Edge Davao 9 Issue 158 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

www.edgedavao.net

EDGEDAVAO

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

Serving a seamless society

MEAT TRADE. A porter delivers an 80-kilogram freshly slaughtered pork to a meat dealer at the Bankerohan Public Market in Davao City yesterday. Some businessmen in the city are asking the city government of Davao to look into the dilapidated Davao City slaughterhouse in Ma-a which causing the delay of work and delivery of meat products to the city’s public markets. Lean Daval Jr.

CHILD PROSTITUTES IN CITY RISING: NGO 60 % of women Talikala aided are below 18 EDGEDAVAO Sports BLACK EYED P15 A By RIA VALDEZ

NON-GOVERNMENT organization (NGO) has revealed that 60 percent of the 240 prostituted women they have helped are below 18 years-old. Jeanette Ampog, executive director of the Talikala Inc., bared new facts about child prostitution and trafficking in Davao City and neighboring areas in the Davao Region during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum at SM City Davao at Ecoland, Davao City. “It hurts how kids talk about selling themselves for their daily meal[s],” said Am-

pog, adding that the youngest among these prostituted children is only 12 years-old. She said the child was trafficked when she was still 10, and until now she has not menstruated. According to Ampog, the increasing cases of child prostitution can be attributed to the “bugaw” or “referral system,” wherein peers of the victims act as their “agents.” What is worrisome, she said, is that the children themselves serve as pimps of their fellow prostitutes because it was “a business opportunity.”

“Children are more saleable,” said Ampog, who disclosed that clients were looking for “young and fresh faces.” She said that out of the 49 women who were recruited for their sexual services, 30 of them were children. Ampog said the children were paid P1,500 for three hours of commecial sex. Over the years, Talikala Inc. has continuously provided programs to help prostituted children turn a new leaf by providing them with skills training. The NGO has also helped

support the education of these child victims. “We have 23 children in the Alternative Learning Center (ALS) while one student is now in college,” said Ampog. With the alarming rise in the number of child prostitutes in the city, Ampog called on government agencies, particularly the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), to decisively address the situation. While NGOs like Talikala generally recognize the efforts of the government to help chil-

F CHILD, 10

Black Sunday’ fizzles out, only black eye for Ateneo

A day with Asia’s top surfer Philmar Alipayo A1

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

BUDDING ARTISTS. Presidential Photographers Division staff member and artist Rene Lumawag checks out the art works on display at My City My SM My Art exhibit dubbed Southern Sensibilities featuring young artists from University of Mindanao and national artist Ang Kiukok at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

Oslo talks to focus on ceasefire, amnesty T HE proposed bilateral ceasefire and the amnesty proclamation will be the focus on the next round of peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). The next round of talks will commence on Thursday, Oct. 6 in Oslo, Norway. As the second round of negotiations is fast approaching, Secretary Jesus Dureza of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) is hoping the panels of the GRP and the NDFP will be able to come up with a ceasefire agreement to include joint monitoring with a third party overseer. Dureza pointed out the previous ceasefire declarations were unilateral, thus there is a need to craft mechanisms to monitor violations and resolve conflicts and issues arising from them. “We are eyeing a more per-

manent cessation of hostilities despite the fact that unilateral ceasefires declared by the GRP and the NDFP were already indefinite in nature,” he added. To arrive with such a mechanism, Dureza said both panels must agree on the more substantial issues of social and economic reforms. “These are the more contentious issues and we expect humps and bumps during the peace negotiations,” he said. Crafted drafts on the comprehensive agreement on social and economic reforms (CASER) have already been formulated by the panels while the issues on the end of hostilities and disposition of forces hinge on the success of CASER along with political and constitutional reforms, Dureza emphasized. The OPAPP secretary expressed confidence on the success of the peace negotiations, as the whole process draws inspiration from President Dute-

F OSLO, 10

ASG free 3 more Indon hostages By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

adlopez0920@gmail.com

ECRETARY Jesus Dureza of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said three more Indonesian kidnap victims were freed by Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) on Sunday noon in Sulu. Dureza said the freed kidnap victims were turned over by Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari to Sulu Governor Totoh Tan. “Chairman Misuari personally called me and informed me about another breakthrough in the efforts to recover hostages held by the

Abu Sayyaf Group early in the morning,” Dureza said. He also coordinated with the Task Force Sulu Chief Gen. Arnel dela Vega to facilitate the smooth turnover of the kidnap victims. Dureza added that Gov. Tan already confirmed he had the physical custody of the 3 Indonesians in an earlier phone conversation. He said the governor will turn over the Indonesians to Gen. dela Vega for medical check up and debriefing processes, after which they will be flown to Indonesia. Dureza said that MNLF

chair Misuari requested him to relay the release of the kidnapped Indonesians to President Duterte. He also lauded the efforts of Misuari that resulted to the release of the victims. The OPAPP chief identified the freed Indonesians as Ferry Arifin, Muhamad Mabrur Dahri and Edi Suryono. They were among the ship crew who were kidnapped by the ASG in June of this year while en route to Indonesia from the Philippines. Three of their companions were already released

last month together with Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad. “These efforts were a convergence of cooperation upon the direction of President Duterte involving the MNLF, the provincial government, the stakeholders and the Armed Forces of the Philippines with its on-going military operations in the area against the Abu Sayyaf Group,” Dureza said. No details were given as to what were the conditions given by the ASG for the release of the three Indonesians.

an opportunity to discuss pressing issues facing the people of Mindanao such as education, public health, and “tolerance” among different cultures. “We have to discuss these issues because definitely, these will have an impact if we are pushing the Federalism,” Puentespina explained. He stressed that people will eventually have to decide whether they are in fa-

vor of Federalism or not. Puentespina believes the invited resource persons to the forum will help enlighten the public on what is going on in Mindanao, and how Federalism will help uplift socio-economic conditions in the country. Resource persons to the one-day forum include Amina Rasul-Bernardo, Lito Lorenzana, Harry Roque, and Senator Koko Pimintel.

