Edge Davao 7 Issue 30 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

www.edgedavao.net

Serving a seamless society

PPI MARKS 50 YEAR TH

Edge Davao finalist in ‘best edited paper,’ 3 other PPI-Coke nat’l journalism awards

he Philippine Press Institute, also known as the association of Philippine newspapers, will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a two-day commemorative event slated to unfold on May 1 at the Traders hotel in Manila.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos will be the keynote speaker for the 18the season of the Civic Journalism Community Press Awards. Dubbed “PPI@50 and Beyond,” this year’s PPI golden anniversary theme calls to mind the national newspaper association’s collective and individual feats as well as the enormous challenges facing the Philippine press. The spate of journalist killings that continues to alarm both local and international media groups and human rights advocates, newspaper viability in the increasingly digital era, the much-anticipated passage of the long-overdue Freedom of Information bill, and poor

media compensation and working conditions alongside the need to professionalize the journalists ranks are some of the issues that continue to hound members of the press, particularly those working in communities. “As PPI head for the past 12 months or so, I’ve had the privilege of touching base with some media colleagues all over the country,” says PPI chairman-president Atty. Jesus Dureza. Yet, the concurrent Mindanao Times publisher has also seen “that the challenges affecting the media have remained the same.” It is against this backdrop that the PPI marks “its half-century milestone, mindful that the Philippine

press must continue to perform its role in upholding press freedom and providing the public with verified, accurate and truthful information that is so vital to democracy,” says the newspaper association in a statement. Toward this end, the PPI has forged strategic partnerships (and strengthened existing ones) with select development and corporate institutions to implement vital media projects in the coming months. The PPI’s upcoming initiatives resulting from these partnerships will be formally launched during its 50th anniversary celebration. It is also set to begin this year the promotion of the organization of regional press

councils as public redress mechanisms. 2013 CIvIC JournalIsM awards While the PPI is well aware of the issues confronting the media, particularly at the community level, it continues to recognize the outstanding contributions of the community press to the reconstruction of public life where ordinary folk have a strong voice in local affairs. The Civic Journalism Community Press Awards, launched in 1996 and conferred annually on outstanding community newspapers, will be one of the highlights of the upcoming PPI anniversary celebration. The PPI’s institutional partnership, initially with Konrad Adenauer Foundation and currently with Coca-Cola Philippines, has made this undertaking possible. FInalIsT

In 4 awards EDGE DAVAO, which celebrated its sixth founding anniversary last April 10 with a special supplement featuring Davao’s six top newsmakers led by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, is finalist in “Best Edited Community Newspaper” category along with two other daily publications in the Visayas and Luzon. Finalists for the “best-edited community daily newspaper” plum other than Edge Davao are Sun. Star Baguio in Luzon and Sun.Star Cebu in the Visayas, both decades-old publications. The finalists were selected through a screening process managed by the prestigious Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication. Edge Davao, the youngest of all contenders, is also

finalist in three other national awards for 2013 jointly sponsored by PPI and The Coca Cola Philippine Export. They are “Best Editorial Page,” “Best in Business and Economic Reporting,” and “Best in Photojournalism.” A total of seven awards will be given to the community daily newspapers. As finalist in four awards, Edge Davao got the biggest number. In “Best Editorial Page,” the other finalists are Sun. Star Baguio and Cebu Daily News. In “Best in Business and Economic Reporting,” Edge Davao’s only rival is The Visayan Daily Star of Bacolod, while in “Best in Photojournalism,” it is pitted against Sun.Star Baguio and Cebu Daily News. The remaining three awards in the daily newspaper category and the finalists are “Best in Environment

FPPI, 2

2 ON THE COVER EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

PPI MARKS 50 YEAR TH

Edge Davao finalist in ‘best edited paper,’3 other PPI-Coke nat’l journalism awards Reporting” - - Sun.Star Cebu and Sun.Star Davao; “Best in Culture, Arts and History Reporting”- Sun.Star Baguio, Sun. Star Cebu and Mindanao Gold Star Daily; and “Best Reporting on Disasters” (Coke Bayanihan Special Award) – Cebu Daily News and Mindanao Gold Star Daily. The general criteria for judging include how the competing newspapers served as catalyst for community action during the year under review (2013) and coverage of issues that are relevant to community life and aspirations. For excellence in coverage, content, writing and editing, the newspaper must demonstrate a high level of consistency in its quality of writing and reporting that empowers community members to think, observe or act on issues and concerns affecting their community. For distinguished editorial writing – clearness of style, moral purpose, sound reasoning, and power to influence public opinion in what the writer conceives to be the right direction. The newspaper must be able to provide a forum for diverse opinions of community members, giving all sectors of the community the opportunity to express themselves, communicate

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

Fire victims assured of return by city gov’t By arMando B. FeneQuITo Jr. abf@edgedavao.net

HE Task Force Isla Verde has issued an assurance that the fire victims can return to their residential areas even as there are some parts of lands that were declared as not habitable. “Wala mi nag ingon na wala nay makabalik, gihan-ay lang namo. We are on planning stage pa po,” task force member and city housing and homesite division chief Roy Ryan A. Rigor said. Rigor said that they are still making a plan according to the needs of the victims and actual condition in the area. “Sa first plan na among

nabuhat nag provide mi’g road networks unya nigamay ang na generate na lots so what we are doing now is we will make a scheme nga haum sa actual situation,” said Rigor. “Last week nahuman namo tong scheme na dapat para diha pero we were told na irevise kay dili siya haum sa actual situation,” Rigor added. Rigor said that they also plan to integrate the drainage in the area to the system of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). He said they already allo-

cated spaces for the residents and the roads networks in both Isla Verde and to the temporary relocation site in Los Amigos, Tugbok district. City Information Office Leo Villareal, spokesperson of the task force said that there are portions in the areas which will not be available for settlement as these are considered no suitable for human habitation. “Mao nay isa sa nahisgutan gahapon (last Wednesday) sa meeting nga dunay portion didto nga nasunog nga dili na pabalikan,” Villareal said.

their concerns for community welfare and mobilize everyone to act on issues and concerns. For excellence in the coverage and reporting of local business and economic events, the newspaper must demonstrate regularly in its coverage and frequency of indepth reporting of economic activities in the community. It is focused on economic and business developments of the community – its issues, concerns and most importantly, existing and potential economic opportunities. It promotes entrepreneurship and presents to the readers the impact of global and national business and economic issues and trends on the community economy. For excellence in news coverage of the community through photos, thus capturing realities in the community which may need to be addressed or simply appreciated as part of its dynamic transformation actively participated in by the reading public, the newspaper must demonstrate creative ability to depict human interest subjects in pictures to enhance the marketability of the newspaper without resorting to portrayal of sex and violence. Finalists will receive Plaques of Merit while the

eventual winners will receive cash prizes and special trophies. The winners will be known during the 18th staging of the Civic Journalism Community Press Awards at the Traders Hotel in Manila on May 1. The two-day event will also mark this year’s annual PPI members’ assembly, which will bring together representatives from least 50 newspaper members from across the country. The annual membership meeting and launch of new partnership programs with Holcim Philippines, Plan International, Coca-Cola FEMSA, Nickel Asia Corporation and Eon will take place on May 2, the culmination of the two-day PPI golden anniversary gathering. The 50th Anniversary is being supported by Coca-Cola Philippines as principal partner, Malaya, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Standard Today, The Philippine Star, Journal Group, and BusinessWorld. It is sponsored in part by Nickel Asia Corporation, PLDT, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Metrobank Foundation, First Philippine Holdings Corporation, SM Investments, PhilHealth, UNILAB, SM Retail, Land Bank of the Philippines, and Traders Hotel Manila.

Duterte mulls more aid to fire victims

HE Davao City Mayor›s Office is planning to increase its assistance to the victims of the fire that wiped out eight hectares of residential buildings last April 4 in Isla Verde here. “I have to talk to the councilors to sort it out,” Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte said in an interview. Duterte noted that there are still no details regarding the increased assistance. The city government has already provided fire victims in eight evacuation sites with assistance amounting to P45 million from the city›s quick response fund. About 3,700 families benefited from the assistance, doled out to the different shelters in the form of food and non-food items as well as cash. The city’s quick response fund is established for emergency situations, like natural and man-made calamities, and the amount is broken down into P28 million for cash assistance, P13 million for food and the rest for nonfood items.

House owners received P10,000 per family while renters and boarders affected by the fire received at least P3,000. The data was collated by the City Social Services and Development Office. The quick response fund comes from the city’s calamity fund, which was issued after the council declared barangays 22C and 23C under a state of calamity. Leomides R. Villareal, Task Force Isla Verde spokesperson, said Duterte is also considering giving more cash assistance to fire victims to help them move from the evacuation centers to a temporary relocation site in Los Amigos, in Tugbok. Villareal said the funds would help the families get back on their feet as soon as possible but did not specify how much. The quick response fund comprises 30 percent of the city’s calamity fund, with the remaining 70 percent alloted for disaster preparedness and mitigation measures to help the city prepare for calami-

ties. The city’s total funding for the quick response fund was only P71 million. During the city council session approving the release of the funds, City Administrator Melchor Quitain said he had reservations about giving out more than the alloted quick response funds, as this would mean the city has to find other funding in case the quick response fund is depleted. City Accountant Rizalina Justol, meanwhile, said the local disaster board should recommend to the city council to augment the city’s quick response fund from the preparedness fund. The lot where Isla Verde is situated is owned by the local government and according to Proclamation No. 85, was declared a human settlement site during the time of former President Joseph Estrada. Duterte earlier said they will allow informal settlers who lived in the area at the time of the fire to return and rebuild their homes. [MindaNews]

NEWS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

Consultation on PHL-U.S. military deal still ongoing

ALACANANG on Saturday said the Enhanced Defense Cooperation (EDC) agreement between the Philippine and United States, which will lead to the return U.S. troops to the Philippines on a rotational basis, is still undergoing consultation. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that it has yet to be announced if the agreement could be signed in time for U.S. President Barack Obama’s state-visit to the Philippines on Monday and Tuesday (April 28-29). “I was able to communicate with Defense Undersecretary Pio Batino who heads the Philippine panel, he said that the Philippine and U.S. panels are in continuing consultation,” Valte said over state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan. She further said it will be the Philippine panel to give

progress updates on what is being discussed on the EDC agreement. “We can expect updates perhaps tomorrow (Sunday) from the panel,” Valte added. “We should wait for an announcement from them.” Valte raised the issue following a report from the Wall Street Journal which mentioned that “the centerpiece of the trip (of President Obama) is expected to be the signing of a new agreement on Enhanced Defense Cooperation.” She earlier said that the Philippine government was in no hurry to get the EDC agreement signed before President Obama’s visit to the Philippines. What was more important, she said, is assuring that what is being discussed and agreed upon conforms with the 1987 Constitution and is under the framework of the existing Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). [PNA]

DISTRICT GOVERNOR-ELECT. Rotary International District 3860 Governor-elect Remegio “Boy” Salanatin addresses his fellow Rotarians during the President-Elect Training Seminar District Assembly (PETS-DISTAS) 2014 at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao on Saturday. Lean Daval Jr.

