Edge Davao 8 Issue 191 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

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ERNIE SPELLS INSPIRATION

2 COVER STORY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

ERNIE SPELLS INSPIRATION By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO njb@edgedavao.net

YEAR ago, Ernie Gawilan sat on the same forum declaring that despite his physical disability, he dreams of competing in the Olympics. On Friday, the 27-year old athlete with disability (AWD), proudly wore the two gold medals and one silver medal that would make him an Olympian in 2016. Ernie, born with abnormalities that left him with undeveloped extremities (one arm and two legs), took by heart a year of rigid training away from home to chase his Olympic dream. On December 2-10, Ernie embarked on one final journey that would land him a place in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games—the equivalent of the regular summer quadrennial Games. “Gusto nako mahimong inspirasyon sa mga tao nga sama nako. Unta dili sila mawad-an ug paglaum sa kinabuhi kay sama nako, ang kalisod na akong giagian sa kinabuhi mao naka palig-on nako (I want to be the inspiration to people with disabilities like me. I wish that they will not lose hope in life because, like me, the hardships we pass by in

life only make us stronger),” the record or the Olympic Ernie said during his first qualifying time),” said Ernie. media interview at the Fast “Dili lalim. Lisod kayo Fridays Forum at the SM La- pero naningkamot gyud ko nang Premier after he came (It wasn’t easy but I really home from the 8th Asean gave it my all),” he added. Para Games. Ernie actually started For a stretch of one year his stint in Singapore on the beginning on November wrong foot. He was placed 2014, Ernie virtually camped on Lane 7 in the 100-meter himself in like a castaway. He freestyle while Singapore’s trained under the watchful very own Toh Wei Soong was eyes of national team coach- in the opposite side several es led by former Asian Gam- lanes from him. Ernie said er Ral Rosario and Tony Ong. this did not suit his strategy “Sakto kayo among as he could not see Toh from preparasyon sulod sa us aka his side of the pool in that tuig. Tungod sa among train- short race. He ended up fining nag-improve gyud akong ishing a tad short of the gold time pero wala pa nako giisip na kaya nako ibreak ang record u gang qualifying time sa Olympics (We had enough training for one year. Because of this, my clocking really improved although I did not Photo by Lean Daval Jr. think about breaking

and a hairline behind Toh. “Kung nagtapad mi, nakita unta nako siya ug nasukod nako akong pace (Had we swam side by side, I could have seen him and set my pace),” Ernie narrated. In the next two races against Toh, Ernie made sure the Singaporean will eat dust. Ernie struck for gold in the 400-meter freestyle event breaking the Asean Para Games record and in the process surpassing the Olympic standard with a new meet record of 4:48.49. That swim sealed his Olympic dream in Rio next year.

As if it was not enough, Ernie returned to the pool the next day and took off where he left, ripping the 200-meter Individual Medley record with a new mark of 2:47.64. “Nagpasalamat kayo ko sa tanan nagsuporta ug nag-ampo para nako ug sa akong mga kauban (I thank everyone who supported and prayed for me and my teammates),” said Ernie who will spend the entire year in 2016 for his final preparations to the Rio Paralympics. Does he stand a chance at winning a medal? “Layo pa ko kaayo sa akong time pero ihatag nako akong best performance (I am still far behind in Olympic record time but I will give it my best performance),” Ernie added. Ernie is the first para swimmer from the country to

qualify for the Paralympics. “Unta makauban sad akong mga teammates pero kailangan pa nila magcompete sa Australia para makakuha ug puntos (I hope my teammates qualify as well but they have to compete in a qualifying event in Australia to earn points),” he explained. For now, Ernie is taking a short break—his first respite after a long year-round grind to hone himself for the 8th Asean Para Games. He is back in the Island Garden City of Samal at a facility run by Missionaries of Charity who took young Ernie to their arms when he was orphaned and grew up crawling in the foothills of Marilog. Ernie has transcended from a life of misery to a life of inspiration. Motivated by his desire to inspire others to overcome life’s challenges, Ernie’s journey is about to come full circle. In Rio next year, Ernie will try to do what many others failed to do. It is a dream that’s almost impossible. But he is undaunted. Either he wins a medal. Or wins everyone’s hearts. He is a winner in his own right now.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

Noche Buena dinner buffet in Seda Abreeza Spend the most wonderful time of the year in Davao City’s urban lifestyle hotel and discover the best Christmas feelings in the world.

S promised, Seda Abreeza offers nothing but the best Yuletide dining experience for its guests. To start the holiday season right, the urban lifestyle has prepared all classic Christmas dishes along with the most indulging menu for its Noche Buena Dinner Buffet this December 24th. Prepared by Seda Abreeza’s Sous Chef Giovanna

“Bang” Flores, the dinner buffet will feature Christmas favorites, some signature dishes of the hotel, and desserts that will surely match the occasion. Families and groups of friends may enjoy this Noche Buena spread at Php 1,380 nett for adults, Php 780 nett for kids aged 7-12 years old, and free for kids aged 6 years old and below. During the Christmas

Tree Lighting Ceremony and Christmas Media Launch and Thanksgiving for the press, Seda Abreeza has already shown a glimpse of its wide variety of food choices for the Yuletide season. The menu includes starters as the oriental chicken salad, quinoa Mexican salad, caprese salad, an impressive selection of cheeses among many others, and minestrone

for soup. The carvery station will feature Seda Abreeza’s famous slow-roasted Angus Beef short plate with mashed potato truffle, baked New Zealand mussels with gruyere & Roquefort cheese and garlic butter, and the maple pineapple-glazed Christmas ham. The seafood crepes with lobster champagne sauce, which has been a favorite in

the past occasions, will be one of the mains, along with grilled Atlantic salmon with lemon and French butter, Penne Cacio e Pepe, and a lot more. The buffet’s dessert station has caught so much attention on previous Yuletide events, as it definitely created and designed to suit the season. Some of these are the melting snowman oreo

balls, winter white red velvet fudge, gingerbread cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, Santa hat cupcakes, and Christmas tree cupcakes. Seda Abreeza also made Yuletide beverages for guests to enjoy: Strawberry Frosthie and White Christmas. For inquiries and reservations, please call (082) 322 8888 or email dvo@sedahotels.com.

4 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

OUTREACH. The management and staff of Edge Davao and Zion Accuprint Publishing, Inc. led by general manager Olivia D. Velasco serenade children at the Missionaries of Charity during the sister companies’ annual Christmas outreach program on Friday. Lean Daval Jr.

Hundreds stranded in CDO port terminal A

T least 2,000 passengers were stranded at the port terminal here on Friday after the Philippine Coast Guard grounded all interisland ferry ships because of tropical depression “Onyok.” Onyok made landfall over Caraga and Manay towns in Davao Oriental at 10:30 p.m. Friday but weakened into a low pressure area (LPA). Edna Moral , a passenger from Davao City, said she and two other elderly companions had to sleep at the port terminal Friday night after the Philippine Coast Guard grounded M/V Transasia 8 that would have taken them to Tagbilaran, Bohol. Moral said they were considering returning to Davao early Saturday because the next ferry scheduled for Tagbilaran is on Monday.

“Our money will not last until Monday. We will sleep here at the terminal and will go back home tomorrow morning,” she said. The Cagayan de Oro Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council reported that 18 families or 66 persons sought shelter in designated evacuation sites ahead of tropical depression “ Onyok.” Abigail Cheekee Malalis of the City Information Office said as of 9 p.m. Friday, said the local disaster management committee was expecting more than 75,461 person livings in 42 flood-prone barangays to be evacuated if the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) would raise the public storm warning. As of 5 pm. Friday, Signal

FHUNDREDS, 12

Rody: No to Mar debate By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

abf@edgedavao.net

AVAO City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte rejected fellow presidential candidate Mar Roxas’ challenge to a debate, saying the Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer should raise himself up to second place first before making any such challenge. “I don’t want to debate

him. He’s only number 4 in the surveys. He should be number 2 first before he challenges me,” Duterte told reporters in an interview last Friday. He said rivals who are in the tail-end of the surveys have no right to call for a debate. Duterte also said Roxas is attacking his opponents to

boost his sagging campaign. “Si Mar lang man ang naga yaga-yaga diha (Only Mar is making bluff here),” he said. In a separate interview, Duterte’s running mate Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said Roxas should not blame the mayor for his low ratings. Cayetano said it is not

Duterte who started the fight but Roxas by calling the city’s peace and order a “myth.” “Minsan si Mayor napipilitang makipagsagutan sa kanila kasi hindi sanay umatras sa laban (Sometimes, the mayor is forced to fight back because he does not retreat from any battle),” he said.

HE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced that it will abide by the suspension of military operation (SOMO) against the New People’s Army (NPA) declared by President Benigno Aquino last Friday. “This unilateral declaration of SOMO was recom-

mended by the Department of National Defense. It only covers military operations against the NPA,” AFP public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato said. The SOMO will take effect beginning 12:01 a.m. of Dec. 23 and will end on 11:59 p.m. of Jan. 3, 2016.

Detoyato said this does not cover law enforcement operations conducted by the Philippine National Police that the AFP supports against other threat groups and wanted personalities. “This SOMO will allow our soldiers time to spend Christmas and New Year holidays

with their families and love ones,” he added. Detoyato also hopes that NPA members would use this time of peace to reflect. “We call on them to surrender, abandon the armed struggle and ultimately return to the fold of law,” he added. (PNA)

the same pleading from the Filipino people: Do whatever you could but please make this country safe for our loved ones and our children,” he added. He warned the corrupt, drug lords, crime bosses, billionaire businessmen who practice oppressive contractualization to stop and mend their ways even as he asked the communist and Moro rebels “to stop it and join me in nation-building.” He particularly asked members of Congress to stop the graft-ridden pork barrel system and for the country’s business tycoons to stop the oppressive job contractualiza-

tion. “I am warning the drug lords and crime bosses in the country to mend your ways and end your evil activities or else you will end up in the Pasig River or in Manila Bay,” Duterte said. “If this country’s billionaires do not like me to end job contractualization, then you better prepare your money and start buying votes because I will really end this oppressive practice,” he said. “How can we possibly allow the continued killings between Filipinos?” he added. “To the NPA, stop it.

