Edge Davao 6 Issue 39 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

DOT 11 RELEASES LIST Of 12 RESORTS ExEmPTED By EJ Dominic Fernandez

he election liquor ban which should have begun at 12 midnight last night, five days ahead of Monday’s mid-term elections, was halted last night by the Supreme Court.

mEETING THE GIANT. Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) executive director Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr., a former football player from Davao City, meets Chinese NBA legend Yao ming, all of 7-foot 6 inches, during the visiting Shanghai Sharks team’s courtesy call to the PSC.

Hours before the supposed extended ban, the Department of Tourism regional office issued a list of 12 resort establishments which applied for and were issued exemption to the ban. However, only foreign tourists are allowed to drink in the such establishments during the period. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) liquor ban period is from May 9 to May 13. Howev-

Shorter Liquor ban SC REINSTATES 2-DAY BAN FPAGE 2

er, the Supreme Court on Wednesday blocked the implementation of an extended liquor ban from May 9 to 11. This restores the original two-day ban on the eve of the elections and on election day itself. The 12 resorts accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) are BlueJaz Beach Resort; Camp Holiday Resort & Recreation Area; Eden Nature Park and Resort; Golden

FSHORTER LIQUOR BAN, 10

DAYS TO ELECTION DAY

EYES ON THE POLLS By The Edge Davao Staff IN THE REGION

• The five-day liquor ban implemented by

the Commission on Elections (Comelec) was stopped by the Supreme Court and reinstated the 2-day ban. • The 12 resorts accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) exempted from the liquor ban where only foreign tourists are allowed to drink. DAVAO CITY • Pastor Apollo Quiboloy will officially announce today the senatorial candidates that he will endorse for the May 13 Elections. DAVAO DEL SUR • Team Cagas (Gov. Dodo, Rep. Marc and Mrs. Didi) skipped the peace covenant signing initiated by Diocese of Digos and Comelec. DAVAO DEL NORTE Most of the resorts exempted from the 5-day liquor are found in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) in Davao del Norte. DAVAO ORIENTAL • Mati City vice mayor Carlo Rabat, seeking the mayoralty post against cousin and incumbent mayor Michelle Rabat, showed documents of rice purchases in recent months by the LGU which he hinted his rival is using to distribute to constituents and win votes • Mati City mayor Michelle Rabat denies the allegation of his cousin saying it is mere black propaganda COMPOSTELA VALLEY • Compostela Valley will use 34 Broadband Global Area Networks (BGAN) units in remote areas for a faster transmission of election returns on the Elections Day. • Military and police authorities in Compostela Valley Province have assured their readiness to handle security matters.

2 THE BIG NEWS

READY fOR THE BAN. An establishment posts a “Liqour Ban” sign at its entrance door as compliance to the fiveday election liquor ban implemented by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) which will start today leading to

VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

the polls day on May 13, 2013. The prohibition aims to help prevent alcohol-induced crimes and incidents during preparations for the local and national mid-term elections. Lean Daval Jr.

Bian looks beyond polls, ready for reconciliation By EJ Dominic Fernandez

“T

HE first thing that I would do is to extend a hand for reconciliation and friendship.” Showing her optimism five days before Election Day on Monday, poker-faced Davao City second district congressional candidate Joji Ilagan-Bian’s told media during her press conference held at iChef, Bonifacio Street yesterday that she would win the race. She said this after presenting some of her supporters who testi-

fied that they were harassed by supporters of Bian’s opponent, incumbent Mylene Garcia. One woman who introduced herself only as “Cherry” of Anak Pinay said that one of Garcia’s supporters told her, “pwede taka patyon sa atubangan ni Bian, tan-awon nato unsay mabuhat nya ana (I can kill you in front of Bian, let’s see what she can do about it).” Also in the same forum, a tricycle driver named “Ebbert” who

showed a bump on his head which he said he got when he was hit by one of Garcia’s supporters because he had posters of Bian on his tricycle. Edge Davao contacted Rep. Mylene Garcia but she refused to comment pending details on Bian’s press conference. Bian said, “for so long a time the people of our district have been deprived of a government that feels and knows their feelings and needs.” She said she was moved by the

“intensity” of the people’s acceptance from all areas she has campaigned in the second district. Bian urges everyone to vote and be a part of “this historic moment” in changingthe political landscape of the second district which has been “dominated” by the Garcias for 40 years. She is also thankful for the support she is getting from council bet Diosdado Mahipus, Angelo “Apo” Aportadera, Laarni Calixijan, and Richy Nalagon.

EDGEDAVAO

SC reinstates 2-day liqour ban

HERE will still be a liquor ban for the elections, but it won’t be as long as the Commission on Elections wanted it to be. This, as the Supreme Court on Wednesday blocked the implementation of an extended liquor ban from May 9 to 11. This restores the original two-day ban on the eve of the elections and on election day itself. The halt order was issued amid several petitions filed by liquor companies, Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te has been quoted in reports as saying. This is the latest Comelec ruling bucked by the Supreme Court. It has earlier issued a halt order on further cutting airtime limits for political ads and its decision on party-list groups the

poll body barred from the elections. Sought for comment by on the Supreme Court order, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez told Yahoo! Southeast Asia via text: “I can’t right now.” The high court has however directed the poll body to submit its comment on the stop order npot later than 5 p.m. of May 9. An extended nationwide liquor ban will be implemented starting Thursday in an effort to reduce alcohol-induced violence during the May 13 polls. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) intended to push to five days the two-day liquor ban it has ordered in its December resolution. Its decision was based

FSC REINSTATES, 10

Pastor Quiboloy bares senatorial picks today

P COmE fLY WITH mE. A boy tries to fly a kite which is made of a local candidate’s poster yesterday at Sta. Ana Elementary School on R. Magsaysay Avenue in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

ASTOR Apollo C. Quiboloy will officially announce his own list of favored senatorial candidates five days ahead of the May 13 Elections at 11 am today at Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) studio, Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) Compound, Buhangin. The charismatic pastor, however, will not endorse local candidates. In the 2010 elections, Quiboloy endorsed presidential bet Gibo Teodoro and vice presidential bet Mar Roxas, none of whom won. Previously, Quiboloy also endorsed

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Erap Estrada who both won in 2004 and 1998, respectively. The Kingdom of Jesus movement headed by Quiboloy, claims to have six million members. It is not known how many of the entire population of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ are registered voters. Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) earlier announced its choices for local elective positions with reelectionists Karlo Nograles for Davao City’s first district, Mylene Garcia for the second district and Isidro Ungab for the third. EJF

SUBURBIA

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 •THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

Baganga seniors up and about B

AGANGA, Davao Oriental -“Presently, there are 223 senior citizens here who are qualified and are receiving the P500 monthly Social Pension from DSWD,” said Gemma Dela Cruz, DSWD Team Leader of Davao Oriental. Recently, DSWD released the social pension here for 27 senior citizens. “We are conducting today’s payout for the 27 grantees who failed to claim their pension during the last scheduled payout,” Dela Cruz said. Despite the rain, they came, hailing from different barangays via tricycle which is the most common form of shuttle for villagers here. Some were escorted by their children, others by their granddaughters, the rest by friends and neighbors. From Barangay Mahan-ub, Jacobina Dadong, 77, is still able to support herself by cultivating camote and corn. Crispiniano Dela Salde, 78, of Barangay Lucod, is luckier as he got the support of his children when his coconut trees were felled by ‘Pablo’. For Teodita Ongod, 86, from Barangay Poblacion, she uses her pension to buy milk. “Maayo man akong panglawas. Wala koy maintenance nga tambal (My health is fine. I don’t take maintenance medicine).” Eighty-one year-old Lucia Alfonso of Barangay Lucod buys biscuits and milk out of her monthly pension. “In Baganga, we have 2445 senior citizens who are members of the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs

Social pensioners Jacobina Dadong, 77. (OSCA) but we only have 233 with ages 77 and above who qualify for the social pension program,” revealed Emda B. Batingana who heads the OSCA here since November 2012. Batingana of Barangay Lambajon is 66 years old and a retired teacher of Baganga National High School. She lost her two-storey house to ‘Pablo’. As OSCA head, Batingana calls for meetings

every two months with the 24 chapter presidents for the 18 barangays in Baganga. “I also convene chapter presidents after every Board Meeting in Mati to share updates and inform them of latest developments relative to the welfare of older persons. Board meetings are attended by municipal OSCA Heads and municipal federation presidents. Eleynor Mulato is our fed-

eration president here.” “Just recently I made a proposal for the 500 new applicants for the social pension program. It’s a P2 million proposal for the Bottom-Up Budgeting (BUB) which I submitted to the Municipal Development Council. The P2 million would be the counterpart contribution of the municipal local government,” Batingana explained.

She said, “senior citizens here usually buy medicine, milk, rice and other basic needs out of their social pension.” The Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Program addresses the clamor for social protection to the most vulnerable as well as backs the full implementation of RA 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010. The monthly stipend of

P500 which took effect January 2011, augments the daily subsistence and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens. Potential recipients of the Social Pension Program or RA 9995 are non-pensioners who are 77 years old and up, with no regular support from the family. For 2013, Davao Region has 13251 total beneficiaries.DSWD/ Carmela Cadigal-Duron

watchdog Kontra Daya urged residents here and in the neighboring areas to be more vigilant against possi-

ble attempts by candidates and political camps to buy their votes in cash or in other forms.