LGUs urged to allocate budget Credible defense posture is goal of new PAF chief on climate mitigation projects A By arMando B. FeneQuITo Jr. abf@edgedavao.net

HE local government units (LGUs) are urged to include in the annual budgetary allocation funds for projects and activities related and focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma said during the Mindanao Media Summit last Friday at The Royal Mandaya Hotel that LGUs should allocate funds to be utilized once

a disaster occur and even for other activities related to disaster risk reduction and management. “Kung hindi maglalagay ng pera eh, ano lang yun, photo ops lang yun. We should make them accountable for it, yun siguro ang ibig sabihin ng political will – putting your money where your mouth is,” said Coloma. Coloma said that every department and offices of LGUs should have an embedded consciousness for

climate change. “Halimbawa, merong City Engineer’s Office, eh, my equipment na yun… dapat iniisip na nila na gumawa ng matitibay na structures,” he said. Coloma said all stakeholders should be included in disasters risk reduction up to the grass roots level. He said that LGUs should make an effort to inform and educate his constituents on the risk of climate change. Meanwhile, Coloma sug-

gested that if the people living near the coastline like the Badjao community will not evacuate despite the risk, the local government can plant mangroves in the area just to protect them for a possible storm surge. “We are not discriminating against cultural community,” he said. He said the LGUs should work with the vulnerable communities for a responsive solution that would not violate their cultural beliefs.

S Major Gen. Jeffrey F. Delgado formally took command of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Friday, he vowed to pursue the credible defense goal of his predecessors. He also took the opportunity to thank his immediate predecessor, Lt. Gen. Lauro Catalino Dela Cruz, for doing everything he could to improve the capability and firepower of the PAF before his formal retirement after 38 years of military service. “I am grateful to him and all (previous) commanding generals of the PAF for bringing us closer to the vision of (a) professional and competent Air Force (which is) responsive to national security,” Delgado

FCREDIBLE, 10

Congressmen seek compensation to persons ‘wrongfully convicted’

ACQ BIRTHDAY. International evangelist Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy shares slices of his birthday cake with Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte and Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario of Davao del Norte during his birthday celebration held at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Compound along the Carlos P. Garcia Highway (Diversion Road) Friday night. Lean Daval Jr.

said. He added that Dela Cruz and the others before him are proof that responsible leadership and sense of duty can go far in improving the PAF and other military services. “In this important period in our history, internal stability through Internal Peace and Security Program ‘Bayanihan’ and a whole of nation approach has firmly taken root enabling the defense establishment to shift its focus to the more pressing concerns of territorial defense,” the new PAF commander stressed. Delgado said that the “clarion call” for now is to have “a credible defense posture to pursue the ends of policy and

ouse members are seeking the compensation of persons who had been wrongfully convicted of crime in order to indemnify them for the loss, injury and damage caused by such erroneous court rulings. Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro City), principal author of the proposal embodied in House Bill 3811, said while the Constitution provides for due process of law for any person, there are numerous cases when the Supreme Court (SC), upon review, reversed the decisions of the lower courts and decided to acquit the convict. “The Supreme Court’s reversal of the ruling of the lower court consequently means that a person not otherwise guilty of the crime for which he

or she was charged, had been incarcerated for a crime he or she did not commit,” Rodriguez, a lawyer, said. According to the lawmaker, a person’s entitlement to due process is explicitly provided for in Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution, which states, “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.” Furthermore, he said Section 14 (1) provides that “No person shall be held to answer for a criminal offense without due process of law.” He said under House Bill 3811, a person wrongfully convicted of a crime, after being qualified as such as determined by the appropriate

FCONGRESSMEN, 10

4 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014 Internet Photo

GENERAL SANTOS CITY

11 more Etihad passengers from Mindanao negative of MERS-CoV S

Ix more passengers from Region 12 of Etihad Airways flight EY 0424 have tested negative for the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus (MERS-CoV). Dr. Teogenes Baluma, Department of Health (DOH) Region 12 director, said Friday such development was based on the test results released as of Thursday by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine based in Alabang, Muntinlupa City. On Wednesday, two Etihad passengers from this city were initially found negative of the virus and immediately released from quarantine at the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City. A report released by DOH Region 12’s epidemiology and surveillance unit (RESU) showed that 11 of the listed 415 passengers of Etihad flight EY 0424 had been traced as either residents of the region or proceeded to visit the area. Region 12, which is also known as the Soccsksargen Region, comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato. “So far, eight of them have tested negative of MERS-CoV and their quarantine was already lifted,” Baluma said in a radio interview.

He said they were still waiting for the results of the tests on three more passengers, who are all returning overseas Filipino workers (OFW). One of them is still confined at the municipal hospital of Kiamba town in Sarangani while the two others are being quarantined at their homes in Polomolok town in South Cotabato and Pikit in North Cotabato, he said. “We remain on high alert and continually monitoring for possible MERS-CoV cases since there are a number of returning OFWs from the Middle East who are coming in at our airports on a daily basis,” Baluma said. On Thursday, the city health office here confirmed that a female OFW who just returned home from Saudi Arabia was placed on quarantine at a local hospital after reportedly showing suspected symptoms of MERS-CoV. Dr. Mely Lastimoso, chief of the city health office’s epidemiology and surveillance unit, said the OFW volunteered to undergo quarantine and testing for MERS-CoV after being diagnosed with respiratory infection several days after arriving from Saudi Arabia. She said the patient arrived in Manila ahead of the April 15 Etihad Airways flight from Abu

GENERAL SANTOS CITY

GenSan still the ‘Tuna Capital of the Philippines’

ENERAL Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera has declared that the city is still the Tuna Capital of the Philippines. Rivera said reports stating that Occidental Mindoro is now the king of fishing are “impossible.” A couple of weeks ago, the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) reported that Occidental Mindoro is the Philippines’ emerging tuna capital because of the region’s significant increase in tuna catch for

the past years. “GenSan is still the tuna capital. We are the tuna capital. Being the tuna capital is not based alone on the number of catches but it should be all encompassing,” Rivera quipped. In 2011 and 2012, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and WWF reported that Occidental Mindoro has an average of 600,000 kilos of tuna delivered throughout the Philippines and outside the country. [GENSAN CPIO/ Ian John M. Lagare]

PEACE AND QUIET. The Teresian Carmelite Monastery in Pal-ing in Malaybalay City offers an excellent place for meditation and prayer. Located some 400 meters from the national highway and surrounded by trees and hills, only the chirping of birds can be heard in the place. [MindaNews photo by H. Marcos C. Mordeno] Dhabi, United Arab Emirates that included a passenger who had tested positive for MERS-CoV. Meantime, Dr. Rogelio Aturdido Jr., South Cotabato Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) chief, said they have been taking the necessary precautionary measures to prevent the disease from possibly entering and spreading to the area. He said they have assigned the IPHO’s epide-

miology and surveillance unit, rural midwives and municipal health officers of the province’s 10 towns and lone city to lead the monitoring for the disease. “As of now, there’s no need to worry about this since there was no confirmed case yet that has entered the country. The national government and the World Health Organization have been also taking all necessary precautionary measures against MERS-CoV,” he said. But it case it reach-

Davao Del Norte

es the area, Aturdido assured that they are ready and the DOH has already issued a protocol in terms of their handling and treatment. In Zamboanga City, the regional health office said five OFWs from the area who took the same Etihad flight also tested negative of MERS-Cov. But RESU head Dr. Norvie Jalani said they are still waiting for the results of the laboratory analysis on a sixth passenger, a foreigner

who visited Zamboanga del Norte. Of the five OFWs, two are from this city, one is from Zamboanga del Sur, one is from Zamboanga del Norte, and another one is from Zamboanga Sibugay. Three of them are females and two are males. Jalani urged people “especially those who have history of travel around the Arabian Peninsula” who showed symptoms of MERS-Cov to go to the hospital for early treatment. [MindaNews]

Talaingod-DavNor Runners to promote peace T

HE provincial government of Davao del Norte is launching on April 28, 2014 the Talaingod-DavNor Runners, a community sports academy designed to train tribal kids to become elite runners. In his effort to maximize sport as a catalyst for peace and social development, Governor Rodolfo del Rosario will unveil the running school for the Ata-Manobo children, which capitalizes on their natural physical strength and endurance in open footraces. The governor will lead the unveiling ceremony at the Municipal

Hall in Barangay Sto. Niño, Talaingod, Davao del Norte. The project was first conceived to equip the Lumad children with all the necessary athletic preparation to be able to bring home top medals from running competitions here and abroad. However, recent developments have made the project all the more relevant, as the town reels from the impact of military operations that affected over a thousand IP individuals. The situation was aggravated by the internal dispute among the members of the tribal council.

Del Rosario said the launch of the project is timely given the power of sports to promote peace, tolerance and understanding by bringing people together across boundaries and ideologies. The academy will initially open with 10 native school children ages 10 to 15, who come from the far-flung villages of the conflict-torn ethnic town. The students will be living in the quarters provided by the municipal government for the yearround duration of their training. The project was made possible through the col-

laboration of the provincial government, the local government of Talaingod and the DepEd Schools Division of Davao del Norte. The province provided the athletic gears, as it will yet shoulder the year-long supply of rice and supplements to the student athletes. While the town and the Division have already provided two trainers/ coaches each. Gracing the launching rites on Monday are 1st Distict Congressman Anthony del Rosario, DavNor Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Josephine Fadul and Mayor Basilio Libayao. [by Noel Baguio]

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

ROAR ROAR

We are proud to be finalist in the search for:

• Best Edited Newspaper • Best Editorial Page • Best in Business and Economic Reporting • Best in Photojournalism CIVIC JOURNALISM COMMUNITY PRESS AWARDS 2013 RPhilippine esponsible. Objective. Accurate. Reliable. Press Institute The Coca Cola Export Corporation- Philippines

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

Responsible. Objective. Accurate. Reliable.

