Edge Davao 7 Issue 39 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

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Serving a seamless society

FRUITS GALORE. A fruit dealer displays ripe bananas in a fruit stall at Agdao Public Market in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

TAX AMNESTY NIXED ‘Delinquent taxpayers don’t deserve reward’

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

abf@edgedavao.net

ONsIsTENT with the position earlier declared by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, city administrator J. Melchor V. Quitain yesterday expressed opposition to the proposed local legislation granting amnesty to delinquent tax payers.

REGISTRATION. A Commission on Elections (Comelec) 11 personnel takes the biometric data of a registrant during the second day of voter’s registration for the 2016 elections at the Comelec 11 office inside Magsaysay Park in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

“Kanang amnesty man gud mura lang og… actually, you are rewarding somebody who has not done his duty,” he said in ‘I-Speak media forum’ at City Hall yesterday Quitain pointed out that if the local government grants tax amnesty, it would be detrimental to the city’s campaign to raise local finance resources as the delinquent will only pay minimal amount as most charges are waived. Earlier, Duterte declared that he will not grant tax amnesty but instead allow longer time for tax delinquents to settle their dues including penalties. Last Tuesday, the city council approved on the first reading the proposed study for

the tax amnesty particularly on Real Property Taxes (RPT) not settled by delinquent land owners. The proposal was submitted by former city councilor Peter T. Laviña who stated that the Local Finance Committee and the city council should first study and deliberate on the problem surrounding the RPT delinquency. “I remember we faced the issue sometime in 1999-2000. And we were able to resolve it by passing legislation granting a ‘tax amnesty’ in 2001.The main purposes of which were, (1) To increase the RPT collection; (2) to help clean up the books on delinquent

FTAX, 10

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

DWARFED. Huge metal pipes dwarfed a construction worker of Therma South, Inc. coal-fired power plant in Binugao, Toril, Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

‘All FOI bills are weak’ By ChENEEN R. CApON

crc@edgedavao.net

RETIRED regional trial court judge flatly described all pending Free of Information (FOI) bills in the senate as weak. “I read all of these and all contain provisions that are discouraging almost 100 million Filipinos to really know what’s going on in the government,” said retired judge Jesus V. Quitain during the Club 888 media forum at The Marco Polo Davao last Wednesday. While showing copies of the draft bills, he expressed opposition for the passage of the current version of FOI citing provisions common to different

Jesus V. Quitain bills authored by different senators that provides for exemption to right to information. There are seven FOI bills now pending in the senate including the ver-

sions authored by senators Loren Legarda and Sonny Angara. Quitain said that all draft bills contain common provisions that gives right to government officials to invoke their right to privacy, information involving national security are not for disclosure, and in good faith. “The provision on the right to invoke privacy will make government officials not to disclose information and tell the public that they did it in good faith,” he explained. “The FOI bill, if it becomes a law, will give thick shield to public officials,”

he said. Quitain said that the bill may sound good to the public but it will be eventually becomes a deterrent to the interest of the public. “It will create confusion to the people because it is overlapping and creates duplication,” he said. “We don’t need this because we already have the right to information, freedom of press, and freedom of speech,” the 75-year old retiree. “What’s lacking is a tax payer who will file a case against government offices who refuses to give public information involving public transactions,” he said.

CAMELLA DAVAO

Tax rebate awaits for businesses putting up rain water catch system.

uSInESS establishments in Davao City are urged to voluntarily construct rain water catch system and in return, get tax rebate But how much? The city government has yet to make an assessment. “We’re still assessing it but it will be implemented through the City Treasurer Office,” said councilor Leo Avila III, who authored the Davao City Rainwater Harvesting Ordinance of 2009 as former chair of the committee on environment. He said that the proposed tax rebate is part of the local government’s effort to conserve water especially with the onset of a long drought season that the government has forecasted starting this June

until the first quarter next year. under the ordinance, new businesses are required to construct rain water catch system before getting permit from the City Engineering Office while the existing establishments are encouraged to undertake the same and avail of the rebate. Avila also encouraged private households to collect rain water and utilize as an alternative source of water for basic household operation, adding that it can also help prevent flooding and flashflood. Rain water collection will also help the Davao City Water District reallocate their water supply to areas where water is more

FTAX REBATE, 10

A Caribbean dream in a city where dreams come true

TRIP TO SHIZUOKA. A total of 26 members of the Mt. Matutum Lions Club of General Santos City travelled to the city of Shizuoka, famous for the snow-capped Mt. Fuji, a world heritage site, and met with its leader, Mayor N. Tanabe. Mt. Matutum Lions member Masao Oishi, acting as a special envoy of GenSan, presented a letter from GSC Mayor Ronnel Rivera to Mayor Tanabe. Contributed.

HE City of Davao is currently number 10 in the London’s Financial Times’ fDi Magazine’s “Asian Cities of the Future.” As Mindanao’s premier agricultural and economic hub, Davao City is the perfect place to grow families and plan one’s future. Strategically located along the Asia-pacific rim, the province of Davao sits at a gateway between the

world’s Eastern and Western hemispheres, making the Port of Davao the busiest port in Mindanao. With a view of the “Grandfather of Philippine Mountains” and the country’s highest peak – the magnificent Mount Apo –Camellabuilta Caribbean-themed community with a selection of homes perfect for every kind of family.

Known for creating dream homes in thoughtfully master-planned properties, Camellacreates a safe and secure haven of greenery where cozy homes peek out from quiet groves, parks and plazas, and every day, one can come home to their very own private paradise, where the stresses

FCAMELLA, 10

3 SUBURBIA

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

DAVAO DEL NORTE

Talaingod Ata Manobo avail of free birth, marriage registration M

ORE than 300 Ata Manobos in the municipality of Talaingod availed the free registration on birth and marriage. This was revealed by Merlyn Enriquez, provincial director of the national Commission on Indigenous People (nCIP) based in the province. Enriquez said that the project was done in partnership with the civil registrar’s office of the municipality since most of the indigenous peoples (IPs) had not known of the importance of civil registration. The registration, which started on December 3 of last year ended last May 6 with an exit conference with the local civil registrar and the nCIP.

Further, Enriquez said that due to the Indigenous People’s Rights Act or Republic Act 8371, the tribal weddings were also recognized by the civil registrar; nevertheless, their solemnizing officers must get certification from the Philippine Statistics Office. Enriquez also said that IPs, who have corrections of their birth certificates, also availed of free notarization services from the nCIP legal office. Hoping that all indigenous people will have birth certificates, Enriquez added that the free registration services will also be extended to other local government units in the province in the coming months. [PIA 11, Michael Uy]

CARMEN, NoRth CotAbAto

Village gets new classroom building, repaired footbridge

LASSROOMS in a remote village here will be more pupil friendly once school year 2014-2014 resumes next month, officials said Wednesday. This after the provincial government of Cotabato completed a 2-classroom room in Pebpoloan Elementary School in Barangay Pebpoloan, Carmen for about 400 pupils. The school building project worth Php 1.3 million has been turned over to the local government and school officials Wednesday by north Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Mendoza. For several years, pupils in this village had been using a makeshift classroom, way sub-par as compared to their counterpart in developed villages. The Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) and pupils of the school also joined the turn over ceremonies along with District Supervisor Bellale dela Cruz and Carmen Municipal Councilor Delfos Manampan. Rebecca Ocampo, principal of Pebpoloan El-

ementary School was not around during the turnover as she was attending a seminar but was ably represented by her faculty. Barangay Pebpoloan, where Moro families are dominant is around seven to eight kilometers away from the Sayre national highway in Carmen. Gov. Mendoza said that along with agriculture, infrastructure, livelihood, tourism and other developmental programs, her administration also gives utmost priority to education. Currently, the Provincial Government of Cotabato has almost 1,500 scholars under its Provincial Scholarship Program (PSP) in both private and public schools in different state colleges and universities After their graduation, the scholars are no longer obliged to pay the provincial government for all the expenses incurred, they only have to render free service for a month or two in the capitol or any other local government unit in the province. [PNA]

ENJOYMENT. The pebble beach in Sitio Looc, Barangay Punta Bilar in Surigao City offers a good place for enjoyment to these beach goers. [MindaNews photo by Roel N. Catoto]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY

GenSan chamber pushes for incentives

nSTEAD of an increase in the minimum wage, the local business chamber is pushing for productivity-based incentives for private sector workers. Raul Josefino Miguel, president of the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc., said the group strongly opposes any government-mandated wage increase at this time since “there is no significant increase in the prices of basic commodities” in the area.

