VOL. 8 ISSUE 123 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2015
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Rody to presidentiables: Bring back death penalty City Legal now working on case vs. tuna vendors
Why are we crazy about Korean movies?
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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO
VOL. 8 ISSUE 123 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2015
Why are we crazy about Korean movies?
By VANESSA KATE MADRAZO ADDU Intern
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ON’T be surprised to see the queue for a Korean film a long one? Simple. Pinoys are just too enmeshed with Korean movies and teleseryes. No wonder, even this year’s Korean Film Festival at the SM Lanang Premier is a big hit with Dabawenyo moviegoers. “The films are relatable. [People] can see themselves in the characters,” Korean Cultural Center (KCC) representative Paola Ebora said during the Fast Friday’s media forum. The Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in partnership with the Korean Embassy in the Philippines hosted the 3rd Korean Film Festival in SM Lanang Premiere which features seven films to showcase Korean culture and artistry in film. During the premiere screening last September 17, they accepted viewers beyond the cinema’s capacity for 317 people. This year’s theme according to Paola Ebora, KCC representative, is “Streaks of Affinity” where films are about relationships and connections including family,
friendship, love, and rivalry. The films are for ages 13 and above. Six of the films are feature films from big companies while one is a documentary type made by a smaller production company, but all of these, Ebora said, are good representative films of Korea. They selected from a pool of films and chose ones to feature based on which films will Filipinos be most interested to watch, and also to showcase diversity. The films have been screened from 20122014 and now they seek to promote these films in the Philippines. This isn’t difficult especially because there are commonalities between Korean and Philippine culture. For one thing, “We are very, very close to our families,” Ebora said. “We have exended families where grandparents also live with the whole family. They also have some kind of ‘po’ and ‘opo’, respect in their language.” The film festival was held in lieu of the growing Korean communities in many cities including Davao who have been staying in the country for
many years. “They find the Philippines as one of the countries to be more relaxed in, and do business,” Ebora said. Some of the films screened include Ms. Granny, Marriage Blue, The Thieves, Hold Eyes, and Hope. The screening is until September 20, Sunday. The Korean Film Festival is also set to go to Ilo-ilo on September 2427, to Cebu on October 1-4, and to Manila on October 3-8. KOREANS IN DAVAO Education, weather, and golf are among the reasons why there is an increasing Korean presence in Davao City. In the early 90s, a Korean girl named Se Ri Pak honed her golf in Lanang Golf and Country Club before she won five Ladies PGA Tour titles from 1996 to 2010. Today, a number of Korean expats play regularly at Davao’s three golf courses. But why do Koreans pick Davao City as among their favored retirement and educational destinations? Korean presence in Davao City has noticeably growing in the past few
CELEBRATING KOREAN CULTURE. Korean Cultural Center’s Paola Ebora walks members of local media through the Korean culture and tradition during FAST Fridays media forum at Barrio Fiesta at SM Lanang Premier. Lean Daval Jr. years. Figures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) showed that there are already 3,734 Koreans living in the Davao Region in 2013. According to Wikipedia, the Korean presence in Davao began expanding by the mid-2000s. In 2001, Koreans were only the 10th-most common foreigners in Southern Mindanao, but by 2006 they had grown to third
place. In 2007 South Korean investments in Davao were reported to be expanding. Some of the then-800 Korean residents of Davao City formed a chamber of commerce that year. Korean restaurants were sprouting up to serve the Korean students studying abroad there, and Korean property developers aimed to construct hundreds of millions of pesos of projects including golf
courses, English language schools for foreigners, and export-oriented industrial parks to entice Japanese and South Korean firms to set up shop. Businesspeople feel the city’s potential is relatively “untapped” compared to other markets in the Philippines such as Cebu or Baguio. About 2,647 Korean tourists visited Davao in 2006, up slightly from 2,622 in 2005.
EDGEDAVAO
3 ECONOMY
VOL. 8 ISSUE 123 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2015
TSI plant now fully operational By CHENEEN R. CAPON
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HE first 150 megawatts-unit of the 300MW coal-fired power plant of Therma South Inc. (TSI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corp., started its full commercial operation last Friday easing power situation of Mindanao. “The start of the commercial operations just officially signals the start of the contractual obligations of Therma South in delivering reliable
power to its customers,” corporate communications manager Wilfredo Rodolfo told EDGE Davao. Rodolfo said the Unit 1 of the power plant has actually been operating for several weeks now supplying “commission power” to their customers. The Unit 1 has a total installed capacity of 150 MW but only 120MW were contracted by different distribution utili-
ties and electric cooperatives in Mindanao, while the remaining 30 MW will be TSI’s in-house capacity necessary for its operation. The power plant will deliver contracted power to more than 20 electric cooperatives and distribution utilities all over Mindanao, easing the power crisis that has been hounding the island for several months now. “We have informed our
HE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Davao Region distributed a total of 24 common service facilities (CSFs) to 14 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization (ARBOs) from three provinces. These “mature” ARBOs came from provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Davao del Norte, which all received equipment and machineries worth P2.77 million during the awarding ceremony on DAR11 regional office last Friday. The procurement of these machineries is under the project of DAR called
the “Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS). These ARBOs were awarded with farm equipment like rice threshers, floating tillers and corn shellers that would increase farmer organizations’ productivity and income. The six beneficiaries in Davao del Sur were the Cooperative of Hagononoy Farmers (COHFA KISS)- Hagonoy, Lapulabao-Poblacion Sacub Irrigators Association (LAPOSA) KISS-Hagonoy, Kooperatiba ng New Murcia (KONEMU)- New Murcia,
Bala-Kanapulo Communal Irrigators Association from Magsaysay, Western La Suerte Farmers Irrigators Association from Matan-ao and the Dalawinon MPC-KASDABLO from the municipality of Magsaysay. The two beneficiaries from the province of Davao del Norte were Pagsabangan Farmers and Irrigators MPC and the New Corella Integrated Development Cooperative. Davao Oriental had eight ARBOs beneficiaries which were San Vicente Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Coop-
DAR 11 distributes P2.77-M equipment to Davao farmers T
FDAR 11, 10
customers and our stakeholders that we are now officially in commercial operations and supplying Mindanao with reliable and cost-effective baseload power,” Therma South Inc. president and COO Benjamin A. Cariaso, Jr. said in an earlier statement. The power plant will supply power to Davao Light Power Co. (DLPC) for Davao City and to other major cities including Cagayan de Oro, Gen-
eral Santos, Butuan, Kidapawan Cotabato and Tagum. It will also serve the provinces of Davao, Caraga, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, parts of Bukidnon, parts of Misamis and parts of Zamboanga peninsula. The company said the second 150-MW unit is scheduled for commercial operations in early 2016. The power plant, which is the first major power plant add-
ed to the Mindanao grid since 2006, started construction in 2012. Meanwhile, Mindanao Grid has huge power reserves for the first time in many months as recorded by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in its website. As of September 19, 2015, Mindanao’s power supply is 1,420 MW with a peak demand of 1,303 MW. It has a power reserve of 117MW.
