Edge Davao 7 Issue 67

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

NO SPECIAL TREATMENT. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte submits himself to security frisking like everyone else before entering the premises of The Marco Polo Davao last Monday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

ACUÑA CCTV CLIP OUT Police to file case if footage supports eyewitness’statement

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

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abf@edgedavao.net

HE regional Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) and the private counsel of the family of slain-lawyer Emmanuel Ledesma Acuña is set to review the closed circuit television (CCTV) footage of the bank where the former government lawyer was shot last May 30.

Sasa Police Precinct commander Sr. Insp. Paulino Zaulga Jr. revealed that private counsel Marie Kristine A. Reginio and PAO regional chief Francis A. Calatrava requested to review the footage to find out if the statement of the eye witness will corroborate the video clips.

“Gusto nila kasi na kung ano yung nakita ng witness… gusto nila tama yung ano... kung nakaputi ba yung nasa CCTV. Titingnan din nila kung ma zoom ba yun, ” Zaulga told Edge Davao in telephone interview yesterday.

Zaulga said that after the lawyers review the footage and find out that it will support the statement

of the witness, they will immediately file the case.

“Pag tama nga yun, we have to prepare everything. Hihintayin natin ang autopsy report kay sa Manila pa galing, forensic expert ang gumawa nun… kasama yan sa attachment natin,” Zaulga explained.

As of this writing, Zaulga said they were on their way to review the footage.

Zaulga told reporters in an earlier interview that he will also ask the affidavit of the girlfriend of Acuña which she executed with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

He said that the girlfriend opted to execute her affidavit to NBI upon

advice of her lawyer.

Zaulga admitted they are looking for a certain ‘person of interest’ in the case. He hinted that this person of interest could be Francis Gerald Ang, ex-boyfriend of Acuña’s girlfriend.

In an earlier report, the gunman allegedly rode a black pick-up vehicle parked nearby. The eyewitness’ narration coincided with the testimony of the slain lawyer’s girlfriend who was earlier interviewed by investigators.

Acuña was reportedly gunned down by an unidentified assailant between 8:50 and 9:30 p.m. on May 30 in Lanang.

Richard L. King gunman

The facial composite sketch of the suspect for the murder of Cebu-based businessman Richard L. King as released by the Davao City Police Office.

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EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

DEVASTATED. Children try to salvage scrap metals from the ruins of their houses after an early morning fire razed six shanties along Jasmine Street in Brgy. 6-A, Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Rain expected over Image of King gunman released Luzon, Mindanao

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

T

HE tropical depression which is still outside the country continues to enhance the southwest monsoon that will bring rains over Northern Luzon, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

PAGASA said Batanes, Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands will experience occasional rains because of southwest monsoon enhanced by the tropical depression.

PAGASA also said that Mindanao will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms due to Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) affecting Southern Mindanao.

The ITCZ, which is the thick clouds coming from the south of Asia, is considered a breeding ground for low-pressure areas (LPAs) or potential cyclones while southwest monsoon is the dominant weather system during the rainy season.

Meanwhile, the rest

FRAIN, 10

WEATHER FORECAST

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abf@edgedavao.net

HE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) released yesterday the facial composite sketch of the gunman who is responsible Richard L. King even as the Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office ordered to speed up the investigation.

The image was released to the public through “Isumbongkay CDDCPO” Facebook page yesterday.

“A reward of P1.3 million awaits to any information that will lead to the arrest of the suspect/s,” the DCPO stated in its Facebook page.

As this developed, Police Regional Office (PRO) – 11 director C. Supt. Wendy Rosario ordered DCPO to hasten the investigation of the murder of Cebu-based hotelier.

“Ang iyang (Rosario) marching order ani is to speed up the investigation and would be able to solve the case at the shortest possible time,” PRO-11 Spokesperson C. Insp. Jed Clamor told Edge Davao in an interview.

Clamor said that the case of the slain hotelier is considered as the ‘big case’ since King has a wide

business activities in the country.

“Kaning biktima dili lang man gud sa Davao (City) ang iyang nilihukan kay naa man siya’y business interest sa Cebu, sa Region 6, sa Boracay area.

So, dako-dako gyud siya, somebody who is prominent,” Clamor said.

He said that the investigation is still focusing on business related angle or possible personal grudge against him.

Clamor said that as of the moment, PRO-11 has yet to receive any reports of investigation from the

Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “King” since they are still conducting the probe.

He said that after the conduct of investigation of SITG, it will be elevated in the regional level where all law enforcement units will convene to solve the case.

Clamor said that the DCPO is now looking for two persons of interests on the case of King because some information surfaced that the two have previous interaction with King.

“Pero, wala man tay ebidensya na mag link

nila but we cannot start the exportation because it is has to be approved by Food and Drugs Administration (FDA),” Cruz said during the Davao Business Forum at SM City yesterday.

Aside from FDA certification, chili products also need to be Halal-certified, aside from undergoing a bacteriology test to identify the shelf life of each product.

Of the six chili processors in Davao Oriental, DTI has already assisted three

to get FDA certificate namely Ayana’s Kinamayo, El Tigre’s M.A.M.A Chili and Katumbao Chili Producers.

“We are targeting to get the FDA approval this year so that we can start venturing to other markets,” he said. Other processors to be assisted are Idil’s, Dory’s Dumang and Idelia Dumang.

Cruz said that aside from international market, the processors are also waiting for FDA’s approval

FIMAGE, 10

Singapore, nearby Muslim countries eyed as market for hot chili products

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

A

crc@edgedavao.net

FTER gaining attention in the recent National Food Exhibit in Manila last April, Davao Oriental’s promising hot chili products target Singapore and nearby Muslim countries to be their next market.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 11 trade and industry development specialist Domingo Cruz Jr. said that countries like Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are potential market of the products be-

cause of large consumption of chili food in these countries.

Hot chili products became known after the devastation of typhoon Pablo in 2012 when vast areas of coconut plantation were destroyed, prompting farmers to look for alternative sources of livelihood.

Processors are making pastes, flakes, powder and extract out of hot chili.

“At present, Davao Oriental’s hot chili products have reached as far as Ma-

FSINGAPORE, 10

NEWS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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Foreign firms to invest in oil palm plantations T WO foreign firms are interested to invest in the development of some 80,000 hectares for oil palm in the districts of Marilog and Paquibato, Davao City.

City Agriculturist Rocelio Tabay said that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte had a meeting with an official of a Malaysian firm interested to put up a 50,000-hectare plantation in Paquibato and with Kol John Group, a Singaporean company which is interested to develop another 30,000 has in Marilog district.

“The Malaysian firm already identified contiguous areas that can be planted with oil palm,” Tabay said, adding that the firm had initial talks with the tribal leaders in the area. However, Tabay did not name the company.

“The Malaysian firm needs a big area because

it has a plan to put up processing plant” he said during his guesting at Kapehan sa Dabaw last Monday.

Duterte presented the proposal last June 12, Independence Day, to officials of Paquibato district, as he urged not just the farmers but also the members of New People’s Army (NPA) to welcome the investment.

Davao City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) identified the area of Paquibato district as agricultural zone, while Marilog is designated for agri-tourism.

“This is the best time for these two districts to allow investments,” Councilor Danilo C. Dayanghirang said.

“Development should not only be in the heart of the city, but also in the outskirts,” he said.

LRT FOR DAVAO CITY. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte discusses with Chae Kwon II (center), Seoul National University chief researcher on Transportation Studies Group, and Young Man Seol, chief executive officer of Korea Engineering and Construction (KEC), the company’s proposal to conduct a

study on a light railway transit for Davao City during the forging of the memorandum of understanding between the city government of Davao and KEC at The Marco Polo Davao last Monday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

Avoid invasion of privacy, council BIMP-EAGA adopts told on proposed CCTV ordinance climate change plan FFOREIGN, 10

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. abf@edgedavao.net

I

N a bid to make BIMP-EAGA and its people more adaptable to climate change, the sub-region’s environment cluster adopted the proposal of the Philippines to implement a USD 1.2 million project that will build the resilience of local communities and enhance disaster preparedness.

Entitled “Building Local Community Resilience in BIMP-EAGA for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation and Disaster Preparedness,” the project

proposal was presented by the Philippines during the 3rd BIMP-EAGA environment cluster meeting held in May in Sandakan, Malaysia.

“The proposal’s main thrust is to lessen the impact of climate change, with the prime goal of preventing environmental disasters within the region,” said Janet Lopoz, executive director of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

FBIMP, 10

D

AVAO City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte has urged the city council to indicate in the proposed ordinance the specific places where to install the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in every establishment to avoid invading the privacy of individuals.

“Ang gusto aning uban sa konseho na hastang mga opisina. You cannot do that,” Duterte stressed to reporters last Monday afternoon at The Marco Polo Davao.

“Sobra ra ba. That’s an

invasion of privacy… you will be violating privacy rights, dili na gi allow sa constitution,” he added.

Duterte said that he supported the draft amendment of the proposed CCTV ordinance now pending before the city council but expressed his objection on the provision which includes offices in the coverage.

He said the proposed measured failed to specify the places where to install the cameras.

Duterte said that the law offices and the offices of

the bank managers should also be exempted from the mandatory installation of CCTV, adding that the cameras should be only put up in ‘quasi - public’ places where many people converge.

“Kay ang tao mosulod sa restaurant di gyud kaingon na kaning amo diri private. You are wrong, because that becomes a quasi-public property, because manulod ang transacting public, manulod ang walkin clients,” he said.

Councilor Edgar R.

Ibuyan Sr. chairman of the committee of peace and public safety, admitted that there are no specific places where to install the cameras identified in the proposed ordinance but assured that changes will be made in accordance to the mayor’s comments.

The “Resolution to enact an ordinance amending paragraph 5, Section 9, of Ordinance No. 0407-12 series of 2012 entitled, an ordinance requiring all business establishments,

FAVOID, 10

AT SOUNDBOX, JUNE 22

Popong leads concert for save-rain campaign

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

A

SAVE THE RAIN. Davao City-based artist Popong Landero promotes during this week’s edition of Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao a benefit concert entitled Save the Rain set on June 22 at Soundbox Bar along

Camus Street. Part of the concert’s proceeds will be for the construction of a rainwater catchment system of the Tibungco Daycare Center. Lean Daval Jr.

crc@edgedavao.net

N environmental group in Davao City is urging Dabawenyos to install rainwater catchment systems to conserve water and use it for their daily consumption.

Mary Ann Fuertes, executive director of Interface Development Interventions (IDIS), said that rainwater is a free resource that every household should utilize for washing vehicles, flushing toilets, washing clothes, among other uses.

On the other hand, Davao City Water District (DCWD) spokesperson

Imelda Magsuci said that a household with five members has an average consumption of 29 to 30 cubic liters of water per month.

An increase in the number of households means an increase in demand for potable water.

Though there is no expected shortage in water supply, it is not a reason to over-extract the water from the underground, Magsuci said. She said that even DCWD is looking for other water sources to tap, like surface water.

FPOPONG, 10

4 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

GENERAL SANTOS CITY

Farming coop, 8 Region 12 farmers vie for national Gawad Saka awards A

N agricultural cooperative and eight other farmers from various parts of Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region have chosen as finalists in the 2014 National Gawad Saka Search.

Amalia Jayag-Datukan, Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 12 executive director, said Tuesday the nine finalists were selected by the 2014 Gawad Saka’s national technical committee out of the region’s 16 nominees or entries.

She said they earlier endorsed the 16 nominees for the national evaluation after winning the Regional Gawad Saka Search.

Region 12 comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.