Pastor Anthony Huevos, Kontra Daya co-convenor, said reports of rampant vote-buying activities usual-

ly emerge during the last leg or final days of the campaign period as they had observed in past elections. The supposed vote-buying schemes, he pointe out, could be in the form of cash, rice or food packs and other basic goods. Speculations earlier came out that some candidates in the area had been “buying votes” at P300 to P500 per voter. Huevos advised voters to refuse such offers and reject the candidates of political camps or parties that will attempt to buy their support. He urged voters to report to them any form of vote-buying, cheating and possible violent activities related to the elections that they might witness or encounter. “It will depend on the voters’ conscience if they decide to accept them or not. But it’s important for our voters to realize that they must really choose the right candidate and not get swayed by offers of any compensation from politicians,” he said. Citing their group’s on-

going monitoring, Huevos said certain parties have made promises to some voters that they will give out rice and food packs days before the May 13 midterm national and local elections. He did not identify the political camp that made such offer but noted that “both parties” were supposedly preparing for such dubious acts. Two major political camps here have been wooing local voters for control of the city hall and the first congressional district of South Cotabato, which covers this city. Incumbents Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio and South Cotabato (1st District) Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr. are seeking reelection under the administration-backed Liberal Party-Achiever’s with Integrity Movement (LPAIM). They are being challenged by top city councilor Ronnel Rivera and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao’s younger brother, Apopong barangay chair Rogelio, of the People’s Champ Movement-United Nationalist Alliance (PCM-UNA).

Vote-buying doesn’t have to be cash, warns watchdog

ENERAL SANTOS CITY– With less than a week left before the May 13 polls, election

fIRST RIDE. Residents of New Israel welcome the first pair to experience riding the longest zipline in Asia with cheers during the opening of the two 1.3-kilometer and 1-kilometer ziplines at New Israel Eco-adventure Park on Makilala, North Cotabato over the weekend. Lean Daval Jr.

VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

‘EL SHADDAI VOTE’

Bro. mike endorses Bam, Jun E

L Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde included two more administration bets in his list of must-support candidates for the May 13 polls. In a briefing inside his Makati City office, the charismatic leader said he is committed to support the senatorial bids of Team PNoy’s former Senator Ramon “Jun” Magsaysay Jr and Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV. “Unang una kasi kilala ko na itong si Jun. And Bam, I have talked to him based on his experience sa kanyang private activities. His principles ay ayon din sa aming paninindigan,” Velarde told reporters. “I decided to include them with the permission of White Vote’s council. Kasi sa White Vote Movement, meron kaming discerning council. Sila ang pumipili sa lahat (ng kandidato). Ako (ay) announcer lang nila,” he said. Velarde added Magsaysay and Aquino both met White Vote Movement’s standards, which require politicians to have “conscience, competence, and commitment” before

receiving the group’s endorsment. The White Vote Movement, a group composed of 46 Christian organizations including Velarde’s El Shaddai, earlier supported the senatorial bids of 10 candidates. It includes re-electionist Senators Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, as well as former Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Richard Gordon. The Christian group also supports Zambales Rep. Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay, San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito-Estrada, former Las Pinas Rep. Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay and constitutional expert Marwil Llasos. Since White Vote Movement’s endorsement list was only made up of 10 candidates, Velarde explained he suggested the inclusion of Magsaysay and Aquino. He assured that the Christian group has committed to support the two. The charismatic leader clarified that they re-

CAmPAIGNING IN DAVNOR. Presidential sister Kris Aquino recently visited Davao del Norte’s second district to show her support to the candidacy of reelectionist Rep. Anton Lagdameo and to campaign for Team PNoy quired all 12 candidates to sign a document promising they would commit to vote against legislations that will destroy Filipino family and life

like divorce, same- sex marriage and abortion. “We agreed that we should not be stuck up in the RH Bill. There are so many issues concerning

ENDORSERS BUT NOT VOTERS. Coco Martin andJulia Montes (left), Sara Geronimo (middle) and Carmina Villaroel (right).

Stars that endorse but don’t vote

ONSIDERING the clout and exposure of the country’s most popular celebrities, big companies place millions from their advertising money to a personality who can best represent their brands. Same goes during the election season. Others scramble to get Kris Aquino’s endorsement, while some with deep pockets or good platforms to get the support of other showbiz royalties. But the million-dollar question: Do these celebrities actually vote? Some of them don’t, apparently. Using the Precinct Finder developed by the Comelec (Commission on Elections), Yahoo! Philippines found no related registered voters when it typed in the real full names of Sarah Geronimo, Coco Martin and

Julia Montes. The three Kapamilya stars support senatorial candidate Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara. The name of actress-TV host Carmina Villaroel, supporter of Senate hopeful Grace Poe, is not included in the Comelec’s voters list. Sexy Kapuso actress Sam Pinto, who appeared in San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito’s political ads and several sorties, is also not a registered voter. Meanwhile, presidential sister and potential 2016 election bet Kris Aquino is a registered voter of Makati City. Kris Aquino joins the last wave of the campaign period to support re-electionist senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero. Another Chiz’s endorser, Vic Sotto, is a registered voter in Brgy. Ugong, Pasig City. Kapuso actor Dingdong Dantes, endorser

of senatorial candidate Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino and Buhay Partylist, votes in Quezon City. (Celebs’ real names: Sarah Geronimo - Sarah Asher Tuazon Geronimo; Coco Martin - Rodel Luis Cortez Nacianceno; Vic Sotto - Marvic Castelo Sotto; Kris Aquino - Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino; Dingdong Dantes - Jose Sixto Raphael Dantes III; Julia Montes - Mara Hautea Montes Schnittka; Carmina Villaroel - Maria Carmina Muniz Villaroel; Sam Pinto - Samuelle Lynne Acosta Pinto) Coco is after the advocacy The Aurora representative, meanwhile, denied reports that Coco’s endorsement has a P35-million price tag and added that his campaign for quality education won Juan dela Cruz star’s support.

But even before the elections are held on Monday, Team PNoy spokesperson Federico Romero “Miro” Quimbo admitted that Coco no longer personally campaigns for Angara because the star allegedly gets insecure in the presence of the politician. Nothing wrong Some may argue that though they make time to attend sorties and shoot political advertisements, their erratic and often busy schedule didn’t permit them to register when the Comelec held registration from April 1, 2011 to October 31, 2012. However, in a text message sent to Yahoo! Philippines, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez clarified that “you don’t have to be a voter to endorse anyone.” (Yahoo! Philippines)

senatorial candidate Grace Poe. Lagdameo’s spouse Ms. Dawn Zulueta also joined the motorcade which snaked through the streets of Panabo City. family and life like the pending divorce law in Congress, same sex marriage, abortion, etc,” Velarde said. “That will eventually

affect Filipino family because we believe that the RH law is the first step to the destruction of Filipino family,” he added. (ph. yahoo.com)

Pacquiao allies nabbed

ENERAL SANTOS CITY – Vigilant villagers caught 10 political supporters of boxing icon and Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao were arrested Tuesday night for destroying the campaign posters of Liberal Party-Achievers with Integrity Movement (LP-AIM) here. Torn LP-AIM posters were stuffed inside a closed Kia van and a multicab when vigilant villagers in Purok Guadalupe, Conel discovered it late Tuesday afternoon. Conel village chair Butch Santos told reporters that a Kia van with plate number XGV-412 sustained an engine breakdown around 4:00 p.m. in Purok Guadalupe and a multicab with plate number MDX535 came to the rescue. “They were unloading torn posters of LP-AIM from

Kia Van to a multicab when local residents noticed them. They were accosted by vigilant villagers and the incident was immediately brought to my attention,” Santos said. Santos sought assistance from policemen manning the Conel Police Outpost who brought the vehicles and the 10 suspects, including a minor, to the General Santos City Police Headquarters. Santos claimed that he had received information that the Peoples’ Champ Movement (PCM) of Sarangani Cong. Manny Pacquiao and mayoral aspirant Ronnel Rivera has dangled a P6,000 incentive for every sack of torn posters of the other camp. Pacquiao’s younger brother, Rogelio, is vying for a congressional seat in the South Cotabato 1st District. By Aquiles Z. Zonio

TORN POSTERS. Campaign posters were found stuffed inside the 54 sacks loaded on Kia van and multicab allegedly hired by Sarangani Cong. Manny Pacquiao and mayoral aspirant Ronnel Rivera. Aquiles Z. Zonio

5 THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

DCWD employees rehab Malagos watershed

DCWD employees listen intently as Engr. Lorna T. Maxino, watershed management chief of the Environment and Watershed Protection Division, relates the status of Malagos watershed.

N time for the Earth Month celebration, 24 employees of Davao City Water District planted 60 Bamboo and Malobago seedlings at the riverbank of Gumalang Creek during the first batch of Employees Tree Planting last April 30 at the Malagos watershed reservation. The second batch is slated this June during the Environment Month celebration. The Employees Tree Planting is an annual activity that allows DCWD employees to appreciate the very core of their operations since the watersheds replenish the groundwater where majority of Davao City’s water come from. The activity also gives the em-

ployees the opportunity to contribute to DCWD’s efforts to save and rehabilitate these watersheds. “Of the eight watersheds in the city, Malagos, Mt. Talomo-Lipadas and Mt. Tipolog-Tamugan watersheds replenish our groundwater sources. That is why caring for these watersheds is caring for life in Davao itself considering that water is a necessity we all cannot live without,” acting general manager Edwin V. Regalado explaining why DCWD has always considered caring for the watersheds of Davao City as an integral part of its operations. The water utility is known to advocate multi-sectoral participation in environmental

protection. That is why, aside from the employees tree planting, DCWD has been instigating projects that promote environmental protection while partnering with the youth, women, business and labor sectors, non-government organizations, government agencies, among others. These projects include the Adopt-a-Site project which was very instrumental in helping DCWD completely rehabilitate the 536 hectares of land inside Mt. Talomo-Lipadas watershed in 2013; community organizing; information, education, communication and advocacy campaigns; and linkaging and coordination. (Jovana T. Duhaylungsod)

Inflation eases to 2.6 percent S

LOWER price increases of food, electricity, and petroleum brought inflation down to 2.6 percent in April 2013, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). “The average inflation rate for the first four months of 2013 settled at the low-end of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC)’s inflation target of 3.0 to 5.0 percent for 2013,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan. Headline inflation decelerated anew in April 2013 after posting at 3.2 percent in the previous month and at 3.0 percent a year ago. “Food inflation eased to 2.1 percent in April 2013 from 2.8 percent in the previous month as most food commodity items posted slower annual price increments relative to the previous month, owing to better conditions in the supply of food products,” the Cabinet official said.

