Edge Davao 8 Issue 62

VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

COURTING DABAWENYO PALATE

MICHELLE ROBIN-BACSAL:

At home in the kitchen GOLFER OF THE WEEK

Alessandra Christine Z. Nagayo: Born to play golf

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO njb@edgedavao.net

C

HEF Fernando Aracama is known as a celebrity chef-judge of the Philippine edition of the popular Master Chef reality

TV series.

In the culinary world, he is known for his Chocnut ice cream which caps his pièce de résistance called Por-

chetta Negrense.

He created the Chocnut ice cream in 1999 at Uva, his first restaurant in Tomas

FCOURTING, 2

2 COVER STORY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

MICHELLE ROBIN-BACSAL:

At home in the kitchen

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO njb@edgedavao.net

CHEF FERNANDO ARACAMA

Courting Dabawenyo palate

Courting... FROM 1 Morato, Quezon City inspired by his cravings in his youth for frozen Chocnuts.

Back then he thought, “why don’t I make this into ice cream?”

Chef Fernando belongs to the few culinary professionals who sought culinary education elsewhere in 1985 “because there was no culinary schools in the Philippines at that time.”

After graduating in college from the University of the Philippines, the Negros Occidental native wanted to pursue his passion for cooking. But there was no school offering formal culinary education and he had to go abroad to study.

When Chef Fernando appeared in the Master Chef series, the public’s perception of the cooking profession has started to be more educated. The past 20 years have seen the snowballing of culinary schools in the country.

Today, the Philippines is one of the top producers of culinary professionals all over the

world.

“Just about anywhere you go there is a Filipino in the kitchen.

From chefs to cooks, to bussboys,” he said.

Chef Fernando said Filipino kitchen professionals are the most sought after in the world. “It’s the work attitude that people are looking up on us.”

“It helps that we are proficient in English as a language,” he added.

Chef Fernando is also happy that top Filipino chefs in the country are opening Filipino restaurants, instead of serving continental cuisine, that Filipinos can be proud of. He hopes that the country can soon export the authentic Filipino Food experience in every corner of the world.

When Chef Fernando was invited to this year’s 12th Mindanao Culinary Festival at the SM Lanang Premier, he was gasping in awe at the bevy of new finds from Mindanao.

“I saw this participant with a Tausog dish and I was impressed.

I never imagined coconut can be cooked

in ways other than extracting gata (coconut milk),” he said during the FAST Fridays media forum. “What she did was burn the coconut.”

Asked what type of dish he would create using Mindanao’s indigenous materials, Chef Fernando said he is interested at the black coconut. He wanted to create a dish distinctly Davao and hope he can get the fancy of Danawenyo palate.

“Filipino food is usually brown, from the kare-kare to adobo. I would like to see a black dish out of the black coconut,” he sad.

“I wanted to create black sauce and use that vinegar (pinakurat) and make it into a frozen block.”

Chef Fernando’s imagination started to wander into kitchenlandia. The possiblities are indeed enormous.

Almost endless.

“I love durian. I love it’s smell contrary to the common notion.

But if I were to use it as a material, I would say I would rather have the durian fresh,” he said.

I

T’S not hard to miss Michelle Robin-Bacsal. She is in your television ever morning fives days a week.

For the past 14 years, people have seen Michelle at such frequency that she has become a household fixture each day.

For Michelle though, the 30-minute daily appearance on television for ABS-CBN Davao’s “Maayong Buntag Mindanao” program is just a small slice of her time each day. Michelle is currently the head of TV news department of ABS-CBN Davao and host of “Maayong Buntag Mindanao” but a lot of her time is in the kitchen where she finds her creative juices challenged everytime.

A few people know that Michelle is a Culinary Arts graduate at Most Institute Culinary Arts which she accomplished on February 2015. She is currently taking up baking and pastry production at the same school’ “I used to host the cooking segment, Morning Kusina, in Maayong Buntag Mindanao. It gave me an opportunity to meet local chefs and had a chance to learn how to cook,” Michelle recounted how she developed her passion for cooking.

Realizing that she has the culinary creativity, she took cooking to a higher level. “It was only last year that i decided to take formal schooling. I enrolled in a 6-month culinary class at Most Institute Culinary Arts.

I learned so many things... first it was knife skills... and I swear tourne was not easy!,” she said. “Then the different cooking methods, follow the recipes and eventually create my own masterpiece.”

True enough at the 12th

Mindanao Culinary Festival, Michelle brought her kitchen skills and proved everyone she can do more than just host a TV show after winning a silver medal with her creation Aglio Olio Black Pasta with Seafood Crab Fat Cream Sauce and Salmon Roe. Here’s how she did it: “Pasta dough was created from scratch then I added squid ink to make the dough black,” she described her en-

try.

“For my base sauce I used crab fat infused with white wine and reduced to create a richer flavor. The black pasta was spread on top of the orangey sauce which created a distinct contrast in colors when plated. Next I topped it with sauted shrimps, squid and imbao, garnished with salmon roe.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

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4 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

SHOWROOM. Torre Lorenzo Development Corporation (TLDC) president Tomas P. Lorenzo (right), Blue Development Corporation project head Andrew David Sparrow (left), and Philippine Hoteliers, Inc. vice chair and president Evelyn R. Singson cut the ceremonial ribbon to mark the opening of Dusit Thani Residences and Hotel showroom at Lanang Business Park on Friday. Lean Daval Jr.

DCPO stops manhunt vs suspect in architect’s slay

T

HE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) temporarily stopped its manhunt operation against an engineer who allegedly shot dead an architect last week.

In an interview, DCPO spokesperson Senior Inspector Milgrace C. Driz said operatives of Sta. Ana Police Station stopped the manhunt since the case was already filed against Rosam Giger, who allegedly killed John Riz Fortuna.

“We will wait for the issuance of warrant before we will continue our search for Giger’s arrest,” Driz said.

She said two hours after the incident on June 20, Sta.

Ana Police Station commander Superintendent Royina Garma called Giger by phone to urge him to surrender.

Driz said Giger expressed his intention to give up. Giger, however, did not appear in the police station, prompting Garma to launch a manhunt operation in places he would possibly hide.

“It turned that he (Giger) was nowhere to be found,” Driz said.

Driz said Giger was sued before the City Prosecution Office by the police on Tuesday afternoon for murder under regular filing.

FDCPO, 17

7 Davao Region rivers to be mapped in 3D

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

S

crc@edgedavao.net

EVEN major river systems in the Davao Region will be initially mapped out and modeled by the end of the year using the light intensity detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology.

These seven major systems are Tagulaya- Sibulan, Lipadas, Talomo, Lasang, and three major rivers located in Davao Oriental.

The flood mapping and modeling of major river systems here is being implemented under the three-year Philippine LIDAR (Phil-LIDAR1) project which started last year

and will end by December 2016.

“We’re still on the target for this year,” Phil-LIDAR project team leader Joseph Acosta told reporters in last Friday’s Watershed Summit at the auditorium of the University of Mindanao-Matina Campus.

Acosta said the team will be mapping out seven of the 14 approved major river systems in Davao.

The mapping would cover the Talomo, Lipadas, Tagulaya-Sibulan, Digos and Padada-Mainit river systems

F7 DAVAO, 17

Felonia’s detention at DCPO questioned

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. and FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

L

AWYER Caesar Europa yesterday questioned the detention of his client, former Police Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU) head Senior Superintendent Leonardo Felonia, at the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) instead of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Felonia, who has been indicted for allegedly masterminding the killing of Cebu-based hotelier Richar Lim King in Davao City in June last year, had been brought back to Davao City at around 3 p.m. on Friday via commercial airline after the court denied a mo-

tion to retain his detention at Philippine National Police-Intelligence Group headquarters in Camp Crame.

In a telephone interview, Europa told EDGE Davao that his client must not be placed in the detention facility of DCPO due to threats on his life.

“Na-reocgnize na man sa court na naa siya’y security risk diha (DCPO) maong sa NBI siya ibutang. Ambot aning NBI nganogn wala siya gidawat (The court has recognized that there is a security risk at the DCPO and ordered him detained at the NBI. I do not know why NBI did not accept

him in its custody),” Europa said.

Europa said he objected to the decision of the NBI but could not do anything about it because it was a Friday. He said he will file a motion on Monday objecting to the temporary custody of Felonia at the DCPO. Felonia had immediately been served a warrant of arrest by the DCPO upon his arrival in Davao City on Friday afternoon. He was immediately brought to DCPO for booking procedure and then brought to the City Health Office for medical checkup.

He was then brought to RTC branch 16 where Judge Emmanuel Carpio issued an order for his commitment to the NBI South Eastern Mindanao Regional Office (SEMRO).

NBI regional director Dante Gierran, however, refused to receive Felonia despite the court order. Gierran issued a certification manifesting that the NBI 11 has no capacity to take custody of Felonia since he is a high-risk suspect.

Due to the refusal of the NBI, Felonia was brought back to DCPO for temporary detention while the court was closed for the weekend.

ly visible in national media in the past days, guesting in Umagang Kay Ganda at ABSCBN, then in Headstart with Karen Davila, and then at ANC hosted by Nancy Irlanda, and at CNN Philippines all in one day.