Datukan said the nine national finalists are Jason Roy Ancheta for the young farmer category, Jessie Tarroza for integrated rice-based farmer category, Arturo Damasco for organic rice farmer category, Girlie Adug for sugarcane farmer category, Paquito

Laquihon for small animal raiser category, Ella Pobre for high value crops farmer category, Marciano Rodriguez for fisherfolk-fish culture category, Alfonso Alberto for corn farmer category and Don Bosco Multi-Purpose Cooperative for organic farmers’ group category.

Ancheta and Adug hails from Matalam town while Laquihon and Pobre are from Aleosan and Alamada towns, respectively, in North Cotabato.

Tarroza and Damasco were Surallah while Rodriguez and Alberto are from Banga town in South Cotabato.

Don Bosco Multi-purpose Cooperative, which is considered as the country’s forerunner in the export of organic colored rice, is based in M’lang, North Cotabato.

Gawad Saka is an annual undertaking that recognizes farmer’s contributions in the development of the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

The national government, through the DA, launched the initiative to recognize outstanding achievers in agriculture and fisheries who repre-

GENERAL SANTOS CITY

SINGKIL DANCE. Maranaw and Christian residents from the 12 barangays of the municipality of Matungao, Lanao del Norte compete in a dance competition Monday during the first ever Singkil Festival held in the province as Matungao celebrates its 65th founding anniversary from June 16-20. Matungao is one of the oldest towns of the province, which already existed even before Lanao was divided into two provinces. [MindaNews photo by Richel V. Umel] sent stakeholders of the community-farmers, fisherfolk, farm communities, scientists, and organizations.

Datukan said the nine finalists are currently undergoing another round of

evaluation or assessment for the National Gawad Saka Search.

“I hope we’ll produce more Gawad Saka winners this year through these nine finalists,” she said.

In 2013, three nomi-

nees from the region were declared winners in the annual national search.

Dr. Cayetano Pomares of the University of South Mindanao in Kabacan, North Cotabato was adjudged as outstanding ag-

ricultural scientist while Dr. Melchor Serquiña of Kidapawan City and Leonardo Primne Jr. of Banga, South Cotabato topped the coconut farmer and fisherfolk-fish culture categories, respectively.[PNA]

NOTHER batch of farmers graduated in the farmers field school organized by the Tagum City Agriculture Office as part of the city government’s ultimate goal of capacitating the beneficiaries with knowledge geared towards farmers’ productivity and increase in their income.

Exactly 24 farmers from Barangay Madaum, Pagsabangan and San Miguel received their certificates of completion after hurdling the 16-week literacy cum agriculture program focused on integrated pest management (IPM).

Lecturers are from the City Agriculture Office (CAGRO) and the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAGRO).

For 16 weeks, farmers received lectures on IPM which is considered to be effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of simple practices.

George Grandea of

CAGRO said this is an effective approach towards organic farming since IPM does not encourage use of pesticides in the respective farms.

IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment.

This information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.

The students in the said farmers field school are sweet corn growers, utilizing a ten-hectare land owned by the local government in Barangay Madaum, as mandated by Mayor Allan L. Rellon.

It can be recalled that agricultural development is among the thrusts of the local chief executive that is included in his EAGLE WINGS Program. [Louie Lapat/CIO Tagum]

TAGUM CITY

Phivolcs to install additional volcano monitoring stations A I

N a bid to enhance their monitoring on the two active volcanoes in South Cotabato province, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) is set to install two more seismic stations in two municipalities in the area.

Nane Danlag, acting head of the Phivolcs station in General Santos City, said Tuesday the final preparations are underway for the installation of the two additional seismic stations, which will be situated in Barangay Miasong in Tupi and Barangay Salacafe in T’boli, South Cotabato.

She said the two additional seismic stations will mainly augment the operations of their two existing unmanned stations in the area and their main facility located at the Mindanao

State University campus.

She said the agency has been operating unmanned seismic stations in Sitio Alnamang, Barangay Palkan in Polomolok, South Cotabato and in Barangay San Jose in this city to monitor the activities of Mts. Matutum and Parker.

Phivolcs had declared Mts. Matutum and Parker, which straddles this city and the provinces of South Cotabato and Sarangani, as active volcanoes and warned that it might erupt in due time.

Danlag said the installation of the two additional seismic stations will improve their monitoring and data gathering on the behavior of the two volcanoes.

“If you plot the location of our existing seismic stations and the two upcom-

ing facilities with our main station, we’re eventually creating a triangular monitoring system. This means more improved and accurate monitoring of the two volcanoes,” she told MindaNews on the phone.

Danlag said the Phivolcs central office already awarded the contract for the two seismic station projects, which will be set up in August.

She said a team from the Phivolcs Volcanic Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division conducted a final assessment last week on the identified sites for the two new seismic stations.

A project briefer said the additional seismic stations will be unmanned and equipped with high precision instruments.

The facility will feature

a vault that will host a solar-powered seismograph, which will be connected to the agency’s main station via broadband Internet.

It said the seismograph is capable of monitoring even the slightest seismic activity and transmit the data to the main station within a minute after it was recorded.

In the entire country, Phivolcs has 65 seismic stations, 29 of which are manned and 30 unmanned, and six volcano stations.

The agency’s central operating station is located at its main office in Quezon City and all information and data are received by the Data Receiving Center, which is operated by its Seismological Observation and Prediction Division.

[MindaNews]

Farmers trained on pest management

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

5

EDGE Serving a seamless society

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This is the citation: As a whole, Edge Davao is a paragon of high quality journalism; a local paper that combines, in seamless meld, high quality writing and community value.”

- Male / Female, not more than 30 years old - Candidate must posses a Bachelor/ College Degree in any Business field.

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6 THE ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

PHL exporting hybrid rice seeds to Papua New Guinea T

HE Philippines is shipping out hybrid rice seeds to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in a pioneering work to plant rice initially on 30 hectares.

The export opens up huge opportunities for the country as PNG virtually has no rice technology to speak of.

Shipment of the seeds to Gabadi, PNG is expected in the next two weeks after quarantine preparations will have been completed.

Gabadi, a highly potential rice area, is near and northwest of PNG’s capital, Port Moresby.

“We will be shipping this week or next week hybrid rice varieties SL-8, SL18, and SL 12 which is really for the wet season,” said SL AGritech Corp. (SLAC) Rice Consultant Frisco M. Malabanan.

“This is a great opportunity for us to use Philippine technology to help Papua New Guinea,” according to SLAC Chairman Henry Lim Bon Liong.

A vast area of 300,000 hectares offer opportunities for Philippines not only to plant rice in PNG for Guineans but also possibly for Filipinos.

The Department of Agriculture had looked a few years ago at PNG as a potential rice area from which to fulfill its rice self sufficiency goals, Malabanan said.

“PNG may become our own source of rice because it has a huge area for planting rice. They thought before they could not plant rice in their land. But a Filipino has demonstrated planting rice is possible,” he said.

The country’s export will be in partnership with a private company. It is backed up by the effort of a former minister of agriculture of PNG, Roy Ebarra.

This is likewise with the support of Philippine Ambassador to PNG Bienvenido V. Tejano who earlier tried planting rice in PNG and proved a good performance of rice planting there.

Despite rich natural resources—land and water— with which to plant rice, PNG has maintained its dependence on rice importation from Australia for many years. It has been importing around 300,000 metric tons of rice yearly.

“There’s no agricul-

tural production yet (in Gabadi).

But there’s a lot of water— rivers, and ground water is available just four to five meters below the ground,” said Malabanan.

There is also a potentially attractive margin for planting hybrid rice in PNG. The absence of rice supply makes price attractive at the equivalent peso level of P100 per kilo.

As there are no irrigation facilities, SLAC will demonstrate effectiveness of a dry direct seeding technique in planting rice.

Dry seeding means farm technicians will not sow pre-germinated seeds which is a usual practice in rice planting.

Overhead sprinklers will be used to irrigate the farm. Australians, according to Malabanan, have been known to get a good yield out of dry direct seeding from rice. This technique may give more than 10 metric tons per hectare of rice yield.

SLAC will send a technical staff and a farmer-technician to PNG for the training of New Guinean farmers.

Malabanan said the

SB Cards partners with Global Payments

S

B Cards, a subsidiary of Security Bank and exclusive franchise holder of Diners Club in the Philippines, has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Global Payments Asia Pacific Philippines, Inc. for merchant acceptance partnership.

With this partnership, Diners Club will be accepted nationwide in over 12,000 affiliated Global Payments merchants with 15,000 POS terminals. SB Cards will actively promote GPAP’s merchant acquiring services by way of referral.

Photo shows (left to right): GPAP VP for Acquisition & Sales channels – John Vic Bolido, GPAP VP for Partner Channels – Graeme Earle, GPAP President for South, Southeast Asia – Rowell del Fierro, SB Cards President – David G. Sarmiento, Jr., Security Bank EVP & Retail Banking Segment Head – Ma. Cristina A. Tingson, SB Cards Chairman – Belen C. Lim.

Philippines has been able to tap the PNG hybrid rice seed market through linkage with former Isabela Governor Edwin Uy and a philanthropic Australian citizen.

Uy has supported government’s rice self suffi-

More foreign investors eye vast agricultural lands for oil palm M

ORE foreign investors are coming in to develop an oil palm industry in Davao

City’s vast idle lands particularly in the second and third districts.

City Hall spokesman Leo

Villareal disclosed during the Kapihan sa Davao at SM City Monday that Singaporean-based firm Kol John

NEW VENTURE. RocelioTabay of the City Agriculturist’s Office (CAO) bares during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao that Davao City welcomes investors who are willing to venture into palm oil business as the city has vast lands for plantations particularly in Paquibato and Marilog districts. Lean Daval Jr.

has submitted to Mayor Rodrigo Duterte a proposal to develop a 30,000 hectares land in Marilog District for oil palm plantation.

Villareal said the proposal was submitted through Datu Tumanding Liwas of Marilog to City Administrator Melchor Quitain.

He said project proposal will be reviewed by the executive department then submit it for endorsement of the City Council.

According to Villareal, Liwas has already assured to make available 30 hectares with the support of the tribal chieftains for the areas falling under the ancestral domain title.

Villareal said Liwas has also assured to consult the people in Marilog, which is identified for agro-tourism development under the city’s zoning plan. [PNA]

ciency program through hybrid rice over the last decade.

New Guineans have been traditionally eating boiled banana, boiled yam and other rootcrops.

However, those who are able to taste rice desire

to shift to eating rice over boiled root crops.

The large identified rice area in PNG may turn out to be a possible source of rice for Philippines as PNG just has a documented population of seven million people.

Youth employability to lower PHL’s unemployment data

L

ABOR and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz on Monday said half of the country’s unemployment could go down if youth employability is address to sooner by the government.

The labor chief expressed this view as the DOLE prepares for the implementation of the JobStart Philippines program in four pilot areas this month.

Baldoz said JobStart is a partnership program of the DOLE, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) which aims to increase the employability of the youth by providing them access to technical and life skills training demanded by employers and by mentoring and tooling them to improve their job searches and outcomes.

The project will also finance vouchers that

will enable some 1,600 youth-beneficiaries to gain work experience in companies through onthe-job training, she said.

Baldoz noted that youth unemployment, while it had decreased by 1.1 percent, or by 13,000-from 16.8 percent in April 2013 to 15.7 percent in April 2014--still accounts for almost half, or 49.8 percent, of the country’s total unemployed placed at 2.924 million.

There are 1.456 million unemployed youth as of April 2014, according to the Philippine Statistical Authority’s Labor Force Survey, accounting for 16 percent of the total youth labor force of 9.254 million. The youth belong to the 15-24 age bracket.

“The fact remains that youth unemployment rate is more than double the national unemployment rate and, therefore, is a challenge we all need to address,” Baldoz said.

[PNA]

7 ENVIRONMENT

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

Is famine already brewing?

