Edge Davao 9 Issue 139

VOL. 9 ISSUE 139 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

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NOT AFRAID. Students light candles after offering prayers during a vigil at the blast site of Roxas night market in Davao City on Monday evening. Lean Daval Jr.

CITY COUNCILORS CONDEMN BLAST

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

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HE City Council has strongly condemned the deadly bombing at the Roxas Night Market on Friday night that killed at least 14 people and left more than 60 injured.

In his remarks in yesterday’s regular session, First District Councilor Nilo Abellera, described the bombing as “a cowardly and senseless attack by soulless outlaws targeting innocent and defenseless civilians.”

Abellera emphasized the suspects must take full responsibility for the horrific incident.

However, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast.

Muammar Askali alias Abu Rami, a self-proclaimed spokesperson of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), recently denied that their group was behind

the explosion.

Abellera reaffirmed the city council’s full support for efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice and provide legal assistance to the victims and their families.

Councilor Pilar Braga likewise called the bombing “a heartless and cruel attack against human life.”

Braga also joined City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte and Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte in urging the people of Davao to pick up the pieces of their lives, and for them to rebuild, restore, and eventually heal from the physical and emotional wounds caused by the tragedy.

Councilor Bai Halila Sudagar stressed the attack was “not an act of a true [practitioner of] Islam” because Allah forbids the killing of innocent people.

“Muslim or non-Muslim,

we shall be one, hand in hand, to save this country, we shall help our President Rodrigo Duterte,” Sudagar said.

She also quoted the Ateneo de Davao University – Al Qalam institute, which stated that it is impossible for the Islamic faith to practice tolerance for such forms of violence.

On the other hand, Third District Councilor Conrad Baluran called on his fellow Dabawenyos to support President Duterte in his battle against the illegal drug trade and criminality.

“We [need to unite] to eliminate the evil plots of people behind these terroristic acts and the narco-pandemic in the country,” Baluran said.

Meanwhile, Second District Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre warned people about “unwanted rumors” that may incite panic among the people,

particularly those spread on social media.

Alejandre stressed that people should always verify the news they are receiving, as he everyone to report suspicious looking objects or individuals in their communities.

He added the city government will continuously cooperate with authorities in order to find justice for the victims.

Previous attacks The city has seen more than it share of bomb attacks, with twin attacks killing nearly 40 people 13 years ago.

The deadly explosion on Friday at a popular night market along Roxas Avenue in Davao City occurred 13 years after twin explosions rocked the city a month apart in 2003.

Twenty-one people died and 146 others were wound-

F CITY, 12

Rody, Obama meeting reset

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By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

HE highly-anticipated meeting between Presidents Rodrigo Duterte and Barack Obama has been reset.

This developed following reports that the meeting between the two leaders was cancelled due to the tirades made by President Duterte F RODY, 12

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 139 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

ASEAN SUMMIT. President Duterte joins other heads of states on stage during the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Summit at the National Convention Center in Vientiane, Laos yesterday. TOTO LOZANO/PPD

AdDU leads prayer vigil for Davao blast victims

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

S

TUDENTS of the Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) offered their prayers during a community-led vigil on Monday, Sept 5, for the victims of the Roxas Night Market explosion.

Father Joel Tabora, ADDU president, presided over the mass and vigil. He was joined by his fellow Jesuit priests.

Students, staff, and alumni of the university brought flowers and candles which they placed on the site of the blast.

In an interview after the prayer vigil, Tabora declared: “We will not be terrorized by this heinous crime.”

Tabora said that violence has no place in this world.

“Innocent people are victimized in this reign of terror, and the future of the next generations is at stake,” the university president stated.

He added, “Our Muslim brothers and sisters are already tired of hearing terrorist attacks being carried out by hatred.”

Tabora was hopeful that

Dabawenyos will unite and help each other rise from this senseless incident.

“Terrorism and extremism has no religion,” he added.

Students who attended the mass shared their experiences and sentiments on the grisly event.

Nikki Bongcayo, a third year college student, claimed that she was still in shock days after the incident.

“I am still surprised about what happened because we have been so safe and so confident here in Davao for so long,” Bongcayo said.

Bongcayo said that she was sad for the victims who only wanted to unwind after a long week when that tragic incident happened.

Despite the incident, she noted that the people of Davao are now more united than before.

“But then again, there’s no reason to fear, as we are so united – this is one good fruit that came from this tragedy,” Bongcayo said.

Rody signs declaration on ‘State of LawlessViolence’

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RESIDENT Duterte has signed the proclamation declaring the country under the State of Lawless Violence, shortly before his departure for Laos to attend the ASEAN summit.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said Duterte signed the one-page proclamation to legalize the declaration he issued last Saturday in Davao City.

Medialdea explained the proclamation of a State of Lawless Violence is not a step towards martial law since a curfew will not be implemented in the country.

“It is not martial law, there is no curfew being imposed and there is no timeline for its implementation,” he said.

Medialdea said it will be Duterte’s prerogative until

when the proclamation will be in force, largely depending on the peace and security situation in the country.

The executive secretary added the recent terror attacks happening in the country have prompted the President to declare the State of Lawless Violence.

“The spate of terror attacks like the beheading of the ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group), kidnapping incidents, and finally the Davao night market explosion pushed the president to declare it,” Medialdea said.

He stressed the threat of terrorism, and not the rising number of drug cases, was the main reason why President Duterte decided to issue the proclamation. FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

Rody to Obama: Don’t question me on EJKs

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

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RESIDENT Duterte has no objections in discussing with United States President Barack Obama his stand on the extra judicial killings (EJK) happening in the country, when the leaders meet at the ASEAN summit in Laos.

Although the President said he does not intend to quarrel with Obama, he will not let the American president question him on the highly sensitive issue of EJKs.

He said the Philippines will have to deal with the issue “on its own,” and that the United States should not be involved in it.

“I do not respond to anybody but to the people of the Republic of the Philippines. I do not care about him. Who is he?” Duterte said during his pre-departure press conference at Francisco Bangoy International Airport here.

“I am a president of a sovereign state and we have long

ceased to be a colony. I do not have any master except the Filipino people,” he said, adding that the country is not a vassal state.

Duterte then recalled the injustices committed by the Americans during their colonization of the Philippines, wherein more than 600 Moros were killed in Mindanao.

He added that if Obama can answer the questions about the killings of the Moros and apologize to the peo-

ple of the Philippines, then he might answer the latter question about the EJKs in the country.

“America has one too many to answer for the misdeeds in this country. Until now we haven’t received any apology,” he said.

He stressed that each country has its own share of extra judicial killings and that these cases should be resolved by the concerned governments.

WO prominent political scientists will be the leading discussants in the Federalism Convergence Forum at the Homitori Dormitel at the corner of St. Ana Avenue and Bangoy Street in Davao City tomorrow, September 8.

This was learned from Architect Florencio “Chito” Gavino III of the organizing Kilos Pederal Sa Pagbabago (KPP).

According to Gavino, the leading speakers are Prof.

Edmund S. Tayao, a political science professor of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST), and Dr. Gaudioso C. Sosmena Jr., executive director of the Local Government Development Foundation (LOGODEF), who has written a paper on the concept, classical models, advantages and disadvantages of federalism and possible Philippine Federal

form of government.

The purpose of the convergence forum is for the different groups advocating for a federal form of government for the Philippines to present their plans, discuss points of consensus, make recommendations concerning the country’s shift to a federal system and prepare campaign strategies, he said.

After the speakers answer questions during the open fo-

rum, the participants will be organized into eight workshop groups. In the afternoon, workshop results will be submitted and discussed during a plenary session. The plenary is expected to adopt a unified draft recommendation on Federalism, after which a discussion of the campaign strategies will ensue.

The forum will end in a dinner in the same venue.

AMA

Federalism advocates to hold forum, Sept. 8 T

From left: Federalism advocates lawyer Ruben Abarquez, former councilor lawyer Aris Albay and Architect Florencio “Chito” Gavito III.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 139 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

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Rody to plead case of Veloso with Pres. Widodo

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

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RESIDENT Duterte has vowed to do plead the case of detained Filipina Mary Jane Veloso when he meets Indonesian President Joko Widodo during the former’s state visit to Indonesia.