Panabo City

“There is ‘no felt need’ for such an increase as in fact no one has filed any petition for increase in minimum wage before the RTWPB [Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board] XII,” he said in a recent statement. “Any mandated wage increase without corresponding increase in productivity will only be inflationary, and this will negate or offset any intended benefit of such increase,” said Miguel, a lawyer. He said the chamber supports the efforts of

the Department of Labor and Employment and the RTWPB XII to promote the grant of productivity-based incentives to workers. Miguel urged chamber members and other business establishments to voluntarily adopt, in collaboration with their employees, such productivity incentive schemes they deem appropriate for their particular businesses. The goal is to provide additional compensation or bonuses to employees based on measurable increase in productivity and

accomplishment of predetermined qualitative and quantitative production standards and targets, he explained. Private workers in the region last received an increase in their daily wages in April 2012 when the RTWPB approved Wage Order XII-17, which provided an additional costof-living allowance (COLA) of P6 to P8. The wage order set an additional COLA of P4 to P6 for the second tranche starting December 1, 2012. [MindaNews]

the city will not totally ban plastics because they have been the universal packaging material. Ang said that the local vendors may still use plastics that are biodegradable or oxo biodegradable but he encouraged them to use paper bags, other recyclable bags made of cloth or indigenous materials as well as corrugated boxes. Ang also revealed that aside from the plastic bags, the city government is also

looking at regulating the use of styrofoam which can only be used as container to store food but it cannot be used to keep food intended for selling. Meanwhile, Panabo City environment and natural resources officer Felix Senajon said that the polyethylene bags or the common plastic bags have been clogging the major creeks of the city causing floods during heavy rains. Senajon said that this

kind of plastics does not decompose but just adds up to the volume of the waste that the city dumps daily. Senajon bared that according to their data which was collated in the Ecological Solid Waste Management Plan for 2014-2023, the collected plastic wastes last year reached a volume of 10,859 tons and would eventually build up to 11,680 tons by 2015. [PIA 11/Michael Uy]

LGU to regulate use of plastic bags A

S plastic bags have been identified as a major contributing factor of flooding in the market area, the City Government of Panabo will regulate the use of plastics starting December this year. This is pursuant to the newly passed City Ordinance no. 47-13, regulating the use of plastic bags in the city. City Councilor Ronald Ang, author of such City Ordinance explained that

EDGEDAVAO

BIGGER PICTURE

VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

Building resilience is key to survival: expert A

n expert highlighted need for building communities’ resilience to disasters particularly amidst looming climate change, noting capability to spring back from a shock is a life essential. “Surely, the more resilient people are to adversity, the more positive their outlook is no matter what; the stronger their ‘esprit de corps’ and the keener their sense of community, the lower the likelihood of negative after-effects and permanent damage,” said Far Eastern university (FEu) President Dr. Michael Alba on Tuesday at the 13th Asia Pacific network for International Education and Values Education (APnIEVE) national convention which the school hosted at its Manila campus. He lauded unESCO-affiliated APnIEVE for choosing “Values for building resilient individuals and communities” as its 2014 convention theme, saying this topic is “fitting and highly relevant” particularly as the threat of disasters continues hounding the country. “Very little is known about how individuals, families and communities coped and continue to cope with the psychological (trauma) and other traumas of disasters even as massive rehabilitation is going on,” he noted. unISDR said resilience is “the ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate to and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner,

including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions.” Experts identified earthquakes, landslides, sea surges and flooding as among hazards threatening communities nationwide. Resilience to potential hazard events “is determined by the degree to which the community has the necessary resources and is capable of organizing itself both prior to and during times of need,” noted unISDR. Disaster is “a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources,” unISDRalso said. APnIEVE Treasurer Dr. Caroline de Leon earlier said through the May 6-8 convention, the organization aims to help enhance capability of teachers and other stakeholders concerned to instill in the youth values essential in building up resilience. She noted APnIEVE decided presenting, during the convention, disaster risk management-related research and best practices so delegates to the event can learn from these and possibly adapt several. “With so many disasters happening, we want to help communities be ready in a wholistic way,” she said on the event’s side.

Topics for discussion during the convention also include cultivating resilience, positively coping with life’s challenges, the teaching-learning process, psychosocial first aid and therapeutic teaching. The discussions will likewise cover local environmental knowledge towards environmental management of Diliman creek in Quezon City, global warming mitigation as well as FEu’s life safety system and energy conservation practices.

Among the event’s target participants are public and private school teachers, other members of the academe, nGOs and civil society groups. During the convention, Psychological Association of the Philippines President Dr. Ma. Regina Hechanova shared American Psychological Association’s tips on building resilience. She said people must make connections and accept the support others extend to them instead of becoming isolated.

“We see that in the midst of disasters, it’s really community members helping each other,” she noted. She also said people must avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. “It’s being able to see things in a positive light,” she noted. Other resilience-building tips she shared include accepting that change is part of living, setting realistic goals, taking decisive action rather than retreating from problems, seeking opportunities

for self-discovery, keeping things in perspective as well as maintaining a positive view of and caring for one’s self, she continued. APnIEVE-Philippines is a regional network of individuals and institutions focused on promoting values education and international education. The organization’s main goal is to live out the values of peace, human rights, democracy and sustainable development among individuals and groups especially educators and the youth. [PNA]

UNESCO condemns dredge waste dumping in Barrier Reef waters u

nESCO has condemned a decision to allow the dumping of dredge waste in Great Barrier Reef waters and recommended the Australian marine park be considered for inclusion on the World Heritage in Danger list. The decision in January to allow three million cubic meters of dredge waste to be disposed of in park waters followed a decision by the government to give the green light to a major coal port expansion for India’s Adani Group on the reef coast in December. Conservationists warn it could hasten the demise of the reef, which is already considered to be in “poor” health, with dredging smothering corals and seagrasses and exposing them to poisons and elevated levels of nutrients.

In its first comments on the issue, the united nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization “noted with concern” and “regrets” the move, which it said “was approved despite an indication that less-impacting disposal alternatives may exist”. It asked the government to provide a new report to the World Heritage Committee proving that dumping was the least damaging option and would not hurt the reef’s value. More generally, unESCO expressed concern “regarding serious decline in the condition of the Great Barrier Reef, including in coral recruitment and reef-building across extensive parts of the property”. The body said “a business-as-usual approach to

managing the property is not an option”. Given the reef’s longterm deterioration, it recommended the World Heritage Commitee consider putting it on its in danger list in 2015 “in the absence of substantial progress on key issues”. WWF Australia spokesman Richard Leck said the government needed to act quickly to prevent the embarrassment of the reef being listed as in danger. “unESCO’S concern is shared by thousands of Australians and hundreds of leading scientists and we call on the federal government to ban dumping of dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area prior to the World Heritage Committee meeting in June,” he said. [AFP]

5 THE ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

PHL students to compete in Microsoft tech challenge T

HREE student groups will represent the Philippines in an international technology competition organized by Microsoft, which encourages the youth to create applications, games, and solutions that can change the way people live. The Pinoy representatives were selected from hundreds of groups in the local leg of Imagine Cup, which was organized recently by Microsoft Philippines in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology -Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO), Intramuros Administration, and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) – via the Smart Developer network (Smart Devnet) and Smart Bro. The students will compete in the Asia Pacific leg of Imagine Cup this month. Winners of this contest will compete with fellow regional champions in the overall finals to be held this July in Seattle, uSA. The final winning teams will each receive $50,000, as well as mentoring and networking assistance so they can move toward launching their project in the market. A total of 77 countries par-

ticipated in this year’s Imagine Cup. Excited to represent ph Team PewPew from De La Salle university topped the Innovation category with its project Funimals, an application that generates stories based on pictures selected by children. Meanwhile, Team Tala – comprised of students from Mapua Institute of Technology, Adamson university, and Treston College – was adjudged champion of the World Citizenship category. The team’s Re-Link app seeks to link establishments with recyclable waste (like bottles and newspapers) with organizations that buy such materials. The three teams each received p50,000. “We are very excited to represent the Philippines in the regional competition. Imagine Cup has given us an opportunity to showcase the skills and talents of young Filipinos. It has also been a great learning experience for us,” said Yvette Watson of Team Tala. strong chance to win abroad Monchito Ibrahim, deputy executive director of the

Team Animus from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde won the Game category of Imagine Cup Philippines, with FitPals, an app that utilizes the power of Xbox Kinect to enable children to remain active in a fun way. DOST-ICTO who was also a judge at Imagine Cup Philippines, said the Filipino students have a strong chance of winning abroad. “The quality of projects presented today is very high, compared to what we’ve seen in other competitions. We saw apps that can add value to current government initiatives,”

he said during the local finals held in Intramuros, Manila. “This competition has proved that Filipino students have a lot of potential. I’m very impressed with what they presented today. Their ideas and execution were excellent,” said Alvin Gendrano, director of the developer and platform group of Microsoft Philippines.

“We at Smart are happy to partner with Microsoft for this event, which highlights the world-class technology skills of Filipino students. We are looking forward to mentoring the winning groups so they would be at their best form in the regionals,” said Smart developer evangelist and Imagine Cup Philippines judge Paul Pajo.

Aside from Pajo and Ibrahim, the Imagine Cup Philippines judges were DOST-ICTO deputy executive director Bettina Quimson, Smart digital services innovations manager Anthony Esporlas, Vibal Group chief technology officer Earljohn Hidalgo, and Marco Sadillo III of the Intramuros Administration.

6 THE ECONOMY

VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

DOLE exec: Workers in informal sector vital to propel local economy L

ABOR and Employment official recognizes the informal sector’s crucial role in running the grassroots economy as it contributes to the nation’s overall growth. Joffrey M. Suyao, regional director of Department of Labor and Employment(DOLE) in Davao region said the continued eking out of income and doing livelihood activities of every individual in the informal sector fuels to make alive the economy in their (informal workers) community. Workers in the informal secotr include micro-entrepreneurs, homebased workers, vendors, jeepney and tricycle drivers, small and landless farmers, fisherfolk, non-corporate construction workers, garbage collectors and recyclers, petty retailers, barter traders, small-scale miners and quarry workers, entertainers, beauticians and hairdressers, laundry persons, on-call domestic helpers, barangay health workers and other volunteer workers, among others “Your being productive day after day helps the local economy to move and flow,” Suyao said as he address at least 200 participants of the recently conducted Informal Sector’s Day hosted by the agency at Homitori Dormitel in Davao City. The event bearing the theme IS: Haligi sa Kalamboan, Kauban sa Kauswagan highlighted the awarding of livelihood projects, presentation of

the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Insurance and the AlakanSSSya Program of the Social Security System. Fun games and surprises made out the fiesta theme of the celebration. Assistant regional Director Venerando C. Cebrano said that businesses among the informal sector, no matter how small engages the informal sector in the whole economic scheme thus the need to provide social protection and upholding of their rights. “This celebration shows our high regard to the workers of the informal sector and further strengthens our advocacy for their protection and observance to uphold their rights,” Cebrano said. “We find ways to help and protect the informal sector by providing them livelihoods and various social insurances as they continue to tend their small income generating activities,” he added. All DOLE’s direct beneficiaries of the livelihood projects are provided PRC Premier Bronze insurance. During the event, DOLE has provided a total of P3,030,783.00 worth of livelihood grants to 13 people’s organization and LGu recipients. The projects which included meat processing, basic sewing machines, livelihood starter kits, food processing, negosyo-Karts, vermicast production, fishing package, banana powder production, abaca hand woven proj-

