Edge Davao 7 Issue 260

VOL. 7 ISSUE 260 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 20 - 21, 2015

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. A worker from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) waters the plants at the center island along E. Quirino Avenue in Davao City. The local government of Davao is sustaining its environmental programs by planting ornamental flowers around the city. Lean Daval Jr.

EYES ON RODY

After jumping to no. 3 in latest survey, mayor is making heads turn

By CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY and ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

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OCAL officials in Davao City have expressed elation over the latest Pulse Asia survey result showing Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte grabbing the third spot in the list of preferred presidential prospects.

Now, comes this repeated question: Will Duterte really run or not?

The mayor says he won’t, but these officials and the people of Davao are waiting with bated bread on the day the

colorful local chief executive finally makes his declaration to join the presidential derby in 2016.

“The Mayor is fast catching up. This is impressive considering that he has not declared his intention to run,” IBAP Party List Rep. Silvestre H. Bello III said.

“Abangan ang susunod na kabanata (Let’s wait for the next chapter),” added Bello as excitement for a possible Duterte entry into the presi-

dential race builds up.

Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang said Duterte’s showing in the Pulse Asia survey means that he is just peaking up at the right time.

“It means he is in the right place and right time for presidency,” Dayanghirang said.

To Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro T. Ungab, Duterte is a leader whom the country can count on.

The survey, he said, only shows the kind of support

Duterte enjoys from among the people.

“Very impressive survey results for somebody included in the list of presidentiables for the first time. We know Mayor Rody, he is a man the nation can depend on,” Rep. Ungab said.

“He will definitely make difference if he becomes president,” he added.

Ungab said the federal form of government the may-

FEYES, 10

INSIDE EDGE

NEIL REY LLANES: ULTIMATELY Indulge A4 TALENTED

2 THE BIG NEWS EDGEDAVAO

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PRIDE OF DAVAO. Davao City’s John Vincent Moralde is commented by Councilor April Marie Dayap and other Davao City councilors for his recent success during his courtesy visit at the City Council yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

SSS coverage to include BFAR job order workers

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

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HE Social Security System signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources that will pave the way for the enrollment of BFAR 11’s Job Order employees to the SSS Alkansssya program.

BFAR 11 Director Fatma Idris signed the MOA together with SSS vice president for VisMin Group Eddie Jara Thursday morning, formalizing the agreement between the two government agencies.

Under the MOA, BFAR 11 JOs will be covered by SSS with their monthly contribution through salary deduction.

BFAR 11, in turn, will also assist the SSS in the implemen-

tation of the program.

With the signing of the MOA, a total of 180 JOs under the BFAR are now officially enrolled for the SSS program.

Idris said that she had been requiring her JO employees to register themselves to the SSS even before the MOA signing.

“Naghanap talaga kami ng mga insurance para sa mga JO namin tapos nakita namin tong Alkansssya program ng SSS (We have been looking for insurance for our JO employees and then we saw this Alkansssya program of the SSS),” she said.

Most of JO employees are working with the office for qui-

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Lao belies bagman tag in rumored BBL bribe A

BUSINESS LEADER has denied allegations that he is the conduit of billions of pesos coming from Malaysia to bribe Philippine senators and congressmen in approving the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law now pending before both Houses of Congress.

In a text message, contractor Vicente T. Lao, who heads the Mindanao Business Council (MBC), said the text message spreading around that he is acting as bagman of Malaysia of huge sum of money to be distributed to Philippine lawmakers for the passage of the

controversial BBL is not true.

Lao said the claim that he was acting as “bagman of Malaysia” “is not only false, but incredible to believe on its face” as text messages were circulating that he was dangling P200 million for each senator and P50 million for each member of the House so that the proposal would be approved.

“I am taking steps to trace the source of this scurrilous text message especially in the business circles where I operate as a businessman,” said the MBC chair.

The allegation, which

even mislabeled Lao as vice chair of the Mindanao Development Council, was circulating through text messages and sent to key Mindanao leaders. Some media practitioners were able to receive the same message early this week.

Lao suspected he was dragged into the controversy as he has been expressing support of the proposal as he maintained that solving the peace problem will remove the obstacle to Mindanao’s development.

“Unless we will have peace in these areas, it will never be developed to pro-

vide a better life for our brother Muslims in Mindanao,” he said.

Both Houses of Congress have slowed down in discussing the proposal after the January 25 incident that saw the killing of members of the elite police unit, members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and civilians.

The proposal was a product of the 17-year peace negotiations between the Moro rebel group and the government. Last year, the two sides signed the comprehensive framework agreement which became the basis for BBL. AMA

alert level even though the Aarw ng Davao celebration is already over. This is for the coming Holy Week), “ Driz said.

Driz said the authorities will make use of their full police officers to ensure the safety of the Davaoenyos during the Holy week .

“Naging successful naman po yung celebration natin ng Araw ng Dabaw, kaya sisiguraduhin natin na safe din yung mahal na araw (Our Araw ng Davao celebration was very suc-

cessful, so we will also make sure people will also be safe during the Lenten season),” she added.

Task Force Davao Commander Colonel Macairog Alberto also said that theirs parallel preparation with the DCPO for the Holy week will continue.

Alberto said Task Force Davao had been closely monitoring different areas inside and outside the city to ensure the safety of the people.

“We still continues our

preperations in all activities in Davao City to make sure that the Holy week celebration will be safe,” he said.

Alberto also said that the all out offensive war in Central Mindanao will not affect the Holy Week celebration of the Davaoenos.

“Lahat naman ng area outside Davao City considered as our area of intetrest so we continue our strict implementation of our checkpoints and foot patrols,” the commander said. Funny Pearl A. Gajunera

City’s power situation improves: Davao Light DCPO remains on full alert during Holy Week

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HE power situation in the Davao Light & Power Co. franchise area has improved after the 100 MW unit of the STEAG State Power, Inc. resumed operations yesterday, March 18, at around 5:46 p.m..

At 2:09 p.m. on the same day, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) advised Davao Light that the one-unit of STEAG’s coal-fired power plant in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental has undergone an emergency shutdown.

This resulted to a much lower

power supply coming from the Mindanao grid.

As part of its contingency measures, the electric utility immediately ran its standby Bajada Power Plant and activated its Interruptible Load Program to mitigate the impact of the power supply situation.

“The power situation within our franchise is now back to normal. However, with low reserves based on NGCP’s Power Situation Outlook published daily in the national broad-

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HE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) remains on full alert level as the Holy week is fast approaching.

According to the spokesperson of the DCPO, Police Senior Inspector Milgrace Driz, all police units are still on full alert level until the end of the Holy week.

“Nasa full alert level pa rin po yung mga tropa natin kahit tapos na ang Araw ng Dabaw celebration. Para ito sa paparating na Holy Week (The troops are still in full

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Zarate: US covering up role in Mamasapano operation

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AYAN Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate today accused the US government of brazenly covering up its role in the bloody commando operation that resulted to the death of at least 67 Filipinos, including 44 members of the elite police special action force ( SAF) in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January 25.

“The American government is now brazenly covering its bloody track, especially with the findings of both the Board of Inquiry and the Senate pointing to the participation of US personnel in the Mamasapano debacle,” Rep. Zarate said.

“Just like Pres. Aquino, the lies being peddled by the US are very apparent,” the progressive solon from Mindanao said. He noted that earlier, US embassy spokesman in Manila claimed that personnel of the secretive Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines of

the US Pacific Command based in Zamboanga City assisted only in the medical evacuation of the wounded and survivors of the bloody encounter.

Yet, on Tuesday a Pentagon spokesman claimed that those involved were ‘contracted personnel’ of the US Defense department and not regular US troops.

“Ito ay tahasang palusot lang ng US because as early as June 2014, it already announced that it has already disbanded JSOTF-P. It turned out that this secretive American commando unit was still very much active even during the bloody Mamasapano incident. In fact, the JSOTF-P was only ‘officially’ closed last February 24, or nearly a month after the bloodbath,” Rep. Zarate pointed out.

“Mamasapano is not only an operation that gone horribly bloody wrong but it is also

AYAN Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate today said that the P15 wage hike is insultingly little and would not even be enough for the various hikes that hit consumers this year like the MRT fare hike, the power rate hike and the impending water rate hike particularly in Maynilad areas.

“Sa average increase pa lang ng MRT na P8 per trip kada pasahero ay kulang pa itong P15 wage hike dahil P16 ang kailangan para sa round trip, idagdag pa dito na tataas daw ng .46 sentimo per kilowatt hour ang singil sa kuryente ngayong Abril na ang ibig sabihin ay dagdag na P46 sa mga kumukunsumo ng 100 kwh kada buwan o P92 sa mga kumukunsumo ng 200 kwh. Isama pa dito ang sinasabing dagdag singil pa sa tubig sa mga customer ng Maynilad ay lalo ng walang nangyari sa

sinasabing kakarampot na umento sa sahod na ito,” said Senior Deputy Minority Leader Colmenares.

“Based on the computations of independent thinktank Ibon Foundation, the Family Living Wage in the country, or the amount needed daily by an average Filipino family to live decently, stood at P1,086 last August 2014, now this would mean a P23,892 monthly wage if you do not work on Saturdays and Sundays. But with the P15 wage hike this would just make the daily wage at P481 or just P10,582 per month. This is not even half of what is needed by workers,” said the progressive solon As for his part Rep. Carlos Zarate said that “KMU, together with workers’ formations from both the private

SUPPORT. Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang manifests his support to the planned crafting of an ordinance banning mining in Davao City during yesterday’s regular session at Sangguniang Panlungsod. Lean Daval Jr.