Duterte said that he might ask Widodo to spare the life of Veloso “in a more respectful and very,very

courteous way”.

The President said he said he has observed the justice system in Indonesia and he fully trust it, adding that he if Widodo will not approveof his request, he will be ready to accept it.

“If my pleadings will fall on deaf ears, I am ready to accept it – for the simple rea-

son I do not doubt the judicial system of Indonesia,” Duterte said.

“If President Widodo will deny it, still I would be grateful that she (Velosa) has been treated very well. After all, we have our laws to follow and had it been any other,” he added.

However, Duterte said

injured victims will receive P30,000 financial aid and meal allowance for the patient’s watchers worth P100 per meal - three times a day and will be good for 20 days.

The P4.5 million will be sourced from the city government’s crisis invention fund and incidental expenses.

On the other hand, the city has an existing bank account for private individuals who may wish to donate for the needs of bombing victims.

Majority Floor Leader Councilor Bernard Al-ag said that as of the moment, the executive department cannot use the donations coming from the existing bank account because it still needs an appropriation coming from the legislative department.

“When you donate mon-

ey to the government, it will become a public fund, any public fund must be appropriated by the city council before the executive can utilize it,” Al-ag said.

The city council, however, said that it immediately issues an appropriation whenever the executive branch needs to provide cash donations.

City Mayor’s Chief of Staff Atty. Raul Nadela Jr. said Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has initially given out cash assistance to all the victims.

Asked where the budget came from, Nadela said that it came from the mayor’s own pocket.

He added that the aid for the victims who have returned to their respective provinces will be personally delivered to them. FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

Dads approve P4.5-M aid for bomb victims

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HE 18th city council approved the P4.5 million cash aid for the victims of the Roxas night market bombing last Friday that claimed the lives of 14 civilians and injured 70 others.

The family of the deceased victims will each receive P40, 000 cash assistance - P2, 000 for the meal expenses during the wake of each of the 13 victims for 10 days, a memorial lot including the excavation cost, and P10,000 for the meals during the interment.

One of the victims was immediately buried in accordance with the traditions of Islam. Aside from the P40, 000 cash assistance his family will receive, the city government will also give P20, 000 for the Kanduli expenses.

Meanwhile, all the 70

that if things were the other way around – if the Philippines was prosecuting a foreign national for a drug related offense - he might not know exactly what to do. “(If it’s the other way around) I might also be at the receiving end of so many pleas for mercy – and I would never know what or how to

react,” he said.

Veloso was arrested in 2010 for smuggling 2.6 kilograms of heroin into Indonesian borders.

On the same year, she was sentenced to death by the Indonesian government, though she claims to this day that she is innocent.

Veloso was about to be

DRUG-FREE. Majority floor leader Councilor Bernard Al-ag holds a small plastic container containing his urine sample during yesterday’s drug test conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 11

executed in January 2015, but she appealed her case and her execution was delayed.

But the Indonesian court has rejected her appeal to reverse her sentence.

In April 2015, her death sentenced was once again postponed when she stood as a witness during the trial of her alleged human trafficker.

at Sangguniang Panlungsod in Davao City. Vice Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte and 23 councilors tested negative for illegal drugs. Lean Daval Jr.

5 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 139 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

DA-BuB turns over P10-M worth of projects in Reg.11

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HE Department of Agriculture in Region XI (DA-XI), through its Bottom-Up Budgeting (DA XI-BuB) program, recently turned over P10,054,130 worth of livelihood and postharvest facilities to local government units (LGUs) in the region.

The DA XI-BuB’s LGU beneficiaries include: Panabo City, Davao del Norte P2,699,131 worth of corn program facilities (corn mill, corn sheller, cassava chipper and granulator) and high-value crops program tractor (30 HP) with implements; Pantukan, Compostela Valley -P1 million for two corn mills; Lupon, Davao Oriental - P1.53 million for the acquisition of rice farm machineries and knapsack sprayers; Bansalan, Davao del Sur - P1 million for banana cacao production; Kiblawan, Davao del Sur-P2.125 million for a four-wheel drive tractor; and Hagonoy, Davao del Sur- P1.7 million for a harvester.

Rosalinda Mediano, BuB focal person, urged the local executives to help the program’s beneficiaries to improve their livelihood, and put to good use the assistance

provided by the government so that the next generation can still benefit from them years from now.

For his part, Darren Jake Colina, BuB project development officer, bared that P70 million worth of projects for 2016 are in the pipeline, as identified LGU beneficiaries still have to comply with the required documents.

“The funds are all ready, we are just waiting for the LGU’s to submit the necessary documents for it to be transferred to them,” Colina added.

The Bottomup Budgeting is a tool to make the budget process more participatory, transparent and empowering.

It provides a platform for civil society organizations to directly engage with local governments in planning, identifying and prioritizing desired projects in order to get budget support.

The BUB opens the planning and budgeting process to greater citizens’ participation, and encourages the poor and marginalized sectors to discuss their needs and concerns with government. (Che D. Palicte DA-XI)

MORAL SUPPORT. Marco Polo Davao General Manager Dottie Wurgler Cronin offers flowers and candles to the victims of Friday night’s blast at Roxas night market in behalf of the hotel’s management during the memorial service over the weekend. Lean Daval Jr.

No backing out of investors DCIPC

Review of Handline Fishing Law IRR asked I

O

NE of the key resolutions passed during the 18th National Tuna Congress was a request for the Department of Agriculture (DA) to review the recently issued Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9379, otherwise known as the “Handline Fishing Law”.

The resolution pointed out that the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 9379, “An Act Defining Handline Fishing, Providing Effective Regulation Therefor and for Other Purposes,” otherwise known as “The Handline Fishing Law of 2007,” was

By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

signed by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the DA on May 23, 2016, or nine years after the enactment of RA 9379.

Upon review of the IRR by stakeholders of the tuna industry during the Tuna Congress, they realized that its provisions are no longer responsive to the current issues and concerns confronting the tuna handline industry, which makes the document obsolete.

The congress resolution therefore recommended that the IRR be subjected to a mandatory review every three

F REVIEW, 13

NVESTORS are here to stay.

This was the assurance given by the Davao City Investments Promotion Center (DCIPC) regarding the possibility that businessmen might decide to pull out their investments from the city following last week’s deadly Roxas Night Market blast.

In an interview with Edge Davao, DCIPC Officer inCharge Lemuel G. Ortonio said that he sees no signs investors are backing out from their commitments.

“Hopefully dili ing-ani kadako iyang effect sa nahitabo (Hopefully, the effect of the incident will be minimal),” Ortonio said, adding that Mayor Sarah Duterte-Carpio and other local officials have vowed to

ensure the safety of business people who are planning to set up shop in the city.

He pointed out that although Davao’s stable peace and order condition has been a major come-on for investors and tourists, there are still a lot of reasons that make the city a top investment location.

These include the full support given by the local government to prospective investors, the ease of doing business here, the availability of markets, access to raw materials and a highly skilled labor force, and a lot more.

According to Ortonio, the DCIPC supports the statement released by the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCCI) which de-

clared: “The Davaoeños will definitely rise above this as we have always had, and we enjoin everyone to continue to believe in Davao City as a great place to live in and raise a family to do business and invest.”

“We are confident na with the efforts karon sa atong peace and security cluster, ngagina further strengthen pa nila atong security measures, ang confidence sa atong investors naa gihapon (We are confident that with the efforts of the security cluster, security measures in the city will be strengthened and the confidence of investors will remain),” Ortonio said.

The DCIPC is hopeful that investors will continue to keep their faith in the city, as he ex-

pects them not to renege on their commitments to do business here.

In the meantime, Ortonio extended his sympathies to the blast victims and their families, as he urged the people of Davao to be strong amidst the effects of the horrific incident.

“Dili nato ipakita sa mga perpetrators atong incident nga defeated ta (We should not show to the perpetrators that we have been defeated,” he said.

The DCIPC has been the lead agency of the City Government of Davao in promoting the city as a viable investment site through organization or participation in business missions, fairs, exhibits, conferences and fora.

down to 2.5 percent in August 2016 from 2.8 percent in the previous month. This was due to slower price adjustments of meat, vegetables and corn, which tempered higher prices of rice, fruits, sugar, and non-alcoholic beverages.