CONCEPT STORE OPENING. Wiltelcom general manager Hector Go (left) and Capdase International Limited country manager Tommy To cut the ribbon to formally open the Capdase concept store at the 3rd level of Gaisano Mall of Davao yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.
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EDGEDAVAO VOL. 8 ISSUE 123 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2015
Rody: Bring back death penalty By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.
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AVAO City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte challenged the current crop of presidential hopefuls to bring back death penalty if they win. “If I were (Mar) Roxas, (Vice President Jejomar) Binay, and (Senator Grace) Poe, I would restore the death penalty,” Duterte said in his speech during the 1st International Conference organized by the Structural Engineers Association of Davao at Grand Men Seng Hotel on Friday afternoon. The death penalty was suspended in 2006 by then-President Gloria Arroyo through Republic Act No. 9346. Duterte, however, said the restoration of death penalty might decrease the level of criminality in the country, which he said is one of the major factors affecting the economy. He said many innocent people are victimized by criminals, most of whom are in the illegal drug trade. Duterte said the continuous criminality is due to the poor justice system and rampant corruption which allows criminals to sell drugs and have a luxurious life.
He said most of these drug lords have the luxury of expensive mansions in the country and abroad and have their children study in exclusive schools. They can afford to hire good lawyers if cases are filed against them. “If you run for President, don’t promise to stop corruption. You stop criminality because I tell you it is already a way of life,” he said. Duterte said the candidates should have a specific program on the fight against criminality and corruption and not just make promises during the campaign in order to win votes. “The presidency is really a sacrifice. Are you willing to sit there and fix the problems of criminality (and) drug corruption? And you have to fix government,” he said. Duterte repeated an earlier statement that if he does run for president and wins, he will later be charged not with corruption but with multiple murder or genocide. He said he will eradicate the “9,000 drug lords in the country” because he will kill them all.
NEW SKILL SET. New graduates of the Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) of Davao City Police Office (DCPO) show their skill in Close Quarter Battle on Urban Warfare before their graduation ceremony on Friday afternoon at DCPO ground. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.
City Legal now working on case vs. tuna vendors
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HE Davao City Legal Office (CLO) is now working on the case that will be filed against market vendors who sold adulterated tuna wiped with
hog’s blood. In an interview, CLO lawyer John Christopher T. Mahamud told reporters that he has already taken the statement of the personnel of City Veterinarian’s Office (CVO) and Civil Security Unity (CSU) who confiscated the tuna in the public markets in Matina Aplaya, Puan, and Toril last Saturday. Mahamud said that during his interview with
the witnesses last Thursday, he realized that there are other people who need to execute affidavits to support the case. He said he needs to study the documents given to him since the case was forwarded to him only last Wednesday afternoon, a day after Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte said he wants the vendors to be charged. “We are still on the pro-
cess of preparing the affidavits because there is an order coming from Mayor (Rodrigo) Duterte to charge the people who sold the adulterated fish,” he said. Mahamud said hopefully by next week the case will be filed if the statements are gathered. He said initially, the case he sees that can be filed against the vendors is vio-
FCITY, 10
CARP fails to give land to thousands of farmers By CHENEEN R. CAPON
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HOUSANDS of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Davao Region still cannot enjoy the fruits of their decades of labor because of some private land owners’ resistance to withdraw their ownership. “More than 70 percent
of the remaining 10,000 hectares for land distribution in Davao Region under the Agrarian land reform program of the government remain at the hands of private land owners,” DAR 11 regional director John H. Maruhom told reporters last Friday.
Maruhom said these private land owners, mostly from the provinces of Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, and Davao del Norte, own an average of 10 hectares to 24 hectares each of farmland, mostly banana plantations.
(EastMinCom) on Thursday night, Iriberri told reporters that the three soldiers will be tried by court-martial because of the gravity of accusation against them. “There is a complaint, there is a report, so we have to address it,” he said. The AFP had earlier said it is taking cognizance of the case because it will not tolerate violations committed by
the soldiers. Meanwhile, rape charges were filed before the Davao del Norte Provincial Prosecution Office two weeks ago by the Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 because the girl’s parents had settled with the three soldiers. “Napakabigat na accusation niyan na hindi basta-basta na lang palampasin
FCARP, 10
No whitewash: PNP chief A
RMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff General Hernando Iriberri has given assurance that there will be no whitewash in the case of three soldiers allegedly involved in the rape of a 14-year-old Lumad girl in Talaingod, Davao del Norte In an interview during the 9th Anniversary of Eastern Mindanao Command
FNO, 10
EDGEDAVAO VOL. 8 ISSUE 123 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2015
PROPERTY
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Esdevco reports construction updates
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ONSTRUCTION of the Matina Enclaves condominium project moved towards the completion of upper ground parking level of Building 1 of The Residences. This was reported on Friday by Matina Enclaves project head Gerald Garcesin an update to its buyers and prospects. Garces said that 129cu.m of concrete will be poured and completed by Friday for the upper ground parking of Building 1, the first of six condominium buildings comprising The Residences segment of the mixed use Matina Enclaves. Garces added that three days before the scheduled concrete pouring of the slab and beams at the upper ground floor, an inspection was carried out on site attended by the designers, consultants and representatives of developer Escandor Development Corporation (Esdevco). Last month, Esdev-
co reported the full completion of micropiling works for the first of six condominium buildings of its signature project. “Construction of the first building is right within our schedule,” Garces said. As the development of the first condominium building went full swing, Garces said they expect the completion of road rehab along the Col. Emilio Escandor Road to be completed within the month. The road rehab includes road widening in front of the sprawling Matina Enclaves. Sales for the Matina Enclaves have been notably brisk with the advantage in location, cost and amenities. Despite the stiff competition with the mushrooming condominium projects in Davao City, Garces said The Residences is receiving good feedback due to design functionality, superior turnover finished and competitive pricing and payment term.