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

6 THE ECONOMY Stat Watch Indicator

Latest

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

7.1 1st Qtr 2013 6.8

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

7.8 1st Qtr 2013 7.5

(At Constant 2000 Prices)

3. Exports 1/ 3. Exports

4. Imports 1/ 4. Imports

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

7.6.Broad Money Liabilities Balance of Payments

2nd Qtr 2013

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

8. Interest Rates 4/

7. Broad Money Liabilities

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

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

10.Revenues National government outstanding debt outstanding debt

P 5,609 P 41.14 Aprbillion 2013

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

6,847.5 P 43.83 Mar Sep2013 2013

12. Stocks Composite

6,191.8 132.8 Sep 2013 Apr 2013

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100 14. Headline Inflation Rate

135.2 Oct2.62013

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

Sep 2013

13. Consumer Index Price Index 2006=100

Apr 2013

14. 2006=100 Headline Inflation Rate 15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

2.9 Oct3.12013

2006=100

Apr 2013

2006=100 16. Visitor Arrivals

418,108 Oct 2013 Feb 2013

15. Core Inflation Rate

2.5

382,022 Aug 2013 20.9%

16. Visitor Arrivals

17. Underemployment 7/ 17. Rate Underemploymen

Jan 2013 19.2%

18. 18.Unemployment UnemploymentRate Rate7/

7.1% Jan 2013 7.3%

Rate

Jul 2013 Jul 2013

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

2013

2012

2011

43.83 43.86 43.35 42.91 41.30 41.14 40.71 40.67 40.73

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

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

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

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

Davao City gov’t gears up for global trade fair, business gab T

HE City Government of Davao has declared October 20-26, 2014 a celebration week for BIMP-EAGA and IMT-GT as it plays host to an international trade fair and business leaders conference to be held at SM Lanang Premier’s SMx Convention Center. Dubbed as the 2nd BIMP-EAGA & IMT-GT Trade Fair and Business Leaders’ Conference, the event expects to draw around 800 business leaders, government officials, traders, and potential investors from across five countries within ASEAN. More than 200 international exhibitors are also expected to participate in the trade fair. BIMP-EAGA stands for Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area, while the IMT-GT stands for Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Growth Triangle. Both sub-regional groupings are among the most dynamic economic cooperation in ASEAN. “The City of Davao welcomes this event as an opportunity, not only for Davaoeños, but also for residents and entrepreneurs in other cities and municipalities in Mindanao, to effectively promote investments and generate trade in their respective

TRANSIT POINT. A laborer in Bankerohan market, Davao City prepares a sack of squash, which will be transported to Tandag, Surigao del Sur. The squash, produced in Matanao, Davao del Sur, were delivered to Bankerohan market that serves as transit point of vegetable products in the region. [MindaNews Photo by Keith Bacongco] jurisdiction,” Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said in Proclamation No. 3, signed on April 8, 2014. The city government also issued an executive order creating the BIMP-EAGA & IMT-GT Committee to serve as the main collaborating arm of the city with the other local and national agencies involved in the preparation for the event. Overall preparations

are spearheaded by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), the Philippine Coordinating Office for BIMP-EAGA. At the City-led committee meeting held this week, MinDA Executive Director Janet Lopoz encouraged Davao City and Mindanao-based entrepreneurs to participate in the said international event, which provides strategic opportunities for trade and investments.

“Beyond mere showcase of unique products and investment opportunities from across the five countries, this international trade fair and conference will also benchmark on the our preparedness for the ASEAN economic integration by 2015,” she said. The weeklong event is also a commemorative celebration of BIMP-EAGA’s 20th this year. BIMP-EAGA was launched in 1994 in

Davao City as a key strategy to accelerate social and economic development of less developed areas in participating countries. Other activities featured during the weeklong celebration also include East ASEAN Film Festival, ASEAN Street Food Festival, Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Summit and Innovation Expo, Importers/Exporters Forum and a Golf Tournament.

search Institute (IRRI). The AWD – a 40-centimeter long, 15-cm diameter tube – provides a peek at the water table. According to IRRI: perforate the tube with holes on all sides; dig the tube in the soil so that 20 cm protrudes above the soil surface; remove the soil from the inside so that the bottom of the tube is visible; check that the water table inside the tube is the same as outside the tube. Then it’s not yet time to irrigate the field. The threshold of 15 cm water depth (below the surface) before irrigation is called “Safe AWD”

– it will not cause any decrease in yield. The number of days of between irrigations varies from one day to more than 10 days. It’s a 10 year old technology and for just as long has been recommended by IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice); the latter includes AWD in its check list for farmers of essential to-dos in rice growing. AWD is promoted by the National Irrigation Administration because the technology enables farmers to save on irrigation fees by saving from 15 percent to 30 percent

in irrigation water. The technology is one way to ease the heat of El Niño. The opposite of the cooler and rainy La Niña weather, El Niño sunlight will be more intense and drought is likely to occur in countries that are near the equator, like the Philippines In mid-April, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said that a “fairly large potential” for an El Niño is “most likely” by the end of June. The most recent El Niño events – only two in 15 years – occurred between June 2009 and

May 2010. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (PAGASA) Seasonal Climate Outlook says the weather is heading towards an El Niño. “With El Niño the reduction in rain is typically associated with increased sunlight in the Philippines, causing yields to increase when water supply is adequate for rice production,” said Dr. Roland J. Buresh, the Principal Scientist at IRRI’s Crop and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD). [SciPhil]

Simple tech helps farmers cope with El Niño weather A

SIMPLE technology may be the antidote to El Niño weather most likely to occur this year. The Alternative Wetting and Drying or AWD technology is highly recommended by rice scientists; it consists of a perforated bamboo or plastic tube that is inserted into the ground to determine if there is enough water to max rice growth. AWD is a water-saving technology that lowland rice farmers can apply alternately to reduce their water use in irrigated fields, say scientists at the International Rice Re-

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

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

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

as of May 2013

6:15 6:25 6:30 7:00 8:50 8:10 8:30 9:40 10:10 12:20 12:30 13:25

Cebu Pacific Tue/Wed//Sat 5J965 / 5J968 13:35 Silk Air Mon/Sat MI588 / MI588 13:35 Silk Air Wed/Sun MI566 / MI566 15:20 Silk Air Thurs MI551 / MI551 12:05 Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri 5J507 / 5J598 15:00 Philippine Airlines August 15:55 Mani2Mani 16:50 Zest Air Daily Z2524 / Z2525 16:05

Manila-Davao-Manila Davao-Singapore Davao-Singapore Davao-Singapore Cebu-Davao-Cebu

14:05 18:55 18:55 15:45 15:30

Cebu-Davao-Cebu

16:45

7 ENVIRONMENT

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

UN weather agency warns of ‘El Nino’ T

HE UN weather agency Tuesday, April 15 warned there was a good chance of an “El Niño” climate phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean this year, bringing droughts and heavy rainfall to the rest of the world. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said its modeling suggested a “fairly large potential for an El Niño, most likely by the end of the second quarter of 2014.” “If an El Niño event develops...it will influence temperatures and precipitation and contribute to droughts or heavy rainfall in different regions of the world,” WMO chief Michel Jarraud said in a statement. The El Niño phenomenon occurs every two to 7 years, when the prevailing trade winds that circulate surface

water in the tropical Pacific start to weaken. WMO pointed out Tuesday that since February, trade winds had weakened and there had been a significant warming of the waters below the surface in the central Pacific. “While there is no guarantee this situation will lead to an El Nino event, the longer the trade winds remain weakened, and sub-surface temperatures stay significantly warmer than average, the higher the likelihood,” it said. Two-thirds of climate models predicted that the phenomenon would begin sometime between June and August, with a few suggesting it could start as early as May, and the remainder predicting no El Niño this year, it said. The last El Niño occurred between June 2009 and May

2010. It is often followed by a return swing of the pendulum with La Niña, which is characterized by unusually cool ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific. Scientists, who closely monitor the two climate patterns, say that while they are not caused by climate change, rising ocean temperatures caused by global warming may affect their intensity and frequency. “El Niño has an important warming effect on global average temperatures,” Jarraud cautioned, stressing that combined with human-induced warming from greenhouse gases such events had “the potential to cause a dramatic rise in global mean temperature.” [AFP]

THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL. Darrel Blatchley, curator of D’Bone Museum posts a challenge to take an active roles in communities with respect to the environment during the Mindanao Media Summit in Davao City on April 26, 2014. [MindaNews photo by Toto Lozano]

IN OCEANS SUMMIT

san Pedro ColleGe World leaders call for Davao City

Announces the opening of a New Program

Bs in accounting Technology Effective School Year 2014-2015 Other Business Management Programs:

BSBA major in Financial Management* BSBA major in Marketing Management* BSBA major in Human Resource Management* *PAASCU Accredited

ENTRANCE EXAMINATION IS GOING ON For Application or Inquiries, visit or call:

The Admissions Office

G/F PL Building (near Main Entrance) 12 C. Guzman Street, Davao City Tel. 221-0257 / 221-0826 / www.spcdavao.edu.ph LATEST PERFORMANCE IN LICENSURE EXAMS NURSING – Top 9 Performing School in the Philippines (86.86% Passing Rate) with 3 Topnotchers in the December 2013 Nurse Licensure Examination. PHARMACY – 75% Passing rate in the Jan. 2014 Pharmacist Licensure Examination MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY – Top 5 Performing School in the Philippines with 97.98% Passing Rate in the August 2013 MTLE and 100% Passing rate in the March 2014 Medical Technologists Licensure Exam (MTLE) PHYSICAL THERAPY – 100% Passing Rate for first takers; 80% overall rating in the February 2014 Licensure Exam for PT. EDUCATION – 100% Passing Rate for first takers; 90% overall rating in the March 2013 Licensure Exam for Teachers. RESPIRATORY THERAPY – 86.67% Passing Rate with 3 Topnotchers in the First Licensure Exam for Respiratory Therapists given October 2013

OTHER PROGRAMS OFFERED: PhD Programs in Nursing and Guidance and Counseling, Graduate Programs in Nursing*, Medical Technology, Industrial Counseling*, Guidance and Counseling* Psychology* and Hospital Administration (*non-thesis available) Baccalaureate Programs in AB-English, BS-Biology, BS in Guidance and Counseling, BS in Psychology BS in Respiratory Therapy, and Health Care Services – NC II, and Basic Education (at Ulas Campus)

action, responsibility D URING the Global Oceans Action Summit, world leaders called for action and taking responsibilities in protecting the oceans and food security on Thursday in The Hague. One month after the Nuclear Security Summit, the Netherlands hosts another global summit. More than 70 global leaders, ocean practitioners, scientists, and representatives from government, business, civil society and international organizations came together from April 22 to 25 to discuss solutions for a cleaner ocean and food security. The Global Oceans Action Summit is organized by the Dutch government in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank and the governments of Grenada, Indonesia, Mauritius, Norway and the United States. Why a summit on the oceans? According to the summit organizers the current health of the oceans is critical and food security is at stake for future generations. “Healthy oceans are essential for global food security, livelihoods and economic growth,” said the organizers, dding “The oceans cover some 72 percent of the Earth’s surface, and are both an engine for global economic growth and a key source of food security. Ocean health and productivity must be at the heart of global efforts to eradicate poverty, strengthen food security and build resistance to climate change.”

