ‘Feb-Ibig’ concert entitled “Love is in the Air” held last February 13 at the 20th Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Clark, Pampanga.

Amid the spectacular view of glowing hot air

balloons in the night, thousands of festival goers flocked to Jeepney TV’s event and felt the love all around as Bailey May and Ylona Garcia showcased their singing chops while spreading ‘kilig’ at the Clark Airfield grounds.

MOR DJs Cha Cha and Jhai Ho shared relatable ‘hugot’ lines for the jampacked crowd while

OPM icon Jay Durias of Southborder capped the night with a wide array of favorite love songs aside from his group’s heartfelt, acoustic hits.

Let love rule this February only on Jeepney TV with “Got to Believe” weeknights at 8PM with replays at 11PM and 7AM. Jeepney TV aims to showcase wellloved, Pinoy classics throughout the years. It is part of the family of cable channels under Creative Programs, Inc. (CPI), a subsidiary of ABS-CBN. Jeepney TV is available on SkyCable Channel 9, Destiny Cable Analog 41 and Digital 9, and on leading cable operators nationwide.

You may also visit Jeepney TV’s Facebook page at www.facebook. com/JeepneyTV for program schedules and latest happenings.

February 18 – 23, 2016

JOY Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro

PG

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

DEADPOOL Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin R16

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

THE CHOICE/ *THE FOREST Teresa Palmer, Benjamin Walker/ *Natalie Dormer, Eoin Macken PG/*R13

11:45 | 1:50 | 3:55 LFS / *6:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

ZOOTOPIA Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin, Alan Tudyk PG

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

A4 INdulge!

TRAVEL

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URBANISSIMO A4 government offices.

To the North is the St. Mary’s Anglican Cathedral, which is currently the Diocese of West Malaysia and the see of the Bishop of West Malaysia.

To the south of the square is the former National History Museum which used to house a vast collection of historical items and next to it is the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery which I was able to explore.

The Kulala Lumpur City Gallery tells the history of the city of Kuala Lumpur through miniature models aside from various mounted exhibits. The highlight of the exhibits is The Spectacular City Model Show which, through light and sounds, shows the founding of the city, its growth through the ages, as well as future development plans.

I would truly recommend a stop at Merkeka Square to history and architecture buffs alike for an experience that is truly, and only Malaysia.

Intricate scale models of The Spectacular City Model Show.

Merdeka Square from across the Kuala Lumpur river.

A wood carving workshop inside the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery, photos and selfies are highly encouraged.

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14 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

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SM City Davao and SM Lanang Premier cited as Senior Citizen-Friendly Malls

T The Punto de Disembarco in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte

HE Davao City Council recently names SM City Davao and SM Lanang Premier as “Senior Citizen-Friendly Malls.”

Resolution No. 02540-15 Series of 2015, which notes the formal distinction of the two SM Supermalls in Davao City as such, was adopted by a majority vote of all the Members of Sangguniang Panglungsod December of last year. The said distinction came in time for the city’s celebration of the Elderlympics, an annual socio-cultural affair mounted by the Committee on Senior Citizens.

SM Supermalls, through its corporate social responsibility program – SM Cares, has long been committed to the promotion of the welfare of the elderly sector in the society. Apart from offering courtesy lanes for the sector, the malls have programs that encourage the elderly to be well-integrated in the commu-

nity.

Regular workshops on computer literacy, sessions on health and fitness, as well as activities related to arts and culture are conducted in the malls for the benefit of the elderly.

The malls also have a Senior Citizen Employment Program where the elderly members of the community are provided an opportunity to be integrated back into the workforce. In fact, in the previous years, SM City Davao and SM Lanang Premier had employed the elderly as mall greeters and cinema ushers through the assistance of the Davao City Office for Senior Citizens Affairs.

In addition to the programs for the elderly, SM Cares conducts programs aimed at helping other members of the community— women, children and the differently abled. SM Cares also has a committee on sustainability, which manages its programs for the environment.

Smart, InnoPub, Dapitan City in touch with loved ones launch Digital Tourism program Stay abroad with Globe’s ChatPlus

T

HE Punto de Disembarco in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte marks the arrival of national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal in 1892 for his four years of exile in the city. It is built on the site where he is believed to have arrived in Dapitan on board a vessel called SS Cebu on July 17, 1892.

