Edge Davao 7 Issue 243 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

VOL. 7 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

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RELIEVING EDSA. Twenty-nine years ago today, the Philippines mystified the world with People Power at EDSA that changed the course of the country’s history. Cory Aquino was installed as President and became the icon of democracy following a peaceful revolution that ousted a dictator.

EDSA LIVES ON By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. abf@edgedavao.net

HE spirit of People Power at EDSA lives on, 29 years to the day later. And, one man who saw it all—from the dark days of Martial Law to the reinstatement of democracy—believes in the significance of those four historic days that changed the course of the country’s history. “If you want to regain your liberty, you must be Regional State Prosecutor Antonio Arellano, a politiready to take the risk of cal prisoner during Martial Law. ABF

losing your liberty in the process of regaining it,” says Regional State Prosecutor Antonio Arellano, a political prisoner during the Martial Law time. Arellano believes that the EDSA People Power was relevant to the lives of every Filipino nowadays despite of the problems that the country experiencing. He said the essence of the People Power was to restore the essence of democracy which now

experience by every people. Arellano, who was imprisoned on January 1985, the year before EDSA, narrated that under the regime of former President Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship, people lived in a very oppressive and tyrannical government since all the rights were removed. People were deprived of their freedom, from

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INSIDE EDGE EDSA 1 VETERAN BATS FOR FEDERALISM Page 13

2 THE BIG NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

Rody: All armed groups should be disbanded F LONG DAY. A woman and her pet dog pedal home after a long day of scavenging for scrap items and used water bottles around Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

EDERALISM advocate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte yesterday said that for the Philippines to achieve national stability, all private armed groups, including the Communists and Moro secessionist groups, must be disbanded. “No other armed group should be allowed to operate in the country except the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Duterte told a huge crowd of students, faculty members and businessmen

gathered at the St. Cecilia’s Auditorium in the Angeles University Foundation here. Duterte made the statement in response to question raised by a student on the dangers of Federalism, which would create powerful highly-autonomous states, especially in the Bangsamoro area. “No armed group should be allowed, including the CAFGUs. They all should go,” Duterte said in answer to a hypothetical question on what he would do to assure stability and security in the country if

DCWD seeks exemption from watershed development ban

HE Davao City Water District (DCWD) will be seeking exemption from the ban on development at one of the city’s watersheds in Tamugan to pursue its joint venture with Aboitiz Equities and JV Angeles regarding the development of a surface water facility. DCWD spokesperson Bernard de Lima said the project would provide water for the second district, which has long experienced a drought because of its water supply coming from the pumps at downhill Dumoy. The project would also create four 1,500-cubic-meter water reservoirs in Cabantian, Panacan, Indangan and Talandang.

De Lima said the city would benefit more from the development instead of pushing for the construction of the application of HelpMate to develop a similar project, this time at the Davao River. The DCWD official said the joint venture project was approved as a public-private partnership under the 2008 National Economic Development Agency (NEDA) guidelines. The water utility’s role, De Lima said, was to apply for a permit to build the facility. The city government’s watershed code prohibits any development in the zones within identified watersheds, including rivers.

FDCWD, 14

he were President of the Philippines. Duterte, who is supporting the peace process in the Southern Philippines involving the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said even the MILF, the MNLF and the New People’s Army (NPA) should be asked to decommission their firearms the moment they agree to join him in a Unity Government which he envisions should he “by God’s will” become President of the Philippines. The Davao City Mayor, who

has long reached out to the NPAs, the MILF and the MNLF, said stability in the country could only be achieved if no other group, aside from the Police and the AFP, is allowed to carry firearms. Under the Federal system of government, which Duterte is proposing to replace the Unitary Presidential Form, there will be at least 14 Federal States with their own State Police, which will all be under the direct supervision of a National Police Force. The Federal Government,

he said, will retain control over the Armed Forces and handle foreign relations and finance. The creation of Federal States, especially for the restive Bangsamoro who have been clamoring for self-governance, is the best option to the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, which would be created with the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law in Congress. Following the Mamasapano, Maguindanao botched police operations to arrest international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, where

44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos were killed in clashes with the MILF and members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) Jan. 25, several Congressmen and Senators who earlier supported the measure have withdrawn their support. With the BBL in danger of being rejected in Congress, Duterte said Federalism is the best option to save the peace process in the Southern Philippines. Fears were raised, howev-

member’ to the different venues of the TreeVolution. MinDA director, Reyzaldy Tan said his organization will continue to support the DENR in assuring the maintenance of the planted trees. “MinDA will seek to support and maintain this effort to ensure the survival rate, as of now we have recorded 8595% survival rate of the trees, so we will continue to ensure the sustainability of the trees,” Tan said, However, Fragada said that by the time that the participants will go back on the sites in which they plan to do on September 26 this year, they will make sure that it would be a leisurely walk for everybody. The two directors also

emphasized that TreeVolution is not just about gaining a world record. Instead, it was designed to make the public aware how important it is to save the environment. On Monday morning, DENR 11 received the official email from the Guinness World Record declaring the Philippines particularly Mindanao with the most number of trees planted simultaneously in different locations in one hour. About 2,294,629 trees were planted in 29 different locations in Mindanao. The activity prompted 122,168 people to plant different kinds of trees such as cacao, coffee, timber, rubber and mahogany trees among others.

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Fragada: No need to stage TreeVolution 2

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

o need for TreeVolution 2. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 11 director Joselyn Marcus Fragada said he will not recommend the conduct of another TreeVolution in an attempt to break Mindanao’s own record with the most planted trees in multiple locations. In a press conference, Fragada said after the first tree planting activity dubbed TreeVolution , it is now about the sustainability of the trees planted on the said event that took place last September 26, last year. “This is now for the people to be subsequently aware of our environment and to mon-

itor the sustainability of the plants we planted,” Fragada said. He added that they are targeting 80-85% survival rate out of the 2,294,629 trees planted in the different parts of the Mindanao. The TreeVolution is part of the three-year project of the National Greening Program of the national government. For three years, DENR’s role is to secure the 80-85% survival rate of the planted trees. Fragada added that the DENR 11 and the its partner organization, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), are now planning to gather all the participants of the event to have a ‘walk to re-

VOL. 7 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

DENR 11 targets rehabilitation of 25K has. of forests in Davao By CHENEEN R. CAPON

SELFIE TIME. Not even the afternoon heat can stop these two domestic tourists from taking selfies while relishing the view of one of Davao City’s parks. Lean Daval Jr.

HE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 11 is targeting to rehabilitate a total of 25,000 hectares of forest area in Davao Region this year. DENR 11 executive director Joselin Marcus E. Fragada said they are planning to implement the forest rehabilitation program under its annual National Greening Program (NGP). “Our annual target is to rehabilitate 16,000 hectares annually, but the central office ordered the regional office to increase its target to 25,000 hectares because we will have a bigger budget for NGP this year,” Fragada said at a news conference. Fragada said DENR 11 has

abf@edgedavao.net

MEMBER of Davao City Police (DCPO) is facing murder charges for allegedly killing a tricycle driver at a transport terminal in Mintal on Monday night. The Tugbok Police Station charged Police Officer (PO)2 Jozel S. Jorolan, 33, a member of the DCPO’s City Public Safety Company, for murder for allegedly shooting to death Mario I. Magno, 49, a resident of Barangay Ula, Tugbok Dis-

trict. Police submitted Jorolan for inquest procedure before the City Prosecution Office (CPO) yesterday afternoon. The police report cited the testimony of Joseph S. Bajinting, a security guard of One Network Bank who was on duty at the time, who said Jorolan arrived at the area at around 7:45 p.m. on February 23 and parked his motorcycle in front of the terminal.

MGB to conduct geological study on coastal erosion in GenSantos

HE Mines and Geoscience Bureau (MGB) is set to conduct a comprehensive geological study to determine the real cause and extent of a coastal erosion that earlier hit a coastal community here. Dr. Agripino Dacera Jr., City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) chief, said a team of geologists from the MGB central office will specifically conduct an inspection and assessment of the eroded shorelines of Purok Tinago in Barangay Dadiangas South. He said the geologists will dive any moment this week into the huge opening that initially appeared at the shores of Purok Tinago last Feb. 15. The assessment will involve an underwater survey and analysis of the shoreline’s

stability through the use of a ground penetrating radar, he said. “The results of the geological study will also be used for disaster-proofing and the implementation of appropriate interventions for the affected coastal communities,” Dacera said. The city government forcibly evacuated 47 families from Purok Tinago following the emergence last week of the huge shoreline opening, which was initially feared to be a sinkhole. It later decided to clear a bigger stretch of the coastline, specifically Puroks Islam and 9-A and 9-B of Tinago, due to the risks of another potentially-massive coastal erosion. Citing an initial assessment made by MGB Region

Bajinting said when Jorolan had walked about five meters, his motorcycle fell to the ground. Magno then picked it up and returned it to its standing position. Bajinting said Jorolan, for no apparent reason, shot Magno several times, killing him on the spot. The police report said Jorolan tried unsuccessfully to evade arrest when police

officers responded to the incident. Seized from his possession was a 9 mm pistol which was identified by the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) as his service firearm based on the serial number. The SOCO also recovered from the crime scene one empty magazine and one loaded magazine with seven bullets, 23 empty shells, and a deformed slug.

savings from the supplemental budget last year that will be carried over this year. “We are planning to plant a total of 8 million seedlings this year,” he said. Seedlings to be planted by DENR 11 and partner private sectors include fruit bearing trees like cacao, coffee and rubber; and timber and mahogany seedlings. For Davao City, a total of 4,300 has. of forest area will be rehabilitated this year. “We are targeting districts of Paquibato, Marilog, Calinan and Toril to be planted with premium seedlings,” Fragada said. Under the NGP, DENR 11 is required to identify more

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Board of Inquiry starts mission to Mamapasano

Cop faces murder raps T for tricycle driver’s slay

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

crc@edgedavao.net

HE Philippine National Police board of inquiry (BOI) embarked on a three-day mission to Mamasapano town in Maguindanao on Tuesday as part of the final phase of its ongoing investigation into the bloody Jan. 25 clash in the area that led to the killing of 44 elite police commandos. The eight-person board led by its Director Benjamin Magalong left for Mamasapano around 9:30 a.m. following a breakfast and coordination meeting at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-South Cotabato provincial office in Koronadal City. Magalong, who heads the CIDG, also met briefly with South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes at the CIDG office, which is just beside the provincial capitol compound. In an interview with reporters, the official said their investigation mission to Ma-

masapano is focused on getting a “clearer picture” of the encounter site in Barangay Tukanalipao and the area covered by operation plan or “Oplan Exodus” of the police Special Action Force (SAF). The SAF troopers were serving arrest warrants for Malaysian bombing suspect Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and local bomb expert Abdul Basit Usman in the outskirts of Mamasapano, Maguindanao when they clashed with the members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). Marwan, who was reportedly killed in the operation, and Usman were included in the terror list of the United States and carry a combined bounty of US$ 6 million. “We will look at the environment, the situation on the ground and other related fac-

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NO HARNESS. One of the laborers in a construction site along R. Castillo Avenue in Davao City works atop a metal post without harness or any safety gear,

FMGB, 14 ignoring the possibility of falling. Lean Daval Jr.