Text and Photos by GERRY T. ESTRERA

“F

ROM food are born all creatures that live on earth,” India’s Upanishads reminds. “Afterwards they live on food. And when they die, they return to food.”

Two years ago, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations issued a report warning the world to be prepared for “harder times ahead” unless production of major crops increases significantly.

The FAO report indicates that world grain reserves slumped 7.2 percent in 2010, with barley plunging 35 percent, corn 12 percent, and wheat 10 percent. These shortfalls have sent grain prices soaring.

Production of rice, which provides more than half of the calories and protein in the diets of most Asian people, was also affected. Although in some countries production was up, those increases were immediately gobbled up by the soaring population of the region.

As Far Eastern Economic Review puts it: “Asia, once a net exporter of food, the site of the world’s lushest rice bowls and wheat lands, home of some of the world’s most skilled and industrious farmers, is a food-deficit region, literally dependent on the West to stay alive.”

At the start of this year, domestic food inflation in developing Asian nations hit 10 percent, according to a report released by the Asian Development Bank. The report cited double-digit rises in the price of wheat, corn, sugar, edible oils, dairy products and meat since January.

Rice shortage is not a new thing in Asia. This is particularly true in the Philippines.

For the past 20 years, from

1990 to the first six months of 2010, the country imported $8.232 billion worth of rice, equivalent to P362.208 billion.

That’s according to the National Food Authority.

FAO said more than 1 billion people, or 15 percent of the world’s population, suffer from chronic hunger and malnutrition – either because they cannot afford to eat healthy diet or the food is simply not available where they live.

“The number of those who are hungry in the world has been steadily increasing in recent years, up from 825 million in the mid-1990s, and continues to edge upward,” the UN food agency said.

Two-thirds of the world’s population live in low-income food-deficit countries.

“In these countries,” explains Don Hinrichsen, a former consultant on population and the environment at the United Nations, “millions know hunger, malnutrition, and even starvation when harvests fail, unless other countries provide emergency food aid in time.”

The Philippines, India, Indonesia and 13 other countries in Asia are among those classified under this category.

Low-income food-deficit countries are those that “are not self-sufficient in food production and do not have the financial resources needed to fill the gap with imports.”

The Philippines is touted to be an agricultural country.

In fact, agriculture contributes 20 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and employs one-third of the total labor force. Yet, agricultural production and productivity have been insufficient to provide for the country’s increasing food demand.

Scarce food means higher prices. “When food prices

shoot up, the low-income people of the developing world are the most vulnerable, as the share of food in their total expenditures is much higher than that of wealthier populations,” explains Dr. Dan Gustafson, director of FAO’s Liaison Office in Washington, D.C. Food, FAO studies show, represents about 10 to 20 percent of consumer spending in industrialized nations, but as much as 60 to 80 percent in developing countries. For instance, when the price of a bag of rice goes up 20 percent, that extra cost will take up a much larger portion of household income for a family in the Philippines than it will for a family in the United States.

The immediate future is bleak. “We’re not growing enough food, and too many of our crops are failing or having disappointing yields, so we’re not able to put as much food into reserves,” Dr. Gustafson warns. “Yet, at the same time, demand for food is increasing.”

The increasing demand is fueled by the escalating population. In 1980, there were already 48 million Filipinos. By 1990, the population soared to 61 million. Today, the Philippines is home to about 101 million people. As population continues to grow, the land area remains the same: 30 million hectares.

“We have limited and finite land resources,” said Dr. Elmer Mercado, former undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). “Majority of these lands are now under deplorable and unsustainable use.”

Population pressure on arable land contribute to the land’s degradation, as more and more marginal land is brought into cultivation to

feed more hungry mouths. It takes 200 to 1,000 years to form 2.5 centimeters of rich topsoil. But on the average, farmlands are losing 2.5 centimeters of topsoil every 16 years, or 17 times faster than it can be replaced.

“Soil erosion is any nation’s enemy - far worse than any outside enemy coming into a country and conquering it because it is an enemy you cannot see vividly,” said Harold R. Watson, Ramon Magsaysay award-winning soil scientist. “It’s a slow creeping enemy that soon possesses the land.”

Water has been a key factor in enabling the world to increase food production. Presently, Filipino farmers use 85 percent of the country’s freshwater to grow food. Crops are irrigated from rivers, lakes, reservoirs and aquifers, which are starting to be pumped dry in some areas.

“We drink, in one form or another, nearly 4 liters of water per day. But the food we consume each day requires at least 2,000 liters to produce, 500 times as much,” says Dr. Lester Brown, author of Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. To raise a ton of rice, for instance, you need a thousand gallons of water.

Among Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines ranks second (after Thailand) from the lowest in terms of per capita water availability per year with only 1,907 cubic meters, according to the Washington, D.C.-based World Resources Institute.

Areas where the per capita water supply drops below 1,700 cubic meters per year experience water stress while areas with per capita water supply below 1,000 cubic meters per year are already

experiencing water scarcity. A World Bank report states that four rivers in the country already belong to the latter category; these are Pampanga, Agno, Pasig-Laguna, and the island of Cebu.

Another reason for decreasing food production in most parts of the world is the shrinking of family farms. In most developing countries, including the Philippines, family farms are divided into smaller and smaller parcels for each new, larger generation of heirs. Rapid population growth has shrunk the average family farm by half over the past four decades, according to recent studies.

In the Philippines, it is estimated that in the near future, only 0.15 hectares of 1,500 square kilometers of agricultural land will be supporting each Filipino.

Fish are the “last wild meal” in the human diet. A Filipino consumes almost 30 kilograms of seafood per year. If the present rapid population growth and declining trend in fish production continue, there will be less fish for each person.

According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the current nationwide productivity is only 10 percent of what it was during the 1970s. “Without any change in fish consumption and no active human population management program,” warned a World Bank report, “domestic demand for fish will reach 3.2 billion kilograms by 2020, given the projected population growth rate (about two percent) of the Philippines.”

Compounding the problem is climate change. “Higher temperatures eventually reduce yields of desirable crops

while encouraging weed and pest proliferation,” noted the new report released by the Washington, D.C.-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Take the case of rice. A study done by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has shown that even modest rises in global temperatures can decrease production. The IFPRI report noted: “Climate change will have varying effects on irrigated yields across regions, but irrigated yield for all crops will experience large declines.”

Rising temperatures in the past 25 years have already cut rice yields in some parts of Asia by 10-20 percent. “As the daily minimum temperature increases, or as nights get hotter, rice yields drop,” said University of California’s Jarrod Welch, lead author of the IRRI study published in the U.S. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Up to a point, higher daytime temperatures can increase rice yield but future yield losses caused by higher night-time temperatures will likely outweigh any such gains because temperatures are rising faster at night,” Welch said.

What does the future holds? In The Coming Famine, author Julian Cribb quoted agricultural scientist Derek Tribe: “If allowed to continue unchecked, exponential (population) growth will ultimately spell disaster for planet Earth. Finite resources such as water, soil, plants, forests, animals, energy and minerals, upon which all human life depends, will inexorably be destroyed, degraded, exterminated or used up.”

The warnings are now written on the wall!

8

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

EDITORIAL

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

Horrifying future

7.2-magnitude earthquake that would hit the National Capital Region (NCR) could isolate Metro Manila and nearby provinces due to collapsed roads and buildings. Such a strong earthquake could cause tsunami as high as 18 feet that could destroy more than 100, 000 residential and commercial buildings.

This was the grim scenario painted by chief government seismologist Renato Solidum of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) in a speech during a summit sponsored by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and SM Prime Holdings.

Of course, Solidum wouldn’t be able to estimate how many people will perish in the catastrophe.

However, he said Metro Manila maybe separated into four isolated zones if an earthquake of great magnitude occurs, causing a tsunami as high as 5.5 meters, thereby toppling buildings and destroying roads in the cities of Makati and Mandaluyong and along the Pasig River.

In giving the scary picture, Solidum is not being a prophet of doom because, unfortunately for all of us, the Phivolcs chief is basing his dire prediction on recorded

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history. He said that tremors of great magnitude and intensity occurred on November 9, 1828 and June 3, 1863, when tsunamis about two meters high reportedly engulfed the western side of Luzon, including what is now Metro Manila.

Very recently, not just ominous signs but actual disasters of this kind occurred in our country. A 7.2-magnitude quake struck Bohol and Cebu killing 230 people.

This was a dark prelude of sort to super typhoon Yolanda which claimed close to 8,000 lives in Leyte and other parts of the Visayas.

The question that is now really begging for an answer is whether we are prepared enough for this disaster when it comes? Have the government and the private sector done enough to be ready? There is no way of knowing for sure how ready we are until the event happens. Unfortunately, for the observant, there is reason to be worried – it seems not enough people believe that such a fortuitous event can happen. If not, how explain the nonstop development and construction of buildings and other infrastructures in places identified as hazardous and prone to natural catastrophes? Why does government allow this?

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highest political office in the land.

Apparently, Bong believes that if the Erap magic which happened in the 1998 political race worked for Erap, his fans would do the same for him.

But Bong must understand that popularity as a movie hero is not a qualification. Yes, it can help win elections but it cannot be equated with qualification and fitness to hold public office.

On the other hand, Trillanes fanatic gloat over his scam-free reputation, and

believe he can make a run for either President or vice president.

Again that is not a qualification to hold office; it is merely a perception or at the very least, wishful thinking. It is not a measure of one’s capacity to serve well.

And speaking of capacity to serve well, the basic and fundamental qualification of an aspirant for high office is education more and far beyond high school or secondary level. o0o Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla Jr. voted to convict former Chief Justice Renato Corona for dishonesty during Corona’s impeachment trial.

I have this feeling that the ex-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is now having the long, hearty last laugh over the fate of the three accused lawmakers.

In truth, it does not actually address the problem but only worsen the situation.

Every now and then, NFA officials have the audacity to deluge media outlets with “praise releases” indicating there is substantial stock of cheaper government rice in the market with prices ranging from P27 a kilo for regular-milled to P32 for well-milled.

They also boasted, as their wont, the agency has no plans to import additional volume of rice this year citing that the country has sufficient supply to meet the demands of the local market. Whose legs are you pulling down this time, gentlemen?

The NFA report may have been meant to assure the consuming public of continuous rice supply but it speaks as well of the agency’s indecisiveness when it comes to handling and distribution to authorized retail outlets. Consumers’ movement and pro-poor advocates highly suspect that all the NFA has done has been allegedly to exert every effort to “freeze” the distribution of cheaper government rice paving the way for expensive commercial rice varieties to obtain a bigger slice of the market. Prices of commercial rice are beyond the reach of ordinary Filipino consumers ranging from P43 a kilo for regular-milled to P46-48 for well-milled, and P52-56 for imported and fancy varieties. So what’s the logic behind the scheme?

The NFA insinuated that the current rice inventories and the incoming bulk of the main harvest will be adequate for the country’s requirements. Officials made the clarification recently in response to news reports attributing to an anonymous “industry source” followed by comments from consumers’ movement implying an evil plan to take advantage of the so-called “artificial shortage” and import an additional 100,000 metric tons to benefit NFA executives. But that’s not the point. They’re just veering away from the real issue which is the scarci-

ty of cheaper NFA rice in the market.

While food supply definitely is a concern of government, the data used by the NFA to justify the supply and demand of government rice showed that it doesn’t coincide with the actual situation. This has given weight to the suspicion of different consumers’ movement that something unusual is being allegedly carried out in the confines of the NFA, a critical issue that needs to be investigated by higher authorities. When and how shall top government officials and their stubborn subordinates finally decide on this crucial issue?