Duterte, however, said his TV appearances were not part of a possible presiden-

tial candidacy in 2016 but his chance of explaining why he will not run.

Duterte reiterated earlier statements that he is too old to become President and his family does not want him to run.

He also said he does not have the funds to mount a presidential campaign.

Duterte could still run for President: analyst

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

A

abf@edgedavao.net

POLITICAL analyst in Davao City believes Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte is not closing his doors running for President in 2016.

“He is not letting go of the idea of running since he has been receiving a lot of support and attention lately,” Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) political science professor

Ramon Beleno III told EDGE Davao in an interview.

Beleno said the mayor can consider a presidential run if a stable political party takes him in and it offers a viable vice presidential candidate and senatorial slate.

“It would be very difficult for him to say no,” he said.

Duterte had been high-

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EDGEDAVAO

Seda serves the modern breed of traveller

By CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY

F

Seda Abreeza hotel manager Ken Kapulong

OR more than two years now, Seda Abreeza has consistently offered discerning travelers and local residents a winning combination of seamless service and a quality product that is at par with global standards.

Its success in delivering on this promise is underscored by excellent client feedback which recently translated to a Certificate of Recognition from Booking.com, a major online booking

website which also posts traveller ratings about hotels, serviced apartments, luxury suites world-wide.

“We are honoured by this citation,” says Hotel Manager Kennedy Kapulong. “Modern travellers are more inclined to prioritize their experience over the physical hardware. They seek warm, accommodating yet efficient service, and appreciate extra touches of personalized service which go beyond their

expectations. This is what we offer at Seda.

Our staff has a sincere desire to satisfy guests and consider every interaction with guests an opportunity to create a memorable experience,” explains.

He said Seda now holds more trainings for its staff in their constant desire to enhance the guest experience.

It is now the only hotel brand in Asia to be accredited as a Certified

FSEDA, 7

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

DC braces for floods during rainy season

D COOK-OFF. A culinary student participates in the seafood category of a cooking competition during the second day of the 12th Mindanao Culinary Festival at SM Lanang Premier on Friday. Lean Daval Jr.

RAINAGE Management Unit chief Yusof Jimlani assured the readiness of the city’s drainage system to cope with the surge of flood waters with the onset of the rainy season.

Speaking in last week’s I-Speak Forum, he observed that climate change also impacts the occurrence of floods in the city. He also said flood waters shift from one area to another given the implementation of more drainage projects.

Jimlani said the previous efforts of the DMU to clear the existing drainage system with 20,000 cubic meters of garbage help in the immediate

flow of water to the sea.

“We continue clearing the drainage system to immediately arrest the flood in the city,” he said.

Jimlani also observed that most areas where flooding occurs have no drainage system.

He said it is the reason the DMU is working fast to arrest the flooding in these areas by the installation of bigger culverts to accommodate larger volume of water.

Jimlani also cited the good working relationship between the DMU unit and the Department of Public Works and Highways in addressing the flood in the city. (PIA 11-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)

MEMBER of the government peace panel to the government-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace process clarified that the police force within the proposed Bangsamoro areas will still belong under the operational control of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Senen Bacani told reporters at the Hermes Club at the Waterfront Insular Hotel that the Bangsamoro Police Force will still follow the chain-ofcommand of the PNP. He said changes will only be in the titles, like the current Police Regional Police Office-Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao to the Bangsamoro Police Force.

Bacani said the Bangsamoro Police Force will still take orders from the Bangsamoro Government just like the

PRO-ARMM which is under the incumbent regional governor.

Bacani said a Bangsamoro Police Commission will be set up to oversee the recruitment and performance of the Bangsamoro Police Force where members must be required to be college graduates before they can be taken in.

“Its members will comprise largely the existing members of the PRO-ARMM,” he said.

Bacani said it could be lucky if two hundred members of the MILF can qualify to join the police force.

He said having its own police force is one of the myths circulating around regarding the constitutionality of the Bangsamor Basic Law. (PIA 11-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)

Urgent aid sought A for South Cotabato

By MindaNews

S

OUTH Cotabato officials appealed to the national government on Friday for immediate assistance to repair infrastructure destroyed

by Wednesday’s floods South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes said they specifically need the government’s intervention for the repair and reconstruction of a damaged dike in Banga town, three vital bridges in Koronadal City and several road networks.

“We can provide for the rehabilitation of our damaged

roads and bridges if they will cost less than P10 million but beyond that, we really need the help of the national government,” she said.

In an emergency meeting on Thursday afternoon, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) recommended the declaration of the entire province under a state of calamity as a result of Wednesday’s floods and landslides, which left three people dead and about 1,000 others displaced.

15 more HIV cases recorded in SouthCot

F

IFTEEN more residents of South Cotabato province have tested positive of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), bringing the total incidence in the area to 269.

Dr. Rogelio Aturdido Jr., South Cotabato Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) chief, said the new HIV cases were detected from among 800 local residents who volunteered during the National HIV Testing Week on May 11 to 15.

He said 15 of those who availed of the test turned out positive of HIV based on the confirmatory tests conducted by the Department of Health’s Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

(STD/AIDS) Cooperative Central Laboratory in Manila, he said.

“Most of the new HIV cases involve males” engaged in “risky sexual behaviors,” Aturdido said in a media forum in Koronadal City.

Prior to the National HIV Testing Week, the IPHO already recorded a total of 254 HIV cases in the area. HIV causes the deadly AIDS. They include gays, bisexuals, men who have sex with men or MSMs and others who engage in unprotected sex and with multiple partners.

Aturdido said they expect the number of HIV cases in the area to increase in the coming weeks as they have

F15 MORE, 17

The floods and landslides, which came following hours of moderate to heavy rains, damaged an estimated P100 million worth of crops and infrastructure.

It affected parts of Koronadal City and the municipalities of Banga, Tantangan, Norala and Tupi.

Based on the council’s assessment, at least 21 infrastructure facilities in the area were damaged by the floods and need immediate rehabilitation.

A total of 907 hectares of

palay, 80.5 hectares of corn, 4.25 hectares of fish ponds and five hectares of cassava were also devastated.

Aside from the calamity declaration, the governor said the PDRRMC has passed a resolution requesting immediate funding assistance from the national government.

She said they addressed the request to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

FFLOOD, 17

Proposed Bangsamoro Police to follows chain-of-command

CUFFED. A handcuffed former Davao Regional Intelligence Unit director Superintendent Leonardo Felonia is brought by elements of the Intelligence Group to the Regional Trial Court Branch 16 on Friday afternoon for transfer of custody as the main suspect of the murder of Cebu-based businessman Richard L. King.

Lean Daval Jr.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

Photo from the web

SEDA... from 5 Gold Service Property by the prestigious American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute

(AHLEI). It is also the only hotel brand in the Philippines to train its security team in the latest practices and methods for managing the

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EDGEDAVAO

safety and security of its guests, including handling any untoward situations, based on another program by AHLEI. Seda’s focus on train-

ing was not left unnoticed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The ADB, in coordination with the Canadian government and the Department of Tourism (DOT), recently gave Seda a training grant in support of its endeavors for staff training and development, specifically in housekeeping and food and beverage.

Aside from the trainings, Seda Abreeza is aware of the importance of technological innovations to the modern traveler. It recently launched paperless check-in and check-out which facilitates the arrival and departure process.

Called the e-Signer,

the electronic scheme allows guests to sign and write their registration details on tablets during check-in. When they check out, guests can also view their bills on the tablets, and receives a copy of the bill in their email.

“We are the first hotel in Davao to do this,” Kapulong emphasizes.

Furthermore, Seda provides guests who avail of the hotel’s transportation service, with a tablet in the car, for their use while in transport to or from the airport.

Virtually uninterrupted connectivity continues in the hotel, where guests enjoy complimentary WiFi and internet access.

Kapulong makes mention of its dining innovations, notably their Chefs Exchange Program where the head chefs of Seda hotels visit their other properties to share their specialties whether it be Japanese dishes, as their chef from Seda Nuvali showcased, or international bestsellers from their flagship property, Seda BGC in Metro Manila, highlighted by their Executive Chef who was in Seda Abreeza last week.

More plans are under way to keep Seda Abreeza one of the top hotels in Davao City. “We always want to surprise our guests and give them a unique experience,” he concludes.

EDGEDAVAO

8 ENVIRONMENT

VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

Plastics: Boon or bane?

Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

P

LASTIC bags come in different colors, sizes, forms, and weight.

Bags are not the only ones made from plastics these days. Name it, plastic is in it: chairs, tables, filing cabinets, tubes, baskets, plates, forks, spoons, glasses, bottles, caps, and a lot more.

Indeed, a lot of people have followed what some people told Dustin Hoffman when he asked for some advice on career direction in the award-winning 1967 movie, The Graduate. “Plastics, my boy. Plastics,” they suggested to him.

“For more than 50 years, global production of plastic has continued to rise. Some 299 million tons of plastics were produced in 2013, representing a 4 percent increase over 2012,” writes Gaelle Gourmelon, communications and marketing manager of the Washington, D.C.based Worldwatch Institute.

“Worldwide plastic production has been growing as the durable, primarily petroleum-based material gradually replaces materials like glass and metal,” the institute said in a press statement. “Today, an average person living in Western Europe or North America consumes 100 kilograms of plastic each year, mostly in the form of packaging.”