That information, along with the other places where Rizal stayed and worked during his exile, is now made more widely available on mobile devices through the groundbreaking Digital Tourism project of wireless services leader Smart Communications, Inc. and new media startup InnoPub Media.

“Apart from enhancing the experience of travelers, our Digital Tourism project also contributes to the preservation of Filipino heritage and culture. Dapitan is rich in history, and through our mobile app and interactive markers, we are able to help create a

digital version of its stories available to all for free,” said Smart Public Affairs Group Head Ramon R. Isberto.

In Dapitan, Smart and InnoPub worked with the Dapitan City Government to implement Digital Tourism by releasing a free mobile app called Dapitan Guide and installing interactive tourism markers.

“We are very happy and thankful to Smart Communications and InnoPub Media for including Dapitan City, the Shrine City of the Philippine, in this noble undertaking. This will help Dapitan City move to the next level in promotions and marketing. It will also help us improve the experience of our guests,” said Dapitan City Mayor Rosalina Jalosjos.

Dapitan Guide, initially available for Android devices with the iOS version still undergoing pre-release review for the app store, is a comprehensive resource on where to

go and what to do in Dapitan.

It lists the attractions in the city that tourists can visit: from the Rizal Shrine that gave the city its name as the Shrine City of the Philippines, to the plaza that was beautified by the national hero, the relief map of Mindanao that he built to instruct pupils, the amusement park Gloria Fantasyland that is among the country’s biggest, and the famed Dakak Park Beach Resort.

The app also lists places to stay when in Dapitan. It also has a virtual concierge feature that will allow tourists to get in direct contact with the Dapitan City Tourism Office for questions and requests for assistance.

Dapitan Guide is offline-capable. Once installed, users of the app can use it anywhere, even in places without Internet connection.

The interactive tourism markers that Smart, InnoPub, and Dapitan City installed on key tourism sites contain a

quick response or QR code and near-field communications or NFC tags that, when scanned or tapped, trigger the download of more information about a site or structure.

“Apart from our friends and family, the phone is our most important travel companion. It is our map, camera, messaging device, and tourism guide. With Digital Tourism, we make important tourism and historical information more widely available to tourists through these mobile devices,” said Max Limpag, InnoPub Media co-founder.

Digital Tourism is a nationwide campaign by Smart Communications and InnoPub Media to harness mobile technology in the delivery of tourism, cultural, and historical information. It started in Cebu and has expanded to its key tourism towns as well as other provinces like Iloilo, Baguio, Bohol, and Albay. It was given an Anvil Award of Merit in February 2014.

ONY Fernandes, co-founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia, has been recognized by the US-ASEAN Business Council with the Fourth Pillar Award for his extraordinary contribution towards the growth of ASEAN and the US-ASEAN relationship.

The award was presented

by Keith Williams, President & CEO, UL LLC and Chairman, US-ASEAN Business Council, to Fernandes, making him the second recipient after the Administration of US President Barack Obama.

The ASEAN Economic Community Conference 2016 dinner reception was held in San Francisco with key business leaders and government officials from across ASEAN and the US in attendance.

The ASEAN charter speaks to a community comprising three pillars: political security, economic and socio-cultural.

The Fourth Pillar Award is presented to a person or organization representing the “fourth pillar,” a person who has made an extraordinary contribution towards the growth of ASEAN as well as fostering better US-ASEAN relationship, effectively making the foundation of ASEAN stronger through their focus andinvolvement.

“It is a true honor to be recognised by the US-ASEAN Business Council for what we have done as an ASEAN brand, but there is much more to do.

Our hope is for all ten member countries’ governments to cometogether as harmonisation allows for more efficient use of resources, achieve better economies of scale, contribute towards the reduction of unit costs and lead towards faster growth for the region,” Fernandes, who is also a member of the ASEAN Business Club Advisory Council, said.

“The theme of this confer-

ence – Asia’s Best Kept Secret: The ASEAN Economic Community – says it all. ASEAN is a dream and if we put the ASEAN people first, who knows what we can achieve. When you combine all ten member countries into a single market and production base, you are tapping into a community of over 600 millionpeople. The potential this region holds is immense, and as a truly ASEAN brand, we will continue to lobby and spearhead ASEAN integration, especially but not limited to the aviation, travel and tourism industries,” he added.