Before it does, it may be well to remind high officials, the President above all, that from the beginning the NFA policy has been very clear: “so the poor consumers and ordinary folks can avail of affordable government rice.” How can the poor people afford to eat commercial rice at exorbitant prices or even regular-milled rice, and when the supply of much cheaper NFA rice they badly need is scarce or when it is available, sometimes mixed with expired iron fortificants?

It is a clear government commitment to ensure the stable supply of rice throughout the country to avoid a chaotic situation. Food production program notably rice should be among its policy priorities.

Government needs reliable and trustworthy people to keep watch and efficiently manage the grains agency and a system to ensure proper procurement of palay, milling processes and equitable distribution of rice – locally-produced or imported. Some lawmakers promised to look into the problems raised by poor consumers and price watch movement. Seeing the need to broaden rice production and strengthen the commitment of government in addressing the poor consumers’ woes, they should have supposedly acted posthaste.

Our lawmakers expressed support assuring the deprived consuming public that concerned committees in Congress intend to act to the extent of their capabilities to provide relief to the nation’s millions of poor consumers. Unfortunately, up to now there is no indication of a Congress’ resolve on the issue because it is in the political rigmarole surrounding the pork barrel fund scam where all their energies go.

Indecisiveness of grains authority

OOR CONSUMERS’ MISERIES – Consumers’ groups howled a protest over rising prices of commercial rice. On the other hand, grains officials explained that the rising price trend is a result of low supply considering that we are entering the lean months or planting season. They say prices will normalize by September which is the start of the harvest season. Is that so, gentlemen?

However, consumers’ movement and different farmers’ organizations argued that there’s actually enough supply of palay.

They alleged that powerful rice cartels are thriving and they have managed to create an “artificial shortage” by way of hoarding.

The current cartel manipulation in palay supply and prices of rice are meant to justify the continuation of the policy of massive rice importation.

Protest groups accused the grains authority of sub-contracting import quotas to rice cartel who are also rice importers. They benefited from government importation policy or legalized rice smuggling and gain more profit from importation than buying palay from local farmers.

Moreover, government allows importation at reduced tariff at 40% if it is within the maximum access volume (MAV). Irate and disgusted consumers now tend to believe that the scheme is part of the so-called “midnight deal” initiated by the agriculture department, and decisively charged that the government is the biggest coddler of rice cartels.

A CONCEALED EFFORT TO CREATE ARTIFICIAL RICE SHORTAGE – How can the ever-increasing rice-eating poor Filipino consumers buy and eat cheaper National Food Authority (NFA) rice when there is always insufficient supply in the market? Consumer movement and impoverished consumers raised a howl over NFA’s high-profile officials’ commitment assuring there is enough and continuous supply of cheaper rice.

There is a pledge which NFA executives are obliged to do – provide cheaper and affordable rice to the marginal sector. Sad to lament, though, the assurance was nothing but just a plain media blitz aimed at earning “pogi” points and for them to smell and look good in the eyes of the appointing authority.

9

Our little-minded partisans

Intellectual bums

NRUFFLED, unnerved and unfazed by corruption charges, Bong Revilla Jr, floated a stunning wish to succeed P-Noy if there would be a strong clamor by his millions of fans to capture Malacanang Palace.

In the same vein, several weeks ago, Boy Antonio Trillanes IV this early, revealed his intention to run for a position higher than senator, most likely the vice-presidency.

Son of a gun, is our country so bereft of talents and credible leaders that we have to settle for intellectual pretenders to run the country?

Bong Revilla Jr. for President!

Antonio Trillanes IV for VP! “Lord, patawad!” o0o Revilla followers argue that his popularity as main action star (Remember Panday?) is enough to catapult him to the

P

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

WORM’S EYEVIEW

BY MANNY VALDEHUESA

I

T has been said that “Great minds discuss ideas; mediocre minds, events; and little minds, personalities.” If this were a prism through which we view our political parties it would appear that they consist of people with little minds.

How else to perceive them when they’re always competing with others: jockeying for advantage, sniping at rivals and competitors, back-biting, engaging in character assassination?

Not only that, being given to grandstanding and gimmickry, these little minds display their bloated ambitions and misplaced bravado at every opportunity. They actually think they have the answers to the complex problems of Philippine Society; that no one else has; and that no other family can offer leadership except theirs. Presumptuous! The mark of a traditional politician. Trapo!

Mostly obsessed with ambition and self-enrichment, they hardly have time for public service, let alone ideas for the betterment of society. Thus, very rarely if at all do we hear them expound or debate on policy, program, or ideas.

Does anyone have any clue about what the Liberal Party stands for, or the Nacionalista Party? How about PDP-Laban or Laban ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) or Nationalist Citizens Party? What kind of animals are these and what do they stand for? The regional or local parties are even worse and more clueless.

Practically all they have are talking heads and no membership for a body. The talking heads in fact are themselves the financiers, manipulators, and candidates of these alleged parties. Other than they, no one except family and paid hacks and sycophants.

Their empty-headedness turns governance into a convoluted collection of improvisations by greedy power-seekers and holders whose impact on public administration is to trivialize it while sinking our democracy in a morass of impropriety, corruption, and impunity.

For instance, the imminent creation of an autonomous Bangsamoro sub-state, a momentous development for Mindanao, does not seem to be an item on any of these so-called political parties, local or national. What do they say about the impending formation of the Bangsamoro autonomous region? Is there a chance they will have a regional wing composed of Bangsamoro adherents to vie for leadership there?

How about the Chinese grab in the Spratlys and Scarborough and others nearby? Portions of our territory are flagrantly being squatted on by a foreign bully and it doesn’t merit a stand by these so-called parties? Then there are the so-called Chinoys—Filipino Chinese who finance political campaigns—and their cash-rich chambers that are de facto parties on multiple levels: where do they stand on this issue?

It used to be that belonging to a party meant one had a well-defined philosophy about what’s happening to our society, a point of view that set it apart from other parties, one that states what the party proposes to do about societal and other issues.

But all today’s pretentious party members do is to abuse and misuse the concept of a political party.

They offer nothing by way of platforms or programs that address the burning issues of the day.

In fact, there are really no authentic political parties anymore. They may sport party-sounding names but they are merely candidate-centered election vehicles wholly owned, funded, and run by the candidate or group of candidates who reserve to themselves the right to have and to hold the “party” label or banner.

The Party-List groups are no better. No party lists them; they make up the list themselves—with them at the top of it. With the exception of the Communist Party and about a dozen of their thinly disguised “fronts” who now richly enjoy the billions allocated to them (at P70 million each), the so-called party-lists are just contrived groups organized for the purpose of siphoning funds into their pockets, with residual shares to their sycophants and co-conspirators.

Many of them are scammers consisting of less than a dozen co-conspirators with deep pockets who shell out propaganda and election campaign funds in anticipation of reimbursement from their pork allowances. Quite a few of them obtained their Comelec accreditation by paying off some commissioners.

Any one, any party, or any group that feels alluded to here and is offended would be better off showing how or why their group deserves to be referred to as a political party. They should show cause for respectability by establishing their bona fides.

It’s time these putative parties conduct their affairs honorably and in accordance with their role in a democratic state, which is to establish the case for how or why they should be taken seriously as an institution fit for leadership in our political system.

[Manny is former UNESCO regional director for Asia-Pacific;, secretary-general, Southeast Asian Publishers Association; director, Development Academy of Philippines; member, Permanent Mission to the United Nations; vice chair, Local Government Academy; member, Cory Govt’s Peace Panel; and winner, PPIUNICEF award for outstanding columnist. valdehuesa@gmail.com]

10 NEWS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

Rain...FFROM 2 of the country including Metro Manila will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

Strong to gale force winds associated with the surge of southwest monsoon as enhanced by the tropical depression would affect the northern seaboard of Northern Luzon.

“Fishing boats and other small seacrafts are advised not to venture out

into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” it warned.

It added that moderate to strong winds coming from the southwest will prevail over Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to rough.

Light to moderate winds coming from the southwest to south will prevail over the rest of the country with slight to moderate seas. [PNA]

directly sa ilaha,” Clamor stressed.

Based on the progress report of DCPO, a certain person with a pending criminal case for physical injuries has been considered as a person of interest as they received information that he had a personal grudge to King. The same report revealed that the police is also investigating another person of interest whom they consider as someone who can bring light to the case.

Names are withheld by the DCPO due to the ongoing investigation.

The body of King was already brought by his wife to Cebu last Monday after it was autopsied in the city.

On the evening of June 12, King was shot in his head by a lone gunman while he was eating inside the Vital C building along in Sobrecary and Lacson Streets in Barrio Obrero.

The said gunman immediately walked away from the building and rode a

waiting motorcycle.

Initial investigation of Sta Ana Police Precinct stated that according Bobby Roldan, 23, of Talomo Cemento; Glenn Castigon, 23, of Datu Abing Calinan, and Ferdinand Estigoy, 44, distributors and a resident of Credo, Panabo City that at 6:54p.m., they saw the suspect entered the establishment and standing for a while. After a few seconds, the suspect approached the victim and immediately shot his head.

The report said that after the incident, suspect hurriedly fled towards Lapu-Lapu st., on board on the color black with white and red stripes Honda XRM driven by another male person wearing black helmet and color red and white shirt.

The report said that the suspect wearing white shirt, maong pants and had a brown sling bag.

The witnesses described the perpetrator who already in his 30’s and 5’5” in height.

so that it can penetrate supermarkets.

He said that Ayana’s has a concessionaire at the Abreeza Ayala Mall.

To address the possible demand in the future, DTI is targeting to expand the existing 50 hectares planted with hot chili to 400 hectares three years from now, thereby also increasing the current 150 farmers to 500 farmers engaged in planting chili.

Currently, areas planted with hot chili are in Cateel, Baganga and Boston.

“We are not limiting the expansion to these three municipalities, but also to other nearby municipalities,” he said.

On the other hand, to ensure that the province will have enough sources of raw materials, DTI is prioritizing the expansion of plantations rather than increasing the number of processors.

“We are trying to control the number of farmers venturing to processing because we noticed that farmers have bigger income in selling raw hot chili rather than processing it,” he said.

To achieve its goal in making hot chili as a prime product of the province, Cruz said that they are planning to launch the Hot Pablo Trademark and Hot Pablo products during the Sikat Pinoy Inalima 2014 trade fair and exhibit slated on June 26 to July 1 at Grand Functional Hall, Honey’s Hotel, Matiao, Mati City.

He said the trademark will be given to six pioneering chili processors in the province.

Cruz said that about 150 exhibitors composed of small, medium enterprises from 11 municipalities of Davao Oriental and three government agencies are set to participate the trade fair.

DTI is targeting P750, 000 revenue from the exhibit this year, which is much lower as compared to P1.22 million revenue generated in 2012.

“We have big revenue in 2012 because a private firm participated in the trade fair, but we expected a lower income for this year because we don’t have any participating company,” he added.

Image...FFROM 2 RAINY SEASON. A sudden heavy downpour causes many Davao City streets to be under floodwaters Monday evening. Lean Daval Jr.

Avoid...FFROM 3

whether commercial, industrial or financial institutions with a minimum capitalization of P3 million to install CCTV cameras” is still pending in the city council.

The draft resolution

stated the penalty prescribed by the existing ordinance for failure to save records of the surveillance, or voluntary submission of the tapes which is P5,000 is too light hence susceptible to

non-observance by covered establishments.

“But it embodies a provision specifying as penalty the revocation of business permits,” the draft stated.

The draft further

stated that lawyer Lawrence P. Bantiding, officer-in-charge of Business Bureau, said that the revocation of permit for failure to follow local ordinances is already indicated at the back of the issued permit.

According to him, two or three hectares of farm are not viable for a farmer to earn enough for his family. He encouraged the farmers to engage in these big investments so that their income will increase.