AFP vows to observe ceasefire with NPA T

Duterte bares platform of government D

AVAO CITY Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte bared what looks like a gut platform of governance under his presidency, and seriously, without him cussing, he summed up and connected the bits and pieces of policy positions he earlier made public in media interviews. He did this last Friday night at Mandaya Hotel where he tendered his traditional Christmas party for the media people covering Davao City and other places of Davao Region. In sum, the platform will be: anti-corruption, anti-crime, anti-drug, for peace and for replication of Davao City experiences to be replicat-

ed natiownide. For one, “there will be no more dangerous firecrackers during Christmas and New Year,” he said. “There will be no smoking in public places, there will be a liquor ban at 1 a.m., there will be a curfew for minors at 10 p.m., there will be no noisy motorcycles, there will be a speed limit in city streets.” “If by the grace of God I become President, I will deliver what the Filipino people would like to happen - to live in a country safe from crime and drugs and without corruption in government,” he said. “Everywhere I go, I hear

FDUTERTE, 12

OUTSTANDING. Regional Director Mariano R. Alquiza and Assistant Regional Director Tomas Rodriguez of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Region 11 gave this year’s DPWH XI Best District Engineering Office (DEO) award to DE Zenaida T. Tan of the Davao del Sur 1st DEO during the 2015 region-wide Christmas Party held at the DPWH RO XI covered court. Davao del Sur 1st DEO also landed in the 11th spot among the top perfoming DEOs nationwide for CY 2015. Contributed photo

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

6 NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

Rody lauds DCPO, PDEA for big anti-drug drive By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

abf@edgedavao.net

AVAO City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte lauded the “one-time, bigtime” anti-illegal drug operation of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 11 on Thursday in which two drug suspects were killed and 40 others were arrested. In an interview, Duterte said he is thinking of giving a

reward to the operatives for their accomplishment. He also preempted possible accusations of human rights violations, saying his order to the police is for them to kill suspects if they find their lives in danger. “If the suspects will resist violently, you kill them. And you will do a favor to the government,” he said. Addressing critics, he

said they should be thankful that drug pushers are getting killed. During the conduct of the operation early morning of Thursday, a certain Jonas Joban and John Michael Pajegal were killed after resisting the arrest. Based on the police report, Pajegal was killed by operatives of San Pedro Police Station in a buy-bust opera-

tion in Acacia street when he attempted to retaliate. Police said Joban also also resisted arrest when officers of Toril Police Station were implementing a search warrant. Police said 21 suspects were arrested through buybust operations while 19 were arrested through the implementation of search warrants.

Operatives seized a total of 338.5 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) valued at P3.046 million, of which 73 grams came from buy-bust operations while 265.5 grams came from the implementation of search warrants. The police also seized a total of 1,837.3 grams of marijuana valued at P27,641, of which 1,048 grams from buy-

Red Cross appeals for donations for survivors of Typhoon‘Nona’

TALKING FIGURES. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte gestures while explaining how the economy of the country works during the Davao City government’s year-end activity and dialogue with the media held at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Friday night. Lean Daval Jr.

bust operations and 788.7 grams came from the implementation of search warrants. The police also confiscated eight firearms: two caliber .45 caliber pistols, three .38 caliber revolvers, one .357 caliber revolver, and two .22 caliber pistols. A total of 84 ammunition of different calibers and two hand grenades were also confiscated from the suspects.

HE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) announced the launch of its donation drive for affected families and communities of typhoon “Nona.” PRC made the announcement in view of the reports made by its assessment teams that went to the most affected provinces and reported extensive damages to public infrastructure, agriculture, and housing. “With Christmas just a week away, we want to reach out to more people in typhoon Nona affected areas to bring a bit of holiday cheer. The typhoon left many homeless or with damaged homes and livelihood, and Christmas may not be celebrated at all in the affected areas,” said PRC chair Richard Gordon.

“Which is why we are appealing to the good hearts of our countrymen and even those in other countries to give whatever they can contribute to our humanitarian efforts for those who have been severely affected by typhoon Nona,” he added. PRC continues its humanitarian operations in typhoon Nona hit areas with relief, rescue, social welfare, medical and health assistance. The humanitarian organization started distributing ready-to-eat food packs and water bottles in Nueva Ecija. Red Cross chapters also continue provision of hot meals in the provinces of Isabela, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Catanduanes, Masbate, occidental Mindoro

FRED CROSS, 12

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EDGEDAVAO

8 ECONOMY

Tito Jacobe holding a 2-month old onion

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

Wilhelmo Veroy (right) assists a farmer during a visit during a visit to the farm with new cacao seedlings already planted.

Spanish agency helps DavOr farmers

As part of its continuing assistance for long-term rehabilitation

HE devastation brought by Typhoon Pablo in Davao Oriental and nearby provinces days before Christmas in 2012 sent thousands of affected residents and survivors in a state of shock. Houses and other vital infrastructures including schools were damaged. The agriculture and fishing industries were badly affected. Coconut plantations including a big swath of land planted with bananas and other crops were destroyed. The dire situation sent survivors to seek new opportunities, including menial jobs to be able to survive. Undamaged crops were harvested to be able to augment scarce food supply during the crisis. “I can say life was better before Typhoon Pablo. We

harvest whatever we planted in our small farm in the village. But things have changed when Pablo struck us,” said Romeo Ampilidan, chairman of the Mikit Farmers Association of Baganga Inc. (MIFABI). Before Typhoon Pablo hit the area, farmers in Davao Oriental used to produce coconuts, bananas, corn, upland rice and a little of cacao. After the storm, farmers face the challenge of rebuilding their lives and means of livelihood. Together with other survivors, they tried every effort to access assistance both from the government, non-government organizations and foreign donor agencies. “About 80 percent of us survivors were lucky enough to have availed of the cashfor-work program of the government while the rest were

Auto sector sees vehicle sales to reach 350,000 units by‘16

HE Philippine automotive industry is eyeing to sell some 350,000 units of vehicles next year, 10 percent more than the 320,000 units projected sales for this year, according to Rommel Gutierrez, president of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI). Gutierrez told reporters Friday that the projected sales of 300,000 for the full year of 2015 surpassed the industry’s target of 310,000 units for the year. As of end-November, combined sales of CAMPI and Truck Manufacturers’ Association of the Philippines (TMAP) was pegged at 261,930 units, up 22.7 percent from 213,811 units during the same period last year.

This resulted a monthly average sales of CAMPI and TMA at 23,811 units. Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) Chairman and President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo said that if the projected sales of CAMPI and TMAP would be combined with the sales of car importers, the industry’s projected sales for this year may have grown by 50 percent or an average monthly sales of around 50,000 units. But it was noted that sales growth of the industry has tended to slow down. In 2014, the country’s auto industry registered a 30 percent growth while an 18-percent growth is expected by end-2015 before easing to 10 percent in 2016. (PNA)

assisted by non-government organizations,” he added.

GETTING BACK ON THEIR FEET Aid from the government and non-government organizations provided an immediate solution to the survivors. One of these was the assistance by foreign donor agency, Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional Para el Desarollo (AECID). The Madrid-based Fundación Humanismo Y Democracia (H+D), in partnership with Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), provided affected farmer groups in Davao Oriental with livelihood assistance. The MIFABI group was among the beneficiaries of the Spanish-funded project. The assistance consist-

ed of assorted farming tools, farm inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides, grafted cacao seedlings, peanut and onion planting materials. Tito Jacobe, another farmer leader who belongs to the Cateel Coconut Planters Farmers and Tenants Association, Inc. was given the chance to undergo training on cacao production and management. “The skills and technique that I learned during the training has enhanced my knowledge on farming, particularly on cacao production. Together with other farmer-beneficiaries, I am also expanding my small cacao farm with cacao seedlings provided by AECID through Fundacion Humanismo Y Democracia (H+D) and PBSP. Remnants from my old cacao farm that was hit by Typhoon

Pablo were revitalized, with cleaning being done regularly, and intercropping of suitable local plant variety,” he said. Jacobe’s group is also engaged in cash crop production. “Part of our efforts is to improve our technology in onion production. We have to perfect the method of producing onions here because there is a big market to supply,” he added. Jacobe lamented the sad fact that their village and a bigger portion of Davao Oriental and nearby provinces still import onions, other ingredients and even vegetables outside of their area. “We have fertile lands and good climate to sustain farming. If onions grow in China or in the northern part of the country, there’s no reason

why we cannot grow it here,” he said. “The Philippines is a very special country for Fundación Humanismo y Democracia. Our vision is that it is necessary to support communities, like the ones affected by Typhoon Pablo in Davao Oriental, to provide durable solutions with a long term vision of development. When many people forget, other organizations pull out beyond the emergencies,” Maribel Alaῆon Gonzales, H+D Executive Director, emphasized. Typhoon Pablo may have affected temporarily the livelihood of farmers in Davao Oriental, but their determination to rise up from the tragedy is stronger now because the assistance they received is helping them rebuild their lives. (dcescabarte)

Philippines AirAsia launches restaurant in the sky

Brand new in-flight meal features gourmet Filipino dishes and Asean-inspired creations

RAVING for sisig from 35,000 feet above? AirAsia guests flying to, from, and within the Philippines are in for a wonderful treat as Philippines AirAsia today officially started serving hot meals from its newest inflight menu concept themed “Santan” which replaces AirAsia Café as part of the airline’s latest offerings to enhance customer experience while flying. Fresh new items include Bangus Sisig, a Filipino dish made of chunks of boneless milkfish sautéed in onions seasoned with salt, pepper and spices. Buffalo Chicken Strips and Barbeque Cola Beef are tasty versions of grilled meat with smoky

sauce paired with tomato rice or roasted potatoes. Those who are watching their calories, meanwhile, must try the new Vegetarian Chickpea Curry or the classic Maan’s Pasta Arabiata. New dishes are available for on-board and pre-book purchase in all Philippines AirAsia flights to/ from Manila, Kalibo/Boracay, Palawan, Bohol, Cebu, Davao, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea. Other delectable dishes also pay tribute to ASEAN flavours such as Nasi Lemak, Chicken Rice, Beef Caldereta and Adobo hence the menu is titled: Santan, an essential ingredient in Malay cooking which refers to the liquid obtained from pressing shred-

ded coconut meat. Santan is thick, creamy and often use as a substitute for butter, cream or soup stock in Asean cooking. Apart from the new hot meals, guests will be able to choose from variety of sweets with choices such as Lemon Torte, Banoffee Cake, Sinful chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies from as low as P80 for on-board purchase and at discounted price for pre-booked. All AirAsia guests are encouraged to pre-book their meals to save up to 20% as compared to purchasing their meals on board, with a guarantee that their preferred meals are available during their flights. Guests who have

booked their flights without meals, meanwhile, can easily add them in via the ‘Manage My Booking’ option after logging in to www.airasia.com. Philippines AirAsia Commercial Head, Gerard Peñaflor said, “We value customer experience at all points of the journey – from the purchase of the ticket to leaving the airport, on board, and onto the destination. This latest enhancement in our inflight menu makes flying with us also a delightful dining experience.” Keep updated with AirAsia’s latest promotions and activities via Twitter (twitter. com/AirAsiaPh) and Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsiaPhilippines).