Globe Telecom receives Finance Asia citation for its dividend policy

LOBE Telecom received a citation from Finance Asia based on a recent poll conducted by the leading financial publication in the region. The telecommunications company was listed among the Philippine companies most committed to a strong dividend policy. The poll was conducted to determine Asia’s top companies. The survey involved votes from investors and analysts across the region. “This is the eleventh straight year that Globe has been in the list of Asia’s best managed companies and we are honored by this recognition. This is also a reflection of the company’s sustained revenue and earnings momentum translating into significant improvement in shareholder value,” said Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu. Following a double-digit rise in Globe Telecom’s core net profit in 2013, the company’s board recently approved a cash dividend of P37.50 per common share for the first semester of 2014. On an annualized basis, the amount represents a 12% improvement from last

year’s distribution and equivalent to 86% of 2013 core net income, consistent with the company’s dividend policy of issuing between 75%-90% of prior year’s core net income. The company’s dividend yield of about 4.6% (based on December 31, 2013 closing share price) remains competitive against yields of government securities and Philippine listed companies. This reflects both the strength of Globe’s cash flows and its commitment to a sustainable and competitive dividend distribution. Starting in the third quarter of the year, Globe will change the frequency of cash dividend distribution from semi-annual to quarterly basis. This is to enable better cash management and liquidity planning as well as provide a more consistent dividend distribution to shareholders. Globe reported a core net profit of P11.6 billion for 2013, the highest over the last 4 years as revenues reached a fresh record of P90.5 billion, underpinned by the strong performance of its mobile, broadband and fixed line data services.

ect, Bangus processing and water refilling stations are expected to benefit a total of 1,347 beneficiaries. Meanwhile, Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara pushed recently the passage of Senate Bill 1941 or the Magna Carta of Workers in Informal Economy, which aims to provide the same basic constitutional rights to the informal sector. “The ranks of informal workers, many of whom live in substandard conditions and cannot meet their basic needs, have been increasing through the years. It is essential to look after their rights and interests if poverty in the country is to be effectively addressed,” Angara said. In a press statement, Angara pointed out that since most informal workers are not covered by the Labor Code and other legislation that could protect their rights, they are often subject to exploitation by unscrupulous employers, who make them work long hours and at very low wages, without benefits and under very poor working conditions. “This bill seeks to empower the

by the numbers PHL inflation stood a t

4.1%

in April, faster than

the

3.9%

registered in March.

Source: PhiliPPine StatiS ticS authority (PSa)

poor, marginalized, unprotected and underrepresented workers in informal employment, and bring them into the mainstream of the Philippine

economy. It carries a strong bias to prioritize and empower the poorest of the poor,” he explained. [Sherwin B. Manual/DOLE 11]

47 countries move on tax evasion by ‘agreeing’to share bank data F

ORTY-seven countries signed up to automatically share bank data, including key financial centers Singapore and Switzerland, the OECD said, in what has been touted as a major step towards cracking down on global tax evasion. under the declaration, the 47 countries have committed to “swiftly” pass new domestic laws that will allow them to collect information on all bank accounts and automatically exchange it with other participating countries. They must also call on their financial centers “to im-

plement the new single global standard without delay.” The list of signatories includes all 34 members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a club of developed nations that spearheaded the initiative. That includes Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the British jurisdictions of Jersey and Guernsey – all which have been criticized for high levels of banking secrecy in the past, laying them open to accusations that they serve as havens for tax evaders. The list also includes

Luxembourg, even though it is blocking transparency initiatives within the European union. The OECD has also secured the participation of 18 non-OECD nations, including the key international financial center of Singapore. The new global standard was described as “a real game-changer” by OECD chief Angel Gurria when it was unveiled in February. Previously, countries would have to request data on suspected tax cheats using a process that was often complicated and some countries

were uncooperative. The united States was the catalyst for the change with its so-called FATCA law which requires international banks to provide data on accounts held abroad by its citizens and companies or face sanctions. The next step, the new declaration states, is for the OECD’s fiscal committee to provide within the coming months clear guidelines on how the standard should be put into practice, and come up with technical solutions to make sure it is effective. [AFP]

the sector must possess the following: potential to create employment; potential to move up in the value chain; potential to create spillover effects; and potential to create a competitive market. The identified criteria is the first part of the framework. Following the sector’s potentials in the four areas, supply chain gaps will be distinguished. In this part, the BOI will now decide whether these

supply chain gaps can be addressed through incentives; if not, it should be identified how the sector will maintain its competitiveness through other policies without incentives. For sectors eligible for government incentives, most binding constraints on putting up investments should be identified which include: high production cost; high risks, e.g. huge capital requirement and new technology; human capital; government regula-

tion; government policies; and other constraints like financing, competitiveness, standards, and quality. This ends with policy response of giving incentives to a specific economic activity. Further, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary of Industry Development Rafaelita Aldaba noted that giving incentives plays a significant role in growing investments and providing more jobs for Filipinos. [PNA]

BOI bares framework for 2014 IPP T

HE Board of Investments (BOI) has discussed the strategic framework for 2014 Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) which will identify incentives or non-incentive policy response for particular economic activities. During the first public consultation for 2014 IPP Wednesday in Makati City, BOI has cited criteria in order for an economic activity to be included in the IPP list. In order for a particular sector to be added in the list,

7 ENVIRONMENT

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

Greenpeace urges use of renewable energy G

REEnPEACE, an environmental organization, has called for the shifting to renewable energy rather than coal-fired power plants as it launched Wednesday in Makati City the first part of its study -“True Cost of Coal” (TCC). Greenpeace Philippines has the initiative to conduct the study on the real expense of using coal and is also followed by Indonesia and Thailand. Greenpeace Philippines said the TCC Volume 1 analyzes how ASEAn can prove that it can eliminate power poverty through investing in renewable or alternative energy in sourcing electricity. According to the study, ASEAn is very dependent on coal yet more than 160 million of its population is still in energy poverty. Further, the study also attacked some myths on utilizing coal as power source that it is

HE provincial government of South Cotabato is set to convene the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) to discuss the necessary preparations for the possible onslaught in the area later this year of the predicted long dry spell or El nino phenomenon. South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes said Tuesday she has called the attention of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and other

the cheapest source of energy as it requires uS$ 2.5 million to produce a megawatt power compared to renewable energy which requires uS$ 3 million to generate the same amount of power. Reuben Muni, Greenpeace climate change campaigner, explained that it is only the capital investment for coal-fired power plants that is cheap, but it will still require maintenance like importation of coal and fuel. It was also noted in the study that the country relies only in the coal resources of other ASEAn country like Indonesia and Thailand. About 34 percent of the country’s power generation comes from imported coal from Indonesia. On the other hand, renewable energy may require higher capital investments but will no longer need importation of coal

and fuel. It will also improve the domestic energy supply. Greenpeace expressed “there is no such thing as clean coal” but companies claiming that they are producing clean coal means they are just reducing the pollution released by coal-fired power plants. The TCC Volume 1 reported that renewable energy can also run in baseload mode. In fact, most of the baseload in Visayas and Mindanao were run by renewable energy sources, according to Muni. Greenpeace said it is promoting renewable energy as it is clean and domestically sourced. ”This initiative calls the government to make Philippines a leader on renewable energy in ASEAn,” said Amalie Obusan, regional climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia. [PNA]

concerned local government offices to start formulating their mitigation plans for the El nino, which was foreseen to hit the area by the month of October. “Based on the initial projections, the coming El nino will be quite intense so we really need to prepare early to properly mitigate its potential impact,” she said. The governor said they will prioritize the agriculture sector, which was hit hardest in previous droughts that had

affected the province, for the implementation of the mitigation measures. She said alternative programs specifically need to be in place for farmers in areas that would be directly affected by the dry spell. Fuentes said the local government will coordinate with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the national Food Authority to ensure the availability of enough food supplies, especially rice, during the predicted calamity.

South Cotabato braces for El Nino She urged residents, especially those situated in the upland areas, to start planting food crops in suitable sites like those near the river banks to ensure that there will be available supplies in case a shortage will happen during the drought. She cited crops like ube, sweet and white potato, cassava, banana and other crops that could thrive in dry periods or climate. “If the El nino will come as predicted from October to

January next year, it means a longer dry period for our area since we usually experience reduced or low rainfall and intense warm weather from January to May. That is primarily bad news for our farming sector and food production,” she said. For his part, provincial agriculturist Francisco Domingo said he has scheduled a series of meetings with the agriculture officers and members of the agriculture and fisheries councils of the province’s 10

towns and lone city to discuss the preparations for the coming drought. He earlier met with personnel from the DA’s Bureau of Soil and Water Management to initially discuss the possibility of conducting cloud-seeding operations in case the El nino will hit the area. “We will initially propose for the allocation of counterpart funds to facilitate the conduct of the cloud-seeding operations,” he said.[PNA]

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

EDITORIAL

Should the list be released?