EDGEDAVAO
6 VANTAGE
EDITORIAL
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VOL. 8 ISSUE 123 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2015
Targets
N this country, being tagged as a communist or even just a communist sympathizer can be dangerous. Martial law is officially a thing of the past, and yet the military still acts as if it holds power over many aspects of the country’s public life – including running after those it deems to be holding ideas and ideals that it does not accept. The military apparently has a dossier on such people, and these include journalists and media organizations who have made the “mistake” of reporting the side of those opposed to the government. This list came to light in 2005 when a Powerpoint presentation made by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) titled “Know Your Enemy” found its way in the hands of reporters who saw that a number of journalists and groups – including the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) – had been tagged “state enemies.” That was 2005, and one would have thought things are different now under a different administration. Sadly, the more things change, the more they remain the same. A few days ago, respected and multi-awarded journalist Inday Espina-Varona, who writes for ABS-CBN and has a widely popular blog, became the object of a Facebook page that branded her as an “asset” of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF). The page – called “Justice and Truth shall Prevail” – on Friday showed a photo of Espina-Varona with the hammer-and-sickle symbol
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in the background and the words “asset ng CPP-NPA-NDF” written under her name. The page accuses her of being one-sided in her articles on the Lumad killings in Mindanao, and ultimately concludes that she is a “spokesperson” of human rights group Karapatan – itself branded as a front organization of the CPP. Espina-Varona’s reaction is telling of just how dangerous this kind of Red-tagging is. “Hindi ako natatawa (I don›t find it funny),» she said in an online comment, revealing her fear that being tagged as a communist now endangers her life. The fact that dozens of journalists have been killed in the Philippines since democracy was restored in 1986 proves that her fears are not baseless, and it points to how dangerous the journalism profession is in this country. It doesn›t help that government has not done nearly enough to both solve and prevent such killings. Now journalists also have to contend with the military breathing heavily at their necks, seemingly ready to pounce if they continue writing stories critical of the administration and of the AFP itself. Of course the creators of the Facebook page are anonymous and so the military can always deny that it is behind its existence on social media, but that is a moot point. Espina-Varona – and perhaps the scores of other journalists who have written about the Lumad issue – have become targets, and it is government’s responsibility to make sure they are safe.
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VOL. 8 ISSUE 123 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2015
EDGEDAVAO EVENT
R-L Mike Reyes, NewTHINK! Property Consultant; Ricardo R. Floirendo, Anflocor SVP; Cary F. Lagdameo, VP- DLI and Damosa Land Property Specialists pose with DLI Brand Ambassadress, Jodi Sta. Maria at the Damosa Land booth in Abreeza.
Jodi Sta. Maria savors Davao visit I
N her recent visit to Davao City for the Grand Launch of Seawind, Damosa Land’s newest residential project, Jodi Sta. Maria had the opportunity to enjoy the best of what the city has to offer. Accompanied by members of Anflocor and Damosa Land, Inc. Jodi and her entourage got the chance to tour a number of the company’s projects and properties.
The day began with a welcome lunch at the White House Fusion Cuisine and Wine Lounge wherein the guests were treated to a feast fit for royalty. Following this lunch, the group then headed to the Abreeza Mall for a quick photo op at the Damosa Land marketing booth. The group then headed back to Damosa Jodi Sta. Maria (center) enjoys a day at the Pearl Farm Beach Resort with (seated L-R) Doña Nenita R. Floirendo, Chair Emerita, Linda F. Fairlane, Damosa Land’s residential sub- Lagdameo, Anflocor Executive Vice President, (standing R-L) Isabel Lagdameo, Cary Lagdameo, VP-DLI, Marissa R. Floirendo, Anflocor division, where Jodi and friends would rest Corporate Secretary, Maricris F. Brias, Anflocor Senior Vice President, Nhilla Mallari, Garlic Garcia, and Patricia Coronado. and prepare for the night’s activities. What completed her visit to Davao was her day tour to the world-class Pearl Farm Beach Resort. The day following the grand launch of Seawind, Jodi and her entourage basked in the sun and got themselves soaked in the beach amidst the scenic backdrop of lush foliage and very inviting villas and cottages at the resort. She Jodi Sta. Maria and rounded up her short stay there with a fesson, Thirdy, enjoys her stay in one of tive lunch that was hosted by the Floirendo the model units in family. Damosa Fairlane. “Our Davao trip was amazing. UnforUshering her with gettable, I must say. Food was very good. warm smiles are Damosa Land employees.
Jodi A4
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VOL. 8 ISSUE 123 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2015
EVENTS
Story-telling activity at the Missionaries of Charity.
Marco Polo Davao family during luncheon celebration of Marco Polo Day.
Reading activities with children of Missionaries of Charity.
Celebrating Marco Polo’s 761st birthday
Associates from various departments enjoy a special luncheon.
Slicing of cake with MPD chefs and Heads of Department.
MARCO POLO celebrated the Marco Polo Day with a series of events that started with a room sale for all properties. The Marco Polo-wide room sale was offered to online booking via its website www.marcopolohotels.com with a 50% discount based on Best Available Rates. The online booking was offered for only one day with stay period until February 29, 2016.
Associates as well as the heads of department of the hotel also gathered on a special luncheon with the MPD family as its way of celebrating the 761 st birthday of Marco Polo, the merchant. “We celebrate this day not only as a form of tribute to our company’s namesake, Marco Polo but also as a thanksgiving for the continued success of our hotel over the past 17 years” says General Manager Dottie WurglerCronin. The celebration of Marco Polo Day ended with a visit to the Missionaries of Charity in Juna Subdivision, Matina, Davao City. Associates from different departments joined in the annual visit to the shelter to spend time, play and distribute some tokens of love to the children. The Missionaries of Charity is a temporary shelter that caters to sick children who are not well provided for by their families. The children of the orphanage can be likened to Marco Polo’s childhood, who grew up like an orphan after he lost his mother during his tender years. He met his father, who was also a merchant, only when he turned 15.
Abreeza Mall hosts residents of Co Su Gian Home for the Aged on Grandparents Day GRANDPARENTS DAY was made more memorable for a group of lolos and lolas—even as they lived away from their families. On September 13, Abreeza Mall treated over 20 residents of the Co Su Gian Home for the Aged in Cabantian, Buhangin, a government facility that is home to abandoned, neglected, and less fortunate senior citizens. Dubbed Lolo & Lola’s Day Out, the activity saw the elderly residents together with the center’s staff enjoying lunch at Sunburst Fried Chicken, followed by a movie of their choice. The lolos and lolas
Residents of Co Su Gian Home for the Aged celebrate Grandparents Day at Abreeza Mall. capped off the day with a Hall, a themed photo booth special gift pack, and a copy photo session at the Grand- prepared just for the occa- of their photo to remember parents Day Photo Wall at sion. Each elderly guest got the experience by. Furtherthe Ground Floor Fashion to bring home a T-shirt, a more, Abreeza Mall donat-
ed supplies such as adult diapers and appliances such as rice cookers, blenders, and gardening tools to the center. Besides the Grandparents Day Photo Wall, other surprises at Abreeza Mall on this special day were gold balloons—signifying the golden years—that were handed out to grandparents. For inquiries and updates on Abreeza Mall news and events, please visit the Main Concierge at the ground floor or call (082) 321-9332. Stay updated by liking www. facebook.com/AbreezaMall and following @abreezatweets on Twitter and @iloveabreezamall on Instagram.
VOL. 8 ISSUE 123 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2015
ENTERTAINMENT
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Kapuso primetime love teams excite Davao, CDO fans
EVEN BEFORE GMA’s Marimar hit TV screens nationwide this month, Kapuso fans in Davao had their first glimpse of the newest Kapuso love team on primetime TV—Tom Rodriguez and Megan Young, the new Sergio and Marimar in the Filipinized version of the popular Mexican telenovela in the 90s. Consequently, Dennis Trillo and Jennylyn Mercado, whose comeback project, My Faithful Husband, has sparked rumors about their real-life relationship status, rocked Cagayan de Oro City’s Higalaay Festival.