EDGEDAVAO

THE ECONOMY 9

Food processors to get assistance By CHENEEN R. CAPON

crc@edgedavao.net

OOD products developed by different beneficiary-communities from six regions in Mindanao will be endorsed to the Turkish International Cooperation Agency (TICA) for assistance next year. “The TICA, one of the international organizations that assisted the Philippines in the peace talk, will extend livelihood assistance to promising projects under the Peoples’Organization (PO) Strengthening Project,” Bangsamoro Development Authority (BDA) chairman Dr. Safrullah Dipatuan told reporters last Friday. The TICA will extend assistance to promising food processors of banana chips, turmeric powder, among others with capacity building and market linkage in a bid to sustain the POs business operations. “Some of these products have already reached shelves of malls and grocery stores,” Dipatuan said. The BDA, he added, will submit each project proposal by early next year. The Pos were from different areas in Central Mindanao, Davao, Ranaw, Southern Mindanao, Zamboanga-Basilan

region, and Zamboanga Peninsula. The implementation of the program on strengthening of thirty POs across Mindanao program started in 2005 and ended this year with a culmination of stakeholders at El Bajada hotel last Friday. The whole program has an allocation of a total of US$ 20 million funded by the Mindanao Trust Fund Reconstruction and Development Program (MTFRDP). The MTFRDP is a fund facility administered by the World Bank with various international donors like the European Union, Swedish International Development Agency, Australian Embassy in the Philippines, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, the United States Agency for International Development, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade which also served as the Trust Fund Secretariat. The MTFRDP was launched in 2006 aiming to assist in the economic and social recovery of conflict-affected areas of Mindanao and promote inclusive governance-involvement of key stakeholders

FFOOD, 12

ARMM port back in international scene

USINESS activities are rising in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (ARMM) primary free port, bringing the region back in the international trading scene after languishing for some time due to perceptions of instability, officials on Saturday said today. Foreign vessels have been using the Polloc Port as entry point of goods coming to portions of ARMM and Central Mindanao after it was declared a free port, according to Hexan Mabang, ARMM Regional Ports Authority administrator. He said the government peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which led to the signing of the Com-

prehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro has convinced traders that the situation in ARMM is now stable. On Friday, a Vietnam base cargo vessel M/V Fortune Ocean loaded with 8,400 metric tons of cement arrived at the port. This was one of the many foreign cargo vessels that use Polloc Port as point of entry to the Philippines. Mabang said this is not the first time that Polloc Port received a shipment of cement from abroad since 2006. Cement from China was also imported through the port without any hitches after all the certifications and documentations were complied, in par-

FARMM, 12

COUNTDOWN. SM Lanang Premier public relations manager Ann Catherine Puno-Reyes, together with marketing officer Roldan Castillo, announce the upcoming Countdown to 2016 New Year’s Eve Party, an event organized

by SM Lanang Premier in partnership with GMA7 and Manic Nightnings Productions, during FAST Fridays media forum at the mall’s bowling center. Lean Daval Jr.

Halal certification board pushed T

HE Bangsamoro Development Authority (BDA) is pushing for the establishment of a Bangsamoro Halal Certification Board in a bid to increase the competitiveness of the local Halal industry in the Asean integration. BDA chairman Dr. Safrullah Dipatuan said the board should have biochemists,

technical people as well as financing institutions. “It is saddening that the Philippines Halal industry is not prepared for the Asean integration,” Dipatuan told reporters recently at the El Bajada Hotel. The local halal industry does not get enough support from government compared to other Muslim Asean mem-

ber nations like Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, according to Dipatuan. The absence of specific government agency as well as the lack of standardization and the being prone to the gap in the value chain prohibited the industry from growing. “At present, many fake halal certifiers are proliferating,” Dipatuan said, adding

some businessmen have taken advantage of the growing demand in the industry. Dipatuan said the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) would probably put the industry in the government’s priority sectors for development. Earlier, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos

Mindanao by 2016 is around 655 MW.” The GOCC , however, said that the “contract for the supply of electric energy (CSEE) of 49 power customers in Mindanao is under review” for their updated contracted demand and power supply. According to DOE data as of the first half of 2015, the Mindanao grid has an available power supply of 1,374 MWs. Mindanao sources about 60 percent of its power from hydro power plants, thus with

the impact of El Nino, which was seen to heighten by 2nd quarter of 2016, could make a toll on the generating capacities of hydroelectric plants. Earlier, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Zenaida Monsada said the department expected an oversupply in power capacities for Mindanao by next year due to the number of incoming coal-fired power plants. PSALM also bared the completion of its Electricity Trading Department’s consul-

tation meetings for Mindanao 2016 power outlook. PSALM convened distribution utilities (DUs) and industrial customers to discuss their contracted energy and equivalent demand allocation for 2016” amid the remaining capacity of the PSALM plants versus the current power demand. The government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) said the meetings also discussed electricity-market

partment of Agriculture (DA). He said this expansion will help the province attain its 100% rice sufficiency level target. “Attaining this will enable us to supply enough rice to feed the province’s entire population,” he said, saying this has been the ultimate goal of the Provincial Government in terms of rice production. For the past eight years, said Ravelo, Davao Oriental has achieved substantial increase on the rice sufficiency level from 41% in 2007 to 68% in 2014 through its Rice Self Sufficiency Program, which was introduced in 2008. “With our outstanding per-

formance in rice production, Davao Oriental ranked fourth in the recent Agri Pinoy Rice Achiever Award (APRAA), which was participated by the 48 rice-producing provinces in the country,” he said. Amidst this boost, Ravelo said another way that the Provincial Government pushes its 100% rice sufficiency target is by tapping the water supply from the big-ticket irrigation system in Cateel town, which will expand Cateel’s areas of production as it is touted to irrigate additional 1,600 to 2,000 hectares. While Cateel is endowed

FHALAL, 12

PSALM sees 655-MWs power capacity for Mindanao

TATE-OWNED Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) sees its average power supply share in Mindanao could reach about 655 megawatts (MWs) next year due to the ill-effects of El Nino in the island. PSALM recent capacity in the island was placed at 848.2 MWs. In a statement, PSALM cited National Power Corp. (Napocor) data that showed “the generation forecast for

DavOr rice plantation areas to expand

I Gov. Malanyaon and Rotchie Ravelo prepares to distribute rice bags to farmer-beneficiaries. Aside from expanding rice plantations and boosting rice sufficiency, the program is also bent in assisting poor farmers plant rice without them having to buy planting materials.

FPSALM, 12

N its bid to further increase Davao Oriental’s total rice plantation areas, the Provincial Government has been distributing rice subsidy to various farmer organizations all over the province. Just recently, each of the 900 farmer-beneficiaries in the typhoon Pablo-hit town of Cateel have received one bag of rice seeds and organic liquid fertilizers. Rotchie Ravelo, Department Head of the Provincial Agriculture Office, said this distribution is part of the Rice Expansion Program of the Provincial Government, which is strongly supported by the De-

FDAVOR, 12

EDGEDAVAO

10 VANTAGE

EDITORIAL

The equalizer

QUESTION that is often asked especially during an election period is why there aren’t any stringent requirements for someone who is running for the position of President of the Philippines. The 1987 Constitution only requires the following: that a candidate be a natural born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, able to read and write, at least 40 years of age on the day of election, and a resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years immediately preceding the election. That’s it. Many express surprise that educational background is not included, and not a few have opined that this must be changed in order to give the presidency the respect it deserves. This is understandable and is a reaction to the sometimes comical kind of people who file their certificate of candidacy (COC) every six years. It is also a reflection of how badly we want our leaders to be a cut above the rest of us so that they can direct the country to a better direction. We must understand, however, that the requirements for the highest post is deliberately made sparse in order to make the point that any Filipino could aspire to be the leader of this country. The framers of the Constitution acknowledge that all Filipinos are equal and that one who has not gone to prestigious schools is not in any way

EDGEDAVAO

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inferior one who has. This is also our democracy’s way of leveling the playing field, for it knows that the odds are always stacked against those who have less in life. In freeing up the requirements, we all stand with each other in saying that literally nothing stands in the way of a Filipino who wants to serve his or her country. This is also why it is immaterial whether presidential candidate Mar Roxas is a “Wharton graduate” or not. In the eyes of the Constitution, that is not even an issue. Roxas’ problem here, if there is any at all, is one of resumé-padding and nothing else. Mayor Rodrigo Duterte may have exposed Roxas as being an undergraduate and not an MBA holder, but this has no real bearing on his run for the presidency. Indeed, the fact that the people themselves do not seem overly concerned about the matter means it is actually a non-issue — and that is a good thing. In this Republic, one’s ability to serve is not defined by his or her circumstance in life. What matters to most people is track record: a poor man who has not studied in a good school but who has served well is eminently better equipped than one who has been privileged all his life and yet has chosen the path of mediocrity. The Constitution is our great equalizer, and we will do well to respect its wisdom. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

AGAPITO JOAQUIN JR. Associate Editor

CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY Consultant

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

KENNETH IRVING K. ONG ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. BAI FAUZIAH FATIMA SINSUAT AMBOLODTO CHENEEN R. CAPON MEGHANN STA. INES Reporters NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN Lifestyle FUNNY PEARL GAJUNERA LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. CHA MONFORTE ARLENE D. PASAJE Photography Correspondents Cartoons Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. Columnists: CARLOS MUNDA • HENRYLITO D. TACIO • B. EDCER C. SR., ESCUDERO • ATTY. EMILY ZEN CHUA •ANGELO GREGORIO G. DELIGERO BORBON • MARY ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO DAVAL • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO AGUSTIN • EMILY • JOHN CARLO TRIA • VIDA MIAEconomic S. VALVERDE • Economic “GICO” G.• DAYANGIRANG ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Analyst: ENRICO Analysts: “GICO” G.ENRICO DAYANGIRANG JONALLIER M. PEREZ

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OLIVIA D. VELASCO D.D. MARATAS RICHARD C. EBONA OLIVIA D. VELASCO JOCELYN S. PANES SOLANI SOLANI MARATAS General Manager Finance Advertising Specialist General Manager Director of Sales Finance RICHARD C. EBONA Marketing Supervisor

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

GENERAL SANTOS CITY OFFICE CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING MARKETING OFFICE

LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager EDMUND D. RENDON Unit 6, SouthbankMarketing Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Specialist General Santos City Cagayan de Oro City Mobile: (Smart) 0909-424-7990 Tel: (088) 852-4894

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

ANGELICA R. GARCIA | Marketing Manager 97-1 Bayanbayanan Ave., Marikina Heights, Marikina City Tel: (02) 654-3509

INdulge! Leurerio agency took home the first prize with a fun presentation.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

EDGEDAVAO EVENT

A fun and sexy dance presentation by the Asoy agency.

Esdevco’s White Christmas party TOP AGENTS and brokers of Esdevco, the developer of the upscale Matina Enclaves residential community, held their third Christmas celebration last December 16 at the Grand Ballroom of the Royal Mandaya Hotel. Guests came in white and blue in line with the White Christmas theme of the party. Also present were the Esdevco staff in full force led by their project director Gerald Kent Garces who proudly announced that sales for Matina Enclaves, the first signature development of Esdevco, has already reached over a billion pesos in less than two years time. “Thanks for your belief in us and we look forward to deliver our quality condominiums very soon” added Gerald. Always supportive, Esdevco president Glen Escandor also announced exciting news for 2016. “Next year will be an exciting year for us. We will be launching our second project, a high end subdivision, along diversion

Combo incentive qualifiers.

road.” beamed Glen like a proud father “We will also be launching the Arcadia sports complex at Matina Enclaves. It will be first of its kind in Davao, with sports facilities such as a pool, a basketball court integrated with commercial spaces that are tailor fit for the residents of Matina Enclaves.”

Esdevco president Glen Escandor shared his Christmas A non-competing dance number by the Fulworth agency. message and vision for 2016. The party continued with gift certificates from The Royal Mandaya Hotel and Mesa Filipino Moderne awarded to top sellers and brokers for the period of June to November. Aside from the sales awards, more fun was in the air as agencies performed in the dance competition as well as in parlour games which brought smiles to the crowd, capping off a memorable Christmas celebration. Top July to November sales agents.