“I believe it is time for ASEAN to take a bold step towards commonality and standardisation. There is an urgent need of one ASEAN regulator to ensure a unified ASEAN standard.

The current process of relying onconsensus that require approval from all 10 countries should be reviewed so import-

ant initiatives move forward,” Fernandes said.

The AirAsia Group, led by Fernandes and partner Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, has grown into an ASEAN powerhouse with operations connecting all ten ASEAN member countries in addition to providing one of the widest route network across Asia, Australasia and beyond via its longhaul operations.

The US-ASEAN Business Council, founded in 1984, is the premier advocacy organization for US corporations operating within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Council works to elevate the importance of US-ASEAN economic relationship to American and ASEAN public policy makers and business leaders.

The Council works across all ten member countries of ASEAN, representing 152 major US corporations.

N

OT less than a decade ago saw the sending of greeting cards as a means of expressing care and love to loved ones both near and far. Fast forward to today, and love greetings have taken many different forms. The advancements in telecommunications have allowed us to connect with our loved ones through more engaging ways. From simple international voice calls to more complex video greetings, all these are available right at our fingertips.

This love month of February, enjoy all the different forms of communication in one offering.

Globe Telecom offers ChatPlus, an all-in-one bundle that not only gives customers access to their favorite messaging apps but to a generous amount of IDD minutes to the US Mainland and Canada that allow Filipinos to express their love in more endearing ways.

Without the need for a data subscription or a WiFi connection, Globe prepaid and postpaid customers will be able to not only chat but also send photos, video greetings, and make voice and video calls through apps such as Facebook Messenger, Viber, WhatsApp, Google Messenger, Kakao Talk, WeChat, and LINE. The bundle also comes with IDD call minutes to enable international calls from

the Philippines to the US Mainland and Canada. As low as P25 per day, one can enjoy free access to these messaging apps plus 15 IDD minutes for calls. For those opting for a longer subscription and more free IDD minutes, there is also the ChatPlus 299, valid for 30 days with 60 IDD minutes.

As Globe Vice President for Roaming and International Business Coco Domingo says, “through ChatPlus, we are able to provide our customers the ideal means to reconnect with their loved ones abroad especially on significant occasions such as Valentines.

Our customers have the option to reach their friends and family via OTT messaging apps or actual calls through free IDD minutes.

Globe is happy to enable affordable, seamless, and worry-free connectivity for those much-cherished greetings and messages this time of year.”

And to further celebrate this month of love, customers who subscribe to ChatPlus are also eligible to join the Love Chat Raffle Promo with a chance to win P2,500 worth of Sodexo Gift Certificates that one can use in over 8,000 retailers nationwide. Those subscribed to the promo from February 1 to 29, 2015 are automatically eligible to win!

AirAsia’s Fernandes recognized for contribution to ASEAN growth T

Fernandes

VOL. 8 ISSUE 237 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS 15

NBA ROUNDUP Davis scores 59 in Pelicans win, Cavs rout Thunder

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NTHONY Davis scored a career-high 59 points and grabbed 20 rebounds Sunday in one of the NBA’s most epic performances, powering the New Orleans Pelicans over host Detroit 111-106.

On a day when LeBron James powered the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 115-92 rout of Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Davis stole the show with an effort for the ages.

The 22-year-old forward scored eight points in the first quarter, 18 in the second, 14 more in the third and 19 in the fourth quarter with the game still in doubt to produce the most points by any NBA player in a game this season.

“Everybody on the bench was saying, ‘That’s a lot of points. He can score them all, you might as well get 60,’” Davis said. “It’s great to finally score 50. Now that I’ve got that off my shoulders, I can go out and just keep playing.

“We play hard, play great defense, play with a lot of energy. We’re just clicking on all cylinders right now.”

Davis became only the third NBA player since 1983 with 50 points and 20 rebounds in a game, the first since Chris Webber had 51 points and 26 rebounds in 2001. Shaquille O’Neal had a career-high 61 points and 23 rebounds in a 2000 game.

“It’s great to be in the category with those two guys who dominated the game,” Davis said.