According to Pernia, “food inflation will stay stable given ample supply of palay and corn, which could keep upward price pressures at bay.

Moreover, the plan to import more rice through next year will add to the country’s buffer stock and ensure that overall food prices remain stable.”

However, rice inflation slightly increased to 0.5 percent in August from 0.0 percent in the previous month.

This could be attributed to the decline in rice production and

low levels of stock in the country due to El Nino, Typhoon Nona during the 4th quarter of 2015, and the northeast monsoon rains last January 2016.

Also, the non-food group registered higher inflation of 1.1 percent in August from 0.9 percent in the previous month.

This was driven by stronger price pressures of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, transport, furnishings, household equipment, clothing and footwear, health, as well as restaurants and other goods and services.

However, the reduction in electricity charges observed in August 2016 was negated by higher global oil prices due to a pickup in global oil consumption and slowdown in

Lower food prices slow down inflation in Aug

I

NFLATION in August 2016 slowed to 1.8 percent from 1.9 percent in the previous month, due to slower adjustments in food prices, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

“The relatively low and manageable inflation environment during the first eight months of 2016 is expected to continue for the rest of the year as risks around the inflation projections are considered to be low,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia.

“We are thus expecting full-year inflation to be close to the lower end of government’s target of 2.0 to 4.0 percent,” he added.

Food inflation slowed

F LOWER, 13

EDGEDAVAO

6 VANTAGE

EDITORIAL

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Meeting its match

RESIDENT Duterte did what his 15 predecessors failed—stand up against US intervention.

By hitting back at US President Barrack Obama over the latter’s plans to lecture him on extralegal killings on their anticipated meeting during the ASEAN Summit in Laos this week, President Duterte effectively shunned intervention by the most powerful country in the world and one of the country’s longest allies.

The President did not see the Obama plan as friendly, or ally-like.

He was insulted, and so he churned in his firebrand the direction of the US leader.

Did it affect US-Philippines bilateral relations? It is too early to tell.

There are those who believe it did. Like Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a staunch Duterte critic, who believed that you just cannot slap the US and get away with it. However, given Trillanes’ reputation, who cares about his thoughts?

On the other hand, the militant umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) lauded Duterte’s statement, saying ‘’for the first time in forever, a Philippine president has the backbone to reject US intervention.”

Bayan, however, said words are not enough. Duterte’s strong ground

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must lead the Philippines to terminate agreements with the US, such as the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Committee (EDCA) which Bayan describes as “unequal.”

That, however, is going far further down the road.

The thing is President Duterte has put the country in a position the US has never seen before. Some believed that this could be detrimental to the Philippines in the long run as our linkage with the US is a vital alliance in the wake of the dispute on West Philippine Sea and the repercussions on security and economy.

However, you never tell that to President Duterte. He is a self-made man, an independent leader. He will not die without the US by his side.

He simply wants his message across—that the US respect the Philippines’ internal affairs. He also wants to point out to the US that it has no moral ascendancy to talk about extralegal killings being itself littered with cases of violations of human rights and racial discrimination.

In President Duterte’s mind, US must have to realize too that it has more—much, much more-- blood on its hands than the Philippines. It is clearly in no position to lecture on how the country’s leaders should behave.

ANTONIO M. AJERO NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Editor in Chief Managing Editor SONNY L. MENDOZA Associate Editor

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ECENTLY, eminent historian, Rizalist, and former Benedictine monk Ambeth Ocampo came out with a column titled ‘Duterte language.’ The article, somehow, encourages us to revisit the Spanish language the way Davaoeños use it, albeit instinctively, in their daily conversations.

Spanish was a compulsory subject in senior high school and the first two years in college in Philippine schools until four decades ago when it was removed. With this, Filipino students have been weaned away from learning the romantic language and, as a result, deprived them of the privilege to discover the rich Hispanic heritage.

Consequent to this, the number of scholars trying to decipher and understand the archival documents worldwide has diminished. If Spanish has survived in some Philippine books, credit must go to dedicated historians and scholars who continue to appreciate the language.

Be that as it may, the Spanish language, courtesy of Spain which ruled the country for over three centuries, remains a vital part of our daily discussions and activities. From the kitchen to the detention center, Spanish loan-words still survive, although these are not as prevalent and popular as they were in pre-war years.

Fortunately, there are still places in Davao City that carry indisputable Spanish roots. Bajada, also known as J.P. Laurel Street, means ‘descent,’ and it refers to a downhill road. Obrero, conversely, got its name after the ‘workers’ living the area. Poblacion is actually ‘population’ or the residential district, while cabecera is the chief city in a province.

I

F NOTHING goes wrong, we will soon have a new department – the Department of Fisheries.

Currently, the agency the focuses on the status of the country’s fishery sector is the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). Under the Department of Agriculture, it is responsible for the development, improvement, management and conservation of the country’s fisheries and aquatic resources.

In the past, there was a research agency that seek to help scientists in conducting their studies. It was headed by Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III – touted to be the Father of Tilapia in the country. The name of the agency: Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development.

During the time of President Fidel V. Ramos, he signed into law Republic Act No. 8550, entitled, “An Act Providing For the Development, Management and Conservation of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Integrating all laws pertinent thereto and for other purposes,” otherwise known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998. This law took effect on March 23, 1998.

I think it is high time to have the fisheries its own department. In a sponsorship speech delivered by Senator Loren Legarda in 2012, she said the Philippines has one of the world’s richest ecosystems, characterized by extensive coral reefs, sea-grass beds and dense mangroves.

In 2008, the Philippines ranked sixth in global fish and aquaculture production. Twenty-three years earlier, in 1985, the country was

VOL. 9 ISSUE 139 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

VANTAGE POINTS

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Spanish loan-words to live by At home or FAST BACKWARD in the household, Spanish influence has stuck indefinitely, especially in terms related to cooking. How else would you deny that paminta has its Antonio V. Figueroa provenance from the Spanish pimiento? Garlic is ahos (Spanish plural of ajo), sugar is asukar (azucar), onion is sibuyas (cebolla), and milk is litse (leche).

But there’s more: sabon comes from Spanish jabon, fork from tenedor, spoon from kutsara (cuchara), laba from Spanish lavar, to wash, sepilyo from cepillo, ‘to brush (one’s teeth)’, anyil, a blue dye used for washing, from añil or indigo, and armirol from almidon, to starch (the pants).

Even the iconic pan de sal, translated as ‘salt bread,’ is reminiscent of the Spanish salt or sal.

But here’s a warning, though: Next time you go to a Madrid bakery, don’t order for a mamon, a kind of pastry, because it is the Spanish slang for ‘breasts.’

Curiously, bañera or banyera (Sp. bañar, to take a bath, as in baño or banyo in local dialect), has evolved among fishmongers as the round tin container used in hauling fish. Lente, is ‘eyeglass’ in Spanish, as opposed to antiohos, the popular term among old folks for reading eye-

glasses. Antiojos is a combination of two Spanish words, anti (against) and ojos (eyes).

Still at home, you will be confronted with terms that include tocador, aparador, or gabinete. An aparador, in Spanish, refers to the cupboard, ‘a flat-topped piece of furniture with cupboards and drawers, placed along a wall and used for storing dishes, glasses, and table linen,’ but does not point to the upright furniture where we keep our wardrobe.

On the other hand, the gabinete or cabinet is defined as ‘a cupboard with drawers or shelves for storing or displaying articles. For lack of appropriate term, Filipino journalists later adopted gabinete in reference to the official family of the President, the Cabinet. The tocador, meanwhile, ‘a table with a mirror and drawers for cosmetics, etc., used while dressing or applying makeup,’ has retained its original meaning and use.

To gamblers, galeria, meaning gallery, is the ‘Sunday school’, or the sabungan. This is quite different from cabina, the Spanish cockpit. Maybe it has something to do with the rowdy gallery inside a cockpit each time a pair of fighting cocks is released inside the circular ruyda (Sp. rueda, or wheel) where the kristo (bet taker) shouts dehado (Sp. dejado, or left) and llamado (sp. llamar, to call), the top rooster in a cockfight.

Even in our jurisprudence, Spanish terms, next to Latin words, are prevalent. When the court imposes a sentencia (judgment or ruling) of cadena perpetua (literally, continuous chain), it metes life imprisonment. Grandma used to use the words carcel, for incarceration, and calaboso, for jail, which has since been westernized

to ‘calaboose’.