Top brokers for the period of July to November .

A2 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

UP AND ABOUT

Abreeza Mall lights up with the Christmas spirit THROUGH its themed holiday decoration this year, Abreeza Mall hopes to highlight the timeless charm of a traditional Christmas, and at the same time symbolize the hope that the birth of Christ brings.

To achieve this vision, Abreeza Mall enlisted the creative services of T’nalak Home, the concept store of TADECO Livelihood and Training Center located at

the mall’s second floor that specializes in high-quality, well-designed handmade crafts and decor. This is the first time the outfit takes on the formidable challenge of

decorating the whole mall for the holidays. To make Abreeza Mall glow with the warmth of a traditional Christmas, the T’nalak Home team dressed up the space—from the mall entrances and railings to the Christmas tree in the Activity Center, from the trees along J.P. Laurel Avenue to the hedges in the gardens’ perimeter— in traditional colors of red and green. In crafting the decorations, they made use of bagobago vines, woven abaca, and handmade paper made from banana stalks, which are materials commonly found in T’nalak Home products. To give the decorations a distinguishing touch that also brings to mind the light the birth of the savior signifies, they drew inspiration from a quaint, elegant object that evokes the nostalgia of yesteryears. “Besides working with traditional decor, we took inspiration from the gaslamp,” says T’nalak Home’s Nieva Rivera. This explains the ubiquity of the red lamp-shaped fixtures in various sizes that have become a defining feature of the mall this season. One of the displays by T’nalak Home that has captured the hearts of Abreeza Mall shoppers can be found

at the Park Dining area, and it spells this word out in big, bold letters: JOY. Another eye-catching creation also located at the Park Dining area is the nativity scene, a feature unique to the mall that harks back to the very origin of the Christmas traditions we now enjoy. With this radiant reminder, Abreeza Mall seeks to promote the true essence of Christmas, beyond the sparkling lights and colorful trimmings the season is known for.

Abreeza Mall encourages shoppers to spread the holiday cheer by sharing photos of its Christmas displays on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with the hashtags #lovemall and #AbreezaMall. 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 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

ENTERTAINMENT

Pia’s fight for Miss U crown airs today via satellite on ABS-CBN MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach is definitely out to get the Miss Universe 2015 crown as the 26-year-old Pinay beauty rocked the pageant’s preliminary swimsuit and evening gown competitions held recently in Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort and Casino.

Pia confidently showed off her killer bod wearing a black and white striped Yamamay swimsuit and radiated elegance in a red gown created by Hollywood red carpet couturier Oliver Tolentino. Miss Philippines’ evening gown once again created buzz among pageant fans after the Pinoy-designed creation was allegedly

chosen last minute after Pia’s original gown provided by the Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. (BPCI) didn’t fit her. Meanwhile, Pia also stole the scene in the National Costume show, where she wore a white capiz terno made by Filipino designer Albert Andrada. Filipino fans have gone all-out in supporting Pia be it online or onground. Netizens are actively rallying for Pia to become the next Miss Universe while Filipinos in the US personally watched the preliminaries. Pia is very determined to bring back the crown to the Philippines and become the third Filipina crowned as Miss Universe. In an online Q and A via Miss Universe’s official Facebook page, a netizen asked Pia what she would choose between true love and

the crown. “True love waits. I’ll take the crown!” Pia wittingly replied. The closest the country had been to winning the pageant in recent years was in 2012 when Pinay contender

Janine Tugonon finished 1st runner up to USA’s Olivia Culpo. Watch the 2015 Miss Universe pageant via satellite today, 8:30 AM on ABS-CBN and live on Lifestyle (SkyCable ch 52) at 8 AM.

Cast of My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore invade Davao in massive mall tour CHRISTMAS comes early for Dabaweyos as the cast of ‘My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore’ visited SM City Davao on December 18 for the movie’s promo tour.

The romantic comedy stars Vic Sotto and Ai-Ai Delas Alas, together with Alden Richards and Maine “Yaya Dub” Mendoza. The four celebrities met with local Davao media to promote the Metro Manila Film Festival entry in the Queen City of the South. AlDub’s first-ever film together, ‘My Bebe Love’ follows the unprecedented success of the phenomenal love team in Eat Bulaga’s Kalyeserye and promises to give viewers even more romantic feel-good moments while watching the film. As early as now, the movie is being

December 17-23, 2015

STAR WARS VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher

predicted to be a smash hit, with the tandem of the Box Office King and the Comedy Queen leading the story about Vito (Vic) and Cora (AiAi)—business rivals who will find the conflict between them brewing further as Anna (Maine) and Dondi (Alden) become romantically

involved. Anna is the daughter of Vito while Dondi is Cora’s nephew. Both Vic and Ai-Ai have ruled the box office through the various films they have previously starred. AlDub, on the other hand, has taken the world by storm with the love team becoming a

regular trending topic on social media. ‘My Bebe Love’ is written by Bibeth Orteza and Jose Javier Reyes. Directed by Reyes, as well, the film is produced by OctoArts Films, M-Zet TV, APT Entertainment, GMA Films, and MEDA Production.

1:30 | 4:20 | 7:10 | 10:00 LFS

STAR WARS VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS 3D Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher PG

12:40 | 3:35 | 6:30 | 9:25 LFS

IN THE HEART OF THE SEA Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy PG

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

STAR WARS VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher PG

12:00 | 2:50 | 5:40 | 8:30 LFS

A4 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

FOOD

Healthy goodness By Kenneth Irving Ong

for the family in a glass

DABAWENYOS love fruit mainly because Davao City is the fruit basket of the Philippines and fresh fruits are always within easy reach, be it from the supermarket, the public market, or even at the nearby corner sari-sari store. But while the city is blessed with a cacophony tropical fruits, there are still some fruits that do not grow in the tropical climate, and one of these is the apple. Packed with nutrients that are essential for a healthy and active lifestyle, apples are also known to cleanse your liver, prevent cataracts, control weight, and contribute to a healthy heart. No wonder the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is no mere old wives’ tale, and the best and easiest way to get the optimum

servings of apples per day is through drinking Mott’s 100% Original Apple Juice. Mott’s 100% Original Apple Juice offers nurturing goodness for the entire family. It’s not only great-tasting and nutritious, it is also rooted in the fine tradition of making the most of the goodness of the lovely apple. Through the years, Mott’s has proven to be the expert when it comes to apples by offering delicious products of consistently high quality. Generations of mothers have trusted Mott’s for its venerable heritage. Every eight-ounce serving of Mott’s 100% Original Apple Juice provides your family with two servings of fruit and 120% Daily Value Vitamin C. That’s not just 100% juice, that’s also 100% delicious. Apple juice is great in so many healthy ways. Just one serving of apple juice already gives your body a nice boost of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s got vitamin C and polyphenol antioxidants which work to improve your overall health and well-being. It also has loads of potassium to keep your heart

healthy and strong. It’s not surprising then that one of the country’s most conscientious moms, Janice Villanueva, founder of Mommy Mundo, likes stocking up on Mott’s 100% Original Apple Juice. Apart from all its nutritious goodness, Janice says, “Like most moms today, I am discerning about what I put in the grocery cart, what goes into our refrigerator, what goes into my kids’ bodies. First thing we moms do when we consider buying a product is usually to check the label. When you see a label like that of Mott’s we sometimes feel we hit the jackpot because we’ve found a healthier alternative for our family. The fact that it not only tastes good, but this 100% Apple Juice, with 0% fat, no sugar added, is gluten free and with added Vitamin C and knowing that it has been a well-loved brand for more than a century makes Mott’s a perfect complement to my goals for a healthy lifestyle for me and my family” Mott’s 100% Original Apple Juice is available in 32oz and 64oz in leading supermarkets and groceries nationwide.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

Myths, Davao and Mar

VANTAGE POINTS 11

ERRIAM-WEBSTER defines myth as a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone. Mar Roxas tried to point out that Davao’s peace and order – indeed, its renown as one of the safest cities in the world – is a myth. After all, Roxas tries to portray himself as an expert in governance, having been Interior and Local Government Secretary three times and number one Senator. Recently, his stint at the DILG is put forward as a step in putting him in touch with the concerns of local people, giving him the chance to travel and touch base with as many potential future voters. This context and expertise he tried to show. Unfortunately for him, even his PNP subordinates debunked his with facts. As expected, the people of Davao reacted negatively, feeling hurt that the administration, through its candidate, has willingly destroyed the image of a city that worked so hard to build itself from the ruins of violence, and often fending off negative travel advisories against it. They rightfully feel they were used by Mar to get ahead. Perhaps this was meant to provoke poll frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte into a reaction against him. The spin doctors probably advised him to prick the beehive and provoke a shouting match. Who else would know about Davao’s peace and order situation than the Mayor himself? Alas, what ensued was a retort that to my mind Mar Roxas will never forget. Duterte responds by calling Roxas’s Wharton degree a myth. Looking closely, the crux of the issue is not whether he actually got a Wharton de-

gree. It can be MY TWO CENTS’ argued that he graduated from the prestigious Wharton school of the University of Pennsylvania, though curiously, Wharton graduates themselves dispute John Tria it by clarifying ecisouth@gmail.com that its proper use is attribute in America means an MBA degree from the institution. This perhaps is why even the chief American in the Philippines, US Ambassador Kristie Kenney, assumed that he had an MBA from Wharton. Truthfully, so did I assume, like Kenney did, that he had his undergrad economics degree from Ateneo and a post-graduate Wharton degree. That’s what it seems like in his website’s description of his academic background. So I came away thinking that he had advanced, post-graduate credentials that form the basis of a cerebral, gentlemanly, thinking candidate. The belief that he had a Wharton MBA was the myth. Thus, there are those who may unfairly accuse him of resumé padding, which is damage needing immediate repair. The recent admission by Wharton that indeed he got his undergraduate degree from Wharton only solidifies the fact that the myth of the post-graduate MBA was shattered. His handlers should have just kept quiet.