TMC, LTO still not ready Militants scoff at P15-wage hike to implement new law B FZARATE, 10

FMILITANTS, 10

GOOD NEWS. Social Security System (SSS) represented by Davao City branch head Rizalito Alberto De Leon (left), VisMin Group vice president lawyer Eddie Jara (second from left), South Mindanao assistant vice president lawyer Emmanuel Palma (second from right) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 11 represented by regional director Fatma Idris (center)and

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

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abf@edgedavao.net

WEEK after the Republic Act (RA) No. 10586 or the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act took effect, law enforcement agents in Davao City have yet to implement the new law.

The Davao City Traffic Management Center (TMC) admitted that their personnel have not undergone training on how to carry out the new law while the Land Transportation Office (LTO) 11earlier said they have no capabilities as of yet pending formal training and availability of equipment like breath analyzers.

In yesterday’s I-Speak Me-

dia Forum, TMC chief RhodelioPoliquit told reporters that the implementation of the law is still pending since the enforcers have not been briefed

by LTO 11 on the guidelines and the use of gadgets.

“Hopefully, the LTO will complete all the gadgets and the implementing guidelines so that we will have a uniform guidelines in implementing the law,” Poliquit said.

Poliquit said the enforcers may find themselves in a compromising situation if they could not properly carry out the law. He cited that Davao motorists are smart and often

Human Resources Management section officer in charge Flordeliza Esto flash a thumbs up sign after inking a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the two agencies which ensures to register to SSS the 180 contractual and job order employees of BFAR 11. The MOA signing was held at BFAR 11 regional office yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

question the propriety of apprehensions.

“They will immediately question the apprehension and invoked their rights,” he said.

He said if there are motorists driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, will collide with other vehicle, some of them refused to undergo liquor test and the police cannot impose it since there is no exact guideline to be followed.

Poliquit said although the prohibition of drunk driving is already stipulated in RA 4136 or the Land Transportation

and Traffic Code, the latter has no specific implementing guidelines on apprehension of violators.

He said once the RA 10586 will be fully implemented, the motorists will somehow avoid driving while under the influence of liquor since the law has a stiffer penalty.

“With this law, if we see probable cause on the driver for example the car is swerving in the road, we can apprehend them and subject for breath analyzer test,”he said.

Poliquit said if a driver hits another vehicle or property

HE Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers in Davao City (PICE-Davao City) passed a strongly worded resolution this week against 2 Congress bills, lamenting what it called “injustice” to engineering profession and its practitioners.

In its March 16, 2015 resolution, PICE-Davao City vowed to launch mass actions against House Bill 5127 and the counterpart Senate Bill 2623. The two bills, both entitled “An Act to Strengthen the Architecture Profession, amending for the purpose certain provisions of Republic Act No. 9266,” weakened and emasculated the engineering profession.

“HB 5127 and SB 2623 will divest engineers their rights in the exercise of their profession and will deprive them of their bread and butter,” PICE-Davao City said in its resolution that adopted a separate resolution by the national PICE organization passed last January.

PICE, as a national group, is one of the most organized in the country with chapters in all parts of the Philippines.

The civil engineers’ group decried that HB 5127 was approved in the committee level without the presence and participation of engineering representatives that include PICE, the only professional organization of licensed and registered civil engineers accredited by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) or the Professional Regulatory Board for Civil Engineers (PRB-CE).

PICE, in its national resolution, emphasized that the House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation did not invite engineer-representatives when it heard and approved HB 5127. PICE-Davao City said lack of proper consultations would make the prospective law unconstitutional.

“We are not against the strengthening of architecture or any other sector of Philippine society,” said PICE-Davao City president Angel Torrejon. “Just do not do it at the expense of several thousands of engineers and their families because that becomes grave injustice.”

FTMC, 10

Davao engineers vow to stop 2 House bills T

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DCWD: Bulk water facility enough for next 30 years

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

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abf@edgedavao.net

HE entire Davao City, including the 2nd District, will enjoy an uninterrupted water supply once the P10 billion bulk water facility of the Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc. (APO Agua) will be put in place.

The Davao City Water District gave this assurance yesterday following the sign-

ing of agreement among the DCWD and private companies Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) and J.V. Angeles Construction Corporation (JVACC) for the establishment of the facility.

The agreement will pave the way for the Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc. (APO Agua)-a joint venture agreement

between AEV and JVACC—to set up the bulk water facility.

DCWD spokesperson Bernardo Delima said the facility that will be built in Tamugan can provide the water requirements of the whole city for the next 30 years.

“The second district will have a 24-hour water availability,” Delima said.

First PH online life insurance store helps OFWs secure financial future

He said that in the contract provisions, the development of the source, which includes the construction of the infiltration gallery, raw water transmission pipelines and the water treatment plant will, be owned by APO Agua.

“The water will be then be brought to reservoirs to be constructed and owned by

DCWD,” Delima said.

The DCWD will build eight reservoirs in the area where the bulk water facility will be located.

Delima said there will be no take-over provision for APO Agua in any case and only the DCWD can take-over the facility once the owner fails to meet the contracted

supply volume.

“If the DCWD will not take over, it has a final say on who will temporarily take over,” he said.

The DCWD can opt to buy the facility in case the APO Agua fails to comply with its obligations, according to Delima.

FDCWD, 10

By CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY

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VERSEAS Filipino Workers (OFWs) planning to secure their financial future can turn to AXA Philippines for help though its AXA Insurance Online or AXA ION. AXA ION is the country’s first online life insurance store that aims to provide an avenue for the OFWs to prepare for their future while they are abroad.

With AXA ION, Filipinos abroad can now access the most basic financial products that will help them in securing their financial future though a transparent, easy and affordable way.

Maya del Rosario, AXA Philippines segment marketing director, said although many good stories have been told about the OFWs being strong contributor to the

country’s economy, there are sad tales involving them that have not been narrated.

Del Rosario said there are OFWs who, after going abroad and earning money, end up with no pennies in their pockets and financially distress.

“The conditions in the country are still driving people to just find work abroad. But, when they already have mon-

FOR THE OFWS. AXA Philippines Segment Marketing director Maya V. del Rosario walks local media through the

FFIRST, 10 company’s newest products during the AXA Ion launching at Seda Abreeza Hotel in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

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EDITORIAL Wasted road sections

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EVERAL months after we made our first observation of our “wasted road sections,” the problem still persists.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) implemented extensive road widening construction projects since last year in just about every vital road artery in Davao City. We surmise these projects are worth millions of taxpayers’ money. While we welcome this development amidst the problematic traffic situation in the city, the expanded roads appear to not serve the purpose they are intended for.

Let us count the ways.

First, these new lanes do not reflect the masterful work of professional engineers. In most of these expanded lanes, there stood electric posts or other man-made obstructions which, with proper coordination, planning and execution,

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could be eased out of the road thereby creating no impediment for a smooth flow of traffic.

Second, the elevated sidewalk criss-cross through properties varying from standard width to constricted.

Third, these new road sections end up as convenient concrete parking bays for residents and establishments alike.

There are even some sections along Diversion Road where restaurants use the road section as kitchen extension with huge cauldrons sitting on open flame stoves.

The DPWH must do something with the road obstructions and not just elude or ignore light posts and other obstructions which are movable in nature. Likewise, the Traffic Management Center of the city government can also do something about the road obstructions like the illegally parked cars and the so-called kitchen extensions.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

AGAPITO JOAQUIN JR. Associate Editor

CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY Consultant

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

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LIMATE change, which has been in the news lately as it has been cited as one possible cause of the super typhoon Yolanda, is touted to be “a major challenge for agriculture and food security.” That’s according to Dr. Randy A. Hautea, global coordinator and Southeast Asia Center Director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotech Applications (ISAAA).

In his presentation during the regional workshop on biotechnology and biosafety for food security and sustainable agriculture in Bogor, Indonesia, Dr. Hautea cited the following: • It has the potential to undermine advances in poverty reduction and sustainable development • It will greatly affect the health and productivity of crops, livestock, fish and forests, and dependent rural livelihoods • It will increase hunger and malnutrition; by 2080, an additional 5 to 170 million people at risk of hunger.

Hunger is the physical sensation of desiring food. When politicians, relief workers and social scientists talk about people suffering from hunger, they usually refer to those who are unable to eat sufficient food to meet their basic nutritional needs for sustained periods of time.

More and more Filipinos will experience hunger as population continues to grow. In 1980, the Philippines was home to 48 million Filipinos. In 2000, the number swelled to 78 million. By 2012, the population reached 93 million. Today, the population has reached to more than 100 million. Given that the population of the Philippines is increasing at a rapid rate of 2.36 percent per year, it can be translated as an increase of more than 5,000 people daily.

It’s not only in the Philippines but throughout the world. “Population growth is going crazy,” deplored Dr. Frank A. Shotkoski, the director of Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II. “From 2 billion in 1935, it doubled to 4 billion in 1975. By 2000, the world was home to 6 billion. In 2030, there will be about 8 billion people inhabiting this planet.”

Is there a likely solution in sight for hunger?

There is now one possible solution. “I now say that the world has the technology – either available or well advance in the research pipeline – to feed on a sustainable basis a population of 10 billion people,” Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug pointed out. “The more pertinent question today is whether farmers and ranchers will be permitted to use this new technology?”