Interestingly, in generations gone by the old folks referred to an unpaid tax or arrear as amoroso, which meaning ‘loving’ in Spanish. An arrear is actually an atraso or obligation. And when we collect a debt, we say kubra, which is a misnomer. Kubra, from Spanish cabrar, is ‘to charge.’ When did charging mean collecting debt as part of the evolution of words, nobody knows.

In the realm of invectives, it is worth noting that p*tang ina is the English for ‘son of a bitch,’ or hijo de p*ta in the romantic language. ‘Bitch’ in Spanish is perra, or ‘badly behaved’ female dog—if there’s such as thing as a ‘whore dog.’ A fist is known as puño, while a quivering small fist is puñeta (punyeta), the slang for ‘masturbation’ in Spanish. The innocent sounding lamyerda (or la mierda), a Tagalog slang for today’s ‘malling’, is actually the equivalent of human excreta in Spain or the favorite F-word Americans are fond of.

Angel, the heavenly creature, is pronounced ‘anghel’ in Spanish, while devil is diablo and demon, demonio. Pagkorehi (Sp. corregir) means ‘to right a wrong’, konsumisyon is derived from consumir, Spanish for ‘to be consumed (by emotion)’ while edukar (Sp. educar) is ‘to educate’.

Additionally, there are also other familiar words we are accustomed to using them in our daily chats, also with Spanish provenance. Botica is drugstore, pasado is past, mercado is market, capilla is chapel, banco is bank, and banquero is banker. (The term bangkero that is linked to the river actually evolved from the banca or watercraft.)

Entender?

listed number THINK ON THESE! four. Next to China, the Philippines was the second largest seaweed producer in the world.

In 2013, the Philippines ranked seventh worldwide in Henrylito D. Tacio terms of fish henrytacio@gmail.com production, according to BFAR. In 2014, the country produced 4.69 million metric tons of fish valued at P237.71 billion.

Curiously enough, 50% of that production (2.34 million metric tons) came from aquaculture. Municipal fishing produced 26% (1.24 million metric tons) while the remaining 24% (1.1 million metric tons) came from commercial fishing.

“These figures suggest we are rich in fisheries and coastal resources as a nation, and yet, hunger affected 4.5 million families in the last quarter of 2011,” Legarda pointed out. “This alarming irony becomes even more glaring in the fact that while we are rich in fisheries and coastal resources, among the poorest in our country are coastal communities with 4 of 10 coastal residents living under poverty line.”

So, amidst plenty, where is there hunger among Filipinos living in coastal areas?

“The past three decades have seen the rap-

id decline of the Philippine coastal ecosystem,” Legarda pointed out. Some 70% and 20% of mangroves and seagrasses are destroyed, respectively. Nearly 90% of coral reefs are under threat. The biomass of coastal fish stocks is only 10%-30% of its state in 1940s.

One of the best ways to help the fishery sectors is to convert BFAR to Department of Fisheries, which President Rodrigo R. Duterte and his team mate promised when he was still campaigning. “(The creation of new department) will also make us internationally competitive, because presently when we have meetings, other countries, their fisheries and aquatic resources sector already have Departments or Ministry, we are left behind because we remain as only a Bureau,” Fatma Idris, director of the BFAR in Davao was quoted as saying.

But before that happens, the Congress must first pass a law authorizing the creation of a Department of Fisheries. It’s good to know that the proposals have already been submitted to the House of Representatives.

In the Senate, Legarda filed S.B. No. 242, entitled “An Act Creating the Department of Fisheries, Providing for its Powers and Functions, and for other Purposes.”

“Fish is the main source of protein for the Filipino,” Legarda said in her explanatory note.

“An island nation, the Philippines necessarily depends, to a large extent, on its fishery resources for its food.

“Fish, which used to be among the cheapest sources of protein, is now more expensive than

pork or chicken,” she continued. “The States is now called upon to perform its task to ensure sufficient food supply to millions of Filipinos through the development of the vast potentials of Philippine fisheries.”

According to Legarda, the Philippines is composed of more than 7,000 islands “outlined by more than 18,000 kilometers of coastline, bordering roughly 70% of the country’s municipalities.”

The Philippines has “about 132 principal rivers throughout the archipelago which drain through the coastal zone measuring 27 million hectares.” Also, the “coastline is indented with several bays and gulfs that can serve as natural harbors.”

Unknowingly, the country’s territorial waters is 220-million hectares which can be utilized as fishing ground: about 193.4 million hectares are oceanic waters and 26.6 million hectares belong the what is called Exclusive Economic Zone.

“Increasing national productivity is an urgent matter if we are to industrialize by the turn of the century,” Legarda said. “But development should not be at the expense of rapidly depleting our fishery and aquatic resources.”

The bill she is proposing, she said, “seeks to protect and conserve the country’s fishery and aquatic resources within sustainable limits for the exclusive use and enjoyment of Filipino citizens, to accelerate the integrated development of the fishery industry, and to protect the rights of small and subsistence fisherfolks and fishworkers to preferential use of such resources.”

A department for fisheries

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STYLE

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AS DIGITAL MEDIA OPENS DOORS TO A CULTURE OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN PERSONAL OPINIONS AND PREFERENCES, the fashion and retail industry have begun revolutionizing the way they do business by involving their customers in the creative process. Makers and sellers of all kinds of merchandise - from clothes, shoes to accessories - have discovered the value of giving their consumers a free hand in creating products that are unique to them, or personalizing the existing selections to fit their style and identity.

Making it personal makes fashion more “relatable” to everyone, and this brand principle is what I love most about Keep Collective and Stella & Dot --- accessory lines from the USA which cater and tailor to individual tastes and diversity.

Melissa Puno, better known as Happy, represents the two brands in the Philippines as Stylist and Designer. She says,

“Stella and Dot is all about affordable but high end, versatile jewelry.

We offer pieces that you can basically wear in more than two ways.

Keep Collective, on the other hand, is the sister company of Stella & Dot. It is all about creating your very own unique piece that tells your own unique story. I love that these brands are affordable and they cater to all kinds of styles.”

As a mom, Happy says the brand not only appeals to her as a loyal customer, but also as an artist and career woman.

“I’m a homeschooling Mom and housewife. I feel blessed that I have an option to stay at home and focus on the family.

Family is my priority but I’ve always wanted to do something else on the side.”

“When I discovered Stella & Dot and Keep Collective, I immediately fell in love with the brands. I love how this venture has allowed me to work at my own pace in my own home. As they would put it, they believe in flexible entrepreneurship. I love how unique the pieces are and how it allows you to create your own meaningful piece. I knew that a lot of women will

love this brand, so I wanted to share it with my friends and earning extra income was also a perk! I have been a designer with Keep Collective for almost five months now. I didn’t have any formal lessons on accessories, but, I guess, being a cake designer, I just have an eye for beautiful things.”

“I love how I have the support system to be able to style and design for clients,” Happy explains. “I don’t make the jewelry myself, I represent the companies as a Stylist and Designer. I help clients pick and choose pieces that represent their style and their personality. With Keep Collective, I start out by asking questions about my clients’ life, what is mean-

ingful to them. I then suggest pieces and designs that I think they would like. Sometimes it takes days before a customer finally decides on a design. With this job, I am able to prioritize being a Mom and a wife, and focus on homeschooling my kids.”

Check out Happy’s jewelry samples through http://www. stelladot.com/sites/melissacpuno and http://www.keepcollective.com/with/happypuno.

Some samples are also posted on Instagram accounts @stelladot_happypuno and @happypuno_keepcollective. For orders, text or Viber 0918-9856656, or email happypuno.stelladot@ gmail.com, happypuno.keepcollective@gmail.com.

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PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS

STYLE

WITH DISC ion & their design Star, l Cente

Wilson Limon raises the Stallar trophy designed by Ann Pamintuan.

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

H THE DESIRE TO CHALLENGE AND COVER NEW TALENT, the Davao Fash& Design Council (DFDC) recently held first ever Mindanao-wide fashion and n competition, “Stellar: Rising Fashion” last Aug. 26 at the Abreeza Mall Activity er.