4 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

Province of Davao Oriental

MinDA to help Davao Or boost tourism, investment industry H

AVING seen Davao Oriental’s already commencing efforts in pushing its tourism industry and unlocking its investment potentials, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) recently vowed its support to the province’s already laid out development plans intended to boost tourism and investments here. MinDA Secretary Luwalhati Antonino, during her recent visit in the province as part of her rounds of visits around Mindanao, committed to help find funding to augment the province’s earmarked budget for building much-needed infrastructure for tourism and investments to boost socio-economic development in the province and help build up Mindanao as a flourishing economic zone. During her meeting with local government officials here, Antonino divulged that the national government has plenty of funding sources waiting to be tapped and utilized if comprehensible development plans are charted out and laid out on the ground. As a directive of President Benigno Aquino, Antonino said the national government agencies are currently fast tracking all development programs for Mindanao, noting its intention to strengthen economy of every province here and to create more opportunities for every Mindanaoans. She said going around

Davao City

Mindanao is a sure way to learn the provinces’ bottlenecks and help them solve these blocks in order to aid them in advancing development projects. In terms of investments, Antonino said she was delighted to learn that the province has already established its cacao industry development program, noting the national government has been aggressive in its promotion as a priority crop. She said the national government eyes of raising the area planted to cacao to up to 200,000 hectares all over Mindanao by the end of 2015. “We want to capture a big share of the market. The market is growing while the supply of cacao is dwindling,” she said. “This is the time for us in Mindanao to be able build a niche in the cacao market,” she added. Meanwhile, as Davao Oriental has already set up its tourism development plan and has already jumpstarted it, she said it would now be easily incorporated to the agency’s Mindanao Development Plan. The Mindanao Development Plan divides Mindanao to different corridors with respect to its features and potentials. Endowed with a lush biodiversity and tourism potentials, Davao Oriental is included to the biodiversity and tourism corridor that stretch-

SITE VISIT. Governor Corazon Malanyaon MinDA together with MinDA Secretary Luwalhati Antonino, MinDA executive director Janet Lopoz, and staff from MinDA during a site visit in the grand Aliwagwag Falls and Tourism Development Site. es down to Surigao. With Davao Oriental’s amazing attractions and an established with an airport, she said she is considering presenting the province’s development plan to the airline industries for them to consider having flights in this side of Mindanao. Meanwhile, determined to launch the province’s tourism industry this year, the Provincial Government is also keeping its focus and efforts in boosting Davao Oriental’s

tourism industry. Having earmarked a budget for tourism development sourced out from the Provincial Government coffers and some support from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), the provincial government, since last year, simultaneously implements tourism site development in every town, including the City of Mati as a way of laying the foundation for tourism development. These projects include the

Mindanao breaks tree planting record

HE Guinness World Record (GWR) announced that Mindanao has the “most trees planted simultaneously in multiple locations” during the conduct of the one-day tree planting activity dubbed “Treevolution: Greening MindaNow” on Sept. 26 last year.

According to the GWR website, a total of 2,294,629 trees were planted by 122,186 participants in 29 locations during the one-day event organized by Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“This record-breaking event saw the planting of rubber, cacao, coffee, timber and mahogany trees, as well as a range of fruit trees and other species indigenous to the Philippines,” it said. The Treevolution was conducted to encourage massive participation to hit the Min-

RECORD BREAKING. Planters coming from various offices and organizations walk their way to a TreeVolution planting site in Barangay Kematu, T’boli, South Cotabato last September 26. (File Photo from DENR XII)

danao target for the National Greening Program. The organizers aimed to plant 4.636 million trees at different sites with combined area of 9,200 hectares within the island during the one-day event. “Together, we have all shown the world that it is possible for Mindanawons from all walks of life and across all the regions, that we can unite to save our environment,” Minda said in a statement. The last record holder was India where 1,945,533 trees were planted simultaneously by 340,200 participants in 408 location on Aug. 15, 2011. The DENR, Minda and its partner agencies mobilized their employees to volunteer during Treevolution. The organizers also invited people’s organizations, academe, national government agencies, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, business sector and religious groups. (MindaNews)

Pintatagan Welcome Park and Shrine in Banaybanay, Mt. Hamiguitan Tourism structures in three jump-off areas in the towns of Governor Generoso, San Isidro and the City of Mati. Also included in the development are the Pusan Point in Caraga, Sunrise Boulevard in Baganga, Riverview Park in Cateel as well as the grand Aliwagwag Falls set to be inaugurated on April of this year. More projects are underway as the Provincial Government is fast tracking the com-

Tagum City

pletion of the implementation of its tourism development plan for the whole province. Still in the pipeline are the developments in the towns of Governor Generoso, Lupon, Manay, and Boston. “Now that we are trying to embark on tourism development projects, the idea here is to create a tourism loop, putting up a place that people can see and visit in every town,” said Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon.

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Cities of Tagum, Vigan to forge sisterhood pact

AGUM City Mayor Allan Rellon bared Monday that he is pushing for sisterhood ties with Vigan City, the city renowned of its cultural tourism, rich heritage, and Spanish-era mansions. “We have things in common with Vigan City like being adjudged as top child-friendly cities and Galing Pook awardees. And Vigan like Tagum is a component city,” the mayor said. “Vigan City a tourist destination center, being one of the Heritage sites in the country, and its local government unit has very good programs to replicate,” he added. “Likewise, we also offer also our beloved city as a destination that Vigan offi-

cials and people can learn from,” he said. Both Rellon and Vigan City Mayor Eva Marie Medina have already agreed to forge a sisterhood agreement, which would be given authorizations by their respective City Councils. Last Nov. 21, Rellon and Malaybalay City Mayor Ignacio Zubiri inked a sisterhood pact between their cities at Big 8 Corporate Hotel, Tagum City. In 1999 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization inscribed Vigan City in the list of World Heritage sites. There are at least 22 cultural landscapes in the country that have made it to UNESCO’s list. Cha Monforte, Correspondent

5 ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

PAL opens 8 new routes

PH flag carrier announces Davao-Cebu, Davao-Zambo flights

By CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY

HE Philippine Airlines (PAL) will be flying to eight new domestic routes starting March 29 and making Cebu as the hub. A PAL executive, speaking on conditions of anonymity, said the airline’s aggressive domestic route expansion will include a daily flight from Davao to Cebu and back and thrice a week flight from Davao to Zamboanga and back. PAL will fly from Cebu to Davao at 8:40 a.m. and then depart for Cebu from Davao at 10:30 a.m. daily. The airline will also fly from Zamboanga to Davao at 6:25 a.m. and then leave Davao for Zamboanga at 8:20 a.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Merchandise imports up 2.4% in2014

mports of goods for 2014 slightly grew by 2.4 percent at USD 63.92 billion from USD 62.41 billionin 2013, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Tuesday. PSA said imports amount for December 2014 alone fell by USD 4.87 billion from December 2013’s figure of USD 5.45 billion. This is after five out of the top ten major commodities for December last year had a double-digit negative growth which include industrial machinery and equipment as well as miscellaneous manufactured Articles which were both down by 10 percent; cereals and cereal preparations, down by 32 percent; mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, down by 37 percent; and transport equipment, down by 51 percent. On the other hand, top gainers for the last month of 2014 were electronic products which increased by 32 percent; other food and live animals, up by 18 percent; feeding stuff for animals, up by 10 percent; plastics in primary and non-primary forms, up by 9.0 percent; and organic and inorganic chemicals, up by 8.0 percent. Electronic products remained the country’s top import in December 2014, accounting for 35 percent of the total imports value. Imports of electronics hit USD1.69 billion in December 2014 from USD1.28 billion in December 2013. (PNA)

The source said the opening up of new routes underscore PAL’s desire to spur economic development in the rural areas. He said these new routes will also offer passengers new choices every time they fly. “We want to give quality service to our passengers. We don’t shortchange our passengers,” the PAL executive said, Other new PAL domestic routes include Cebu-Cagayan de Oro, Tacloban-Cebu, Butuan-Cebu, Cebu-Iloilo, Iloilo-General Santos City and Cebu-Bacolod. PAL, Asia’s first airline, will be using A320 aircrafts in all these new domestic routes.

GOING BANANAS. A vendor displays freshly harvested ripe bananas at a fruit stall in Agdao, Davao City yesterday. The city enjoys a year-round supply of bananas as its neighboring provinces like Davao del Norte have vast banana plantations. Lean Daval Jr.

6 THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

MinDA, PCA to increase coco farmers’ income By CHENEEN R. CAPON

crc@edgedavao.net

HOUSANDS of coconut farmers in Davao Region will soon have the chance to increase their income while receiving incentives for planting cacao. This, after the the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) have forged a partnership to boost income of the farmers, MinDA director for policy, planning and project development Reyzaldy B. Tan said the partnership aims to develop cacao industry not only in the Davao Region but also in Mindanao. The partnership will be formalized once the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is signed in the first quarter of this year. “Based on initial talks, PCA will give incentives to coconut farmers who will intercrop cacao with coconut on their own farms,” Tan said. He said farmers would need to plant 500 cacao seedlings in a one hectare of coconut farm. “Intercropping cacao will not only boost the region’s cacao production, but also increase farmer’s income,” Tan

said. According to the PCA data, the average net income per year per hectare of a coconut farmer is P10,000. However, MinDA projected that it would go up to P100,00 to P120,00 if a farmer will include planting of cacao. Tan said the Davao Region’ s cacao has a huge potential in the global market. However, the region need to ncrease its production of quality cacao beans in order to contribute significantly in the global market. Tan said Davao Region contributes more than 90 percent of Mindanao’s total cacao production, but the local total cacao production is not enough to suffice the local demand. “Philippines is one of the major importer of cacao,” he said. “If we want to be competetive in the cacao, we have to encourage farmers to produce large quantity of quality cacao beans”. About 14,000 hectares in Davao Oriental and 5,000 has. more of coconut farms in Compostela Valley in the region can be intercropped with cacao.