Dr. Borlaug, touted to be the “Man Who Saved A Billion Lives,” was referring to biotechnology.

“Biotechnology is a modern technology that makes use of organisms (or parts thereof) to: make or modify products; improve and develop microorganisms, plants or animals; or develop organisms

M

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The fight against hunger for specific purposes in a more THINK ON THESE! precise manner,” explains a fact sheet circulated by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

The tools used in biotechnology include Henrylito D. Tacio gene cloning, henrytacio@gmail.com tissue culture, microbial culture, DNA-marker technology, and genetic engineering. The latter is the most controversial as it is the method used in developing genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

A GM/biotech or transgenic crop is a plant that has a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology, according to the SEARCA fact sheet.

“GM technology can address problems that cannot be solved through conventional crop improvement methods,” the fact sheet informs. “It enables plant breeders to bring together in one plant useful genes from a wide range of sources, not just from within the crop species or closely related plants.

“This powerful tool allows plant breeders to attain a desired trait combination faster and address urgent concerns like the development of crops that are resistant to biotic (diseases and pests) or abiotic stresses (drought and waterlogging), and with increased yield and improved food and nutrient quality,” the fact sheet adds.

In 1994, Calgene’s delayed-ripening tomato became the first GM food crop to be produced and consumed in an industrialized country. In 1995, GM cotton and GM corn were subsequently commercialized. Also soon to be introduced in the country are the following: GM eggplant and the vitamin A-rich golden rice.

The SEARCA fact sheet assured that GM crops will not replace varieties from traditional breeding “because genetic modification is only conducted to introduce important major genes to the already established and bred varieties.”

Genetic modification is conducted to further improve the already existing popular and high-yielding varieties. The transgenic variety can also be used in crop improvement and breeding programs, the fact sheet said.

But the big question is: Are GM-crops safe to eat? Although health risk of eating transgenic food is yet unknown, there are signs that it could cause

allergies, resistance to certain medicines and possibly even affect internal organs.

In Europe, researchers at the York Nutritional Laboratory reported health complains caused by soya – the ingredient most associated with genetically modified food – increased from 10 to 15 in 100 patients over the past year.

A consumer advocacy group in United Kingdom said that genetically modified soya can be found in bread, biscuits, baby milk, baby foods, breakfast cereals, margarine, soups, pasta, pizza instant meals, meat products, flours, sweets, ice creams, crisps, chocolate, soy sauce, veggie-burgers, tofu, soya milk, and pet foods.

Recent scientific data, according to Dr. Romeo Quijano, of the Department of Pharmacology at the UP College of Medicine, indicated “the emergence of new diseases, the rapid evolution of virulence and the widespread occurrence of drug and antibiotic resistance are associated with the rise of genetic engineering.”

An estimated 60 percent of all processed foods contain at least one genetically engineered component, writes Jon Luoma inMother Jones magazine.

In the Philippines, Filipinos may be eating transgenic foods, such as potato chips, corn cereals, or soya milk. “Love it or loath it, transgenic food is set to become a bigger part of what we eat,” someone noted.

And consumers need not worry. Tantono Subagyo, the seed regulatory director of CropLife Asia, said that biotech crops are rigorously tested for safety prior to commercialization.

“Biotech crops are tested to ensure they are as safe as conventional crops, and have similar nutritional and compositional content,” Subagyo said.

“Biotech crops are among the most extensively tested foods in the history of food safety.”

In fact, there is widespread agreement from scientists and international health organizations, including the World Health Organization, that biotech crops, foods, and feeds are as safe as conventionally-bred crops, foods, and feeds.

In addition, over 3,200 renowned scientists worldwide have signed a declaration in support of agricultural biotechnology and its safety to humans, animals, and the environment.

The 2010 report of the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation on GMOs noted: “The main conclusion to be drawn from the efforts of more than 130 research projects, covering a period of more than 25 years of research, and involving more than 500 independent research groups, is that biotechnology, and in particular GMOs, are not per se more risky than conventional plant breeding technologies.”

“Two to three trillion meals have been eaten by human in North America and wherever containing GMOs. There’s nothing to substantiate the (nega-

tive) health impact (accusations) against any GMO products – not one, even headache or stomachache,” said Mark Lynas, a former anti-GMO activist and author of Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet.

According to ISAAA, “biotech crops can serve as engine of rural economic growth for the alleviation of poverty for the world’s small and resource-poor farmers.” In the Philippines, for instance, Joseph Benemerito of Cagayan won a national award for his quality GM corn. He admitted that 22 hectares of land can be easily managed with biotech corn.

“GM (technology) is cheaper. If the biology of the crop can protect crops from pests, that’s more beneficial to farmers, cheaper than spraying,” said Lynas in a press statement. “Everywhere, when farmers are given a choice, they adopt it quickly.

They can have high yield even if they pay a little more for seeds.”

While writing the book God Species in 2011, in which he attempted to become consistent in his position on the science of climate change, environment, and food production, Lynas came to a realization that GM is the answer to food shortage problems.

Like how GM crops are highly regulated, organic crops should be regulated. Regulation should be imposed on organic crops because one can die from natural causes “very easily from bacteria, from water, or contamination of manure during harvest.”

It must be recalled that it was organic crops that caused the death in 2011 of 51 people in Germany from ingesting E.coli-contaminated beansprouts from an organic farm as confirmed by Lower Saxony’s Agriculture Ministry.

“Organic has killed a few hundred people. GM has killed no one. Imagine headlines if 50 people would have died in Germany because of some GM. It would have been worldwide fear – like nuclear power. It would have been worldwide hysteria,” Lynas said.

Here’s another advantage of planting biotech crops. Globally, they can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Studies have shown that adopting biotechnology reduces the use of 475 millions of gallons of fuel by farm equipment – not mentioning the additional “soil carbon sequestration” due to reduced plowing or improved conservation tillage. “This is equivalent to removing five million cars from the road for one year,” said Graham Brookes, director of PGEconomics, a British research firm.

Meanwhile, the battle continues between GM activists and GM advocates. Who will emerge the winner? No one knows but there are always losers – the hungry. One sage puts it in this perspective: “A man who has enough food has several problems.

A man without food has only one problem.”

cities of DaMY TWO CENTS’ gupan and Lucena. Other opponents have the limelight in this region for even the most unimportant and innocuous things- with their only right to run for the presidency John Tria being their ecisouth@gmail.com popularity in surveys, and their ability to hog and fight for their place in the limelight. This is what Manila politics is like. Manila politicos have summoned unto themselves the right to exclusively face the nations problems, yet are unable to cast the

right stones to build their resolution. Under the watch of Manila, problems like insurgency, power shortages, environmental concerns, gender issues, all are fodder for press conferences, privilege speeches and committee hearings, yet little is actually done to work for their resolution. Manila politicos are often asked about their take on these things, and can only manage a good answer that seemingly satisfies the audience. For that is what we all arean audience worth wowing and pleasing with the right soundbites, gestures and statements.

“Magaling sumagot at magsalita,” (speaks well ) bears heavily, no matter what the substance or sense. Take a good look at the roster of other presidentiables under consideration in the surveys and you will see all except one Manila born and raised, and all others have pursued their political careers in mega Manila. Duterte is the exception.

So far, only Duterte has provided us a plat-

form and program of government- a real advocacy that speaks to the chronic neglect of Filipinos at the peripheries, a federal form of government that may not create miracles in the first year, but will surely change the game in favor of the least, and perhaps give Mega Manila the breathing space it needs to decongest while other regions grow. The curious thing is that federalism is doable within the powers of government, an enabling environment for the country to thrive. Its no lofty promise of salvation, just a better way for us to do our thing for the benefit of a greater number.

We in Mindanao would like to believe that 2016 ought to be about electing a President with the right experience and capabilities that will help us resolve the festering problems that many Manila politicians will probably use a means to show face, but just don’t have the werewithal, the experience, or the guts to solve.

Jumping to third shows what Manila politics is like

AYOR Rody’s on a roll, jumping in at third in the recent Pulse Asia Survey.

While his possible presidential bid has been discussed often over the past year, it is only now that the mega Manila survey outfits have taken notice. Truly, a lot of noise has been made by Duterte supporters through signature campaigns and other efforts. This only shows a difficult reality in Philippine politics- that every speck of dust that falls in the Philippines needs to be noticed by Manila to be considered important. To have grown up politically outside of Manila’s political corridors requires that something extra special to deserve inclusion in a presidential preference survey.

Thus, those who want Duterte to win have to campaign doubly hard for every vote. His opponent will likely be a controversial notorious figure, or a showbiz-like personality familiar to a majority of voters especially in the concentrated Mega manila area between the

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causing injury, the violator will be slapped with up to P80,000 fine and three months imprisonment. In case the accident causes death, the driver will be fined up to P500,000 and a penalty of reclusion perpetua.

Poliquit said it is stipulated in the law that the law enforcer can compel the violator to a test once death is caused by the drunk driving accident.

Last week, the LTO 11 regional director Gomer Dy admitted that it cannot implement the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act right away because it lacks trained personnel and breathe analyzers.

Dy said the office targeting

to start the training of the LTO enforcers between March 23 and March 31.

The initial two teams of LTO 11 that will be trained by the end of March will then train other deputized LTO enforcers in seven district offices in the region. These are located in the cities of Mati, Tagum, and Digos and the provinces of Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, and Compostela Valley.

Aside from LTO enforcers, officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) are also deputized to enforce the law.