Thinking about it deeply reveals two things: For one, people expect presidential candidates to have high academic credentials far beyond a college degree. The other three are lawyers. It is thus vital that Mar Roxas display credentials that go beyond a college degree, which is seen as ordinary rather than exceptional. With a college degree, Mar is in the same league as Grace Poe. This probably why his resumé tends to be vague about what exact degree he earned. We are all just free to speculate that he had an MBA. The myth of the MBA made him look good. Wharton’s admission that he only had an undergraduate degree is actually a put down. Secondly, what it reveals is a pattern of image-making, and yes, myth-building that has been the hallmark of the Mar Roxas political effort since he first ran for the Senate in 2004. As Mr. Palengke in 2004, the public saw him bantering with fishmongers and tinderas. In true Manila politico fashion, Roxas has employed maximum effort in portraying himself as a person other than he is not. In 2010, as I was involved in the Noy-Mar campaign, I was a bit surprised that he shed the Mr. Palengke image and started driving a padyak. He did look awkward, and the image of transport didn’t jive with his economics advocacies. Was it the association with women in the palengke circuit that led them to go for a more masculine image of a padyak driver? I was honestly disturbed and slightly disappointed. Take note that at that time, there were issues being raised by some about his sexuality. His initial declaration of his son with former beauty queen Maricar Zaldarriaga, and presenting him during his wedding to Korina, must have been calibrat-

ed both to obviate the possibility of scandal and perhaps parlay rumors of alleged homosexuality. I guess it worked to achieve that outcome. Nonetheless, I believe this change of image is one of the reasons why he lost the Vice presidency to Jejomar Binay. Remember that he was a clear winner in the surveys a month before the elections. He came on as inconsistent and insincere, or trying hard to fit in an image he believed will sell for him, but sold Binay more as sincere, who probably looked better driving a padyak than he did. He tried to play the masa game and lost. To this day, I believe Mr. Palengke was the best image of himself he should have been built around. It was consistent with his personal and academic background and pointed to a platform and advocacy. Having an economics and investment banking background perfectly positioned himself as a guy who can bring the market to the people and vice versa was perfect. It was him. It was sincere. No wonder he topped the Senate race in ‘04. At this point it is too late to recast himself again. People have been overloaded by his constant reimaging. From Mr. Palengke, he has become Mr. image problem. He has come away from the scuffle with Duterte as a guy who will perpetuate false myths about a city just to look smart. He also confirms previous episodes as the insecure, ill-tempered candidate trying to be what he is not. Far from his cool and cerebral image, he only looks more unworthy of being called a Wharton gentleman. By his own reactions, and with his foot in his mouth, he unraveled and destroyed the Wharton myth for Duterte, himself, and us.

“A myth... is a metaphor for a mystery beyond human comprehension. It is a comparison that helps us understand, by analogy, some aspect of our mysterious selves. A myth, in this way of thinking, is not an untruth but a way of reaching a profound truth.” ― Christopher Vogler in The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers

that serves as a fundamen- THINK ON THESE! tal type in the worldview of a people.” The purpose of myths is “to account for the origins of something, explain aspects of the natural world, Henrylito D. Tacio or delineate the psychology, cus- henrytacio@gmail.com toms, or ideals of society.” Early this year, I went to Beijing. One of our itineraries was the Great Wall of China. “The biggest building the astronauts could see from the space is the Great Wall, which looks very much like a black worm,” someone once said. So the question is: Is the Great Wall truly visible from the moon? Yang Liwei, China’s first astronaut who was lifted into the outer space by the spacecraft Shenzhou V on Oct.15, 2003, gave a definite answer to a reporter after he reached the ground. He said: “No!” The Scientific American, in its February 21, 2008 issue, reported: “… the wall is only visible from low orbit under a specific set of weather and lighting conditions. And many other structures that are less spectacular from an earthly vantage point -- desert roads, for example -appear more prominent from an orbital perspective.” Yes, that Great Wall of China can be seen

from the outer space is a myth! Did Nero really fiddle while Rome was burning? Jamie Frater, founder of Listverse, debunked it. He wrote: “In July 18 to July 19, 64 AD, the Great Fire of Rome occurred. The popular myth surrounding this event is that Nero fiddled whilst he watched Rome burn, and later benefited from its burning by using cleared land for his new palace.” It was Suetonius and Cassius Dio who reported that Nero sang the “Sack of Ilium” in stage costume while the city burned. However, Tacitus’ account has Nero in Antium at the time of the fire. Tacitus said that Nero playing his lyre and singing while the city burned was only rumor. Frater wrote: “According to Tacitus, upon hearing news of the fire, Nero rushed back to Rome to organize a relief effort, which he paid for from his own funds. After the fire, Nero opened his palaces to provide shelter for the homeless, and arranged for food supplies to be delivered in order to prevent starvation among the survivors. In the wake of the fire, he made a new urban development plan. Houses after the fire were spaced out, built in brick, and faced by porticos on wide roads.” On why fiddling was a myth, Frater said: “The violin (fiddle) would not be invented for a full 1,000 years after the Great Fire of Rome.” Now, here are three more myths from the prolific pen of Noivedya Juddery, a writer and journalist based in Australia. Some people believe that Napoleon Bonaparte’s domineering ambitions were to compensate for being so physically small. Not so. True, Napoleon was called Le Petit Corporal

(“The Little Corporal”), but he was 5 feet, 7 inches tall – taller than the average eighteenth-century Frenchman. So why did he become popular with that nickname? It has been said early in his military career, several soldiers used it to mock his relatively low rank. The name stuck, even as Napoleon became ruler of France. Everyone knows two things about Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. One, he was the first man to circumnavigate the world; and two, during this historic trip, he was killed by natives in the Philippines. Of course, those two things tend to contradict each other. Magellan only made it half-way around the world, leaving it to his second-in-command, Juan Sebastian Elcano, to complete the circumnavigation. Now, you know that! A few more days and we will be celebrating Christmas. The season is meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but there is no evidence whatsoever, biblical or otherwise, that He was actually born December 25. Nor is there anything to suggest that He was born in a manger, or that there were three wise men (although, as any nativity play will remind you, three gifts were mentioned). There are differing views as to why December 25 was chosen as Christmas day, but one of the most interesting is that the day was already celebrated by followers of Mithras, the central god of a Hellenistic cult that developed in the Eastern Mediterranean around 100 BC. The followers of this faith believed that Mithras was born of a virgin on 25 December, and that his birth was attended by shepherds. Myths are made of these, indeed.

***

N Rick Riordan’s The Blood of Olympus, there was this conversation between Jason and Percy. They were talking about the lost city called Atlantis. “That’s a myth,” Percy said, to which Jason replied, “Uh, don’t we deal in myths?” Percy again said: “No, I mean it’s a MADE-UP myth. Not like, an actual true myth.” Why I am bringing this up? It’s because of what Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II said. During a presidential forum sponsored by the Galing Pook at the Ateneo de Manila University, he painted Davao City as not peaceful as it has been pictured. He cited data from the Philippine National Police which, according to him, the city had the “4th highest crime (incidents)” in the country. “So it’s a myth, imagination that it’s peaceful in Davao City. I’m not putting them down here, I’m just citing data,” Roxas pointed out. For his part, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said that Roxas’ graduation from the prestigious Wharton School of Economics was a myth. A myth, according to my source, “is a traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes

And that’s a myth

12 NEWS Hundreds... FROM 4

Number 1 was raised over 17 of 27 Mindanao provinces but this was lifted when Onyok made landfall and weakened into an LPA. Edwin Dael, chief of the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office said they are closely watching Iponan River where abandoned mining sites posed serious risks in soil liquefaction. “We have posted several monitoring posts along the river just in case,” Dael said. The CDRRMC raised it

own “orange alert” and issued a warning for voluntary preemptive evacuation for vulnerable sectors like the elderly and children. Meanwhile, the Army’s 4th Infantry Division has deployed several units of bulldozers and rescue teams in case the situation worsens. Capt. Patrick Martinez, 4th ID spokesperson said the units will be station in Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)

We have to end the armed struggle. Join me in nation-building. I am willing to give you a role,” he said. “I am the only presidential candidate with a Moro blood. I have a son who has embraced Islam and I have grandchildren who are Muslims,” Duterte said. “You ask me to be your President? Then, you will have to trust me and follow me,” he said. For this ostensibly gut, audible and stirring platform, Duterte vowed he will resign if change is not felt in the first three of years of his Presidency. “If people cannot feel that change in the first three years of my Presidency, I will resign,”

he said. Holding the Philippine flag behind him, Duterte asked the Filipino people to join him in building a better nation. “We are a country of so many tribes and different religions. What holds us together are this flag and the piece of paper (Constitution) that ensures equality for all,” Duterte said. “We have to stop corruption, oppression, drugs and crime,” he said in his one-hour speech that drew rounds of thunderous applause and viva yells from the region’s media practitioners many of whom have reported about Duterte during his long years of serving Davao City. Cha Monforte, Correspondent

Duterte... FROM 4

ARMM... FROM 9

ticular the product standards required by the government. The Portland brand cement, after being tested rigorously, has passed the standards required by the Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) of the Department of Trade and Industry for cement importation. Hence, for this shipment of imported cement, the BPS issued the necessary certification and documentation including its source or origin, which was validated by the provincial office of the Department of Trade and Industry as well as the Bureau of Customs. All duties and tariffs were assessed and it is expected that full payment will be made before it enters the common market. Mabang said the increased activities at the port means more revenue for the region and employment opportunities for the locals. Polloc Port is situated in Barangay Polloc, Parang town in Maguindanao. The port’s vital facilities have been upgraded when Regional Gov. Mujiv Hataman assumed office. Mabang said a port plays major role in economic development of a certain area.

Early this year, officials of the ARMM’s premier port announced major rehabilitation of the Polloc Port as it declared the Regional Ports Management Authority (RPMA) earned PHP24.4 million worth of revenues in 2014. Despite the peace and order problems that hit the region and its adjacent areas in 2013 and 2014, the port management earned 18 percent higher revenue as compared to 2013. In 2013, the regional ports authority earned only PHP9.4 million. The ARMM’s largest seaport and a major export-import transshipment point for consumer goods, farm products and petroleum supply from Metro Manila and abroad, the port officials will focus first on the security aspect of the 120-hectare facility. Also improved were the terminal building, the power facility and water system in compliance with the directive of Hataman to make the ARMM areas well prepared for the upcoming Bangsamoro government as a result of the 17-year peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Interim Mindanao Electricity Market (IMEM) concerns. IMEM was earlier suspended due to the lack of power capacities in Mindanao, since the water level of the island’s hydro-electric power plants have fell. PSALM added it had also conducted lectures on how to

account quantities of customers with multiple suppliers, supply from embedded generators and power billings. The consultations were completed last Nov. 6 in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte. PSALM was created to privatize the power assets of Napocor. (PNA)

PSALM... FROM 9

EDGEDAVAO

Food... FROM 9

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

at all levels of program and promotion of effective governance through consultation and capacity building. The project team did an inventory of 380 sub projects from the pilot implementation of the PO strengthening in 2006 until 2014 to assess who will be assisted to become local enterprises. The income generating sub-projects were further categorizes into water type sub-projects and non-water type sub-projects. Water type includes levels 2 and 3 while non-water includes farm machineries, and pre and post harvest facilities. Dipatuan said under the strengthening program, Pos identify the need of the community. Each community is

allotted with P500,000 budget for project implementation. He said among the income-generating projects of POs include provision of agri-machineries like hydro tiller and irrigation pumps, construction of solar dryer, construction of water systems, provisions of post harvest facilities, construction of public markets, warehouses, and community learning centers, and provision of deep sea fishing boats. Aside from livelihood, the POs were also assisted with technical assistance from basic accounting to development planning to ensure their respective income-generating projects will be sustainable and will be a catalyst of inclusive growth.