DTI-DavNor approves Incentives Code’s IRR

HE Davao del Norte Investments and Incentives Board (DdNIIB already approved the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) and other documents necessary for the implementation of the Davao del Norte Investments and Incentives Code. The approval was done during first meeting last February 11. The DdNIIB is composed of reflected representatives from the public and private sectors and chaired by Governor Rodolfo P. Del Rosario. Private sector members of the Board are the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Tagum City and Panabo City, Provincial Agriculture and Fishery Council, and Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In his message to the members of the Board, Del Rosario emphasized the role of the approved Local Investments and Incentives Code (LIIC) in generating investment, employment and revenue of the province. “The Local Investments and Incentives Code of the province will serve as the policy support to the regional economic development

and the ASEAN Economic Cooperation (AEC) Integration. It is expected that with the approved Code, more inflow of foreign and local investments will be generated,” he said. Moreover, Department of Trade and Industry-Davao del Norte Officer-in-Charge Romeo L. Castañaga said that the approval of the said IRR and other documents signals the readiness of the Board to hit the trail towards providing fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to qualified enterprises and working on other investments-related activities such as promotion and policy recommendation. “This is actually a milestone for the Board. And we at DTI are definitely optimistic about the outcomes of this development,” he said. DTI is part of the DdNIIB. “The Local Investments and Incentives Code of the province will serve as the policy support to the regional economic development and the ASEAN Economic Cooperation (AEC) Integration. It is expected that with the approved Code, more inflow of foreign and local investments will be generated,” he said. DTI-DN/GSL/ jmm

Sparks hit the pavement as a worker welds a part of the building being built on J.C. Aquino Avenue in Butuan City, February 20, 2015. MindaNews photo by Erwin Mascarinas

Davao fish port eyed as trading center By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

abf@edgedavao.net

HE Davao Fish Port Complex in Daliao, Toril is being eyed to become a center for fish landing and trading activities. The proposal made by the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (CFARMC) was contained in a resolution which was passed on first reading during yesterday’s regular SP session. The proposal was referred to the committee on agriculture and food headed by Councilor Marissa Salvador-Abella for deliberation. The Davao Fish Port Complex is being managed by the Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA). CFARMC’s proposal to make the Davao Fish Port the

center for fish landing and trading activities was contained in a resolution and which was presented to the local lawmaking body. This proposal, according to the CFARMC, is intended for the fisher folks of Davao City. “The immediate establishment of the said fish trading center will surely provide great economic benefits to all stakeholders,” CFARMC said in its resolution. The resolution further stated that the city government recognizes the role of CFARMC in assisting in the preparation of the City Fisheries Development Plan. The resolution stated that it is stipulated in the Executive Order No. 36 series of

212 the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) of the City Ordinance No. 093-08 the Comprehensive Fisheries Code of Davao City, that the CFARMC is mandated to assist City Agriculturist Office (CAO) in formulating the City Fishery Development Plan. Under rule no.12 of the IRR, the necessity establishing fish trading center is to facilitate direct markets of the fish catch of fisher folks for wholesale and retail buyers at competitive and reasonable rates. “The CFARMC is mandated to advise the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council) through the committees on environment and natural resources, and agriculture and food on fishery matters in order to pro-

mote the proper management, conservation, protection and proper utilization of its fisheries and aquatic resources within city waters,” CFARMC stated in the resolution. The plan will be implemented through conducting public consultations with the barangays, peoples’ organizations, fishery cooperatives and associations in order to determine the goals, objectives and programs for the development and management of aquatic resources. The establishment of these facilities,, CFARMC explained, will require huge amount of capital investments on the part of the city for the procurement of cold storage, dryers and fish

expected to serve around 50,000 members, including self-employed and voluntary paying members from the informal sector. SSS 11, in a statement, said SSS Ilustre will be servicing 3,180 employers, 20,000 employees and an estimated of 30,000 self-employed members within its jurisdiction from Jacinto Street to Bankerohan bridge covering 23 barangays under the first district of the city. Bugante said the new office is a full-service branch which offers the issuance of SSS numbers; accepts and processes applications on benefit claims such as sick-

ness, maternity, disability, funeral and death application as well as Unified Multipurpose ID (UMID) Data capture section. It is open from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. “SSS Ilustre branch will soon have its own information kiosk where members can access the E-center that has a stand-alone system where members can access and print their SSS record data,” she said. Members can also register on the center and be able to avail loan programs offered by the SSS to its registered members. The information kiosk

will be established this year, according to Bugante. The SSS will continue to open additional branches this year with five new branches and five service offices in the pipeline for this year. Last year, SSS was able to put up 25 new branches and 13 service offices nationwide. As of December 2014, SSS has 262 offices across the Philippines located in the National Capital Region with 60; Luzon with 118; Visayas with 41, and Mindanao with 43. Bugante said SSS has a total of more than 32 million members currently. Cheneen R. Capon

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New branch to make SSS more accessible

HE Social Security System (SSS) 11 branch inaugurated at the Gaisano Grand Mall along Ilustre Street yesterday was established to ease congestion at its main office. “We opened a new branch to ease congestion in our main Davao branch and to make SSS more accessible to our members,” SSS vice president for public affairs Marissu G. Bugante told reporters at the Gran Men Seng Hotel Monday. Bugante said their SSS Ilustre branch is situated in a very strategic location in Davao City. The newest branch is

EDGEDAVAO

7 SCIENCE

VOL. 7 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

Coral bleaching to hit the Philippines By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“

IN the coming months, the Philippines is set to experience another coral bleaching event as ocean temperatures continue to rise.” That’s according to Dr. Mark Eakin, coordinator of the NOAA Coral Reef Watch, a weekly product that forecasts the potential for coral bleaching up to four months in the future. “The warm ocean temperatures in 2014, especially in the Pacific, are expected to continue to cause more coral bleaching in 2015,” said Dr. Eakin, who is with the Satellite Oceanography and Climate Division of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “The new outlook gives us greater confidence in what it shows for future coral bleaching and it comes at an important time,” said Dr. Eakin in a press statement released recently. “The outlook shows a pattern over the next four months that is similar to what we saw during global coral bleaching events in 1998 and 2010.” In fact, the NOAA scientists are warning that warm ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans could set the stage for major coral bleaching events across the globe in 2015. “In the coming months, we will be watching to see if the model predicts conditions that can cause bleaching in Southeast Asia and the Coral Triangle region around mid-2015,” pointed out Dr. Eakin. The Philippines is actually part of the Coral Triangle, a collective term for the marine area located in the western Pacific Ocean. It also includes the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Solomon Islands. “Named for its staggering number of corals (nearly 600 different species of reef-building corals alone), the region nurtures six of the world’s seven marine turtle species and more than 2000 species of reef fish,” notes the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Over 120 million people live in the Coral Triangle and rely on its coral reefs for food, income and protection from storms, WWF added. Marine scientists say reefs are constructed by millions of minute animals called coral polyps, each of which lives inside a protective limestone skeleton. Corals remove carbon dioxide from the ocean surface to build their skeleton of calcium carbonate, or limestone. In this way, reefs help reduce the

amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide -- a greenhouse gas linked to global warming. The corals’ skeletons amass to form the foundation of a reef. Studies have shown that the stony structures grow slowly, normally at a rate of 0.25 centimeters to 0.05 centimeters a year. The coral polyps are aided by microscopic plants (algae) which live inside them, providing food in exchange of shelter. Like any plant, the algae need sunlight to power their activities, and so coral reefs are typically found in clear, shallow water. “Coral bleaching takes place when corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light or nutrients,” the NOAA said. “They expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn white or pale. Without the algae, the coral loses its major source of food and is more susceptible to disease.” “Bleaching is not a good thing,” explained Dr. Terry

Coral bleaching info (Credit: NOAA)

Coral bleaching (Credit: NOAA)

Hughes, a distinguished professor at James Cook University, who convened the International Coral Reef Symposium in 2012 at Cairns, Australia. According to Dr. Hughes, as warm temperatures intensify, coral bleaching will also increase at an unprecedented level. “Bleaching events are expected to increase in terms of frequency,” said Dr. Hughes, who has been a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science since 2001. “Climate change and its impacts, which can include bleaching, are some of the most pressing global threats to coral reef ecosystems today,” said Jennifer Koss, acting program manager for NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. The Management of Bleached and Severely Damaged Coral Reefs traced coral bleaching as far back as 1870. However, since the 1980s, bleaching events have become more frequent, widespread and severe. In the first months of

2002, a wave of bleaching swept coral reefs around the world with scientists linking the events to climate change. The majority of bleaching records came from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia with others from reefs in countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Palau, the Maldives, Tanzania, the Seychelles, Belize, Ecuador, and off the Florida coast of the United States. In 2010, as much as 95% of the corals in the Philippines suffered bleaching after a warming event. “The bleaching has been observed at many other sites around the Philippines featuring mass mortality of corals,” a news report said. Marine scientists claim that recovery of severely damaged reefs caused by bleaching can take a long time, even on relatively healthy reefs. In addition, “the corals that repopulate a damaged reef may be significantly different from what existed before bleaching,” according to the Great

Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), which has been recognized as a world leader in managing reefs affected by coral bleaching. Recovery is even slower if there are other stressors like poor water quality, overfishing or disease. “Where reefs are already stressed, recovery can take many decades, or even centuries,” GBRMPA reminds. “(But) a healthy, resilient reef will recover more quickly from bleaching.” In some instances, even if corals survived from bleaching, they are now more susceptible to diseases, according to a study which appeared in the journal Ecology. “Traditionally, scientists have attributed coral declines after mass bleaching events to the bleaching alone,” says Marilyn Brandt, the leader of the study. Warmer water temperatures can also lead to increased incidences of coral disease, which, unlike most bleaching, can cause irreparable loss of coral tissues. In many cases, bleaching and

disease occur concurrently on coral reefs. Brandt and her colleagues wondered if the occurrences of bleaching and disease were linked beyond simply occurring under the same conditions. “Coral bleaching and coral diseases are both related to prolonged thermal stress,” says Brandt. In the Philippines, destruction of coral reefs means disaster. “Coral reefs are home to thousands of marine species, and losing them will spell disaster for our ecosystems, not to mention the thousands of Filipinos who depend on them for food and as sources of livelihood,” reminds Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change. Some 50 million Filipinos are dependent on the coastal ecosystem that comprises mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. Some 40 percent of the country’s coral reefs today are assessed as “poor” – up from the previous 27 percent. Only one percent is considered to be “pristine.”