Dy said the region also lacks breath analyzers and drug testing kits.

and public sectors under the umbrella of broad campaign network All Workers’ Unity, is calling for the implementation of a National Minimum Wage in the amount of P16,000 and we support this call. It is high time that wages are increased as demanded by workers be-

cause it is they who propel our economy, without them nothing will move,” “Aside from increasing the minimum wage to P16,000 per month, I think that it would be best for the Aquino administration to stop its anti-people policies like the

MRT fare hikes and entering into sweetheart deals but the cost is passed on to the people like the LRT1 extension.

Government should always think and act for the welfare of the majority and not for the profit of businesses,” ended Zarate.

There are some 33,000 architects in the country compared to about 137,000 Filipino civil engineers, not counting the other engineering disciplines.

“We will fight for what is right,” said PICE-Davao City in passing the resolution. “We will fight for justice.”

This coming Saturday, March 21, PICE-Davao City will launch its mass actions against HB 5127 and SB 2623 through a protest motorcade around the city. Other PICE chapters elsewhere in the country will conduct similar protest actions.

Banners and streamers man-

ifesting opposition to HB 5127 and SB 2623 are also scheduled to be unfurled by PICE-Davao City beginning March 21. In addition, stickers demanding “justice for engineers” and campaigning for the rejection of the two Congress bills will be pasted all over PICEDavao City’s area of influence.

OUR TURN. Pacificab and other taxis are parked at the waiting area outside a mall along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City which was regularly occupied by Maligaya taxis whose drivers are currently holding a strike demanding a P200 rental reduction. Lean Daval Jr.

Eyes... FROM 1

or is strongly advocating is also the right solution to the many problems besetting the country today.

“It’s an ideal long term solution to the country’s pressing problems. It may achieve equitable distribution

of the fruits of development,” Ungab said.

In the Pulse Asia survey conducted from March 1 to 7, 2015, Duterte cornered 12 percent in a tie for third place with former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Es-

trada.

Both Duterte and Estrada are just two percent behind Grace Poe, who had 14 points.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is hounded by allegations of corruption, is leading the way with 29 percent.

et sometime already, according to Idis.

“Some of them are five years already in the office. May mga 17 years pa nga kaya maganda talaga na may SSS sila.

Total para sa kanila din naman yun) (Some of them are in the office for 17 years now, and it’s really important to include

them in the SSS program. Anyway, this is for them),” Idris added.

On the other hand, Jara said that even if the contract of the JO expires he or she can still continue with the contribution through voluntary member.

Jara also said their agency is looking at the Department

of Social Welfares and Development (DSWD) as their next government agency to partner with their program.

“Maraming mga JO sa DSWD. So sana sila na ang next na partner namin (There are so many job order employees in theDSWD. We hope they will be our next partner),” he said.

sheets, the scenario seems to be still precarious. A possible shutdown of any generating power plant in Mindanao may result in supply deficiency.” said Rossano Luga, Davao Light’s AVP for Reputation Enhancement.

Currently, power supply within the entire island remains to be critical with the decreasing water elevation of

Agus and Pulangi hydropower plants as advised by the NGCP. Meanwhile, last month, Davao Light has announced the implementation of rotating power interruptions within its franchise from Feb 19 until March 2 when the two-units of STEAG coal-fired plant overlapped its scheduled Preventive Maintenance Service (PMS). The said PMS of STEAG

was already completed as scheduled. Hence, Davao Light is no longer implementing the rotating power interruptions within its franchise.

Davao Light will continue to make the necessary announcements and updates to its customers relating to the power supply situation through its website, facebook page and twitter account.

another proof of brazen assault on our sovereignty as a nation.

The Mamasapano debacle was clearly a US -instigated opera-

tion being part of its so-called “global war on terror”. It is not our war as a people, but, our government blindly embraced

it, thus, making us, Filipinos, their dispensable pawns, even cannon-fodders,” Zarate ended.

ey to save or to invest, they have limited options abroad,” Del Rosario said in a press briefing at the Seda Hotel yesterday.

“They leave poor and sometimes they will come back poor. We think that over

the last few years there has been a dearth of support coming from the financial services industry, to really be able to help our OFW in a way that is relevant and tangible,” she added.

AXA ION offers four ful-

ly guaranteed products that make the AXA eXentials line which are designed to be affordable with premiums starting at only P1,000 per month.

These are Health eXentials, Saving eXentials, Academic eXentials and Life eXentials.

He added that developer cannot sell the water sourced from Tamugan outside the city, and that the DCWD also cannot buy water from outside Tamugan.

The contract signing took place at the Marco Polo Davao Tuesday night, with Davao

City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte presiding over the activity.

The APO Agua will supply up to 300 million liters per day (MLD) of potable bulk water from the Tamugan River to DCWD, which will benefit the more than 1 million people of the city.

APO-Agua has a 70-30 ownership structure, with AEV owning 70 percent of the company and the remaining 30 percent JVACC. The JVACC will be the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the entire project.

SSS... FROM 2

City’s... FROM 2

Zarate... FROM 4 First... FROM 5

DCWD... FROM 5

Militants... FROM 4

Davao... FROM 4

11 ICT HUB

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Security also means checking social media for cheaters F

OR the organizations that give standardized tests, it’s a common — and common-sense — security measure.

But to the growing number of critics of the exams, the practice of monitoring students’ social media accounts against leaks of test questions is evidence that the tests and the companies that create them are too invasive.

The debate exploded last week in New Jersey when a school administrator emailed some colleagues about her district’s experience. In the email, Watchung Hills Regional High School District Superintendent Elizabeth Jewett said the state Education Department contacted her district at a testing company’s request at 10 p.m. one night last week with news of a possible test breach. A student apparently had posted a photo of a question from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers test, or PARCC, on Twitter.

The state Education Department, she said in her note, was informed of the issue by Pearson, the London-based company that oversees the test developed by PARCC. It is being given in a dozen states this month.

“The DOE wanted us to issue discipline to the student,” she wrote.

But, Jewett said in the March 10 email to leaders of other schools that was obtained by education blogger Bob Braun, it turned out that the student was merely complaining about a test question;

there was no photo of the item itself. She said the student’s tweet was removed.

Jewett released a statement confirming that the email was hers and asserting it was accurate, but she did not return an email seeking more details. The district also said she would not comment further.

PARCC, intended to measure how well students are learning what’s required by the national Common Core curriculum standards, has many critics. Some students scattered across the country are protesting the exam and some parents organized through social media networks are boycotting it.

Their objections include

that the exam itself is inappropriate, that it’s part of a culture of testing that is taking away from real learning at school and that it’s generally dehumanizing. They say the testing is more about consequences — as factors in determining which teachers could be fired; which schools may be closed for performing badly — than it is about learning. They also say they worry about the privacy of students’ data.

A New Jersey legislative committee is planning to hold a hearing on the issue Thursday.

In the testing world, there’s nothing ominous about the monitoring. Pearson referred a reporter to a statement on its website that the

company notifies education departments to any possible breaches.

“Copyright and test security are not new issues in testing. What’s different is the social media aspect,” said Luci Willits, deputy executive director of Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, which is giving Common Core-measuring exams in 18 states this spring. “You wouldn’t approve of a student taking copies of the test and handing it out to friends or posting it on the locker.”

Willits said her group uses student workers to do hashtag searches online to see if anyone is posting the test itself.

Last year, when 4 million students took a trial run version

of that test, she said about 75 breaches were discovered.

But the New Jersey incident gave opponents more not to like.

Save Our Schools NJ is calling for an investigation.

“Posting a snarky comment about a stupid question hardly warrants the

OMPUTER users in many countries are increasingly falling victim to so-called encryption malware – programs that encrypt important data on infected computers and then demand a ransom to decrypt it.

In 2014, over 7 million attempts to carry out such attacks were made against Kaspersky Lab users alone.

Kaspersky Lab experts have prepared an overview of the evolution of encryption malware, as well as advice on how to avoid being affected by this threat.

Encryption malware gets special attention because cybercriminals are continually changing the tools they use, including cryptographic schemes, code confusion techniques, executable file formats, and infection vectors.

This type of malware is usually distributed via spam or attacks against remote administration systems.

The persistence of this form of extortion is easily explained: unlike banking Trojans, which generate an

‘income’ only if the victim uses online banking, a piece of encryption malware, having once infected a computer, will always find something to encrypt and hold to ransom.

Cybercriminals prefer to be paid in the Bitcoin cryptocurrency, which offers them a sufficiently high level of anonymity.

At the same time, it is common for attackers to specify their rates in real-world currencies, such as US dollars, euros or rubles.

The cost of decrypting data for home users starts at 1000 rubles (about $15 or P660*) but can be as high as several hundred dollars.

If a corporate computer is infected, the attackers’ demands increase five-fold.

Cybercriminals are known to have demanded ransoms as high as 5000 euros to decrypt files.

Sadly, companies that have lost their data often prefer to pay up rather than lose important information.

It comes as no surprise, therefore, that businesses are a prime target for cybercriminals who use en-

cryption malware to make money.

“If files have been successfully encrypted and there is no backup copy, the user has little chance of getting their data back. It would take a mistake by the attacker in terms of the design or imple-

mentation of the encryption scheme for a user to be able to decrypt the files - and this rarely happens now,” said Artem Semenchenko, malware analyst at Kaspersky Lab. “This is why it is important to regularly back up important data and store the

backup copies separately from the computer system.