These food items include fish (2.1% vs. 4.9% in March 2013); rice (1.4% vs. 1.6%); corn (5.3% vs. 5.7%); and milk, cheese and eggs (2.3% vs. 2.8%). Also, the price index of non-alcoholic beverages moderated from 3.6 percent in the previous month to 2.8 percent in April 2013. As for non-food items, price indices of electricity, gas and other fuels (-1.5% from -0.8%) and transportation related commodities (-0.7% from 0.5%) also declined in April 2013. “The reduction in prices of these commodities can be attributed to lower prices of domestic petroleum products during the period,” said Balisacan, who is also NEDA Director-General. The recorded price decline of unleaded gasoline (-8.2%), kerosene (-9.9%), diesel (-11.2%) and household Liquefied Petroleum Gas or LPG (-11.6%) April 2013 partly reflected the reduced price of Dubai crude (-8.3%) in the inter-

national market. “The international crude oil prices declined after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reduced its growth forecast for world oil consumption in 2013 by 0.9 percent,” he said. Furthermore, electricity prices also dropped as the Manila Electric Company or MERALCO reported another reduction in generation charges in April 2013, amounting to a yearon-year decline of 4.9 percent (-PhP0.27/kWh) due to a still-depressed cost of supplies. Meanwhile, headline inflation in the National Capital Region (NCR) eased to 1.7 percent in April 2013, lower by 20 basis points (bps) compared to 1.9 percent in March 2013 and 2.5 percent in April 2012. Also, the inflation rate in areas outside NCR fell to 2.8 percent in April 2013, equivalent to an 80 bps decline from previous month’s 3.6 percent.

6 THE ECONOMY Stat Watch

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

5.4 4th Qtr 2012

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

6.8 4th Qtr 2012

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

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

8. Interest Rates 4/

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

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

P 40.67 Feb 2013

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

6,242.7 Jan 2013

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

132.4 Feb 2013

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.4 Feb 2013

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

3.8 Feb 2013

16. Visitor Arrivals

352,438 Nov 2012

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

20.9% Jan 2013

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

7.1% Jan 2013

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2012-February 2013) Month Average December November October September August July June May April March February January

2013

2012

2011

40.67 40.73

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

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

VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

DA 12 pushes harmonization of corn, palay production data L

OCAL government units (LGUs) and bureaus under the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 12 have agreed to harmonize their data on the region’s palay and corn production in a bid to provide more accurate figures on the area’s grains output. Amalia Jayag-Datukan, DA Region 12 executive director, said Tuesday they have initiated discussions with officials of local government agriculture offices and selected agencies and bureaus under DA-12 to help set some strategies that would improve the gathering and processing of grains-related data in the region. “We’re looking at coming up with a common data regarding our palay and corn production,” she said. Region 12, which is also known as the Soccsksargen Region, comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato as well as the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato. Datukan said among those who joined the discussions were the city, municipal and provincial agriculturist in the region as well as officials of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the Bureau of Agricultural Statis-

tics (BAS). The official said it’s important for the region to have a harmonized and accurate grains production data or statistics to avoid possible confusion and ensure that they reflect the real status of the area and the situation on the ground. She said such move will help them determine whether the agency’s programs and projects for the palay and corn sector are implemented properly and actually helping local farmers. During the discussions, she said the group recommended to BAS the separation of production data for upland, irrigated lowland and rainfed lowland. Datukan said they noted that the region’s average yield per hectare for palay has come out quite low due to the consolidated data. Owing to this, she said the group pushed for the creation of a review team composed of representatives from DA, NIA, NFA, BAS, PhilRice, provincial agriculture offices, provincial cluster federations, provincial federation of irrigator’s association presidents and the regional agriculture and fisheries council that will study the available data and the current state of palay and corn production within the region. A report released by BAS cited that the region’s average palay production last year reached

3.67 MT. In 2012, BAS noted that Region 12’s total palay output reached 1.27 million MT or a rice sufficiency rating of 128 percent. The region ranks fifth among the country’s 17 regions in terms of palay yield and accounts for

about 7 percent of the national harvest of 18.03 million MT. Region 12 remained as Mindanao’s rice granary, producing about one-third of the island’s total palay production that reached 3.98 million MT last year.[PNA] LAP/AVE

24% higher than the PhP8.3 billion revenue in the first quarter of 2012. The growth was brought about by the 35% increase in fuel sales volume during the year. The surge in fuel sales volume

in 2013 was driven primarily by the Company’s continuously expanding retail station network. After ending 2012 with 300 stations, the Company’s network reached 325 stations as of March 31, 2013. Of these 325 stations,

198 are based in Mindanao, 31 in Visayas and 96 in Luzon. At the same time, sales to commercial accounts, primarily to fishing, mining, power and transportation sectors, registered a continuous significant growth during the year. The Company’s net income increased 5% to P224.6 million from P212.9 the same period last year, improving Earnings per share to P0.23 from P0.22. To further increase its retail station visits and drop-in rate, the Company continues to roll out stations with locator spaces. Business locators in Phoenix stations include restaurants, convenience stores, money remittance centers, car servicing shops, bank ATMs, and other establishments. Phoenix Petroleum increased its market share from 5.5% in 2011 to around 6% in 2012, excluding the LPG and Export sectors. Phoenix Petroleum is the No. 1 independent and fastest growing oil company today with an expanding network of operations nationwide. It is engaged in the business of trading refined petroleum products and lubricants, operation of oil depots, and storage facilities, shipping/logistics and allied services.

Davao by the numberS For the 1st quarter of 2013, Davao City local government posted

P827.28 million net income, an increase of

39.47 percent from the figures recorded over the same period in 2012. Source: city AccountAnt’S office

Phoenix Petroleum Q1 revenue grows 24%

ublicly-listed leading independent oil company Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. (PNX.PS) announced today that its consolidated Revenue for the first quarter of 2013 increased to PhP10.3 billion, or

ON DISPLAY. A man scans an array of knockoff sunglasses on display at the sidewalk along Crooked Road in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr. as of May 2013

Cebu Pacific Daily Zest Air Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Philippine Airlines Daily Philippine Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun Philippine Airlines Daily Cebu Pacific Daily Cebu Pacific Thu

Cebu Pacific

Tue/Wed//Sat

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

5J965 / 5J968

EDGEDAVAO

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

13:35

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

Manila-Davao-Manila

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EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 •THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

NATION/WORLD 7

No death, no gas leak in Petron refinery L

IMAY, Bataan-- An official of the Petron Bataan Refinery (PBR) on Tuesday clarified that there was no explosion, no poisonous gas leak and no one died at the former Bataan Refinery Corporation here. News about the explosion in the biggest oil refinery in the country and the death of two or more workers spread like wildfire through text messages in the province. This was aggravated by reports that workers were allegedly told to leave the refinery in Barangay Alangan here. Edgardo Ruiz, PBR community relations officer, admitted that they, too, have received many such news from as far as Dinalupihan town. We vehemently denied those news because it is impossible to explode because we have shut down the operations and on regular maintenance,

Ruiz said. He said they could not understand where such news came from. We suspected that the news probably came from those contractual employees who were laid off, he said. The community relations officer among the workers laid off were laborers under the refinery’s contractors. Ruiz said there was only a minor oil spill in the refinery but was immediately cordoned off and the workers told to go out for their safety. He said the workers were told to leave the compound at about 7:45 a.m. Monday but back to work at 9:00 a.m. Ruiz said the refinery was on a 45-day shutdown but already preparing for start-up next week. The minor oil spill was not related to the shutdown, Ruiz added. (PNA)

SURVIVOR. Albay Governor Joey Salceda(right) with 32-year-old Sabine Strohberger of Austria, one of the 27 climbers at Mayon Volcano who survived the phreatic explosion on Tuesday morning (May 7, 2013).(PNA photo Bicol Bureau)

Comelec says Mayon eruption will not affect results of nat’l positions

ANILA-- The Commission on Elections said the eruption of Mayon volcano will not affect the scheduled senatorial elections on May 13. Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes, Jr. said the incident would not affect the counting of the votes for the national positions, but it might have an effect in

some municipalities in Bicol. “I doubt whether the senatorial race will be affected by the votes from a few municipalities,” he said. However, he admitted that they have not received a report on the effect of the eruption on the preparations there. “I have yet to receive a report if it’s going to

have an effect…probably some municipalities at best. Not the whole of Albay. It will depend on the force of the eruption,” he added. Brillantes noted that they may postpone the proclamation of the winners in local electoral positions in areas affected. “We either postpone the elections or cancel

it altogether depending on the final results. If the congressional and mayoralty races are affected, we might not have a proclamation,” he added. On Tuesday, a minor explosion hit the volcano killing at least four persons, but according to experts they do not expect more eruptions. (PNA)

COLORS Of mINDANAO. 30 well-known designers are participating in the Flores De Mayo 2013 The Colors of Mindanao. Photos show models wearing their creations in the annual Flores de Mayo at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall on Sunday (May 05, 2013). (PNA photos by Carmina Ciara Santillan-OJT)