Marimar, which originally starred the Mexican actress Thalia (Marimar) and Eduardo Capetillo (Sergio), was first given a local Filipino flavor by GMA Network in 2007. After close to a decade, it is once again brought to life by GMA. Will the series bring the new lead stars close enough to make their on-screen romance real? Only time can tell. But what’s certain for now is that this new TomMegan love team quickly gained a huge following after the Kapuso Network announced the pairing in Marimar. This became more evident when the two went to Davao City to take part in GMA Regional TV’s participation in the annual Kadayawan Festival. Throngs of fans filled the Kapuso Mall Show held at the Annex Event Center of SM City Davao last August 21, eager to see their favorite Kapuso stars in the flesh. Megan indulged them with a sultry dance number while Tom serenaded the ladies with a set of love songs. Aside from Tom and Megan, Rhian Ramos, Mike Tan, Mikael Daez, Kylie Padilla, Martin Del Rosario and Julian Trono also joined the festivities in the city dubbed as the “Crown Jewel of Mindanao.”
Rhian and Mike met with fans at the Abreeza Mall Activity Center on August 23 (Sunday) to thank them for supporting their recently concluded primetime series, The Rich Man’s Daughter while Mikael invited them to watch My Faithful Husband in which he is the antagonist. It was followed by another mall show with Kylie, Martin and Julian, stars of the afternoon soap Buena Familia, at the Gaisano Mall of Davao. Meanwhile, another big festiv-
ity in the south is the Higalaay Festival in the so-called “City of Golden Friendship,” Cagayan de Oro. Rumored couple Dennis Trillo and Jennylyn Mercado roused the audience at a Kapuso Mall Show held at the Activity Center of the Centrio Ayala Mall last August 29. With their sweetness, which was consistent on and off the stage, it’s hard to believe that their on-cam romance in My Faithful Husband isn’t for real. Just last Friday, September 11, Kylie, Martin and Julian experienced the Tuna festival fever in General Santos City where they were welcomed by the cheerful Generals who also enjoyed their performances. These mall shows in the regions are a part of GMA’s efforts to reach out to Kapuso viewers nationwide and bring the stars closer to them. “GMA Network has always been an active partner of key Philippine cities in promoting the best of and in the Filipino. We are happy that, through our Kapuso events, we help make Davao City’s Kadayawan, CdeO’s Higalaay, and GenSan’s Tuna more festive and colorful each year. This is our way of thanking our loyal regional viewers for their continued support for GMA Network and our stars,” said Oliver Amoroso, Head of GMA’s Regional Strategy and Business Development Division. To know more about the Network’s regional events, follow GMA on Facebook at www. facebook.com/gmanetwork and GMA Regional TV at www.facebook.com/GMARegionalTV and on Twitter and Instagram via @ GMARegionalTV.
September 9-15, 2015
HENERAL LUNA/ *THE TRANSPORTER REFUELED John Arcilla, Epy Quizon/ Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson, Gabriella Wright R13/*R13
11:25 | 1:40 | 3:55 LFS/* 6:10 |8:05 | 10:00 LFS
MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS Dylan O'Brien, Nathalie Emmanuel, Thomas Brodie-Sangster R13
11:20 | 2:00 |4:40 | 7:20 | 10:00 LFS
PIXELS/ *SINISTER 2 Adam Sandler, Kevin James/ Shannyn Sossamon
R-16
PG/*R16
11:25 | 1:40 | 3:55 LFS/* 6:10 |8:05 | 10:00 LFS
EX WITH BENEFITS Derek Ramsay, Coleen Garcia, Carmi Martin R13
12:40 | 3:00 | 5:20 | 7:40 | 10:00 LFS
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EDGEDAVAO
VOL. 8 ISSUE 123 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2015
EVENT
Jodi A1
The Floirendo and Lagdameo families were very warm and accommodating. We had a chance to see Damosa Land’s other projects such as Damosa Fairlane. Our Pearl Farm experience is one for the books,” said Jodi Sta. Maria Although her visit was cut short due to her hectic schedule and prior engagements, the Kapamilya actress is certain that she will be coming back to Davao. To know more about Seawind, you may visit its model unit showroom and lounge at Damosa Complex. You may reach DLI’s Property Specialists at 234-2888 or you can visit their website at www.damosaland.com. Damosa Land is the real es-
tate and property development company of the Anflocor Group – the company that is responsible for developing business and lifestyleoriented commercial center, Damosa District.
Jodi enjoys a conversation with Anflocor SVP Ricky Floirendo at the White House Fusion Cuisine and Wine Lounge.
We have just added three new members to the family.
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EDGEDAVAO
VOL. 8 ISSUE 121 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015
VANTAGE POINTS
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The Philippines’ power situation: improving but …
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ORECASTS made in 2014 of a Philippines crippled by massive power outages in the summer of 2015 have not come to pass in its entirety – much to the relief of businesses in Luzon. But the energy picture is mixed in the Visayas and Mindanao. The current energy outlook for the Visayas is hardly cause for serious concern and got a boost from the operation of the new 164 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant of Panay Energy Development Corporation in Iloilo City. Visayas now has a total installed capacity of 2,358 MW and a gross generation of 5,801 Gigawatt hours. Peak demand might reach 1,711 MW this year and is expected to rise to 1,774 MW in 2016 and 1,840 MW in 2017. Geothermal power remains the main source of power in the Visayas, accounting for 39% of installed capacity and 54% of the gross generation. Coal-fired power plants provide 33% of the installed capacity and 42% of gross generation. On the other hand, Mindanao was hard hit by the power crisis that carried over from 2014. Zamboanga, for example, suffered 60 hours of power interruptions in March alone and blackouts lasted from six to eight hours a day during the first four months of this year. Mindanao’s tight supply situation this year will be placed under more strain by the El Niño weather phenomenon, which could reduce rainfall by as much as 80% nation-
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arrived in my office too early today. Since nobody was around, I decided to go to the library, just a few steps away from my desk. I looked around and decided to get a copy of the National Geographic. It was dated October 1998 and had the word “Population” on its cover. One story that caught my attention was about the 13-year-old boy from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Petko Peev joined the National Geography Bee for the third time and finally he became the champion winning “a US$25,000 scholarship, a trip to Hong Kong and a lifetime membership to National Geographic.” Some five million students around the United States joined the Bee’s preliminary rounds. But only 57 students made it to the finals. When asked what his secret of winning the competition was, Peev replied: “Persistence.” “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence,” American president Calvin Coolidge once said. “Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” In Paris Spleen, author Charles Baudelaire recalled: “A friend of mine, the most innocuous dreamer who ever lived, once set a forest on fire to see, as he said, if it would catch as easily as people said. The first ten times the experiment was a failure; but on the eleventh it succeeded all too well.” William Cullen Bryant rewrote Thanatopsis a hundred times. Edward Gibbon rewrote his Autobiography nine times. Plato wrote the first sentence of his Republic nine times. And yet, it took Virgil twelve years to write his Aeneid.