Serving a seamless society

Urbanissimo A4

Wilson Limon

EDGEDAVAO GENSAN PARTNERS

I could sense that the competition was fierce among the contestants, as they filled the runway with polished styles and innovative designs which are not only fashion forward, but also feature the look of Mindanao which was the theme of this year’s competition. The fashion “face-off” challenged the ten competing Mindanaoan designers to interpret the island, its people, and its culture through a fivepiece capsule collection with a global perspective that tweaks Mindanao artisanal heritage to create wearable and marketable garments using manipulated, commercially available

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Suki Salvador, Avel Bacudio, Cathy Binag, and Emi Englis.

Urbanissimo A2 materials or traditional and indigenous textiles.

In the end, it was young Davao designer, Wilson Limon, who took home the grand prize of P50,000, a Business Incubation package and mentorship by DFDC, as well as a trophy created by Dabawenyo jewelry and furniture designer, Ann Pamintuan. Neil Patrick Jimlani took home second place, while Lala Luz came in third. The Samsung designer award

Neil Patrick Jimlani

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went to Mandy Velaso.

A short talk with the judges, Style and Design Academy Chief Executive Officer Cathy Binag, Mega Creative Director Suki Salvador, Couture Designer Cary Santiago and Asia’s Most Influential Designer during the Mercedes Benz Stylo Asia Fashion Week Avel Bacudio, after the show revealed that their decision to award Limon the grand price was unanimous.

“He (Wilson) came in prepared and his collection was polished and wearable,” said Cary. “You can see that

a lot of thought was put into this work.”

Wilson’s genderbending collection featured digitized prints of traditional T’boli weaving, as well as the traditional T’boli stitching technique.

I believe the Stellar fashion competition is a true fashion game-changer, with new and fresh talent that I am sure will shake-up and invigorate Durianburg’s fashion scene. I can’t wait for next year.

Mandy Velaso

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DAY AND NIGHT. Workers at the construction site of the Aeon Towers project of developer FTC Group of Companies along JP Laurel Avenue in Davao City perform round the clock job. Now moving up to the 20th level, the 33-level skyscraper is expected to top off by December 2016. When completed, Aeon Towers will become the tallest residential building in Mindanao.

Davao group formed to combat joblessness,underemployment F

Sound econ fundamentals offset PH political concerns

By ANTONIO M. AJERO

A

M U LT I - S E C T O R A L group has been formed to combat unemployment and underemployment due to the recurring mismatch between skills in demand and supply of trained workers in Davao City and elsewhere in the country.

The group is called the Davao City TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) Committee, a partnership between the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII), supported by GIZ, a German funding organization.

TVET includes apprenticeship training, vocational education, technical education, technical-vocational educationl (TVE), occupational education (OE), vocational education and training (VET), career and technical education (CTE), workforce education (WE), workplace education (WE), among others.

DCCCII officers led by president Bonifacio Tan met with Romeo R. Arriola, research

assistant PCCI GIZ TVET Project, to finalize details of the committee’s rollout sometime in October, after focus group discussions by industry stakeholders on September 27-28 .

The stakeholders will include representatives in Davao of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), institutions of higher education (HEIs), TESDA, Department of Education, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO), City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), the Job Generation Office, and some agencies that maybe identified by the chamber.

According to Belinda L. Torres, DCCCII TVET head, the committee’s vital task is first to collect skills data available from the stakeholders and other sources, so the committee can proceed with a “rapid skills mapping.”

PCCI’s Arriola said that what the group has now is a list of business establishments registered by Davao City’s

BPLO as of 2015.

He said the BPLO registered a total of 24,542 business establishments (23,335 renewed and 1,207 newly registered).

Arriola said 73 percent of these establishments belong to five priority industries. They are logistics and warehousing, hospitality and tourism, construction and housing, agriculture and agribusiness and metalworking and engineering with a total of 17,664 registered establishments.

Torres said there is a need for roundtable discussions (RTDs) among industry clusters with their equivalent counterparts to identify specific jobs in demand and the kind of training that the academe should provide.

It was also gathered that as of January, 2016, underemployment rate in the Philippines has reached 19.7 percent against the previous year’s 17.9 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

In the Davao Region, 20.1 percent of employment rate of 94.9 percent can be catego-

rized as underemployment, according to the PSA. The unmatched demand for skilled workers has been rising due to the influx of foreign direct investments (FDI) in the Philippines.

The TVET committee envisions to maximize the potential skills of each worker who, like others like him, is a main contributor to the economy in Davao City and other parts of the country, said DCCCII president Tan. With the ASEAN integration, the job market is getting more competitive, thus the need for the Philippines to keep up with its neighboring countries to promote growth and investment.

Aside from President Tan and trustee Torres, other DCCCII officers who attended the meeting yesterday at French Baker in SM Lanang Premier were Executive Vice President Sofronio “BJ” Jucutan, and executive director Maan Doromal.

Three officials of local HEIs also participated in the discussion.

AVORABLE macroeconomic fundamentals continue to back the domestic economic environment despite political concerns during the first two months of the administration of President Duterte.

ING Bank Manila Senior Economist Joey Cuyegkeng said economic fundamentals remain steady with monetary system’s indicators still supportive of the economy.

Cuyegkeng added that domestic liquidity is also backing economic activity with growth projected to range between 10 to 15 percent.

In July, M3 growth accelerated to 13.1 percent year-onyear from June’s pace of 12.4 percent.

The ING economist likewise said bank lending activities accelerated in July with net reverse repurchase (RRP) placements with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas growing by 17.7 percent.

Cuyegkeng said manufacturing activity remains expansionary citing the report of Nikkei Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) of IHS Markit.

The survey reported the Philippines posted a Manufacturing PMI of 55.3 percent in August, the highest index

posted in ASEAN for the same month.

He mentioned that inflation remains at low levels, with forecast in the next 12 to 18 months to remain within the 2.0 to 4.0 percent target.

The Philippine Statistics Authority also released inflation figures for August on Tuesday morning with inflation rate decelerating to 1.8 percent from July’s inflation rate of 1.9 percent.

“Growth prospects remain favorable, with fiscal spending likely to recover from the slower growth in July resulting from the transition to the new government,” the economist stated.

On the other hand, Cuyegkeng noted that investors have cited concerns over extrajudicial killings, statements antagonizing the country’s longtime allies, and the possibility of increased terrorist activity after the Davao City bombing.

President Duterte’s declaration of a state of lawless violence was also seen from a risk standpoint “that the government needs assistance (by calling on the military) from the national police to counter the perceived state of lawlessness, which some say was also a result of government statements that may have encouraged vig-

F SOUND, 13

Global demand for tropical fruits increasing, says international network

T

HE International Tropical Fruits Network (TFNet) has revealed that over the past decades, global demand for tropical fruits is increasing, as more consumers seek out healthier food options.

Although current tropical fruit exports are only about 10 percent of total production, export numbers are projected to increase and meet rising global demand,” said Mohd Desa Hassim, chief executive officer of TFNet. Speaking during the recently concluded International Symposium on Tropical Fruits (ITFS) held in Davao City, Hassim noted that tropical fruits is an important food group which contributes to about 50 percent the micronutrient intake of consumers in developing countries.

“In addition to conven-

tional nutrients, they also have bioactive compounds with purported benefits such as improved intelligence, prevention of diseases, and longer life,” Hassim added.

Larry Miculob of the Davao Durian Industry Council, confirms that there is indeed a growing demand for tropical fruits particularly durian in the global market.

“There is a high demand for durian in countries like China, Singapore, and Hong Kong, and lately in Russia and Australia,” Miculob said.

Miculob said Russia’s demand for frozen durian is around 50-150 tons per month.

He explained that for durian to reach a shelf life of at least two years, it must be vacuum packed and subjected to blast freezing technology.

“There is a need to ex-

INTERNATIONAL FRUIT SYMPOSIUM. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Agribusiness and High Value Crops Evelyn G. Lavina (1st left) and TFNet Chief Executive Officer Mohd Desa Hassim (3rd left) lead the ceremonial fruit tasting during the opening of the International Symposium on Tropical Fruits (ISTF) held Aug. 30 to Sept. 2 in Davao City. (Noel T. Provido/DA-XI) pand durian production areas to address this growing demand. Meanwhile, the durian council urges all growers to unite in order to consolidate production and

take advantage of this global demand,” Miculob said.