We also recommend using the latest versions of security solutions for protection.

The System Watcher module included in all our current products not only scans the processes launched in the

Department of Ed. calling a superintendent,” said Susan Cauldwell, an organizer of the parents group.

Randi Weingarten, national president of the American Federation for Teachers union, started a petition drive this week calling for Pearson to stop monitoring students’ social media accounts.

In an interview, Weingarten compared the alleged snooping to tactics in the Soviet Union. “It’s creepy for parents, creepy for students and creepy for teachers,” she said.

New Jersey Assistant Education Commissioner Bari Erlichson said monitoring should be expected. “We should work to ensure that students and parents understand that statements that are posted publicly online are not private,” she said.

Melissa Tomlinson, a middle school math specialist in New Jersey’s Buena Township, said her objection was what the test company asked the state to follow up on.

“It was not a test question,” she said. “It was not the big security breach that Pearson implied it to be.”

Saving Private Files: what extortionists demand for decrypting user data C

system and identifies any malicious activity, but also backs up user files if a suspicious program attempts to access them. If the analysis of a program indicates it is malicious, user data is automatically recovered,” Semenchenko advised.

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DAVAO CITY MAIN OFFICE

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JOCELYN S. PANES

Door 14 ALCREJ Bldg., Quirino Ave., Davao City Tel: (082) 224-1413 Telefax: (082) 221-3601

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Mobile: (Sun) 0925-357-3460 (Smart) 0907-202-3844

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PEOPLE

Neil Rey Llanes:

U LT I M AT E LY

TALENTED

Text and Photos by Henrylito D. Tacio

“ON paper, Neil Rey G. Llanes did not look like a contestant who would make it very far in a talent competition show like TV5’s ‘Talentadong Pinoy’ where only the most uniquely talented usually shine,” wrote Edwin P. Sallan in a feature which appeared in InterAksyon.com.

That was my reaction, too, when I met him in person recently. We were together on our way to Nabunturan, Compostela Valley. I was invited as one of the judges of a talent contest while Neil was one of the two invited guests.

During our long trip, I had the opportunity of talking with him. I learned that he is actually from Davao City. “What will you be doing,” I inquired since I really didn’t know the youngster. “I’m going to sing,” he replied, which made his brother to smile.

It was not until Neil went to the stage and performed that I realized his talent. He was a livewire; he connected with the audience, who went gaga when he was doing his number. Every time he changed his voice, the audience seemed to go wild.

This boy is something, I told myself. After all, he was declared the Ultimate Talentado at the grand finals of Talentadong Pinoy held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila.

I did some research and this was what I found out, based on what Isah V. Red has written: “Neil’s awesome performance that night earned not just a standing ovation from the crowd but, most importantly, the vital votes from the panel of distinguished talent scouts -- Pilita Corrales, Jaya, Jasmine CurtisSmith, Richard Gutierrez, Cherie Gil, Gelli de Belen and Charice.”

Sallan wrote: “Cherie

Gil in particular, wished that her children were in the venue to personally see Neil’s stunning performance while the visibly wowed Jasmine CurtisSmith and Charice both could not find the right words to express their elation over the same number.”

“Hindi ko po talaga iniexpect na mananalo ako.

Yung talent ko po hindi tulad nung sa iba, basta ang nasa isip ko lang mapaghalo-halo yung iba-ibang boses. Dapat nga sana 10 sounds ang gagawin ko pero hindi ko na kaya so 8 sounds para symbol din ng infinity,” Neil said after he won the cool P1 million cash prize.

To think of, there was no one who cajoled him to

join “Talentadong Pinoy 2014.” Although he admits there were some people who serve as his inspiration to join. He cites his family as the main reason.

It is said that when Neil auditioned, he impressed the judges by playing with five sounds. “I felt very nervous at that time because it was my first time to join in a TV Talent

show,” he says in an exclusive interview. “It was a dream comes true because it was one of my dreams to join in Talentadong Pinoy.”

Neil was not expecting to be qualified in the semifinals. “I was speechless by that time,” he recalls.

“I was very happy because I was chosen as one of the semi-finalists; it was one

step closer to reach the Grand Finals of the ‘Battle of the Champions.’”

During the showdown presentation, Neil was not thinking about the competition. He was focusing more on the audience. “I always bear in mind that I need to do my mission and that is to make them happy and be satisfied in my performance,” he discloses.

Indeed, Neil has a long, long way since he discovered his talent while taking a bath. “I was in our bathroom and there was their neighbor who was playing the song of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean,” he says. “It was very loud and I was thinking, “What if I matched the song with my mouth.’”

Neil was 12 at that time.

He was second year high school and tried to develop the talent. “There are a lot of beatboxers that I idolize. Their beatbox skills, especially those from Europe, are very technical,” he says.

He considers beatbox as a very unique talent “because it can entertain more people in all ages and be impressed.” He adds, “For me, human Beatbox is a medicine that can cure loneliness and sadness; it can also make people forget their problems.”

Until now, Neil still couldn’t believe he won the “Talentadong Pinoy 2014.” But he thinks that hard work and sacrifices have really paid off. Right now, he wants to build a house for his family (Eduard Anthony S. Llanes and Rodena G. Llanes).

His has an older brother named Senen.

“I also want to finish college so that when the time comes, I can help other people who need help,” says Neil, who is taking Bachelor of Science in Business Administration on marketing management at the Holy Cross College of Davao. “I will graduate next year.”

“Gusto ko nga makahuman ug college para naa pud ko maipagmalaki

The Ultimate A4

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 260 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 20 - 21, 2015

FOOD

In love with Italian wine

WEEKENDS are always a blast and after a week of work, it just feels so good to be able to unwind especially with good company and a glass or two of good wine. Last week was extra special thanks to Swiss Deli Lanang which held an Italian wine tasting event at their wine cellar.

Wine connoisseurs, restauranteurs, foodies, as well as some curious Joes and Janes arrived to have a swig of the beautiful line-up of old world wines which were hard to find. Not until the wine tasting event.

I admit I was more of a new world wine fancier as these tend to be more fruit forward with bolder flavours and punchier with a wee bit more alcohol. But these Italian wines were a league of their own.

My favourite during the tasting was the Castelveder

Franciacorta Brut and the Castelveder Franciacorta Brut Rose. Both were light and refreshing with the Brut offering a nose of white flowers and hints of vanilla. The

Rose on-the-other-hand carried notes of berries and currants. I could imagine spending a whole day at the beach with this pair of wines while enjoying the sea breeze.

Another stand out wine during the tasting was the Torre del Falasco Corvina.

Intense ruby red in colour, the Torre del Falasco Corvina had a nose of dried cherries and cranberry with delicious berry notes on the palate. The wine was bell balanced with well-rounded tannins and a nice finish. It was one of the evenings most loved wines as bottles of the Torre del Falasco literally flew off the shelf.

I never really got to appreciate Italian wines before but after this experience, I was glad I was able to broaden my wine horizon a little more.

Follow me on Instagram or on Twitter for more travel stories, foodie finds, and happenings in, around, and beyond Durianburg.

Park Inn Davao upsizes supersize meals for graduates PARK INN by Radisson Davao salutes all graduates of 2015!

“In this season of merry making, we pay honor and tribute to all learners who have worked hard to reach this significant point in life. We feel the love and joy this moment gives every member of the family, how milestones like this bring everyone together,” shares the hotel’s General Manager, Mr. Pavan Kakar. “As our way of celebrating with you, we are treating one graduate in every family

availing of the Supersize set menu.”

From March 15 to April 15, RBG’s Supersize Family Meal gets upsized by two notches with bigger servings and extended discounts that’s perfect for your gatherings.

“We are actually expanding our Supersize family meal to accommodate a bigger group of 6 guests and 1 graduate, instead of the regular serving for 5 diners. And no, we’re not changing the price.

We’re keeping it at a total of Php1,699.00 net.”

Mr. Kakar explains fur-

ther. “You still get to choose your preferred salad, soup, starter, rice, main course, desserts and drink, all packaged with a family sized pizza.

We’re also giving away

another complimentary pitcher of drink and 10% discount for additional beverage orders.”

“Big in size, big on taste. This special offer is sure to stuff everyone

up, while, at the same time, you get great value for money. When you divide the package price of Supersize by the number of diners, you’ll realize that each one is actually getting more value in that package instead of ordering by the dish. It’s easy on the pocket, especially for the parents.”

“Come and celebrate with us,” invites Mr. Kakar. “We’re all excited to share in your happiness and delight. On behalf of my team, we’d like to extend our well wishes and congratulations to

all the parents and their graduates!”

To enjoy this season’s deal, graduates need to present their valid ID upon dining.

Call 272 7600 and book your table now.

You may also request a copy of the menu and send in your advance orders thru fb.manager@ parkinn.com.

For reservations and inquiries, call +63 82 272 7600. Follow @ parkinndavao on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to get updates on new offers and special promotions.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 260 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 20 - 21, 2015

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ENTERTAINMENT

Globe Telecom ambassador inches closer to his racing dreams OTUS Formula 1 junior driver Marlon Stockinger is set to race in the 2015 GP2 Series season as Status Grand Prix’s first driver in the series, as the Globe Telecom ambassador rises a notch higher to fulfilling his career aspirations.

The 23-year-old Filipino-Swiss raced for the team in GP3 in 2012 and achieved two podium finishes and a race win at the Monaco GP. He moved on to Formula Renault 3.5 for two seasons and joined the Lotus F1 Junior Team in 2013. He finished 18th overall in the first sea-

son and moved to 9th overall in 2014.