4 Pinoy United Nations peacekeepers abducted

NITED NATIONS-Four UN peacekeepers, all from the Philippines, were abducted in the Golan Heights on Tuesday by an armed group believed to be the same one to have abducted 21 Filipino peacekeepers two months ago, the United Nations said. The abduction took place earlier on Tuesday “near Position 86,” a UN spokeswoman told Xinhua. “Efforts to secure their release are underway,” UN officials said. This the second abduction of UN peacekeepers on the Golan Heights over the past two months. In March, 21 Filipino peacekeepers from the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) were abducted but later released. UNDOF has been in the Golan Heights since 1974, it has about 1, 000 troops and civilian staff, who are from such countries as Austria, India, the Philippines, Morocco and Moldova. “We can confirm that four peacekeepers from the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) were detained today by an unidentified armed group while they were patrolling in the area of separation close to Position 86, near Al Jamla,” UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said later at a daily news brief-

ing here. “The four are from the Philippine battalion. Efforts are underway to secure their release,”he said. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon “strongly condemns the detention” and calls for their immediate release, Nesirky said. “The Secretary-General reminds all actors in Syria that UNDOF is mandated to monitor the Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria,” the spokesman said. “The secretary- general calls on all parties to respect UNDOF’s freedom of movement and safety and security.” “We can confirm that the group that has taken responsibility calls itself the Brigades of Yarmouk,” the spokesman said. “This is the same group responsible for the last incident of this nature. “ “We have limited details at this stage and of course in the interest of the safety of the peacekeepers, above all, we have to limit what we are saying publicly at the moment,” said the spokesman. “Our primary concern is for the safety and security of the peacekeepers. Certainly that is what the focus is on,” Nesirky said. (PNA/Xinhua)

8 VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Start peace talk from square one OPINION

By Menardo WenceSlao

T EDITORIAL

Voting by religion

ITH only five days before election day, the much-anticipated announcement of endorsements from the so-called influential religious vote are out. Already out with its list is the Iglesia Ni Cristo and Bro. Mike Velarde’s El Shaddai. Today, Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy will announce the Kingdom of Jesus Christ’s ‘annointed candidates.’ So, how does the electorate take the endorsement of these church leaders? What does it speak now of our democratic right to freely choose our leaders? If we go by the numbers, even with these so-called bloc-voting religious congregations casting their votes true to form, it would still be statistically inadequate to dictate the results of the elections. Let’s do the math. The country’s total number of registered voters is now 52,014,648. Previously, we were just 50,723,733 in the 2010 elections. According to the latest census by the National Statistics Office (NSO), there are a total of 2.25 million Filipinos who are members of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) as of 2010, up from 1.76 million in 2000. The number of

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voting-age INC members as of 2010 was estimated at 1.37 million, as 61 percent of the country’s population was 18 and above. Out of some 92 million Filipinos in 2010, 56.5 million were of voting age. Meaning to say, the Iglesia vote comprises only 2.4 percent of the country’s electorate. By comparison, of the 5.13 million Muslim Filipinos, about 3.13 million were of voting age, while of the 74.2 million Catholic Filipinos, 45.3 million were of voting age. There are no Muslim votes or Catholic votes in the history of Philippine politics. Oh, there could be some stand against and for candidates like the Team Buhay and Team Patay campaign based on the voting in Senate of the controversial Reproductive Health law but there is yet to come out a tacit endorsement from the Catholic Church or the Muslim Filipinos. If so, that surely would rock the electoral landscape. The endorsements notwithstanding, it is still the constitutional duty of every citizen to exercise his right of suffrage free of the influence and dictates of his faith, congregation, organization, or fraternity.

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HE reported collapse of the peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front is a tragic event that jolted the nation which is in the course to signing a permanent truce with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the prospect of the realization of the Bangsamoro Land. The intransigence of the CPP/ NPA/NDF and the seeming lack of experience of the government panel in the art of negotiation have pushed the talks on the precipice of which had led to the eminent collapse. The negotiation is now back to square one and sadly whatever positive and encouraging signs with the resumption of the peace parley had obviously gone for naught. Some sectors find this development difficult to comprehend given the rosy pictures the panels of negotiators were describing to us. But things like a radical turnaround should be anticipated when one deals with the CPP/NPA/ NDF. The government panel on the other hand should have been more wary of the wily ideologues like Jose Ma. Sison who is a master of double talk. The members of the government panel should have forewarned themselves that even as they have agreed on the agenda of the talk there is always the possibility that along the way the talks can stray away from the main menu of the agenda. Blame the collapse on severe lack of experience, patience and tack of government negotiators aggravated by the braggadocio and bullheadedness of the CPP/NPA/ NDF. Maybe what was overlooked from the start was that the talks proceeded without first crafting a ceasefire agreement. After all we are in a supreme ironic situation wherein Communism had been decriminalized, its legal fronts actively participating in our political processes but it maintains a military arm (NPA) that is at war with the government. The absence of the ceasefire pact to initiate a meaningful talk places the government in an awkward condition where so much had been extended to the CPP/NPA/NDF but there is not a modicum of peace prevailing. The NPAs have even stepped up their assaults on government forces and private companies and now that it’s election season has the temerity of exacting campaign fees and fees to guarantee election victory. In hindsight, it is must be providential that the peace negotiation had collapsed. If at all it is going to be revived maybe the panel should start the talks by first putting in place a ceasefire agreement. This should be the launching pad for a meaningful peace talk.

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 •THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

Pattern of distrust

RADITIONAL MURKY POLITICAL GAME – We as a people have all too often been fragmented into factions – political or otherwise, each chasing after its vested-interest without regard for the common good. This is probably the reason why we are confronted with life-and-death threats – a magnitude of complex problems, arrogance and neglect that have allowed political grievances to remain unsettled and truly lack a sense of unity. If we do not pull this off posthaste, we risk turning the Philippines into a country torn apart by endemic political conflict. oooOooo On many occasions notably during the campaign jaunts, President Benigno Aquino III gave an inside glimpse of the country’s socio-economic and political situation. He proudly informed the different crowds that the economy is clearly gaining ground and likewise emphasized that his administration has moved aggressively to address a range of neglected issues that have long been the subject of concern: rising crime, widespread corruption, bureaucratic red tape, education, food, shelter, medical services and job generation. President PNoy reiterated his course of action in different venues and during the campaign sorties whenever he is around to endorse the candidacy of the Liberal Party (LP) Team PNoy’s senatorial and local candidates. Already he has backed up his oft-repeated speeches railing against corruption with a swath of prosecution of middle-level government officials and businessmen, and a handful of more high-profile prosecution. He seems willing to show a little more of the iron fist than usual, underscoring with unusual sternness that there will

VANTAGE POINTS

USSIA is now in a hard, even dangerous, place. A series of shocks are coming, and it is not well placed to weather them. It has, to be sure, little debt: Vladimir Putin’s administration is proud that the state has borrowed little and has built up a multibillion-ruble national reserve fund. Yet even that is ending, and the basics of the economy are weak. The former Marxists among Russia’s ruling class will know that the economic base determines the political and social superstructure. It is not looking good for them. What’s worse, Russia isn’t a major player in the global economy. According to Eurostat figures, it has 2.4 percent of world gross domestic product, slightly under that of India; and 2.6 percent of world trade, slightly more than India has. It’s important, especially to Europe, in one significant economic aspect: It ships very large amounts of energy: 63 percent of European Union imports from Russia is oil, a further 9 percent is natural gas, with a further 3 per cent for coal. Icy Russia heats Europe. In return, Russia has, for the past decade, been enriched, as a once impoverished nation, which defaulted in 1998, surged to a lifestyle that supports a burgeoning middle class. But oil and natural gas prices are falling now, and don’t look like they will rise

be no compromise – or exceptions in his drive to minimize if not totally eradicate corruption. In responding to harsh critics, mostly remnants of the previous leadership who joined forces with the opposition bloc and accused him of being indecisive, he says with conviction the concerns raised by his power-obsessed political detractors is a question of perception. Also, in what appeared to be a direct slap on the face of the opposition bloc, PNoy maintained his adversaries have nothing else to offer to the people. They have no tangible ideas that can be transmitted into some realistic programs. They just want to promise their supporters and followers with unimaginable solutions to their tribulations. But amid the brighter socio-economic outlook and peaceful environment envisioned by the Aquino administration, opposition leaders and their spokespersons alleged the present dispensation is actually struggling to keep up with the prevailing crisis – unemployment, disorganized basic social services and abject poverty. This fits into a pattern of distrust the opposition now feels besides bearing a simmering resentment about PNoy’s much-vaunted “Daang Matuwid” (Straight Path) policy. They blame the Aquino leadership for the interlocking problems that continued to plague the country and made it a crucial political is-

sue against PNoy and the LP candidates during the midterm elections. Will those criticism and tirades ever stop? The opposition forces, which are also badly disintegrated, are turning more attention to destabilizing campaign. They had already spent time and money on smear drive. After only a few months of his incumbency, political adversaries and detractors already embarked in negative pronouncements with a spot calling the President “wrong on socio-economic policies, wrong on taxes, wrong on defense” and every wrong thing they could ever imagine. Looking from different angles, political experts say the opposition group hasn’t produced anything but hate and distrust leading to the polls. To weaken the strength of the LP and its candidates, the opposition has to destroy first its titular head – Pnoy. But for an incumbent President, the kind of intense engagement and personal attacks undertaken by severe political critics over the radio, TV and print that have characterized the recent weeks and months should be considered part of the country’s traditional mucky political game. What the opposition bloc probably didn’t know was that at the appropriate time the dominant party was also planning to pull a surprise of its own. That might make it awkward for the power-hungry opposition to likewise stage their own shocker – which is quite a challenge considering that between now and Election Day still many unexpected things could happen that would certainly favor the powers-that-be. Or it may the other way around still nobody is certain, isn’t it?

Russia’s reckoning ANALYSIS By JoHn lloyd

(1st of two parts) again soon: “Over the coming few years,” writes Forbes commentator Bill Conerly, “look for oil prices to decline at least below $80 a barrel and quite possibly more” because of increased production. Gas prices are worse: The once-mighty Gazprom, which had dictated prices and terms to those it supplied, has been forced to discount and saw its profits fall last year by $6.5 billion, or 15 percent. The warnings, inside and out of the country, that it was dangerously dependent on fossil fuels for its newfound wealth and strength are coming home to roost. Russia may face recession. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Modernization was the watchword of Dmitry Medvedev’s one-term presidency, but it remained largely rhetoric. During a public Q+A session with Putin, former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, who has “flirted with the opposition” recently, said that the government had adopted “half measures and half reforms” and that it “did not have a program” to wean the country off oil and gas dependency.