Owners told: Keep animals UP Min skeds forum on Mindanao issues, federalism away from national roads By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

HE City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) warned livestock owners not to allow their animals roam around the city streets, most especially on national highways so as not to cause traffic jam or accidents. Rhodelio Poliquit, CTTMO chief, said they would take custody of livestock animals roaming the city’s streets as

they pose danger to the public. Poliquit said owners would also be fined baser on the city’s Traffic Code. On Monday, the CTTMO took custody a stray cow found roaming on Panacan highway. Poliquit said they received a complaint about cows crossing the highway and stalling motorists. The owner of the cow is yet to be identified.

HE University of the Philippines - Mindanao (UP Min), in collaboration with the UP Alumni Association (UPAA), will conduct the Symposium of Mindanao Issues and Federalism (SMIF) on Oct 15. UP Mindanao Public Relations Officer Rene Estremera said in Monday’s Kapehan sa Davao at the SM City Davao that the program will serve as a platform for shar-

ing best practices and strategies to address pressing issues in Mindanao, particularly on federalism. “We hope that [through this forum] we can formulate in our own ways on how we can give back to our country,” Estremera added. Meanwhile, UPAA President for Davao Chapter Doctor Bo Puentespina, who was also at the press briefing, said the event will provide

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

NEWS 3

Davao pedia gab on teens’problems set T By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

GENERATION Z. Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) Pediatrics Department Chairman Dr. Mike Manalaysay (left) discusses the negative effects of technology and the social media on the behavior and characteristics of children and teenagers which are considered members of

Generation Z. Manalaysay along with consultant Dr. Meryn Flavier were guests of Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao yesterday to promote the upcoming developmental and adolescent medical convention dubbed Unraveling the Mysteries of Generation Z. Lean Daval Jr.

Land reform, industrialization center of gravity of talks: Joma By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

adlopez0920@gmail.com

LL are set for the second round of peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in Oslo, Norway on Thursday, October 6 until October 10. Both the GRP and NDFP panels are set to finalize the crafting of the bilateral ceasefire and the amnesty agreements for the jailed NDFP members in the country. But for Professor Jose Maria Sison (Joma), chief political consultant of the NDFP, the issues on land reform and national industrialization are considered as the “center of gravity” of the entire peace negotiation process. This Thursday’s negotiations will also open the dis-

cussions on the substantive agenda on social and economic reforms in accordance with the framework agreement set by The Hague Joint Declaration of 1992. “The center of gravity of the peace negotiations is the twin necessity for national industrialization and land reform,” Joma said, emphasizing that a self-reliant program for economic development cannot walk and advance without its two legs; namely, the national industrialization and land reform. Joma added that land reform is needed to produce a definite and wealthy source of food, raw materials for industry, and a broad market for industrial and agricultural products, while national industrialization is also import-

‘Day of No Prostitution’ observed in Davao City

AVAO City will take part in the commemoration of International Day of No Prostitution on Oct. 5. This was announced by Jeanette Ampog, executive director of the Talikala Inc., a local non-government organization (NGO), during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Davao press forum. According to Ampog, the Davao City government’s Integrated Gender Development Division (IGDD) will spearhead various forums and consultations in line with the international event. She said the theme of this year’s celebration is “Palayain si Magda at Nene.” Ampog said the one-day event will help drive home the

point that women should be respected and not treated as a “commodity.” “Let this be one day where people would choose to avoid buying women or children in streets and avoid going to clubs that exploit women,” she said. Ampog disclosed the Talikala has initiated talks with the city government’s Business Bureau regarding establishments who employ women as guest relations officers (GRO). She is concerned that the bureau has not set standards with regards to the type of clothing these women should wear when they entertain customers. Ampog therefore called on

F DAY, 10

ant to produce machines and other equipment for agriculture, create numerous and new jobs for the increasing population and destination of surplus agricultural produce. The NDFP consultant also criticized what he dubbed as the “fake and complete failure” of the previous land reform program, stressing that the initiative made farmers incapable of paying the high redistribution price imposed through the collusion between landlords and the government. “It should be popularized that lands grabbed from landless farmers by big landlords, high bureaucrats and foreign corporations will be distributed for free,” he added. In its previous statement, the NDFP Reciprocal Work-

ing Committee on Social and Economic Reforms (NDFRWC-SER) declared that the free distribution of lands is anchored from the principle of social justice. “Farmers have long paid for the lands through high land rent and usurious schemes to big landlords who have enriched themselves for decades of illegal control and monopoly, and to the government’s unjust collection of taxes and amortization,” said Rafael Baylosis, a member of NDF-RWCSER. Joma also emphasized that through the peace process, all the issues and things to be done by the GRP, NDFP, peasant organizations and broad masses will become clearer in framing and implementing a genuine land reform program.