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

EDITORIAL People Power every day

T is often said that an event like EDSA People Power in 1986 can happen only once, and EDSA 2 notwithstanding, there is a lot of truth in that. The spontaneous massing of people to protect then-Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and then-Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Vice Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Fidel Ramos and their respective groups that had withdrawn support for then-President Ferdinand Marcos is not easy to duplicate, especially when one remembers that back then there were no cell phones with which the people could call or text each other to spread the news. More than that, it is difficult to imagine what would drive hundreds of thousands of people to defy their own fears – cultivated by two decades of dictatorship – and risk their lives to secure their freedom. Marcos had full control of the military

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and could, with one word, have mowed down the huge crowd at EDSA. That the people stayed for four days in the face of that uncertainty was testament to how willing they were to die for freedom. But while EDSA 1986 was a singular event, there is also a sense that People Power happens everyday. Indeed, it is something that must happen every single day, for people power is the essence of democracy. Thomas Jefferson may have defined democracy as mob rule, but used wisely and prudently, without employing violence and intimidation, it is a force for good that secures the welfare of the people. Imagine an entire nation working together for a common goal, each equal to the others and none bearing undue power over the rest. It is not just a dream for we once lived that ideal, and we can do so again if we put our collective minds to it. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

AGAPITO JOAQUIN JR. Associate Editor

CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY Consultant

ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. KENNETH IRVING K. ONG CHENEEN R. CAPON BAI FAUZIAH FATIMA SINSUAT AMBOLODTO Reporters MEGHANN STA. INES AQUILES Z. ZONIO NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. FUNNY PEARL GAJUNERA Lifestyle Photography CHA MONFORTE JOSEPH LAWRENCE P. GARCIA ARLENE D. PASAJE Correspondents Contributing Photographer Cartoons MUNDA • HENRYLITO TACIO • MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO AURELIO A. PEÑA • MARY Columnists: CARLOS MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. ANN “ADI”• C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • VIDA MIA VALVERDE • Economic Analysts:• ENRICO BORBON MARY ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN EMILY “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER PEREZENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER M. PEREZ ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA EconomicM. Analyst:

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

So, you think you’re content?

ERHAPS one of the most-often quoted memory verses in the Bible is Psalms 23:1. It states: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” God’s assurance: “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not feat the terror of night nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you” (Psalms 91:4-7). With God as your leader, what can you ask for? He will always be there for you. All you have to do is be content! Contentment is finding as many benefits for not getting what you want as you do for getting what you want. He who is contented has enough but he who complains has too much. Which are you then? I was reminded of a thought-provoking piece written by Ruth Senter in the book, ‘Startled by Silence.’ Instead of defining what contentment is, she related a story that tried to define the word: “I heard the voice but couldn’t see the person. She was on the other side of the locker, just coming in from her early morning swim. Her voice sounded like the morning itself – bright, cheerful, and full of life. At 6:15 in the morning, it would catch anyone’s attention. I heard its affirming tone. “‘Delores, I really appreciated the book you picked up for me last week. I know the library was out of your way. I haven’t been able to put the book down. Solzhenitsyn is a great writer. I’m glad you suggested him to me.’ “‘Good morning, Pat,’ she greeted another swimmer. For a moment, the melodious voice was silent, then I heard it again. ‘Have you ever seen such a gorgeous day! I spied a pair of

VANTAGE POINTS

meadow-larks THINK ON THESE! as I walked over this morning. Makes you glad you’re alive, doesn’t it?’ “The voice was too good to be true. Who can be that thankful at this time of the morning? Her Henrylito D. Tacio voice had a note of refinement henrytacio@gmail.com to it. Perhaps, a rich woman who has nothing to do all day but sip tea on her verandah and read Solzhenitsyn. I suppose I could be cheerful at 6 A.M. if I could swim and read my way through the day. Probably even owns a cottage in the north woods. “I rounded the corner toward the showers and came face to face with the youthful voice. She was just packing her gear. Her yellow housekeeping uniform hung crisp and neat on her fiftyish frame. It was a uniform I’d seen before --- along with mops, brooms, dust cloths, and buckets. An employee of the facility at which I swam. She flashed a smile my way, picked up her plastic K-mart shopping bag, and hurried out the door, spreading ‘have a glorious day’ benedictions as she went. “I still had the yellow uniform on my mind as I swam my laps and sank down among the foamy lather of the whirlpool. My two companions were deep in conversation. At least one of them was. His tired, sad voice told tragic woes of arthritic knees, a heart aneurysm, sleepless nights, and pain-filled days. “Nothing was good or right. The water was too hot, the whirlpool jets weren’t strong

enough for his stiff knees, and his doctors had been much too slow in diagnosing his case. With his diamond-studded hand, he wiped the white suds out of his face. He looked ancient, but I suspected he too was fiftyish. “The yellow uniform and the diamond-studded ring stood out in striking, silent contrast, proof to me again that when God says, ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain,’ He really means it. This morning, I saw both contentment and discontent. I resolved never to forget.” “It may be all right to be content with what you have; never with what you are,” B.C. Forbes once commented. But in these days of crass materialism and information highway, everyone seems to be in a hurry. No one is contented anymore. People want to have more things in life which actually they don’t need at all. Again, allow me to share this note sent to me by a friend via e-mail (yes, no more handwritten letters anymore!). It may be ironic but it’s true: “We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wide highways but narrow viewpoints. We spend more, but have less. We buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families’ more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees, but less common sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness. “We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get angry too quickly, read too seldom, and watch TV and video too much. We talk too much, love too seldom, and lie too often. “We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life; we’ve added years to life, not life to years.

“We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet new neighbor. We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things. We’re cleaning up the air, but polluting the spirit. We’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. “We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We have more income, but less ethics; more leisure and less fun; more kinds of foods, but less nutrition; more acquaintances, but fewer friends; more effort but less success. “We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication. We’ve become long on quantity, but short on quality. “These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men and short character; steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but also of domestic violence. It is a time when there is much in the show window, and nothing in the stockroom. “These are the days of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away self-respect, one-night stands, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.” For a life of contentment, what do you really need? Here’s what one wise man said: “Health enough to make work a pleasure. Wealth enough to support your needs. Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them. Grace enough to confess our sins and forsake them. Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished. Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor. Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others. Faith enough to make real the things of God. Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.”

be restaged. But the Mamasapano incident showed us that war is not that simple a proposition. It provided us with glimpses of its complexities, ugliness, and horror. It gave us a high lesson that in the battlefields, brutalities can be committed beyond the comprehension of an ordinary mortal. There is a dictum that “once the first shot is fired in a war, the battle plan goes out the window.” In the January 25 incident, it was not only the plan that went out of the window but also the established conventions, protocols, and rules of engagement that supposed to guide the conduct of a civilized war. Incidentally, our country’s history is replete with incidents of inhuman and cruel conduct of combats. It is littered with tales of armed hostility employed with excessive use of violence and military might and gross violations of the basic tenets of human rights. Among the world’s brutal military campaigns in the contemporary period was the US pacification of the Philippines. American commanders responded to Filipino resistance with “utmost brutality,” resorting to the “most

ruthless methods” in suppressing what it considered as local insurgency. Perhaps the most gruesome example is the infamous incident in Balangiga town of Samar where the American soldiers were ordered to “make Samar a howling wilderness” by killing all persons capable of bearing arms including children from ten years above. Under the usages of “civilized warfare,” the Moroland had its own share of experience from US brutality, most notorious of which was the Battle of Bud Dajo, a volcanic crater in Jolo where only six out of around one thousand Moro villagers—including women and children—survived from one of the most brutal and bloody campaigns launched by the Americans. Considered as another darkest episode of the Philippines history, World War II also brought untold misery to Filipinos including torture and beheading of prisoners and the mistreatment, sexual abuse and rape of thousands of “comfort women.” In the Bataan Death March, many were heavily beaten, bayoneted and deprived of food and water until death. When conflict in Mindanao heightened after the imposition of Martial Law, the country once again witnessed the harrowing realities of war. The burning of Jolo in 1974 left thousands of combatants and civilians dead, the first single incident that drew international media attention due to its excesses and brutality. In the succeeding years of the conflict that was once described as the “bitterest war” in Southeast Asia—next to Vietnam War—tens of thousands from both sides died and hundreds

of thousands of civilians were left homeless, many of whom sought refuge in other parts of the country including Metro Manila and in the neighboring Sabah, Malaysia. At one point during its height, almost an entire batch of fresh graduates from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) perished. Since the end of Marcos rule in 1986, the succeeding administrations made peace overtures (even the hawkish administration of Estrada inked a framework agreement with MILF he later on disregarded), espousing the belief that the armed conflict can be resolved beyond the boundaries of the battlefields through the painstaking and difficult process of building confidence and mutual trust, inter-faith dialogue, civil society participation and third-party mediation. Gains over the years may have been intermittent and the road to final settlement remains rough. But the openness expressed by main protagonists to remain committed to the peace process is at least reassuring that Mindanao conflict can still be settled peacefully. While fresh wounds inflicted from the Mamasapano incident makes confidence building and dialogue more difficult, it doesn’t mean that it is insurmountable. True, there will be no quick settlement. But as what Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte has been passionately advocating, effort to find a lasting peace solution to Mindanao conflict to achieve peace must never be abandoned. Peace process is still the better option than resolving the conflict through superiority, if not brutality, of military strength. It is the only sensible way forward.