(NCMF) Sec. Yasmin Busran-Lao admitted that there a need to further promote the Halal industry. “Other Asean countries like Indonesia and Malaysia have already established their halal industry, while ours still needs a lot of promotion, among others,” Lao said. Lao said there is a need to enhance the skills and capability of the players in the halal industry in order to attract Muslim tourists, investors and players. “The Asean (integration) is our most strategic entry point and the more we encourage Muslim Filipinos and non-Muslim Filipinos alike to venture and be competitive (the more we become at par with other Asean countries),” she said. There is also a need to improve the status of entrepreneurs in the country on halal certification as well as the accreditation of halal tourism-related establishments like restaurants and hotels, according to Lao. The Philippines, which has a minority population

of Muslim that are mostly in Mindanao, has a huge potential of becoming a big player in the multi-million global industry of Halal. Lao said the combined 400 million population of Middle East and Southeast Asian Muslim Nations are just among the target market for halal products and services. She, however, said the market opportunity for halal products and services are not limited to Muslim consumers, but also to health buffs and non-Muslim consumers. “We are looking at a market that is not only for Muslims but also for non-Muslims that are conscious of their diet,” Lao said. The market and economic opportunity in the global halal industry is not limited to Muslim but also to those who are non-Muslim Filipinos, she added. Non-Muslim entrepreneurs, for instance, can venture in distributing Halal food products and services which are needed by this specific market niche. CHENEEN R. CAPON

with vast fields capable of producing enough grains, it had remained un-irrigated for more than three decades due to lack of funding support, thus, becoming the impetus to build the vast irrigation system. Funded by the World Bank, Mindanao Rural Development Program, and the Provincial Government, the Cateel Irrigation Project, which was initiated by Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon, will enable farmers to significantly increase their cropping season and rice production. Governor Malanyaon said that the irrigation system is a product of strong determination, persistence, political will and teamwork. “The Provincial Government has staked so much just to realize this project,” she said. “How our province got the 256-million project from the remaining budget of the MRDP is a story that can be shared

to all local governments. How our province weathered harassments and obstacles in the project implementation can also be another interesting story to tell. We went through a lot. We were hit by – one after the other – typhoon Pablo and later Tropical Depression Agaton. Each time it happened it destroyed everything that we built. How our province was able to complete a huge project in seven months though programmed to be completed in two years is another story to tell.” “I would like to see this project as a promise and a challenge to the users and farmers of the eleven barangays of this municipality. There is a promise of a good life and there is a challenge to protect and nurture this project,” concluded the governor, urging the farmers, particularly the irrigators’ associations to do their part in protecting the irrigation system. By KLD

Halal... FROM 9

DavOr... FROM 9

Red Cross... FROM 6 and Nueva Ecija. PRC Northern Samar chapter will be distributing food items on Saturday (December 19) to 275 families in barangay Daganas and 300 families in barangay Hinatad, both in the municipality of Catarman, Northern Samar. “Rescue operations have been going on as well in Nueva Ecija where there was flooding in some areas. Our water, search and rescue teams were able to rescue 11 people in their flooded homes in Nueva Ecija,” Gordon said. According to the latest PRC OpCen report as of 8 AM Friday, Typhoon “Nona” affected a total of 1,289,405 people in 83 municipalities across 13 provinces, namely: Northern Samar, Sorsogon, Albay-Legaspi, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Palawan, Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communication LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao City

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a SCHOOL TRANSPORT Service Case No.2006-XI-00185 REUELTON A. LLANOS, Petitioner

x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --x

NOTICE OF HEARING

Marinduque, Camarines Sur, Western Samar, Masbate, Nueva Ecija, Catanduanes, and Aurora. To those who are interested to give donations to the survivors of typhoon Nona through the Philippine Red Cross, cash donations may be deposited in any of the following Philippine Red Cross bank accounts: BDO Peso Account – 00-453190938; BDO Dollar Account – 10-4530039482; Metrobank Peso Account – 151-7-1552434-2; and Metrobank Dollar Account – 151-2-15100218. Donations may also be dropped off at the PRC Tower, 37 EDSA corner Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City, or in any PRC chapters nationwide. Donors may also call telephone numbers 790-2300 local 807 and 826. (PNA) Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communication LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao City

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ DUALOrdinary Regular Service

Case No.2001-XI-01240 RENE B. RAUT-RAUT, Petitioner

x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --x

NOTICE OF HEARING

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a SCHOOL TRANSPORT service exclusively for the transportation of Students/Pupils from their respective residences to St. Paul College Pasig/Davao and vice versa with the use of ONE (1) unit, which certificate will expire on December 5, 2016.In the petition filed on November 24, 2015, petitioner requests authority to extend the validity of said certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ-DUAL Ordinary Service on the route: CALINAN and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which certificate will expire on September 4, 2016. In the petition filed on November 19,2015, petitioner requests authority to extend the validity of said certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

At least, TEN (10) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao

This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/ or oral evidence.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on JANUARY 20, 2016 at 09:30 a.m. at this office at the above address.

Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, this 24th day of November 2015 at Davao City. TERESITA DELA PEÑAYÑIGUEZ Chief Transportation Development Officer

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on JANUARY 19,2016 at 09:20 a.m. at this office at the above address.

WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, this 19th day of November 2015 at Davao City. TERESITA DELA PEÑAYÑIGUEZ Chief Transportation Development Officer

EDGEDAVAO

13 SCIENCE

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

Saving topsoil from erosion Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO (Second of Two Parts) “It is more practical and economical to use management practices that minimize soil erosion rather than to allow erosion to reach the stage where restoration of eroded soil is necessary. It is essential that the productivity of these resources be maintained, especially where there is great population pressure on land resource.” -- A.M. Van Oosten and E.J. Cahill, authors of Towards Integrated Soil Conservation (1986) ***

INFRIED Scheewe is a German national who has lived in the Philippines since 1996. An agricultural engineer, he has worked with some non-governmental organizations in the country. He has traveled in various parts of the country and seen many farmers who are still in dire poverty. A person who loves

farming, he wondered why most Filipino farmers are having trouble bringing up their standard of living. “Agriculture is the foundation of civilization,” he wrote in his book, Nurturing the Soil, Feeding the People. “Fertile soils are rightly seen as the bedrock of civilization. (But) today’s agriculture takes soil as well as environment for grant-

ed.”

It shouldn’t be. “Soil is the basis for food, feed, fuel and fiber production, and for many critical ecological services,” said Hiroyuki Konuma, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific. “Without soil, there would be no food apart from what the

The Ifugao rice terraces rivers and the seas can provide,” said former FAO Director-General Edouard Saouma. “The soil is the world’s most precious natural resource. Yet it is not valued as it should be. Gold, oil, minerals and precious stones command prices which have led us to treat soil as mere dirt.” Is there a solution in sight? “Seeing today’s problems in farm-

ing, we only can consider the rice terraces of the Igorot tribes in the Cordillera as a wonder,” wrote Scheewe. “The irrigated terraces provide, since hundreds of years, stable harvests of rice without external inputs. For many centuries, they had evolved cultivation methods which would maintain the fertility in an ecologically viable system. This, while soil fertility declines in many places practicing modern agriculture.” “An ancient spatial version of the new science of agroforestry” is how Dr. Rogelio Serrano described the farming system. Having studied the Ifugao for a number of years, he co-authored with Ernesto A. Cadaweng a paper entitled, “The Ifugao Muyong: Sustaining Water, Culture and Life.” A muyong (or pinugo in another dialect) is an untilled slope covered mainly with timber, fruit trees, climbing rattan, bamboo, palms and other associated natural vegetation, which is often used as a source of fuelwood. “Seen from a wider perspective, the totality of the upland farming system of the Ifugao consists of the payoh (rice fields), the muyong (forest) and the uma (swidden lands). These components interact with each other, with Ifugao culture and with landscapes and ecosystems at lower elevations,” the two authors wrote. There is a macro-level interaction between the muyong and downstream environments. “The muyong serves to capture and store rainfall and slowly releases it throughout the year, thereby irrigating the terraced payoh,” they explained. “Excess water flows through the river system… Water flowing from the muyong carries with it rich nutrients built up by the forest, which increase the fertility of the payoh. The muyong also serves as a source of rocks and stones to make walls for new terraces and to repair damaged older terrace walls.” The second interaction is between muyong and uma. “Muyong, with its rich biodiversity, supplies seeds -- dispersed by wind and wildlife -- to the uma in its fallow period (ublag),” the authors wrote. “Plant regeneration is, consequently, more rapid than in the absence of muyong. The muyong also serves as a buffer to nearby uma, providing microclimates favorable to the growth of fallow vegetation, as well as trapping eroded soil.” In Davao, the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) has developed a counterpart of the scheme. It’s called Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT). “The principle of SALT is the same as that used by the Ifugao

tribes,” explains Roy C. Alimoane, the current MBRLC director. “All we are doing is suggesting using nitrogen-fixing trees and shrubs instead of rocks.” The SALT system still requires careful management of the space between the rows of trees and shrubs. A combination of permanent, semi-permanent, and annual crops is recommended so as to rebuild the ecosystem and maximize yields while enabling farmers to organize their work time efficiently. In the SALT farm, one finds a mix of permanent crops (cacao, coffee, banana and other fruit trees), cereals (upland rice, corn, or sorghum), and vegetables (bush sitao, winged beans, sweet pepper, tomato, eggplant, etc.). Every third strip of available land is normally devoted to permanent crops. A combination of various cereals and vegetables are planted on the remaining two strips of land. Each has its own specific area so that there can be a seasonal rotation. “Crop rotation helps to preserve the regenerative properties of the soil and avoid the problems of infertility typical of traditional agricultural practices,” Alimoane explains on the importance of regular rotation of crops. And yes, SALT helps control soil erosion. Its study showed that a farm tilled in the traditional manner erodes at the rate of 1,163.4 metric tons per hectare per year. In a SALT farm, there is still erosion but minimal – 20.2 metric tons per hectare per year. The rate of soil loss in a SALT farm is 3.4 metric tons per hectare per year, which is within the tolerable range. Most soil scientists place acceptable soil loss limits for tropical countries like the Philippines within the range of 10 to 12 metric tons per hectare per year. In comparison, the non-SALT farm has a soil loss rate of 194.3 metric tons per hectare per year. But soil erosion is just a part of soil degradation. “Our soils are in danger because of expanding cities, deforestation, unsustainable land use and management practices, pollution, overgrazing and climate change,” said FAO in its website. “The current rate of soil degradation threatens the capacity to meet the needs of future generations.” Aside from food production, soil can help to combat and adapt to climate change. “Healthy soils can play an important role in climate change mitigation by storing carbon (carbon sequestration) and decreasing global greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere,” FAO pointed out.

14 CLASSIFIEDS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

Advertise with Tel No. 082.221.3601/224.1413 Email: edgedavao@gmail.com marketing@edgedavao.net

INVITATION TO BID PUBLIC AUCTION SALE

LOT 6:

Notice is hereby served that the Provincial Government of Compostela Valley thru the COMMITTEE ON AWARDS FOR THE APPRAISAL AND DISPOSAL located at Capitol Building Compostela Valley Province, will sell the following Unserviceable equipment Motor vehicles and materials with appraised value offered by lot at PUBLIC AUCTION on January 12, 2016.Dropping of Bid Entries shall be from 8:00 A. M. to 12:00 PM. Opening of bids shall start at 1:00 P.M. at the same date (Note: Bid box shall be closed at Exactly 12:00 PM) .Venue is BAC Secretariat Office, Ground Floor, Right wing, Prov’l Capitol Bldg., Cabidianan, Nabunturan, Compostela Valley. BY ITEM: LOT 1: UNSERVICEABLE SERVICE VEHICLES

QTY.