ON THE RISE. Talikala Foundation Executive Director Jeanette Ampog reveals that the rate of child prostitution in the region is increasing and that 60 percent of the 240 prostituted women they have helped are below 18

HE Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) Pediatrics Department, in cooperation with Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) and Behavioral Pediatrics and Philippine Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (PSDBP), will spearhead the Developmental and Adolescent Medicine Convention slated from Oct. 28 to 29 at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City. Entitled “Unraveling the Mysteries of Generation Z,” the forum will bring together physicians, nurses, health care providers, parents, educators, and other concerned individuals as part of efforts to raise awareness on the characteristics of the so-called “Generation Z,” or people who were born from 1995 to present, and discuss their varied concerns. Dr. Mike Manalaysay, chairman of SPMC’s Pediatrics Department, explained in Monday’s Kapehan sa Davao at SM City Ecoland that the forum aims to examine the different issues that help shape

the social interests of today’s youth. According to Manalaysay, they are looking forward to hearing recommendations coming from the different sectors that can help parents, teachers and clinicians better address issues confronting the youth sector. At the same forum, Dr. Mervin Flavier, consultant of SPMC’s Pediatrics Department said, “We believe that some people who belong to Generation Z take for granted the ability to interact and shape the world while they are observing it.” Flavier said the forum intends to investigate and explore potential behavioral patterns of Generation Z by mobilizing experts in the field of Developmental Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine from different parts of the country. He added the forum is in line with multi-stakeholder efforts to look into, and help resolve the concerns affecting the current generation.

F DAVAO, 10

Social media now used in sex trade B

EFORE you click on that like button, consider this: Social media has been instrumental in promoting “cyber-prostitution.” This, according to Jeanette Ampog, executive director of the Talikala Inc. during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Davao press forum. “Clients could easily contact their prospects,” said Ampog, who noted that texting has also been a big factor in the prevalence of online prostitution. This was the case of Rica of Lawig Bubai, a 16-year old trafficking victim, who talk-

ed about of her experiences during the press conference. Bubai shared that she was only 12 years-old when a gay man brought her to Mati, Davao Oriental. “I didn’t expect this would happen,” said Rica, who recalled her surprise when the man took her to a bar and made her dance on stage and on top of tables. “They won’t let us go home because they paid our fare,” she said, referring to the other girls who were also brought to the club to perform. According to Bubai, she

F SOCIAL, 10

years. Ampog, who was joined by prostituted woman Rica (partly hidden), graced yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

EDGEDAVAO

4 SUBURBIA

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Davao Oriental joins national quake drill T

COMVAL CELEBRATES PEACE MONTH. Compostela Valley Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy, together with members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), celebrate the culmination of “National Peace Consciousness Month” with the theme “Kita ang Pagbag-o, Kita ang Kalinaw.” (Photo by: A. Dayao, IDS Comval)

Compostela Valley fetes ‘National Peace Month’ T

HE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) together with the Local Government Unit of Compostela Valley Province celebrated the culmination of “National Peace Consciousness Month” on Sept. 30, with the theme “Kita ang Pagbag-o, Kita ang Kalinaw.” The event was graced by top officials of the AFP, led by 1001ST Brigade Commander Col. Macairog S. Alberto, Col. Manuel V. Sequitin of the 10th Infantry (Agila) Division and Col. Gilbert F. Saret of the Philippine Army. Local officials of the province led by Gov. Jayvee Tyron L. Uy and Vice-Gov. Manuel Zamora, as well as the municipal and barangay officials, were also present during the celebration. According to Governor Uy, “We know for a fact that Com-

val is known for being the Gold Capital in the region. It can’t also be denied that the province is considered as the hotbed of insurgency in the entire country and a home of nine (9) fronts of CPP-NPA-NDF.” “We do not neglect the fact that the job to combat the apparent problems on insurgency, criminality, drug addiction, and serious threats continues and more importantly, must be strengthened,” Gov. Uy said. “We will see significant changes in our tourism and economy in the next days because we believe that our initiatives would bear great weight in attracting more investors and tourists that translate to economic development in our province as this will also increase productivity among our people. We have to work hard to attain the same level of un-

derstanding of the whole peace process in order to ensure success in this continuous pursuit,” the governor added. “As we celebrate the National Peace Consciousness Month, we also celebrate the significant changes that we have seen and felt not just in our province but also in the entire Philippines,” he concluded. A program dubbed Oath of Peace was held, followed by a Peace Covenant Signing at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol. The Oath of Peace, led by Gov. Uy and other local officials, aimed to show cooperation among the various sectors in the community, and demonstrate their willingness to serve as active agents of peace and development. The peace forum ended with a Boodle Fight that sym-

bolized cohesion, camaraderie and solidarity among stakeholders in the region. Lamps were also lighted in line with the provincial government’s “Liwanag ng Kapayapaan” campaign. Also gracing the occasion were the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) led by Provincial Director Noel C. Duarte, Municipal Local Government Operations Officers (MLGOOs) of the province, government employees, indigenous peoples (IPs), members of the Muslim community, representatives of the farming, mining sector, and security secctor. The event is anchored on Proclamation No. 675 series of 2004 declaring September of every year as “National Peace Consciousness Month.” (Rey Antibo, IDS Comval)

HE City Government led by Mayor James G. Gamao represented by City Administrator Atty. Jamail Lunar Macla received certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region XI for actively participating in the National Cleanup drive during the Monday convocation sponsored by the City Environment and Natu-

ral Resources Office (CENRO) on September 26, 2016 at the City Hall lobby. DENR XI – Environmental Management Bureau, Ecological Solid Waste Management Division (ESWMD) Head Virginia Lobaton also awarded the certificates to different National Line Agencies, Non-Government Organizations, People’s organizations and other sectoral groups