Optimism in the midst of renewed trouble

MID the national outrage over the disastrous January 25 mission of the Special Action Force (SAF), the forthright declaration made by the country’s top police and military officials that they remain committed to the peace process is a flicker of hope in one of the most challenging episodes since the government made peace overtures to end the long-running war in Mindanao. It is quite disappointing that some political leaders, riding on the wave of widespread public anger over the deaths of SAF commandos, come with ease in further stirring up the fire of hatred. During the senate hearings and media interviews, the demeanor of some senators—who comprehend the complexities of Mindanao conflict from inside the comfort of their Manila-based homes and air-conditioned offices—appears to entertain, if not incite, the possibility of the government engaging another war. But not the people in many parts of Mindanao who have long experienced war and have a real feel and deep understanding of it. Not the people in the war-ravaged communities who are too weary waking up in terror and horror every time armed skirmishes erupt. Not the combatants who are too exhausted spending most of their adult lives in the battlefields. For some people who only see war in the movies and in the broadcast of daily news, war is a marvelous endeavor, championed by former Pres. Joseph Estrada—a movie actor himself—when he launched an “all out war” against MILF in April 2000, a costly campaign that fellow actor Richard Gomez now wants to

10 ICT HUB EDGEDAVAO

N official in the United Arab Emirates says the Gulf federation has reached a deal valued at just over $1 billion to buy satellite

VOL. 7 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

UAE spends $1B on satellite system

Emirati officials visit the International Defence Exhibition and Conference, IDEX, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, February 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) systems from European manufacturers Airbus and Thales. The deal was announced Monday, the second day of the International Defense Exhibi-

tion, in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi. Exhibition chairman Obadi al-Ketbi says the deal for the satellites and related equip-

ment is worth 3.75 billion dirhams ($1.02 billion), part of roughly $2.6 billion in equipment purchases announced by the Emirates. He did not give

details on the satellites’ use. The seven-state Emirates federation has been investing heavily in space technology, and last year announced plans

to send the first unmanned Arab spaceship to Mars. IDEX is the largest expo of military equipment in the Middle East. (AP)

building designs yet.” They will use renewable energy, including wind power. In Ireland, Apple will recover land previously used for growing and harvesting non-native trees and restore native trees to a local forest, providing an outdoor education site for local schools and a walking trail. The Danish center will

be located next to one of the country’s largest electrical substations, designed to capture excess heat from equipment in the data hub and conduct it into the district heating system to warm homes in the area. The data centers will be based in central Denmark’s Jutland and Athenry, County Galway, in Ireland.

Apple to set up high-tech data hubs in Northern Europe A PPLE is investing 1.7 billion euros ($1.92 billion) in high-tech data centers in Denmark and Ireland that will be powered by renewable energy, in its largest such project in Europe to date, the company said Monday. The hubs, to begin operations in 2017, will power data for Apple Inc.’s online ser-

vices, including iTunes Store, App Store, iMessage, Maps and Siri voice services. Apple said it has increased operations in Europe, spending more than 7.8 billion euros on European companies and suppliers last year and supporting some 670,000 jobs in the region. Its own employees grew by 2,000 and number 18,300

HIGH-TECH. The App Store is one of the services that will be powered by Apple’s high-tech data centers in Denmark and Ireland starting in 2017.

people in 19 European countries. The technology giant joins Microsoft, Google and Facebook in building data centers in northern Europe, where the colder climate helps save on equipment cooling costs. Apple CEO Tim Cook described the centers as “some of our most advanced green

11 THE TRAVEL TELLER

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

GLAN, SARANGANI PROVINCE:

Yesteryears’ heritage is today’s treasure By OLAN FERNANDEZ EMBOSCADO

WAS wrong when I thought that Glan is all about pristine white sand beach. You can’t blame me. The famous Gumasa Beach where Sarangani Bay Festival is held every year is located in this town and this six-kilometer stretch of white sand is said to be among the finest in Mindanao. So, if someone talks about Glan, the first thing that comes to mind is Gumasa Beach. But there’s more to Glan than its coastal wonders. Being the oldest municipality in the whole SocCCSKSarGen Region, Glan is a heritage town that played a significant role in shaping the whole region’s vibrant history. Glan’s substantial historical value makes this coastal town the most interesting place to discover in Sarangani Province. And those who come here to search for nature and pure pleasure find themselves more fascinated when the olden charms of Glan that are frozen in time are laid before their eyes. For some, they even call this beautiful place a little museum town. Colono Marker In 1914, Don Tranquilino Ruiz from Alegria, Cebu was appointed by Gov. Gen. Francis Burton Harrison as Superintendent of Agricultural Colony No. 9. It was one of the Agricultural Colonies sent to then Moro Province now called Mindanao through Colonization Law of Don Sergio Osmena Sr., then Speaker of the House of Representatives. Don Tranquilino Ruiz together with other 16 Cebuanos were among the first Christian settlers who came to Glan on October 8, 1914. They were welcomed by the natives and together created a harmonious and progressive community. As town’s tribute to this first meeting of Christians and natives, this town’s foremost historic struc-

Ancestral houses

ture, the Colono Marker, was erected. If you happen to meet any local, ask him and he’ll probably name those in the structure.

Century-old ancestral houses If you stroll around Poblacion, your eyes will surely be glued to the ample rows of ancestral houses standing still and resilient with time. Mostly built in the 1920s, these colonial homes still house stunning collection of antiques and priceless heirlooms handed down from generation to generation. Some of these houses were originally constructed by those Colonos who came

Santa Catalina de Alexandria Church

The Ruiz antique collection

to Glan carrying with them furniture pieces and stuff from Cebu. Some of these houses now are occupied or maintained by either third or fourth generation of the family. If you’re lucky, owners will allow you to come inside their homes and let you take a glimpse of its colorful past. But even viewing them from the outside, you’ll absolutely be mesmerized by their high balconies, canopies, capiz shell windows, calado embroidered walls and wide wooden staircases.

Emilio Alegado Colonial House Perhaps the most visited and most photographed ancestral house in Glan is the E. Alegado Ancestral House. It was constructed in 1949 after the Japanese-American with both Spanish and American architectural influences. Emilio Alducente Alegado, the one who built it, was the first elected Municipal Mayor of Colono marker Glan. He was endeared to his

people that not just a street but also a barangay in Glan was named after him. Visit this home. It is now occupied by Councilor Martin Alegado, grandson of the late E. Alegado and you’ll surely be amazed by the intricate calado embroidered walls that abound inside. Of course, antique collections of the family can be seen everywhere.

Santa Catalina de Alexandria Church It may not be as old as baroque or stone churches in the Visayas where Christianity was first introduced, but Santa Catalina de Alexandria Church, the Parish Church of Glan, is worth a visit. The Catholic faith in this part of Mindanao was brought by Christian settlers who came to this town from Cebu. Majority of them came from the town of Carcar where Santa Catalina of Alexandria is the patron saint. This explains further why the patron saint of Glan is the same as that of Carcar. Though Christians Cebua-

nos migrated to Glan in 1914, the Santa Catalina de Alexandria Church was built in 1949. It is now 65 years old and considered a built heritage.

The Ruix Antique Collection There’s no one in town who doesn’t know this walking encyclopedia of Glan. His name is Dr. Jose Tranquilino “Dodong” Ruiz III and he is the grandson of no less than the great Don Tranquilino Ruiz. He is a current Municipal Councilor and physician by profession. More than that, Dr. Ruiz is an antique collector and lover of something that has historical value. His museum-like home houses his family memorabilia which he prudently preserved over the years. Most of these antique collections speak about the history of his hometown. Over the years, Dr. Dodong Ruiz has built a reputation as the greatest local historian with his collection of antiques, local stories and personal account of his town’s heritage.

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WOMEN

Martish’s Marga Nograles (Center) poses with the models.

Martish celebrates

10 Years of Havaianas

Chuchay Sison.

MT Martish Corporation makes another milestone as it celebrates 10 years of bringing (and living out) the fun and colorful Havaianas spirit into the shores of Davao. Marga Nograles and Tisha Dominguez, the women behind Martish, became the brand’s Davao distributor in August 2005. Havaianas was an instant bestseller and Martish sold its initial stocks of 3,500 pairs in no time. The brand has shown

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

STYLE

2015 ST

in the ey

KEEPING UP its streak of bringing break through fashion events to Davao City, th metro’s premier shopping and lifestyle des tination – SM Lanang Premier – recently tapped ‘It Girl’ and young style icon Camill Co to jumpstart the new year by styling a run way show at the Atrium. Called ‘Style Trends,’ the show 30 highlighted the fashion forecast for 2015 by the country’s leading style blogger, promising fashion designer, model, and stylist. Camille Co, who graduated with honors with a degree in BS Management

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AirAsia introduces Asean Pass AIRASIA introduced the “AirAsia Asean Pass” and the “AirAsia Asean Pass+” in an effort to boost travel by making traveling within the region a seamless experience. The passes are available from today at www.airasia. com, with the AirAsia Asean Pass retailing at P7,200 for 10 credits and AirAsia Asean Pass+ for P12,900 with 20 credits exclusive of terminal fees and airport taxes. The co-founders of AirAsia; Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun announced the development of this product at the ASEAN Business Advisory Council Malaysia Conference held in Kuala Lumpur in November last year. AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said, “As a truly Asean airline, we are extremely proud to introduce the AirAsia Asean Pass, which is a product specifically designed to further liberalize and encourage travel among the Asean community. The pass allows us to bridge communities and attract more foreign tourists to the region- it’s the perfect in-

from the Ateneo de Manil University, started her own label, Coexist – a cloth ing line that caters to th young and fashion-savv women. In 2011, Camill decided to give bloggin a try and it opened door for her career-wise. A few

strument to promote Asean integration.” “We are constantly enhancing the way guests fly with us and the AirAsia Asean Pass is another innovation that we have put in place to make flying more efficient and enjoyable. We are working on additional enhancements that will further benefit guests traveling from non Asean

destinations.” Holders of the AirAsia Asean Pass and the AirAsia Asean Pass+ can enjoy flights at a fixed-rate to over 148 routes across all 10 Asean countries. Acting like a single currency, it diminishes the hassle of different foreign exchange rates as flights are valued according to credits, allowing guests to be creative in

planning their ideal trip through Asean. Flights with duration of below two hours are valued at 1 credit, while flights of two hours and above are valued at 3 credits. No processing fee applies for flight redemptions using the AirAsia Asean Pass and Asean Pass+. Airport charges/tax and other fees will be payable separately. The pass can also be purchased as a gift for another traveller. The AirAsia Asean Pass and Asean Pass+ credits are redeemable for travel with AirAsia Malaysia (AK), Thai AirAsia (FD), AirAsia Indonesia (QZ) and Philippines AirAsia (Z2 & PQ) to Asean destinations only. For a detailed list of flights redeemable with the AirAsia Asean Pass and Asean Pass+ and other applicable terms and conditions, guests may refer to the airline’s website at www.airasia. com. Keep updated with AirAsia’s latest promotions and activities via Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsia) and Facebook (facebook.com/ AirAsia).