Areas in Marilog that

are planted with corn, rice, cacao and other cash crops will not be adversely affected by the oil operation, Tabay said.

He said that there is still a wide area of agricultural lands in the city not yet planted with perma-

nent crops and these are available for other agricultural ventures, like oil palm.

Davao City has a total of 130,000 hectares identified for agricultural use.

Of this, 900 hectares are used for rice farming, only

600 hectares of which are for upland rice farming.

Tabay said that the proposal will be studied by the city council along with tribal leaders, as the land eyed for oil palm cultivation is within ancestral domain. [CRC]

She said that environmental disasters can be prevented by implementing projects that strengthen disaster risk management and develop efficient response mechanisms in addressing environmental issues within BIMP-EAGA. BIMP-EAGA stands for Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area, a key strategy to accelerate social and economic development of less developed areas in participating countries.

The Philippine representatives composed of officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and MinDA led the presentation of the proposal to the sub-region’s environment cluster.

An EAGA-wide policy on climate change adaptation and mitigation will be formulated based on key out-

puts of the proposal, including climate change-proofing of infrastructures, resulting in local communities that are more resilient to environmental disasters. The policy will also push for the sustainable management, protection, and utilization of the region’s natural resources.

Lopoz stated that within BIMP-EAGA, there is the strong need to address issues among the river basins of each member country, where the rivers flow from water sources to estuaries that lead towards the main bodies of water that surround the sub-region.

“Water is a shared resource among all EAGA countries, and our ecosystems are in a way interconnected with each other,” said Lopoz.

The project, which will be implemented in a span

of three years also incorporates capacity building on humanitarian assistance and disaster response leading to the development of disaster preparedness action plans at the community level.

It also aims to strengthen Customs-Immigration-Quarantine-Security (CIQS) mechanisms for disaster response, and establish resource centers for information sharing on climate change and disaster risk reduction within the four countries of the sub-region.

Lopoz added that the budget will be spread across 11 critical watersheds and river basins and seven coastal areas in the sub-region.

Located within the Coral Triangle, BIMP-EAGA is part of the global epicentre of marine species diversity that is considered as

the “Amazon of the seas.”

The triangle is home to a combined population of over 350 million people and is recognized as a global priority for conservation.

Due to its geographic location, the region is considerably sensitive to the effects of climate change and is vulnerable to possible natural and environmental disasters.

“This proposal consolidates all efforts from across the sub-region, and prioritizes programs and projects that will lessen the impact of climate change while ensuring environmental integrity in the area,” said Lopoz.

The proposal’s final draft is expected to be endorsed by this month to the senior officials of BIMP-EAGA for approval and eventual implementation.

Fuertes said that commercial establishments should also take the lead to conserve water, noting that they have greater demand in the water supply compared to households.

Davao City passed the ordinance in 2009, but it is only this year that there will be a stricter implementation because of the increasing demand not

only in industries but also in households, an IDIS officer said.

“When the Rainwater Harvesting Ordinance was passed in 2009, there was still no implementing rules and regulations (IRR), that’s why it was not imposed immediately,” Fuertes said, adding that the IRR has been completed.

The final draft of the IRR will be presented to stakeholders during the Watershed Summit on June 24 at Ateneo de Davao University.

Pursuant to the IRR, households and new commercial establishments will be compelled to put a catchment system while those already with catchment system will receive

rebates and incentives.

To push the advocacy, a total of 16 individuals composed of local singers and bands will be playing in a benefit concert dubbed “Save the Rain” on June 22 , 7:00 pm at Soundbox along Camus Street. Proceeds will go to the construction of a rainwater catchment system for the Tibungco Daycare Center.

Foreign...FFROM 3

BIMP...FFROM 3

Popong...FFROM 3

Singapore...FFROM 2

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ICT HUB

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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Cosplay Queen and GameX endorser Alodia Gosiengfiao plays Mercenary Online with four lucky Cosplay Queen and GameX endorser Alodia Gosiengfiao graces the GameX Mercs Tournament, which brought together the country’s top raffle winners in an exhibition match against the Massive Gaming Game Master Team in the Ga- players of Mercenary Online from the key areas in Batangas, Bicol, Caloocan, Cavite, Manila, Marikina, Pampanga, Paranaque, Pasig, meX Mercs Tournament.

Quezon City, Rizal, Visayas and Mindanao.

Smart’s GameX awards top Mercs online players in PH

A

GREAT dose of focus and strategy – built after long hours of intense rehearsal games – brought Pasig’s Team Relevant to their victory at the recent GameX Mercs Tournament, a national competition that gathered the country’s top Mercenary Online players.

The national tournament was organized by game publisher Massive Gaming and GameX, the online portal of Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) that enables gamers to purchase ePins conveniently using their Smart, Sun Cellular and Talk ‘N Text load.

A popular PC game worldwide, Mercenary Online is an action-packed third-person shooter game, which pits teams of up to eight players against each other in various game modes. Under the game, each player controls a character armed with two primary weapons, and may boost these by tapping a variety of special equipment and upgrade options.

Team Relevant, composed of players Glen Quitaleg, Renz Gutierrez, Marvin Roque, Eujon Angustia and Aljamal Colina, bagged the grand prize of PHP100,000 after an adrenaline-charged 7-0 win at the final match against Quezon City’s Team AnBu. Over 500 Teams across the country “Pinaghandaan talaga naming ang competition. Min-

san, tatlong beses sa isang linggo kami nagpa-practice ng strategy namin mula alas8 ng umaga hanggang alas-10 ng gabi,” revealed 20-year-old Glen Quitaleg, the leader of Team Relevant. “Ganun kami ka-seryoso dahil alam naming hindi biro ang mga kalaban namin.”

Over 500 amateur and professional teams from key areas in Batangas, Bicol, Caloocan, Cavite, Manila, Marikina, Pampanga, Paranaque, Pasig, Quezon City, Rizal, Visayas and Mindanao signed up for the national tournament, which spanned for nine months.

The top 15 teams from each area finally faced off in best-of-five matches, battling it out on stage before thousands of gaming fans and supporters at the SM North Edsa Annex Cyberzone in Quezon City last month.

Hindi namin akalain na darating kami sa ganitong punto kasi dati libangan lang talaga namin siya sa mga Internet café. Hanggang sa nagka-confidence na kaming maki-grupo at sumali sa mga competition,” said Quitaleg, who noted that the tightly-knit group had bagged four other championships in other online gaming tournaments.

“Na-develop na yung discipline at pagsasamahan namin dahil dito.”

Lively gaming community The Gamex Mercs Tour-

DAVAO HELEN’S PAWNSHOP CORP. De Guzman St., Davao City • Telefax (082)225-4473

NOTICE OF AUCTION SALE All unredeemed items pawned during the month of February 2014,if not redeemed/renewed on June 30, 2014 will be put on Auction Sale July 1, 2014 at 9:00 A. M. to 5:00 P.M. Pahibalo nga ang tanang wala malukat nga prenda sa bulan Pebrero 2014,kung dili malukat sa Hunyo 30, 2014 isubasta sa bulan sa Hulyo 1, 2013 sa alas 9:00 sa buntag hangtud sa alas 5:00 sa hapon.

DAVAO HELEN’S PAWNSHOP CORPORATION Davao City: 252 San Pedro St., 167 San Pedro St., CVA Bldg., C. M. Recto St., G/F Victoria Plaza Bajada, 120-B Lapu-lapu St., Agdao, 75C R. Magsaysay Ave., 2nd Level Gaisano Mall Bajada, G/F NCCC Bldg., R. Magsaysay Ave., Centerpoint Plaza Matina Fronting San Pedro College Guerrero St., Carlson Bldg., Lapu-lapu St.,Agdao NCCC Mall Matina, Saavedra St., Toril, Gaisano South Citimall, Ilustre St., Km. 11 Sasa, Km. 13 Panacan, Boulevard, Buhangin, Cabantian, Bankerohan Calinan, Davao del Norte, Gaisano Mall, Panabo Davao del Norte, Gaisano Grand Mall of Tagum, Tagum City, Gaisano Mall of Tagum, Tagum City, Purok Marilag 11, Quezon St.,Tagum City, Davao del Sur, Gaisano Grand Mall of Digos , Quezon St., Digos City

The country’s online gaming community flock to the GameX Mercs Tournament at the SM North Edsa Annex Cyberzone in Quezon City last month. nament Championship was graced by Cosplay Queen and GameX endorser Alodia Gosiengfiao, who perked up the crowd as she teamed up with four lucky raffle winners in an exhibition match against the Massive Gaming Game Master Team – made more entertaining by the shoutcasters Lon and TryQ, also GameX endorsers.

The tournament also featured other pocket events such as a Cosplay completion, photo booths, raffle draws, “Epic Boss” eating contest, super sales and rare in-game item releases, giving the participants and the audience a grand time.

“Judging by the turnout of the GameX Mercs Tournament, online gaming or eSports in the country is very much alive and has actually evolved into a subculture,” said Mellissa Limcaoco, head of Smart’s Innovation and Product Development Group.

“With events like this, GameX goes beyong providing convenience to gamers, and gives them a great venue to level up their skills, boost their confidence and learn from the best,” Limcaoco added.

For more information on GameX, visit www.gamex.ph.

Gaming tots CHILL JILL

Athena Jillian Bravo

L

AST sunday, my two year old nephew paid a surprise visit in our home to greet my dad on Father’s day. He felt so uneasy looking for toys to play in the living room and even asked me to let the rabbits out of its cage. We gave him balls—football, golf and basketball-- but he threw them all away.

Suddenly, the chubby bub saw my Samsung tab 3 inside my bedroom and reached for it. He said he

wanted to play games because he wanted to so I let him use it. But then again he was unsatisfied of the games I let him play.

After a few minutes he discovered a game called Fruit Blast as he was scanning my downloaded apps. He quickly opened it and tried the game. To my surprise, he enjoyed playing it as he matched colors of different fruits in the game.

The game Fruit Blast was the same as the games like Candy Crush and Fruit Pop where you need to match three or more fruits with the same color to score. It’s pretty easy because all you need to do is collect the fruits to create blasters.

Just imagine my two year old nephew play-

ing this game. This only means that Fruit Blast is a perfect leisure for the kids of the digital generation.

It is not just any online game, it is also educational as kids learn different fruits and colors.

We can’t deny the fact that kids these days are mostly fond of playing with digital devices than engaging in outdoor physical activities. Parents, there’s nothing to worry about because this game won’t make your children behave like introverts. In fact it encourages them to play with other kids who downloaded the same app.

Why not let your kids play this fun game? I’m pretty sure they’ll love it as much as my nephew did.

12 CLASSIFIED

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

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BEAUTY

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

Beautiful hair from Argan Oil

ALMOST every leading cosmetics brand in the world now uses Argan Oil in their product lines but unlike other “beauty breakthroughs” that we have at one point been victims of, Argan Oil truly works and is here to stay.

Argan oil is known as the liquid gold of Morocco.

This rare oil is made from the nuts of the Argan tree, which grows in no other part of the world except in the Southwestern region of Morocco. It is high in vitamin E and is known as the purest anti-oxidant.

This golden colored oil also contains high levels of phytotestorols, squalene, essential fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids all of which do wonders to the skin, hair, and nails.

From Eva Mendes to Taylor Swift more and more A-List celebrities swear on the efficacy of Argan Oil. Here is a list of celebrities who can’t get enough of this “miracle oil” The Souq Organics Moroccan Argan Oil is 100% organic. The 30ml bottle contains nothing but pure authentic Argan Oil directly imported from Morocco. It is just as good, if not better than other premium international Argan Oil brands in the international market because it is cold pressed, and produced under rigorous and strict quality management systems. Our Argan Oil is certified organic by Europe-based ECOCERT – one of the largest organic certifications organizations in the world and at Php 1500, it retails almost half the price of other premium Argan Oil brands out there!