HE Provincial Government has been gearing itself for massive earthquakes and other forms of disasters by promoting among Capitol workers a culture of safety and preparedness. During the simultaneous national earthquake drill on Wednesday, September 28, the Provincial Government in partnership with various agencies and volunteer groups spearheaded the conduct of an earthquake drill at the Provincial Capitol. Captiol employees have been seen participating during the drill as they duck, covered their heads and lined up towards open fields, which are the basic safety protocols in an earthquake. Various disaster scenarios like vehicular incidents, collapsed structures, fire incidents, and injured victims, were seen throughout the drill. Led by the Provincial Civil Security Unit, the quake drill is part of the application exercises of the 62 CSU personnel who participated in a weeklong Security Enhancement Training. Provincial CSU Chief, Retired Major Hermie V. Montelebano said that this drill is an ideal venue to gauge how the CSU personnel can handle emergency situations. Montelebano also stressed the drill’s significance in educating government employees and security personnel on the proper response in times of disasters. He said the purpose of the drill is not only to help them

protect themselves against injuries or fatalities but will also help save lives by educating the members of the family and the people in the community. “The people must embrace the culture of safety to reduce the impact of disasters,” he said. While the country sits on the Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines spanning the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes frequently occur, he emphasized that the key to effective disaster prevention is planning as they strike suddenly, violently and without warning. He said that disaster preparedness at the community level starts with informing the people of the risks and hazards in the area and conducting drills. He added that this type of drill will be conducted in a quarterly basis with different scenarios, noting that when people are properly informed and subjected to a series of drills, they will become disciplined. Aside from the conduct regular earthquake drills, part of the Provincial Government’s disaster readiness program is the installation an efficient warning systems, adequate evacuation centers, firetrucks, hospitals and rescue equipment. Participating agencies during the earthquake drill include the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine National Police, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and the Philippine Army, among others. PIO/ Photo by Eden Jhan Licayan

who also join in the clean-up drive with a theme: “Bayan ko, Linis ko” held last September 17, 2016 from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the watershed reservation areas, upland, urban and coastal areas in the city. According to CENRO head Engr. Felix Senajon, a total of almost three (3) tons of garbage collected during the said endeavor and was conducted

simultaneously nationwide. Senajon added that the activity aims to establish public awareness and participation on proper solid waste management. The said observance is mandated by virtue of Proclamation No. 244 series of 1993 declaring the month of September as National Clean-up Month. Jasmine Paras – CIO Panabo

Muslims celebrate Panabo City joins national clean-up drive Islamic New Year T M USLIM Filipinos across the country yesterday observed “Amon Jadid” (Islamic New Year), a regional non-working holiday which signals the first day of lunar-based Islamic Hijrah calendar. The Hijrah New Year is observed at the end or culmination of this year’s annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the Muslim holidays under Presidential Decree 1083, which codified Muslim family laws and practices. Under PD 1083, it is a non-working holiday in the provinces of, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, now under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and the provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Surk, Zamboanga del Norte and the cities of Cotabato, Zamboanga, Iligan, Pagadian, Tacurong, Kidapawan, Marawi and Dipolog.

All Muslim government employees and officials in places other than the areas mentioned by PD 1083 shall also be excused from reporting to office so they may be able to observe the holiday, the Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) today said in a statement. Performing Hajj is obligatory for those who can afford the cost of travel to Mecca. It is one of the five pillars of Islamic religion. Others are absolute belief in Allah, praying five times a day, giving of “zakat” (alms) to the poor and fasting at day time during the month of Ramadan. A congregational prayer is scheduled in an open field in communities with a huge population of Muslims. Local officials, in separate statements, appealed to all Muslim faithful to make Amon Jadid as an opportunity to renew their commitment to peace in southern Philippines and the rest of the country. (PNA)

5 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Mayor Inday okays EO for tax group creation

AVAO City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte approved Monday the creation of a tax group to improve the city’s current revenue generation so as to sustain delivery of public services. The Mayor, through Executive Order (EO) 11, ordered that Tax Research and Action Team (TRACT) be formed to “conduct massive tax campaign, monitor the operations and activities of all who are doing business in the city, and take necessary and appropriate action against erring business firms to require them to pay their taxes, fees and charges in the City of Davao.” EO 11 highlights the need to revisit and update the city’s Revenue Code enacted in 2005. Based on the Local Government Code of 1991, local government units are authorized to adjust tax rates “not oftener than once every five years.”

Hence, the City Government deems it necessary to update the Revenue Code “to make charges commensurate to the cost of the regulation and services provided.” The EO also underscored that tax policy should be based on sound revenue projections of the city’s financial requirements and an understanding of the existing and potential revenue base in its territory. Chaired by Mayor Inday Sara, TRACT is co-chaired by the City Administrator while vice chair is the City Legal Officer. TRACT members include Committee Chair on Finance, Way, Means and Appropriations, City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), City Treasurer, City Assessor, City Economic Enterprise, Asst. City Administrator for Administration, City Administrator for Operations, and the office of Business Permits and Licensing. CIO

Resilience needed during natural, economic crises

HE Philippines, one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, needs to invest about P274.48 billion to strengthen its economic resilience to deal with the impacts of natural hazards and financial crisis. In an interview, Dr. Gilberto Llanto, President of government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), said such investment on research and development (R&D) in building economic resilience represents two percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Llanto estimated the country’s economic losses due to climate-related disasters at P75.2 billion (USD1.6 billion). He said agriculture, small and micro businesses and people bear the major brunt of such disasters. Apart from natural haz-

ards, Llanto said the country should deal with pandemics, financial crisis and other risks and shocks. “This is the present day’s biggest challenge facing policymakers because catastrophic shocks can quickly unravel hard-earned economic gains,” he noted. Llanto also identified top five global risks in 2016 in terms of impact, including failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation, severe energy price shock, water crisis and weapons of mass destruction. “While the Philippines has not been adversely affected by those top global risks in terms of impact, the impact of natural hazards and extreme weather events in terms of loss of lives, property, and infrastructure is huge and sets back growth in affected com-