Team Principal Teddy Yip Jr says, “We are delighted to welcome Marlon back to the team following a successful GP3 campaign in 2012. Marlon is a hardworking and dedicated driver and we know he will apply a high level of professionalism to his maiden GP2 season.”

Stockinger shares his excitement about returning to Status. “It is really good to come back to Status and I have a lot of happy memories from our time in GP3, especially winning in Monaco. I feel very excited to be back with the team

in my first GP2 season.

My fans are already so excited about what I am doing this season and

guessing which team I am with. It is pretty cool that motorsport is growing more popular in the

Philippines and I am really thankful to have so much support.”

One of Stockinger’s staunch supporters in the Philippines is leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom, his telecommunication partner in the country. In August last year, Globe ambassador Stockinger starred in Slipstream, a full-day affair which celebrated the telco’s brand new network with a race car driving exhibition, interactive booths, and an outdoor music festival.

Stockinger showed off his track skills driving his Lotus-Gravity Charouz Formula Renault 3.5 race car around Bonifacio Global City.

“We are very happy and excited for Marlon as he gets close to his racing dreams. We look forward to more of his achievements as he continues to bring honor and pride to the country,” quips Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu. The 2015 GP2 officially begins on April 17-19 in Bahrain.

‘Mundo Ni Juan sa Japan’ airs this Saturday on GMA Network HOPING to provide decent and convenient life for their families, hundreds of Filipinos flocked to Japan. Evidently, many Filipino migrants in the Land of the Rising Sun have provided better future for their loved ones. Today, more than 200,000 Filipinos residing in this country are working in various fields including entertainment, sports, and even transportation. But in a land where everything is new and foreign, how do Filipinos survive and strive to become successful?

This Saturday, GMA Network answers these questions as it takes viewers to the world of Filipinos abroad with the special travel documentary Mundo ni Juan…sa Japan!

Together with Kapuso actress Iya Villania-Arellano, gear up as Mundo ni Juan travels around famous landmarks in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya while getting to know some Filipinos who are making a difference today in Japan.

Mundo ni Juan kicks off with a quick tour of Japan’s center of commerce and technology – Tokyo. The special visits Tokyo’s Shibuya District where tourists can find the famous statue of the loyal dog Hachiko as well as the biggest and busiest pedestrian crossing in the world.

Despite Tokyo’s modern technology and fast-paced life, viewers will be surprised to find the serene place of Yanaka where some temples, shrines, old wooden homes and food strips are situated.

The special also visits the Ei-

ffel Tower-inspired Tokyo Tower, the Pokemon Center and the socalled land of the cosplays - Harujuku Station.

Filipinos abound in Tokyo. One of them is is Abby Watabe, former Filipina entertainer turned entrepreneur. Tagged as the Pinay Cinderella, Abby, who hails from Tarlac, now owns more than a hundred karaoke branches in Japan.

Pinay jazz singer Marlene dela Peña, meanwhile, has been a resident of Tokyo for more than three decades. Despite the success of her numerous albums and concerts, Marlene keeps her feet grounded. She remains active in charity and community projects for the less fortunate children in the Philippines.

Mundo ni Juan also visits Survivor castaway Suzuki Sadatsugu.

Discover the reasons behind Suzuki’s return to Japan after his short showbiz stint. And get to know Filipino Japanese Maryjun Takahashi who played the role of Yumi Komogata in the film Rurouni Kenshin.

In Osaka, Mundo ni Juan takes viewers to the Osamu Tezuka Manga Museum, which was built in 1994 as a tribute to the legendary Japanese Manga artist Osamu Tezuka, the man behind the legendary Japanese characters loved by Filipinos including Astroboy.

Among the cities in Japan, Nagoya seems to be closer to the hearts of many Filipinos because it houses The Filipino Migrants Center led by Filipina Virgie Ishihara. The center started after Virgie met a woman seeking for help after she was abused by her Japanese husband. Today, the Filipino Migrants Center has helped resolve hundreds of domestic violence and other cases faced by Filipino migrants in Japan.

Produced by GMA News and Public Affairs and in partnership with Japan FM Network (JFN), discover the famous landmarks and Filipinos in the Land of the Rising Sun in Mundo ni Juan…sa Japan! this Saturday, March 21 right after Celebrity Bluff on GMA7.

March 19-24, 2015

INSURGENT Shailene Woodley, Theo James PG

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

CINDERELLA Lily James, Hayley Atwell, Richard Madden G

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

DRAGON NEST: WARRIOR'S DAWN Jiao Xu, Guanlin Ji, Ying Huang G

R-16

12:25 | 2:20 | 4:15 | 6:10 | 8:05 | 10:00 LFS

RUN ALL NIGHT/ * THE GUNMAN R16/ *R16

Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman/ * Sean Penn, Idris Elba 12:10 | 2:40 | 5:10 LFS / * 7:40 | 10:00 LFS

A4 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 260 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 20 - 21, 2015

PEOPLE The Ultimate A1

sa akong sarili ug para maipagmalaki ko sa akong mama ug papa,” Neil says, adding that he wants his parents to know that he is not only good in human beatbox.

“If the time comes when I am no longer good in human beatboxing, I can still be proud of myself since I finish college,” he points out. “My college diploma is also my best gift to my parents.”

Neil, who will turn 20 this coming October 7, also wants to glorify God through his talent. “I may not be the best beatboxer in the world, but I believe through this God-given talent I can reach more people for His glory. My mission here in life is to share this talent to people.

I want them to feel and happiness that beatboxing brings,” he says.

Another reason: to help today’s young people who are lost. “What motivates me to do beatboxing also is to guide the Filipino youth. Instead of allowing themselves to be engulfed by vices, they can focus more on the talent they have -- even if it not on human beatbox. Each of us is given a talent and it’s up to us to harness these talents. God loves us and

through our talent, He has shown that He is a loving God. We need to believe in ourselves and have faith in Him.” This must be the reason why he sees himself of being a successful person ten years from now and still serving God. “If God is not with me in this journey, I won’t be able to do everything,” he says. “Ten years from now, I am hoping that millions if not billions of people would have been inspired by my

talent.”

Of course, Neil also sees himself of having his own family.

His final thought: “Everyone dreams. If you have some doubts in yourself, having negative thoughts and afraid of trying, then forget those negative things since they won’t bring you to realize your dream. Don’t give up; pursue what you want to achieve in life, especially if your dream can help your parents and those

you loved.

“You won’t loss anything by trying. Don’t be easily discouraged and just ask guidance from the Lord in all that we do. If your dream is for the good of everyone, then go for it.

This is Neil telling you that while we are still alive, we don’t need to give up. It’s not the end yet to change ourselves and our thinking. Never exit in life,” he concluded, referring the last line as an acronym for his name.

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EDGEDAVAO

TESDA ISO certification will play role in ASEAN integration

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HE International Standards Organization (ISO) certification received by TESDA (Technical Education Skills Development Authority) will play a key role in the ongoing Asean integration.

The world is recognizing the skills of our techvoc graduates. “ TESDA Director-General Sec. Joel Villanueva said during a press conference in Davao City held last March 17.

He said that before the ISO certification tech voc graduates would need five years work experience, with the ISO certification the 5-year work experience is being waived.

TESDA was given an ISO 9001:2008 certification in 2012 by TUV SUD PSB Philippines, for its two major programs, Technical Vocational Education and Training Program Registration and Competency Assessment and Certification.

Based in Munich, Germany TUV SUD PSB is the country’s leading multinational certification and inspection body which provides inspection, certification, valuation, validation, training and testing services.

“Region XI was one

of the first regions in the country to be ISO certified.”

Sec. Villanueva said citing the region’s support to the ISO accreditation efforts.

Today TESDA is the only education agency to be given an ISO certification status.

Because of the certification the tech-voc sector will gain a lot from the ASEAN integration. According to Villanueva.

“In the MRA or mutual recognition arrangements we are leading in the sectors of tourism and construction, these are the sectors where I think we will flourish.” The TESDA Director-General said.

The IT-BPO sector is also giving us good signs.

Villanueva added.

Asean Integration seeks a common market among Asean nations with free movement of capital and services among the member countries.

Meanwhile according to Villanueva the challenge is the capacity building not just for Asean Integration but also for K to 12 where more teachers and assessors are needed.

In K to 12 the assessment and certification will remain with TESDA. (PIA/ RG Alama)

14 COMMUNITY SENSE EDGEDAVAO

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DCWD rehabilitates watershed M

T. Tipolog-Tamugan located in Baguio District, Davao City and adjacent to Mt. Apo is one of the three vital watersheds that Davao City Water District is rehabilitating for water sustainability. In doing so, DCWD built a strong symbiotic community partnership with the local community, the Obu-Manuvu tribe, since 2004.

The DCWD and Obu-Manuvu partnership has successfully rehabilitated 88 hectares inside the Mt. Tipolog-Tamugan project area and 25 kilometers of theriverbank. In the process, DCWD has been providing the tribe with medical / dental missions and agro-forest livelihood that enabled them to earn incomes from tiger grass, abaca and grafted fruit trees since 2007 and recently, from rubber trees. Potential gross income from rubber trees alone in a year could reach up to P500,000.00 for the Obu-Manuvus. Soon, they will also start harvesting cacao.

In return, the tribe effectively participates and oversees the rehabilitation efforts of DCWD and thwarts environmental threats.