On the other hand, a leading banana company in the region is also expecting to bounce back this year and

in the coming years with improved weather conditions and new irrigation systems that have been put in place.

Alexis Cantil, vice president for operations of the

Tagum Agricultural Development Co. (Tadeco) in a statement, said they are eyeing to ship 32-million boxes or 432,000 metric tons of Cavendish bananas in 2017, which is an increase from the expected 30.9-million exports or 417,000 metric tons to be exported this year.

Tadeco, which operates the world’s largest contiguous banana plantations, is engaged in the production and export of Cavendish bananas to Japan, Hong Kong, China, Korea, Middle East, Russia, Malaysia and Singapore. The company is also considering new markets such as the United States.

In the meantime, Manitra Rakotoarisoa of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAOUN) said tropical fruits have a great potential to reduce

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against his American counterpart on Monday prior to his departure for Laos to attend the 29th Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Summit.

The two leaders were scheduled to hold bilateral talks on Tuesday, Sept. 6 on the sidelines of the summit, but US President Obama cancelled the meeting, National Security Council spokesperson Ned Price said on Monday.

Price said instead of meeting President Duterte, President Obama will instead meet President Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea.

President Duterte on Tuesday issued a statement saying that he continues to value his country’s alliance with the United States, stating that “both out countries share common goals in their pursuit of the war against drugs, terrorists, crime and poverty.”

He said his meeting with President Obama has been mutually agreed upon to be moved to a later date.

“While the immediate cause was my strong comments to certain press questions that elicited concern and distress, we also regret it came across as a personal attack on the US President,” Malacañang statement said.

Reports from the media stating that President Obama will lecture President Duterte on extra-judicial killings in relation to the continuing war against drugs in the country “led to his strong comments, which in turn elicited con-

cern.”

“He regrets that his remarks to the press have caused much controversy,” the statement said.

In the same statement, President Duterte also expressed appreciation to President Obama for his firm support to the Philippines during the G20 summit.

The G20 summit was held in Hangzhou, China last Sept.

4 to 5.

The statement said President Obama “emphasized the importance of China to abide by its obligations under the international law and underscored the United States’ unwavering commitment to the security of its treaty allies.”

While asserting the intent to chart an independent foreign policy and promote closer ties with all nations, President Duterte expressed his high regard for President Obama and for the enduring partnership between the two nations, the statement added.

“The President looks forward to ironing out differences arising out of national priorities and perceptions and working in mutually responsible ways for both countries.”

President Duterte also stressed that in preserving the rights and liberties of the people, it is imperative that the fight against illegal drugs, terrorists, crimes and poverty must be won in order to preserve the principle and values upon which the country’s democratic way of life is anchored on.

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ed when a blast rocked the old Davao International Airport on March 4, 2003.

Among those killed in the bombing of the old Davao Airport was an American missionary. Two other Americans, Barbara Stevens and William Hyde of Southern Baptist missionaries, suffered injuries.

A month after, a bomb exploded at the Sasa Ferry Wharf, leaving 17 people dead and 60 others injured on April 2, 2003.

Separate bomb explosions struck cinemas in two malls in

Davao City on September 16, 2003, leaving five people injured in the attack.

The bomb attacks were said to be the handwork of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). But the MILF denied the responsibility for the bombings.

Former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared a state of lawlessness in 2003 after twin bombings hit Davao City, killing at least 38 people and wounding at least 200 others.

poverty, hunger, and malnutrition around the world.

“The fruits in the Philippines [especially those that] will be exported generate jobs and where it can reach, will provide nutrition for the consumers,” Rakotoarisoa said.

“While the demand for tropical fruits industry is rising, it is also threatened by various problems such as environmental degradation, climate changes, and plant diseases. Trade in tropical fruits still faces traffic and non-tariff barriers undermining the industry’s efforts to expand trade volume and revenue,” he said.

He urged the TFNet - as a leading global player - to help facilitate international cooperation in production, consumption, logistics, marketing and trade development

in the global tropical fruits sector.

For its part, the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) also underscored the crucial role of tropical fruits in achieving the Duterte Administration’s mandate of ensuring food security and generating increased revenues through the promotion of high-value crops.

Evelyn Laviña, DA undersecretary for agribusiness and high-value crops, said that in order for the tropical fruits industry to address challenges in the highly-competitive global market, it must keep abreast of the latest trends and technologies in production.

“We encourage our local fruit growers to observe good [agricultural] practices to sustain production. DA is one with you in sustaining the growth of the industry,” Laviña said.

The TFNet, DA - Bureau of Plant Industry, and the Philippine Fruit Association, organized last week’s threeday ISTF with the theme “Towards sustainable fruit production and global food security.”

Around 300 participants coming from 17 countries attended the symposium which included Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Sudan, India, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nigeria, Syria, Fiji, Australia, Germany, Nicaragua, Madagascar, and the Philippines.

(Noel T. Provido/DA-XI)

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Sen. Cayetano to Obama: Give Duterte a chance

A

HEAD of the historic first meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and United States President Barack Obama, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano wrote an open letter appealing to the head of the world’s superpower to “give the Philippines and President Duterte a chance” to achieve genuine change, even as his government wages a three-pronged war to address poverty, defeat drugs and criminality, and achieve just and inclusive peace amid criticisms.

In his open letter, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair also appealed to President Obama to help the Philippines pursue an independent foreign policy that balances the country’s relations with the US and China, even as he affirmed the country’s firm commitment to the US as a long-time ally.

“As a Citizen of the world and a believer in Change, allow me to write you an open letter to attempt to articulate the audacity of the Filipino people to hope for a better future and to aspire for a nation that is secure, peaceful, law abiding and prosperous,” wrote Cayetano.

“I write to you because more than any other person, you know how it feels to have the weight of the world on your shoulders...to have the burden of fixing the problems of your own country but having to constantly live up to the expectations of the entire world,” he continued.

The senator said that like President Obama, who persevered to overcome challenges and accomplish so much for the American people in the last 7 years, the Philippines now has a president who has shown willingness to sacrifice his life and honor to see that change comes to all Filipinos.

“After decades of hopelessness and up to 10 million Filipinos leaving our country to find work in foreign

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has been the subject of an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE

WITH WAIVER OF SHARE executed among her heirs per Doc. No. 127;

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of 2016, of the NOTARY PUBLIC MALENE JADE G. SANCHEZ-BRION.

lands and after an entire generation exposed to the perils of illegal drugs, we finally have a President who is trying to get the country back on the right track,” Cayetano explained.

“Now it is our turn. Our turn to experience Change we can believe in,” he said, echoing the central theme of the presidential campaign that won Obama the US presidency.

He then asked: “Will you now allow us to lose hope and fail? Will the West deny us the ‘Change we can believe in?’”

Cayetano noted that President Duterte has been misjudged by some sectors based on the way he speaks.

This has been aggravated by a misinformation campaign about the human rights situation in the country, he added.

“Does he (Pres. Duterte) not deserve to be judged on his record and his actions?

On facts and not manipulated statistics? On where he wants to bring the country rather than his sometimes politically incorrect words?” he asked.

On the two countries’ relations, Cayetano stressed the Philippines deserves a chance to assert its national identity and pursue an independent foreign policy.

Explaining further, Cayetano defined this as “a foreign policy for Filipinos

by Filipinos” which shall be marked by “a balanced friendship with our oldest ally and big brother the United States of America on one hand and a friendship of mutual respect with our neighbor China on the other.”

Cayetano expressed confidence that as President Obama has tried at every turn to avoid war and promote peace in various parts of the world, a win-win situation can also be worked out for the US, Philippines and China.

The senator then cautioned against efforts by pessimists, critics, and hardliners in the West, the United Nations, and within the country who want the US and the Philippines to continue to bicker and disagree.

“Hardliners fear the Philippine government will make peace with the communist rebels. Critics fear that Christians and Muslims can’t build communities and a nation together. Pessimists say that we can’t be a drug-free country,” he explained.

“Will we let the pessimists and hardliners win Mr. President? Or will we persevere and try to understand each other, so we can wake up one day to a peaceful, prosperous and progressive Philippines?”

“Can’t we give the Philippines and President Duterte a chance?” he concluded, even as expressed hope for a successful meeting between the two heads of state.