F RESILIENCE, 10

AEDC to bid for NAIA project

SIA’S Emerging Dragon Corporation (AEDC) will submit a bid for the redevelopment of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) under the government’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme. The AEDC will have a foreign partner in bidding for the $1.65 billion project that would “improve the operational efficiencies” of the four NAIA terminals, both landside and airside, to meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. AEDC President Gen. Salvador Mison said, “We are participating in the bidding because we firmly believe in the growth potential of our country’s premier airport, given our past experience of pushing for Philippine aviation devel-

opment.” The AEDC is confident it can provide viable solutions to NAIA’s inter-terminal connectivity as well as traffic congestion in the area. AEDC’s foreign partner is expected to provide the technical expertise in its long-term proposal. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) approved last month the NAIA redevelopment project purposely to upgrade the country’s main gateway airport. The NEDA Board was convened last September 14, 2016 by President Rodrigo Duterte to approve several infrastructure projects. The project excludes any proposals to improve air traffic services, according to NEDA.

Davao City to host nat’l coffee gab By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

AVAO City will host the 9th National Coffee Summit from Oct. 12 to 13 at the SMX Convention Center. The event is being organized by Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI), in partnership with national government agencies and the Agricultural Cooperative Development International/Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The two-day summit will focus on developing strategies to promote the Philippine’s coffee industry, and discuss ways to develop an improved value chain around Robusta and Specialty Arabica coffees. Speakers at the summit include Ted R. Lingle who will deliver the keynote speech entitled “Developing Fine Robus-

tas and Promoting Specialty Arabicas;” Coffee Quality Institute Senior Adviser and former Executive Director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America Dr. Mario Roberto Fernandez – Alduenda who will discuss Regional Profiling, Geographic Indications, Denominations of Origin and other strategies to differentiate a region’s coffee; and Coffee Quality Institute - Technical Director Joel Shuler who will speak on the Q System as a tool to Aggregate Coffee Value and Develop ‘relationship’ Coffee. During the Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum yesterday at SM City Davao, Philippine Coffee Board Inc. Director Philip Dizon said the agency aims to develop fine quality Robusta coffee that could compete with the ones produced by Vietnam and Brazil, and

COFFEE GAB. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) ComVal Provincial Director Lucky Siegfred Balleque (2nd from right) discusses challenges confronting the region’s coffee industry during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at the SM City Davao yesterday. Balleque was joined by Office of the President Assistant Secretary for Mindanao Concerns Atty. Neil Dalumpines (leftmost),

consequently, help raise the Philippine Robusta’s export price from five to ten percent. “Harvest it right and process it correctly,” Dizon pointed out. Dizon added that planting shade-grown coffees could combat the adverse effects of climate change as they facilitate oxygen production in the atmosphere and could hold the soil in mountain areas to prevent landslides. In the meantime, DTI-ComVal Provincial Director Lucky Siegfred Balleque said that prospects are bright for Mindanao’s coffee industry, as 65 percent of the Philippines’ coffee supply are sourced from the island-region. Balleque anticipates that the various interventions being undertaken by the government and private sector such as the coffee summit will help

enhance productivity among coffee growers, and make sure everyone across the value chain becomes quality conscious. “As long as we do it proper - from seed selection, nursery management, [adhering] to good agricultural practices, value creation - we can assure we have the best coffee, at least one of the best in the world,” he said. According to Balleque, local farmers are finding it hard to meet the current demand for coffee in the Philippines. “In the Philippines, we produce 25,000 metric tons a year, short for the demand which is 70,000 to 100,000 metric tons a year,” he said. Aside from various lectures and discussions, the coffee summit will also feature a trade exhibit from Oct. 12 to 16 at the SM Lanang Atrium.

Philippine Coffee Board director Jorge Judan (2nd from left) and ACDI/VOCA Chief of Party Thelonious Trimmell in promoting the upcoming the National Coffee Summit on October 12 to 13 at SMX Convention Center in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

PHL can ride out global market volatility, says DOF

HE Philippines can ride out the current volatility of financial markets as the US Federal Reserve moves closer to normalization, the Department of Finance (DOF) said. In its latest economic bulletin, the DOF said the Philippine stock market is strong, ranking fourth among 11 Asian bourses, and the country’s foreign reserves remain at very healthy levels. “The country’s strong reserve position, its healthy banking system and profitable corporates should help the country avoid the deleterious effects of financial volatility from the Fed normalization,”

DOF Undersecretary Gil Beltran said in a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. “Economic reforms should continue to be implemented to boost growth and the country’s fundamentals should continue to be protected to sustain investor confidence,” Beltran said. Beltran said the Philippine gauge soared 11.7 percent year-to-date, almost thrice the 4.4 percent average of 11 countries, behind Indonesia (19.12 percent), Thailand (16.57 percent) and India (12.09 percent). The Philippine Stock Exchange index also performed

better compared to China (-13.86 percent), Japan (-13.03 percent), Malaysia (-1.74 percent), Singapore (-0.89 percent), Vietnam (P4.28 percent), South Korea (4.92 percent), and Hong Kong (9.24 percent), Beltran said. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)’s gross intentional reserves also remained strong, standing at P85.9 billion as of August this year, which can cover 10.5 months’ worth of imports of goods as well as payments of services and income. “The BSP’s current reserve level also stands very comfortable than other Asian central banks,” said Beltran.