wide for the EUROPE BIZ rest of 2015. Mindanao will be the hardest hit by the dry weather brought by El Niño, said Pagasa (the Philippine Atm o s p h e r i c , Henry J. Schumacher G e o p hy s i c a l and Astronomical Services Administration). That’s bad news since Mindanao relies on hydroelectric plants for 52% of its power while 31% of its power comes from coal-fired plants. As a solution to Mindanao’s overdependence on hydro, private firms are backing the building of more coal-fired plants so that by 2020, the power mix will have changed to 56% coal and only 24 % hydro. The capacity of the Mindanao grid stands at 1,386 MW and its system peak at 1,378 MW, said the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. The national power situation should brighten substantially by the 2020s when as many as 23 coal-fired power plants might come online, said the DOE. These plants will go some way towards meeting projected power needs of 500 MW by 2016 and 8,100 MW by 2030. Among these 23 new plants are two 300 MW plants in Davao City that will start producing power in 2016 and 2017; a 400
MW expansion of existing facilities in Quezon province to come online by 2017 and a 300 MW plant owned by of RP Energy at the Subic Freeport Zone to begin operating in 2016. Government plans call for power projects to add 868 MW to the grid from 2013 to 2016. DOE, however, said the national grid will need an additional 500 MW by 2016 and 8,100 MW by 2030. Peak demand in Luzon is expected to increase at an annual average of 4.1% to 16,477 MW in 2030 from 7,969 MW in 2012. Despite its challenging power situation, the Philippines was recently named by the World Bank as one of the leading countries that provide electricity to its citizens. But the addition of all these new power plants (all coal fired) carries its own dark clouds – more pollution. And the cheap coal sparking the building of these new polluting plants also stands to weaken renewable energy sources to such an extent the Philippines will fail to attain its goal of deriving 30% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030 when demand for energy is expected to exceed 30,000 MW compared to today’s 12,000 MW. This checkered future for the Philippines two major sources of electricity (fossil fuels and renewable energy) in no way minimizes the pressing need for both energy efficiency and energy conservation as the cost of power is expected to remain
among the highest in Asia for the rest of this decade. Renewable energy producers got another boost with the announcement this June the DOE is crafting a new policy that will ensure the future growth of renewable energy. DOE’s fuel mix policy wants 30% of the country’s total energy to come from renewable energy; 30% from gas and 40% from other sources such as coal. And there’s this race to get new capacity online to replace the capacity being supplied by many ageing power plants whose unreliability is causing many unscheduled shutdowns. Politics is further complicating the energy outlook since the new administration that will take over the reins of government in 2016 will have its own energy agenda that might be radically at odds with that of the outgoing Aquino administration. The new administration will also have to learn the ropes, and learning often comes at the price of committing unnecessary errors. Ensuring energy security and safeguarding capacity, however, will not wait. What is needed is a solution that bridges the gap between this administration and the next. The Joint Foreign Chambers proposed in a letter to President Aquino that there is an urgent need for an Energy Committee modeled after the National Competitiveness Council. This committee will create a strong public-private partnership with full transparency, and will help ensure the energy crisis becomes a relic of the past.
All men THINK ON THESE! seemed to follow the statement of Andre Dubus. “Don’t quit,” he said. “It’s very easy to quit during the first 10 years. Nobody cares whether you write or not, Henrylito D. Tacio and it’s very henrytacio@gmail.com hard to write when nobody cares one way or the other. You can’t get fired if you don’t write, and most of the time you don’t get rewarded if you do. But don’t quit.” Octavia Estelle Butler was an American science fiction writer, one of the best-known among the few African-American women in the field. She won both Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, she became the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” grant. “Writing is difficult,” Butler admitted. “You do it all alone without encouragement and without any certainty that you’ll ever be published or paid or even that you’ll be able to finish the particular work you’ve begun. It isn’t easy to persist amid all that. Sometimes when I’m interviewed, the interviewer either compliments me on my ‘talent,’ my ‘gift’ or asks me how I discovered it. I used to struggle to answer this politely, to explain that I didn’t believe much in writing talent. People who want to write either do it or they don’t. At last I began to say that my most important talent - or habit - was persistence. Without
it, I would have given up writing long before I finished my first novel. It’s amazing what we can do if we simply refuse to give up.” Dream Big!: See Your Bigger Picture! is the title of the book written by Israelmore Ayivor. He cited the case of Nobel Peace laureate from South Africa: “Those 10000 days in prison, but this never made Nelson Mandela to leave what he was doing. He loved what he did and he would repeat to again if he had been arrested again and imprisoned again! He has his bigger picture in view!” Remember Thomas Alva Edison, the American inventor and businessman? He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. “Edison was by far the most successful and, probably, the last exponent of the purely empirical method of investigation,” Nikola Tesla wrote. “Everything he achieved was the result of persistent trials and experiments often performed at random but always attesting extraordinary vigor and resource. Starting from a few known elements, he would make their combinations and permutations, tabulate them and run through the whole list, completing test after test with incredible rapidity until he obtained a clue. His mind was dominated by one idea, to leave no stone unturned, to exhaust every possibility.” “Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so,” Charles De Gaulle reminded. Some people considered being a handicap as a liability. But it should not hinder people from becoming successful. Demosthenes stuttered. So, he filled his mouth with pebbles and
walked the seashore shouting at the waves until in spite of his handicap, he became Greece’s most famous orator. Clarence Chamberlain, the aviator who flew the Atlantic, could never pass the standard test for depth perception, but they closed an eye and gave him a license anyway, and he became one of the safest of fliers the world has ever known. Glenn Cunningham, who hung up records for the mile in running, had both legs so badly burned that he was expected never to be able to walk. His handicap – and sheer determination – proved a blessing. Napoleon Bonaparte failed as an essay writer, William Shakespeare as a wool merchant, Abraham Lincoln as a storekeeper, and Sean Connery as coffin polisher – but none of them gave up. They moved into other fields, tried other things for which they were better fitted, with the results we all know. Here’s a timely reminder from Richelle E. Goodrich, author of Eena, The Tempter’s Snare: “Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever give in. Don’t ever stop trying. Don’t ever sell out. And if you find yourself succumbing to one of these for a brief moment, pick yourself up, brush yourself off, whisper a prayer, and start where you left off. But never, ever, ever give up.” But the words of Mara Schiavocampo, the woman behind Thinspired: How I Lost 90 Pounds -- My Plan for Lasting Weight Loss and Self-Acceptance, seem apt to end this piece: “Persistence is victory. Just . . . keep . . . going. It doesn’t matter if things aren’t going the way you thought they would or if you’re facing a disappointment. The only defeat is in quitting. If you keep going, you’re winning.” I like that!
Don’t ever give up!