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years by a Technical Working Group (TWG) to be created by the BFAR, and whose membership will be composed of the fisheries bureau, Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), NTC, Philippine Coas Guard and a representative from fisherfolk and handline

industry organizations.

Moreover, the congress resolution stated that the immediate review of the IRR is necessary to ensure the operations, competitiveness and sustainability of the handline fishing industry. (GenSan PIO)

crude oil production.

On the domestic front, Pernia urged government to hasten preparations for La Niña, which may begin developing in the fourth quarter of the year.

“There is also a need to

ensure that prices of utilities such as electricity and water are stable. Existing petitions for upward adjustment in power prices should be reviewed comprehensively as it remains an upside risk in inflation rates,” he added.

Lower... FROM 5

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH SALE

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late CIPRIANO LAHUY, SR. and MAXIMA P. LAHUY has been the subject of an Extra Judicial Settlement of Estate with Sale executed among their heirs, per Doc. No.372; Page No.75; Book No.24; Series of 2006, of the NOTARY PUBLIC JOCAM JOSEPH C. JOCSON. 9/7,14,21

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ENVIRONMENT... FROM 14 and instructor, Samal is “strategically located in one of the most dive-friendly locations in the world.” Although it is relatively unknown outside a small circle of diving enthusiasts, the waters surrounding the island “is a treasure trove of dive sites for every kind of underwater adventure.”

While the Samal reef gardens display colorful underwater vistas with its treasure of tropical marine life, some of the corals are not in good shape.

A survey conducted by the Regional Fishermen’s Training Center in Panabo City at Saran-

gani Bay and Davao Gulf from 1991 to 1992 had shown that most of the shallow or inshore coral reefs “were totally damaged because they are exposed to greater pressure.”

But destruction of coral reefs is rampant not only in Davao Gulf but in other parts of the country as well. In the late 1970s, the East-West Center in Hawaii sounded the alarm. At that time, the study disclosed that more than half of the reefs were “in advanced state of destruction.” Only about 25% of live coral cover were in “good condition,” while only 5% were in “excellent condition.”

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late MEDELEINE S. RODINAS has been the subject of an Extra Judicial Settlement of Estate executed among her heirs, per Doc. No.500; Page No.100; Book No.24; Series of 2016, of the NOTARY PUBLIC ALEX BLAISE J. CUNANAN. 9/7,14,21

Nothing much have changed since then. In fact, 30% of the country’s coral reefs are reportedly dead while 39% are dying. Reef Check, an international organization assessing the health of reefs in 82 countries, identified the coral reefs which are in “excellent condition” are the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park in Palawan, Apo Island in Negros Oriental, Apo Reef in Puerto Galera, Mindoro, and Verde Island Passage off Batangas.

“Nowhere else in the world are coral reefs abused as much as the reefs in the Philippines,” commented Don E. McAllister, who once studied the cost of coral reef destruction in the country.

If the Philippines will not do something now to stop the degradation of coral reefs, it may not have fish to feed its surging population. Studies have shown that a single reef can support as many as 3,000 species of marine life. As fishing grounds, they are thought to be 10 to 100 times as productive per unit area as the open sea.

Unless something is done soon, fish production may to collapse. It seems to be hap-

pening in Davao City already.

But no one seems to feel it yet. In the past, Bago Aplaya used to be a haven of fish in the city. “When I was still younger,” 53-year-old Ronnie Estrera recalled, “we used to catch a lot of fish. But it’s the case anymore today.”

“We are running out of fish and running out of time.

For a country known for marine biodiversity, there are very few fish left to catch,” Vince Cinches, Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, was quoted as saying.

“Like the other vital resources such as forests, Philippine fisheries are about to collapse,” deplored Roy C. Alimoane, the director of Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC), a non-government organization based in Davao del Sur. The collapse of major fishing grounds in the country would mean uprooting 38,000 fishermen each year. “The fish is getting scarcer,” said a father of six. “We all have children, grandchildren. We have to think of the future!” – (TO BE CONCLUDED Photos courtesy of DENR/ Christine T. Dompor

ilante killings.”

But Cuyegkeng pointed out that a more profound impact on the markets and the economy is seen to take place if these political developments and concerns will not be addressed.

“For now, the impact is

likely to be marginal and is likely to be offset with favorable macro-economic fundamentals – structural inflows, high foreign exchange reserves, strong domestic demand and monetary and fiscal leeway,” he said.

(PNA)

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Saving endangered coral reefs

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO (First of Two Parts)

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ARGE areas were found with very high live coral cover, up to nearly 100 percent in places, but live coral coverage would have been much higher had there not been heavy dynamite fishing damage in many areas in the past.”

This was part of the written report of Dr. Thomas J. Goreau after he and his team

assessed the coral reefs in and around Tubalan Cove of Malita, Davao Occidental in southern Philippines some years back.

“Fish populations were very poor except around promontories with higher water flow,” reported Dr. Goreau, the president of the Global Coral Reef Alliance, a non-profit international organization founded in 1994 working exclusively to save coral reefs.

“The area has a mix of prime

dive sites suitable for ecotourism, as well as extensively damaged areas badly in need of restoration as fisheries habitat.”

But what amazed the team was finding almost the entire sea bed within the cove to be colony of one species of fragile cabbage corals.

“This is unique,” British diver Andrew MacDonald and his wife Jane Widdison wrote in their report. “We have only seen one species dominate an individual offshore reef before, but have never seen any other ancient coral colonies like this which cover such a large area.

It appears that this colony covers an area of several hundred hectares and it is likely that these corals have taken centuries to form like this.

The couple has lived and dived in Mindanao for four years before joining the survey team. According to them, the presence of the ancient cabbage coral colony alone makes Tubalan Cove as “one of the most special and unique places in the world for marine biologists and recreational divers alike.”

“The corals are very varied and colorful – a mixture of soft and hard corals – just what dive tourists like to see,” the husband and wife divers said in their report. “The corals are

better in condition and coverage the closer you are to the open sea.”

There’s even more: “Diving amongst the corals of Tubalan cove offers great opportunities for macro (small marine creature) spotting and photography as good as anywhere in the world,” the two divers reported. “We saw several species of small animals that are highly prized by dive photographers.”

Two provinces away from Davao Occidental is Compostela Valley. The province is known for its highlands as it is located in the upper portion of Davao Region. But it has two towns located near the sea: Maco and Mabini.

Interestingly, a new study found out that of the 72 known genera of Scleractinian or “stony” corals identified in the Philippines, about 46 of them can be found in the pristine waters of Mabini. (Around the world, only 110 genera of Scleractinian corals have been identified so far.)

The discovery was one of the initial findings of a study – “Mapping and Assessment of Mabini Protected Landscape and Seascape’s Coral Reef Ecosystem and Associated Reef Fish Community” – conducted by the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“We have more Scleratinian corals compared to those found in the Island Garden City of Samal and in Davao Oriental,” says Christine T. Dompor, the provincial tourism officer.

“There is also one type of coral which the researchers could not identify since it is not found in their list of classification.”

“The (discovery) just shows there is a dearth of information out there and it is becoming a race to get this knowledge before more and more of the marine environment gets destroyed,” deplores Dr. Arnel “AA” Yaptinchay, founder and director of the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines. “It also confirms again and again, the importance of the Philippines in marine biodiversity.”

Scleractinia, also called stony corals, are marine corals that generate a hard skeleton. They first appeared in the Middle Triassic and descended from the tabulate and rugose corals that barely survived the end of the Permian. Much of the framework of modern coral reefs is formed by Scleractinians.

Both discoveries are located in areas which are part of the Davao Gulf, a key biodiversity area in the country. The World Wildlife Fund considers Davao Gulf as one of the most

diverse marine ecosystems in the world. It is the feeding ground for 11 species of cetaceans, which include sperm whales, killer whales, and bottle-nose dolphins. Not only that, it also serves as the nursing ground for endangered marine turtles.

The regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), a line agency of the Department of Agriculture, listed Davao Gulf – which has an area of 308,000 hectares that cuts into the island of Mindanao from Philippine Sea – as one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world.

Davao Gulf has been identified as one of the five Marine Key Biodiversity Areas (MKBA) that will undergo a project implementation initiated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The other four are Verde Island Passage, Tañon Strait, Southern Palawan and Lanuza Bay. Davao Gulf is home to some of the most exquisite coral reefs in the country. Take the case of those found in the waters of Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte.