The Souq Organics Moroccan Argan Oil: The Multi-Tasker A bottle of The Souq Organics Moroccan Argan Oil comes with a dropper for controlled and easy skin and hair/scalp applications. When used regularly, it has a variety of cosmetic uses such as: • Restores and rejuvenates the skin from the damaging effects of pollution, sun exposure, oxidation, tobacco, stress and

other environmental factors • Moisturizes dry, dull skin • Regulates oily skin • Softens skin and reduces fine lines and wrinkles • Reduces skin irritation and redness, especially in the treatment of acne, blemishes, eczema, psoriasis and skin asthma • Makes scars and keloids less noticeable • Maintains skin elasticity preventing stretchmarks • Alleviates rheumatism and arthritis pain • Nourishes, strengthens and protects the hair cuticle from root to tip to prevent breakage • Stimulates new hair growth • Moisturizes hair, promotes shine and smoothens frizz • Strengthens brittle nails Spotting the knock-offs!

Argan Oil is expensive because of the rarity of the Argan Tree which grows only in the Southwestern region of Morocco. It takes no less than eight Argan

trees to produce a liter of pure Argan Oil so when you find a brand that’s too cheap, best to take a look at the list of ingredients because you may not be buying 100% pure Argan Oil (other brands mix vegetable or canola oil with Argan to lower the cost).

High-grade 100% Argan Oil must be unscented (some brands from China sell scented Argan Oil which means the Argan oil is diluted with other fragrance oils), cold-pressed, and absorbed by the skin within 2 to 3 minutes.

How to use A little goes a long way!

Two to three drops of The Souq Organics Moroccan Argan Oil is all you need to moisturize your entire face and neck. You may also add a few drops to your favorite skincare and or hair care products to reap the benefits of Argan oil without compromising those of your favorite cosmetic products.

The Souq Organics Moroccan Argan Oil is available at Chimes Specialty Store Abreeza and Sales.

EDGEDAVAO

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UP AND ABOUT

Get your hands on cool, new Samsung Galaxy Grand phones with Sun Postpaid CAN’T get enough of Samsung? Looking into getting a postpaid plan that complements your lifestyle? Sun Postpaid now offers a combination of both with awesome Samsung Galaxy Grand phones all yours with the incredibly affordable Sun Plan 999!

Under Sun Plan 999, you can choose one of two new Samsung Galaxy Grand smartphones, with the option of getting an extra Samsung Tab 3 Lite, and enjoy unlimited mobile surfing, unlimited Sun texts and four hours’ worth of calls to fellow Sun subscribers!

If you fancy the Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo, it comes completely FREE when you avail of Sun Plan 999! You can also get an extra Samsung Tab 3 in your Sun Plan 999 by just adding 299 pesos to your monthly amortization through the Sun Galaxy Grand Neo + Tab 3 Lite Bundle!

The Android JellyBean-run Galaxy Grand Neo boasts of a 5-inch screen, Dual SIM capability, 5-megapixel camera, quad-core Processor! The Tab 3 Lite is no featherweight as well, with a 7-inch screen, 2-megapixel camera, quad-core processor and also powered by Android JellyBean!

Craving for the upscale Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 smartphone? You only need to add 200 pesos to the Sun Plan 999 monthly payment to get this hip and versatile smartphone!

The Grand 2 is also an Android JellyBean behemoth, offering a 5.25-inch screen, dual-SIM capability, 8-megapixel camera, quad-core processor!

Perks for Sun subscribers have never been this Grand!

With this Samsung Grand bundles, you have the choice of what you want and what fits your life. Whether it’s getting a FREE Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo at Sun Plan 999, or having the high-end Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 for an additional 200 pesos a month, or enjoying that incredible bundle of the Galaxy Grand Neo smartphone and the Tab 3 Lite for just an extra 299 pesos per month, Sun Postpaid ensures you’ll make the right choice.

For more information, just visit the Sun Shop near you, you can also check for updates by logging on to the Sun Cellular’s official social media sites: www.facebook.com/ suncellularph or www.twitter.com/suncelldeals.

Sun Cellular is the mobile brand of Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc., a member of the PLDT Group.

SM MEN’S SHOES ON SALE! It’s the Men’s Shoes Sale at The SM Store from June 13-30! Get as much as 50% OFF on your favorite brands!

Also, get a chance to win one of twenty foldable bikes for every Php 3,000 purchase. Visit The SM Store today!

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

Furn One to open first store in Davao Bringing world-class luxuries and furnishings to Mindanao’s ‘crown jewel’

WE all want nice things.” That’s the idea behind Furn One, the first specialty retailer of high quality home furnishings in the city, which will open its 200 square meter showroom on the 3rd level of the Abreeza this June 20.

“Whenever I travel abroad I like to buy little things for the home,” says Josephine Lim, president of Furn One. “I like fine and nice things. I love collecting something different especially for the home.” As such, the idea behind Furn One comes from a love of all things beautiful and stylish and began when they started selling in Manila last year.

“I found a supplier,” Lim says. “And [we] got orders from friends.” As the business grew, they found an opportunity in Davao. With several developments such as resorts, condominiums and

hotels in Davao, there was a need for a specialty shop for exceptional and outstanding products of high quality.

Simply put, Furn One brings luxury from Manila, Hongkong, Italy or Poland or anywhere else.

Furn One addresses a demand for sophistication and style, whether it’s a designer looking for handblown glassware from Poland, a home owner in search of detailed ceramics from Italy or a developer seeking artisan metal

works from China.

Custom-made furniture, imported accessories, lamps and chandeliers, dining sets, you name it: Furn One sources the best from around the world to become the one stop shop for fresh designs, unique style and outstanding quality.

Come to Abreeza and discover something stylish only at the city’s premiere lifestyle destination.

Furn One Interiors, Inc. is a specialty retailer founded and incorporat-

ed in 2013 to address the growing demand for high quality home furnishings in the Philippines. Furn One Interiors, Inc. will market and sell unique hand-made products from only the best craftsmen from all over the world through its showrooms and concept stores, beginning with its first store in Davao. By importing only the most exceptional and outstanding products, Furn One supplies custom-made furniture to fit your lifestyle.

WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg holds successful Manila visit WORDPRESS co-founder Matt Mullenweg recently came to Manila for the WordPress Community Meet-up in Manila attended by bloggers, developers, designers, and enthusiasts of the world’s most popular web publishing platform.

Globe Telecom and the Philippine WordPress community led by entrepreneur and president of the Davao Bloggers Society Andrew dela Serna organized and hosted Mullenweg’s third visit to the country. At The Globe Tower in Bonifacio Global City, the official meetup venue, over 120 members of the local WordPress community gathered to learn more about Mullenweg’s expertise on web technology and online publishing, including his philosophy

of giving more people access to publishing and blogging through the use of an opensource software.

Mullenweg first visited the country in 2008 for the same speaking engagement, and has since seen the growth of the local WordPress community.

His recent visit is his third

trip to the Philippines, w h i c h was one of the first countries to adopt WordPress.

To date, WordPress is powering 22% of websites all over the world.

Asked about his partnership with Globe Te l e c o m , Mullenweg shares, “Globe saw an opportunity as they’re bringing lots of people online, and which

is very complimentary with WordPress’ mission, which is to democratize publishing.

Globe is doing some amazing things locally by bringing more people on data plans and connecting them to the Internet.”

Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications Yoly Crisanto adds, “With our participation to the WordPress Community Meet-up, we gain deeper understanding about online platforms and best ways to interact with our digital consumers, as we commit to providing them offers that cater to their digital and fastpaced lifestyle.”

Matt Mullenweg is also the founder and CEO of Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and Jetpack.

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

ENTERTAINMENT

Promil Pre-School i-Shine 3 Talent Camp reveals hosts, mentors and wildcard voting PROMIL Pre-School i-Shine Talent Camp is back on its third year with a bigger and better production, as Wyeth Nutrition and ABS-CBN go beyond the studio walls and expose the kids to real talent institutions that have nurtured and developed similar talents – of dancing, singing, and acting – throughout the years.

For over 25 years, Promil Pre-School has been advocating the development of the Filipino children’s talents with the help of their parents, proper care and proper nutrition. In line with this advocacy, the iShine Talent Camp aims to help exceptionally talented preschoolers develop their

full potential. Aside from the extensive workshops, the roles of parents and proper nutrition will also play a big part in nurturing the preschoolers’ gifts to mastery.

Promil Pre-School iShine Talent Camp Year 3 TV hosts Dimples Romana,

Matteo Guidicelli, and Xian Lim were present during the event. All three hosts shared their memorable experiences in the past years, as well as their excitement for what’s new for the third season.

The top caliber mentors were also revealed – fierce

mom and the artistic director of G-Force, Georcelle Dapat-Sy; Multi-platinum artist and the country’s music icon, Zsa Zsa Padilla; and critically acclaimed and world-class television and movie actress, Angel Locsin.

These mentors will guide the i-Shiners through a series of workshops, sharing their knowledge as experts in their various fields. In the duration of the camp, the chosen preschoolers will be guided and given the opportunity to strengthen their talents.

This year, the audience was given the chance to vote for their favorite i-Shiner through the Wildcard voting. A shortlist of 30 fi-

nalists was revealed on the Promil Pre-School i-Shine Talent Camp microsite. The audience chose their favorites through online voting – one for singing, one for dancing and one for acting.

The three finalists per category with the most votes will join the nine finalists selected by Wyeth Philippines and ABS-CBN, and complete the top 12 i-Shiners.

These 12 i-Shiners will be

taken to different institutions that played significant roles in nurturing the gifts of some of the country’s icons for a series of workshops. The Grand Finale will stage a grand performance by the i-Shiners with the help of their moms and mentors.

The show will pilot on June 28, Saturday morning after Sponge Bob Square Pants on ABS-CBN.

Newlywed couple Boots Anson Roa and Atty. King Rodrigo in Powerhouse “SIGURO talagang mabait kaming tao kaya nabigyan kami ng ganitong grasya, ng pangalawang pagkakataong umibig muli.”

This is how the veteran actress and June bride Boots Anson-Roa describes the new chapter in her life. Six years after her husband Pete Roa died, the 68-year-old actress got a second chance and fell deeply in love with 74-year-old lawyer Atty. King Rodrigo.

The two say they have already known each other for a long time. When their respective spouses died, their paths crossed again although they were not sure if

they wanted to be together.

King even went to the US for a time. When he came back, he decided to pursue Boots. It was when they got to know each other better that love came their way.

This Wednesday on Powerhouse, Boots reveals how she helped King change the way he talks and he grooms

himself. She also shares how King proposed to her inside an elevator of a condominium. She still can’t believe that, at their age, they would end up in marriage.

Join Kara David as she explores Boots’ condominium unit where the newlywed couple will start their new life together. Their home

has an Asian oriental interior design, which the couple prefers. Inside the house, there are antique burial jars that she received from Pete’s family, as well as a centuryold sofa Boots inherited from her family.

King enthused: “Hindi natin alam kung ilang taon pa ang ibibigay sa amin as man and wife, but we will not worry about the years in our life, we will relish this relationship.”

Witness the life and love of the newlywed couple Boots and King in Powerhouse this Wednesday, June 18, 4 p.m., right after Innamorata on GMA 7.

‘Be Careful’ says ‘I Heart You 2’ to loyal viewers via thanksgiving concert “BE Careful With My Heart” stars Jodi Sta. Maria and Richard Yap are excited to celebrate the second anniversary of their hit daytime “kilig-serye” through a special concert to be held at the Araneta Coliseum on July 25 (Friday).