The powerful Deputy Prime Minister Vladislav Surkov, in London last week, told an audience at the London School of Economics that “so far Russia hasn’t made any money on something new, on something that’s been invented. No one’s become a millionaire on an idea. We need at least one success.” But the incentives, support and clean courts that entrepreneurs need to “become a millionaire on an idea” don’t exist. The political climate continues to darken. In that same phone-in, the editor of the radio station Ekho Moskvy, Alexei Venediktov, said he detected a “whiff of Stalinism” in the air. His concern, and that of many in the presently quiescent opposition, is the trial of lawyer and activist Alexei Navalny, the closest the opposition has to a leader. Charged last month in the city of Kirov with corporate embezzlement, Navalny pleaded not guilty. He has thrown down a gauntlet to Putin, saying he intends to stand for the presidency, and if elected, would strive to throw Putin and his associates into prison. If convicted, he will face up to 10 years in prison himself. At the same time, raids on Russian – and some foreign – NGOs continue, with documents seized by the tax police under last year’s law that classifies all Russian institutions that receive money from foreign sources as “foreign agents.”

Power and water rates: A deadly combination READERS TAKE OVER FroM: Hio Tiao liM

(Conclusion)

N the Distribution Charge however, the ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION just concluded its hearing on DLPC’s application under ERC CASE # 2013-040RC last April 24, 2013, with a representative from Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry attending as observer. Residential Rates will go up by 24.5 centavos per kwh once the ERC approves the application as applied. Solutions: On the water issues: On the supply side--DCWD should ensure the supply of water at least during the time it is needed most, during the day. DCWD should monitor abnormal pressure conditions in its distribution lines, through its district meters. DCWD should insure that no domestic water pumps draw water from the main lines, specially in elevated areas. This will assure at least water for consumers in these areas without having to wait until midnight just to store whatever amount of water trickles out of their faucets. On the Water rates: An honest to goodness reclassification should be done, if ever this was not implemented. On the consumer side: Water conservation and recycling should be practiced so as to lower the water bill and make available water to those suffer from the lack of it. Check out plumbing and fixtures for leaks. On power rates: Every power consumer should do the best practices in order to use electricity efficiently, whether the power rates go up or down, we have to do our share in Climate Change mitigation. There is no better time for commercial and industrial load customers to practice Demand-Side Management than now, with the bulk of the increase applied for by DLPC lumped into the Demand Charge Component. Long term solution for Talomo sump and booster station: With the current Demand of the Talomo facility, it is qualified to upgrade its connection to the Sub-transmission level of 69KVB., not only from the standpoint of lower distribution charges, but also on the reliability side.

10 NEWS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

DOH declares safe motherhood week By Che Palicte

HARASSED SUPPORTER. Ebbert Pondoc, a supporter of Davao City 2nd District congressional candidate Joji Ilagan-Bian, says an unidentified man riding a black motorcycle allegedly harassed him yesterday morning.

Pondoc is seen in the photo listening to Bian while the latter pleads to her rivals not to harass her supporters during yesterday’s press briefing at IChef Building . Lean Daval Jr.

HE Department of Health (DOH) declared May 1014 as “Safe Motherhood Week” which is also in line with Mothers’ Day. The celebration is pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 200, s. 2002 which seeks to raise public awareness regarding pregnancy-related complications such as hemorrhage, hypertension, sepsis, and abortion. Mary Divene C. Hilario, officer-in-charge of the DOH-Human Advocacy Promotion told Edge Davao that there will be lectures, exhibits, and dissemination of information on the four pillars of safe motherhood, namely: antenatal and post-partum care; emergency

obstetric care; clean and safe delivery; and family planning and planned pregnancies. She added that many Filipino women are at high risk when they become pregnant because they are either too young (below 18 years old); or too old (over 35 years old); have had four or more pregnancies; have had too close or unplaced pregnancies (less than 9 months); and/or suffering from some form of illness. “We already have assigned teams to health centers to educate mothers and soon to be mothers as well. This will give them enlightenment on their various roles, “she explained. She added that

Shorter liquor ban... Bay Beach Resort and Spa; Hijo Estate Resorts; Hof Gorei Beach Resort; Leticia by the Sea; Malagos Garden Resort; ANFLO Resort Development Corp. (Pearl Farm Beach Resort); ANFLO Resort Development Corp. (Pearl Farm Davao Marina); Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort; and Punta del Sol. The list was sent by DOT 11 regional director Art Boncato in an email to this reporter. The liquor ban is in compliance with Comelec Resolution 9582, known as the Rules and Regulations on the Liquor Ban in

on a request from Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino, who said a two-day prohibition is “inadequate.” This, as Tolentino noted that drinking is “common fare” amid the election fever and houseto-house campaign of candidates. “Unfettered consumption of alcoholic beverages,” Tolentino said, “does not aid the intelligent dis-

FfROm 1

Connection with the May 13, 2013 Automated Synchronized National, Local and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Elections. The resolution states, “Any person who sells, furnishes, offers, buys, serves or takes intoxicating liquor on the days fixed by law for the registration of voters in the polling place, or on the day before the election or on election day.” The exemption to this ban states, “That hotels and other establishments duly certified by the Department of Tourism as tourist-oriented

SC reinstates...

the campaign for safe motherhood practices should not begin and end with the annual weeklong observance, but it should be a continuing effort. “The celebration also stresses the role of pregnant women. We will encourage them to give birth in a legitimate health facility to ensure the mother’s and baby’s health,” she said. Hilario added that it is important to protect women by providing safe and healthful working conditions, taking into account their maternal functions, and such facilities and opportunities that will enhance their welfare and enable them to realize their full potential.

and habitually in the business of catering to foreign tourists may be exempted for justifiable reasons upon prior authority of the Commission.” Violators of this ban can be imprisoned for not less than one year, but not more than six years and shall not be subject to probation, according to the resolution. According to the Comelec, candidates may also be sanctioned as it is stated in the resolution that, “the guilty party shall suffer disqualification to hold public office and deprivation of the right of suffrage.”

FfROm 2

cussion of election issues by our citizens,” Tolentino said in a letter to Comelec. He added that “this situation does not augur well in areas where rivalries for same positions or even party rivalries are heated.” A huge number of road accidents, leading to deaths, injuries and damage to properties has also been recorded by the MMDA, Tolentino noted further.

Filipinos are allowed to drink alcoholic beverages within private property, however, and in tourist-oriented businesses. Such establishments, including hotels certified by the Tourism department, however, should seek exemption from Comelec. Foreigners may continue to buy alcoholic beverages in exempted establishments during the liquor ban. [Yahoo!]

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 •THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

COMPETITIVE EDGE 11

Underwater lensmen in NUDI Cup by Wowie Wong and Blogie Robillo

HE biggest underwater photography club of the Philippines, known as NUDI, finally made its way to our shores with a shootout competition in one of the most beautiful underwater landscapes in the country, the Gulf of Davao. NUDI (Network of Underwater Digital Imagers), together with Pearl Farm Beach Resort, meant to support underwater conservation and tourism through this endeavor. There has been tremendous preparation done since 2005 to make Davao an international destination for diving today, and much of that has to do with Marissa Floirendo’s vision. Floirendo, dubbed as the “First Lady of Underwater Cinematography” of the Philippines, is a longtime diver who hails from

Davao City. For years, she invested in breeding the best dive guides in Davao – an effort which eventually flourished in other parts of the country as well, through the help of the Department of Tourism, the MAD About US (Marine Awareness Digital Underwater Shootouts) events, and NUDI. Diver-photographers who flocked to this year’s NUDI CUP shootout competition in Davao witnessed the expertise of the local dive guides who had accompanied them underwater. The dive guides were well-versed in sea creatures’ respective behaviors, and had trained eyes to spot critters that were as small as 3 millimeters in length. The Denise pygmy seahorse, tiger shrimp, and other marine creatures are underwater photographers’

Participants - NUDI Cup Davao 2013.

1ST PLACE COmPACT - GREGORY TUTT.

dream subjects, and the photo competition’s participants spotted them all and more. Newly-found ‘muck dive’ sites were attributed to Floirendo’s team, who continuously explores Davao’s depths to this day. Participants from Manila, Davao, and Dumaguete sent in entries shot in macro, which revealed a testament to a healthy ecosystem present in the Davao Gulf. Shots of Harlequin, Coleman, and Tiger shrimps, a variety of colorful nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, and a whole lot more were captured in digital format. The winners of NUDI

CUP Davao 2013 are the following. Gregory Tutt (1st Place, Compact Category), Andre Snoopy Montenegro (1st Place, Open Category), Boogs Rosales (2nd Place, Open Category), and Wowie Wong (3rd Place, Open Category). It was evident among the photographers that the diving experience in Davao is truly world class. Davao-based participant, Rodney Jao, related his experience joining this first of a hopefully continuing series of NUDI events in Davao. He said that what sets it apart from other photo competitions is the learning that everyone takes away

DAP), the school was initially operated by an NGO that taught reading and writing to the Dibabawan tribe without any support from the government. Today, the once illiter-

ate lumad had found joy in learning. When school opens in June, the education of more than 50 schoolchildren belonging to the Dibabawan tribe, the indigenous people in

from the event. NUDI CUP events do not only encourage competition, according to Jao, but they also foster camarederie and nurture an attitude of learning from each other’s experience and expertise. Through this and other similar events, it is hoped that more people will become aware of the beauty of the Davao Gulf’s underwater beauty. With this awareness, a sense of stewardship might be engendered among the people at large, who will hopefully join scuba divers in their plea to preserve the natural environment of our seas and oceans.