Anderson Varejao

Warriors tab Varejao

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HE Golden State Warriors agreed on Sunday night (Monday, Manila time) to a contract with recently released center Anderson Varejao for the rest of the season.

A person with knowledge of the deal confirmed that Varejao will join the Warriors. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the deal.

Yahoo Sports first reported the move.

Varejao had spent all 12 seasons of his NBA career with Cleveland before being dealt last week to Portland in a threeteam trade that sent Channing Frye from Orlando to the Cavaliers. The Trail Blazers immediately cut the Brazilian, leaving him able to sign with any team.

Despite a 49-5 record, the Warriors had a need for another big body to play center. Starter Andrew Bogut missed Saturday’s game with a strained right Achilles and key backup Festus Ezeli is out until at least late March with an injured left knee.

Coach Steve Kerr has few other proven options up front with Marreese Speights being inconsistent all season, James Michael McAdoo out since December with a sprained toe and rookie Kevon Looney having barely played all season.

TOP GUN. RR Garcia (8) of Phoenix Petroleum tries to elude defenders Chris Newsome and Bryan Faundo of Meralco Bolts. PBA Images

Phoenix star Garcia wants import to be intimidating R Garcia rued Phoenix’s defensive miscues that proved costly in the 9087 loss to Meralco in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday.

The Fuel Masters lost an early 12-point lead, but stayed within striking distance of the

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Bolts, only for them to commit defensive lapses that did them in.

Garcia particularly mentioned import Kenny Adeleke, who despite collecting 21 boards, two blocks, and two steals on top of 13 points, wasn’t intimidating enough to

discourage the Bolts from attacking the paint.

“Lapses lang din sa defense, lalo na yung import, sa kanya talaga umaatake yung players ng Meralco,” Garcia said. “Siguro di kami nakapag-adjust.”

Garcia, who registered a team-high 15 points – although

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neiro, clocked 6.70 seconds in the final to finish third place behind gold medalist Hassan Taftian of Iran (6.56) and compatriot Reza Ghasemi (6.66).

The Fil-American sprinter set a Games record when he clocked 6.57 seconds in the semifinal round before Taftian broke it in the finals.

Meanwhile, pole vaulter EJ Obiena is also seeking a berth in the Olympic Games through Doha meet.

Obiena, who recently saw action in the UAAP for University of Santo Tomas, is looking to surpass the Olympic standard of 5.70 meters to qualify for Rio.

ticipants undergo team drills and get to show off their team and individual skills in the final scrimmages. The top performers in the camp will be selected to represent the region in the National Training Camp that will be held in Manila on April 22 to 24.

The Camp will be run by Jr. NBA /Jr. WNBA Coach Craig Brown together with other Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA coaches from presenting partner Alaska.

Boys and girls aged 10 to 14 are encouraged to take advantage of the NBA’s international youth development program where they can learn not only the proper basketball skills but also the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA S.T.A.R values of Sports-

manship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude and Respect.

The camp will give participants the chance to join a learn-and-achieve camp that will test their physical and basketball smarts through vitals tests, NBA style skills tests and basketball drills.

The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA National Training Camp is the third phase of the Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA program where 10 Jr. NBA and five Jr. WNBA All-Stars will be chosen from among the top participants in the regional selection camps.

They will embark on a unique, overseas NBA experience together with fellow Jr. NBA AllStars from Southeast Asia later this year.

he took 22 attempts to reach his total – also lamented one offensive lapse Adeleke committed when the Nigerian import failed to catch his pass in a pick-and-roll play where they could’ve tied the game.

“Hindi in-expect ng import na papasahan sya,” Garcia said.

“Desisyon ko yun eh.”

“Yung play talaga para sa akin pag libre ako,” he added. “(Pero) humelp yung import ng Meralco kaya dinrop pass ko sa kanya.”

“Siguro ‘di niya inexpect na papasahan siya. Nabitawan niya eh.”

Fil-am sprinter Cray takes Daquis lifts RC Cola over F2 Logistics bronze in Asian Indoors R

RIC Cray started 2016 by taking the bronze medal in the 60-meter run of the 2016 Asian Indoor Athletics Championship in Doha, Qatar.