“It’s a thanksgiving concert and a family reunion for us and all the viewers who have supported the show and loved Maya (Jodi) and Ser Chief (Richard) since we started in July 2012,” said Jodi about their concert titled “I HEART YOU 2! The ‘Be Careful With My Heart’ Anniversary Thanksgiving,” which will be graced by the cast and some surprise

guests.

“Just like our show, the concert hopes to make the audience smile and feel good. We are ready to give our best for them so we can all have fun,” Richard said.

Meanwhile, “Be Careful With My Heart” makes its

500th episode this Tuesday (June 16) more memorable for Maya and Ser Chief Ricky with the baptism celebration of their twins, Sky and Sunshine.

Since the country’s no.1 feel-good habit aired its first episode on July 9, 2012,

viewers worldwide became part of the biggest milestones of Maya and Ricky’s love story. And this week, everyone can join the special celebration for Sky and Sunshine together with the whole Lim and Dela Rosa families.

Don’t miss the 22nd KBP Golden Dove Awards’ Best TV Drama Program, “Be Careful With My Heart,” everyday, before “It’s Showtime” on ABS-CBN’s Primetanghali block. For more updates, log on to ABS-CBN.com, follow @becarefulheart on Twitter, and “like” the show’s official Facebook page at Facebook. com/becarefulwithmyheartofficial.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 2D Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler GP

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

22 JUMP STREET 2D Jonah Hil, Channing Tatum R13

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

THIRD PERSON 2D Liam Neeson, Mila Kunis R 16

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

R-16 MY ILLEGAL WIFE 2D / * NOAH 2D PG 13 / * R 13

Pokwang, Zanjoe Marudo / *Russell Crowe 12:25 | 2:35 LFS / * 4:50 | 7:25 | 10:00 LFS

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

EDGEDAVAO

MOVIE REVIEW

Second Chances

Jerry Lopez Sineneng’s ‘Maybe This Time’ PRESS for the Sarah Geronimo-Coco Martin starrer Maybe This Time promotes the film as part of Star Cinema’s 20th year anniversary. After the hugely successful (and by successful in Philippine movie parlance, we mean blockbuster) Starting Over Again, with Piolo Pascual and Toni Gonzaga, that add-on advertising pitch is relevant in highlighting Star Cinema’s reign at the box office and mainstream movie culture, eclipsing the once-illustrious Regal and Viva Films studios.

Being an anniversary offering (another only-in-the-Philippines gimmick), it also means that doesn’t promise any-

Call: 224-0733 • Tionko St., Davao City

thing new or deviate from the money-raking rom-com formula. It also means that the story hinges on the lyrics of a popular love song, one that is also a videoke or afternoon radio staple, so that recall and “relatability” is automatically amped up. It also means that if it isn’t a popular tandem, it’s an “experimental” one. Peg an unlikely pair and see where it goes.

It doesn’t usually take off – everybody has probably forgotten the carelessly rushed Coco Martin-Angeline Quinto Born To Love You. But try another songstress, with a relatively strong fanbase and staying power, and see if Pinoys cash in.

Geronimo plays Stephanie, a city girl on an English teaching mission when she meets Tonio played by Coco Martin, a barrio lad. Martin, who unlike Gerald Anderson or Enrique Gil is not showered with Amboy looks and thus can conveniently essay a role portraying him as a hapless, hopeful probinsyano, saving thousands of pesos for make-up or tanning lotion, because yes, provincial lads always look

dark. The two develop a bond after Tonio’s relentless over-the-top flirting. But the relationship was never really formalized when Tonio failed to show up the day Stephanie was suppose to giver her OO amidst the backdrop of sprawling hills and oceans, the Tonio-Tep Tep love story etched in sand faded away with the waves of time. The reason for Tonio’s absence was already hinted when we see the disapproving looks of Steph’s mother (Shamaine Buencamino), but the audience would willingly fail to see that just so the parting could be justified.

The two meet together years later. Tonio, after toiling abroad and ending up with a good fortune, is now Anton, and Steph a public relations staff whose boss happens to be Anton’s girlfriend Monica, played by Ruffa Guttierez, who should fit the role so well with the character’s superficialities and conceit (but we hate her for the reason that she can’t be loathsome; Ruffa simply can’t act). Anton is being groomed by Monica to fit

into her socialite circle, even going further by assigning Stephanie, who is up for promotion, the task of Anton’s image-building. But just like Martin’s lisp, the past’s wounds keep getting in the way and we only wait for less than hour before things patch up and the two are reunited in the usual pre-nuptial-like shenanigans. This isn’t the closure you have in Starting Over Again; fate has their eventual reunion in the works.

However, there is an interesting subtext to the whole romantic romp, but it has barely anything to do with the story that happens in the movie. The movie is like an image building itself of Martin; lisp aside, his likability is still not in the John Lloyd Cruz or Piolo Pascual league. The movie wants us to like him more, swoon over his inability and clumsiness at the tongue twisters and words such as driftwood, which he could never perfectly pronounce. But he need not be. Martin is a talented actor, but his acting prowess is misplaced and dulled in the soap operas he

now frequents where subtlety is almost a no-no, where the constant need to declare acting chops by shouting is of utmost importance. In trying to be likeable as Tonio, he overreaches when he could have done it effectively without trying too hard.

He is eclipsed by the less overexcited and restrained Geronimo, who got rid off her Laida Magtalas showiness, exhibiting a maturity of an actress who is yet to discover what she can do given the right material and direction. For Popsters who know Geronimo’s reallife personal struggles, the mother-daughter conflict/ subplot in the movie perhaps hit too close to home.

She still has dramatic tearful moments but it is in the scenes where she holds back what could have been a hysterical outburst that shows she could do more than romantic comedies. The movie may not spawn yet another successful trilogy (like that with John Lloyd Cruz), or an unlikely love team, like that of SaSa-GeGe (Gerald Anderson), but maybe next time.

13 COMMUNITY SENSE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

Fellowships open for Lopez Jaena Community Journalism Workshop

T

HE University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) will hold the 18th

Graciano Lopez Jaena Community Journalism Workshop from October 3 to 8 at the UP College of Mass

NOTICE OF LOSS

Notice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. That CERTIFICATE OF FULL PAYMENT No.(s) 1002361 under LOYOLA PLAN Contract No.(s) 295328-1 issued to REYNALDO M. MILAN was lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

Communication, Diliman, Quezon City.

Fellowship slots are available for this workshop.

Applications are open to full-time print, broadcast and online journalists, as well as selected journalism educators and students.

This year’s workshop theme is "Huwag Kumorap: Investigating Corruption in Media and Government."

Resource persons from the academe, government and non-government organizations will speak on issues like

investigative reporting, corruption-related laws, ethics and freedom of information.

Since its first workshop in 1985, the Lopez Jaena Community Journalism Workshop has trained hundreds of community

journalists. Among the past fellows are Cong Corrales, Raymund Villanueva, Dino Balabo, Froilan Gallardo, Frank Cimatu, Ilang-ilang Quijano, Jo Clemente, Diosa Labiste, Danny Calleja, Flor Abanto and Maurice Malanes.

6/4/11/18

General Santos Drive, Koronadal City, South Cotabato 9506

Tel. No. 083-228-2511 ; Fax No. 083-228-2654

General Santos Drive, Koronadal City, South Cotabato 9506 Tel. No. 083-228-2511 ; Fax No. 083-228-2654

WANTED FOR IMMEDIATE HIRING!

WANTED FOR IMMEDIATE HIRING!

BUS DRIVER

BUS DRIVER

Qualifications: Qualifications:

1. Male, – 40 years old 1. Male, 28 28 – 40 years old 2. least At least high school graduate 2. At high school graduate 3. With 5 years drivingexperience experience (bus, 3. With 5 years driving (bus, trucks) trucks) Requirements:

Requirements: 1. Driver’s License Receipt 1. Driver’s Licensewith withOfficial Official Receipt 2. 22.x 22 xI.D. picture (2 (2 pcs.)

2 I.D. picture pcs.)

3. Certificate Employment or or clearance clearance from 3. Certificate ofof Employment from previous employment

May apply in person at Human Resource May apply in person at Human Resource Department, YBLI Office, General Santos Drive, Department, YBLI Office, General Santos Drive, Koronadal City.

Koronadal City.

SCUBA DIVING WORKSHOP. Scuba Diving president Mario Reta (left) joins the panel with Engr. Pastor Lozada Jr. (center), president of the Samal City Resort Owners Association, and Rey dela Paz (right) of Leticia by the Sea during the Scuba Diving Workshop attended by resort owners last June 16 at Swimzone in Lanang, Davao City. Boy Lim

14 SPORTS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014 SWEET REVENGE. Manu Ginobili defied age and gravity in this monster dunk.

FIVE TITLES. Tim Duncan shows five fingers for his NBA titles with the Spurs.

Is Duncan retiring?

S

Falling in love with Spurs basketball L ET’S talk about the Spurs and their 5th ring. Let’s talk about Pop’s brilliance in devising the greatest strategy on how to beat the defending champs.

Let’s talk about three point shooting and ball movement. Let’s talk about how the Miami Heat were always one step late in the series.

Let’s talk about San Antonio Spurs Basketball.

How the Spurs played in the NBA Finals reminded of what a Sacramento Kings broadcaster used to say: “If you don’t like that, you don’t like NBA basketball!”

And that’s exactly how I felt watching the Spurs. In all honesty, you can’t help but fall in love with how they play. It’s unselfish, it’s precise, and most of all, it’s beautiful. Even if you’re not a Spurs fan, you can’t help but appreciate how they dismantled the Heat.

Everyone talks about gorgeous the ball movement of the Spurs were, but just how beautiful was it really? Their style of play was the perfect counter-attack for the Heat’s balls-to-walls type of defense. For the last three years or so, Miami has developed an

identity to be swarming all over the place like a couple of ninjas pouncing on the ball. As Lebron James used to put it, they had to “fly around defensively.” Their strength on the defensive end mostly relied on heavy trapping of the pick and roll and man rotation.

That worked all season long and even in the playoffs. But what can that defense do to how the Spurs play ball? The Spurs were always one step ahead of them.

One Spurs play that I absolutely adore is when they do a pick and roll on the strong side of the floor and at the same time do a backscreen for a shooter on the weak side. For instance, let’s say Diaw and Leonard are on a pick and roll situation. Diaw uses the screen, drives to the basket, but at the same time Duncan is on the weak setting a screen for Green for a corner three. The defense of course reacts to the Diaw pick and roll and leaves behind the action happening on the weak side. Diaw then whips a pass to a cutting Green even before Green gets to the corner. Diaw literally passes it into the abyss and just pray that

Green gets there. What happens then? A Green corner three as the Miami defense tries desperately to catch him. Amazing. That’s what the Spurs did this year. It’s like they had a crystal ball and knew exactly what was going to happen 2 or 3 plays ahead.

It’s the floor spacing and ball movement that led to those threes that Leonard, Mills, and Green produced. Again, it wasn’t as if Miami totally abandoned them. Sure there were tons of lapses throughout the series, but the Spurs shooters were just faster. What also helped the Spurs was the fact that Miami is a bit older. They couldn’t do the 2012 or even 2013 Miami defense that was just trapping 3/4 of the court. They couldn’t summon the frenzy button and shackle the offense. They were only able to do that in blitz and moments which was not enough for the Spurs’ offense.