On the penultimate day of the summit, Sharon Dijksma, the Dutch State Secretary for Economic Affairs, dealing with agriculture, nature and food quality, called for action. “It takes courage to look beyond borders and to work together to take action for healthier oceans and food security,” she said. “Action should be taken. We must move forward, starting today.” The following oceans summit will be organized by the United States on June 16 and 17 in Washington this year. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry addressed the attendees in The Hague with a video message. “Ultimately what we need is a new global ocean policy agenda,” Kerry stated. “And the kind of clear and comprehensive agenda I talk about cannot be developed without the input of governments, the private sector, civil society leaders and other stakeholders around the world.” “Protecting the ocean is not only an environmental issue,” Kerry added. “It is en economic issue, a global health issue, a food security issue and above all a moral responsibility. I am looking forward to hearing the outcome of the summit and carry your ideas forward in June.” The participants are expected to publish a joint final statement with possibly agreements and measures on Friday, when the Summit will be closed. [PNA/ Xinhua]

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

EDITORIAL

Schindler’s List in reverse

HE nation is agog over a list of 13 Philippine senators reportedly tagged by businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles as being involved in the P10-billion pork barrel scam. This is a litany of names given by Napoles to Justice Secretary Leila De Lima during a marathon meeting wherein the jailed suspected scam mastermind told De Lima all what she knows about the grand pillage of taxpapers’ money, through the use of fake non-government organizations as conduits of the plunder. This is a similar list purportedly recorded in a USB thumb drive obtained by former senator now Rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson from Napoles’ husband, Jimmy. In fairness, both Lacson and De Lima have not revealed the names in their lists pending the production by Napoles of other documents to support the authenticity of their lists. Secretary De Lima is quite right when she said that revealing the Napoles list prematurely and without support will only cause confusion. Many more lists have reportedly come out from some other sources. Already, some eager-beaver media establishments could not resist revealing the contents of their own “lists.” The lists, whether authentic

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

the national association of newspapers

Printed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000, Davao City, Philippines Tel: (082) 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 www.edgedavao.net editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net

or fake, will cast doubt on the honor and might spell doom on political future of the persons included, mostly specially the innocent. This Napoles list is so unlike the famous Schindler’s list which saved the lives of thousands of Jews. It was a list prepared by Oskar Schindler, a heroic German businessman, so a Nazi general whom he bribed would exempt thousands of Jews from being thrown to German concentration camps where they would be slaughtered by Adolph Hitler’s murderous minions. This Napoles list and its mutations, if not handled well, by De Lima and her prosecutors, will throw a monkey wrench on the ongoing investigation and prosecution of the pork barrel and similar big-time scams in our government that have shocked millions of Filipinos. If this is a ploy of the political opposition many of whose members have been visibly hurt by the pork barrel scam, they ought to be warned that Filipinos are no longer as gullible as before and that this suspected maneuver is already generating smirks of condemnation from enlightened citizens.

KENNETH IRVING K. ONG Creative Solutions

ARLENE D. PASAJE Cartoons

RAMON M. MAXEY Consultant

GREGORIO G. DELIGERO Associate Editor

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

ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR./ CHENEEN R. CAPON Reporters

Columnists: CARLOS MUNDA • MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEñA • MARY ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NICASIO AGUSTIN • VIDA A. MIA VALVERDE • Economic ENRICO“ADDIE” “GICO” G. Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER ANGELO C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO PEñA • ZHAUN ORTEGA Analysts: • BERNADETTE B. DAYANGIRANG M.QUISIDO PEREZ • Lifestyle Columnists: BAISR., FAUZIAH SINSUAT •AMBOLODTO • MEGHANN STA. INES BORBON • MARY• JONALLIER ANN “ADI” C. • LEANDRO B. DAVAL • NIKKIFATIMA GOTIANSE-TAN NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY •ZEN NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER M. PEREZ

GENERAL OFFICE SANTOS CITY CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OLIVIA D. VELASCO OLIVIA D. VELASCO RICHARDRICHARD C. EBONAC. EBONA SOLANI D. MARATAS SOLANI D. MARATAS MARKETING OFFICE | Marketing Manager General Manager General ManagerMarketingAdvertising Supervisor SpecialistFinance FinanceLEIZEL A. DELOSOLEIZEL A. DELOSO | MarketingFLORENCE ManagerS. VILLARIN

JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

AQUILES Z. ZONIO Correspondent

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

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

Tel: (088) 852-4894

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

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

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

EDGEDAVAO

A matter of interest

OME SORT OF A ‘TRAWLING ExPEDITION’ - As it turns out, the startling reversal of Janet Lim-Napoles, the primary suspect of the infamous Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) otherwise known as pork barrel funds to divulge all what she knew about the scam and the revelation of the names of other members of Congress who allegedly benefited from the highly illegal transactions was some sort of a “trawling expedition” – with an unusual twist. That’s one way of looking at it. Another is that, by precisely issuing a distinction rather than a forceful, serious response, the Justice Department probably due to mounting pressure seems not keen on swallowing Napoles’ perturbing revelation “hook, line and sinker.” It may be of great help to the ongoing investigation, but still lot of things have to be weigh in carefully says, the DOJ. And there’s a third option. The fact that Napoles’ complete turnaround is being discussed at all shows how seriously the DOJ and other investigating bodies are taking the need to fast track the resolution of the pork barrel scam, not necessarily the idea of making Mrs. Napoles a state witness. Right now, the more she makes her “list of beneficiaries” longer, the more she becomes less credible and convincing. In other words, lawmakers included in the new list said in jest that perhaps there’s an influential and powerful political figure behind the scheme aimed at muddling the PDAF investigation and veer away public’s attention from the true intent. The whole thing is really absurdity. But one thing sure is the presumption that those who were embroiled earlier in the pork barrel scam are victims of political harassment may be true, but the presumption that they are potentially involved in the illegal money-making venture is even truer. So the legal zarzuela continues with no end in sight. A POSSIBLE SOPHISTICATED SLEIGHT OF HAND – Faced with mounting criticism over unabated crime, anti-poor issues, high

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

unemployment rate and widespread corruption in all government levels, President Benigno Aquino III may have to seek the services of notable problem-solution experts with extensive experience in handling political glitches. The sole purpose is to ease out the tension swirling around his coveted leadership. With the presidential elections scheduled for May 2016, political analysts are predicting that by treating the crucial issues with cold shoulder, it can badly affect the chances of the probable candidates of the ruling party. The President and his trusted political adjutants and well-paid image-builders should work overtime to cushion the impact brought about by the critical issues hurled against the administration and stress solidarity in the Liberal Party (LP) ranks. That may prove quite an impossible task given the gravity of the mounting issues raised by various quarters notably the opposition die-hards. Nevertheless, party chiefs already acknowledged they have dodged all the political “low blows” emanating from different directions and putting on a unified front geared at flexing the muscles and strengthening the political fortress of the ruling administration party. As the general elections draws near dissatisfaction has risen with the wrong impression that the Aquino administration has been unable to tackle, in particular, issues of utmost concern. Political adversaries and avid detractors think the series of criticism even eaten into the popularity of the President. Moreover, there are persistent rumors that a possible sophisticate sleight of hand had something to do with the issues con-

fronting the present leadership taking as hint the topics have no indication whatsoever of simmering down. Some political sources insist there is a driving force behind the “war of nerves,” stealthily fanning the prevailing issues aimed at blowing out of proportion. This would seem a matter of interest for the ruling political party, far more important than whether the overrated political contenders of the other contending parties are in better position to win in the 2016 polls against them. Taking the verbal attack in stride is less strenuous, and less dangerous specifically in clarifying crucial issues. In this case, an important question arises: “Do you believe a certain vested interest group is pulling and delivering its punches because it wants to derail the political aspirations of other political hopefuls who are keeping a moist eye on higher posts during the 2016 presidential elections? Are the popular personalities treat to the ambition of another wily and power-obsessed politician? Speculations are thick that covert operatives who are in cahoots with political figures adverse of the Aquino administration probably have done this early an effective demolition job – a prelude to the 2016 presidential polls. Clearly enough, the anti-administration campaign was pure dirty political tricks aimed primarily at besmirching the person and character of some promising political figures. Meanwhile the President and the ruling party coalition may be able to do more than just put a smiling face on the assorted of brickbats and bitter side comments trained at their direction. Their action to take the denigration in stride is well taken, and will only prove that the party remains solid, moderate, united and strong. Sad to lament, though, at this very early stage there are already dirty political maneuverings designed to break the entropy of the political exercise. For sure, many things haven’t changed – murky political games in a Philippine setting.

Memories and disasters

ILIPINOS love to talk. Whatever remains of what may be rightly called Filipino culture has survived through time mainly by word of mouth. This is a double-edged sword, a weakness and strength at the same time. Take for example, customary law, which is still being observed by indigenous communities especially in resolving disputes and conflicts. Since it is unwritten, the parties to a conflict enjoy enough space for flexibility in interpretation until mutually acceptable terms are agreed upon. At the same time, however, there may arise a pronounced divergence in interpretations that could lead to an impasse. Yet, if oral tradition has served the purpose of preserving the flexibility of customary law as its inherent advantage, it seems to not have done a good thing for disaster management. The ex-

SOMEONE ELSE’S WINDOWS

By H. MARCOS C. MORDENO

perience with typhoon Pablo (international name: Bopha) that ravaged Davao Oriental in December 2012, as Press Secretary Sonny Coloma said on Friday (25 April) during the 9th Mindanao Media Summit, was instructive. Secretary Coloma explained why. People in the province had no memory of typhoons much less the destruction they could cause. Not until Pablo struck did they and the rest of the country know that a typhoon had visited Mindanao’s southeastern areas over a century ago. Most probably, nobody who had witnessed the wrath of that earlier typhoon was still alive by the time Pablo came. Nobody from that generation lived long enough to give the warning

that could have saved many lives. This is where the importance of documentation and written local history comes in. For while oral storytelling is wonderful in that it builds bridges that strengthen cultural bonds between generations, there is never an assurance of perpetuity. No one can tell if and when the process of connecting consciousness would end. Somewhere between Pablo and the earlier typhoon the journey of the spoken word stopped, and so did the journey of inherited memories. Add to that the myth that Mindanao was typhoon-free. A hundred years later, those memories rose from the depths of oblivion in a way that nobody wished for. [MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. H. Marcos C. Mordeno can be reached at hmcmordeno@gmail. com]