FTER so much to-do the past few weeks, all parties appear now to be in favor of releasing the list of senators, other lawmakers and government officials who are involved in the multi-billion peso pork barrel scam. Yes, they’re all for disclosing the contents of the list, except Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, who ironically holds the document reportedly handed her by suspected scam mastermind Janet Lim napoles during a marathon meeting not too long ago. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who had been giving public statements and press releases about the P10-billion scam on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and related matters is urging De Lima to reveal the contents of the list. So is plunder suspect Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, another plunder suspect, appearing unperturbed by the serious situation he is in, has also been giving public statements left and right. These gentlemen have been behaving as if they know something in the list that we, ordinary

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mortals, are clueless about. This, against the deafening and intriguing silence of the other senators. now, while Secretary De Lima appears to be the only one publicly against releasing the list, one can’t blame some people for suspecting that she is actually under orders to do just that. Yes, indeed, it is easy to suspect, rightly or wrongly, that the refusal of the plucky Justice secretary to release the list is designed to protect the reputation of some people, namely friends and allies of the administration of President noynoy Aquino, her boss. However, many Filipinos, including those who are impressed by the so-called “Daang Matuwid” (straight path) dictum of the current administration believe that the Aquino government should not be afraid to make the list public since the document is not credible, anyway, coming as it is from a character named Janet Lim napoles, whose outstanding virtues do not include honesty.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

Whipping up a lot more effort

OOMInG POWER CRISIS IS MORE SERIOuS THAn THE GOVERnMEnT IS WILLInG TO ADMIT – The worst is yet to come. With reports indicating that the water in Lake Lanao is inching to critical level, longer brownouts are expected so does the anguish of the consuming public. Luzon and Visayas are likewise experiencing power interruptions but not as bad compared to Mindanao. Davao City and the rest of Mindanao are most affected by the disgusting power supply situation being solely dependent on hydroelectric power. At the height of the power crisis the Aquino administration should better stop bragging about scoring high in the economic front. Everybody notably the Department of Energy (DoE) needs to focus intently on the challenges facing the nation, particularly Mindanao. now it can be told. The Aquino leadership’s major failure has been to neglect the energy sector. There is lack of investments in power generating facilities and government is not producing enough electricity from alternative sources for the country’s kind of power-reliance problem especially in Mindanao. The impending energy crisis has become the administration’s Achilles heel. It overshadowed whatever it has accomplished in the economic fore. That’s the irony of it all. President Benigno Aquino III and his bunch of over-bearing strategists notably Energy secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla may be able to do more than put a smiling face on the government’s failure to provide potential solutions to the deplorable power deficiency situation. The dissatisfaction of the irate and aghast consuming public has risen with the perception that the government has been unable to tackle, in

particular, power shortage. The brickbats and criticism had even eaten into the performance and net satisfaction ratings of the President who, in the first quarter of the year was overwhelmingly voted high by pollsters. In the midst of the power crisis the over-assuming Petilla even has the audacity to tell particularly the Mindanao consumers that massive brownouts are nothing new in the island considering that it is solely dependent on hydroelectric power. Goodness gracious! Instead of providing the people with convincing statements that the government is doing all it can to cushion the impact of the power shortage, the energy secretary only makes the people’s anxiety to rise. That has made the consuming public suspicious that the power deficiency problem could be more serious than the Aquino administration is willing to admit. The power crisis came as no surprise since the administration already knows full well about the looming problem as early as January of this year. The debilitating brownouts lasting to 4 to 6 hours daily in Davao City and 10 to 12 hours in other provinces are not only infuriating and disgusting, but also depressing prompting the disenchanted consuming public to berate and curse the government. Given their unpopularity to the consumers, ranking officials notably secretary Petilla should avoid strolling in crowded places

particularly in badly affected areas in Mindanao to avoid being pelted with rotten tomatoes while people from the sidelines are chanting, “Resign! Resign now!” In Mindanao these days it is not safe to assume anything especially about the power situation. The vagueness, from officials who should know exactly such crucial situation, nothing is definite; everything is hanging on the balance. Confusion can be found in every nook and cranny of concerned government agencies. The consuming public should never assume anything because nothing is quite what it seems. The current power distribution system is really very sick. In a country where power generating facilities and distribution system is uncertain, it is no wonder that consumers glean from whatever solutions are available. There is so little effort, snail-paced action, and so much obfuscation and dissembling, that no one is sure of anything. This is certainly the case when it comes to government explaining unclearly and in uncertain terms the recent public dissatisfaction because of the unabated power interruptions. The Aquino administration’s problems don’t end there. Aside from the looming energy crisis, the inflation spiral is expected to worsen with an impending increase in prices of gasoline and other refined petroleum products. Rice cartels continue to manipulate prices while the government rice importation program has been questioned for alleged overpricing. The incomparable PDAF financial scandal continues to haunt the government and a never ending list of more pressing concerns. The Aquino administration may need to whip up a lot more effort to meet the challenges ahead.

Learning, loving to write

LMOST everybody, if not everybody, thinks that writing is a gift, not a craft that can be learned, honed and mastered. If you’re talking about poetry and other forms of creative writing, maybe you’re right. Surely, William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe were a species above Homo sapiens when it comes to literature. It would take eons of evolutionary process to equal or surpass their superior literary genes. But I’m talking about the “ordinary” forms of writing, the one we use at work, in school and other daily interactions. These don’t require skills in applying figures of speech like metaphor and hyperbole. The only requisite here is knowledge on verb-subject agreement, proper grouping of sentences into a paragraph, and logical sequencing of ideas. Sadly, not a good percentage of students, including those in college, can write a few coherent sentences much less paragraphs that tell a story or convey a message clearly. I’ve read a good number of essays by both high school and college students, and the way they’re written made my blood pressure rise. Mind you, it’s not only the grammar and syntax that we’re dealing with but also the obvious absence of mental effort – never mind heart – put into them. One must wonder how students – in

SOMEONE ELSE’S WINDOWS By H. MarcoS c. MordEno particular those taking up social sciences and other courses that require a lot of writing – come to earn degrees if they barely have the basic skills in written communication. Reading their term papers, exams and dissertations would be instructive of just how much the educational system itself has become one huge anomaly. Such problem naturally extends to the workplace. Many office workers have to wrench their guts out to be able to write a simple report or memo. In my previous work with a un-funded environment project, many of my fellow employees were honest enough to admit that writing reports is the last thing they’d like to do. So, whose fault is it if our students and children cannot effectively communicate in writing? Are the schools and teachers to blame? And if they are at fault, what could be lacking in the instructional system? It would help to ask English language teachers how much time they devote to teaching their students to write. Yet, whatever shortcoming our schools may have is only part of the entire picture. I believe the home is the best place to start

teaching children to write. Parents need not be good writers themselves to do this. nor do they need to converse with their children in English in the belief that it would subsequently develop their writing ability too. not at all, the biggest thing that talking in English at home could do is alienate the children from their native tongue. Here’s what my own parents did to me: They just pampered me with books. And no, I didn’t start right away with novels like “The House of the Seven Gables” but with kiddie stuff like “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves”. I started from there and later gobbled up Greek mythology, King Arthur, the Shakespearean tragedies and the other classics. In short, my parents taught me to love reading but not in an imposing way. They would just place the reading materials either on my bed or beside my toys. That’s how I fell in love with the written word. And when it happened, it was like an unstoppable flood rushing into a vast desert of thirst for knowledge. You want your children to learn writing? Make them fall in love with reading first. It will open a whole new world for them – now and in the future. [MindaViews is the opinion section of Mindanews. H. Marcos C. Mordeno can be reached at hmcmordeno@gmail.com.]

VANTAGE POINTS

Apple’s many magic tricks COMMENTARY By Edward HadaS

(Conclusion)

uT Apple is trying. While eBay, another California success story, said on Tuesday that it has decided to pay the tax needed to bring cash earned abroad into the united States, Apple is doing its best not to pay that price, borrowing to fund its $11 billion annual dividend and its $90 billion buyback plan. The company has certainly got the hang of the buyback accounting manoeuvre. Share repurchases are counted as a return of capital, even when they clearly aren’t a response to a shrinking business. This unsound classification, though hardly Apple’s choice, pushes up earnings per share, the standard measure of corporate success. Hey, presto: the distribution of a high portion of profits, which is a sign of a lack of corporate opportunity, is changed into an EPS increase, a sign of growth. Apple’s magic tricks matter. A shareholder, for one, should have mixed feelings. While the financial returns of Apple’s asset-light approach have been excellent, its reliance on design and marketing almost dooms it to be a niche producer. Rivals with more industrial depth and more willingness to share their expertise will eventually capture most of the market for any product, as Apple has discovered in phones and is learning in tablets. More fundamentally, there is something disconcerting – perhaps even irresponsible – about a company with a market capitalisation above $500 billion that does not manufacture much of what it sells, does not employ most of the people who make its products, does not pay tax at the full rate and does not tell a perfectly straight story in its financial statements, even if some of that follows from rules not of Apple’s making. Apple tries to supervise its suppliers and it is always subject to discipline by its customers. Still, in effect, the rich rewards reaped by Apple and its shareholders come in part from leaving to others what used to be considered some of the most fundamental responsibilities of big, high-tech businesses. From the perspectives of economic efficiency and economic justice, other companies, groups of employees, governments or consumers probably have a better claim than Apple’s shareholders on much of its profit. They also might make better use of the cash, which is too plentiful for Apple to spend wisely. Of course, Apple isn’t alone in employing some sleight of hand. And it makes real money, not just intangible paper profits. It doesn’t hand egregious amounts of stock to top employees. It’s less aggressive with tax-reducing convolutions than some. And it makes more effort than most to maintain both the image and the reality of good corporate citizenship. Yet for all this, its magical – or perhaps just post-modern – business model looks like a pretty weak way to support a vital industry.