According to Carlos R. Munda, Jr., a diving enthusiast

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Fil-Canadian recruit fails to make Ateneo line-up due to passport delay

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YLER Tio admitted he was disappointed not to be able to make the Ateneo lineup for UAAP Season 79 due to the absence of a Philippine passport, but vowed to work harder for the next season of the collegiate league.

The 18-year-old Tio failed to become eligible to join the Blue Eagles roster as his Philippine passport was not issued in time for the deadline set by the collegiate league.

Tio is currently a Canadian citizen born to parents who were Filipino citizens.

The 5-foot-11 point guard can actually play as a foreigner but that will pose a problem as the UAAP only allows one foreigner per team.

READ: Ateneo recruit Tyler Tio confident citizenship will be sorted out in time for UAAP Season 79 “Basically, we weren’t able to produce a Filipino passport,” said Tio. “The process took a

little bit longer. Hindi umabot sa cutoff.”

Naturally, the former Xavier School standout was disappointed not to make the squad, but admitted he prepared himself for any eventuality ever since he was recruited by Ateneo.

“Very disappointing. But I was a bit prepared. I told myself to be prepared. It has been a problem ever since so I was prepared. But also at the same time, when I found out about it, it hit me hard. I tear up a bit but I just have to keep on working hard for next year,” said Tio. Following the school’s decision not to field him in Season 79, Tio said he will spend time practicing with both Team A and B of the Katipunan-based school.

“I’m going to be practicing with Team A and B. Pero most of the time, with Team B. Twice a week, I’ll be with Team A,” Tio said.

Youth-laden Gilas ends FIBA buildup

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ILAS Pilipinas 5.0 pummeled SCTEX, 106-83, at the Meralco Gym on Monday night to put an encouraging finish to what had been a rocky buildup for the Fiba Asia Challenge Cup. The Gilas cadets kept SCTEX at bay the entire way before pulling away for good in the fourth quarter behind Kevin Ferrer, who hit two timely three-pointers to open a commanding 98-73 lead entering the last three minutes.

The win should come as a boost in confidence for the young, largely untested team, which struggled to put away college teams Far Eastern University and Ateneo in previous tune-ups under coach Josh Reyes.

Now the hard part begins for this national side left without PBA players as well as amateur standouts Kiefer Ravena and Rayray Parks, beginning with group-stage

matches against regional rival Chinese Taipei and India.

“I’m very thankful sa SCTEX team for helping us out,” said Reyes, who will have multi-titled coach Ryan Gregorio by his side in the September 9-18 tournament in Tehran.

“Its’ a good practice game for us. There are still a lot of corrections but hopefully with this game we will be able to correct our mistakes.”

NLEX reserves James Forrester and Eric Camson led the way for SCTEX. Earlier in the day, Gilas’ practice was graced by Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) officials led by Manny V. Pangilinan, who gave the team a pep talk prior to its departure for Iran on Tuesday night.

With Pangilinan were SBP president Al Panlilio, Ricky Vargas and national coach Tab Baldwin.

READY FOR BATTLE. Ernie Gawilan stands beside the pool after practice last tuesday.

TRUST HIM, HE CAN DO IT And now, it’s Dabawenyo parathlete Ernie Gawilan’s turn to throw support for President

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

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njb@edgedavao.net

AST December, Dabawenyo paralympic swimmer Ernie Gawilan was presented to then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte after his smashing triumph in the Southeast Asian Para Games in Singapore earning for him a ticket to the Rio Paralympics.

“Nahinumduman pa nako iyaha kung gisultihan na motuo lang sa aong kaugalingon (I remember him telling me to just believe and trust in myself despite my disabilities),” Gawilan narrated to EDGE DAVAO in a chat from the Olympic Village in Rio. “Karon, ako na sad ang magpasibaw sa akong suporta ug pagsalig kaniya (Now. It’s my turn to show my support and trust to the President),” he said.

“Tabangan nato si presidente, dili nato i-asa lang sa iya kay daghan pa ang problema niya sa atong pinalangang nasod so please lang mag co-

ordinate ta sa mga utoridad (Let’s help the president, let us not leave everything to him because he has so many problems for the country. Let us do our share and coordinate with the authorities),” he added.

Gawilan’s message came at the heels of the Davao bombing on Friday that killed 14 and left 71 others injured.

On September 8, Gawilan, born with underdeveloped arm and legs, will compete in his first of three events— the 400-meter freestyle in the quadrennial showpiece for athletes with disabilities, the equivalent of the Olympic Games for regular athletes.

Gawilan also had some message for fellow Dabawenyos.

“Ang mensahe nako sa taga davao sir kailangan kita tanan magtinabangay aron dili na mausab ang ingani na pang hitabo,dapat vigilant ta sa palibot tabangan nato ang

administration ni Presidente na sugpuon ang mga daotang elemento sa nasod kita tanan naa tay gamit gihatagan ta ug dila,mata,dalongan,ug kamot para gamiton (My message to my fellow Dabawenyos is for us to help each other so that this will not happen again, we should be vigilant of things around us and let us help the president in fighting lawless elements because we all are born with the faculties we can use to do our part),” he said.

The entire Philippine delegation arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Friday for the 2016 Paralympic Games.

Despite the sad news from his hometown, Ernie was in high spirits as he made a few laps in the practice pool on Tuesday.

He was shown in a photo by the pool after training and said he is raring to go.

“Handa na ako, sir (I’m ready),” he said.

He earlier vowed to dedicate his performance to the Dabawenyos who are reeling from the terror attack.

With Ernie in the Philippine delegation are his coaches Antonio Ong and RRal Rosario and fellow parathletes Josephine Medina (Table Tennis), Adeline Dumapong Ancheta (Power Lifting), Agustine Kitan (Power Lifting), and Jerrold Pete Manglinaw (Athletics).

The lean delegation will continue the country’s fruitless hunt for a gold medal in the quadrennial showpiece.

Gawilan, orphaned at an early age and raised in a monastery, will compete in the 400-meter freestyle,100-meter freestyle and 100-meter backstroke in his category.

He qualified to the Rio Paralympics after winning two gold medals in record-breaking fashion and a silver in last year’s Asean Para Games in Singapore.

HE US Open’s serve-speed readout board told the world that Andy Murray smacked a serve at 141 mph.

He had his doubts.

“Sometimes,” Murray said, “the gun can be a bit wrong, possibly.”

Taking 9 of 10 games at the outset, Murray overwhelmed Grigor Dimitrov, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, on Monday (Tuesday, Manila time) to reach the quarterfinals for the 22nd time in his past 23 Grand Slam tournaments.

“I didn’t give him an opportunity, once I was ahead, to let him back in the match,” the No. 2-seeded Murray said.

A big part of the way he took control — and remained in control — was his serving.

“I served a bunch in the low 130s, mid-130s, which was good. I got a lot of free points with my serve tonight,” Murray said. “The conditions do a lot for you to serve quick. The balls are fast. I wanted to use that to my advantage as the tournament goes on. I did go up in (racket

string) tension a little bit from the last match. Maybe that allowed me to feel like I was able to swing a little bit harder.”

As for the evening’s fastest serve, which Murray said would be the first time he’s topped 140 mph: “I think that was lucky. I only did it once. So I’m not expecting to do it again.”

He played well in various areas, certainly, but also faced little resistance from No. 22 Dimitrov, who had accumulated 23 unforced errors and only two winners by the time he trailed 3-0 in the second set.

“Obviously,” Dimitrov said, “today I ran out of fuel, I think, physically and mentally.”

Murray has lost three times in 10 meetings against Dimitrov, whose all-court game and smooth, one-handed backhand earned him the nickname “Baby Fed,” as in Roger Federer. Dimitrov’s success against Murray include matchups in the 2014 Wimbledon quarterfinals and in their most recent encounter, in May at Miami.

Murray advances to quarterfinals

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HUNAT DABAW RUN 4. Winners in the men’s and women’s 10-K race of the Hunat Dabaw Run 4 Foam Fun Run Takbp Para Kay Apo is shown here during the awarding ceremonies at the Royal Mandaya Hotel grounds.

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