Typecasting OFWs as caregiver/domestic worker WORM’S EYEVIEW By MANNy VALDEHUESA

Part 1 of 2

T’S been an awkward source of pride to many of our countrymen that OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) are stereotyped abroad as domestic service providers. The stereotype is viewed with discomfiture, in some cases with a sense of humiliation, as if it was an affront against nobility. That it springs from a positive appreciation of the Filipino’s fastidious and reliable service does not assuage the unease about such (to them) a “lowly” branding of our compatriots, especially among the snobbish elite and social-climbing crowd. “That’s not fair; we’re better than that!”—the class-conscious, elitist Pinoy may exclaim at the thought of being associated with (to them) the underclass. They may even cite the many successful professionals, entertainers, wealthy urbanites, classy entrepreneurs—and yes, beauty queens and fashion plates!—here and abroad as the better stereotype. They wish! But it can’t be helped anymore; the stereotype has stuck. The care-giving connotation of the word “Filipino” has entered some modern lexicons—as in domestic helper, housemaid, or caregiver. So what? It has nothing to do with the Filipino’s intrinsic worth or dignity as a person. It’s only an observation of reality based on occupational numbers. They’re all over the place, they’re mostly domestic workers, and who can deny that? No denying a sociological phenomenon. It’s readily verifiable in urban parks where they like to hobnob or congregate on their days off. From Hong Kong and Taipei to Oman and Riyad to Madrid and Paris you can seek them in their favorite park on weekends and holidays. Remember when the term “Chinaman” was associated with being a coolie, a cook, or a personal servant? Back then, “not a Chinaman’s chance” was the way to characterize someone with zero odds of success in any ambitious endeavor. The Chinese then, like today’s Pinoys, were all over the world—famously as coolies, hawkers, cooks, laundry service workers, and the like. The same phenomenon is being acted out in today’s working world by overwhelming numbers of Filipinos abroad— care-giving, housekeeping, domestic servicing. But why worry? The term “Filipino” is not likely to denote a person down on his luck, utterly bereft of a chance to succeed as “Chinaman” used to imply. That’s been taken care of by the glory of Edsa ’86, the allure of Lea Salonga at Broadway, the renown of Dado Banatao in Silicon Valley and Manny Pacquiao on the ring, and behold our beauty queens! They and countless others including ice-skating star Christian Martinez of the Sochi Olympics have already given us a shine that overpowers the “shame” in being Filipino and an OFW. Ask Simon Cowell, Oprah Winfrey, or Harvard University which has just recruited an outstanding Filipina to join its law faculty. The Filipino has arrived on the world stage, gloriously!

10 NEWS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

4TH TOWER. Vista Land officially starts the construction of its fourth tower, Liverpool, located at Camella Northpoint along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City yesterday. The construction kicked-off was graced by (from left to right) Camella Davao’s marketing head for vertical projects Fritzie Joy Gepolio, planning head for architecture Arch. Rerry Jannie Abian, planning head for engineering Engr. Runar Quindoza, Moses Inc. and Construction Management representative Engr. Jephone Agustin, Ryan Rodriguez and Camella Davao staff. Lean Daval Jr.

Credible... FFROM 3

SPECIAL FEATURE

Filipinos and their presence overseas D

ESPITE the negative developments overseas, some Filipinos still want to achieve that dream to live in the land of milk and honey. Filipinos need not worry about not finding a “kababayan” (countryman) abroad because there is a big chance they will. Based on the Commission on Filipinos Overseas’ (CFO) 2012 Compendium of Statistics on International Migration, there are about 10.46 million Filipinos outside of the Philippines as of December 2011. ”Filipinos overseas” is defined under Batas Pambansa 79, which created the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), as Filipino immigrants and their descendants. Relatively, the Omnibus Rules and Regulations implementing the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995, as amended by Republic Act No. 10022, refers to “overseas Filipinos” as the migrant workers. Bulk or 47 percent of the Filipinos who are outside of the country as of 2011 are accounted for by permanent migrants numbering to about 4.86 million followed by the

workers at 4.51 million, 43 percent. And while it is unfortunate that some Filipinos travel outside of the country without proper documentation this is a reality. According to the Compendium, 10 percent of Filipinos outside of the Philippines as of 2010 are accounted for by irregular migrants numbering to 1.07 million. As expected US remains the top destination of Filipinos who want either to work or immigrate. The Compendium said some 3.43 million or 32 percent of those living and working abroad are based in the US. Of the total, 3.06 million of Filipinos in the US are permanent migrants, 112,997 are temporary migrants and 260,335 are irregular migrants or undocumented persons. This is given due in part to Filipinos’ exposure to the American culture, thus, the want to be part of it. The second top destination is Saudi Arabia followed by Canada, UAE, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, UK, Italy and Singapore. The CFO report noted that more than 80 percent of Filipinos currently based in the US, Canada,

Australia, Germany and Austria are permanent residents. The number of those who have immigrated has surpassed the number of those going abroad just to work, it said. While Saudi Arabia is the top 2 destination of Filipinos going abroad, it is the first in the list in terms of destination of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). The Compendium said some 1.55 million Filipinos are based in Saudi Arabia as of 2010. During the 10-year period from 2003-2012, most of the Filipinos who went abroad to either work or permanently transfer went to the US totalling to 406,881 or about 53.8 percent of the total 756,298. The other country-destinations of Filipinos during the same period are Canada, Japan, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Korea, Spain, UK, Germany. Other countries not identified accounted for 2.27 percent of the total. Women took a bigger share of the pie for those who have emigrated at 452,897 of the total from 2003-12 while male totalled to 303,401.

During the same 10year period, most of the Filipino emigrant came from the National Capital Region (NCR) at 219,100 followed by those who came from Region IVA, 133,479; Region III, 117,226; Region I, 82,360; and Region xI, 25,221. Filipino workers abroad have been a big contributor to the continued growth of the domestic economy because of the impact of the remittances on private consumption. Remittances account to about nine percent of gross domestic economy (GDP) in recent years and economic officials remain confident that remittances will continue to be among the main drivers of the domestic economy. Among the job segments, most or 11.16 percent of the Filipinos abroad from 2003-12 are in the professional, technical and related industry, 84,426; followed by those into sales at 31,690; equipment operators and laborers, 23,788. The others are are clerical workers; managerial, executive, and administrative workers; service workers; workers and fishermen, and members of the armed forces. [PNA]

protect our core interest.” “With the crucial events last year, our Air Force (has) responded swiftly in providing an air bridge, safety, assistance and rehabilitation in the aftermath of Zamboanga, Bohol and ‘Yolanda’, “ he pointed out. Delgado added that these series of actions have highlighted the PAF’s capability to respond to any call, in times of disasters, both natural and man-made, in any part of the country. He also expressed gratitude to the leadership of President Benigno S. Aquino III

for supporting their calls for modernizations and upgrade. “What is most encouraging is the full support of our national leadership to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines which deserves the wholehearted thanks from all of us. The initial delivery starting this year of various advance aircraft, new radars and modern equipment (which) will translate to increased capabilities for air defense, maritime security and national development,” the new PAF chief stressed. [PNA]

court, shall be entitled to the payment of compensation in an amount not exceeding twice the amount of the claimant’s income in the year prior to his incarceration or to P100,000 for each year of incarceration, whichever is greater. “The bill aims to compensate a person wrongfully convicted of a crime in order to indemnify him or her for the loss, injury and damage brought about by such wrongful conviction,” said Rodriguez. The bill, co-authored by the lawmaker’s brother, Rep. Maximo Rodriguez, Jr. (Party-list, Abante Mindanao), provides that any person convicted and subsequently imprisoned for one or more crimes, which he did not commit may, under certain conditions, bring an action for damages before any court of competent jurisdiction. The person, referred to as the “claimant” shall establish the following by clear and convincing evidence, based on the bill: He was convicted of a crime and subsequently sentenced to a term of imprisonment, and has served all or any part of his sentence; He did not commit the crime for which he was convicted; and He did not by his own conduct cause or bring about his conviction. It further provides that the action initiated by a verified

petition containing statement of the facts concerning the claim for damages, shall be brought by the claimant within a period of two years after his release from imprisonment. In addition to the damages awarded, the claimant shall be entitled to receive reasonable attorney’s fees, the bill provides. The proposal now pending at the House committee on justice chaired by Rep. Niel Tupas, Jr. (5th District, Iloilo) further provides that a person serving a term of imprisonment for a crime other than a crime for which he was mistakenly convicted shall not be eligible to file a claim for damages. The proposal also provides that a person shall not be eligible to file a claim for damages if the sentence for the crime of which the person was mistakenly convicted was served concurrently with the sentence for the conviction of another crime. Lastly, it provides that within 60 days from the effectivity of the proposed Act, the Department of Justice (DOJ), in coordination with the appropriate office, department or agency of the SC and the Department of Finance, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of the proposed Act.[PNA]

Congressmen...FFROM 3

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

BIGGER PICTURE

WSI makes history at the first-ever PHILBEX Davao

HERE is truly no stopping the country’s leading exhibitions and events organizer, Worldbex Services International (WSI), in jumpstarting economic growth and breaking new grounds to discover limitless opportunities with the upcoming Philippine Building and Construction Exposition or PHILBEx Davao on May 15 to 18 at the SMx Convention Center Davao. Patterned after WSI’s highly-anticipated WORLDBEx, which is dubbed as the largest and most comprehensive building and construction exposition in the whole country, and PHILBEx In Cebu for Visayas, PHILBEx Davao aims to raise the bars in terms of the way people do business in Mindanao, to tap into the world-class potential of Davao and to widen the industry’s business horizons – with the end goal of boosting the Philippine economy altogether. With two decades of experience in organizing trade shows for the highgrade exchange of global industry trends, WSI is confident to deliver a highly productive and insightful four-day exposition that will serve as a primary source of the latest industry innovations, a means to gain industry reports, a platform to witness live demonstrations, as well as a venue to network among local and international trade players. Picking up where WORLDBEx left off, PHILBEx Davao will take on the theme of “Connecting the World through Resil-

ient Construction.” Without sustainability, preparedness, and resilience, growth will not be consistent. That is where the need to address the threats of environmental disaster becomes a top priority for the construction and building industry. As such, WSI wants to advocate resilient construction all the way to Mindanao as a way of preventing the disruption of life. At the four-day event, PHILBEx will showcase nearly 100 participating exhibitors with its largescale industry ties. Visitors can expect a diverse array of display including building materials, equipments and services, construction materials, interior designs and design services, renovation products, mechanical engineering systems, electrical engineering systems, construction promotions, information technology, telecommunications, real estate and housing, and many more. With partner associations such as the European Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Association, Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines, Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, and the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers at the helm of this exhibition, PHILBEx Davao runs on a global scale especially with exhibitors coming in from countries like China and Singapore. It is no wonder that the country’s top construction and building companies are likewise supportive of the large-scale exhibition

The perfect place to find business prospects and potential partnerships. with sponsors including Boysen, Apo Roofs, Apo Floors, and Firefly among others. From local to foreign big wigs, PHILBEx Davao is definitely the place to be to take part in wondrous business opportunities. Furthermore, the exhibitors will highlight innovations with the foremost intent of designing and building landscapes, establishments, communities, and regions in direct response and preparedness against disaster. Highlighting the trade show would be the Developers’ gallery where guests can observe and discuss with the coun-

Limitless opportunities abound as local and global companies participate in the biggest construction expo in Mindanao.

try’s top developers. There is also the Architects’ gallery and the Interior Design gallery which are ideal for those who are looking to have their spaces restructured or designed. As PHILBEx Davao envisions to be a source for the latest industry information and concise trend reports, guests are invited to take part of the PhilBex Seminars, where industry professionals and experts will be conducting insightful talks and discussions. Positioned as the largest and most exclusive construction event to hit Davao, PHILBEx is expecting visitors from various countries as well – resulting in the biggest gathering

where premium information and knowledge are to be shared. Over 1,000 people are expected to flock the trade show each day which makes it a highly opportunistic avenue for industry professionals who are looking for future partners and collaborators. The exhibition is also the best gateway for the international community to discover the ripe potential of the Philippines through Davao. As the turn-out is expected to be a success, this could finally be the impetus needed to truly catapult the Mindanao building and construction industry to global heights. The first-ever PHILBEx to hit the Mindanao

region, WSI sees this as the beginning of something big and monumental. This is only the start and with decades-worth of experience in producing highgrade exhibitions that in turn propel and expand the growth of industries, Davao is bound to experience progress like no other. Don’t miss the chance to make history happen. Mark your calendars on May 15 to 18 with the first-ever Philippine Building and Construction Exposition Davao at the SMx Convention Center, Davao City. Admission is FREE. For more information, go to www.worldbex.com or follow us at www.facebook.com/wsifanpage

A firm believer in the importance of style and design as much as it values technologies and innovation.