10 NEWS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

MGB recognizes CA grant of injunction to NADECOR

HE MGB has finally recognized the Court of Appeal’s (CA) decision to grant a Writ of Preliminary Injunction to the nationwide Development Corp. (nADECOR), the Philippine partner of the uS-based St. Augustine Gold & Copper Ltd. (SAGCL), in developing the uS$2-billion King-King Copper Gold Project (KCGP) inPantukan, Compostela Valley. The recent move by the MGB signifies that it is now recognizing the Calalang-led board of the nADECOR as the legit owner and operator of the mining project inPantukan. In a letter to nADECOR, noel B. Angeles, the acting regional director of MGB Region 11, even clarified that the MGB “did not return the DMPF nor recommended for its cancellation.” He further said that the MGB proceeded with the preliminary review of the DMPF (Declaration of Mining Project Feasibility) on January 21, 2014. Subsequently, the MGB approved two programs of the KCGP necessary for the project’s continuing development in Pantukan. Approved by the MGB for implementation were the Annual Safety and Health

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Program (ASHP) and the Community Development Program (CDP) of KCGP for this year. The ASHP was approved last March 14 while CDP was approved on April 14. KCGP submitted the safety and health plan wherein activities will be managed in accordance with best practices and applicable laws and regulations. It addresses hazards whether or not they are regulated by government standards. KCGP country manager Clyde Gillespie said that safety is not only a priority but a core value and KCGP works to build a culture of safety not only in the work site but throughout the community. “The goal is to ensure that every employee returns home safe and healthy from their work place every day. The King-king project strives to create a safe, and accident and injury free workplace and community,” said Gillespie. On the other hand, the CDP’s Certificate of Approval was granted after the KCGP substantially complied with the mandated requirements specified under the DEnR Administrative Order (DAO) no. 2010-13. [BOT]

landowners, and (3) to offer amnesty by way of waving penalties, interests, and surcharges payable during defined period,” Laviña said. “The same aims, I believe, remain very valid in today’s situation. Moreover, I remember that during the debates, it was pointed out the amnesty should not be granted again for at least 10 years. Well, it has been 13 years now since we passed the amnesty program,” he added. Laviña said Davao City is not actually “remiss” in its RPT collection as its performance is way above the median among the key cities in the country. Based on available data at the Bureau of Local Government Finance, Laviña said he was able to get comparison of key cities in Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao on the submitted financial reports for 2012 showing the RPT share of the total local tax. “Davao City actually has one among the respectable share in RPT in local tax

collection, at 35 % next to Bacolod, which had 37.51 % and Makati, at 36.57 %. Quezon City had an RPT share of only 22.56%., way below the average,” he said. “Obviously, both LGus and landowners are beset with problems with challenges on this issue that aiming a 100% RPT collection is nearly impossible. Many LGus throughout the country have, in fact, granted RPT amnesty, mostly recently Cabanatuan City, Parañaque City and Mandaluyong City,” he added. Laviña expressed his belief that Davao City can improve on this performance if it would grant RPT amnesty. “I recall in 2002, Treasurer Riola reported an increase in the RPT collection as well as clearing up the list of delinquent landowners. To propose a new RPT amnesty now for Davao City would give the Local Finance Committee and the city council to study and deliberate on this issue. And if approved, it can be implemented immediately in the first quarter of next year,” he said.

needed. Avila said first thirty minutes of heavy downpour is ideal time to collect water, pointing out that five liters of water collected would already mean big savings to the households. Avila said subdivisions are also required maintain rainwater catchment

system.“This is very viable here,” he said. He pointed out that harvesting of rainwater has been practiced in other countries like Israel which has advance technology for the adopting the process. The first to adopt the system in the city is the Philippine Science High School. [CRC]

Tax rebate...FFROM 2

FOAMS. Sponges made from overrun foams for beds and sofas are transported by a peddler from Matina to the retailers at Bankerohan Public Market in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

DAP to implement new programs for quality higher education in PHL T HE Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) is determined to establish a higher education development leadership institute and a career system for state universities and colleges (SuCs) to further enhance the competitiveness of higher education in the country. In an interview with the Philippines news Agency, Dennis Barnachea, program manager of the Executive Development Program for State universities and Colleges (EDPS), said these initiatives would help boost the capability of school administrators and faculty in implementing initiatives in reforming the high-

er education system. These proposals are also supported by the 92 SuC presidents who completed the Executive Course in Education Management and Leadership which is a component of the EPDS. According to Barnachea, the establishment of a higher education development leadership institute will further provide training and development to faculty and SuC heads. “The institute will offer programs that will help boost the capability of our faculty and SuC heads and will institute professionalism among their ranks,” according to him. On the other hand, the SuC

career system will help ensure that the selection of school heads will be based on merits. “The SuC career system aims to make the selection process of SuC management not politicized. This would ensure that only the best and brightest will be selected to head the learning institutions,” Barnachea said. The Executive Development Program for State universities and Colleges (EDPS) is a powerful and practical learning opportunity for key officials of SuCs, through the delivery of executive leadership and management competencies, putting emphasis on performance excellence, strategic innovation,

entrepreneurship and global competitiveness. It seeks to develop skills of the SuC leadership to implement innovations in pursuit of the Philippine Higher Education Reform Roadmap. The roadmap seeks to improve the efficiency of operations of SuCs through increasing student financial assistance, rationalizing the number of public higher learning institutions, align leading SuCs to international standards, modernize facilities of developing SuCs, and establish an executive development program to improve management of schools, among others. [PNA]

and noise of the rest of the world seem so far away. In Camella Davao, a beautiful guarded entrance welcomes residents and guests into a verdant landscaped avenue that leads into streets and paths fringed with greenery and blooms that highlight the vibrant colors of the homes they enfold. Here, a selection of 12 home models allows one to choose exactly how one prefers to live. From the luxurious Jewel Series, the community offers the Lladro, Murano, Rubyand Emerald models – each one a work of art. From the popular Camella Series comes the Elaisa, Drina, Carmela, Mara, Marga and Rinamodels; and from the cozy LessandraSeries, the community offers the Margaritaand Reana models –both ideal for families who are just beginning to turn their dreams into realities. The sprawling clubhouse with a tropical feel inspires a sense of camaraderie among neighbors. Here, residents gather for

special events and memorable moments. Around the clubhouse, a series of children’s playgrounds and a basketball court ring with the sounds of play and friendly competition. Strewn throughout the development is a network of pathways and bike lanes for joggers, bikers, skateboarders, or just plain strollers. Parks scattered around the village are the perfect places for more play, picnicking and other activities that bring families closer together and create lasting friendships. To guarantee the residents’ sense of well-being and safety, roving guards and full perimeter walls embrace the property providing the security families need to live fully and comfortably. Beyond this, andin line withCamella’s and Vista Land’s dream to build homes for every Filipino family, Camella offers easy payment schemes, making it even easier to own a home. Live With Complete Ac-

cessibility and Convenience Camella Davao’s entrance is conveniently accessible from Davao’s main thoroughfares – the Airport Road, Lanang Road and JP Laurel Avenue – where the city’s major establishments and businesses are located. The International Airport is conveniently five minutes from the community’s gate and the busy Sasa Wharf is only 15 minutes away. All these give residents an easy access to means of transportationand a hassle-free movement throughout the city and province. This unparalleled accessibility also means that living in Camella Davao makes one closer to the province’s historic landmarks and bewitching beaches – especially with the jump-off point to Samal Island being so near by. To allow for the lifestyle that Filipino families deserve, the community is located close to the city’s business and commercial hubs. It also has very easy access to schools. Jose Maria College, Colegio de

San Ignacio, nikkei Jin Kai, Stella Maris Academy, and the Happy Tots Early Childhood Academy are all within 10 quick minutes from the community, while the university of Southeastern Philippines is no more than 15 minutes away. Malls and entertainment centers like SM Lanang, Abreeza, Mall, and the Damosa Complex – a BPO and restaurant row, are also less than 15 minutes away. And for the homeowner’s daily needs, the Panacan and Agdao public markets are a quick five to 10 minutes from the village. There are also several places of worship nearby, such as the Carmelite Sisters, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Redemptorist Church, the Iglesia ni Cristo, and the Scripture Baptist Church. Because health is a key concern, the Davao Medical Center, Davao Medical School Foundation, Inc. and the Metro Davao Medical and Research Center are all conveniently close by. One can reach them in less than 15 minutes.

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EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

BIGGER PICTURE

PHL doctors spell out limits of social media use in the medical profession W

HILE social media may be used by healthcare practitioners as a tool to share helpful tips, if misused or abused, it could ruin the entire medical profession. Based on a mini-survey conducted by the Healthxph, a site which shows how social media can impact the Philippines health landscape, it was reported that a majority of Filipino doctors own a social media account. About 96 percent of these doctors have a Facebook account, the remaining four percent plans to open an account in the future and of the 96 percent, only eight percent of doctors use Facebook for healthcare. Orthopedic surgeon and Healthxph medical blogger Dr. Remo-Tito Aguilar of St. Louis Hospital said that separating personal and professional presence online was already difficult for healthcare practitioners to do in itself. “If you are a doctor then the people will interpret your actions online as that of a healthcare professional,” Dr. Aguilar said during day 2 of the seminar conducted by the Philippine College of Physicians on Tuesday. He noted that there is no such thing as private space in social media because once a person posts a status update, comment or photo, it immediately goes to the public domain and may be found in searches by the public. Consequences nowadays, healthcare practitioners would post on Facebook without thinking of the implication of their rants on patients, bashing on colleagues or even simply posting photos of them being like everyone else going crazy at the beach and partying while chugging down large amounts of liquor. Doctor-lawyer Ivy Pat-

du-Calaquian of the Asian Hospital and Medical Center for her part said that the consequences of the misuse or abuse social media are both legal and ethical. “There are some legal consequences such as copyright infringement, defamation or libel, cybercrime law but just because something is not illegal or can be punished by imprisonment doesn’t mean it’s allowed,” Atty. Calaquian said. Health practitioners who purposely or accidentally post confidential information about their patients are immediately at risk of losing their job. “Ethical violations especially for physicians in the Philippines can be the cause of administrative liability which could mean revocation of your (medical) license,” she added.