Chiz Escud Special air Feel the romance as GMA Network grants its viewers an all-access pass to the beautiful and breathtaking wedding of Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero and Heart Evangelista. A two-part special of the couple’s fairytale union will be aired on Sunday Night Box Office (SNBO) on March 1 and 8. The Kapuso actress has always been a princess looking for her prince. Finally, the long wait is over as she and the romantic senator receive the most blessed Sacrament of Matrimony before God and their loved ones. Their love story greatly attests that love conquers all, if only you believe in it, and that in the end, love will always find you no matter what the circumstance is. On March 1, get a preview of the moments of nuptial bliss on the first part of the wedding special dubbed as

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yes of Camille Co

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months into blogging, Camille’s blog was selected as a finalist for the Best Fashion Blog category at the 2011 Nuffnang AsiaPacific Blog Awards and ranked number 25 on Signature 9’s 99 Most Influential Fashion and Beauty Blogs. It was also published on TeenVogue.com’s Blogger of the Moment, and included in LuckyMag. com’s 13 Favorite Fashion Blogs Around the World. In ‘Style Trends,’ models donned looks follow-

ing five fashion trends – boyfriend (androgynous), minimalist, boho, florals and laidback – as styled by Camille Co. SM Lanang Premier’s 12 premium global clothing brands – Forever 21, Promod, Aeropostale, Terranova, Marks & Spencer, Cotton On, ForMe, Regatta, Penshoppe, Memo, Mossimo, and Guess – were showcased in the said looks. The fashion show was helmed by the Fashion De-

sign team from the Philippine Women’s College (PWC) of Davao under the direction of the head of the Fashion Design Program and well-known fashion designer, Emi Englis. Behind-the-scenes, another top fashion designer and PWC Design instructor Jun Artajo assisted in the production. Mallgoers had a chance to meet and greet Camille Co after the fashion show. Her fans and social media followers also grabbed the

opportunity to have their photos taken with the style icon. ‘Style Trends with Camille Co’ was part of the mall’s exciting lineup of events for the Great 3-Day Sale last January 30, 31 and February 1, 2015. Stay in touch with the latest fashion events in the city! Check out SM Lanang Premier on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for exclusive promos and event updates. (with some photos by Hartzell Cueva)

dero and Heart Evangelista’s Wedding rs on GMA’s SNBO on March 1 and 8

hiz & Heart Love, finally. e Beginning of Forever.” will feature the very intiate and picture-perfect edding ceremony attendby the couple’s family embers, loved ones and osest friends at Balesin Isnd Club in Quezon. Viewers must watch out r the selfie video diaries the couple talking about

their feelings prior their wedding. It will also feature the video diaries of Heart’s bridesmaids from the day of their arrival at Balesin, Heart’s 30th birthday celebration/despedida de soltera, to the intimate moments of their dream wedding and reception. Also catch the most awaited highlights of the

ceremony: the stunning bride walking down the aisle in her timeless and elegant wedding dress, the romantic and heartfelt profession of vows, and their first ever kiss as husband and wife. Meanwhile on March 8 comes the second part of the special dubbed as “Chiz & Heart Love, finally. The Wedding Concert.” It will feature the celebration of love and joy between Chiz and Heart at their Manila reception with a dinner concert at Blue Leaf Filipinas in Parañaque City attended not only by their respective families and friends but also various showbiz personalities and politicians. So as to bring the Balesin experience closer to home, and to more of their friends, relatives and guests, the venue was decorated with flowers and crystals just like

the set-up in Balesin. The newlyweds also had another cake cutting and wine toast ceremonies. For the first time, Chiz and Heart did the traditional garter/bouquet toss participated by their closest friends. The second part will show on-site videos and never-before released interviews of the couple and their friends. The program was hosted by Tim Yap and Christian Bautista with performances by Ogie Alcasid, Jaya, Christian, Kris Lawrence, Julie Anne San Jose, Aicelle Santos, Maricris Garcia, Jonalyn Viray, Frencheska Farr and Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, among others. Do not miss this romantic event in the lives of Chiz and Heart with the two-part wedding special on March 1 and 8 on GMA 7’s SNBO.

February 25 - March 3, 2015

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson R16

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

CRAZY BEAUTIFUL YOU Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla PG

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FOCUS Will Smith, Margot Robbie R13

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FIFTY SHADES OF GREY / * PREDESTINATION Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan / * Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook R18 / * R16

12:40 | 3:15 LFS / * 6:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

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WOMEN

Martish A1 tremendous growth since then, cementing itself in the hearts of every stylish Davaoeño. Today, 10 years later, Martish sells an average of about 10,000 pairs per month across 10 company-operated stores and authorized retailers in Davao, Samal, GenSan and Tagum. To celebrate its success, MT Martish Corporation gathered together media and VIP supporters in a thanksgiving party. Just as we welcome the new year and new beginnings, this annual festivity, dubbed as “Obrigada” (which means “thank you” in Portuguese), also gave fashionistas a preview of the latest collection from Havaianas. “We hope you had your fill of the wonderful Havaianas styles last year because today we unveil the Havaianas 2015 Collection. This year’s collection is all about an explosion of colors that showcases Havaianas’ cheerfulness,” says Marga Nograles, Managing Director of MT Martish Corporation, exclusive sub-distributors of

Waiting for the Old Faithful to “erupt.”

Maybelle Yu. Havaianas in Southern & Eastern Mindanao. The event also served as the unveiling of the faces and inspiring women who embody the Havaianas spirit of fun and adventure. This select lineup specifically featured work-

Dr. Jen Lim. ing moms whose personality shines through their own sense of style. Fellow Edge Davao columnist Nikki GotianseTan is part of the group which also included Maybelle Yu, Dr. Jen Lim and Chuchay Sison.

Aside from handling the family business, Nikki has become a household name because of her delicious concoctions, sold under the brand name “D-lish”, which she, herself, lovingly put together. Dr. Jen Lim has the

Nikki Gotianse-Tan. of calm and peace, one which can put any patient at ease. She is one of the most respected and well loved dentists in town, as most families would attest. Maybelle, a mom of 3, devotes her time in pro-

Nikka, Matteo and Massimo Nograles model the latest Havaianas kids collection.

moting wellness through yoga. Maintaining good balance, so to speak, Maybelle finds fulfillment in getting the community to appreciate and love their own body simply by “shaping” a better attitude and perspective towards health. Chuchay’s face has long graced print and TV in series of commercials and ad campaigns. While she hails from the northern part of the country, she has proudly made Davao her home and indulges her family in outdoor adventures. With her experience and background in the beauty industry, she generously shares tips on personality development in special classes with women from different walks of life.

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Edsa 1 veteran bats for Federalism • Urges country to try Social Market Economy

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

participant of Edsa 1 from Davao who had served in the Cabinet under four Philippine Presidents, said that the country’s dysfunctional democracy should be replaced with a new form of government. Lito Monico Lorenzana, a Harvard-educated political technocrat and one of the founders of the Centrist Democratic Party of the Philippines, told Edge Davao that the elders of this country who led the Edsa 1 revolution failed the youth of today. “We have had experiments in youth leadership relative to governance and nation building. Indeed, the government created the Sangguniang Kabataan or SK in order for the youth to be exposed to the arcane methods of running the government. However the system itself is rotten and the idealism of youth is thus perverted,” Lorenzana said. Lorenzana said “it is apparent that after several decades, our society has deteriorated.” “You can see around you evidence of decay – corruption in all levels of governance, impunity, stark poverty and widespread malaise,” he said. He said “this was not the future the elders envisioned then.” “But with some glimmer of hope, I trust on the resilience of youth and find comfort in the words of Pearl S. Buck, a Nobel Laureate in literature – I quote: “THE YOUNG DO NOT KNOW ENOUGH TO BE PRUDENT, AND THEREFORE THEY ATTEMPT THE IMPOSSIBLE, AND ACHIEVE

IT, GENERATION AFTER GENERATION.”,” Lorenzana said.

1. Do you think there is a need to change the government? If yes, what type of government is best suited for the country? Our kind of democracy has long been dysfunctional and so too are the institutions that logically flow from it. And we perpetuated a political patronage system developed over centuries that bred a political leadership with practices and culture embedded in the 1987 Constitution of PNoy’s mother. So what does the Philippines need? We need a market economy with clear social safety-nets (Social Market Economy) underpinnings, uplifting the less privilege among us and Lito Monico Lorenzana all these guaranteed by a strong ents of Federalism in the country state – one that is borne out of so therefore I believe that the the “rule of law”. We need to go only way to correct the political for a shift from a highly central- defects in our country is thru an ized structure of government to overhaul of the current demoone of power-dispersing auton- cratic system. As of the moment, omous regions that eventually, we have a centralized and Unisometime in the future lead to tary Republic bestowed to us by the establishment of a Feder- our foreign predecessors that al System. We need to go for a completely manifest a “trickshift from a colonially imposed le down approach” and gives presidential to a parliamentary ultimate power to oligarchs, form of government; the latter cronies and political dynasties. practiced in most of the advance With Federalism, these will all economies of the world. We need be eradicated since all regions in to push for the establishment of the Philippines will experience a a real political party system that “bottom-up approach”, in other allows our people real choices of words autonomy, and subsidiarleaders that govern them steeped ity - the key to real development. on a set of values and principles espoused by each political party. 2. Do you think Federalism I am one of the main adher- will solve the problems of the

country? I will not guarantee that Federalism will IMMEDIATELY solve the conflict in Mindanao but I am sure that Federalism will take its positive effect in the long term. So why is Federalism the answer? For many decades the Peoples of Mindanao, the Cordilleras, the Visayas, Bicol, Illoco and other regions of the Philippines have been demanding the reform of the Philippine State, from the centralized unitary system to a decentralized system of autonomous regions towards a vision of a federal state after a reasonable transition period. It took an armed rebellion by our Muslim brothers in parts of Mindanao to force the decision makers in Manila to finally accept their demands for an authentic regional autonomy. Now, is it necessary for another armed conflict? No. Strong regional autonomy is not endangering the unity of the Philippines. Just the opposite: Following the principle of subsidiarity, allowing the regions and their ethnic groups the powers and competences that they need for their own development, the autonomous regions (States) can now attend to the myriad and diverse problems of local interests; while the National (Federal) Government can now focus on issues of national concern. What is granted the Bangsamoro by law must also be given to all the other regions that long

for regional autonomy. Political and cultural self-determination; a fair share of local & national wealth; and the opportunity to develop their own socio-economic models responsive to their needs and strengths are what the regions want. So our cry is: “What is Good for Bangsamoro is Good for the BangsaBisaya, BangsaIloco, Bangsa Tagalog and the Whole Bangsa Filipinas” Unity in diversity, strength through freedom and subsidiarity – this is where we must go, if we want to overcome the problems of poverty, lawlessness, violence, corruption and failing democracy in the Philippines. 3. How can the young contribute to the strengthening of democracy? In these disasters we learn critical lessons and experiment with structures and institutions guided by the vision that the youth of this generation, will carry on the delicate task of nation-building. The youth must have a stake. In reference to question number one, the young population should participate in the democratic process by involving themselves in their respective localities and make themselves vigilant towards the betterment of their constituents. There are opportunities and means by which they can participate, learn and invent ways that will sharpen skills at governance based on certain ideological and ethical standards.