12 CLASSIFIED

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

INdulge!

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

EVENT

The big day when Japan conquered Durianburg again Okonomiyaki or Japanese “pizza”.

Durianburg and Japan has a special relationship that dates back to a time when abaca was all the rage in the world and vast plantations of it owned by americans dotted the landscape. back then, the workers in these fields came from Japan and it was then that they settled in the city bringing with them their own culture and lifestyle (Davao was once known as little Tokyo due to the vest number of Japanese nationals living here) adding to the colourful tapestry that was Davao. Most of the Japanese nationals went back to Japan following the end of World War ii but their legacy in Durianburg still remains. Fast forward to april 22, 2014 and Japan is out to conquer Durianburg once again as the Consular Office of Japan in Davao held the “Japan big Day: Discover and Explore Japan 2014” exhibit at SM Lanang Premier. The atrium of the mall

Traditional Japanese dance by Senju Einojo. was bursting with cherry trees in full bloom with a traditional Japanese shrine and kodo drum welcoming guests to the exhibit. The affair which ran from april 22 to 23 showcased traditional Japanese dance performances Senju Einojo, songs from the Kuroda band, as well as Japanese calligraphy artist group Shockers. The Japan big Day also had a cosplay event, a bonsai exhibit, and Japanese food kiosks. “The exhibit aims to promote cultural exchanges between Filipinos and the Japanese community in Davao City.” said Japanese Consul

Traditional Japanese koi banners. Koichi ibarra. He also adds that the exhibit is also in line with Japan’s tourism thrust. The Japan big Day show is co-presented by the Japan Philippines Volunteer association, Hello World Tour, inc. in cooperation with the Department of Tourism, the City government of Davao, City Tourism Operations Office, Hello World Tour, inc., Philippine nikkei Jin Kai, inc. Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku and SM Lanang Premier. Follow me on Instagram or on Twitter @kennethkingong for happenings in, about and beyond Durianburg.

EDGEDavao Davao Partners

A member of caligraphy group, Shockers, showing off his caligraphy skills.

A Japanese shrine.

A2 INdulge! UP ANd ABOUT

It’s time for Adventure Time at the Ayala Malls Kids, get ready for your most exciting adventure this summer as Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time takes over Abreeza Mall! With fun games and challenges for Adventure Time fans, Adventure Time: Live On stage also features a rare appearance by Finn and Jake-don’t miss it! Catch Adventure Time: Live On stage from May 2 to 4, Friday to sunday at the Activity Center, with shows at 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. For inquiries, please visit the Concierge at the ground floor.

SWC also-ran makes it to Echelon Singapore A TEAM of young multi-national entrepreneurs who competed but failed in startup Weekend Cebu-2 in 2012 will carry the Philippine colors at the Echelon 2014 tech conference in singapore this June. This was proudly revealed by TechTalks.ph founder Tina Amper during the joint press launch of startup Weekend Cebu (sWC)-4 and 1st startup Weekend Bohol last April 11 at the Golden Hub. Amper said the group, then known as Team Candy during sWC-2, earned the right to represent the country in singapore when it ruled over the rest of the 11-team field in the Echelon 2014 Philippines satellite competition on April 4 at the Meridian international College in Taguig City. “i am very proud of these guys,” said Amper, mother of startup Weekend Cebu. “Their perseverance paid off. They did not land in the Top 3 at sWC-2, yet they never lose hope. They believe in their startup and now they’re earning from it.” Team Candy won the ticket to singapore for its novel mobile rewards platform, which the group initially pitched at the 2nd startup Weekend Cebu in November 2012 but failed to get the nods of the judges. Believing in the viability of its product, the team – currently composed of Filipino, indian, and Japanese nationals -- went on to pursue its startup and launched Candy (candy.ph) a few months after sWC-2. At the time of sWC-2, Team Candy was basically just an all-Japanese tandem skippered by Yosuke Fukada until a number of fellow believers, including indian national Arnab Gupta, jumped in to form the group’s present lineup. Now officially registered as YOYO Holdings PTE Ltd., the group has already captured a nationwide market of 75,000 users within eight months upon launching the platform. Following the success of Candy in the country, YOYO expanded its services to Thailand and indonesia where it gained 30,000 users in a month. Candy is a platform that offers free mobile airtime or prepaid load credit for calls, text, and internet browsing in exchange for doing some micros tasks, such as filling out surveys, making reviews of a product or brand, or downloading apps, among others. YOYO, on the other hand, gets its revenues from advertisers on Candy, which is a good avenue for ads since netizens will be frequently visiting the site to avail of the free load credits it’s offering. At the Echelon 2014 tech conference in singapore, Amper said YOYO will have the rare opportunity to interact and receive valuable insights from the business leaders in the tech startup industry. The largest tech confab in Asia is also the best venue for YOYO to attract investors or forge partnerships with established companies for its expansion plans. Meanwhile, the fourth edition of startup Weekend Cebu is scheduled to take place on June 6-8 at the University of Cebu - Banilad campus, whereas the first-ever startup Weekend Bohol will be held on May 23-25 at the University of Bohol in Tagbilaran City.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

ASUS breaks record with eleven wins at 2014 iF Design Awards

aSuS products won 11 prestigious iF Product Design awards at a ceremony held today at the bMW Welt Event Forum in Munich germany. Spanning three product design categories, the eleven awards are the most ever won by aSuS at a single iF Design awards ceremony. in the Computer category, aSuS won design awards for Transformer book Trio, The new Zenbook, MeMO Pad HD 7, Zenbook nX5000, the aSuSPrO Pu series, the aSuS Proart Pa Series monitors, aSuS g10aC and republic of gamers (rOg) Maximus Vi Formula motherboard. PadFone mini won an award in the Telecommunications category, and the aSuS S1 mobile LED projector won an award in the audio/Video category. iF Design awards is recognized worldwide as seal of quality for products that excel in specific criteria including design quality, degree of innovation, functionality, ergonomics and more. an independent jury of 50 experts from all over the world assesses products and selects winners.

MeMO Pad HD 7 MeMO Pad HD 7 is a stylish and portable 7-inch value tablet. Featuring a glossy cover design available in five colors — White, blue, Pink, green, and gray — it is an attractively sleek device that is sure to match anyone’s sense of style. amazingly thin and weighing just 302g, MeMO Pad HD 7 is comfortable to hold in one hand and slides easily into a pocket, yet comes with a large, brilliant HD iPS display that provides plenty of room and lets apps look their best. Dual speakers and aSuS SonicMaster technology deliver rich, lively sound for captivating music, movie and game experiences. MeMO Pad HD 7 also comes with a front 1.2-megapixel and rear 5-megapixel camera for capturing life’s extraordinary moments.

The MeMO Pad HD 7 is a stylish and portable 7-inch value tablet with a glossy cover design available in five colors.

The Zenbook UX302 is an Ultrabook that combines breathtaking style with incredible durability, performance and innovative design.

The Transformer Book Trio is the world’s first threein-one laptop, tablet, desktop PC and the only Dual OS laptop.

Transformer Book Trio Transformer book Trio is the world’s first three-inone laptop, tablet, desktop PC and the only Dual OS laptop. With a gorgeous metallic industrial design and amazing versatility, Transformer book Trio is a device like no other. Featuring an easily detachable 11.6-inch Full HD screen, it switches nearly instantaneously from being a highperformance Windows 8

and android laptop to an android tablet. attach the PC Station dock to an external monitor, and Transformer book Trio becomes a powerful desktop PC. This incredible versatility makes Transformer book Trio ideal for mobile users by reducing the number of separate devices they need to carry, along with the need to transfer information among devices. as a Windows 8 laptop and PC, Transformer

book Trio features a powerful 4th-generation intel® Core™ processor for seamless multitasking and enhanced productivity. as an android tablet and laptop, its large, Full HD multitouch screen and fast performance makes it easy to enjoy millions of movies, music tracks and apps from google Play The New Zenbook UX302 Zenbook uX302 is an ultrabook that combines breathtaking style with incredible durability, performance and innovative design. its crystalline glass and ceramic coating gives Zenbook uX302 a rich luster that is both elegant and beautiful. The lid is covered with a layer of Corning® gorilla® glass 3 with native Damage resistance™ to make Zenbook uX302 incredibly scratch resistant and enhance its durability. inside the lid is a bright and colorful 13.3-inch high-resolution FHD display that makes everything from web pages to work documents look great. The display on Zenbook uX302 also comes with multi-touch capability that provides an enhanced computing experience with Windows 8 touch support. Zenbook uX302 has a unique hinge design that is inspired by book spines and provides ideal viewing angles and typing comfort when fully open.