ISUZU FORWARD

SGH

436

50,000.00

ISUZU HIGHLANDER

SHA

181

61,430.00

3 5 6 7 8 9

1 1 1 1 1 1 1

ARTICLE DESCRIPTION

ISUZU PICK-UP

SGC

FUSO CANOPY/CANTER

QTY.

MITSUBISHI L-200

HONDA SR-125

HONDA XL-125

HONDA XRM-110

HONDA XL-125

HONDA SR-125

11 13 14

1 1 1

HONDA DREAM ELECTRIC STARTER HONDA XL-125

HONDA XRM-110

LOT 3: SCRAP MOTORCYCLES

ITEM No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

LOT 4:

ITEM No.

887

SGA

TOYOTA TAMARAW FX

IHONDA XRM-110

145

SGA

ISUZU HIGHLANDER

HONDA DREAM

573

SGC

ISUZU HIGHLANDER

MOTOR STAR

692

SGA

ISUZU HIGHLANDER

HONDA XRM-110

139

SDC

MITSUBISHI PICK-UP L-200

ARICLE DESCRIPTION

179

SFF

897

SDV

LOT 2: UNSERVICEABLE MOTORCYCLES

ITEM No.

PLATE No.

APPRAISED VALUE

ITEM No.

307

PLATE No. SF

3645

3465

3415

3636

3467 3468

3469

3649

3639

57,000.00 57,00.00

38,740.00

6,705.00

6,855.00

8,850.00

5,800.00

4,950.00

1628

59,710.00

5,800.00

1212

57,200.00

5,635.00

1194

46,980.00

6,205.00

7,886.00

49,850.00

5,800.00

1229 3400

100,400.00

APPRAISED VALUE

SF SF

8,920.00 6,049.00 7,900.00 5,800.00

SCRAP

ESTIMATED KILO

APPRAISED VALUE

HONDA XRM-125, SE-3425 SUZUKI 125, SE-3490 YAMAHA, SE-2301 KAWASAKI-125, SF-2332 HONDA XL-125, SF-2302 HONDA, SF-3413 HONDA TMX, SE-1074 HONDA 200R, SE-2735 KAWASAKI-125, SE-4616 SUZUKI 125, SE-2737 HONDA XLR, SE-1099 SUZUKI 125, SF-3509

420 KGS

10.50/ kgs.

QTY

APPRAISED VALUE

ITEMS/DESCRIPTION SCRAP IRON

10,000 kgs

10.50/kgs

NEWSPAPER

120 kgs

1.00/kgs

LOT 5:

CLASSIFIEDS 15

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

LOT 7:

ITEM No. 1 2

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

LOT 8:

ITEM No. 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

NOTE:

COMPUTER PARTS AND ACCESSORIES ITEMS/DESCRIPTION TIRES-HEAVY EQUIPMENT 11.00 X 20 14.00 X 24

8.25 X 20

10.00 X 20 295R20 12.00 X 20 8.25 X 15 12.5 X 18 23.1 X 26 17.5 X 25 TIRES-LIGHT VEHICLE 265/70R16 265/65R17 245/65R17 195R14 185R15 30.00 X 9.50 R15 700/15 12PR

ITEMS/DESCRIPTION BATTERY-12 VOLTS. 9-PLATES BATTERY-12 VOLTS, 11-PLATES BATTERY-12 VOLTS, 13-PLATES BATTERY-12 VOLTS, 17-PLATES BATTERY-12 VOLTS, 21-PLATES

Activities Issuance of Bid Documents Pre-Bid Conference Deadline of Submission Opening of Bids & Bid Evaluation Awarding of item

150 kgs

9.00/kgs

QTY

APPRAISED VALUE

180 PCS 96 PCS

30 PCS

56 PCS 59 PCS 18 PCS 27 PCS 21 PCS 3 PCS 1 PC

34 PCS 18 PCS 12 PCS 28 PCS 16 PCS 8 PCS 16 PCS QTY 1 PC 5 PCS 19 PCS 7 PCS 1 PC

30.75/pc. 30.75/pc.

30.75/pc.

30.75/pc. 30.75/pc. 30.75/pc. 30.75/pc. 30.75/pc. 30.75/pc. 30.75/pc.

35.50/pc. 35.50/pc. 35.50/pc. 35.50/pc. 35.50/pc. 35.50/pc. 35.50/pc.

APPRAISED VALUE 435.00/pc 555.00/pc 747.00/pc 958.00/pc 1,415.00/pc

Schedule December 21, 2015 January 05, 2016 January 12, 2016 @ 12:00 NN January 12, 2016 @ 1:00 PM January 19, 2016

a. The above items can be inspected at the Provincial Capitol Compound, Cabidianan, Nabunturan Compostela Valley. b. The above articles will be sold through SEALED PUBLIC AUCTION . Your bid entries SHALL BE dropped in a bid box at the BAC Secretariat Office, Ground Floor, Right wing, Prov’l Capitol Bldg. Cabidianan , Nabunturan , Compostela Valley Province c. Bid Entries must be accompanied with a bid security in the form of Cash or manager’s check. Personal and certified checks shall not be accepted. Cash or Managers checks in the amount equivalent to at least 10% of the total appraised value of each items or appraised value of each lot. ( “ AS IS WHERE IS “ basis ) d. Financial proposal and bid security must be enclosed in separate envelopes. Each envelope shall bear the bidder’s name, address and the item or items or lot in which you are participating (Bidders Forms are available at the BAC Secretariat Office Ground floor, Right wing, Prov’l Capitol Bldg.Cabidianan,Nabunturan, Compostela Valley). e. The Award shall be given to the Highest Bidder. The winning bidder should effect the full payment of his bid within 5 working days from the date of receipt of the notice of Award. Bid proposal lower than the appraised value shall be automatically disqualified. f. All commercial prospective bidders are required to submit documents for accreditation with non-refundable payment in the amount of Php 300 only. g. Submit a certificate of inspection as part of technical requirement to manifest that ocular visit was conducted prior to the submission of Bids. h. Bid form is available at the BAC Secretariat Office, Ground floor, right wing Prov”l. Capitol Bldg. Cabidianan, Nabunturan Compostela Valley Province. For more details, please see the Head of Secretariat of the BAC.

By Authority of the Governor (Sgd.)VIRGILIA S. ALLONES Vice-Chairperson, Committee on Awards for the Appraisal and Disposal

16 CLASSIFIEDS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

Advertise with Tel No. 082.221.3601/224.1413 Email: edgedavao@gmail.com marketing@edgedavao.net

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

Greetings from Philippine Airlines!

LEASE be advised of our DOMESTIC CHRISTMAS PROMO FARES (O9MERRY) for selected PR flights; one way fares in PHP, exclusive of government fees, surcharge and taxes. This sale is effective for sales and ticketing on 19 December 2015 - 23 December 2015 and valid for travel 01 June 2016 - 15 October 2016. The one way fare levels below are EXCLUSIVE of YQ, A.S.F., T.S.C., Terminal Fee (LI) and 12% VAT. Below are the base fares for your reference:

DOMESTIC CHRISTMAS PROMO SALES/TKTG: 19DEC-23DEC15 TRAVEL : 01JUN16 - 15OCT16 OW BASE FARE LEVEL O9MERRY MNL-LAO vv. PHP 769 MNL-LGP vv. PHP 594 MNL-WNP vv. PHP 614 MNL-PPS vv. PHP 634 MNL-TUG vv. PHP 599 MNL-BCD vv. PHP 634 MNL-MPH vv. PHP 904 MNL-CEB vv. PHP 769 MNL-DGT vv. PHP 689 MNL-ILO vv. PHP 574 MNL-KLO vv. PHP 519 MNL-RXS vv. PHP 714 MNL-TAC vv. PHP 694 MNL-TAG vv. PHP 899 MNL-BXU vv. PHP 904 MNL-CGY vv. PHP 949 MNL-CBO vv. PHP 1,174 MNL-DVO vv. PHP 1,034 MNL-DPL vv. PHP 1,209 MNL-GES vv. PHP 1,199 MNL-OZC vv. PHP 1,294 MNL-ZAM vv. PHP 1,174 CEB-BCD vv. PHP 494 CEB-BXU vv. PHP 549 CEB-CGY vv. PHP 574 CEB-DVO vv. PHP 754 CEB-ILO vv. PHP 599 CEB-TAC vv. PHP 619 ILO-GES vv. PHP 809

1. Application

Domestic Christmas promo fares are valid for one way and combinable either for roundtrip travel or with any other booking class subject to conditions of each fare class. It is restricted for sales and ticketing in the Philippines.

2. Reservation, Fees and Restrictions 2.1 Cancel / Refund - Nonrefund-

able. In case of upgrading to higher fare, the nonrefundable fare remains non-refundable. 2.2 Change fee PHP 1,500 per sector inclusive of 12% VAT and fare difference if applicable. 2.3 Ticket considered No Show if ticket is not reissued / refunded at least 4 hours prior to flight departure or if passenger fails to check-in on time. No Show / Non-Users fee PHP 1,000 per sector inclusive of 12% VAT. 2.4 For tickets that will be reissued at least 4 hours prior to flight departure upgrading to higher fare permitted; reissuance should be equal or higher fare amount. Downgrading to lower fare amount not permitted. 2.5 Book and Buy 2.6 Limited Seats 2.7 Confirmed reservations are required. Open-dated tickets are not permitted.

3. Mileage Accrual 3.1 Mileage Accrual – 50%

4. Baggage Allowance 4.1 Applicable Free Baggage Allowance – 10kg

5. Discounts 5.1 Infant Without Seat – 10% discount of the accompanying adult fare. 5.2 Senior Citizen – 20% discount 5.3 Persons with Disability – 20% discount A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUD NEW YEAR TO ALL!