One such example is the YOUTH WING OF THE CENTRIST DEMOCRATIC PARTY – the Centrist Democratic Youth Association of the Philippines. This can be their training ground for creating a totally different kind of political reality – one different from what it is today: backsliders, people with no vision, with questionable morals but constantly elected into office. Thus the truism “…we get the kind of government that we deserve.”

4. Do you think it is timely to have an EDSA 3 given the issues against PNoy today? The EDSA people power revolutions have become a remarkable model in the history of politics in the Philippines. While it may be true that we have become more empowered, it is also necessary ask and take note: Did the Philippines change after a series of peaceful revolutions? Was it able to eradicate the perennial problems we experience each year? No, I don’t think we need another EDSA 3. What we really need is an open mind to make sure that the mistakes of the past will not be repeated once again. After all, what shall happen if PNoy is ousted? Are we prepared of his replacement? Do we think it will solve the problems in the Philippines? We need to re-structure our government and our economic-political-socio-cultural systems. We need a change in our Constitution.

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freedom to assemble and freedom of speech because people whoresist government will be imprisoned. Arellano, who recounted his imprisonment experience he and other two companions, lawyers Laurente Ilagan and Marcos Risonar really suffered it. “We were arrested without any cases filed against us, detained without warrant of arrest… we were all deprive of our freedoms,” said Arellano, who was imprisoned along with lawyers Laurente Ilagan and Marcos Risonar. During their detention, the trio were also deprived of their economic capability since they have to provide for their respective families. “Even your family will suffer because we could no longer work and earn for my family,” Arellano said. “When we were detained, of course, we were not so happy about it. But, then we also accepted the fact that when we decided to stand for freedom and the rights of the people, we know that one of those days the dictatorship will really run after us. Then we were ready for it,” he added. When the people were already exhausted and became impatient for the long period of the very oppressive regime of Marcos, the Filipinos decided, with the help of military to assert themselves and to remove from the government the power. When liberty was regained, there were groups who decided to take up arms. “So, you have for example, MNLF under Nur Misuari and CPP-NPA-NDF and there were other groups also who took arms just to put an end to the dictatorship,” Arellano said. “We remembered that

there was a 1973 Constitution that time and the EDSA People Power is actually a violation of the constitution because it was setting up of another government contrary to the existing laws” he added. When the dictatorship was eradicated and he democracy and reinstated, Arellano said the sovereignty reigned again in the people and all government authority emanated from them. “So, that principle is actually in our constitution. The political power should from the people and the power of government should emanate from them,” he said. However, the lawyer said that although democracy was reinstated, the poverty problem is still there because it is a continuing problem. “It is a working democracy but the problem remains that most of our people are poor,” Arellano said, adding that when there is poverty other problems will follow which are closer to poverty. If poverty is present, there are some people who do not have access to education, health services. “Our problem is not new; it is already with us for a long time,” Arellano said. Government, Arellano said, has adopted his main objective formulating inclusive development which means development should be in such a way that nobody left behind. “What is the purpose of government if it is not meant to promote the welfare of everybody that means when a person get sick it must get medical services and all the children should have to free education, they should have shelter ,food and other social services,” Arellano said.

processing plants. Councilor Leonardo Avila III, for his part, said centralizing the fish trading activities will expand access of thee fishermen to several buyers, reducing the transaction cost and improving their bargaining power. Avila, chair of the committee on environment and natural resources, said that buyers will have a better access to fresh fish and seafood. He said that to realize the proposal, the CAO and City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) and other partners will have toundertake a feasibility study to determine the viability of operating the center. The first district councilor said that they are looking some considerations such as increasing and decreasing population of fish catch; competition of imported and other fish products from outside region; return of investment, considering the many public markets

and private supermarkets; and the gap between the existing facilities. “Thus, I may call on the two offices mentioned (CAO and CPDO) to lead the conduct of a feasibility study of constructing and operating such center,” Avila said in his privilege speech. He likewise called on the private sectors to provide the city data on the local performance of the fishing industry, as well as the views on the prospect of the sector in the coming years. “May I call on this council to seriously consider this project as a priority in promoting inclusive growth,” Avila said, noting that the fisher folks are among the working population receiving the lowest income in the country. He added that while the country continues to boost having the best tuna, it should extend more concrete efforts to appreciate the hard work of the fisher folks.

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DCWD... FFROM 2 However, De Lima said the spirit of the law is to protect the city’s water source. “This is a project that would provide water,” he said. The facility would bring “Dumoy-quality” water to the second district, he added. Last month, the committee on energy at the city council said it is still seeking the advice of the National Water Resource Board (NWRB) regarding HelpMate’s request to develop a water supply system in the Buhangin District. Councilor Louie John Bonguyan said the developer is seeking to supply water to

Cabantian, Indangan, Communal, Acacia, Sasa, Tibungco, Bunawan and Lasang. Meanwhile, De Lima said construction of the pipes connecting the diversion road water supply pipes to the ones at Bajada via Bacaca road has been awarded to Patawaran Construction, a Manila-based contractor. The contractor, according to De Lima, was already processing its permit requirements. “They can begin their pipe laying once the notice to proceed is completed,” De Lima said.

12 personnel, Dacera said the phenomenon appears to be a case of “coastal subsidence” or erosion and not a sinkhole. “A few meters from the shores of Tinago, there is an underwater precipice (steep cliff) around 25 meters deep. Throughout the years, the movement of the sea has eroded parts of this cliff, thus causing the erosion,” he explained. Comparing it to a surface event, he said what happened in Purok Tinago is “definitely a landslide.” The affected area is located near the pier and anchorage area of motorboats ferrying passengers and cargo to and from this city and Balut Island in Davao Occidental. It is adjacent to the city’s Queen Tuna Park and several commercial establishments, including a hotel and a gasoline station, as well as a crowded residential community. Mayor Ronnel Rivera had directed the temporary closure of the pier and the Queen Tuna Park.

The city’s Office of the Building Official also declared Purok Tinago and adjacent areas as a “no-build zone.” Meantime, Dacera said the local government will proceed with the relocation starting this week of the affected families, which are currently taking temporary shelter at the covered court of the Irineo Santiago National High School. He said 37 of the 47 families have initially qualified with the city government’s relocation program. The 10 other families were renters and not permanent residents of the area. The 37 families will be transferred to the city’s resettlement site for informal settlers in Promise Land in Barangay Mabuhay, he said. Dacera said the other families that were covered by the city government’s expanded mandatory evacuation order will be relocated later on in a three-hectare property in Purok Lanton in Barangay Apopong. (MindaNews)

than 50 hectares of forest area that can be rehabilitated. The program aims to increase the forest cover of the region. To date, DENR 11 has rehabilitated 51,000 has. or planted a total of 26 million seedling since the start of the NGP in 2011, according to Fragada. “Our planted seedlings have a survival rate of 80 to 85 percent annually,” he said, adding that this is the basis of the national office in releasing the regional budget for NGP. He also said the national government will be allotting P1 billion for massive planting of mangrove trees along the coastal area of the Philippines. “For Davao Region, we are eyeing the coastal area

in Davao Oriental which was recently visited by Typhoon Pablo,” Fragada said. “This is also for disaster resiliency and climate change mitigation.” Fragada noted that the Davao Region has become a new route of typhoons in the past years, specifically in Davao Oriental and Caraga. According to the DENR website, the NGP is defined as a “massive forest rehabilitation program of the government established by virtue of Executive Order No. 26 issued on February 24, 2011 by President Benigno S. Aquino III.” The program seeks to grow 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares nationwide within a period of six years from 2011 to 2016. CRC

Aiming to build kinds of structures that go along with the international standard, the governor said that the Province is implementing development that don’t only earn but also economically viable and environmentally sustainable. Furthermore, she urged the municipal mayors to be in

one direction with the Provincial Government agenda. She encouraged them to help enhance their town’s landmarks. “Truly, we already have such a beautiful landscape, the only thing left to do is to develop them and sustain them. By Karen Lou Deloso/Photo by Eden Jhan Licayan

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Rody... FFROM 2 er, that with the establishment of powerful and highly autonomous Federal States, especially the Bangsamoro Federal States, groups like the MILF could strengthen their armed groups, which could no longer be controlled by the Federal Government later. “That is a risk which will

be addressed with the decommissioning of the firearms and armaments of the MILF and other armed rebels groups should they agree to join government,” Duterte said. “This (disarmament) must be implemented without fear or favor,” the Davao City Mayor said.

tors,” Magalong said. He said it is important for the BOI to see the site firsthand so it could properly validate the tactical descriptions cited in the affidavits, reports and other accounts regarding the incident. Magalong said they have lined up interviews with local government officials, residents, witnesses and other concerned individuals. Prior to the site investigation, he said they made the necessary coordination, specifically with local governments, police and military units, the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities and the MILF. “We’re targeting to finish the site investigation in three days so we can proceed with the report writing and analysis, which is the most crucial part (of our task),” he said. Magalong said they have so far completed “80 to 90 percent” of their investigation into

the incident and the BOI is on track towards meeting its onemonth target, which is until the end of the month. “We’re doing our best to meet the deadline kaya tuloy-tuloy ang aming imbestigasyon,” he said. Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II ordered late last month the creation of the BOI to lead the investigation into the Mamasapano incident. The board was specifically tasked to look into the internal and external aspects, as well as the possible liabilities of the officers involved in the operation. Aside from Magalong, the other BOI members who joined the site investigation were Director Catalino Rodriguez, Chief Supt. John Sosito, Senior Supt. Roberto Po, Senior Supt. Ronald dela Rosa, Senior Supt. Cesar Hawthorne Binag, Senior Supt. Benigno Durana Jr. and Chief Insp. David Joy Duarte.