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lation of Republic Act No. 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines because the alleged adulteration of food is stipulated in this law. Mahamud was referring to article 23 which defines food as “adulterated” if it consists in whole or in part of any “filthy, putrid or decomposed substance, or if it is otherwise unfit for food.” Mahamud said the offending vendors must have been selling bad tuna, otherwise they would not have needed to smear it with hog’s blood just to make them look fresh. He said the anyone found guilty in this case will suffer the maximum penalty of P10,000 fine and five years’ imprisonment. Duterte had earlier said
the vendors who sold adulterated tuna should be imprisoned because they had deceived their customers. Earlier, assistant city veterinarian Esther Cherrie Rayos said the 70.5 kilograms of bad tuna confiscated last Saturday have already been condemned and buried in the city’s sanitary landfill in New Carmen, Tugbok District. Rayos said the adulterated fish easily rot and also compromise the religious practices of some groups that do not eat pork. She said the CVO was able to apprehend four violators but these people were just warned that the city will file charges against them if they are caught committing the same violation. ABFJ
These three provinces have more than 1,000 hectares each of areas that should be redistributed to small independent farmers. “They are not cooperative,” Maruhom said. “We’re still continuing the dialogue until now.” This is despite the fact that the agency was given a deadline of December last year to distribute all land areas to ARBs. Under the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), private and public agricultural lands are redistributed to help the
life completely. After years of planting it, I am now an important man,” he pointed out. Before he ventured into farming, Lising worked as a messenger and errand boy for some of the big corn farms in Mandani. When his motorcycle was stolen, he felt that he lost his family’s livelihood, too. He was helpless without the motorcycle that allowed him to move faster around the community, doing his job. Lising then became a farmhand, working on different farms doing all available work. In 1996, after participating in a corn farm demonstration, he sought his father’s help so he could plant white corn in the family’s 1.5 hectare farmland. His income improved a bit, but not much. So, in 2003, when the government approved the commercial planting of Bt corn, he decided to plant it in his farm. Following his first Bt corn harvest, it became clear to Lising that there was no turning back. He knew that it was the beginning of a new life for him and his family, who has faced so many hardships in trying to make ends meet.
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point shooting. In its only full tournament appearance at the Jones Cup, Gilas 3.0 threw up 208 three-point attempts in eight games, which is not far off Gilas 2.0’s total. Its accuracy is also respectable, making 68 for a 32.6% clip, thanks to Dondon Hontiveros. But in terms of weapons, there’s no question that Gilas 2.0 has a lot more reliable three-point gunners to go to than Gilas 3.0. Edge: Gilas 2.0 Offense Baldwin’s ‘swing’ offense is a lot more delib-
erate than that of Reyes’ Gilas 2.0, which didn’t hesitate to take the first good attempt available under the premise that - being smaller than most of its opponents it may not get another good look at the basket further down the shot clock. Both teams also love to run and generate points from the open court. While Baldwin’s system has more ball movement, it still maintains aspects of the ‘dribble drive,’ meaning it is still dependent on its guards to make something happen offensive-
beneficiaries survive as small independent farmers. “We’re still not sure as to when these lands will be distributed to agrarian reform beneficiaries,” Maruhom said. Meanwhile, DAR 11 assistant regional director Eliasem D. Castillo said the region has 147,919 ARBs tilling a total of 245,945 hectares since the program was launched in 1933 under the Rice Share Tenancy Act. There are 301 agrarian reform beneficiaries organization in Davao Region.
natin (It is a grave accusation and we cannot just let it pass),” Iriberri said. He pointed to the fact that the three soldiers had paid the parents of the girl so that they would not pursue the case, saying they would not have done so if they were innocent of the crime. “The fact they paid the parents, (that) is already enough reason for these soldiers to be brought to court-martial,” he said. Iriberri, however, said the trial will take time since the AFP will still organize and convene the panelists who will hear the case. EastMinCom spokesperson Captain Alberto Caber said the court-martial will he held at the 10th Infantry Division headquarters in Mawab, Compostela Valley
Province. It was Police Regional Office (PRO) 11Deputy Regional Director for Operation (DRDO) Senior Superintendent Aaron Aquino who earlier confirmed that two of the soldiers – whom he identified only as “Galot” and “Daniel” – had paid the family of the victim a total of P63,200 for the dropping of the charges. He said the settlement was made in front of the barangay captain of Barangay Palma Gil in Talaingod where the victim lives. 1003rd Brigade Commander Colonel Ricardo Nepomuceno, for his part, said the suspects admitted that they paid the family but denied that they had raped the girl. ABFJ
“When I realized that I will earn more if I plant Bt corn, I decided to add two more children to my brood. Sending my children to school was not that difficult anymore,” he said. A decade of planting Bt corn has changed Lising’s and his family’s life. His increased and steady income from planting biotech corn allowed him to explore other business opportunities. “I go to different corn farms in our barangay to see their corn. I am now a corn buyer.” “Farmers had additional income because Bt corn yielded more compared to the (traditional varieties) per hectare, the average yield is at around 6 to 7 metric tons,” said ISAAA’s Dr. Hautea. Corn silage production is another source of income for farmers who grow corn. A form of carabao feed, corn silage is made from chopped corn plants that are sealed tight in a silo or container and then fermented for two to three weeks. “It is a nutritious feed for carabaos as it is is a good source of energy and protein,” the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).
One enterprising farmer who adopted the corn silage production technology promoted by the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) is Isagani Cajucom. He has been producing and marketing corn silage in Nueva Ecija. The PCAARRD reported that during once cycle of planting and harvesting, he produced 54,729 kilograms of corn silage in his two-hectare farm which sold at P191,551.50. After deducting the cost for labor, planting materials, pesticide and herbicide application, irrigation, materials for chopping, and transportation, among other, he managed to collect a net income of P66,661.60. In a span of two years, Cajucom has earned a total net income of P582,475.80 from four cycles of planting and harvesting. The market for corn silage in the Philippines is huge. The PCAARRD reports: “In a day, a farmer engaged in dairy carabao production needs about 25-30 kilograms of feeds in 24 hours, for a carabao weighing from 400 to 500 kilograms. Not all farmers have access to open pastures where they can let their carabaos graze, hence the potential of corn silage
production.” There are several other uses of corn, too. The corn starch, for instance, can also be made into plastics, fabrics, adhesives, and many other chemical products. Corn is also used as a feedstock for the production of ethanol fuel. Ethanol is mixed with gasoline to decrease the amount of pollutants emitted when used to fuel motor vehicles. Increasingly, ethanol is being used at low concentrations (10% or less) as an additive in gasoline (gasohol) for motor fuels to increase the octane rating, lower pollutants, and reduce petroleum use (what is nowadays also known as “biofuels”). In Germany, corn is widely used as a feedstock for biogas plants. Here, the corn is harvested, shredded then placed in silage clamps from which it is fed into the biogas plants. This process makes use of the whole plant rather than simply using the kernels as in the production of fuel ethanol. Unknowingly, some forms of corn are occasionally grown for ornamental use in the garden. For this purpose, variegated and colored leaf forms as well as those with colorful ears are used.