18 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

Tabuena, Pagunsan lurk behind leader in PH Open C

ANADIAN Lindsay Renolds, needing no less than a victory to salvage an Asian Tour card next year, fired a bogey-free six-under 66 that put him one stroke ahead on Miguel Tabuena, Korean Jeunghun Wang and two others at the start of the weather-shortened Philippine Open on Friday. Phuket-based Canadian Renolds gunned down three birdies at the back where he teed off then added three more birdies at the front for a 33-33 he spiked with three scrambling pars on Nos. 1, 2 and 6. Tabuena, who shot a 22-under card in ruling the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Open here last September, shrugged off an opening bogey with a cluster of birdies – six in a 12-hole stretch from No. 5 – and put himself in early contention for the championship with a 3532 card. The 21-year-old local circuit’s reigning Order of Merit winner, battling a slight fever earlier in the week, preserved his spot at joint second by scrambling for pars in the last two holes. “I can’t complain with my score considering my condition. I’m feeling much better which is good. I was very lucky play was called off yesterday because I got an extra rest day. I made most out of it,” said Tabuena. “I left a couple out of birdie putts so hopefully I can hole more putts tomorrow (today).” Despite playing longer than its 7,045-yardage, the Luisita Golf and Country Club layout took a severe beating from the men of the tour under the lift, clean and place rule, with 52 breaking par and 15 others turning in even par cards in the $300,000 event serving as the final

leg of this year’s Asian Tour. Wang, who will represent Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup next year, shot six birdies but had one bogey on the par-5 No. 12 to settle for a tie with Tabuena, Chinnarat Phadungsil of Thailand and five-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar of India. Juvic Pagunsan also lived up to the hype as the 2011 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner fired a four-under 68 in his very first stint at Luisita to join the early charge of the local aces in the 54-hole event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT, FIBR, Metro Pacific Investment Corp. (MPIC), Amon Trading, Central Azucarera de Tarlac and Ayala Land, Inc. with San Miguel Corp., Suntrust Properties and Sta. Lucia as hole sponsors. “It was tough because it was my first time playing here,” said Pagunsan. “It was difficult to find the breaks on the greens. I didn’t play a practice round this week. I struggled a bit but my game is in good shape. I’m happy with the result. I really had to fight for my score.” Johnrey Pactolerin, nephew of former Phl Open champion and many-time Philippine Masters winner Robert Pactolerin, made four birdies at the back to join Pagunsan in sixth along with Korean Giwhan Kim, former champion Mardan Mamat of Singapore and Englishman Simon Griffiths. Seven players, including Aussie Scott Barr, Korean Seukhyun Baek and Ireland’s Niall Turner, fired three-under 69s while Jhonnel Ababa, Clyde Mondilla and Nilo Salahog carded identical 70s to lead 18 others in joint 18th.

Aussie Marcus Both, who won by two at Wack Wack last year, struggled with an even par 72 for joint 51st. Other Filipinos in early contention are Charles Hong, a former winner here, who shot a 71; Orlan Sumcad, Tony Lascuña, Cassius Casas, Artemio Murakami and Keanu Jahns matched par 72s; while Michael Bibat, Arnold Villacencio, Elmer Salvador, Randy Garalde, Michael Alejandro and Frankie Minoza, who blew a two-under card with three straight bogeys from No. 15, turned in similar 73s. Renolds, ranked 95th on the Order of Merit, is on a do-or-die mission to save

his Asian Tour card for next year. The Canadian needs nothing less than a victory this week to break into the top-63 on the Order of Merit to retain his Tour card for 2016. “It is a case of winning or going back to Qualifying School for me this week. I got nothing to lose this week. I’m trying to stay motivated and focused,” said the 29-year-old Renolds.

Miguel Tabuena

It’s TIME to CHANGE THE GAME. Your ads come to life with vivid, clear, crisp colors. Get the value for your money and don’t settle for an awful copy on a badly printed space. Advertise wisely.

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

Juvic Pagunsan

As creative as you can get.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

THE AVENGERS Warriors avenge only loss by

SPORTS 19

rallying past Bucks, 121-112

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors drives to the hoop against the Milwaukee Bucks. (AFP Photo/Mike McGinnis)

HE pregame chatter about Milwaukee’s exuberant celebration after handing Golden State its first loss of the season last week carried on throughout the game, peaking in a postgame dustup between Draymond Green and O.J. Mayo. Before that, the Bucks and Warriors played a thrilling game. Stephen Curry scored 26 points and Green fueled a key fourth-quarter run that helped the Warriors avenge their only loss by beating the Bucks 121112 on Friday night. ‘’I’m not satisfied because

I thought we should have been better,’’ Green said. ‘’We’re a long way past trying to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in December. We’re trying to compete for a championship.’’ The game ended with Green and Mayo exchanging heated words before Mayo put his hand on Green’s head. Green slapped it away and Khris Middleton then pushed Green. A few other players got involved before everything was broken up and both teams retreated to their locker rooms. ‘’No man is going to touch my head,’’ Green said. ‘’Point

blank.’’ Mayo said he was upset that Green called out Michael Carter-Williams for a postdunk celebration at the end of Milwaukee’s win last Saturday that snapped the Warriors’ 28game, regular-season winning streak dating to last season. ‘’Show a little respect,’’ Mayo said. ‘’You talk about one guy’s class and then you go the same route, that’s not class. They’re the world champs, good luck to them for the rest of the season and the same for us.’’ What some thought would be a revenge-fueled blowout

for Golden State turned into a hard-fought victory. The Warriors trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter and by 11 with less than eight minutes to play before Green and Curry took over to improve Golden State to 26-1 with their 30th straight home win in the regular season. ‘’We were very public about the fact that we wanted to get revenge. Then we didn’t come out and play with that edge and that mentality,’’ interim coach Luke Walton said. ‘’If you’re going to say that about another team you should expect ... they’re not going to

fold.’’ Green scored eight points in a span of 1:06 to cut Milwaukee’s lead to 100-97. Curry then got fouled on a 3-pointer and made all three free throws to tie it at 100 at the midpoint of the quarter ‘’We were searching,’’ Green said. ‘’I know I needed to step up and make plays. I was able to get a couple of buckets and spark our run. That’s what we needed at that point.’’ The game stayed tight from there before Curry used a slick crossover to score a layup that put the Warriors up for good with just over two min-

utes left. Curry got a steal on Milwaukee’s next possession and made two free throws and then fed Andre Iguodala for a 3-pointer from the corner to seal the win. ‘’They hit shots and the tide turned,’’ Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. ‘’For us, a lot of good things came out of this. We competed. If we play with that kind of energy every time we take the court, we’ll win a lot more games.’’ Klay Thompson added 27 points and Green had 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

NDRE Drummond didn’t have to say much to describe this four-overtime marathon. He could have stopped after the first word. ‘’Wow,’’ he said. ‘’I don’t have any words for that one.’’ Wow pretty much sums it up.

Drummond had 33 points and 21 rebounds, Reggie Jackson added 31 points and 13 assists, and the Pistons outlasted the Chicago Bulls 147-144 on Friday night. The Pistons scored the first seven points of the fourth OT and hung on after things got real

tense in the final seconds. Butler, who scored a career-high 43 points, made an off-balance 3-pointer to cut it to 145-144 with 4.7 seconds left. The Bulls immediately fouled Jackson, who made both free throws to make it a threepoint game.

Butler then missed that 3 as time expired, bringing a wild game to a finish. Derrick Rose scored a season-best 34 on a career-high 34 field-goal attempts for Chicago. Pau Gasol added 30 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks, but the Bulls couldn’t pull this one out after tying a season high with four straight wins. ‘’We’re expected to win,’’ Butler said. ‘’Four overtimes, no overtimes. We didn’t do that. Didn’t protect our home floor.’’ In a back-and-forth game that saw both teams miss chances to win, the Pistons finally went ahead for good with that surge to start the fourth OT. Drummond started it with a follow dunk. Jackson then drove for a layup and converted a threepoint play after getting fouled on a floater to make it 134-127 with 3:37 left, and the Pistons maintained the lead the rest of the way. ‘’You fight hard, you put everything you have on the court and to lose like this in four overtimes at home, it’s a heartbreaker,’’ Gasol said. ‘’It happens.’’ This was the 13th game in league history to go to at least four overtimes.

ARCELONA star Lionel Messi said if anyone inspired him to become a footballer, it was Argentina great Diego Maradona. Since making his debut for Barca in 2004, Messi has constantly drawn comparisons to countryman Maradona. And four-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi admitted if there is anyone who inspired him as a youngster, it was the 1986 World Cup winner. “I never followed anyone in particular, until I started having a reason to, Maradona returned home and became a big deal again,” the 28-yearold told Gente. “It was in 1993. From Spain he arrived at Newell’s [Old Boys] and helped the national team qualify for the

1994 World Cup in the United States. “If anyone inspired me, without doubt it was him.” Messi - the Argentina captain - has established himself as one of the best players in the history of football but said his world does not revolve around football. “I dream like anyone else,” he said. “I don’t live depending on football. “I play when I have to professionally or when I want to entertain myself with friends. “But I assure you that my whole life is not just football. “Just like there are great professionals who save lives and create things so we can live better, I had the opportunity to play football so that others can be entertained. “I am very grateful that it turned out this way.”

Pistons outlast Bulls in wild 4OT game Messi: Maradona was my inspiration A B

Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons goes to the basket against the Chicago Bulls on Friday at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

20 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 8 ISSUE 191 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 21, 2015

Escandor lifts Ateneo to finals By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

njb@edgedavao.net

RANCIS Gabriel Escandor’s all-around brilliance carried Ateneo de Davao University past Assumption College of Davao 8571 to book a seat in the juniors division finals of the 2015 Gaisano Grand Cup at the Gaisano SkyGym. The six-foot-two Escandor, showing vast improvement after spending the summer break in a Las Vegas camp with

the San Beda Red Lions, fired a game-high 23 points including six from beyond the rainbow arc to lift the Blue Knights overcome a twice-to-beatedge by the Warriors. Escandor hit two triples in the first period en route to scoring 8 points in the quarter as Ateneo built a 22-14 lead. The Blue Knights stretched the margin to 45-30 at the break before the Reds cut the deficit

to 10 after three quarters 6454. Escandor drained three triples in that period to keep Ateneo’s margin to double digits. Darriel Manliguez added 16 points while Ion Angeles chipped in 15 for Ateneo. Cris Marvin Vistal paced Assumption College of Davao with 21 points while shifty guard Axel Doromal had 16. Jose Miguel de Loyola contributed 13 for Assumption.

round finale. Go, the trusted-aide of presidential contender Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, shot five three pointers to finish the game with game-best 29 points. As the CMO scoring leader firing superbly at the perimeter, big men Weng Farochillen and JR De Guzman dominated the paint to provide the much needed contribution. Farochillen and De Guzman chipped in 15 and 13 points respectively for CMO which is seeking a return to the finals. Robinson Palomares took charge with 16 points for the reigning runner-up DCPO. DCPO was playing at its best but was just caught by

surprise by CMO at all front. Go’s incredible shooting and the timely rejuvenation of Farochillen and De Guzman kept the game out of reach for the Policemen. Estong Uganap and Marlon Cabanog made 13 points apiece for DCPO which defeated CMO 90 – 87 in their elimination round match-up. CMO’s quest for a return trip to the finals for the first time in three years remains alive with the victory. The Mayors men’s last entry in the finals was in 2012 when they eventually completed a rare “three-peat” under the banner of Team VMO. The team achieved the feat by sweeping the DCPO in the finals. (Rico Biliran)

CMO stuns DCPO, forces KO match

Francis Gabriel Escandor of Ateneo de Davao University tries to score in this bit of action against Holy Child School of Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

ND the saga goes on. This gritty bunch of City Mayors Office is alive and kicking. The Mayors men stunned Davao City Police Office with an 87 – 78 victory on Thursday in their 2015 AFP-PNP semi-final round encounter at the Davao City Recreation Center Almendras Gym. CMO, the No. 3 seed, put up a well-balanced game to stave off elimination and force rubber-match against the second-seed DCPO which entered the Final Four with a twice to beat advantage. Christopher “Bong” Go led the way for the gritty City Hall dribblers, who bowed down a day before to the Policemen in the elimination