In Asia, one person uses just 20 kilograms. “But this figure is expected to grow rapidly as the region’s economies expand,” the institute pointed out.

The word plastic is derived from the Greek plastikos, which means “capable of being shaped or molded.”

It refers to their malleability or plasticity during manufacture, which allows them to be cast, pressed, or extruded into a variety of shapes.

Perhaps plastic bags are the most ubiquitous consumer item that man has ever invented. “Their light weight, low cost, and water resistance make them so convenient for carrying groceries, clothing, or any other routine purchase that it is hard to imagine life without them,” wrote Brian Halweil in a Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World report.

“Since they were introduced in the 1970s, plastic bags have infiltrated our lives,” wrote Caroline Williams in New Scientist. “Globally, we carry home between 500 billion and a trillion every year – about 150 bags for every person on earth, or, to put it another way, a million

Plastic bags every minute and rising.”

As trash, officials from the plastics industry say plastic bags take up less space in a landfill. That’s one side of the coin. The other side: Given the proper conditions, however, the paper sack would decompose rapidly, while the plastic bag would not. In reality, many plastic bags do not find their way to landfills.

The Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) reported that an estimated 22-43% of the plastic used worldwide is disposed of in landfills, where the material takes up valuable space and it blights communities.

“Recovering plastic from the waste stream for recycling or for combustion for energy generation has the potential to minimize these problems,” Gourmelon wrote.

“However, much of the plastic collected for recycling in Europe, the United States, Japan, and other industrialized countries, is shipped to countries with lower recycling standards. And burning plastic for energy requires air emissions controls and produces hazardous ash, all while being relatively inefficient.”

Unlike the heavier plastics, those mischievous plastic bags do not find their way to landfills. Instead, they go airborne after they are discarded. A survey conducted by the EcoWaste Coalition and Greenpeace Philippines in 2006 discovered plastic bags and other synthetic packaging materials to comprise 76 percent of garbage retrieved from Manila Bay. In Laguna de Bay, plastic bags

Plastic cups

Plastic table and chairs

Plastic bottles make up 25 percent of the solid waste that is polluting the lake.

Because they are usually buoyant, plastic bags are widely distributed by ocean currents and wind. In a study, “Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean,” published in the journal Science, about 275 million tons of plastic wastes were generated in 192 coastal countries worldwide in 2010. Of that figure, some 4.8-12.7 million metric tons of plastic debris entered the world’s ocean.

“The Philippines is the third top contributor with around 0.28-0.75 million metric tons of plastic marine waste annually, next only to China and Indonesia,” said Senator Loren Legarda.

The floating debris in the oceans result in an estimated US$13 billion a year in losses from damage to marine ecosystems, including financial

losses to fisheries and tourism as well as time spent cleaning beaches.

The World Wildlife Fund for Nature claimed that nearly 200 different marine species die due to ingestion and choking from plastic bags.

“Animals such as seabirds, whales, and dolphins can become entangled in plastic matter, and floating plastic items -- such as discarded nets, docks, and boats -- can transport microbes, algae, invertebrates, and fish into non-native regions, affecting local ecosystems,” the Worldwatch Institute said.

Turtles, whales, and other marine mammals have also died after eating plastic sheeting. In the United States, plastic gears, six-pack yokes, sandwich bags and Styrofoam cups are so abundant in the ocean that they kill up to one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals each year.

According to Worldwatch Institute, about 4% of the petroleum consumed worldwide each year is used to make plastic, and another 4% is used to power plastic manufacturing processes.

“Many of the chemicals used in the production and processing of plastic are highly toxic, resulting in hazardous wastes, toxic air emissions and discharges of toxic effluents into waterways,” said a report which appeared in Environmental Action.

The report further stated: “People don’t think plastic products are toxic because by the time they get to supermarket shelves, they’re not. But ingredients in plastic production have dangerous properties for those who work with them or live near plastic factories.”

Environmentalists caution against burning those plastics to get rid of them

completely. Scientists say that chlorine-based plastics, when incinerated, contribute to the formation of dioxins, a poisonous waste that forms when chlorine is exposed to extreme heat.

Across the world, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore and Taiwan are among the countries that ban the use of plastic. These countries have enacted local legislations to intensify their national law that prohibits plastic use.

“Along with reducing unnecessary plastic consumption,” the Worldwatch Institute suggested, “finding more environmentally friendly packaging alternatives, and improving product and packaging design to use less plastic, many challenges associated with plastics could be addressed by improving management of the material across its life cycle.”

VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

PROPERTY 9

Matina Enclaves starts road rehab of access road E SCANDOR Development Corporation, the homegrown developer of Matina Enclaves, has embarked on a road rehab project of the access road leading to the sprawling property along Quimpo Boulevard in Ecoland.

The total project length of the road rehab from Quimpo Blvd road is 495 meters and will include road widening of the access road from 6 meters to 10 meters, rehabilitation of the drainage system, and smoothing of the bumpy areas of the road.

The approximate distance of the road rehab project is around 200 meters from the junction of Caltex service station to the entrance of Matina Enclaves.

The rtoad rehab and the drainage repair are being undertaken to ensure that the area is flood-free and environment-friendly.

10 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

EDITORIAL

I

No backup?

N this day and age of cloud storage, big data, and multiple backup systems, it is unbelievable for an agency like the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to lose the biometrics registration of a number of voters. Biometrics, it will be recalled, has been one of the requirements for voting through Republic Act No. 10367 signed by President Benigno Aquino in February 2013. Without biometrics, which consists of digitally captured voter’s photograph, fingerprints, and signature, a voter’s name can be deactivated, a fact cited by Comelec in urging the estimated four million voters without it to visit the nearest Comelec office. “No bio, no boto,” the poll body has declared.

But with Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez admitting on Friday that the data of early registrants had been erased, the entire program has been put in question. He did not say how many were affected, but even a small number places the credibility of the Comelec -- and by extension the holding of the 2016 election -- on the line. In the first place, losing data is hardly ever possible these days as long as one’s IT office is competent. Any office worth its salt will naturally have running backups of important data, both locally in physical hard drives and

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remotely in so-called cloud storage systems. Even students do this with their schoolwork and assignments to protect them from being eaten by the proverbial dog. Companies, businesses, and professionals know enough these days to keep copies of their files safe in case one form of storage fails. This is especially true in this day and age when techsavvy individuals and groups with nefarious intent can so easily hack into networks and computers to steal or destroy data. It just makes good sense to back up data to guard against intentional attacks, system failures, or simple incompetence.

Jimenez has offered no excuse or explanation for the loss of biometric data and why Comelec has no backup. He has only said the affected voters have been sent letters or otherwise been informed that they need to provide their biometrics again. But Comelec must be taken to task to explain the matter. Every election is crucial, and Comelec must protect itself from even the slightest insinuation or suspicion of incompetence.

The way it is going, it is showing itself unable to handle the high-tech requirements of holding an election. If biometrics data can so easily be lost, what does that say of how the 2016 election will be held?

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 TACIO • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • GREGORIO G. DELIGERO BORBON • MARY ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY Economic ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG ZEN CHUAAnalysts: • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. 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 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 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) 0930-669-3018 Tel: (088) 852-4894

MANILA MARKETING OFFICE

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

EDGEDAVAO

I

DON’T know about you, but I’m one of those people who find it really hard to work when there are other loud conversations going on around me. Just take that sentence for example.

In a quiet room, I could have shot that off in nothing flat. But because I’m in a public cafe where there’s this lady with volume control issues, completing even simple thoughts can be really difficult.

I was actually planning to write about something else but now my mind is just full of thoughts of foreign-owned fishing firms and holding companies and a million other things that I have absolutely no interest in. It’s like having a real loud version of those Facebook status updates about people you vaguely know and absolutely do not care about. Unfortunately I can neither unfollow nor report her.

But more than just being annoying, people should realize that broadcasting yourself like that in public can be a huge security risk.

Especially when what you’re discussing has to do with contracts, legal strategies, matters of law, case details, etc. Call me paranoid, but these conversations appear to be more suited within the privacy of a boardroom and not among a coffee shop-full of complete strangers.

---Anyway, moving on to other stuff, I was going over the full published results of the most recent Pulse Asia survey and I must say it offers a lot of interesting reading into some pretty nuanced possibilities come election time next year. While the media chose to highlight the obvious headline grabbers in the presidential race, there’s actually a lot more to the survey than the surge of Sen. Grace Poe past VP Binay.

Among the aspects of the report that I found very educational were the entries for

P

ROSTATE cancer may be the most known type of cancer among men when it comes to reproductive health. But what most men don’t know is that several types of cancer develop in the testicles.

If the type of cancer is discovered early, the man can still live longer. When former professional road racing cyclist Lance Armstrong found out that his Stage 4 testicular cancer had already spread to his lungs and brain, he underwent immediate surgery and chemotherapy.

He recovered soon.

The testicles (also called the testes; a single testicle is called a testis) are part of the male reproductive system. These two organs are each normally somewhat smaller than a golf ball in adult males and are contained within a sac of skin called the scrotum. The scrotum hangs beneath the base of the penis; usually the left testis hangs slightly lower than the right one.