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

ENTERTAiNMENT

Itchyworms to perform at SM Davao 3 Day Sale, May 2! One of the country’s most successful bands, itchyworms, joins the sM City davao 3 day sale on May 2, Friday. Formed in 1996, itchyworms performed at various school-based events and competitions with original songs and covers of the Beatles. in 1998, the band put together Revenge of the Unsigned, their first official Cd, intended for it

to be their independentlyreleased debut album. The band’s first major-label album, Little Monsters, was released in 2001. in 2005, the itchyworms released Noontime show, which gave them modest national success and industry recognition. The album became Album of the Year at the 2006 NU Rock Awards. Join Jugs Jugueta, Kelvin Yu, Chino singson and Jazz

Nicolas in an evening of great music and a whole lot of fun on May 2, 8PM at the Annex Event Center! Admission is free. Enjoy up to 70% off on great selections mall-wide at the sM davao 3 day sale. sM Advantage, Prestige/ BdO Rewards card holders may avail of additional discounts when using their cards at The sM store, surplus, ACE Hardware, sM Ap-

pliance Center, Watsons, Toy Kingdom and Levi’s during the much anticipated sMAC sale special happening between 9AM-12NN on May 2. Plus, catch the Red Light sale at the participating tenants. Enjoy freebies and more discounts when your favorite store is on red light. More surprises await everyone at the sM 3 day sale. sale runs May 2-4 with extended mall hours up to 12

MN on Friday and saturday, and until 10PM on sunday. For inquiries, call 297-6998 local 126. Like SM City Davao

on Facebook or follow @ smcitydavao on Twitter and @smdavao on Instagram for event and promo updates.

GMA 7’s My Love from the Star trends worldwide GMA Network’s newest Koreanovela My Love from the star proves to be a big hit not only in China, Malaysia, and singapore as it also won the hearts of the Filipino viewers during its Philippine TV premiere on Monday (April 21). Kapuso viewers warmly welcomed My Love from the star’s unique story and engaging characters as its pilot episode posted high ratings as well as positive feedback from viewers around the country. during its premiere, the phenomenal Koreanovela series also conquered the social networking site Twitter as it trended worldwide with the hashtag Matteodo played by Kim soo Hyun, while the hashtags MLFTsTheinvasion and steffi

played by Jeon Ji Hyun trended nationwide. The My Love from the star fever further continues as the hashtags steffiMeetsProfessordo and Matteodo landed on the list of top worldwide trends on Tues-

day (April 22). Netizens shouted their hearts out via Twitter on how My Love from the star’s extraordinary love story about two people literally coming from different worlds captured their

interest. They were also moved by the fashion style of steffi and the handsome face and personality of the alien heartthrob Matteo. The pilot episode of this Koreanovela series showed the history on how Matteo was accidentally left behind 400 years ago. Three months before he gets back to the star where he lives, he meets steffi, a self-centered but loveable actress who will create a big impact on his remaining months on Earth. Will it be possible for true love to be developed between an alien and a human superstar? Don’t miss the exciting episodes of the hit Koreanovela series My Love from the Star before 24 Oras only on GMA 7.

Vhong and Solenn score a home run in ‘Da Possessed’ VHONG Navarro’s da Possessed raked in an astounding Php40 Million in the box-office three days after its mainstream theatrical release which kicked off last 19. da Possessed is Vhong’s grand comeback vehicle to the big screen and based on the tremendous success on its recent opening day, the film has surpassed the opening day box-office returns of his previous successful films with director Bb. Joyce Bernal namely Mr. suave (2003), d’ Anothers (2005), and Agent X44 (2007). “The support of my fans is one of the most beautiful things that happened to me after everything that i’ve been through these past months,” says a jubilant Vhong. “i am humbled by the solid support that they gave to da Possessed. i can really feel their love. Thanking them may not be enough. i will forever be grateful. i wish to thank all those who watched the movie and i know that a lot

more are planning to watch it in the coming days.” da Possessed is also a perfect date movie this summer that features Vhong and solenn as the newest and hottest love team tandem to hit the entire nation. Now dubbed by fans and supporters as the Vholenn tandem, moviegoers can look forward to non-stop laughter and romance. solenn openly admitted that she had a crush on Vhong as she is very attracted to funny guys. “We were able to bond with each other during the

shooting of this film,” says solenn. Vhong shares his success to his leading lady solenn Heussaff. solenn expresses her gratitude to everyone who gave support on her first team up with Vhong “i’m so happy and thrilled. The story is perfectly written and was easy laughing just reading it. With the execution of direk Joyce, Vhong cast and the entire team, it became even more magical. so happy, blessed, honored to be part of this film and thankful to every-

thing i learned from my director and co-stars shooting this movie. Congratulations Vhong, ikaw ang da One!” Loved for the highly identifiable “zero to hero” characters that he has portrayed through the years, Vhong has endeared himself to the entire nation as the Pinoy equivalent of “everyman” whom every Filipino can relate with. Vhong’s potent mass-appeal was further bolstered in 2009 when he joined ABs-CBN’s groundbreaking daily variety show it’s showtime as one of its pioneering hosts. Also starring in da Possessed are John Lapus , smokey Manaloto, Empoy, Beverly salviejo, Lito Pimentel, Joy Viado, Aaliyah Belmoro, Matet de Leon, and Joey Marquez. da Possessed is showing in cinemas nationwide. For more updates about “Da Possessed” simply visit w w w. Sta r C i n e m a . co m . ph,http://facebook.com/ StarCinema and http://twitter.com/StarCinema.

RIO 2 2D Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway GP

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

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL 2D Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly GP

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

TRANSCENDENCE 2D Johnny Depp R13

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

R-16 DA POSSESSED 2D Vhong Navarro, Solenn Heusaff PG 13

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

A4 INdulge! EVENT

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

MX3: Making the USA tour MXtraordinary MX3 the Philippines’ most trusted herbal dietary food supplement continued to sustain its “legacy of excellence” in the field of herbal food supplement with a successful promotional tour in Los angeles and San Francisco in the uSa. The MX3 and abS-Cbn caravan of the hottest stars on Philippine Television boosted the excitement and made the most awaited Star Magic all-Star basketball game MXtraordinary. The Star Magic all-star Team comprising of gerald anderson, Enrique gil, Jason abalos, reyver Cruz, Ejay Falcon, JV Kapunan, JC De Vera, arron Villaflor and gerard acao went head-to-head with The St. Jude Team on april 11 at the Chabot College gymnasium in San Francisco. a dinner was set an evening before the game with MX3 and abS-Cbn stars at Elephant bar, Los angeles. The Star Magic all-star Team then went up against Hardwood ballers on april 12 at Pasadena City College gymnasium in Los angeles. Half-time performances filled with music and dancing came from Enchong Dee, Xian Lim and Kim Chiu which brought smiles of excitement and appreciation from everyone around; MX3 also took the opportunity to hand-

out bags of MX3 products and MX3 items for all the participating players of the MX3 game Quiz. MX3 also gave its full blast support to ensure that Filipinos and american friends who joined the celebration treasured the momentous events by also offering MX3 products with an affordable promotional price just for the

event. MX3 openhandedly commits to share all sales proceeds to be donated to Calamity Victims of Typhoon Yolanda through the DMiriE Foundation making the affair a joyful reunion among families and friends of hundred Filipinos and number of foreigners attending the event. it was a moment of sharing laughter’s, shouting, and enjoyment. up next on MX3’s Tour will be the “Kapamilya Fiesta World” in Vienna, austria sometime in May 2014.

13 COMPETITIVE EDGE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

New 21st century college courses now offered at the Ateneo de Davao

T noTICe oF loss

notice is hereby given by loYola Plans ConsolIdaTed InC. That CerTIFICaTe oF Full PaYMenT no.(s) 21005514 under loYola Plan Contract no.(s) 82105-1 issued to alvIar, GraCe M. was lost. any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

HE Commission on Higher Education (CHED) recently approved two new college degree programs at the Ateneo de Davao University: AB Interdisciplinary Studies (AB IDS) and AB Islamic Studies. “AB IDS is unique in that it combines different disciplines in new ways to respond to the needs of the

For sale (direct Buyer only)

4/28,5/5,12

noTICe oF loss

notice is hereby given by loYola Plans ConsolIdaTed InC. That CerTIFICaTe oF Full PaYMenT no.(s) 49805 under loYola Plan Contract no.(s) 6025957-6 issued to IMelda G. CaÑeTe was lost. any transaction entered into shall be null and void. 4/28,5/5/12

Destiny Training Center located at Silway-8, Polomolok, South Cotabato, Philippines Area: 1.5 hectares (clean title) Contact Person: Jayson Mata and Jarry Cortez Mobile Numbers: 09073069070,09266173168 Telephone Number:(083)301-7975 Email Ad: april23jayson@yahoo.com / jarrycortez@gmail.com website: http://www.destinytrainingcenterph.com

global work environment,” said Dr Renante D. Pilapil, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. It trains students in the interrelated fields of media, technology, and business, and philosophy, and management. It solidifies skills in English and in Asian or European languages as well as share knowledge in modern cultures and arts. “AB IDS is designed to give graduates multiple career opportunities,” added Pilapil. Graduates are equipped to occupy creative and analytical positions in education, government, and business, including telecommunications, public relations, multimedia design, and information technology. “It is enriched educational experience at its best,” concluded Pilapil. Its cross-disciplinary concentrations are: Language and Literature; Media and Business; Media and Philosophy; Media and Technology; and Philosophy and Theology. AB IDS aims to develop individuals with confidence, competence, and courage to take on the chal-

lenges of the 21st century. Further, to contribute more meaningfully to peace and development efforts in Mindanao, Ateneo de Davao also offers AB Islamic Studies, major in Political Economy, for the first time. “AB Islamic Studies seeks to develop Islamic experts who will work towards education and governance in the autonomous Bangsamoro areas and beyond,” said Islamic Studies Coordinator Ustadz Janor C. Balo said. Graduates of AB Islamic Studies will find work in foreign service, business and technology companies, government and development agencies, as well as in Islamic education and research institutions. Registration is ongoing at the Ateneo de Davao Jacinto Campus. For inquiries, call 221-2411-14, local 8303 for the Admission and Aid Office, local 8314 for the Department of Literature and Arts, or local 8246 for Al Qalam Institute. Visit www.addu. edu.ph (Academics, Undergraduate Programs) for more details.

14 SPORTS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014 FC Barcelona’s coach Tito Vilanova attends a press conference at the Sports Center FC Barcelona Joan Gamper in San Joan Despi, Spain. FC Barcelona announced on their web page on Friday that Vilanova has died after a long battle against cancer. He previously stepped down as coach when he became seriously ill and was unable to continue. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Phelps falls to Lochte in first final of comeback M ESA - Michael Phelps finished second on Thursday in his first final in 20 months, and the swimming superstar famous for his will to win said even a runner-up finish is fun now. Phelps, whose record 22 Olympic medals include an astonishing 18 golds, was beaten in the 100m butterfly final at the Mesa Grand Prix by his old foe Ryan Lochte. But Phelps said he’d done what he set out to do in his first competition since the London Games. Lochte led at the 50m

mark and held on to win in 51.93sec -- second-fastest in the world this year -- while Phelps was second in 52.13, matching the fourth-fastest time of 2014. “I did what I wanted to do,” said Phelps, adding he’d targeted a time of 52 seconds. “The race was fun,” he added. “The stroke was a little rushed tonight, it was way more relaxed this morning. But I swam a final again.” Lochte, not known as a 100m fly swimmer, said Phelps, as always, made him better.