The 27-year-old Cray, so far the lone official Filipino who has qualified for this year’s Olympics in Rio de Ja-

Jr. NBA, WNBA comes to Davao Feb. 27-28

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R. NBA/JR. WNBA PHILIPPINES 2016 presented

by Alaska swings south to Davao for its second Regional Selection Camp of the year.

Young cagers in Mindanao aged 10-14 years old are invited to attend the two-day camp on February 27 and 28 at the Ateneo de Davao from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Registration and participation are absolutely free. On the first day, participants undergo vitals tests and skills challenges where their scores in vitals tests and individual skills challenges will determine if they will return the following day to undergo more basketball drills and team exercises. On the second day, the remaining par-

C Cola Army put newcom- (10-4), the duo of Daquis, 28, and er F2 Logistics in its place Gonzaga, 24, led the attack as on Saturday, running away Army rained down more spikes with a 25-22, 25-12, 25-19 win (51-27) in a match that took an to stay unbeaten in the Philippine hour and 23 minutes to finish.

“So far wala ako masabi, maSuper Liga Invitational Conference at the Malolos Sports and saya ako kasi maganda tinatakbo ng team, sila (younger players) Convention Center.

Returning Rachel Anne ‘yung pumapalit doon sa mga Daquis led the team with 17 beterano namin. Nadadala na nila points while Honey Royse Tubino ang pagiging sundalo nila, kung and skipper Jovelyn Gonzaga add- anong trabaho ginagawa arawed 13 and 11 markers, respective- araw,” said de Guzman.

Pau Soriano and former ly, as Army put a fitting follow-up to its opening-game victory over Petron star Aby Marano each had nine points for F2 Logistics, while Foton, 25-17, 25-9, 25-22.

The veteran-laden squad, Cebuana spiker Danika Gendrauli whose age avanerage is 28, and Therese Veronas added seven proved they can be fine even markers apiece. without head coach Kungfu Reyes, who is with the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses for their match in the UAAP. “So far nagawa namin (ang game plan), na-apply namin ang pinractice namin kahapon, ‘yung scrimmage kung paano kami maghahanda sa F2 kasi alam namin na malakas sa sila sa opensa at depensa,” said Army assistant coach Rico de Guzman.

Although the Lady Troopers were not as solid up front as the Cargo Mov- TOP SCORER. Rachel Anne Daquis led Army ers registered more blocks with 17 points.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 8 ISSUE 237 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

HOT START

HOT HANDS. Francis Gabriel Escandor fired 45 points on opening day for EsdevcoGenesis displaying a wide range of shooting arsenal.

Lean Daval Jr.

Escandor torches 45 as Esdevco-Genesis drubs Premia in opener

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

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njb@edgedavao.net

EFENDING champion Esdevco-Genesis took off from where it left in the last tournament, unleashing its deadly firepower to waylay a hapless Premia Packing Corporation side, 82-61, in the opener of the 2016 Escandor Group of Companies basketball tournament at the Davao City Recreation Center on Sunday.

Reigning Most Valuable Player Francis Gabriel Escandor poured in a personal best 45 points in an all-game brilliance that saw him consistently fire 12 points in the first, 6 in the second, 18 in the third and 9 in the final period—a performance that typified the determination of the defending champs for another title run.

The six-foot-two Escandor, a standout of Ateneo de Davao University, hit three from downtown and the rest mostly on lane incursions where he was practically unstoppable, display-

ing newfound confidence and dexterity with both hands.

Glenn Escandor backed up his son with 17 points after ripping the cords from rainbow country five times in another sterling shooting day.

The Realtors came out firing from all cylinders right at

the starting buzzer to take a huge 24-4 lead after the first period. That practically broke the backs of the Packers who were never really in the ballgame after being hounded all game long with the pressing defense of the Realtors.

The tournament formally opened with the traditional

parade of teams with no less than Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas 11 regional director Regino “Boy” Cua as special guest.

In other games, White House defeated The Royal Mandaya Hotel 76-72 while DASIA massacred KADSIA 64-37.

CEREMONIAL TIPOFF. SBP 11 regional director Regino “Boy” Cua tosses the ceremonial ball during the opening program of the 2016 Escandor Group of Companies basketball tournament at the Almendras Gym. Also in photo is Glenn Escandor, president and CEO of Escandor Group of Companies. Lean Daval Jr.