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ly. Castro and Romeo proved up to the task in the Jones Cup, leading the team with averages of 13.3 and 15.2 points, respectively. Another advantage of Gilas 3.0 is Blatche, who is more offensive-minded than Douthit ever was in the 2013 Fiba Asia and has a far superior range and repertoire. If Blatche’s shape can allow him to do some of the things he did for the Philippines in the 2014 Fiba World Cup, then there’s no doubt Gilas 3.0 will give rival defenses problems. If not, Gilas 3.0 can only hope the former NBA player still gets a lot of attention from opposing defenses to free up the floor for the rest of the team. Edge: Even Defense With a little more polishing, Gilas 3.0’s defense can be a lot better than Gilas 2.0 ever was defensively. While Gilas 2.0 relied mainly on shot blockers like Japeth Aguilar and Douthit (remember, Fajardo played only limited minutes in the 2013 Fiba Asia) and went almost exclusively to Pingris to provide the muscle inside, Gilas 3.0’s frontline led by Asi Taulava, Sonny Thoss and Pingris is a
lot more physical. In fact, Taulava and Co. already had Chinese Taipei players complaining about ‘too much physicality’ after their first game in the Jones Cup. They also stood their ground against Russia’s bangers and stood toe to toe with Iran’s Hamed Haddadi. Aside from that, Baldwin has a lot of lockdown perimeter defenders at his disposal like Rosser, Norwood and Abueva - that is, if he stays out of foul trouble. This team gave up an average of just 63.87 points in its eight games in the Jones Cup. At that pace, Gilas 3.0’s defense can stand up to a lot of teams in the Fiba Asia. Edge: Gilas 3.0 Summary We now know that Gilas 3.0 will go to the Fiba Asia with a better defense, more diverse options from the bench, and an offense that has distinctly different weapons - and therefore is tougher to prepare against. The ‘unknown factor’ is Blatche. As good as Gilas 3.0 has become under trying circumstances, Blatche’s shape and his performance will still largely dictate how far this team will go. (DODO CATACUTAN, spin.ph)
erative from the barangay of Makamasa in Banaybanay; Banaybanay ARB Cooperative; Uswag Carmen Irrigators Association from Carmen (UCIA), Boston; San Rafael Farmers Association from Cateel; and Pinikian ARB Farmers Cooperative also from Makamasa, Banaybanay. “It’s the members of these ARBs who identify the equipment base on their necessity,” DAR 11 regional director John H. Maruhom told reporters in an interview last Friday. “These farm equipment and machineries would allow each organization to help their members excel in their respective farming activities.” Maruhom said the ARBs signed an agreement with DAR to ensure the safety and maintenance of the farm equipment. The beneficiaries will be also paying the succeeding years of the insurance. “The DAR has already paid the first year of the insurance,” he added. Maruhom said DAR 11 has already procured a total of 57 units that were delivered to the regional office three month ago, but only 24 were insured under the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC). “We’re still processing the application of the remaining 33 units of farm
equipment for insurance to PCIC,” Maruhom said. “We’re targeting to distribute all of these before the end of the year.” For UCIA president Eduardo Butulan, the rice thresher and the floating tiller from DAR 11 will increase their productivity and income. “We don’t have to rent threshers anymore,” he said, adding that hourly rent reaches P300. ARCCESS is “DAR’s strategic intervention to retain the awarded lands of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) through increased production and engagement in agri-based and related enterprises.” The project has five major components which include provision on common service facilities (CSFs) for production and processing, agritechnology and agriextension services, business development services, credit facilitation, and land tenure improvement, DAR website said. The project aims to strengthen the ARB organizations by building them as hubs of support services in the community which are expected to contribute to increasing ARB household incomes and improve resiliency of ARB households. CRC
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Cashing in on corn VOL. 8 ISSUE 123 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2015
TEXT and PHOTO By HENRYLITO D. TACIO
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S it corn or is maize? Outside North America, Australia, and New Zealand, corn means any cereal crop, its meaning understood to vary geographically to refer to the local staple. In the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, corn primarily means maize (probably from its scientific name: Zea mays); this usage started as a shortening of “Indian corn.” “Indian corn” primarily means maize (the staple grain of indigenous Americans), but can refer more specifically to multicolored “flint corn” used for decoration. Again in places outside North America, Australia, and New Zealand, corn often refers to maize in culinary contexts. The narrower meaning is usually indicated by some additional word, as in sweet corn, corn on the cob, popcorn, corn flakes, and baby corn. In the Philippines, it is commonly known as “mais” or corn. Actually, the story of corn started in 1492 when the men of Christopher Columbus discovered the cereal grain in Cuba. An American native, it was exported to Europe as a “garden curiosity.” Within a few years, it was discovered to be a valuable food crop. Soon thereafter, its cultivation spread throughout the continent and nearby Africa. By 1575, corn was making its way into western China, and had become an essential crop in Asia, including the Philippines. Today, corn is widely cultivated throughout the world, and a greater weight of corn is produced each year than any other grain. In 2009, for instance, worldwide production as 817 million tons while only 678 million tons of rice and 682 million tons of wheat were produced. The United States produces 40% of the world’s harvest; other top producing countries include China, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, India, France and Argentina. In the Philippines, corn is the second most important staple food -- after rice. It is used also for animal feeds and can be made into oil, starch, fuel, paper, and upholstery. Corn oil is utilized in the manufacture of margarine, vegetable lard and mayonnaise. White corn is preferred by 12 million Filipinos as their main staple food. Compared with rice, corn has more vitamin A, protein and fats. It gives the body bone-building elements such as calcium and potassium. This is the reason why corn is popular among the Visayas and Mindanao population. But in the 1970s,
during the time of Jesus Tanchanco as food minister, corn became a bumper crop and it paved the way of introducing the grain among Metro Manila consumers. Yellow corn (about 70 percent of it) is used for animal feeds. In the Philippines, nearly 80% of livestock and fishery expenditures are spent on feeds. About one-third of Filipino farmers rely on corn production as their major source of income, according to Dr. Randy A. Hautea, global coordinator and Southeast Asian director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA). The Philippines is the fourth largest corn producer in Asia, growing about 2.5 million hectares of corn each year. But despite this, the country still lags in terms of corn production. In fact, there were instances that production dropped. Among those reasons cited were long drought season and high cost of fertilizer which forced some corn farmers to take a temporary lull in corn farming.
But the usual complain of corn farmers is the Asiatic corn borer, which causes yield losses of between 10 and 30 percent. It feeds on the plant stem, leaves and ears even before corn is harvested. One possible solution to the problem is Bt corn. Bt
stands for Bacillus thuringienses, a common soil bacterium that produces its own insecticidal protein. More and more Filipinos are now planting Bt corn in their farms; in fact, it is the only transgenic crop commercially planted in the country. “The Filipino farmer is
not lazy. They are industrious and are enterprising by nature,” explained Dr. Artemio M. Salazar, deputy director of the crops science cluster of the University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB) on why more Filipino farmers are now planting Bt corn. There’s money in growing Bt corn. Ask 35-year-old Ryan Lising, who has lived all his life in a farming community in Mandani, Magalang, Pampanga. Like his father
before him, he is a corn farmer, and corn is his family’s main source of income. Corn gives him money not only to send his four children to school, but also to help him expand his business and buy his own farm machinery. His crop also allows him to assist other corn farmers in their community. But unlike his father who planted white corn before him, Lising plants Bt corn. “Biotech corn changed my
FCASHING, 10
NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC
Corn plant
Effective Sept. 30, 2015, DAVAOEÑA PAWNSHOP, Mamay Branch will move to corner Apollo St., Buhangin, Davao City. Telephone number: (082) 300-3803 Mobile number: 09202138577
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WHICH GILAS IS BETTER?