What about on the defensive end? It’s true that for the most part that San Antonio clinched the title with their FIFA World Cup type of passing, but it was also on the other end of the court that was equal-

ly impressive. It wasn’t that Miami was a selfish team that a lot of fans suggest. In fact, they also took pride in floor spacing and ball movement. That’s why they got all the shooters to surround Wade and James. What the Spurs did as oppose to just a year ago was how they bravely switched defensively… on everything. That’s why you saw moments when Tony Parker defended James. Unlike last year when they dared James to shoot from the outside, this year they were locked in as a team to rotate and switch on every turn of the ball. You could see just how Miami bled for every point. They turned Miami into one of those high school teams in a sports fest or intramurals. You know, the best player of the class just runs amok while his other classmates watch. James drives and kicks to Wade, Wade then to Bosh, Bosh passes to Lewis, and so on. But in all those passes, the Spurs were right there. When the shot clock bogged down to five seconds, the Heat were back to square one with their offense. That’s Spurs defense for you.

AN ANTONIO (AP) — Tim Duncan conducted his postgame interview flanked by his two children.

Someday soon he may decide that they, and not Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, will be his full-time running mates.

Duncan’s eventual retirement — whether it’s next week, next summer, or after the next championship — probably won’t end what’s been a 15-year run at or near the top for the San Antonio Spurs.

San Antonio appears to be positioned to keep rolling along.

The Spurs looked better than ever in demolishing the Miami Heat in five games for their fifth championship, finishing it off with a 104-87 victory Sunday that set off a horn-honking celebration that lasted deep into the night.

With good players in place and perhaps unmatched leadership at the top that will find more, the Spurs don’t figure to go away, even when their big man in the middle finally does.

“I think I said it many times. There was not one season since I’m in the NBA that I really didn’t truly believe that we could have won it,” Ginobili said. “Every year we were up there. Sometimes we were No. 1 and we lost in the first round.

Some other times we were seventh and we had a shot at winning it.

“But playing with the teammates I’ve always played, coached by the guy that is coaching us, I always felt that we had a shot, and I truly never believed it was the last shot.”

This probably wasn’t, either.

True, the 38-year-old Duncan realizes the end is near, though won’t say and perhaps doesn’t know how close it is.

Ginobili will be 37 next month and may be entering the last stage of his career as well.

But Parker shows no signs of slowing down, NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard looks ready for an even bigger role, and coach Gregg Popovich and general manager R.C. Bu-

ford, whom Commissioner Adam Silver called “perhaps the greatest GM-coach combination in all of sports,” have shown they can find good players and make them better once they don the silver and black.

“My secret is these guys behind me, Coach Pop and R.C. That’s my secret,” owner Peter Holt said. “It doesn’t start at the top, it starts with them.

And it’s a wonderful group to be with.”

The only prediction about the future Sunday night came from Popovich, and it was about the Heat. Though the former champions are heading into an uncertain summer with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all eligible for free agency, he said Miami would be back.

It wasn’t long ago people had stopped saying that about San Antonio.

Beaten in the first round by rugged Memphis as the No. 1 seed in 2011, the Spurs didn’t look strong enough.

Ousted by Oklahoma City the next year after building a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals, San Antonio didn’t seem quick enough.

Yet the Spurs made the necessary tweaks, and when it wasn’t quite good enough last season against the Heat, they came back even more focused and left no doubt this time.

“We’ve adapted and come out here and been able to win another championship,” Duncan said. “So proud. It’s unbelievable.”

Popovich’s ability to manage minutes in the regular season, keeping his stars fresh and providing valuable experience for his role players, could position San Antonio for another lengthy playoff run. But there will be eager challengers ready to pounce, particularly if the Spurs just don’t have the same hunger after being driven through this season by the pain of last year’s finals loss.

Right within their own state, Houston or Dallas could change the balance of power by adding Carmelo Anthony.

SPORTS 15

VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014 GOAL. United States’ Clint Dempsey celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the group G World Cup soccer match between Ghana and the United States at the Arena das Dunas in Natal, Brazil on Tuesday (PHL Time). The United States won the match 2-1. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

US wins bloody match

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ATAL, Brazil (AP) -- After 90 brutal minutes of end-to-end action, the Americans emerged with a thrilling 2-1 win over Ghana. ‘’It was a grind, but it was a wonderful win at the end of the day,’’ coach Jurgen Klinsmann said.

U.S. fans were screaming for revenge Monday after the Black Stars eliminated the Americans from the last two Cups.

They got it. At a price.

Clint Dempsey scored a shocking goal a half-minute in, but the U.S. couldn’t make it stand up. Andre Ayew tied the score in the 82nd minute after a brilliant back-heel pass from Asamoah Gyan, who had eliminated the U.S. four years ago.

And then, just four minutes later, 21-year-old John Brooks rose to head in Graham Zusi’s corner kick from 8 yards - the first substitute to ever score for the United States in 30 World Cup games over 84 years. The defender, an unexpected addition to the American roster, was so overcome he fell to the field and was unable to move even after teammates climbed off the dog pile. He had made his national team debut only last August, and Brooks hadn’t

scored in four appearances.

U.S. players ran onto the field to celebrate at the final whistle, jumping as supporters chanted ‘’U-S-A! U-S-A!’’ Now they’re in good position in Group G, where Germany opened with a 4-0 rout of Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.

After the game, Vice President Joe Biden visited the victorious Americans in their locker room. ‘’We got the three points that we badly wanted,’’ Klinsmann said.

He had predicted this would be like a final. Jozy Altidore was hoping it wasn’t his finale.

The forward was carried off on a stretcher after his left hamstring gave out in the 21st minute when he tried to control a long ball. He awaits tests that will determine whether he can return for this World Cup. Dempsey went down too on a balmy late-autumn night, but he stayed in the game. The U.S. captain ended the first half with a tissue up his nose, which he said was probably broken, to stop the bleeding after John Boye’s kick to his face during a battle for a header in the 31st minute. ‘’I just had trouble breath-

ing,’’ Dempsey said afterward, his nose swollen and cut. ‘’I was coughing up blood a little bit. Hopefully I’ll be able to breathe through my nose again before the next game.’’

Tim Howard made big save after big save as Ghana outshot the U.S. 21-8.

Matt Besler came out at the start of the second half after feeling tightness in his right hamstring. It was his replacement, Brooks, who scored the winning goal. Zusi was also a sub, coming on for the hobbling Alejandro Bedoya in the second half.

By the time of the final whistle, the U.S. lineup had Brooks in central defense and a virtually invisible 23-year-old Aron Johannsson at forward.

The Americans ‘’showed a lot of heart, a lot of character,’’ Dempsey said.

Now the odds favor advancement. But that might depend on which players are able to make it on the field for Sunday’s game against Portugal in the hot and humid Amazon rain forest capital of Manaus. ‘’This win means nothing unless we’re able to build upon it the next two games,’’ Dempsey said.

scored a brace for the Hooligans but it was veteran Richard Mortillero who converted the winning marker in the 87th minute.

The Hooligans enjoyed a 1-0 halftime lead courtesy of Demapanag’s first goal in the 21st minute. Jerard Bieneza (23’), Demapanag (51’) and Jayric Iligan (60’) each added one goal for the Hooligans while KMMPC’s scorers were Louis Kohendorfer (51’ and 68’), Ian Sonza (71’) and Angelo John Adana (79’).

Columbia, on the other hand, got the goals from Michael Jay Fernandez (21’), Abdul Salam Mamadali (43’) and Warren Ravanes (68’).

The Hooligans leads with four straight wins with no draw or loss followed by Columbia (3-0-1), PCT-Medvil (1-0-3) and winless KMMPC (0-0-4).

The games will resume on June 22 featuring the Hooligans against Columbia at 2 p.m. followed by PCT-Medvil versus KMMPC at 4 p.m.

Hooligans nip KMMPC; Columbia blanks PCT-Medvil

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EAGUE leading Hooligans FC remained undefeated while Columbia bounced back with a convincing victory in the ongoing PSCDFA Challenge Cup held Sunday at the Tionko grounds.

The Hooligans managed to escape over a hard-fighting KMMPC, 5-4 to remain on top with four wins in the fourteam league sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Davao Football Association.

Marlon Demapanag

PRETTY FAN. An Argentine fan kisses a replica of the World Cup trophy before the group F World Cup soccer match between Argentina and Bosnia at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Photo) TRIUMPHANT. The Philippines Under-14 Girls team led by Dabawenya booter Joyce Semacio as tournament MVP finished second place in the AFC Girls U-14 Regional Finals in Vietnam last Sunday.

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 67 • WEDNESDAY, VOL. 7JUNE ISSUE18, 672014 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014

COLD RONALDO Germany turns up heat on Portugal 4-0

HEADER. Mats Hummels of Germany and Eder of Portugal go up for a header (top photo). Below, Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo (7) failed to deliver for his side.

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IO DE JANEIRO (AP) -Germany was supposed to be a team that would melt in Brazil’s tropics.

Instead it was Portugal that felt the heat on Monday in a match in Salvador. Thomas Mueller scored a hat trick, Portugal played with 10 men after a red card in the 37th minute, and German President Angela Merkel wore a big smile following a 4-0 victory in Brazil’s northeast.

The victory put Germany in control of Group G, with the United States facing Ghana Monday night.

The World Cup continued to deliver lots of goals in the first 12 games - 41.

In the 13th game of the tournament, Nigeria and Iran played a scoreless draw - the first draw of this World Cup. Argentina defeated Bosnia 2-1 on Sunday in the other Group F match, and both will feel confident after watching Nigeria and Iran fail to produce.

Two of the seeded teams defending champion Spain and Uruguay - have been upset. That fate would not befall Germany.

It was German’s 100th World Cup match, and they had it wrapped up by halftime.

Mueller, who led the 2010 World Cup with five goals, scored on either side of Mats Hummels’ headed goal as Ger-

many took a 3-0 lead at the break, and added his third goal in the 81st. ‘’To score three goals in the World Cup opener against such an opponent is great,’’ Mueller said. ‘’After 20 minutes, we looked up at the clock and thought it was going to be a long day,’’ he added. ‘’But we got into the match very well and when you lead by 2-0 in this heat and then even get the third, it was all over.’’

Cristiano Ronaldo started at Arena Fonte Nova despite some nagging injuries. The winner of FIFA’s best player award, he faded after threatening early in

the match. He had a shot from a break that Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer blocked, but there was nobody from Portugal to pounce on the rebound. ‘’We should have used some of our chances better,’’ Mueller

said, suggesting it was hard to play in midday heat and humidity.

It really didn’t show.

The defending Cup of Africa Nations champion, Nigeria will be more disappointed with

the draw than Iran. The performances make Argentina and Bosnia the favorites to reach the knockout stage.

Neither Iran nor Nigeria has won a match at the World Cup since 1998.

Davao booter named MVP in AFC Girls U-14 regionals

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AVAO’S Joyce Semacio took the Most Valuable Player award as the Philippines placed a strong second behind eventual champion Thailand, los-

MVP. Joyce Semacio of Davao City won MVP honors in the AFC U-14 Regional Championships in Vietnam. (FB Photo)

ing 2-1 in the finals in the Asian Football Confederation U-14 Girls’ Regional Championship last Sunday at Thong Nat Stadium in Vietnam.

Semacio, a standout of Holy Cross of Davao College, is one of four Davao booters in the squad.

The others are Ateneo de Davao University’s Patricia Erika Francisco, Bea Angela De Luna and Joannah Marie Adao.

Semacio’s accomplishment and that of the Philippines’ squad were met with appreciation from the Davao Football Community on the group’s Facebook page.

The Filipinas surrendered two goals in the first half before trying to rally in the second half.

Ratchaphan and Dassama of Thailand nailed goals at the 11th and 20th minutes to give their team a 2-nil halftime lead.

The Philippines narrowed its deficit to 2-1 when Aranxa Trebol scored at the 51st minute.

However,the squad failed to find an equalizing goal for the rest of the match as Thailand came away with the championship.

The silver medal finish capped an impressive performance for the Filipinas, who swept their group matches against Singapore, Vietnam and Cambodia, and beat Myanmar in the semifinals to advance to the tournament final.