According to The Merck Manual of Medical Information, the testes have two functions: producing sperm (the male cells needed to fertilize a female egg cell to start a pregnancy) and testosterone (the primary male sex hormone).

“Most testicular cancers develop in men younger than age 40,” the Merck manual points out. The testicles, however, are made up of several types of cells, each of which can develop into one or more types of cancer. Among the types ofcancer that develop in the testes are non-seminoma, seminoma, teratoma, embryonal carcinoma, and choriocarcinoma.

The www.cancer.org gives the following information about these types of cancer: Seminoma and non-seminoma cells look very different under a microscope. These two types occur about equally. Many testicular cancers contain both seminoma and non-seminoma cells. These mixed germ cell tumors are treated as non-seminomas because they grow

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VANTAGE POINTS

11

Lessons learned “senatorial fillup rates” and “number of senatorial preferences,” which showed that, a little less than a year before election day, “Filipinos are already naming an average of 10 (out of a maximum of 12) of their preferred senatorial candidates and most of them (60%) have a complete slate for the May 2016 senatorial elections.”

By cross-referencing these results with the list of fourteen probable winning candidates, we can reasonably expect that majority of the names found in one will also be in the other.

Which means that for the senatoriables beyond the statistical cut-off limit, the pool of voters to draw from suddenly becomes significantly smaller, and consequently, so do their chances of winning.

Also, for these possible senatorial alsorans, a more careful look at the breakdown of the survey results might be in order so as to determine the adjustments they need to make in their current campaign strategies, such as...

First, forget about targeting the sixty percent that the survey already identifies as having an almost complete senate slate picked out. These were the previously low lying fruits that the twelve most popular candidates easily picked for themselves. Having already made their decisions, the competitive cost of trying to

change these voters’ minds will be prohibitive for anyone else except those already within striking distance (i.e. numbers thirteen and fourteen). In other words, they are not worth the effort, and your resources might be better used elsewhere.

Second, focus your efforts on the forty percent whose ballots still have room for three, four, or five more candidates. Forget about NCR, whose voters only have two slots left open, and go for the Ilocanos and Kapampangans with their six and four slots. As a whole, if we go by total registered voters who actually voted in the previous elections, this forty percent should number about sixteen million votes. Enough to get the top spot in any election. Unfortunately these are the harder to reach voters. The ones that require a little more patience, perseverance, and presence. But for those willing to put in the work, the rewards will be worth it.

Third, look at the detailed breakdown of the voters and segmentize your campaign messaging to those blocks who have not yet made their complete selection. For example, based on age, candidates should have a better chance of getting in the senatorial list of those between fifty-five to sixty-four years old (fill rate fifty-three percent) over the eighteen to twentyfour year olds (fill rate sixty-nine percent).

Advertising that targets older audiences, maybe those that talk about senior citizen benefits, or evoke feelings that resonate stronger among more mature voters, might do the trick. Create micro-messages for the Ilongos, the Muslims, and those with little or no formal education.

With digital and online media at an all time high, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem to make individual pitches to whatever population niche campaigns need to reach.

Fourth, awareness is less important than credibility. If you compare the figures for Lacson (#1) and Pacquiao (#12), you can see that while the latter has a higher “awareness” level at ninety-nine percent, the former’s formidable advantage in the “voting for” category puts him way ahead in the rankings. Based on this, trailing candidates must rely less on advertising to boost name recall, and work harder to build relationships that engender trust among the voters.

Lastly, and in this is somewhat connected with the previous suggestion, mass media advertising may not be the most cost effective means to reach the kind of fragmented audience that non-leading candidates need to attract. According to the survey, sixty-four percent of the voters in urban areas -- the same market that is primarily served by the national media outlets -- have already made up their minds on who to vote for. This means that the hundreds of millions spent on ads targeting this particular market has a less than forty percent chance of actually convincing anyone to vote for candidates who are not already on their list.

In addition, while it is true that advertising can be a great way to increase voter awareness, it is even more effective at keeping an already leading candidate ahead of the game. The only way advertising can work for those playing catch up is when they are willing and able to out spend those in the lead by at least a factor of two-to-one. If not, then just imagine a race where you are starting several places down from the leaders. If each time you step on the gas, all the other cars do the same in equal measure, then at the end of the race you would end up exactly in the same spot that you started in -- dead last.

and spread like THINK ON THESE! non-seminomas.

Teratomas are germ cell tumors with areas that, under a microscope, look like each of the three layers of a developing embryo: the endoderm Henrylito D. Tacio (innermost layer), mesoderm henrytacio@gmail.com (middle layer), and ectoderm (outer layer).

Embryonal carcinoma is a type of non-seminoma; it is present to some degree in about 40% of testicular tumors, but pure embryonal carcinomas occur only 3-4% of the time. When seen under a microscope, these tumors can look like tissues of very early embryos.

Choriocarcinoma is a very rare and aggressive type of testicular cancer in adults. Pure choriocarcinoma is likely to spread rapidly to distant organs of the body, including the lungs, bones, and brain.

“The cause of testicular cancer is not known, but men whose testes did not descend into the scrotum (having a health problem called cryptorchidism) by age 3 have a greater chance of developing the disease than do men whose testes descended by that age,” the Merck manual says.

Cryptorchidism is best corrected surgically in childhood. “Sometimes, removal of a single undescended testis in adults is recommended to reduce the risk of cancer,” the Merck manual states.

It has been found that a family history of

testicular cancer increases the risk of a man having it. If he has the disease, there is an increased risk that one or more of his brothers or sons will also develop it. But only a small number of testicular cancers occur in families. Most men with testicular cancer do not have a family history of the disease.

Most testicular cancers are found by men themselves. In some instances, it is discovered by doctors during routine physical exams when examining the testicles. “Between regular check-ups, if a man notices anything unusual about his testicles, he should talk with his doctor,” urges www.medicinenet.com.

Men are advised to see a doctor if they notice any of the following symptoms: a painless lump or swelling in a testicle; pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum; any enlargement of a testicle or change in the way it feels; a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum; a dull ache in the lower abdomen, back, or groin; and a sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum.

“These symptoms can be caused by cancer or by other conditions,” www.medicinenet. com says. “It is important to see a doctor to determine the cause of any of these symptoms.”

Even if testicular cancer has spread to other parts of the body, many men might not have symptoms right away, according to www. cancer.org. “Lower back pain can be a sign that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the abdomen. Cancer that has spread to the lungs can cause trouble breathing (shortness of breath), chest pain, or a cough (sometimes with blood). Some cancers might cause abdominal pain, either from enlarged lymph nodes or metastasis (spread) to the liver. In rare cases, testicular cancer spreads to the brain and can cause headaches.”

A number of non-cancerous conditions, such as testicle injury or inflammation, can

cause symptoms similar to those of testicular cancer. Inflammation of the testicle (known as orchitis) and inflammation of the epididymis (epididymitis) can cause swelling and pain of the testicle. Both of these also can be caused by viral or bacterial infections.

“The initial treatment for testicular cancer is surgical removal of the entire affected testis (radical orchiectomy). The other testis is not removed, so the man retains adequate levels of male hormones and remains fertile. Infertility sometimes occurs with testicular cancer but may subside after treatment,” the Merck manual informs.

With certain types of cancers, lymph nodes in the abdomen are also removed (retroperitoneal lymph node dissection) because the cancer often spreads there first. Radiation therapy may also help, especially for a seminoma.

“A combination of surgery and chemotherapy often cures testicular cancer that has spread,” notes the Merck manual. “Blood levels of alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin that were elevated at diagnosis decline after successful treatment.”

If levels rise after treatment, the cancer may have recurred. “After surgery and any other necessary treatments are completed,” the Merck manual says, “a surgeon can replace the removed testis with an artificial one.”

According to the Merck manual, the prognosis for a man with testicular cancer depends on the type and extent of the cancer. Almost all men with seminomas, teratomas, or embryonal carcinomas that are not widespread survive 5 years or more. Most men with cancer that has spread survive years or more. However, very few men with choriocarcinomas, which spared rapidly, survive even 5 years.

A pain down there

12

EDGEDAVAO

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EDGEDAVAO

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EDGEDAVAO

14 ECONOMY

VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

Madaum eyed as site for int’l airport

By CHENEEN R. CAPON crc@edgedavao.net

T

HE city government of Tagum is proposing the establishment of an international airport in Barangay Madaum.

Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon said it was Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario who urged them to present the proposal to the Regional Development Council (RDC), also chaired by the governor.

“RDC chair and Davao del Norte Gov. Del Rosario has urged the city government to submit a project proposal for a construction of an airport in Tagum City,” Rellon said in a prepared statement before a recent RDC quarterly meeting.

Rellon said that the city government is eyeing an area near the 58-hectare Hijo International Port Services (HIPS) in Madaum as a possible site of the international airport.

However, Rellon did not specify the target date for the submission of the project proposal.

Del Rosario had ear-

lier bared that the RDC is looking for an area of 1,000 hectares which can be the next site of either a bigger airport or a cluster of satellite airports.

The governor said there’s a need to have a new international airport to cater to more international airline firms.

This developed as the bidding process for the P40.57-billion modernization and development of the Davao International Airport or the Francisco Bangoy International Airport is ongoing.