SPORTS 15 X FACTOR. Terrence Romeo could spell the difference for Gilas 3.
GILAS 3 VS. GILAS 2
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PIN.PH editor Dodo Catacutan came up with an in-depth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the past two Philippine national basketball teams— Gilas 2.0 and Gilas 3.0. In this feature story posted on the well-followed sports portal in the country, Catacutan compared the two teams on the following platforms—backcourt, frontline, three-point shooting, depth, defense and offense. Here’s how the veteran sportswriter came up with his analysis. BY now, the lineup for Gilas Pilipinas 3.0 is set and the national team under Tab Baldwin is in the final days of its preparation for the 2015 Fiba Asia Championship set from September 23 to October 3. Their mission: win the championship and the lone Asia berth to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. But before they set sail for Changsha, China, now is as good a time as any to compare Gilas 3.0 with its forerunner - the Gilas 2.0 side which, under Chot Reyes, finished runner-up to Iran in the 2013 Fiba Asia Championship in Manila to earn a trip to last year’s Fiba World Cup in Spain. Before we begin, allow us to stress that this is not to undermine coaches or players from either side and is solely meant to gauge the chances of the current Gilas team when it goes to war against the best teams in Asia. Here, we focus on six
categories - backcourt, frontline, depth, threepoint shooting, offense, and defense, sometimes using Gilas 3.0’s lone tournament appearance in the 37th Jones Cup in Chinese Taipei as basis. Here also are points to remember: There are four Gilas 2.0 holdovers in Baldwin’s team, namely Jayson Castro, Gabe Norwood, Marc Pingris, and Ranidel de Ocampo. Another Gilas 2.0 mainstay, Gary David, has been named by Baldwin as one of his two reserves. In the case of the Gilas 2.0 team, there are two interchanging parts: Larry Fonacier suited up in the 2013 Fiba Asia but was replaced by Paul Lee in the Fiba Wold Cup; Marcus Douthit played for Gilas in the Fiba Asia but was replaced by Andray Blatche in the World Cup. For points of comparison, here are the respective lineups: Gilas 3.0: Jayson Castro, Terrence Romeo, Matt Ganuelas Rosser, Gabe Norwood, Dondon Hontiveros, JC Intal, Calvin Abueva, Ranidel de Ocampo, Marc Pingris, Sonny Thoss, Asi Taulava, Andray Blatche. Gilas 2.0: LA Tenorio, Jimmy Alapag, Gabe Norwood, Jayson Castro, Gary David, Jeff Chan, Larry Fonacier/Paul Lee, Japeth Aguilar, Ranidel de Ocampo, Marc Pingris, June Mar Fajardo, Marcus Douthit/Andray Blatche Let’s begin: Backcourt There’s no doubt that Gilas 2.0 has more depth and stability in its guard rotation. It in fact has two
legitimate point guards in Jimmy Alapag and LA Tenorio, allowing Jayson Castro and later Paul Lee to play in their natural two-guard spot. In contrast what Gilas 3.0 has are two converted point guards in Terrence Romeo and Castro. It may even have to call on Matt Rosser or Gabe Norwood to do the ball-handling skills if Romeo or Castro, or both, are firing blanks. For Gilas 3.0 to do well, Castro and Romeo must be absolutely spot-on in the Fiba Asia. While Castro and Romeo can score in a variety of ways, the lack of a legit playmaker may hurt Gilas 3.0 in grindout games that go down to the wire. Edge: Gilas 2.0 Frontline There’s a reason why Baldwin kept the door open for June Mar Fajardo for as long as he could: the 6-10 Cebuano was the ‘missing link’ that could have made a respectable Gilas 3.0 frontline great. If Fajardo had been on board, Taulava would’ve been perfect coming off the bench without Gilas 3.0 losing any size in its frontline. Without Fajardo, Baldwin has to squeeze out the last ounce of strength from Asi’s 42-year old legs to keep the team competitive in the middle. Still, the late addition of Marc Pingris plugged a major hole in the frontline, bringing a lot of strength, stability and experience to Gilas 3.0. But whether he admits it or not, Baldwin’s biggest problem is the shape Andray Blatche is in. As one veteran colum-
n i s t put it, t h e former
Brooklyn Net reported for training camp ‘looking as if he’s on the family way.’ A crash diet notwithstanding, we all can agree that we won’t be able to count on the real Blatche the o n e w h o played so well in the Fiba World Cup and later tore up the Chinese Basketball Association - in the Fiba Asia. The question now is if a 5060 percent Blatche would still be better than Marcus Douthit was for Gilas 2.0 in the 2013 Fiba Asia. Edge: Gilas 2.0 Depth With a large pool of PBA players to choose
from, a n y Gilas side is as-
sured of a deep lineup notwithstanding the limitations brought about by the politics that has marred the selection process. That said, there’s still a stark difference in the two lineups put together by Baldwin and Reyes. What Reyes had where interchangeable pieces like Jeff Chan and Larry Fonacier who play the same role and more or less play the same way. What Baldwin has are distinct-
l y different players like Terrence Romeo, Calvin Abueva and Ranidel de Ocampo who can change a game’s complexion the moment they enter the court. The same goes for Gilas 3.0 relievers like Matt Ganuelas Rosser and JC Intal. That’s what makes Gilas 3.0 more unpredictable and tougher to scout. Edge: Gilas 3.0 Threep o i n t shooting U n d e r Reyes’ dribble-drive offense, Gilas 2.0 from the beginning was prepared to live and die with the threepoint shot. In fact, Gilas took the most number of shots from beyond the three-point arc among all the teams in the 2013 Fiba Asia in Manila with 255 in nine matches for an average of 28.33 three-point shots per game. A big reason for its success was that it made a lot of these shots, ranking only second to Chinese Taipei in terms of three-point accuracy with a 36.32-percent clip behind the guns of Chan, Fonacier, de Ocampo, Alapag, Tenorio and Castro. Gilas 3.0’s offense is a lot more deliberate, but Baldwin’s team, too, relies a lot on its three-
FWHICH, 10
WHICH IS BETTER? Gilas 2 (left) coached by Chot Reyes finished second in the 2013 FIBA Asia and won one game in the World Cup. Gilas 3 (right) is mentored by Tab Baldwin and will be tested in the 2015 FIBA Asia next week.
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VOL. 8 ISSUE 123 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20-21, 2015