As DCWD cares for the Obu-Manuvu tribe, the latter committed to be the stewards of sustainable adequate sup-

ply of fresh, clean and potable water for the Davaoeños.

Foresight planning in securing Mt. Tipolog-Tamugan watershed, DCWD will address the inevitable water crisis in Davao City within the next few years caused by fastpaced urbanization and rapidly-growing population. Presently serving close to 200,000 water connections within the 108 of the City’s 182 barangays, DCWD is sourcing water supply mainly from underground through 55 production wells and one spring source thus making it highly dependent on power supply for its delivery.

DCWD then explored the possibility of developing a new and sustainable water source – surface water, thus the Tamugan Surface Water Development Project (TSWDP) as an additional source.

The project will be undertaken through a joint venture agreement between DCWD and Apo AguaInfrastructura, Inc. (AAII) with two components: (1) Part A: Treated Bulk Water Supply Facilities to be implemented by AAII, and (2) Part B: Primary Distribution Pipe Mains, Storage Facilities, and Pipeline Appurtenances to be administered by DCWD. Project milestones are the Preliminary Period and theConstruction Period, which are

both envisioned to be completed within four years, and the Delivery Period, which is a 30-year contract to start upon operation of facilities.

With the large service area coverage of DCWD, 10 water supply systems (WSS) operateindependently from each other, namely: Caban-

tian, Calinan, Dumoy, Lubogan, Malagos, Panacan, Riverside, Tibungco, Toril, and Tugbok.

However, due to order of prioritization in terms of service coverage, transmission line route and impending water quality issues, only Cabantian, Calinan, Dumoy, Panacan and Tugbok WSS will compose the

TSWDP. The remaining five will continue to operate utilizing groundwater. Moreover, with TSWDP, DCWD intends to expand its service coverage to additional eight barangays in the northern side of the city which will be then served by three new WSS, namely: Mandug, Indangan and Talandang.

Indeed, the symbiotic partnership of DCWD with the Obu-Manuvus for the latter’s economic benefit and the consequent assurance of sustainable healthy water supply with the best quality in the world in the three Districts of Davao City underline DCWD’s humble thrust of water for life.

HE city government of Tagum recognized on March 07 Tagum Cooperative Chairperson of the Board of Director (BOD) Norma “Normskie” Pereyras as Tagumpay Excellence awardee for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment.

She was among the six individuals carefully chosen by the Search and Awards Committee tasked by the city government of Tagum to identify the outstanding individuals and organizations which exceptionally made substantial contribution to Tagum City’s growth and development, bringing honor and pride to the Tagumenyos.

In his opening remarks during the Tagum Excellence Awards and Recognition Night, City of Tagum Mayor Allan L. Rellon gave his salute to Pereyras “whose unparalleled leadership in the country’s foremost cooperative has empowered the women sector.”

The sustained Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Program of Tagum Cooperative (TC) sets it apart from other cooperatives which are now

learning from the pioneering ventures of the TC to empower women as partners in cooperative movement.

Pereyras looked backed at the period 1990 to 2000 when NATCCO (National Confederation of Cooperatives and AWCF (Asian Women in Cooperative Development Forum) started the Gender Advocacy. It was then that Tagum Cooperative joined the bandwagon to promote the rights of women and has sustained it for about 25 years now.

“We pushed forward the rights of women amidst male chauvinism at that time. We made headway in our advocacy to empower women in decision-making, not only about household affairs but also on financial matters,” she said.

She remembered how she faced male tyranny in 1995 when she was elected as the first woman chairperson for three consecutive years, of the male-dominated Board of Directors of Tagum Cooperative.

“Grabe! Grabe talaga ang pag-underestimate sa kakayahan ng mga Kababaihan. Meron pa kaming male board of director na nagsabi

na ‘Kayong mga babae, hinugot lang kayo sa tadyang naming mga lalaki!. Kayo ay inferior sa mga lalaki!’, she said in sharing her experiences during the Philippine Cooperative Centennial Year kick-off celebration on February 05, 2015 at Quezon City Memorial Circle.

But with the sustained drive of Tagum Cooperative to empower women and see men as their equal, Pereyras felt confident that she could answer Pope Francis when he asked “where are the women?”.

“Here we are, in Tagum Cooperative actively and intelligently participating in major decisions espe-

cially in the boardroom as policy-makers who have helped strengthen our systems to make a difference,” she said.

Pereyras has believed since then, that women should have a rightful and fair share of benefits and privileges “because 75 percent of the general membership of Tagum Cooperative are women”.

Noting the long-time advocacy of Tagum Cooperative to empower women, Pereyras believes that the Cooperative has substantially contributed to the realization of the Millennium Development Goal. (Tagum Cooperative)

11 UPMin students Pereyras cited for gender advocacy in youth leaders gab At Skydome, SM North EDSA, March 30 T E

LEVEN students of the University of the Philippines-Mindanao campus in Mintal, Davao City will attend the one-day International Youth Leaders Conference (IYLC) in the Skydome, SM North EDSA, Quezon City on March 30.

The IYLC is supported by the AIESEC ( Association Internationale des etudiats en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) which aims to create a community of world class leaders. IYLC is part of the Asian Pacific Congress, AIESEC’s largest regional conference with hundreds of delegates from all over the globe.

The participants from Davao City, who are members of

either the Communicators’ Guild of UP Mindanao or the Omega Alpha Franternity and Sorority, are John Winston Anthony C. Ajero II, Gabriel Ba-ang, Melissa Barrera, Camille Cagbabanua, Kris Shelley Marie Tiu, James Del Fierro, Angela Funtillon, Sizzle Ledres, Patricia Nengasca, Lyka Picardal and Hyacinth Registos.

The theme of this year’s IYLC gathering is “One Purpose, Brave Actions,” according to Winston Ajero. Key topics include youth initiative, clear vision and purpose and values-based leadership, he said.

The first IYLC event was held in March 2014 at the Samsung Hall in Taguig City.

YOUTH LEADERS GAB. Eleven student leaders of the University of the Philippines-Mindanao campus (UP-Min) will attend the International Youth Leaders Conference in Manila on March 30 to tackle the theme “One Purpose, Brave Actions”. Five of the 11 are (from left) John Winston Anthony Ajero II, Sizzle Mari Ledres, Angela Kate Funtillon, Kris Shelley Marie Tiu and Camille Cagbabanua.

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SPORTS 15

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Weight woes for Donaire

F

UNFAZED. TRMH-CMO forward Lancelot Mikhail Abude defies the defense of Ronald Lamocha of Montaña Pawnshop during the third quarter of the TRMH-CMO and Montaña match. The Pawnbrokers came back from eight points down to oust the defending champions 70-61 in the 78th Araw ng Davao cagefest. Lean Daval Jr.

Warriors beat Hawks in battle of NBA leaders

H

ARRISON Barnes had 25 points, Andre Iguodala added 21 points and six assists, and the Golden State Warriors cruised past the Atlanta Hawks 114-95 on Wednesday night in a matchup of the NBA’s top two teams.

Stephen Curry had 16 points and 12 assists, Draymond Green contributed 18 points and Andrew Bogut grabbed 14 rebounds as balanced Golden State maintained the best record in the league (54-13) with its 10th straight win at home.

The Hawks, looking fatigued and trailing big by the fourth quarter, were denied again in a chance to clinch their first division title since the 1993-94 sea-

T

HESE days, sports uniforms have evolved from the classic varsity-type designs of old to the insanely printed kits of today.

In the ongoing 78th Araw ng Davao basketball tournament, the kits worn by The Royal Mandaya Hotel-CMO are out of this world. With a military camouflage pattern embedded on the very fabric itself matched high-visibility colors, the TRMH-CMO kits look spankingly outrageous.

This style is the latest trend in sports apparel. The embedded patterns are popularized by Nike and Under Armour -- two of the world’s top sports apparel brands.

While Nike continues to lord it over the sports apparel industry, the self-declared underdog Under Armour has climbed up to no. 2 dislodging long-time no. 1 adidas.

son as Washington won at Utah.

Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll each scored 16 points and Carroll had 12 boards for cold-shooting Atlanta (53-15), which had won 10 of 12 and three in a row but shot 35.6 percent from the floor.

The Warriors certainly look ready for a long postseason run, showing off snazzy passing and unselfish play while winning their third straight and 10th in 12 games, in front of a rocking sellout crowd of 19,596 at Oracle Arena.

Two days after Golden State clinched a playoff berth for the third consecutive season, the Warriors scored 44 baskets on 39 assists. It was the 25th time

this season Golden State had 30 or more assists.

Both teams played short-handed. The Warriors were without All-Star guard Klay Thompson, who sprained his right ankle Monday against the Lakers and will be re-evaluated in seven to 10 days.

Justin Holiday started in Thompson’s place, something Kerr said Holiday earned after a career-best, 23-point performance at Denver last Friday night.

Hawks star Kyle Korver is likely out at least another game after breaking his nose in a win against the Lakers on Sunday.

Ex-Warrior Kent Bazemore moved into Atlanta’s starting lineup.

IVE division world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire who has problems making the weight for his North American Boxing Federation super bantamweight title fight against Brazil’s William Prado is reportedly getting tired as a result of his rigorous efforts to trim down from around 132 pounds.

Donaire’s father/trainer “Dodong” Donaire told the News Standard/Viva Sports that Nonito was “getting tired making the weight” although he worked out at the ALA Gym and ran around the oval in the complex.