“The current airport site is surrounded by urban areas and it has no room for expansion,” Del Rosario said.

The present area of the DIA is only 217 hectares, far from the ideal 1,000 hectares airport.

Del Rosario said that if Davao City cannot provide an alternative area, then the alternative international airport should be located outside the city. Among the possible sites cited are the

MORE PARTICIPANTS. SM Lanang Premiere Manager engineer Therese Lapeña-Manalo and Lanang Weekend Market organizer Gatchi Gatchalian announce to reporters covering Fast Fridays the new tenants of Lanang Week-

end Market. The tenants are Beko’s Lechon Biik, Kuilans, and Aling Fopings.

Lapeña-Manalo is still calling for small entrepreneurs to participate in the weekend market. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

cities of Samal (IGACoS) and Panabo in Davao del Norte and cites in Davao del

for a new airport, one of the listed priority projects this year, will be conducted. The

Sur. The RDC chair earlier said that a feasibility study

study will determine the potential location timeline of the construction.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

EDGEDAVAO

THE ECONOMY 15

DOLE for efficient use of labor market info

E

FFECTIVE and efficient use of the Labor Market Information (LMI) in the regions is expected to improve planning and decision-making of local government units and national government agencies.

This as the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) equipped some 35 employees of the DOLE regional offices in Mindanao with skills on the analysis and report writing on Labor Market Information (LMI).

Participants from the CARAGA Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northem Mindanao, SOCCKSARGEN and host Davao Region gathered for the 2-day Labor Market Information Analysis and Report Writing Training at the Grand Regal Hotel, Davao City on June 25 to 26, 2015.

Former BLE director and resource speaker Virgilio Guillermo defined Labor Market Information as information related to labor and employment especially the interaction of the supply which are the jobseekers and the demand which are the available jobs offered by the employers.

He said learning to analyze and present the LMI is a key for the department to successfully deliver its services.

“The training will help us foresee and understand the labor market so we can create better and effective programs especially in our goal in the

employment of the people,” he said.

He said this will enable DOLE employees to maximize the use of the analytical and report writing skills they will acquire from the training.

“Through this, they will know how to use these skills, improve that ability and use them for the development and planning of the programs and for the efficient utilization of funds,” he said.

During the training, the DOLE employees were given ample knowledge on the basics of labor market indicators such as the employment rates, unemployment rates, labor force participation among others and how each variable affect each other for them to be able to correctly interpret the data and process it into the right information.

“We are very appreciative of this effort because it will greatly benefit us most by knowing and understanding the employment status of our respective regions,” DOLE Davao Region regional director Joffrey M. Suyao.

“Understanding LMI is input to proper planning and appropriate implementation of projects for the DOLE and local government units (LGUs),” he added.

The training is now on its third and last leg as similar training was previously conducted in the regional offices of the DOLE in Luzon and Visayas Clusters. (DOLE XI)

Aquino opens Livestock Expo P

RESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III on Thursday (June 25) encouraged participants of the Livestock Philippines 2015 Expo and Conference “to fully explore the possibilities and to look for opportunities” to develop a more robust livestock industry in the country.

“It is only through the help of the stakeholders in this room that we can sustain the growth of this industry, as well as the quality of our livestock and poultry. This is why I encourage all of you to make the most of this opportunity: to continue sharing your ideas and best practices towards creating a livestock industry, and consequently, a Philippines that we can be proud to bequeath to future generations,” President Aquino said after opening the expo at the SMX Conference Center in Pasay City.

Also gracing the opening of the exhibition were Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock Jose Reano, United Business Media’s President Muthiah Gandhi, and SMX General Manager Dexter Deyto.

More than 200 brands of

meat products from 18 countries are joining the Livestock Philippines 2015, a three-day event hosted by the Department of Agriculture and its attached agencies, the Bureau of Animal Industry, and the National Meat Inspection Service.

In his speech, President Aquino highlighted the government’s initiatives on food safety.

“As you know, the Philippines has been performing very well in terms of food safety. Our country has been free from Avian Flu since 2005, and of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) since 2010. These achievements alone make us eligible to export meat,” he said.

“On top of this, however, just last month, the World Organization for Animal Health accorded us the highest level of recognition as a country free from FMD without vaccination, which further increases our competitiveness,” he said, adding that only three other ASEAN countries could boast of this recognition.

The goal now, he said, is not only to maintain these standards, but also to ensure

FAQUINO, 17

MASTER LMI. Department of Labor and Employment 11 regional director Joffrey M. Suyao encourages the participants of the Labor Market Information training to master the understanding of LMI as this is key to proper planning and delivery of services for the DOLE and local government units. (Sherwin B. Manual)

DIPSSCOR to end contract with PPA

By CHENEEN R. CAPON crc@edgedavao.net

T

HE Davao Integrated Port and Stevedoring Services Corp. (DIPSSCOR) will end its contract of operation as cargo handler in the Davao Sasa Port next year.

DIPSSCOR general manager Julien Domingo said more than 100 employees of the company will be affected by the end of 10-year contact in April next year.

“We are a concessionaire of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). Basically, we do the loading and unloading of vessels and put them (containers) to container yards and wait for the ultimate consignee,” Domingo said during the monthly meeting of the Ambassadors Club of Davao at the Marco Polo Davao last Friday.

DIPSSCOR, a cargo handling service provider in the Sasa port, is a company ac-

quired by the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI).

DIPSSCOR is just one of the cargo handlers that will end their contract with PPA. Domingo also added that it would depend to the winning bidder of the P17-billion

Davao Sasa Port modernization project whether contractors of PPA will be absorbed as cargo handling service providers.

The winning bidder will have the total control of the port and PPA will be present as regulator throughout the 30-year concession period, according to him.

Earlier, Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) assistant secretary Jaime Fortunato A. Caringal said the agency envisions the port as a state-ofthe art container terminal in Mindanao which will have a capacity of one to two million twenty foot-equivalent per unit (TEUs).

“Once the modernization of the seaport is completed, it will be able to service big vessels which the port of Manila

cannot cater,” Caringal said.

He said that the modernized Sasa port will be deeper than of Manila Harbor, making it a feasible berthing area for Panamax vessels, which are currently the world’s biggest cargo ships.

Caringal said there are six firms who purchased the P300,000 Invitation Documents. These are San Miguel Corporation, Anflocor, Asian Terminals Inc., Singaporean firm Portek, France-based Bollore and The Netherlands-based APMT. The deadline for the submission of prequalification document is set on July 29, 2015 while the awarding of the project is on the December.

DOTC targets to have the signing of concession agreement on the first quarter of

increase as provided in House Bill 5842.

The SSS study revealed that adding P2,000 to existing pension payments would require corresponding adjustments in the contribution rate or a government subsidy, otherwise it will shorten the SSS’ fund life by 13 years or until 2029. The SSS fund life today is projected to last for 27 years or until 2042.

“Although a contribution hike is much needed to im-

prove the actuarial soundness of SSS funds, we would like to assure the public, especially our members that we are not seeking for another increase in their contributions at this time,” De Quiros said.

Likewise, SSS said that inquiries about the grant of performance-based bonus to its officials and employees must be directed to the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG), the oversight body which religiously mon-

itors performance of GOCCs and grants authority to give performance-based bonus.

“Our financial statements and accomplishment reports are open to public scrutiny in our website as confirmed by the Governance Commission for GOCCs. These reports validate our continuous efforts to improve the benefits of our members and pensioners while ensuring financial viability of the pension fund,” De Quiros said.

Domingo

FDIPSSCOR, 17

No planned hike in monthly contributions

T

HE Social Security System (SSS) clarified that it has no plan to increase the current contribution rate in the immediate future, contrary to recent reports.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emilio S. De Quiros, Jr. said that currently circulating stories of a planned increase could have stemmed from the results of an SSS study, which looked into the impact of a P2,000 across-the-board pension

EDGEDAVAO

16 PROPERTY

VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

Northpoint’s Caribbean pines –

beauty and function

A

S more condominium developments start to rise in Davao City, it pays to distinguish which one is really a cut above the rest.

While most will share some common qualities like good amenities and location, only one can lay claim to being a veritable pine estate.

Northpoint, the landmark condominium development of Vista Residences, is the only vertical residential community in the region that is also home to hundreds of imported Caribbean pine trees.

These faintly aromatic pines imported from New Zealand and transplanted all over the grounds of Northpoint were nurtured by the developer in its nurseries. There are about P4 million’s worth of pines growing on the grounds of Northpoint today.

These pines are evergreen trees, meaning they bear leaves or pine needles all year round. It has a broad rounded or pyramid-shaped crown and the deep-green needles are bundled at the branch ends.

It also produces those adorable brown pine cones that are popular Christmas symbols. So when Northpoint residents enjoy fresh air every day, they also enjoy the sight of pine cones that remind them of the yuletide season.

Those who pass by

Northpoint along Buhangin Road and JP Laurel Avenue in Bajada will revel at the unmistakable sight of these majestic trees. Inside Northpoint, the towering pines are a sight to behold with their beauty and splendid view.

But these pine trees provide more than just aesthetic value; they play a key environmental role in condo community, providing many benefits to both man and nature.