She said that to avoid situations like these from occurring, it would be best not to add patients as a friend on Facebook or using a separate account for personal matters. For physicians who would like to discuss cases with fellow physicians, creating a private group could also come in good use. ‘Pause before you post’ Gastroenterologist Dr. Ivan Vicente of university of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital meanwhile reminded healthcare practitioners to mind their own internet presence and monitor what it is they post. Posting health advices for a specific patient may be taken generally and may even result to other Facebook users applying these

advices for themselves when it is actually not applicable. He also warned healthcare practitioners of the dangers of bashing co-workers or ranting about patients on social media as it could affect the profession as a whole. “Medical professionalism has been ingrained in our heads since med school. But why are there still lapses online? Why do we still see doctors posting unprofessional content? Dr. Vicente said. One factor, he stressed, is due to the fact that there are no policies or guidelines on social use publicly available in medical schools, societies or institutions unlike abroad. Atty. Calaquin however said that being a healthcare practitioner meant having to

face a higher form of responsibility. Benefits Despite the consequences to social media misuse and abuse, Dr. Aguilar said that it had just as many benefits to the health sector— one of which is patient education. Dr. Aguilar cited the Facebook page of cardiologist known for his guestings in TV show, Salamat Dok, Dr. Willie Ong which is regularly updated with health tips posted by Dr. Ong himself. He said that another common use of social media is to provide patient support groups since it facilitates conversation between patients. One example is the Smiling Kidneys Club which pro-

vides moral, sometimes even financial support for kidney patients. Social media also allows healthcare practitioners to increase awareness for the general public by posting health alerts. He noted that even the Department of Health (DOH) had its own Facebook and Twitter accounts. For healthcare practitioners who are part of an institution, social media can be used to provide support services, to listen to the community and increase the brand awareness. “Do not fear social media,” Dr. Aguilar said. “It is an amazing tool for healthcare professionals however you should learn to use it properly.” [PNA]

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

INdulge!

VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

FASHION

FIDA’s new breed of fashion designers

By Kenneth Irving Ong The Fashion Institute of Design and Arts (FIDA) recently held their graduation fashion showcase at the Atrium of SM Lanang Premier. Already FIDA’s second graduation, the show featured thirteen graduates, four from their two-year program, eight from their oneyear program and one for fashion merchandising.

Taking the Academy Award winning musical Chicago as her inspiration, Maizy Colleen Tan was inspired by the 1920’s vibe and dance movements of the cabaret shows in the movie.

Nicole Calope’s Pasquinade collection featured flapper dresses with intricately done beadwork inspired by the romance and opulent 1920’s setting of The Great Gatsby.

This year the collections that were showcased by the fashion design graduates were inspired by movies from a wide spectrum of genres from recent hits such as The Great Gatsby and Sex and the City, to more classic movies such as The Stepford Wives and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Daphne Balagtas, the sole graduate of the fashion merchandising course styled and showcased the latest collection by Forever21.

Inspired by the colourful world of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, Julia Ilarde’s Curious collection featured a range of styles from pastel coloured floral appliqués on etherial flowing dresses, quirky earth-toned ensembles with jeweltone accents, to red dresses with beaded gold accents.

Transforming from the light to darkness, Don Maki’s Delirium collection captured the tone of the physiological thriller, Black Swan. His beautifully crafted dresses played with light and shapes and were inspired by the costumes worn by ballerinas on the stage, transitioning from pink and demure to black.

April Carolino took inspiration from the Bollywood film, Fashion for her Desire collection with featured various playsuits and short dresses with gold appliqués.

A2 INdulge! UP AND ABOUT

Celebrate Mother’s Day at RBG MOTHER’S DAy is the perfect time to show our gratitude to all moms. What better way to celebrate Mom’s special day than to treat her to a delightful family lunch where she can feast on a wide variety of culinary specialties, without having to lift a finger in preparation? RBG invites you its Mother’s Day lunch buffet featuring a spread of intercontinental dishes, added with prime meat and Italian flavors on the carving and pasta stations. Children also get to make their own burger and select their own filling from a range of ingredients provided at the kiddie table. The main highlight at carving station is RBG’s luscious Roasted Crown of Pork with Vegetable Stuffing, while the pasta station offers Italian specialties and a variety of rich and tasty essences and toppings. Rounding out RBG’s lunch menu are trays and platters of assorted meat, seafood, chicken and vegetables, plus an array of soup, salads, fresh fruits, and cakes. There’s also a station where you can mix your own Halo-Halo --- something sweet and refreshing to cool off the summer heat. Call 272 7600 and book your table now. RBG (Restaurant, Bar & Grill) is located at the ground level of Park Inn by Radisson Davao.

Waterfront’s Salute to Moms SHE is the light of the family, the bond that binds everybody together. The epitome of unconditional love, she gives us strength and the courage to face the world. She is simply called “Mom.” This May 11, 2014, celebrate Mother’s Day at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao and treat your Mom to an International Buffet Lunch at Café Uno with as much as 50% discount. Give her a taste of scrumptious cuisine from around the world with the whole family, without having to hop on a plane. If a noontime meal sounds a bit too heavy, head on over to Pizzaiolo and indulge in a merienda buffet of Afternoon Treats. Animated conversations and capturing moments in between snacks of assorted sandwiches, cakes and pastries would be memories with Mom worth treasuring. The cool sea breeze, beautifully landscaped gardens and relaxing ambiance all add to the perfect afternoon setting for quality family time. An entire day of delighting mom to show our appreciation for a lifetime of care would be moments spent well at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao. Reservations are highly encouraged. Call us at (082) 233 2881 extension 8700 or 300 8881. Like us also on Facebook, www.facebook.com/waterfront.davao.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

ASUS launches N550JK multimedia notebook with quad-array speakers ASUS Philippines today announced new N550JK multimedia notebook with fine-treated metallic surfaces throughout, including the underside. The elegant design, which uses light and durable aluminum, also retains the ripple-like speaker mesh seen on previous N Series models. The notebook is the first-ever to feature a quad-speaker array with the use of ASUS SonicMaster Premium to deliver rich surround audio. The N550JK notebook now ship with 4th-generation Intel® Core™ i7-4700HQ processor and also feature NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX850M graphics with 4GB VRAM for outstanding visual performance. Equipped with a non-reflective screen and IPS display for vibrant images with wide viewing angles. SonicMaster Premium audio with quad-speaker array The N550JK advances

multimedia notebook sound performance with SonicMaster Premium, codeveloped by Bang & Olufsen ICEpower®. The N550JK is the first-ever notebooks with four speakers, and therefore are capable of cinematic-quality surround sound to enhance immersion in movies, games, and other content. The patented external SonicMaster subwoofer augments bass output and adds powerful deep notes that music lovers are sure to appreciate. Strong bass likewise makes movies and

games more realistic and impressive. For flexible user-controlled and automatic sound tuning, ASUS includes professional MaxxAudio sound-processing tools and the exclusive ASUS AudioWizard utility. Customers can easily change sound settings or choose one of several presets based on preference and usage. High-powered multimedia 4th generation Intel® Core® i7-4700HQ processor provide fast and smooth performance in all applica-

tions, including handling heavy multitasking loads. For graphics, N550JK Series notebooks ship with discrete NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX850M with 4GB VRAM that is gaming-grade GPUs that support the latest DirectX® 11 gaming in high detail. Also ideal for video editors and graphics artists that requires heavy rendering for their precious work. N Series notebooks feature powerful dual rearventing exhausts to expel heat and push noise away from users. Lower temperatures translate into stable operation, while customers enjoy cooler and quieter environments. Entertainment-enabling displays For vibrant and detailed visuals, the N550JK uses a 15.6-inch IPS display with 178-degree viewing angles. It offers full HD 1080p, so photos, movies and games always look their best and color accurate.

Dyan Castillejo, The Mompreneur Fair, Reel Love, and more at Abreeza Mall this Mother’s Day weekend For Mother’s Day, Abreeza Mall hosts a big celebration befitting our beloved mothers. From May 8 to 11, 2014, a series of events are in store for moms and their families: The Mompreneur Fair: Celebrating Davao’s Smart, Savvy Women from May 8 to 11; reel Love, a Mother’s Day video booth that runs from May 9 to 11; and on Mother’s Day itself, Fun Fitness sessions hosted by holiday Gym & Spa and a fitness talk by Filipina sports icon Dyan Castillejo. From May 8 to 11, The Mompreneur Fair takes over the Activity Center with its showcase of oneof-a-kind products and services by Davao’s enterprising moms. Also at the exhibit are Abreeza Mall merchants bringing health, wellness, food, and fashion offerings to the mix. A unique component of this year’s Mother’s Day celebration is reel Love, a campaign across all Ayala Malls nationwide that involves a booth where mall-goers get to express their love for mom

through 15-second videos. Abreeza Mall’s reel Love video booth runs from May 9 to 11 at the Ground Floor hallway (near Chowking).The top three video entries will be posted on Abreeza Mall’s Instagram account for online voting from May 13 to 14. The participant whose video entry garners the most number of likes will be announced on May 16 and will win special prizes for his or her mom. on May 11, Mother’s Day, moms are invited to enjoy an active afternoon at the Abreeza Mall Activ-

ity Center beginning with Fun Fitness with holiday Gym & Spa, which fea-

tures Dance Mix at 2:00 p.m. and Yoga at 3:00 p.m. To inspire ladies to stay fabulously fit, Dyan Castillejo, host of ABS-CBN’s Sports Unlimited and one of the country’s female sports icons, gives a talk at the Activity Center at 4:00 p.m. For inquiries and updates on Abreeza Mall events, please visit the Main Concierge at the ground floor or call (082) 321-9332. Stay updated by liking www.facebook. com/AbreezaMall and following @abreezatweets on Twitter and @iloveabreezamall on Instagram.

EDGEDAVAO

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

ENTERTAINMENT

Carmina Villarroel topbills Photo of the day ‘MMK’ Mother’s Day special

CARMINA VILLARROEL will play the role of a martyr wife and mother in the upcoming Mother’s Day special of “MMK” this Saturday (May 10). Dina’s (Carmina) family life is almost perfect until her husband Carlo (Bernard Palanca) gets involved in an affair with another woman with whom he has two kids. Dina loves Carlo so much that she is willing to accept him back after several years of being separated. How deep is a mother’s love that would do just about anything for her family, including taking care of her husband’s children from his past relationship? Also featured in “MMK” are yam Comcepcion, Paul Salas, Miguel Vergara, Carlo Lacana, John Vincent Ser-

villa, Louise Abuel, Jhiz Deocareza, Ces Quezada, Boboy Garovillo, and Sonjia Calit. It is directed by Raz dela Torre, written by Benson Logronio and Arah Jell Badayos, and researched by Juvien Galano.