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PAL Men’s event tees-off F ORMER junior world champion Kristoffer Arevalo suits up for Orchard as it opens defense of its Philippine Airlines Men’s Interclub championship today at the tree-lined Cebu Country Club layout. Arevalo, who won the 1314 title in San Diego two years ago, takes the place of John Kier Abdon in the Orchard roster that is teeming with a lot of veteran talent as it guns for a rare repeat in the tournament unofficially known as the country’s team championship. The Dasmarinas, Cavitebased squad came here expecting nothing less that retaining the title, based on how it has performed in its preparations. “We’re playing very well and if we continue doing so, I think we have a good chance of repeating,” team leader

Raymund Sangil said after sampling the exclusive layout yesterday. “The team is very consistent and we are turning in (combined) scores that are very close to even par each time in practice,” added the former pro. Cebu Country Club, Alabang and Del Monte loom as the major threats with the host club seeking to win for the third time in the last four years. Cebu CC fared badly in its ‘three-peat’ bid last year in Bacolod but is expected to bounce back hard with its mainstays to exploit their familiarity of the course to the hilt. Club Filipino de Cebu, a course carved out in the mountains in Danao, will be the venue for the second and third rounds with the final 18 holes going back to Cebu CC on

Saturday. Each team is allowed to field five players each round with the top four scores counting, with each player seeing action in only two rounds, making fielding very important. Del Monte will as usual be represented by players belonging to its grassroots development program, as it shoots to finally go all the way after close brushes in the past few years. Hotel H20, Travelife, Boeing International Corp., Business Mirror and GE Aviation are sponsoring the PAL Interclub Seniors and Regular Men’s events. Other backers include Mareco Broadcasting Network (Crossover), People Asia Magazine, Whealth Inc., Aerospace, Uniglobe Travelware Co. Inc., Tanduay Distillers and Intercontinental Manila.

demire said. ‘’Although I leave the Knicks with a heavy heart, I wish the organization the best of luck. Once a Knick always a Knick.’’ Dallas has needed frontcourt help since trading Brandan Wright in a deal that brought point guard Rajon Rondo from Boston. Stoudemire averaged 17.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in 255 games over five seasons with the Knicks, making the playoffs three times. He was a starter in the 2011 All-Star Game, the Knicks’ first in 14 years. ‘’His time here should be marked by recognizing his effort. It was 100 percent,’’ Phil Jackson, the Knicks’ president of basketball operations, said in a statement. ‘’As we move forward in structuring this team, we will look for players that exhibit his desire to win.’’ Carmelo Anthony, who wanted to play for the Knicks in part because Stoudemire had signed there in 2010, learned the news Sunday after playing in the All-Star Game. ‘’Amare brought something back to New York that New York was kind of missing and needing for a long time,’’ Anthony said. ‘’When he came, he

brought back some of the excitement here for the game of basketball in New York. There was hope when he came back. People started believing in the New York Knicks once again. He was the main reason for that belief and for that hope when he first got here in New York.’’ Stoudemire was an All-Star in Phoenix before signing a fiveyear contract worth about $100 million in 2010. He helped the Knicks end a seven-year playoff drought his first season, but he missed significant time over the past few years because of assorted injuries. The Knicks had to monitor his minutes since his two knee operations during the 2012-13 season. He can still score when able to play, averaging 12 points in 24 minutes this season. ‘’To see him leave, to see the situation where it’s at right now, I know what he wants and you have to respect that,’’ Anthony said. ‘’As an athlete, as a competitor, you only want the best for your friends, your close ones. He wants to play for a championship is what I’m hearing. He wants to play for a contender. I don’t think nobody should hold that away from him.’’

List-up on for Mindanao Chess Open

Luol Deng of the Miami Heat drives past Robert Covington of the Philadelphia 76ers during a game at American Airlines Arena on Monday in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Heat pummel Sixers

ORAN Dragic and the Miami Heat knew it would take some time for him to become acclimated to his new surroundings. Looks like about three days did the trick. Luol Deng made 11 of 14 shots and scored 29 points, Dragic added 23 points and 10 assists, and the Heat set a season high for scoring in a 119-108 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night. ‘’I know my game now,’’ said Deng, who has scored 20 or more eight times this season - and Miami is a perfect 8-0 in those games. ‘’I don’t try to do too much

with the ball. As long as the ball moves, we’re a better team. ... We’re at our best when the ball is moving.’’ It was a good-news day all around for Miami. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game that Chris Bosh - who has blood clots on a lung, a season-ending issue - will be going home ‘’soon’’ from a hospital where he’s been treated since late last week. Dwyane Wade scored 18 for the Heat, who stayed in the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference. Hassan Whiteside added 12 points and 14 rebounds for Miami, which shot 55 percent.

CAN’T help but jawdrop at Neil Patrick Harris’ amazing opening monologue in the 2015 Oscars. It’s so 2015 and it’s pretty obvious the producers of the Oscars show did a lot of magical weaving of contemporary genre with classic films of old. I can just imagine, if the Oscars opening was weaved that way, the drumbeaters of the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather should be wracking their brains now as if this fight does not need a hype at all. But hell no, I expect more than magical tricks and holograms like the Oscars for this megafight. HBO and Showtime better begin shooting each other in the head and come up with the most insane pitch for this fight that the world waited to see. With the fight on, Manny is now in training. Not since his earlier days as a featherweight had Manny had the intensity and the desire to train. This time it shows he loves to go to the gym and do it like it’s not a job. He’s having fun and that’s what we want to see in Manny. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that no distractions will come in the way. How we wish this would be Manny’s best training camp ever. I was about to say it too early. Jerry Forsyth of AZBlliards.com recently

‘’Guys were starting to feed off each other, moving the ball,’’ Spoelstra said. ‘’It’s something we talked about endlessly the last few days.’’ Hollis Thompson scored 22 points for Philadelphia, which got 18 from Nerlens Noel, 16 from Robert Covington, 12 from Henry Sims and 11 from Isaiah Canaan. Miami outrebounded Philadelphia 45-33, and rested Whiteside and Wade for the entire fourth quarter. ‘’That’s not who we are,’’ 76ers coach Brett Brown said. ‘’That’s not even close to who we are. ... You are not beating anyone giving up 120 points.’’

MARE Stoudemire asked out of his contract with the New York Knicks because he wants to make a run at a championship. The veteran forward has apparently decided Dallas is the place to spend the rest of this season chasing his first title. A person with direct knowledge of the talks said Monday night that Stoudemire has agreed to sign with the Mavericks after taking a buyout from the Knicks. He can’t make his verbal commitment official until he clears waivers Wednesday. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal wasn’t official, told The Associated Press that Stoudemire could be available when Dallas returns from the All-Star break Thursday at Oklahoma City. The 32-year-old Stoudemire was waived Monday after requesting the Knicks buy out the remainder of his contract that was set to expire after this season. He’s likely to clear waivers. ‘’I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to contribute positively on the court and in the community,’’ Stou-

Manny’s distractions

wrote an article LET’S GET IT ON on this website about Manny’s other venture into the world of billiards. Remember that Manny recently hosted a World 10-Ball Championship and the Manny Pacquiao Cup Neil Bravo scotch doubles—both events are sanctioned by the World Pool Association (WPA). Forsyth wrote: “The unfortunate bottom line for both the World 10-Ball Championship and the Manny Pacquiao Cup scotch doubles event in General Santos City, Philippines, is that the players did not get paid their total prize monies in either event. And while Manny Pacquiao himself must bear the ultimate responsibility for this it is not at all clear at this moment that he even is aware of the shenanigans perpetrated by the wife of his brother Bobby, Lorelei Pacquiao, the lady in charge of both events.”

Let’s go down to this controversy. According to the report, it first happened at the World 10-Ball Championship when the players paid the WPA sanction fee with their entry fees. That is all the money that the WPA took from the event. But when the players got paid their pay envelopes were 5 percent short of what they were owed. The missing money here could amount to 10,000 dollars or roughly half a million pesos. There were reportedly complaints too about the quality of the tables, no carpet on the playing area, no chairs for spectators except in the TV Arena, some of the referees were so incompetent and there was not even a scoreboard so anyone could follow the play. One player simply described it as “a mess”. Forsyth further wrote: “To show the atmosphere of pool in the Philippines, no one we spoke with wanted their names revealed. There is fear they would never be invited to future events again if they speak out publicly. To their credit, several players have chosen to make statements on their Facebook pages.” In the Manny Pacquiao Cup, a doubles event with 54 teams expected to participate, AZBilliards.com reported that “after the organizers took the $150 entry fee from every player and

were about to begin play they announced that the $100,000 prize fund had been reduced to $60,000. $40,000 disappeared from the promised prize fund with no explanation. Add that to the $10,000 already missing from the World 10Ball and you have a $50,000 rip in the fabric of these Pacquiao events.” The article questioned where the missing money went. Nobody had an idea. From where I sit, perhaps not even Manny who I suspect does not even count his money. The bottomline of the article is that the events were run by Lorelei Pacquiao, wife of Bobby Pacquiao, and that the events carry the name and reputation of Manny Pacquiao. So much for distractions. Manny better keep away from all that. He better take a break from other ventures like billiards and leave his precious money with others. Manny is about to make billions with the Mayweather fight. But before he counts his money (or will he), his mind should be better off it for now. There’s more motivation than just that. AZBilliards will provide updates to this story as they become available. Postscripts: Listen to “Let’s Get It On with Neil Bravo” on 105.9 Balita FM every Saturday 8-10 a.m.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 7 ISSUE 243 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

RISK FACTOR Mayweather has more to lose in Pacquiao megafight W

ITH the record of former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano in his sights, undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. has a lot more to lose than Filipino fighting pride Manny Pacquiao, accord-

ing to a boxing analyst. Mayweather currently has a 47-0 record, just two wins behind the great Marciano, who retired with a record of 49-0, with 43 wins coming by knockout. “If he loses, his 47-0 goes

out of the window, and his desire to break Rocky Marciano’s record is finished,” Ronnie Nathanielsz told “The Score” on Monday. “Pacquiao can lose, and he has lost before.” However, this risk being a factor in his fight against Pac-

quiao is entirely a different matter, said a sports writer. “He’s a good fighter. He’s one of the best that we have ever seen in the sport,” Carlo Pamintuan said of Mayweather. Pamintuan said that while

the idea of legacy is a possible distraction, he believes that Mayweather is as tough mentally as he is physically. Mayweather has said numerous times in previous interviews that one of his advantages is the fact that the never

experienced losing and it was never in his mind. “We might be thinking for his legacy, malaking factor ang one loss. But we don’t know how he thinks. So I don’t believe it will play a factor in the fight,” he said.