Currently towering over twenty feet tall, these pines give a green vista of freshness that provides more than just a pretty sight. They create a cooler climate and healthier environment that Northpoint residents can benefit from.

The fresh ambiance permeates throughout the condo property, keeping the condo buildings cool and thus reducing the homeowners’ need for air-conditioning inside the condo units. With the high cost of power these days, this gives them a significant economic benefit.

The Caribbean pines can withstand tropical weather and provide yearround shade to the condo community. Its girth and height can also serve a barrier to strong gusts of wind or hard rain, providing protection to the buildings and bolstering the sense of privacy of unit owners.

Just imagine the pines fully grown, providing a forest-like cover to the condominium grounds. It will also serve as a natural habitat to birds and other

small wildlife, supporting a small ecosystem that is beneficial to Northpoint’s overall environment.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and Northpoint’s pine trees are no exception. The branches and leaves can also filter dust particles that are washed away by rain, and the roots can help hold the soil, stopping erosion.

A lush environment filled with pine trees can reduce ambient sound and help block the city’s noise from reaching the condo units. This makes living in Northpoint all the more pleasant despite its proximity to city life.

The pine trees are augmented by Northpoint’s verdant landscape and preserved age-old Acacia trees.

Within the condominium buildings, the green outdoor is brought inside with its indoor gardens at the atrium and Liverpool’s Sky Courts.

Northpoint’s Caribbean pine trees enhance its overall appeal and push up its property values, giving homeowners and investor-owners the satisfaction of knowing their investments continue to grow.

Homebuyers will find now is the best time to acquire their Northpoint condo unit with available

discounts that can go as high as P300,000.

Reservations made this June will earn homebuyers a home theatre system or an air-conditioner. Four bedroom

units come with a special package of free interior design.

To get your Northpoint condo unit, visit the Camella offices at Delgar Building (front-

ing Northpoint), J.P. Laurel Ave., Davao City, call telephone number 2263100, email avismin@ camella.com.ph, or check out www.camella.com. ph.

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DCPO... FROM 4 Police said according to Fortuna’s wife, the victim was leaving their home at around 8 a.m. on June 20, 2015 on board their car when she heard a gunshot.

When she went outside, she saw the gunman riding a tricycle going to the direction of Cabaguio Avenue.

The wife said she recognized the suspect and gave the name of Giger to the police.

The wife rushed the victim to San Pedro Hospital through

the help of Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Mobile 68 which had responded to the incident.

The victim, however, was declared dead on arrival.

Investigators found eight empty 9 millimeter shells at the crime scene.

The police believe the motive was personal since Fortuna allegedly owed Giger P2 million after refusing to pay the contract of work provided by the suspect. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

for Davao del Sur; Lasang for Davao del Norte; Matibo for Compostela Valley; and Baganga-Mahanep, Manurigao, Caraga, Casauman, Quinonoan, Bugnan-Mayo, Bitanayan, and Sumlog river systems for Davao Oriental.

“The Phil-LIDAR1 project is already on 50 percent validation of the completed data gathered from the river systems of the Davao region,” Acosta said, adding that the team is just waiting for an “extreme event” like a flood to occur to complete the data gathering.

Acosta said the data validated will be publicly accessible once finished. The baseline data can be used in policy making and project formulation on flood control, among others, of different government agencies and local government units.

The University of the Philippines Mindanao is in charge of data validation, processing, and modeling of the Phil-LIDAR 1.

The baseline data produced by Phil-LIDAR1 will be also used by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA)

for the database of the Mindanao River Basin Information System.

Mindanao Development Authority Nourish Our Waters (MindaNOW) project head Rolando Pinsoy said the data in the information system would enable local government units to “access flood hazard information and include it in their development plants, especially for areas identified as hazard-prone.”

According to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) website, the Phil-LIDAR project is an offshoot of the department’s Disaster Risk and Exposure Assessment for Mitigation (DREAM) project which aims to scan the country’s river basins to produce 3D maps of flood hazard zones.

UP Min has been tasked to work alongside the agency for Region 11. Ateneo de Zamboanga University, Central Mindanao University, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology and Caraga State University will work for Regions 9, 10, and 13, respectively, the DOST said.

“Our priority right now is the repair and reconstruction of the damaged bridges and flood control projects,” said Fuentes, who heads the PDRRMC. Engr. Generosa Capundan, assistant provincial engineer, said three of the damaged bridges are all in Koronadal City.

She said the bank protection of the Sto. Nino Bridge, which links five barangays, needs immediate repair.

The official sad they need to reconstruct the retaining wall and bank protection of the Concepcion Bridge, which connects two barangays serves as an alternate route to the municipality of Tampakan.

For the Namnama Bridge, she said they need to construct a new 60-meter structure.

The bridge’s center foun-

dation and three slab flooring collapsed during the floods.

Meantime, Fuentes said they also passed a resolution increasing the emergency shelter assistance for calamity victims from P3,000 “to an amount enough to build a temporary house.”

As of Friday, she said most of the estimated 300 families who evacuated last Wednesday have returned home.

Only two families remained in an evacuation center in Tupi town after their homes were totally destroyed in a landslide in Barangay Bunao.

“We will immediately realign our available funds so we can assist the affected municipalities in acquiring resettlement areas,” she said.

(Analiz Cabrido / MindaNews contributor)

next year, while the start of the first phase of construction is expected to commence on the first quarter of 2017.

Operation of the modernized port is targeted to commence in the second quarter of 2018.

7 Davao... FROM 4

Flood... FROM 6

DIPSSCOR... FROM 15

NEWS 17

EDGEDAVAO

30 retail experts to address APRCE O

VER 30 international retailers and marketing experts will share their experiences and insights on the latest trends and developments in the global retailing industry during the 2015 Asia Pacific Retailers Convention and Exhibition (APRCE) hosted by the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) from October 28 to 30 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

PRA president Lorenzo C. Formoso said the lineup of distinguished foreign speakers and panelists makes the 2015 APRCE a compelling event for players in the retail space and allied industries.

“Both quantity- and quality-wise, we want to make sure our list of international experts will go down in the history of APRCE as probably one of the best-assembled batch of speakers and panelists,” Formoso, COO of Duty Free Philippines, emphasized.

Vittorio Radice, vice chairman of La Rinascente (Italy) and former CEO of Selfridges Plc. (the UK), will deliver the keynote speech on October 29, the first day of the conference. Other confirmed international speakers include Singapore’s Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) President Jaya Singh, China’s Beijing Capital Retailing Group Chairman Fu Yuehong, Japan’s Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. President and CEO Hiroshi Ohnishi, and South Korea’s Lotte Corp.’s Business Headquar-

ter/Senior Managing Director Hyun-chul Park.

They will share with international retail players their knowledge and incisive insights on topics that are vital to retailers and their success during the first day of the APRCE 2015.

The lineup of speakers on the second day of the convention includes The Walt Disney Co. Southeast Asia Chief Strategist Raju Venkatamaran from Singapore, Shook Kelley Design USA Principal and co-founder Kevin Kelley of the USA; IGD-The Global Food & Consumer Goods Experts Chief Executive Joanne Denney-Finch of the UK, AS Louken Founder and CEO Luke Lim from Singapore, and Family Mart Co. Ltd. President Isamu Nakayama of Japan.

The 2015 APRCE is spearheaded by PRA chairman Frederick Go, president and COO of Robinsons Land Corporation, as the overall chair. It is co-presented by the Tourism Promotions Board, The SM Store, and Wyeth Nutrition.

With Bench, Flight 001, and Penshoppe as platinum sponsors; Robinsons Malls and Ayala Malls PLDT Alpha, Megaworld, Unilab, Mercury Drug as gold sponsors; Duty Free Philippines, HP, Wilcon Depot, Kojie-San, Celine and MET Tathione, Unilab as silver sponsors; Araneta Center as bronze sponsor; Philippine Airlines as official carrier; Sportshouse as sponsor; Solaire Resort & Casino Hotel as official partner

15 more... FROM 6 yet to include in their database those who were tested outside the province and turned out positive.

He said these results will be updated through the DOH’s National HIV/AIDS Registry.

The official said the 15 new HIV patients are now undergoing antiretroviral treatment (ARV) at the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital in Koronadal City.

He said they were able to arrange with the DOH to allow the treatment of the patients in the area instead of going to the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.

“We already requested the DOH to establish a treatment hub in the region due to the increasing HIV cases in

hotel; Shook Kelley and IGD as special session sponsors; Media Blitz Group as official PR partner and convention organizer; Retail Asia as official international publication; Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) as partner organization: Fascin8, as official digital advertising partner; Official Newspaper – Philippine Star; Official Media Partner – Business World; Retail Customer Experience, Asia Briefing and Oxford Business Group as digital media partners of APRCE. “We thank the companies that have already signed up for the event and we hope more groups will help us in ensuring the success of APRCE 2015. We need greater private sector participation as this will showcase the country to the rest of the world,” Formoso stressed.

The PRA won the bid to host the prestigious biennial event during the 2013 APRCE in Istanbul, Turkey.

The APRCE is organized by the Federation of Asia pacific Retailers Association (FAPRA), the regional organization of 17 recognized national retail associations in Asia Pacific.