Indonesia’s buffer for the economy can only cover 3.9 months’ worth of import duties, Malaysia has 5.4 months, while Singapore got 6.3 months. South Korea has 6.1 months buffer, Taiwan secured 1.5 months, while India has 6.9 months, and Vietnam with 2.3 months. Beltran said “the country’s GIR is also better compared to the ASEAN-6 with 6.5 months buffer, and ASEAN-5’s 5.7 months worth import duties. He said the BSP can take the peso depreciation as the opportunity to further boost its current reserve holdings,

F PHL, 10

6 ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

More congressional leaders support tax plan of DOF

NEW AVIARY. Businessman Philip Dizon bares during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao his plan to open an aviary which is now being constructed in Kapatagan, Davao del Sur for Philippine Eagle Pagbabago. Lean Daval Jr.

Int’l experts to help boost coffee trade By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

HE Agricultural Cooperative Development International/lVolunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/ VOCA), a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded organization, will hold a special training for coffee farmers as part of its MinPACT project.

MinPACT project MinPACT or Mindanao Productivity in Agricultural Commerce and Trade, is a four-year project which started in 2015, and is designed to increase the income of 10,600 smallholder cacao, coconut and coffee farm families in Southern and Western Mindanao, with Davao and Dipolog as key cities. The project focuses on increasing production and productivity of target crops, as well as the expansion of

the trade of these agricultural products. Aside from the 10,600 farmers, 600 value chain actors coming from financial institution, nursery operations and roasters, will be trained to improve farm management, productivity, product quality, available services and access to markets. According to Thelonious Trimmell, MinPACT Project Chief of Party, the USDA has allotted $9 million for the whole project. “$1.2 million will be granted to 24 cooperative and associations in Mindanao coming from Regions 9, 10 and 11,” explained Trimmell. Meanwhile, the project will also provide a $800,000 worth of grants to applicants from the aforementioned target sectors who will pass the eligibility criteria of ACDI/ VOCA. The rest of the budget

will be allocated for trainings and industry operations of concerned sectors such as the Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao Inc. (CIDAMI), Davao Region Coconut Industry Cluster, Inc. (DRCIC) and Philippine Coffee Boards Inc. (PCBI).

toral dialogues to win broad public support behind the department’s tax reform program. “And in one generation, we can become a high-income country and eradicate extreme poverty,” Dominguez said. But to reach these goals, Dominguez pointed out that the government needs to annually spend as much as P1 trillion more on infrastructure, human capital and social protection—a hefty amount, which, he said, could be consistently raised year after year only by reforming tax policy and administration.

“To meet President Duterte’s goal of freeing 10 million Filipinos from the shackles of poverty under his 10-point socioeconomic agenda for inclusive growth, the government needs to reduce the poverty incidence from 26 percent in 2015 to 17 percent when his term ends in 2022,” Dominguez said. “For this Administration to do so, it must raise enough funds to accelerate public spending on infrastructure, human capital and social protection for the most vulnerable sectors.” “To achieve more inclusive growth, higher tax revenues

Training on “Cupping” Aside from the MinPACT project, ACDI/VOCA has also partnered with the Philippines Coffee Board, Barista and Coffee Academy of Asia and Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) to train cuppers in the Philippines to evaluate and grade fine Robusta coffees. Initially, 40 cuppers have already been trained under the project. They come from various coffee-related backgrounds and boast of a wide range of experiences in the coffee industry. Trimmel said the trainings gave the participants an

opportunity to learn how to evaluate Robusta coffee and to gradually get used to a common cupper’s language to describe the smelling and tasting sensations when evaluating Robustas. He said the Philippines predominantly produces commercial grade Robusta, without giving much attention to improving quality. “For the first time, CQI and its local partners in the Philippines are in the position to change this [situation],” he added. With the training, Trimmel said Robusta farmers can increase their income by improving their coffee products through better agricultural practices, harvest and post-harvest management and better marketing systems. He added that a cupping exam will be held in Davao and Manila this year.

Dominguez: Extra P1-T annual investments needed for PHL to become high-income economy by 2040

HE Department of Finance (DOF) envisions its comprehensive tax reform plan to be the catalyst of an ambitious government program to raise an extra P1 trillion yearly for unparalleled public investments geared to free some 10 million Filipinos from poverty in six years’ time and eventually transform the Philippines into a high-income state by 2040. “In six years, we can become a high middle-income country and reduce 10 million people out of poverty,” DOF Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has stressed in separate sec-

are needed,” said Dominguez. Eventually, he said, the aim is for the government to raise and invest an additional P1 trillion per year in pro-poor and pro-growth public investments so the Philippines can become a high-income economy by 2040, or 24 years from now. The DOF submitted last month to both chambers of the Congress its proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act in keeping with the Duterte administration’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda.

F DOMINGUEZ, 10

ORE congressional leaders have given their support to the proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act that the Department of Finance (DOF) is asking the legislature to approve to help Malacañang raise enough funds for its priority programs on sustaining high growth and reducing poverty. Four leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives—Deputy Speaker Romero Quimbo, Senators Juan Edgardo Angara and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, and Rep. Dakila Carlo Cua--all cited at a recent tax forum this DOF-proposed comprehensive tax reform program, the first package of which was submitted last month to the House ways and means committee. Topped by the adoption of a modified gross system for the personal income tax (PIT), Package One also includes several measures to offset the foregone revenues from the proposed PIT cuts. These are measures to broaden the Value Added Tax (VAT) base, adjust the excise tax on petroleum products, and restructure the tax on automobiles, except for buses, trucks, cargo vans, jeepneys, jeep substitutes and special purpose vehicles. Angara and Cua are the respective heads of the Senate and House ways and means committee; Aquino chairs the Senate committee on education, arts and culture; and Quimbo chaired the House ways and means committee in the past Congress. At the Philippine Tax Congress in Makati City, Quimbo noted what he called a “paradigm shift at the DOF” from the current direct taxation towards indirect forms of taxation that would raise more revenues for the state coffers.