“MMK” is led by business unit head Malou Santos, production manager Roda dela Cerna, and executive producers Lindsay Anne Dizon and Fe Catherine San Pablo. Don’t miss Asia’s longest-

running drama anthology, “MMK,” this Saturday night after “Wansapanataym” on ABS-CBN. For more updates, log on to MMK.abs-cbn. com, follow @MMKOfficial on Twitter, and like ang Facebook.com/MMKOfficial.

May Fourth, or more popularly called World Star Wars Day, may be over but that will not stop us from posting an out of this world Star Wars tribute photo starring local celebrities Iza Calzado, Julia Barretto and Iya Villania dressed as everyone’s favourite Star Wars leading ladies.

Andrea and Raikko salute mothers in ‘Wansapanataym’ KAPAMILyA child stars Adrea Brillantes and Raikko Mateo will celebrate Mother’s Day this Saturday (May 10) as they pay tribute to mommy viewers in the continuation of their “Wansapanataym” special ‘My Guardian Angel.’ As he disguises himself as a normal kid, Kiko (Raikko) finally feels the love of a mother when ylia’s (Andrea) family decided to adopt him. However, despite his intention to help, ylia begins to feel jealous of Kiko because of the attention that

Carol (Mylene Dizon) has been giving him. How will Kiko be able to help in fixing ylia’s relationship with her

mother now that she hates him? Also featured in ‘My Guardian Angel’ are Ejay Falcon, Ketchup Eusebio, Ruby

Rubi, Gerard Pizarras, Abby Bautista, Racquel Pareño, Lui Villaruz, Dale Badillo, and Vangie Martell. It is written by Joel Mercado and directed by Jon ‘Sponky’ Villarin. Don’t miss the continuation of Andrea and Raikko’s month-long special in the 2014 Gandingan Awards’ Best Development-Oriented Children’s Program, “Wansapanataym” this Saturday, 6:45pm, after “Bet On your Baby” in ABS-CBN. For more updates, log on to www.abs-cbn.com or follow @abscbndotcom on Twitter.

Kalerkilengke in ‘Taste Buddies’ this Saturday EXPERIENCE a different Saturday adventure with Solenn Heussaff and Belle Daza as ‘Taste Buddies’ hits the streets early to catch the freshest food finds inside Quezon City’s popular marketplace – Farmer’s Market. Solenn teams up with Ryza Cenon to become a fruit vendor’s protégés for the day. Will they learn the skills to create a watermelon basket? Meanwhile, Belle and Benj Alves learn how to debone a bangus! Culinary graduate Steven Silva, on the other hand, will go solo to buy ingredients and cook his version of Sinigang na Miso. Belle will also show two incredible ways to store leafy greens to keep them fresh while Solenn will give

BRICK MANSIONS 2D Paul Walker, David Belle, RZA R 13

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

THE OTHER WOMAN 2D Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton PG 13

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

SO IT'S YOU 2D Carla Abellana, Tom Rodriguez PG 13

tips to female vendors on how to attract more customers in Ganda Kayang Kaya.

The teams will also get to sample Aling Cadiang’s most delectable “paluto” dishes.

It’s another Saturdate with the lifestyle show Taste Buddies on May 10, 8:45pm, on GMA News TV

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

R-16 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 2D Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone PG 13

1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 10:00 LFS

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge!

VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

FASHION The sci-fi action movie In Time was the inspiration for Elaine Pocot’s Cynosure collection. Elaine used geometric lines paired with sexy cuts that accentuate the body.

Neil Jimlani’s Luxuex collection utilised white, chocolate and white to exude an air of elegance befitting his Breakfast at Tiffany’s inspiration. Unpredictable and daring are not typically how one describes a collection but that is how Ron Santos’ aimed for his collection to be such. Titled Ave Sinistra, the collection was inspired by the movie Snow White and the Huntsman and had Punk-Goth intertwined with hints of glamour.

With jewel tone accents paired with copper and gold, Michelle Faustino’s Lush collection harken back to the Abu Dhabi scenes of Sex and the City 2. From cocktail dresses to harm pants, her pieces are modern with a touch of playfulness and sexiness.

Feminine and fun, this is Yvette Lopez’s Sweet Fabulosity collection inspired by the movie The Stepford Wives. Her bright floral pieces have a vintage feel yet excuse an air of young confidence.

Dark and edgy silhouettes with sleek modern lines exemplify Mariah Michael’s Solstice collection. Getting inspiration form the movie Underworld, Mariah’s collection has an almost androgynous Goth feel with creative use of materials and lines.

EDGEDavao Davao Partners

Inspired by the movie Tron, Jasmine Castillo’s Spectrum collection is modern with a geometric and structured look with pieces in black, white and copper with metallic accents.

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EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

Tourist Privilege Card at SM Lanang Premier

InDAnAO’S premier shopping and lifestyle destination – SM Lanang Premier – will be officially launching a free membership card exclusively for tourists this May 9, 2014. The mall’s Tourist Privilege Card (TPC) “Shop, Eat, Enjoy” will be presented to guests from the media, government, diplomatic community, and Davao-based foreign associations at a launch to be held this Friday at Archipelago 7107, at the 2nd Level of SM Lanang Premier. It aims to offer local and foreign tourists a unique shopping and dining experience, with special discounts and exciting promos from participating stores at SM Lanang Premier. The TPC is SM Lanang Premier’s initiative to attract more tourists to come, visit and do

their shopping in Davao City. It had its soft launch during the Department of Tourism-initiated Big Davao Fun Sale period from March 14 to April 16. Since then, ongoing issuance of the TPC has been done at SM Lanang Premier to cater year-long to tourists, up until April 2015. Twenty-seven (27) tenants of SM Lanang Premier are supporting the TPC to give cardholders premium discounts and freebies on their products/services. Among these are food tenants such as Bistro Selera, Blugre Café, Archipelago 7107 by Barrio Fiesta, Cellar de Boca, Dayaw Coffee, The French Baker, Giardino Gelato, Hog’s Breath Café, Manna Korean Restaurant, Marina Tuna, Tokyo, and Toryano’s Chicken Haus; various retail shops and concept

stores– Celine, Karat World, Mags, Mossimo, The SM Store, Timberland, Juego, Crescendo, Kultura,Prestige and Meridian; and service providers –Skin Station, Rocky’s Barbershop, Benlife, and Davao Gorilla Auto Detailing. To avail of the TPC, foreigners and Filipinos who are not residents of Davao City must register with their government-issued ID and addressat the Global Pinoy Center at the Lower Ground Level of SM Lanang Premier. They can use the TPC for seven (7) days from the date of issuance. The Tourist Privilege Card will also be implemented in SM City Davao, which will have its respective set of participating tenants offering exclusive discountsand treats for local and foreign tourists.

EDGEDAVAO

MOTORING

VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014

Hot Import Nights 3 at Metrowalk By NEILWIN JOsEph L. BRAVO njb@edgedavao.net

FTER my recent trip to phuket, an invitation from a friend to a car show at the Metrotent of Metrowalk in pasig City featuring hot Import Nights 3: Underground Edition, the biggest auto show this summer. The car show featured the latest trends in car kits, painting and decals, auto wraps, audio-video set ups and car accessories. From small cars to trucks, car experts showcased their wares complete with sexy female models setting the mood to “underground level” as car

connoisseurs check out the array of wheels on display. This one I wouldn’t let pass without saying I had an eyeful but there is still something that will keep you looking for more. Hotter Import nights please next time.

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS 15 SPORTS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MAY 9-10, 2014 GOING FOR THE RECORD. Donnie Nietes fights Moises Fuentes on Saturday night at the MOA Arena.

Nietes in great shape for rematch

NBA HOPEFUL. RayRay Parks Jr. hopes to join the NBA Draft.

Parks pursues NBA dream F

ORMER national u standout Ray Parks has one goal in mind at the moment. Just this tiny goal of his. To make it to the nBA. After a couple MVP’s in the uAAP and denied a championship, Rayray looked like he was ready to finish his stint in the D-League and head straight to the draft. The PBA draft. After a couple conferences with

BDO and nLEX, he decided to pursue the ultimate dream. A crack at the nBA. After having dinner with Hans Sy of SM, Rayray packed his bags and caught a flight to Cali. He now lives in Beverly Hills. “I train in Carson City now, working from 9am-4pm everyday, just trying to get better.” His trainer there is the

same guy who recently trained Terrence Williams, former nBA and nBA D-League vet who is on the way here to play for Meralco in the Governors’ Cup. “Tomorrow, I’ll be training with Boobie Gibson on shooting and other things” said Parks. Parks Jr. is the son of the late PBA import Bobby Ray Parks.

nTERnATIOnAL Boxing Organization (IBO) Superflyweight Champion Edrin “The Sting” Dapudong of M’lang, north Cotabato will defend his title against South African challenger Lwandile Sithaya in East London, South Africa July 6. It will be the 28-year-old Dapudong’s first defense of the title he won in June last year by 1st round knockout of South African champion Gideon Buthelezi in Johannesburg. The title defense which has already been sanctioned by the IBO, comes after two botched title defense promotions, first by the Golden Gloves Promotions of South Africa which canceled a november schedule and then later by a group led by Sugar Shane Mosley, British Promoter Dennis Hobson, Fil-Am businesswoman Germaine Giles and lawyer Sydney Hall whose plan to stage a

fund-raising boxing event May 25 for Typhoon Yolanda victims did not push through. The fight against the 27-year-old Sithaya, a flyweight who is moving up to the superflyweight division, effectively saves Dapudong’s boxing title from being stripped by the IBO. IBO President Ed Levine earlier agreed to extend Dapudong’s title defense period to May because of the planned Mosley fund-raiser and recently allowed the Filipino champion to keep his title for the July 6 title defense after it was arranged by South African promoter Alyanda Matiti.

reached after almost a day of travel from Davao City. In his first trip in 2013, Dapudong fought former Olympian and 2-time world champion Buthelezi for the vacant IBO superflyweight title dominating the fight and knocking down the South African in the 9th round only to lose by split decision. In a rematch June 15 last year ordered by the IBO, Dapudong knocked out Buthelezi in the first round to win the title. With his feat, Dapudong, a product of a grassroots boxing program I started when I was Governor of north Cotabato, earned the distinction of being the first boxer from the province to win a world title. While the IBO is still not as popular as the WBC, WBA, WBO or IBF, it is gaining huge following with several big names owning IBO belts.