The APRCE is a major activity of FAPRA. Every two years, FAPRA members choose a member-association to host the grand gala for retailers in the Asia-Pacific region. The event has become Asia’s largest and longest-running retail convention and exhibition since it was first held in 1983.

the province and the neighboring areas,” he said.

At the provincial hospital, he said the subsidized HIV testing costs P3,000 but the ARV treatment is given for free.

“It’s free as of now but we fear that it might not be the case in the future,” Aturdido said.

The ARV mainly stops the multiplication of the infected person’s viral load and eventually prevents them from further spreading the disease.

In some countries, the use of antiretroviral drugs has helped effectively lower the incidence of HIV infection to about one percent and eventually stabilized the detected cases.(Analiz Cabrido / MindaNews contributor)

Fredrick Go

Lorenzo Formoso The APRCE aims to discover new approaches to issues facing the region’s retailers and highlight innovative solutions that can help retailers differentiate themselves from competitors, and to deliver greater value to consumers.

For inquiries on sponsorships, booths and registration, contact the PRA secretariat at 6874180, 6874181, 6874985, or email aprce2015@philretailers.com, ebbs@philretailers.com, asecgen@philretailers.com, or visit its website www.2015APRCEMANILA.com.ph and www.philretailers.com.

Aquino... FROM 15 that the country’s livestock sector continues to grow.

President Aquino further noted that the government has invested a lot in livestock and poultry.

“Over the course of our term, we have increased the budget of this sector by 108 percent. This has given us the wherewithal to increase focus on animal health by providing vaccinations and undertaking disease surveillance, among other measures, to control, if not eradicate, these animal diseases,” he explained.

The Chief Executive also mentioned that key legislations have been passed to promote food safety.

“With the help of allies from Congress, we amended the Meat Inspection Code, which imposes stricter fines for food safety violations, perhaps most prominently the transport or

sale of the so-called ‘hot meat’.

There is also the Food Safety Act of 2013, which strengthens our food regulatory system to better protect consumer health and facilitate our food exports,” he said.

“As we have taken deliberate measures to improve the safety and security of our food supply, it is also necessary to find ways to maximize the benefits of our eligibility as a meat exporter. This is why the Department of Agriculture is pursuing two large scale projects that will help us in this regard, namely, the AAA poultry dressing plant project in Bamban, Tarlac, worth P120 million, and the AAA slaughterhouse project in Tanauan, Batangas, worth P150 million. Both of these projects are expected to be completed within the year,” he further said. (PCOO News Release)

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19 COMPETITIVE EDGE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

WOFEX invades Davao City anew

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

R

ECOGNIZING the potential of Mindanao as the food basket of the country, the World Food Expo (WOFEX) has once again invaded Davao City.

WOFEX is an event where the participants get an opportunity to assist industry stakeholders to upgrade their knowledge, learn new skills, and discover new products According to WOFEX president Joel Pascual, many local and international companies participate in the event to help the farmers innovate their products.

“Essentially, that makes us work because we are bringing the suppliers closer to the target market,” he said.

“We all know that farmers sell their products at very small price, but if they know how to process it and place it in a bottle, jar, or can, it can be sold at a higher price,” he added.

“We bring this in Mindanao because we realized that sayang if they are just planting and exporting it and

then another country will process it. If this material will return in the country it becomes expensive,” he said.

He said farmers can earn more profit if they are the ones who process their own products.

“They will have much more profit, if they are able to process what they plant instead exporting their fresh produce,” he said.

Pascual said the three-day event last week gathered 86 exhibitors at the SMX Convention Center.

Most of the exhibitors came from Manila and the rest are from Cebu and other countries.

The event brought the leading professionals of various companies such as Bakery Equipment & Ingredients, Glass wares, Cutleries, Kitchenware, Chefs Apparel & Accessories, Coffee Machineries Freezers, Chillers, Display Cabinets, Snack Foods Baked Products , Canned Products, Warehousing & Storage Supplies , Bottling Equipment and Conveyors.

20 CLASSIFIED

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NEWS 21

ADDU to commemorate 150th anniversary of Manila Observatory

A

TENEO de Davao University will hold a public lecture entitled “Keep on Trekking: 150 Years of Space Science in the Philippines” on July 10(Friday) from 3:40PM to 5:50PM. The lecture is to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Manila Observatory. It is avail-

able for free to the general public.

Established in 1865 by the Jesuit mission in the Philippines, the Manila Observatory has been instrumental in advancing scientific research in the country. Its first task was systematic observation of Philippine weather. It began issuing official ty-

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late SPS. MARVIN C. AGUSTIN and MILA LUPDAG AGUSTIN has been the subject of an EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT executed among their heirs per Doc. No.199; Page No. 40; Book No. 211; Series of 2015, of the NOTARY PUBLIC OSMUNDO P. VILLANUEVA JR. 6/29/7,6,13

phoon warnings for Manila and Hong Kong, and later measured and recorded earthquakes.

In 1884, the Spanish government issued a royal decree to formally recognize the Manila Observatory as the official institution for weather forecasting. The colonial American government, recognizing the importance of its work, established it as the Philippine Weather Bureau in 1901.

Since that time, the Manila Observatory has branched off into other areas of research and service, including seismology, astronomy, climatology, environmental studies, and disaster risk management. The Observatory is well-known locally and internationally for its scientific work and expeditions.

The Manila Observatory is currently housed at the Loyola Heights campus of Ateneo de

Manila University where it continues its work in seismic, geomagnetic, radio physics, and solar physics research.

Speaking at the lecture will be Ms. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, executive director of the Manila Observatory; Dr. Obiminda Cambaliza, researcher for atmospheric spectroscopy; and Fr. Francisco Glover, SJ, professor of Physics of Ateneo de Davao. They will provide a retrospective of the history and contributions of the Manila Observatory and map out present and future avenues of research.

Students, educators, and scientists are enjoined to participate in this public lecture and interact with the resource speakers. To reserve slots at the lecture, RSVP to Ms. Ces Tacderan at cdtacderan@addu.edu.ph or call Ms. Leticia Caballero at 221-2411 loc. 8213.

22 SPORTS CURRENT HANDICAP: 18 (as recorded in Apo Golf) CLUB AFFILIATION/HOME COURSE: Apo Golf and Country Club WHAT’S IN YOUR BAG? Woods: (Brand/make) DRIVER and 3 Wood, PING K15 Rescue: PING G20 Irons: PING G20 Putter: ODYSSEY White Hat Ball: Titleist Pro V1X FAVORITE GOLF ATTIRE: Golf skirt and golf polo shirt/ blouse FAVORITE GOLF PLAYER: Tiger Woods and Jordan Speith; Michelle Wie AGE STARTED PLAYING GOLF: Seven (7) Years Old FIRST GOLF PRO/INSTRUCTOR: Coach YokYok Paquin and Coach JR CURRENT GOLF PRO/INSTRUCTORS: Coach Toch Altea (Manila), Coach Sonny Villaber and Coach Vincent Salvador (Davao) TOURNAMENT WINS: *CHAMPION (11 y.o. Div) 2015 US Kids Golf World Championships International Qualifier (Orchard Golf and Country Club, Cavite) *First runner Up, Gross, Ladies Division: 2015 PCL 2nd Open Golf Tournament (Apo Golf and Country Club) *CHAMPION (9-12 years old): May 2015 Junior Golf League of Davao (JGLD) Fun Tournament (Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club) *First Runner Up, Class D (9-10 years old) 2014 ALTA VISTA CHALLENGE (Alta Vista Golf and Country Club) *First Runner Up (Grades 3-5), 2014 ICTSI-JGFP Inter-School Tournament (Pueblo De Oro Golf and Country Club) MOST MEMORABLE SHOT MADE: At the 2015 Pomelo Tee held at the Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club , In Hole #2 (Par 3), she almost made a hole-in-one when the ball landed 12 inches from the hole. She putted for birdie.

GOLF BUDDIES: The DYES Golf composed of brother Daniel Luis Nagayo, and golf BFFs Florence Yvon Bisera and Samantha Claire Beltran PLAYING DAYS: School days: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays During summer: Monday to Saturday

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

GOLFER OF THE WEEK

ALESSANDRA CHRISTINE ZOZOBRADO-NAGAYO:

Born to play golf

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

S

njb@edgedavao.net

OME kids a r e born to play g o l f .

Alessandra Christine Zozobrado-Nagayo is one.

At the age of seven, Alessandra got hold of a golf club for the first time. From that time on, she never missed every opportunity she had when she goes to the driving range to hit balls. She took the game seriously and was mentored by golf teaching pros Yokyok Paquin and JR. The self-confessed fan of Tiger Woods, Michelle Wie and Jordan Spieth, the 11-year old jungolfer soon found herself getting more and more enmeshed with the game. She

became passionate in training and followed her training regimen true to heart.

Soon, she would be competing in the junior golf ranks and in no time, started collecting trophies from various competitions.

The Grade 5 student of Brainworks Inc., Ella (as she is fondly called) was all focused on reaching the junior golf world championship. That dream finally became a reality when she ruled the 11 year old division of the 2015 US Kids Golf World Championships International Qualifiers at the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Cavite.

She will leave for the tour-

nament set in Pinehurst, North Carolina on Monday (June 29).