“I’m absolutely delighted with the fact that the DOF, for the first time in the last seven years, is actually going out of its way to present a comprehensive tax reform program,” said Quimbo, who likewise pointed out that he “rarely see[s] Secretaries of Finance actually presenting at [the tax reform package] at this lateness of this hour.” Dominguez, along with DOF Undersecretaries Karl Kendrick Chua and Antonette Tionko, attended that tax forum, which lasted past dinnertime. Cua said at the forum that the DOF’s reform proposals were “timely” and “much awaited,” given that the last comprehensive tax reform was done 30 years ago. “Hinog na hinog na yung issue (The issue is very ripe) and we will act on it as fast as possible without compromising the quality of the legislation,” he said. Angara commended the DOF at the forum for coming up with a tax reform package in less than three months into the Duterte administration. “I have to pay tribute to the DOF for coming up with very comprehensive proposals in Congress in a very short span of time,” said Angara, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Local Government. Aquino, who also chairs the Senate committee on science and technology, said at the same event that the DOF proposal to lower personal income taxes is not only a revenue issue, but a social justice concern as well. “Para po sa akin ‘yung (For me, the) personal income tax, it’s more than just a revenue measure, it’s actually for me a social justice measure because again, these brackets were cre-

F MORE, 10

P90-M credit earmarked for climate change adaptation

HE government has provided P90 million in credit funds to nine partner-cooperative banks for the implementation of the climate change adaptation programs. The Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Credit and Policy Council (DA-ACPC) turned over the funds for undertaking Climate Change Adaptation Financing Program (CCAFP) under the Agricultural Fisheries Financing Program (AFFP). The CCAFP is a special financing program that aims to encourage small households to cope with or adapt to the adverse effects of climate change through the provision of loans for climate change-resilient practices and technologies. The program is under the P3-billion credit fund of 2013 and 2015 General Appropriations Act (GAA). Under CCAFP, the cooperative banks will provide loan assistance to individual small

farmers and fisherfolk (SFF) registered in Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA). To encourage the SFF to participate in the program, the DA regional field units (DARFU) shall be responsible for determining the possible technology packages for the area. DA-RFU will also help in identifying and endorsing Technical Service Providers (TSP) and potential borrowers to the participating cooperative banks. ACPC will provide incentives to SFF to encourage them to comply with climate change adaptation practices and technologies. CCAFP will initially cover the provinces included in the 18 priority major river basins in the country and the provinces affected by typhoon “Yolanda” in November 2013. These include the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Tarlac, Quezon, Camarines Sur, Iloilo,

F P90-M, 10

7 AGRITRENDS

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

The booming of meat processing Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

EFORE God created the first man and woman, He provided them with food first. “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground -everything that has the breath of life in it -- I give them to you for food.” (Genesis 1:29-30). Humans, who are omnivorous, do not live by vegetables and fruits alone; they also need meat, the animal flesh. During the prehistoric times, men have hunted and killed animals for meat. The advent of civilization allowed the domestication of animals such as chickens, sheep, pigs and cattle, and eventually their use in meat production on an industrial scale. In time, meat processing became an industry in itself. “Meat was originally processed to preserve it, but since the various procedures cause so many changes in texture and flavor it is also a means of adding variety to the diet,” explains a document published by the UN Food and Agriculture (FAO). “Processing also provides scope to mix the less desirable parts of the carcass with lean meat and in addition is a means of extending meat supplies by including other foodstuffs such as cereal in the product.” Processing is done because “meat is a highly perishable products and soon becomes unfit to eat and possibly dangerous to health through microbial growth, chemical change and breakdown by endogenous enzymes.” There are several things to lessen these downsides. These can be done by reducing the temperature sufficiently to slow down or inhibit the growth of micro-organisms, by heating to destroy organisms and enzymes (cooking, canning), or by removal of water by drying or osmotic control (binding the water with salt or other substances so that it becomes unavailable to the organisms). It is also possible to use chemicals to inhibit growth and, very recently, ionising radiation (however, the last is not allowed in some countries). Traditional methods that have been used for thousands of years involve drying in wind and sun, salting and smoking. Canning dates from early in the 19th century and allows food to be stored for many years since it is sterilized and protected from recontamination. “Processed meats are products in which the prop-

erties of fresh meat have been modified by the use of procedures such as mincing, grinding or chopping, salting and curing, addition of seasonings and other food materials, and, in many instances heat treatment,” FAO points out. “Most of these processes extend the shelf

Cattle raising

Pig raising life of meat. Their manufacture, in most instances, depends on the ability of the mixture to retain water since they are emulsions of protein, fat and water.” “Meat processing in the country is a major business given Filipino’s appetite for meat products like luncheon meat, sausages, corned beef, tocino, bacon and ham,” wrote Rey Gamboa in his column which appeared in The Philippine Star. In the Philippines, processed meat industry has six different product categories: fresh processed meat products, curedmeat pieces, raw-cooked products, precooked products, raw (dry) – fermented sausages, and dried meat. The country’s major export products are sausages, corned beef, bacon, luncheon meat, and other indigenous meatproducts. Not too many Filipinos know that our country is a net exporter of processed meat products. The industry generated US$ 47.3 million in exports in 2013 alone. Major export markets include the Middle East (United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait), Japan, the United States, Canada, Guam, and Taiwan. In the first half of 2014, almost a million kilos of canned and processed meat,