YMCA ‘Tribal School-Put a Roof’ joint project in Asuncion

seven-man YMCA Davao team drove almost two hours one Wednesday morning to implement a school project, dubbed “Tribal School-Put a Roof,” with YMCA Asuncion in Davao del Norte. The joint project in Asuncion was hatched during the visit of YMCA USA Director Boon Chin Tan and Davao Y’ers to the local Y in Asuncion earlier in March this year. Under their rehabilitation joint project, YMCA Davao would provide new roofing materials while YMCA Asuncion including the town’s constituents would provide labor by putting up the roofs on the classrooms of public schools. That morning Pres. Leoncio Villa-Abrille traveled overland with 2nd VP Fernando Ongkingco Jr, Corp. Sec. Julito Pepito, Asst. Treas. Jose Valenzuela Jr, Past president Vicente Bañes Jr, PP Reynaldo Sazon and GenSec. Sylvia

Piedad to personally handover to YMCA Asuncion the 200 pieces of GI roofing sheets, its share in the project. Pres. Joseph Nilo Parreñas of YMCA Asuncion, concurrently the town mayor, as well, was joined by his directors in expressing their gratefulness and appreciation to YMCA Davao after accepting the latter’s donation in kind worth P41,000.00, which they bought from the cash money given by their individual board directors. According to Mayor Parreñas, the ravaging typhoon brought massive death and destruction to Asuncion. The tropical storm also affected many public school buildings in town. With this information, both Pres. Parreñas and Villa-Abrille singled out Bancawan Elementary School for rehabilitation because of its very remote location in Sitio Bancawan, Barangay Binancian, Davao del Norte. Originally, this school

in Bancawan was built solely for the children of the indigenous people of Manguangan. Privately funded by Sudbury International Development Assistance Programs (SI-

the area, would no longer be imperiled, now that the Department of Education has officially embraced the school under its supervision and control.

YmCA “TRIBAL SCHOOL-PUT A ROOf” JOINT PROJECT. In simple ceremony Municipal Mayor & YMCA Asuncion Pres. Joseph Nilo Parreñas (in striped shirt) acknowledges receiving for its rehab project 200 pieces of GI roofing sheets by giving Davao Pres. Leoncio Villa-Abrille a firm hand shake. Witnessing the turnover are (from left) Past president Vicente Bañes Jr, Corp. Sec. Julito Pepito, 2nd VP Fernando Ongkingco Jr, Asst. Treas. Jose Valenzuela Jr, GenSec. Sylvia Piedad and Past Pres. Reynaldo Sazon.

12 CLASSIFIEDS ADS

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VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

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EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 •THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

COMMUNITY SENSE 13

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Tagum Coop donates blood

mASS BLOOD-LETTING. More than 90 donors take part in the 16th mass blood-letting activity of Tagum Cooperative which now on its 8th year of running the Mass Blood Donation Program under its Himsug Pamilya Program. Tagum Cooperative holds such activity twice a year in fulfillment of the 7th Cooperative Principle of Concern for Communities.

N the eighth year of its mass blood donation program, Tagum Cooperative puts emphasis on the value of donating blood. Tagum Cooperative Board of Directors Chairperson Miriam Baloyo highlighted the relevance of donating blood during the opening ceremonies of the Mass Blood Donation activity last Saturday at the conference hall of Tagum Cooperative Main Branch. With facts gathered through her research, she debunked the common notion that donating blood hadill-effects as she found out that this however has a number of benefits. She made donors understand that donating blood reduces the risk of suffering fromheart diseases which she said could be developed with the increase of iron levels in the blood. “Regular blood donation is a healthy way of losing iron on regular basis,” she said as she explained the impact of which is reduction of chances of heart attack by one-third. Baloyo also learned that donating blood helps stimulate generation of new red blood cells. “This way the blood gets refreshed,” she explained. Donating blood is also found helpful in fighting chemochromotosis which is a generic disorder also known as iron overload disorder caused by the accumulation of iron in the body tissue, stored due to improper iron metabolism, that may lead to organ damage. Not known to much but donating blood is a sure way of burning calories to stay fit as one pint of blood (450 ml), when donated, burns 650 calories in the donors’ body. Aside from boon to health, the donors can also draw medical benefits as they undergo free basic medical test such as hematocrit; blood pressure measurement; hepatitis B and C, HIV test; and syph-

ilis and Malaria examination, Baloyo said. On the other hand, some donors find fulfillment in donating blood. Gallooner donor Edilberto Jao, 38 years of age roving teller of Tagum Cooperative Main Branch said his regular blood donation marks his way of helping others and at the same time expresses his thanks to God for saving his wife. “Wala man tayfinancial ngaikatabangsauban, ang akongdugona lang. (Having no financial means of helping others, I am donating my blood.),” he said. Last Saturday’s Mass Blood Donation activity of Tagum Cooperative was the 12th time he had donated his blood since 2007, a year after almost losing his wife who gave birth to twins. Jao could still remember the date Oct. 21, 2006 during which he experienced the pain of looking for blood supply for his wife who was losing so much blood in delivering their children. “Migikankosaospital 10:00 a.m.; nakabalikko 3:00 a.m. kadlawonna. (I left the hospital 10:00 a.m. then came back 3:00 a.m. dawn the following day.),” he said. He recalled how hard it was to look for blood donation card which blood banks were looking for in withdrawing blood supply. But now he is so sure that will never happen again as he is assured of ready blood supply in case he would need it for himself or for any member of his family. Meanwhile, Nick Apique, 46 years of age of Visayan Village, Tagum City may not have experienced Jao’spredicament but he is making sure that he can readily access blood supply for medical emergency needs. “Dali ang pagkuhadinhikungmagkinahanglanka.(It is easy to get here once you need it.),” he said.

14 SPORTS

VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

DavNor trains IP kids to become elite runners T

IP TALENTS. Lumad boys show what they got during the final qualifying try out for the Talaingod-DavNor Runners Team at the Davao del Norte Sports and Cultural Center. DavNor Sports Division

EN school children belonging to the Indigenous People (IP) community in Talaingod will have the privilege of carrying the name of the province of Davao del Norte in major athletics events after making it to the Talaingod-DavNor Runners Team. The members of the new team were selected out of 22 candidates during the recent final qualifying round at the Davao del Norte Sports and Cultural Center in Mankilam, Tagum City. The event was graced by no less than National Athletics Coach Renato Unso, who was so impressed with the prospects of the young IP athletes that he treated them to a hearty meal at a local fast-food chain in Tagum City after the tryout. The rising sports capital organized the Ta l a i n g o d - D a v N o r Runners Team to build the potential of the IP youth in bringing home the coveted medals in top sporting competitions around the country and elsewhere. Provincial Sports Coordinator Giovanni Gulanes said the program was patterned after the Kenyan mod-

el, which capitalizes on the inherent physical strength and endurance of the Lumad kids in open footraces. He revealed, the province joined forces with the Municipal Government of Talaingod and the Department of Education in making the breakthrough project possible. Mayor Basilio Libayao has committed to build a boarding school complete with facilities and coaches for the five IP boys and five Lumad girls, aged 10 to 14 years old. The province will shoulder the logistical support all year round, as well as, travelling allowances for the outof-town races of the runners. The DepEd and the MLGU have already appointed permanent coaches, who shall train the kids using prescribed scientific training program of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA). Gulanes is confident the program will not only encourage the tribal kids to excel in sport, but will become a springboard for their future success in education and employment.

TRAINING ‘Em YOUNG. Lumad girls show their best form during the final qualifying try out for the Talaingod-DavNor Runners Team at the Davao del Norte Sports and Cultural Center. DavNor Sports Division

PROfESSIONAL TRAINING. National Athletics Coach Renato Unso plays around with IP kids at the final qualifying try out for the Talaingod-DavNor Runners Team at the Davao del Norte Sports and Cultural Center. DavNor Sports Division

INdulge!

VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

FOOD

A different kind of island cuisine Just mention lunch or dinner by the beach and images of grilled seafood, and pork barbecue circle my mind. But one dinner at the tiki Beach Resort at samal Island changed all that in an instant. Instead of going for typical Philippine island cuisine, the tiki Beach Resort went halfway around the world and offers modern Mediterranean cuisine that when combined with the dramatic sunsets over Davao Gulf plus the delicious sangria being served, immediately transported me to a different world. “Dining on the beach is always magical.” tiki Beach Resort’s general manager Wolfgang Pfuner beams, “and with great food here at the resort you can be sure to have a great time.” And have a great time I did! How can you not when having a meal right beside a 200-meter naturally formed beach right? For starters I had two kinds of bruschetta followed up by the tiki Beach Resort’s tuna ceviche, similar to the native kinilaw, but served with peppery arugula by the side for a punchy taste. I loved the bright flavours of the dish that add to the experience of dining on the beach. For the main course, I chose to have the beef marsala which was tender and flavourful after which

a chocolate cookie a-la mode was served for dessert. I would have loved the cookie but it turned out more to be like a hard biscotti. Oh well, at least I can eat the ice cream

which was a great way to end a wonderful meal by the beach. The tiki Beach Resort can be reached at reservations@tikibeachresort. com or call (082) 284-

3931 for inquiries or reservations. Follow me on Instagram or Twitter for more foodie finds, travel picks and happenings in, around and beyond Durianburg.

EDGEDAVAO

A2 INdulge! UP AND ABOUT

VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

ENTERTAINMENT

Hippest bowling center in Davao City opens at SM Lanang Premier, May 10 BOwlINg aficionados and casual gamers are expected to make their way down to SM lanang Premier as SM Bowling Center begins its operations on May 10, Friday. Strategically located at the 2nd floor of the mall, the SM Bowling Center takes hipness and fun to a whole new level with its cutting-edge facilities, offering a great place to bond with family and friends. Modern interiors adorn the 16-lane bowling alley. lED TVs with fully automated scoring provide added convenience. And sofa-type chairs bring a comfy and cozy experience to the customers. The brand-new Bowling Center brings a lot of recreational and entertainment options for everyone. For people who love to sing, it comes with four KTV rooms with state-of-theart sound system. A wide variety of PS3 games are also available for gaming addicts. with its four top-class billiard tables, the bowling facility provides a venue where pool enthusiasts and occasional hobbyists can hang around and play. Snack Time is also housed within the site to serve customers with food and refreshments. Strike up the fun at Davao City’s hippest bowling venue! Visit SM Bowling Center from 10am-10pm, from Mondays to Thursdays, and from 10am-12mn, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at the 2nd floor, near Quantum, SM lanang Premier. For news, promos and event updates, like SM lanang Premier on Facebook or follow @SMlanangPremier on Twitter.