“I probably wouldn’t have gone that time if Phelps wasn’t in there,” Lochte said. “I’m glad he’s back.” Phelps insists he isn’t yet sure if his comeback will take him to a fifth Games at Rio in 2016. “This is one meet, it’s one race,” Phelps said. “It’s a long way whether I decide to continue or not. I’m doing this because I’m having fun, I’m just enjoying myself on this road, this process, this journey.” But news of his comeback sparked a sell-out at every session of this week’s

meet at the 1,200-capacity Skyline Aquatic Center in suburban Phoenix, Arizona. Phelps’s fellow swimmers were as thrilled as fans to see him back on the blocks. That was particularly true of Lochte, who has had some memorable duels with his Olympic teammate. “Racing against Michael is probably the hardest thing to do,” Lochte said. “I love it. “Him leaving, it kind of broke my heart a little. Racing against him is so much fun.” Phelps had made it look

easy in posting the fastest time of the heats, although he said his pre-race butterflies recalled his age-group days. By the time the final rolled around Phelps had his familiar game face on, seemingly oblivious to the cheers of the crowd. “I was more serious tonight than I was this morning,” Phelps said. “I knew what I wanted to do.” He wasn’t too quick off the blocks, and said his turn was “probably the worst” of his career. Coach Bob Bowman -who agreed about the turn

-- said the technical glitches could be fixed. “I think that’s a really good time to start with,” Bowman said of Phelps’s performance in an event in which he is the world record-holder and three-time reigning Olympic champion. “It’s totally expected,” Bowman said of the mistakes. “He hadn’t been in a race in two years until this morning... his timing was a little off at the start, then he scrambled to catch up, then he missed a stroke. By the time he got going it was kind of over.”

ARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Top-ranked Rafael Nadal’s claycourt struggles worsened Friday as his 41-match winning streak at the Barcelona Open ended with a threeset loss to Nicolas Almagro in the quarterfinals. Nadal was looking for his ninth title in Barcelona but lost 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, a week after going out in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters to David Ferrer. Nadal, widely considered the greatest clay-court player of all time, hadn’t lost in Barcelona since his debut as a 15-year-old in 2003, although he missed the tournament in 2010. He had not dropped a set here since the 2008 final. The 20th-ranked Almagro converted his second match point, smashing a forehand down the line for his first career victory over his fellow Spaniard on the 11th try. ‘’I had a lot of opportunities in the second set,’’ Nadal said. ‘’I didn’t take advantage of break points, so credit goes to him.’’ After failing to convert any of his five break points in the second set, Nadal

missed a return in the tiebreaker to give Almagro a 6-5 lead. Almagro followed up with a crosscourt forehand winner to level the match and end Nadal’s streak of 44 straight sets at the tournament. Both players were steady on serve until an exchange of breaks made it 4-4 in the third, and Nadal then sent a shot long to be

broken again and give Almagro a chance to serve for the match. Nadal set up two straight chances to break back, but hit a forehand long and then sent a smash into the net with Almagro out of position. Nadal then saved the first match point when Almagro’s backhand flew wide. But Almagro used a

serve-and-volley to save a third break point of the game before Nadal’s long return set up the second match point. Nadal hadn’t been eliminated this early in backto-back clay-court tournaments since 2004, when as an 18-year-old he also failed to get past the quarterfinals in Stuttgart and Bastad.

Former Barcelona coach Rafa’s struggles continue with Barcelona loss Vilanova dies at 45 B

ARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Tito Vilanova, the soccer coach who succeeded Pep Guardiola at Barcelona and won the Spanish league title in his only season in charge, died Friday of throat cancer. He was 45. Vilanova had a recurring tumor in a saliva gland and was admitted to a hospital in Barcelona last week. The team announced his death on its website. As Guardiola’s assistant, Vilanova provided the tactical know-how that helped the coach build one of the best teams in the history of the sport, winning two Champions League titles. Barcelona star Lionel Messi called the death a ‘’moment of profound pain for Vilanova’s family, and also for Barcelona and its fans.’’ ‘’All of us who shared Barcelona’s locker room with Tito are deeply affected, considering what he gave us as a person and as

a professional,’’ Messi said in a statement. ‘’I, personally, will always hold dear the things he shared and went through with me, which I will never forget.’’ Former Barcelona defender Eric Abidal, who recovered from liver cancer and a liver transplant to help hoist the 2012-13 league trophy with Vilanova, wrote on Twitter: ‘’For everything we went through together, I will always remember you, my friend. Thanks for fighting.’’ Spain’s royal family and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also sent telegrams to Vilanova’s family and Barcelona, according to Europa Press news agency. Vilanova first became ill in November 2011 while an assistant to Guardiola and took a leave of absence after surgery. Vilanova returned and replaced Guardiola the next season, leading Barcelona to the Spanish league title with a record-tying 100 points.

Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Nicolas Almagro during the Barcelona open tennis in Barcelona, Spain on Friday. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014

FLOyD VS PACMAN

SPORTS 15 SPORTS

Next to impossible at this point: Roach

OxING coach Freddie Roach admitted that a fight between Manny Pacquiao and undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not likely to happen even after the Filipino took back his crown from Timothy Bradley. Roach said that aside from Mayweather’s refusal to get in the ring with the Filipino superstar, they will also have to deal with network and promotional conflicts that are in the way of the mega-bout. “We’d love to fight Floyd Mayweather next, but at this point it seems next to impossible, with the promoters and the networks further apart,” the boxing trainer said in ESPN. Pacquiao fights under Top Rank Inc., which is associated with HBO Sports, while Mayweather is locked

in a deal with Showtime. The fighting congressman pulled off a unanimous verdict against Bradley last April 12, his second straight win since losing by knockout to Juan Manuel Marquez. The victory not only vindicated his 2012 loss to the American, it also made him the WBO welterweight king again. The Filipino boxer is expected to hold discussions with boxing promoter Bob Arum next month regarding his next fight. Roach said Pacquiao’s next foe may be known next month. “There’s a fight in L.A., at the Forum, between Juan Manuel Marquez and Mike Alvarado on May 17, and the winner is a natural opponent next for Manny,” he said.

EMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Kevin Durant insists he and Russell Westbrook aren’t turning their first-round series into a two-man show, even if the NBA scoring champ says they may be shooting too much. Saturday night in Game 4 would be a good time to start, or the Thunder could find themselves on the brink of playoff elimination in the opening round for the first time since 2010. ‘’I just didn’t make shots,’’ Durant said Friday after practice. ‘’That’s the name of the game. But I liked the way I cut, I liked the way I was aggressive. But I have to do a better job of maybe passing the ball a little bit more and also making shots. I’ve got to stay confident in myself.’’ Durant and Westbrook each scored 30 points in Thursday night’s 98-95 overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, combining

to go 19 of 53 or a majority of the 87 shots the Thunder took. Worse, they were a chilling 4 of 21 beyond the arc with Durant missing all eight of his attempts. Thunder center Kendrick Perkins said that won’t happen again. ‘’KD is obviously the league MVP and we expect him to be the MVP down the stretch,’’ Perkins said. Memphis has been making Durant and Westbrook work hard for shots by crowding the paint while holding the Thunder below 40 percent shooting in back-to-back games. Now the Grizzlies have the same 2-1 lead they had a year ago in the semifinals against Oklahoma City after consecutive overtime wins. Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger said they want to limit the easy shots and hope Durant and Westbrook miss some. ‘’They’re going to get them up,’’ Joerger said.

Superstar boxers Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Thunder optomistic KD will get hot LeBron taking a beating, and Heat not happy M M Durant and Westbrook weren’t alone. Oklahoma City went 5 of 28 for a chilling 17.9 percent. That was just the seventh time in the playoffs the Thunder have shot 20 percent or less from 3 since moving to Oklahoma City, and three came against the Grizzlies. Thunder coach Scott Brooks said the Grizzlies have been forcing them to take some of the 3s by crowding three and four players around the paint. Oklahoma City can loosen up Memphis by hitting some of those ‘’The ones we’re trying to eliminate and hopefully we do that next game, are the ones that are off the dribble with the no passes. Those are the tough ones. Those are the ones that we don’t want. The ones we like, and we’re going to have to be able to step up and make, are the ones when they’re packing the paint.’’

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant shoots during practice on Friday in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

IAMI (AP) -- LeBron James insisted on Friday that the prospect of being fouled hard won’t change his attack mindset, though he and the Miami Heat are increasingly frustrated with how aggressive opponents are permitted to be against him. James was leveled late in Miami’s game on Wednesday by Charlotte’s Josh McRoberts, who was originally issued a common foul before the NBA upgraded the penalty a day later to a flagrant-2 and fined him $20,000. That wasn’t enough to fully appease the Heat, who were unhappy that referees didn’t see a need to review the play immediately. ‘’We’ve had dialogue

with the league,’’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ‘’They made their decision. At least half of it we agree upon - that it should have been a flagrant and it should have been reviewed during the course of the game.’’ McRoberts’ foul against the four-time MVP came in what at the time was a three-point game, the outcome very much in doubt. Miami wound up winning, but if McRoberts was given a flagrant-2 when the play occurred he would have been ejected. Either way, the Heat said they aren’t planning any sort of retribution on Saturday night in Game 3 of the teams’ Eastern Conference first-round series, other than con-

tinuing to attack. James, though, wondered why he has seen several hard fouls get reviewed in other recent playoff games and why his didn’t merit the same treatment. ‘’I already know it’s going to be a headline tomorrow: ‘LeBron is crying for fouls,’’’ James said. ‘’That’s not me. I don’t want that. I don’t want that at all.’’ Heat forward Udonis Haslem said he thought McRoberts’ hit - replays didn’t suggest that the Bobcats’ forward was making any sort of play on the ball, and it was clear that his elbow struck James around the throat and chin - looked ‘’pretty bad.’’ ‘’It looked intentional,’’ Haslem said.

Barangay Una boxing trainer and coach Lelios Siodina is flanked by boxers during a break from a rigid training in preparation for the 2014 Palarong Pambansa to be held on May 4-10, 2014 in Sta.Cruz, Laguna. Region XI boxers who are set to compete in the DepEd-sanctioned tourney are Panabo City’s Ven Joshua Vanguardia (46 kgs.), Kent Jade Cedrick Solomon (38 kgs.), Jochebed Arellano (42 kgs.),and Paul Julyfer Bascon (49 kgs.)as well as Nicole Jhon Ligas (40 kgs.) of Mati City. The boxers are all training in Panabo City with the support of Brgy. Una founder businessman and philanthropist Tonyboy Floirendo, Davao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Antonio F. Lagdameo, Jr. and Schools Division superintendent Maria Ines C. Asuncion of DepEd Panabo City.

16 EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 30 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 27-28, 2014