“Dodong” said Nonito also

worked on then punch-mitts and the heavy bag and both he and Donaire studied tapes of Prado.

He said Prado “keeps coming forward like a bull and throws a lot of punches. When he fights Nonito he Prado will want to make a statement but we won’t let that happen.”

The father/trainer said his son would spar one more time on Friday before leaving for Manila to join the other headliners of ALA Promotions “Pinoy Pride 30” presented in cooperation with the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN at the Smart Araneta Coliseum which is the Philippines center of sports and enter-

tainment.

The pre-fight press conference will be held at the plush Solaire Hotel and Casino on Thursday, March 26.

American trainer Rick Staheli who has long been an admirer of Donaire because of his remarkable skills, speed and punching power said he had received reports that Nonito was looking extremely good in his preparation for the Prado fight and he expects another impressive performance by Donaire in his comeback fight after the battering at the hands of Nicholas “The Axe Man” Walters “s long as he can make the weight without it hurting him.”

AVALIERS coach David Blatt had seen enough, more than enough.

After his team’s sixth turnover in the game’s first minutes, a disgusted Blatt called timeout and gave his players some very specific instructions.

“Stop turning the ball over,” he told them.

The Cavs listened and then lit up the Nets.

J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov scored 17 points apiece, Kyrie Irving had 10 assists and the Cavaliers shook off the sluggish, sloppy start to win their 14th straight home game, 117-92 over Brooklyn on Wednesday night.

LeBron James added 16 points for the Cavs, who had seven players score in double figures. Just back from a four-game road trip, Cleveland trailed by 13 in the first quarter before going on a 30-8 run and didn’t look back.

“The first game after a road trip is always kind of tough,” James said. “We just found our rhythm.”

The Cavs are 25-6 since Jan. 15, when they were 19-20 and being questioned about

whether they were NBA title contenders. Well, Cleveland is an entirely different team these days with balance, inside muscle and a healthy James, who battled knee and back issues earlier this season.

Kevin Love returned after a two-game break to rest his back and finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Cavs recorded 32 assists on 45 field goals, a testament to their unselfishness.

“We moved the ball tonight,” James said. “Mozzy was unbelievable in the paint.

Kyrie was great getting guys involved and J.R. was shooting the ball well. Everyone worked well together tonight.”

Deron Williams scored 20 to lead the Nets, who are running out of games as they claw to get into the playoffs.

Brooklyn led 22-9 in the first quarter before the Cavs stopped throwing the ball away and started making shots. Smith dropped four 3-pointers — each on an assist

by James — and scored 14 in the second quarter, when the Cavs’ bench sparked the rally and Cleveland outscored the Nets 36-21.

“LeBron went in the post,” Nets coach Lionel Hollins said.

“We tried to help a few times and he threw it out and they made 3s, and he was in the pick-and-roll and he made plays for people and they made shots. He wasn’t the man. It was the guys making the shots.

He set them up. He was the orchestrator.”

Leading by 12 at the half, the Cavs looked underneath in the third quarter and the 7-foot-1 Mozgov took over, scoring 12 points in the period to help Cleveland extend its advantage to 23.

The large lead allowed Blatt to rest his starters, including James, who sat out the final 5:04. Blatt intends to closely monitor his players’ minutes down the stretch as the Cavs prepare for the playoffs.

Blatt said the balanced scoring attack is vital for James.

“You can’t expect him to have huge games that he’s had fairly regularly and you can’t expect that all the time,” he said. “The second thing is that it takes a lot of pressure off him going forward knowing that other guys can pick up the slack and carry it well.”

similar to the popular NikeID, an innovative technology which allows customers to design your “dream shoe.”

For those into running and other sports, NikeID is a platform that allows consumers to customize a certain sneaker design such as the color, materials, and even text. The sneaker is on a 3D display within the platform with access to rotation for users to view the shoes in many angles and positioning.

According to The Financial Buzz, NikeID was very successful and brought in over $100 million in revenue in 2009 when it launched the concept. Some of the many reasons why NikeID was so effective were due to the fun and easy customization, good product visualization and the flexibility of using the web to create your dream shoe.

While Nike is currently on top of the industry, the fast-rising Under Armour is right behind them. In 2014, UA increased its stock value by 37.15%. UA’s enterprise value may not be anywhere near Nike, but the brand now worn by Steph Curry and Andy Murray (former adidas endorser) recently surpassed adidas and secured the number two spot on the list.

Under Armour’s new endorsement deals with superstars Muhammad Ali, Murray and Curry also enabled it to increase sales by 32% with $3.08 billion dollar revenue.

Also, UA is into purchasing fitness apps such as MyFitnessPal and Endomondo to boost their membership users to 120 million--a surefire way to widen reach.

This year, Nike started out with a drop in their stock

Cavs escape with a win over Nets C

The sports apparel business

The tri-stripes of adidas might soon be gone on NBA uniforms after its decline in the market. The battle for the NBA uniforms is now down to Nike and Under Armour.

A quick review with the sports apparel industry would show that competition is fierce. Nike has experienced remarkable growth in revenues and returns over the years. In 2014, there was an increase of 22.47% in stock value which has bumped up the share price to the $94 mark.

The Financial Buzz website reported that it doesn’t stop here for the Nike brand with the popular swoosh logo.

Nike was awarded a US patent on an “Augmented Reality Design System” on February 3. With this they have taken designing to the next level using holographic technology

LET’S GET IT ON

Neil Bravo to create sneaker templates.

This is possible with the use of “a head-mounted display” and being able to view a virtual sneaker in front of them.

The template will be created using a digital pen which is then transferred to the computer for the actual printing.

Given this Nike’s new technology, there is certainly room for growth and potential to bring out something

value. With the anticipated release of the holographic technology, things could change dramatically as soon as it is released.

The Under Armour brand is clearly focusing now on growth. Nike, the more established of all brands, is training its sights towards innovation.

That leaves the other brands looking for ways to keep in stride with the blistering pace the leaders are making.

The bottomline is, we in the sports industry are happy to see new products come out in the market and change the look of the sporting world.

Notes: Listen to “Let’s Get It On with Neil Bravo” at 105.9 Balita FM every Saturday 8 am to 10 am. You may write the author at bravoneil@ rocketmail.com.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 7 ISSUE 260 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, MARCH 20 - 21, 2015

FIGHT TO THE FINISH Hard-fighting TRMH-CMO bows out in style

By NEILWIN JOSEPH BRAVO

T

UNFAZED. TRMH-CMO guard Jose Mari Presbitero slices the lane undaunted by the hulking presence of Landry Sanjo of Montaña Pawnshop during the fourth quarter of the TRMH-CMO and Montaña match. The Pawnbrokers came back from eight points down to oust the defending champions 70-61 in the 78th Araw ng Davao cagefest. Lean Daval Jr.

HE title is gone but the fight is not over. That’s the heart of a champion.

Defending champion The Royal Mandaya Hotel-City Mayor’s Office kissed its title-retention bid goodbye on Wednesday night after bowing to unbeaten Montaña Pawnshop 70-61 in the Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte Cup 78th Araw ng Davao Basketball Tournament.

Former PBA gunner Jojo Tangkay, who helped give TRMH-CMO win the title last year, played the villain’s role as far as the champions are concerned but every bit the hero with his new team Montaña which swept the eliminations with its third win in a row.

Playing his fireman’s role when needed, Tangkay was dispatched by the Pawnbrokers’ coach Nick Serafica with a little over three minutes left in the match and the San Beda-powered Hoteliers ahead by five 6156. Obviously, Tangkay knows what Serafica wanted and he came through with a delivery that once made him the tournament most valuable player here.

The 36-year old Tangkay spun and baited Franz Jonathan Abuda for a three-point play to put the Pawnbrokers close 5961. Burly import Landry Sanjo also had another and-1 in the ensuing play to shove Montaña up for good 62-61, 2:47 remaining. Tangkay then sank the dagger three over two defenders for a 65-61 Montaña cushion.

TRMH-CMO riflemen Van Adam Abatayo, Jose Mari Presbitero and Abuda missfired from the rainbow country to seal the fate for the deposed titleholders in this four-team tournament sanctioned by the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) 11 under Regino “Boy” Cua. For a while it looked like TRMH-CMO, playing excellent teamwork and stingy defense to the delight of the capacity crowd at the Almendras Gym, would pull off a man-sized upset taking a 48-40 lead throough three quarters. The lead ballooned to 11, 50-41, and all of a sudden the tournament complexion changed as that is the magic number the defending champs needed to advance to the finals. Howev-

er, the scrambling youngsters failed to sustain their heads-up play in the endgame and the veteran Tangkay, who finished with a game-high 25 points, simply pulled the rug from under the young guns of San Beda.

Big Boy Clavel and 6-foot-7 Landry Sanjo conspired to push Montaña to a 21-10 uprising in the final quarter to clinch the victory and advance to the finals against eliminations victim Goldstar Hardware.

Sanjo, an immovable force inside the paint, finished with 17 points. Francis Abancar had 15 points to pace TRMH-CMO. In the second game, Goldstar relied on another ex-PBA cager Leo Najorda, who made 9 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to drub MP Zamboanga 83-71.

Cameroonian import Charles Mammie fired 18 pointsand three other Hardwaremen scored in double digits -- Alvin Pasaol 14, Jay Cabañog 12, and Leomer Losentes 11.

Louie Medalla led MP with 15 points while Jay Collado and Ping Masaglang both chipped in 11.