Brunch with mom at Entrée MOThER’S Day is just around the corner, and Apo View hotel has something special prepared for moms this coming Sunday. Entrée, the hotel’s renowned buffet restaurant, presents an indulgent menu featuring classic brunch favourites such as Eggs Benedict, fresh oysters from Roxas, Mimosas, Bloody Marys, and more on May 12, 2013 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Brunch combines the best of breakfast, lunch and cocktails into one leisurely meal. No need to rush out of bed to prepare breakfast or worry about lunch, which will surely be a welcome break for mom... Just a relaxing and memorable day with the family, taking time to enjoy each other’s company while savouring great food at Entrée. To start of mom’s special day, Apo View hotel’s Executive Chef Pablito Villanda whips up an assembly of iconic brunch staples such as French Toast, BlTs, an assortment of savory quiches, fish dishes, and more. A selection of fresh salads and seafood are also available, including the freshest oysters imported from Roxas City, the seafood capital of the Philippines. These dishes, paired with a glass of Mimosa, Bloody Mary, or fresh fruit juice, will surely make your mom feel like a queen. Entrée is located at the ground floor of Apo View hotel, the city’s first and the country’s second longest-running hotel. Now on its 65th year, the Apo View hotel continues to be one of the leading hotels in the city. For more information, please contact (082) 221-6430 or visit www.apoview.com.

Star Trek Into Darkness gets positive-to-mixed reviews STAR Trek Into Darkness won’t hit theaters in the U.S. until May 17, but critics are already weighing in about the J.J. Abrams flick.

Trekkies have been awaiting the arrival of the sequel to the director’s 2009 Star Trek, which reunites the original cast (Chris Pine as Capt. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock) and throws in creepy new villain John harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) to boot. So, did film reviewers love it or hate it? Kind of a mixed bag. Read on to get their take! • “Star Trek Into Darkness, J.J. Abrams’ second entry in his reboot of the eternal franchise, has been engineered rather than directed, calibrated to de-

• The Daily Mail also had mostly positive things to say about the film. The mag’s Chris Tockey gave the film four stars, writing, “This franchise will live long and prosper,” adding, “This is highly imaginative entertainment with no expense spared and those summer blockbuster rarities, complex characters and an intelligible plot,” Tockey added. “That will be liver sensation on cue and style or personality.” enough for most of us.” stocked with just enough • Variety’s Scott Foundas • Meanwhile, Slash Film’s new character twists to had a more positive take on german lussier’s review keep fans rapt,” The holly- the film, writing, “J.J. Abrams was mixed: “To follow his wood Reporter’s Todd Mc- sets his filmmaking to ‘stun’ first Trek revival, director J.J. Carthy wrote. “At its core for Star Trek Into Darkness, Abrams has made a much an intergalactic manhunt a sequel in every respect more visually impressive tale about a traitor to the equal or even superior to its and exciting action film, and cause, the production gives splendid 2009 predecessor, one worthy of the Star Trek the impression of a mas- which lovingly and cleverly franchise. It simply lacks the sive machine cranked up rebooted gene Roddenber- inspiration that made his for two hours of full output; ry’s long-running space op- first film so special.” it efficiently delivers what era following the black hole Are you excited to see it’s built to do, but without of 2002’s Star Trek Nemesis.” Star Trek Into Darkness?

Box Office:

Iron Man 3 takes over, scores second biggest opening weekend of all time As expected, Iron Man 3 completely dominated the box office this weekend.

After setting a box office franchise record at midnight Friday, the highly anticipated superhero flick went on to rake in a whopping $175.3 million this weekend, scoring the second biggest opening weekend of all time (behind The Avengers’ $207.5 million weekend last year). The film, starring Robert Downey Jr., shot past the opening weekends of both Iron Man and Iron Man 2, which nabbed $98.6 million and $128.1 million, respectively. Globally, Iron Man 3 has amassed $680.1 million only 12 days after it

was released internationally, making it highly likely that it will hit the $1 billion mark worldwide. to put that amount into perspective, Iron Man 2’s final worldwide total was $624 million. Meanwhile, Pain and

Gain and 42 still remained in the top three, with the bodybuilder flick bringing in $7.6 million and the Jackie Robinson biopic landing $6.2 million. tom Cruise’s Oblivion and animated film The Croods, followed with $5.8

million and $4.2 million, respectively. Here’s a complete look at the weekend’s top movies, per Friday-sunday studio estimates and stats as compiled per Box Office Mojo: 1. Iron Man 3, $175 million 2. Pain and Gain, $7.6 million 3. 42, $6.2 million 4. Oblivion, $5.8 million 5. The Croods, $4.2 million 6. The Big Wedding, $3.9 million 7. Mud, $2.2 million 8. Oz the Great and Powerful, $1.8 million 9. scary Movie 5, $1.4 million 10 .The Place Beyond the Pines, $1.3 million

VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

EDGEDAVAO

Maria Sharapova’s sexy swimsuit pics

INdulge! A3 MAY 8, 2013

NOW

SHOWING

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TRANCE (R-16)

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IRON MAN 3 (GP)

THE BIG WEDDING (R-13)

11:45 2:45 5:45 8:45

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THE BRIDE AND THE LOVER (R-13)

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THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT (R-13)

IRON MAN 3 (GP)

12:00 3:00 6:00 9:00

IRON MAN 3 3D (GP)

AND we thought Ma- they opted to play doubles tennis court. She says her favorite ria Sharapova looked this time. good in tennis gear. why choose between designers include AlexThe world’s current No. 2 player on the women’s pro tour serves up plenty of sexiness on twin covers of Esquire latin America’s June issue, and we have your sneak peek at both the digital and print covers right here. This is the first time an international edition of the men’s mag has bothered to go with a different online cover—and it’s obvious why

Sharapova in a black Tomas Maier bikini top and Janey lopaty Vintage bottoms and Sharapova in a gold Versace one-piece when you can have both?! In the interview, the 26-year-old beauty talks about her latest business venture, Sugarpova, a premium line of miniature candies, and her side job as a trendsetter when she’s not acing opponents on the

ander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, Marc Jacobs and Vera wang—all brands that employ the “unexpected touches” that she appreciates. “Your style is yours and no one else’s,” Sharapova says, noting that she admires too many style icons to name just one. we’re guessing that, in the meantime, Versace has sold out of gold swimsuits.

Demi Lovato goes blond, almost gets held up at airport security NEw album, new look! hot off the heels of unveiling tracks from her upcoming album ahead of schedule, Demi lovato is surprising us yet again, this time by debuting her blond ‘do. we almost didn’t recognize the X-Factor judge at when she recently stepped out with lighter locks at a washington, D.C., event, where she was being honored by the Substance Abuse and Services Administration. And we weren’t the only

ones to do a double-take because of the star’s dramatically different look. It turns out, the normally dark-haired beauty ran into a little trouble while trav-

eling, thanks to her blond tresses. “Almost didn’t make it through airport security!!” she shared on Twitter. “I look SO different from my driver’s license!! hahaha #blondehairdon’tcare.” guess blondes don’t always have more fun! But we wouldn’t head into the DMV just yet if we were lovato. The beauty chameleon has admitted to loving to switch up her style, and just last month, she sheared her long strands in favor of the oh-so-trendy bob.

SCARY MOVIE 5 Ashley Tisdale , Simon Rex

Rob Kardashian charged with battery and theft in alleged paparazzo scuffle

R-16

IRON MAN 3 Robert Downey, Jr. , Gwyneth Paltrow

ROB KARDAShIAN has Kassandra Perez, some explaining to do. who filed a civil suit against The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star has been charged with one count of simple battery and one count of petty theft, both misdemeanors, stemming from his run-in with a paparazzo outside a Beverly hills gym in March, the l.A. County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to E! News.

Kardashian last month, claims that he struck her when she tried to snap pictures of him in a public parking lot and made off with the memory card from her camera. No arraignment date has been set yet. A rep for Kardashian had no comment.