Her most recent tournaments wins are Ladies Division gross first runner up in the 2015 PCL 2nd Open Golf Tournament at the Apo Golf and Country Club, 9-12 years old champion in the 2015 Junior Golf League of Davao (JGLD) Fun Tournament at the Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club, first runner up, Class D (9-10 years old) 2014 Alta Vista Challenge at the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club in Cebu, and first runner up (grades 3-5), 2014 ICTSI-JGFP Inter-School Tournament at Pueblo De Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro.

SPORTS 23

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HB1’s EDM run set July 4

L

NEW PROMOS. SM Bowling Center Lanang assistant manager Pernella Castaños outlines the new promos of the bowling center and their upcoming tournaments for this year during the FAST Fridays media forum at Archipelago 7107 by Barrio Fiesta at SM Lanang Premier. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

IGHTS, colors, and beats surround HB1’s Neon Night Fun Run, a 5K running electronic music festival on July 4, 2015 at NCCC Mall Open Parking Lot. “HB1 advocates Health and Wellness. So we wanted to stage an event where we can promote healthy lifestyle in a fun and exciting atmosphere.

Since Dabawenyos know how to party, we added the element of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) which is popular at the moment,” HB1 marketing supervisor Dino Erfe said.

In contrast with other fun run, the Neon Night Run is not a timed event. The route starts at NCCC Mall Parking Area, then will pass through MacArthur Highway (Matina) all the way to DILG Matina then back to NCCC Mall.

“As participants approach

the finish line, they will be greeted with lights and music which marks the start of the party. For most runs, it ends once the participants complete the race, for us it is just the beginning,” added Erfe.

The after-party will feature local DJs Tien Batu and Wacky Masbad as well as Patty Tiu of Deuce Manila.

HB1 targets 2,500 participants to join the Neon Night Run. Last year’s turnout was 1,700 runners.

Registration fee is at P450 inclusive of singlet, race bib, grow bracelet, and a finisher’s kit and certificate plus other participating products from Rexona, Procter and Gamble, Safeguard, Unilab, Selecta, Nestle, NCCC Mall Davao, NCCC Cinemas and B3.

Interested participants can register at any HB1 outlet.

SERENA SLAM Williams just seven wins away

SEVEN AWAY. No. 1 seed Serena Williams is just seven wins away from completing a rare Grand Slam.

WIMBLEDON MEN’S SEEDS 1 Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 2 Roger Federer (Switzerland) 3 Andy Murray (Britain) 4 Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) 5 Kei Nishikori (Japan) 6 Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 7 Milos Raonic (Canada) 8 David Ferrer (Spain) 9 Marin Cilic (Croatia) 10 Rafael Nadal (Spain) 11 Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 12 Gilles Simon (France) 13 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fracne) 14 Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 15 Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 16 David Goffin (Belgium) 17 John Isner (U.S.)

18 Gael Monfild (France) 19 Tommy Robredo (Spain) 20 Roberto Bautista Agut (Spain) 21 Richard Gasquet (France) 22 Viktor Troicki (Serbia) 23 Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 24 Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) 25 Andreas Seppi (Italy) 26 Nick Kyrgios (Australia) 27 Bernard Tomic (Australia) 28 Pablo Cuevas (Uruguay) 29 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 30 Fabio Fognini (Italy) 31 Jack Sock (U.S.) 32 Dominic Thiem (Austria)

1 Serena Williams (U.S.) 2 Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 3 Simona Halep (Romania) 4 Maria Sharapova (Russia) 5 Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 6 Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 7 Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 8 Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 9 Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) 10 Angelique Kerber (Germany) 11 Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) 12 Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) 13 Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 14 Andrea Petkovic (Germany) 15 Timea Bacsinzky (Switzerland)

16 Venus Williams (U.S.) 17 Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) 18 Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 19 Sara Errani (Italy) 20 Garbine Muguruza (Spain) 21 Madison Keys (U.S) 22 Samantha Stosur (Australia) 23 Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 24 Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 25 Alize Cornet (France) 26 Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 27 Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic) 28 Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 29 Irina-Camelia Begu (Romania) 30 Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) 31 Camila Giorgi (Italy) 32 Caroline Garcia (France)

WIMBLEDON WOMEN’S SEEDS

T

WELVE months on from making the most bizarre of exits from Wimbledon, drama queen Serena Williams will be back at the All England Club next week eager to complete the “Serena Slam”.

As the holder of the U.S., Australian and French Open titles, the American is seven wins away from holding all four majors at the same time -- a feat she last achieved as a 21-year-old.

A dozen years later, the 33-year-old is ready and primed to trample over anyone who dares to stand in the way of another clean sweep.

“I would never have expected at this time in my career to win three grand slams in a row.

This for me is unbelievable,” the world number one said after winning her 20th major at Roland Garros.

“I’m really excited ... I’ve got a Serena Slam and I’m close to another.”

To achieve that, however, she needs to avoid the kind of dram a

feet during her semi-final against Timea Bacsinszky.

While her desire to win at all costs allowed

same time we’ve seen some hiccups and we’ve seen some drama, like at the French Open,” Evert told a teleconference organised by ESPN.

the American to keep alive her dreams of completing a non-calendar grand slam, tennis great Chris Evert believes Williams cannot afford s u c h slips-ups at Wimbledon, where the slick surface can be unforgiving.

wit-

nessed in her last appearance at Wimbledon or even at the French Open this month.

Twelve months ago a dizzy and disorientated Williams cut a sorry figure as she walked off the hallowed turf in tears after serving a whole game of double faults in a doubles match.

It was a case of deju vu at this year’s French Open when a clearly out-of-sorts Williams again struggled to stay on her

MARIA SHARAPOVA. Seeded no. 4.

“When she is at her best she is better than anybody else. But at the

“She can’t afford to have any more drama like at the French Open. It wouldn’t surprise me if she won. At the same time it

ES

wouldn’t surprise me either if she had a bad loss.”

BAD LOSS-

Two of those bad losses came at Wimbledon over the past two years -- to Sabine Lisicki in the fourth round in 2013 and Alize Cornet in the third round 12 months later.

“At Wimbledon the monkey is on my back because I have not done well there in a couple of years. Considering how well I have done there for so many years, I now consistently do terrible there so that is the one I really want to do well in,” said Williams, who captured the last of her five Wimbledon titles in 2012.

With only Steffi Graf (22) and Margaret Court (24) ahead of her in the list of all-time slam winners, Williams knows that she has only limited time left to climb on top of that list.

“She’s chasing history in terms of her grand slam titles.

She’s going for a Grand Slam, which is obviously so rare,” said John McEnroe.

“That should be significant motivation.”

With so much focus on Williams, it is easy to forget that 127 of the world’s fittest women athletes will be out to try and steal the spotlight from the American.

24 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 8 ISSUE 62 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JUNE 28 - 29, 2015

Dapudong, Villanueva score quick KO wins in Boxing Revolution III

STOPPAGE

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

W

njb@edgedavao.net

ITH just two hours left on his birthday night, Edrin Dapudong knew he needed to finish his job early and celebrate.

That in mind, the former world flyweight champion wasted no time in disposing off veteran Richard Garcia in a little over five minutes on Friday night at the Davao City Rec-

SETTING IT UP. Edrin Dapudong (left photo, right) tags Richard Garcia with a left in the second round. Right photo shows Dapudong celebrating after a short workout. Lean Daval Jr.

reation Center, hardly working up a sweat and delivering the crushing blow-a liver punch--that sent Garcia to the canvas for good.

After measuring up Garcia in the opening round, Dapudong came out smoking from his corner in the second and threw vicious combinations to the head and body of the former Pan Asia Boxing Association (PABA) flyweight titleholder.

Dapudong got Garcia to a corner and once in the ropes, he clobbered Garcia with solid blows to the midsection.

The end came at 2:59 when Dapudong got what he had been waiting for--

an opening for him to unleash that vaunted liver punch. When it landed, Garcia clutched his abdomen as he fell down to his knees never again pulling himself. The explosive end capped an exicitng Boxing Revolution III card of Sonshine Sports Management Inc., a brainchild of evangelist Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy.

Dapudong, who turned 29 on Friday, was greeted with a pop birthday song after he was declared winner by TKO for his 31st win against six losses.

In the supporting tenner, former WBO Oriental featherweight champion Lorenzo “Thunderbolt” Villanueva scored the quickest win of his career, using only a single punch--a left straight to the kisser--to score a 34-second stoppage of Hagibis Quiñones. Villanueva, usually a slow starter, fought with urgency after watching stablemate Rolando “Smooth Op-

erator” Magbanua lose by knockout to Rey Las Piñas in the sixth round.

He led on with a right just enough to measure the distance before he uncorked a booming left that landed straight to the face of Quiñones.

The journeyman Quiñones dropped to the canvas head first. He tried to get up but had to hold on to the ropes to be upright. He fell down again and his corner wasted no time raising the white flag.

Also eking out wins for the Sonshine Sports Pro Boxing Club were Rommel Asenjo, undefeated Rpsskie Cristobal, Jose Ocampo, Virgil Deguma, Arnold Garde and Gerald Alvarez. Debuting Alvin Lagumbay was the other Sonshine fighter failed to score a win. He lost to Joe Tejones by unanim ous decision.

Proceeds of the event dubbed as “No Guts, No Glory” will be used for the “Gift of Education” scholarship program of Jose Maria College.