BO light flyweight champion Donnie “Ahas” nietes is in terrific shape for his mandatory rematch against Interim champion Moises Fuentes of Mexico in the main event of “Pinoy Pride XXV” at the Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday night. Strength and conditioning coach nick Curson told the Philboxing.com that nietes “looks amazing. His physique has changed and so has his endurance which was always kind of suspect” as evidenced in his first fight against Fuentes when nietes appeared to fade in the last couple of rounds which was aggravated by two cuts he suffered above his eyebrows Curson revealed that they had done some “altitude training” using a simulator which he brought from the uS and has used for the last month. He indicated that as a result of his overall training regimen nietes “looks phenomenal.” He said nietes “has been

sparring with some great guys such as Milan Melindo and former IBF light flyweight champion Johnreil Casimero who lost his title on the scales last week when he came in five pounds over the 108 limit. The strength and conditioning coach told us that in his first fight with Fuentes, nietes “tired out” and that now “he knows his faults and has been working on the fight strategy.” He echoed what trainer Edito “Ala” Villamor told us and that is nietes “looked great (in sparring) and he is ready to go. His conditioning is there and I don’t see why he can’t win.” Curson was clearly impressed with featherweight Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista who is making a comeback after a close, twelve round split decision loss to Jose Ramirez more than one year ago. He said Bautista has “improved so much. He was so tense, so tight in his last fight that every punch appeared it would knock him down.” Curson disclosed that the flaws

have been corrected and “now he’s got head movement, his muscles are more relaxed and he looks like he is 19 again and the kid they were talking about as the next Manny Pacquiao.” During a workout last Saturday, Curson said Bautista “he was like a Mike Tyson. This kid was so loose and explosive. It was great to see.” Recalling that “Boom Boom’S father “used to throw him in the water when he was 5 or 6 years old to get the fishing nets out he has known hard work his whole life” but pointed out that “brute strength doesn’t work well in boxing.” Curson said “you have to have a little bit of finesse, combined with a little bit of that and explosive power and that’s what we’ve been working on. I think he’ll look good in this fight and show great improvement. I think it will take one or two more fights to see what he is really capable of. I think at that point he will be a world champion. I really do.” (philboxing.com)

Segura of Mexico moved up in weight on September 19, 2011. With this development, nietes attempts to become the 4th Filipino boxer to win a lineal title in the present crop of Filipino pugilists following the footsteps of Manny Pacquiao (Featherweight, nov. 15, 2003; Super Featherweight, March 15, 2008; and Junior Welterweight, May 2, 2009), nonito Donaire Jr (Junior Featherweight, Oct. 13, 2012) and Sonny Boy Jaro (Flyweight, March 2, 2012). Filipino boxers who previously won lineal titles were Francisco Guilledo (Pancho Villa), Dado Marino, Flash Elorde, Ben Villaflor, Erbito Salavarria and Frank Cedeno.

Additionally, nietes is in hot pursuit to break the long standing record of Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde as the longest reigning Filipino title holder. Elorde reigned as world junior lightweight champion for seven years and three months from March 16, 1960 to June 15, 1967. nietes, who won the WBO minimumweight title on Sep. 30, 2007 and then the WBO junior flyweight title on Oct. 8, 2011, will be eight months shy of Elorde’s record if he successfully defends his title against Fuentes this Saturday. nietes and Fuentes battled to a majority draw during their first encounter on March 2, 2013 at the Waterfront Hotel & Casino in Cebu City.

Nietes-Fuentes fight is NorCot ring star to defend world title also for Ring Lineal belt I The July 6 title defense against Sithaya will be staged in the Orient Palace in East London, South Africa. This will be Dapudong’s third trip to the country at the tip of the African continent which could be

HE WBO light flyweight title fight between defending champion Donnie nietes of the Philippines and mandatory challenger Moises Fuentes of Mexico this Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila has gained added significance when the Ring Magazine has elevated the bout to vie for the Ring Junior Flyweight Lineal Belt. In a note from its latest ratings update, Ring stated that the “Ratings Panel has OK’d this bout to be for THE RInG’s vacant junior flyweight title.” nietes is rated no. 1 and Fuentes no. 3 by Ring. The Ring light flyweight title became vacant when then lineal champion Giovanni

16 EDGEDAVAO

VOL. VOL.77ISSUE ISSUE39 39••FRIDAY-SATURDAY, FRIDAY-SATURDAY,MAY MAY9-10, 9-10,2014 2014

Sports

ALL AROUND. Adamson hotshot Sheila Pineda had a great all-around game in the win (Photo: Noel Monzales/Yahoo Philippines)

RETURN OF THE QUEEN. Rachel Anne Daquis scored a game-high 21 in the win (Photo: Noel Monzales/Yahoo Philippines)

DAVAO AGILAS. Davao playmaker En-En Raterta had her hands full against Adamson (Photo: Noel Monzales/Yahoo Philippines)

FEU advances, Davao fumbles

HE Far Eastern university (FEu) went to their reinforcement duo of Power Pinays Rachel Anne Daquis and Jovelyn Gonzaga showed their fangs as they combined for 41 points for the Lady Tamaraws who defeated the former league leading Arellano university (Au) Lady Chiefs 25-16, 25-15, 24-26, 25-16 and assure itself of a semifinals berth in the ongoing Shakey’s V-League’s first conference. In another interesting match, a rejuvenated Adamson university demolished crowd-favorite Davao in straight sets 25-15, 25-23, 25-15 to keep its Final Four

hopes alive. Daquis, the national team skipper, unloaded a season-high 21 markers for FEu which included five aces from her vaunted “Remote Control Serve” as the Lady Chiefs’ form continued to plummet after opening the season with an immaculate 3-0 slate. Au has now lost three of its last four matches with this last one being the final blow to their title aspirations as they will join idle St. Benilde as the two teams eliminated from Group 2. While Daquis, the 26-year-old bombshell from Taytay, Rizal kept the opposing receivers busy with her tantalizing serves, Gonzaga,

the 21-year-old from Jordan, Guimaras tore apart the Arellano defenses with her lefty detonations off brilliant sets from league Best Setter frontrunner Yna Papa. Gonzaga also shone brightly on defense as she came away with twenty “excellents” (13 excellent digs and 7 excellent receptions) that led to almost flawless playmaking for Papa, whose 28 excellent sets padded her lead in the setting department over her closest rival; Davao’s En-En Raterta. The regular starters also had a field day as starting middle-hitter Remy Palma— slowly regaining her agility as she recovers from a bum

left knee—garnered fourteen points (including three blocks) and team scoring leader Bernadeth Pons, who unleashed a barrage of shots en route to eleven markers. Arellano showed its old form in the third set when they capitalized on some lackluster moments from the Lady Tamaraws to get back into the groove on both ends. Former FEu player Danna Henson—now fully recovered from a bout with the flu—scored most of her eleven points in the third canto as she was joined by six-foot teenager CJ Rosario and former national university (nu) varsity athlete Elaine Sagun in matching FEu

clash against nCAA semifinalist the College of St. Benilde on Thursday (May 8th) a non-bearing affair. But there actually is so much at stake for nu in that match-up as a win would assure them of the top spot in their group and avoid a semifinals confrontation with— quite possibly—the university of Santo Tomas (uST); the squad that stretched them to five sets during the preliminary round. But Adamson may have a thing or two to say about that claim as they became the last team to get their quarterfinal stint underway and ended up getting the much needed triumph over the Lady Agilas.

dina and animal caretakers Crisanto Villanueva and Ponciano Pianar, who assisted in releasing the birds. The young birds were courtesy of the DCP zoo in Maa, which is owned by the Dizon family that also owns the land in Mandug/Indangan which the Sta. Lucia has developed into an all-weather world-class golf course and residential property. “We also have Philippine deer and crocodiles here at Rancho Palos Verdes,” said Caseñas. The all-weather golf course use to have ostriches and monkeys. “But the ostriches and

monkeys were brought back to the zoo. The monkeys were disturbing the golfers by taking their balls at the course,” said Medina. Aside from releasing the birds, employees and caddies also jointly conducted a street cleaning at Barangay Mandug in the morning. They were able to fill up sacks of plastic bottles and cellophanes taken from the streets. The sacks were later thrown at the garbage pit of RPV for proper disposition. Later in the afternoon, a kite flying contest was held at the driving range near hole no. 10.

Rancho Palos Verdes releases 10 wild birds during Earth Day 2014 T

RELEASING THE BIRD. Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club general manager Albert Casenas holds on to one of the 10 birds they released at the golf course in Mandug/Indangan.

practically spike for spike. However, the Lady Chiefs seemed to run out of fuel in the fourth set and the Morayta lasses imposed their will anew to advance to only its fourth semifinal since joining the league in 2004. The last time the Lady Tams advanced to the Final Four was in 2010, then under Head Coach nes Pamilar and lost the bronze medal series to Lyceum. That was also Daquis’ final year as a regular player for FEu. The victory by the Lady Tamaraws also assured that nu—the defending champions—also advance to the semis, which should render the Lady Bulldogs’ upcoming

HE Rancho Palos Verdes, the first development of Sta. Lucia in Davao City, celebrated this year’s Earth Day by releasing ten wild birds at its 164-hectare golf and residential property located in Mandug-Indangan. RPVGCC general manager Albert Caseñas and his staff released four Serpent Eagles, two Falcons, two Brahminy Kite and two Grass Owls one at a time. Among those who released the birds were HR head Marissa Baduya and Events and Promotion Erzza Abuan. Also present were Davao Crocodile Park operation manager Phil Amer Me-