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

11:40 | 2:15 | 4:50 | 7:25 | 10:00 LFS

BIG WEDDING Robert De Niro , Diane Keaton R-13

12:00 | 2:00 | 4:00 | 06:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

R-16 IRON MAN 3 Robert Downey, Jr. , Gwyneth Paltrow GP

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

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge! FOOD

VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

It’s a muffin world after all

tHe heat is on! Well, literally that is. Friends would go gaga over planning on getting soaked while basking under summer sunshine while I prefer to stay inside my room with the a/c blasting on high – and a book. Yes, I am that boring of a person. I love the great outdoors and also love the comforts of my home. This time around, with all the stress piling up, I would rather get away and be lost in the four corners of my kitchen. Cooking has been my ultimate escape goat. I love experimenting, mix and matching flavors and coming up with dishes that are somewhat ‘weird’ but heavenly to the taste. With the kids of my neighbors hanging out just outside my quaint kingdom, I asked my yaya to help me get something cooking for them. Getting all hyped, I rummaged my pantry and found a ready to cook muffin mix. easy, right? Well, yes but then again no! You know me, I don’t settle for less than the easy round – I want to make things complicated. so, I grabbed on anything I can get my hands on and started whisking away. Muffin Two-Way Who said anything about a simply steamed muffin? Here is my take on a simple muffin recipe turned complicated for pleasure purposes. Get your imagination wild and your camera’s clicking – instant instagram moment! **This is a universal muffin recipe, add the flavors you like! Ingredients: 2 cups self-rising flour, sifted ½ cup sugar 1 egg, beaten ¼ cup oil 1 cup milk Procedure: Grease muffin pans (ramekins) with melted

butter or vegetable oil. set aside. In a bowl, place all ingredients. Mix until all is incorporated. Place half of the mixture in another bowl. For the Chocolate and Mint Muffin: In one of the bowl, mix 3 tablespoon of pure chocolate liqueur and 2 tablespoon grated tablea dissolved with 3 tablespoon milk.. Mix well. Add 1 tablespoon mint flavoring and mix well. Pour onto ramekins and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes. For the Peanut Butter and Mint Muffin:

In one of the bowl, mix 3 tablespoon of chunky sweet peanut butter and 2 tablespoon hazelnut spread (yes, I used nutella). Mix well. Making sure there are no lumps. Add 1 tablespoon mint flavoring and mix well. Pour onto ramekins and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes. Bibingka (Rice Muffins) speaking of which, we have our own version of a muffin – and compared to that of the rest, it has the flavor of innocence and family in every bite. Yes, our Bibingka is not just the star of pasko but the star of merienda in pinas! Whether eaten straight up or the day after, does not matter. With freshly grated coconut or a knob of unsalted butter on top, you can never go wrong with this all time favorite dessert fixin’! Dry Ingredients: 2 cups rice flour ½ cup + 2 tablespoon raw sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon kosher Wet Ingredients: 2 pieces eggs , well beaten 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon anise seeds

1 – 14.5 ounces can coconut milk + water to make 2 cups Procedure: Preheat your oven at 400°F. Line ramekins with wilted banana leaf. Arrange mold in sheet while in a bowl, sift and mix all dry ingredients until well incorporated. In another bowl, mix eggs, vanilla extract and anise seeds. Beat well. Combine dry and wet ingredients. Add coconut milk and whisk a few times ensuring that all is incorporated well. slowly pour batter equally into the molds (you can use an ice cream scoop). Bake for 30 minutes or until done (test with a toothpick and make sure it comes out dry not wet. Otherwise, bake an additional 5 minutes or until toothpick comes out dry.) serve warm or room temperature. Do you want to be a part of Davao’s Thursday habit? Send me your recipes, questions, suggestions and comments and be featured. If you are interested, then email me at leebai@chefroyale.com or visit www. chefroyale.com for more recipes. Happy Cooking!

SPORTS 15

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 •THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

BLAST. Vicent Gumapac blasts out of the bunker during the recent 8th TEAm CHAmPION. Bayani Garcia and Vincent Gumapac (third and second from right) receive their team champion trophies from Vicente Santos, Nonoy Llamas and TY Pomelo Tee at Rancho Palos Verdes. Boy Lim Garcia during the awarding rites of the 8th Pomelo Tee at Rancho Palos Verdes. Boy Lim

Knicks level series T

HE New York Knicks did some good things through the first 32 1/2 minutes of Tuesday’s Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden, but despite forcing and capitalizing off Pacer turnovers, they couldn’t seem to separate themselves from the Central Division champions, who just kept executing their surprisingly potent offense and making shots against the Knicks defense. Then the end of the third quarter rolled around. Well, the 3:28 mark of the third quarter, to be more accurate. That’s when the Knicks began a mammoth run that saw them shoot 63.2 percent from the floor and hold Indiana without a field goal for 10 1/2 minutes. They outscored the Pacers 30-2 during that

stretch, turning a nail-biter into a 105-79 blowout that evened the two teams’ best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals series at one game each with the series set to shift to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indiana for Game 3 on Saturday night. But before we look forward to the weekend, let’s look back at that run, which began with just under 3 1/2 minutes remaining in the third. That’s when George Hill drilled a 3-pointer off a feed from Lance Stephenson to cap a 10-4 run that put the Pacers up 64-

62. After that, Knicks star Carmelo Anthony missed a 3-pointer — his 10th missed shot in 17 tries to that point — that was rebounded by Pacers power forward David West ... and then Indiana coach Frank Vogel called a timeout. It seemed somewhat curious at the time, given the momentum Indy had built up, but his starters had all played the entire third quarter to that point and Vogel apparently wanted to get them a rest — especially center Roy Hibbert, who took a seat in favor of reserve big man Jeff Pendergraph.

From there, the Knicks went bananas, and the Pacers went in the tank. With no Hibbert patrolling the paint and backstopping West’s help defense, Anthony attacked at the Xavier product, blowing past him to the basket on consecutive possessions, with Pendergraph putting himself on the highlight reel on the second: Five straight points from Anthony put the Knicks up 67-64 and energized the Knicks. Less than a minute later, Hill found himself trapped at half court by Knicks point guard Raymond Felton and center Kenyon Martin, resulting in a turnover and a runout dunk that Felton allowed Martin to finish in style:

Grizzlies turn back Thunder O

KLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Memphis Grizzlies wouldn’t letKevin Durant come through in the clutch for the second straight time. This was Mike Conley’s time to shine. Conley scored 26 points and fueled a late Memphis run as the Grizzlies beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 99-93 on Tuesday night to tie the series at one and gain home-court advantage in the Western Conference semifinals. Conley hit a 3-pointer from the left wing with 1:58 left to put the Grizzlies ahead to stay and spark a string of 10 straight Memphis points. The Grizzlies head home for the next two games, with Game 3 on Saturday in Memphis. In the first round, Conley outdueled All-Star Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers. And now, he filled the late-game void the Grizzlies created when they traded away leading scorer Rudy Gay in the middle of the season.

TOO LATE THE DEfENSE. Carmelo Anthony fires over Paul George’s late closeout in a Game 2 win. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBA/Getty Images)

fIST PUmPING. Joseph Ng pumps his fist after sinking a birdie during the 8th Pomelo Tee at Rancho Palos Verdes recently. Boy Lim

EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 6 ISSUE 39 • THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2013

OLE!

Serena joins Sharapova to next round in madrid

BACK AT CLAY. World no. 2 Maria Sharapova of Russia is back at the clay courts in the Madrid Open advancing to the next round along with American no. 1 Serena Williams.

ADRID (Reuters) - World number one and defending championSerena Williams continued her serene progress at the Madrid Open when she eased past Spanish wildcard Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-2 7-5 in the second round on Tuesday. Chasing a fourth title of the year and the 50th of her career, Williams had too much power for the slightly-built Dominguez Lino, who nonetheless managed to unsettle her illustrious opponent with

some clever drop shots and lobs. Williams was joined in the third round by Maria Sharapova after the Russian second seed thumped American qualifier Christina McHale 6-1 6-2 in Tuesday’s night session. Sharapova, a former number one who won her 29th career title in Stuttgart last month, will play Sabine Lisicki for a place in the last eight. The unseeded German upset 15th seed Dominika Cibulkovaof Slovakia 7-6

7-6. Williams, 31, said she had enjoyed the test against Dominguez Lino and the experience would stand her in good stead the next time she came up against a player like the 47th-ranked Spaniard, who likes to mix up her shots. “I made a lot of errors, but her game kind of forces you to make errors,” the American told a news conference. “It was a really good claycourt tennis match for me. “Seeing as I have a few

more tournaments on clay, it was perfect to play a match like this, so I know if I face another opponent like that I’ll have that experience and I’ll know how to play.” A 15-times grand slam singles champion, Williams will play unseeded Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic or 13th-seeded Russian Maria Kirilenko for a place in the quarter-finals.

down to 1:36. After Zhang Yuan’s triple try rimmed out, Belga and Lee iced the game with six unanswered points, sending the Sharks home winless in their two exhibition games here. With no Marcus Douthit or June Mar Fajardo to bother him this time around, Zhang had his way against overmatched defenders Belga, Doug Kramer and JayR Reyes through most of the first three quarters, scattering nine points in the third as the Sharks established the biggest lead of the game at 49-40. Back-to-back triples by Canaleta sparked a 13-3 PBA run capped by a Santos fastbreak layup that restored the lead to the All-Stars at 53-52 with 1:29 left in the third, but the Sharks countered with an 11-2 run bridging the third and fourth periods to surge ahead again, 63-55. Belga’s rough defense held Zhang to only four free throws the rest of the way, though, as the PBA Selection rallied for the win. The burly Rain or

Shine center was named Best Player of the Game by the TV panel after finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds. Santos added 15, while Lee and Canaleta chipped in nine apiece. The Sharks were again without ace point guard Liu Wei, who showed up in game attire but was not fielded in by coach W a n g Q u n . Sharks owner Yao Ming was also nowhere to be found, as he reportedly flew back to Shanghai early Tuesd a y morning to

the disappointment of the fans who were hoping to catch a glimpse of the former NBA All-Star.

PBA stars beat Shanghai Sharks

HE PBA Selection solved the giant riddle that was Zhang Zhaoxu in the nick of time, rallying past the Shanghai Sharks, 80-71, in the concluding match of the Philippines-China Friendship Games at the Araneta Coliseum. Playing before a sparse crowd, the PBA stars of Coach Franz Pumaren relied on timely triples and crisp passing to break the Sharks’ zone defense in the fourth period, while also frustrating Zhang with quick double teaming and rugged fouls. Zhang, the Sharks’ seven-foot center, imposed his will in the paint for most of the game and finished with a gamehigh 23 points and 14 rebounds, including two free throws that gave the visitors a 63-55 spread with 7:35 left in the fourth But the All-Stars, behind Arwind Santos, Paul Lee, Beau Belga and KG Canaleta, dropped a 19-8 bomb capped by a Canaleta triple that pushed them ahead 74-71, time

TIUTORIZED! Chris Tiu of Rain Or Shine, shown here in his winning form during the PBA All Stars 3-Point Shootout in Digos City, held his Tiu-torials basketball lessons with the Ateneo de Davao University Blue Knights under coach Miggy Solitaria at the Genesis 88 Gym prior to the contest. Lean Daval Jr.