such as corned beef and hotdog, were exported to other countries, the Department of Agriculture reported. Aside from producing P200 billion in sales turnover, the meat processing sector also “generated direct and derivative employment of about 100,000 jobs,” DA Secretary Proceso Alcala reported. Safe for consumption There are some news reports that some meats being sold in the market are not safe for consumption. The government is not lax on this. In a paper, “The Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines: Securing Meat and Meat Products’ Safety from Farm to Table,” authors Albert P. Aquino and Christian L. Abeleda wrote: “Protection and promotion of the right to health of the people (Section 15, Article II) and protection of consumers from trade malpractices from substandard or hazardous products (Section 9, Article XVI) are State’s obligations stipulated in the Philippine Constitution of 1987.” So much so that in July 2003, the Republic Act No. 9296 was signed and ordained those who are implementing theMeat Inspection Code “to strengthen the country’s meat inspection system to assure safety

and quality of meat andmeat products for human consumption both in the domestic and international markets.” Under this law, it is the State’s policy to, among others, (a) promulgate specific policies and procedures governing the flow of food animals; (b) ensure food security and provide safety and quality standards to assure the protection of public against risks of injury and hazard; and (c) support the livestock and poultry industry development and promote animal health by preventing the entry of disease-carrying animals in meat establishments. The Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines laid guidelines on the following area: institutional mechanisms, scope ofmeat inspection, ante- and post-mortem inspection, inspection of imported meat and meat products, sanitation, product quality and safety, product information and consumer awareness, fees and charges, and prohibited acts and sanctions. An attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, the National Meat Inspection Services (NMIS) serves as the national controlling authority on all matters pertaining to meat and meat product inspection and hygiene.

Chicken barbecue Among those that have to be inspected are slaughterhouses, poultry dressing plants, meat cutting plants, meatprocessing plants, cold storages, meat shops, meat markets and other outlets engaged in domestic and international trade. “Only meat control and inspector officers duly appointed and designated by the NMIS or local government units are authorized to conduct meat inspection work,” Aquino and Abeleda wrote in their paper. “NMIS has the responsibility to ensure, and to enforce, that meat establishments operate in accordance with humane slaughter and hygienic requirements.” In addition, “the NMIS has the power to limit entry of carcasses, meat and meat products, and other materials into anymeat establishment. By rule, only slaughtered food animals, inspected and passed by inspectors from NMIS accredited slaughterhouses shall be utilized in NMIS accredited meat processing plant for meat pro-

cessing, meat canning and packing.”

What’s in a meat? So why do people eat meat? Well, they provide some minerals and vitamins needed in order for humans to live. For instance, all muscle tissue is very high in protein, containing all of the essential amino acids, and in most cases is a good source of zinc, vitamin B12, selenium, phosphorus, niacin, vitamin B6, choline, riboflavin and iron. Several forms of meat are also high in vitamin K. Muscle tissue is very low in carbohydrates and does not contain dietary fiber. While taste quality may vary between meats, the proteins, vitamins, and minerals available from meats are generally consistent. By the way, the fat content of meat can vary widely depending on the species and breed of animal, the way in which the animal was raised, including what it was fed, the anatomical part of the body, and the methods of butchering and cooking.

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

EDITORIAL

Raising discerning individuals

T’S a fact we know from the very time parents send their kids to school. It’s going to be in the four corners of the academe where children will get second parenting. It’s no secret too that it is in school where we learn to sharpen our discernment. At home where we are raised with the basics, we essentially learn good from bad, but never learn fully what makes the difference. It is school where we are awakened to know why and where we are taught eventually how to make life’s ever flowing choices. So when officials of prestigious institutions like the Ateneo de Manila University, ran by the Society of Jesus, and the De La Salle University, ran by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, ordered last week their students and the rest of the school community to wear black shirts or any black accessories to the schools’ rivalry game last Sunday as a manifestation of political protest, it actually puts to question the very teachings of the two institutions in raising better citizens and leaders of this nation. It runs smack into the very foundations of the academe’s thrust in developing a generation of discerning individuals under a culture of respect to one’s freedom of expression and yes, human rights. The manner in which desperation led the Jesuit priests and the

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village. Printed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000, Davao City, Philippines Tel: (082) 224-1413 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 www.edgedavao.net editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net

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

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ KENNETH IRVING K. ONG JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ BAI FAUZIAH FATIMA SINSUAT AMBOLODTO TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS MEGHANN STA. INES RIA VALDEZ NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN Reporters FUNNY PEARL GAJUNERA Lifestyle CHA MONFORTE LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. ARLENE D. PASAJE Correspondents Cartoons Photography Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. Columnists: • HENRYLITO D. TACIO • EDCER C.B. ESCUDERO • ATTY. EMILY ZEN CHUA • GREGORIO G. DELIGERO JOHN CARLO TRIA • BORBONCARLOS • MARYMUNDA ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO DAVAL SR., • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO ANGELO•AGUSTIN • EMILY VIDA S. VALVERDE C. LUMBA • HENRY J. SCHUMACHER • VANESSA KATE MADRAZO• JONALLIER Economic Analysts: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG ZENMIA CHUA • CARLOS• FRED MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG M. PEREZ

the national association of newspapers

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

Brothers to tow their students to stage a protest in support of their own political stand is in itself a violation of the rights of their students to freely express their opinion on matters that involve them, including the manner in which they will make their choices and express them in ways voluntary and not imposed. What resulted last Sunday where a measly minority came to follow the orders of their school administrators was a clear manifestation of children expressing their own choices and not daunted by orders or beliefs not necessarily theirs. Malacanang even had a more liberal way of dealing with the supposed gagging by these priests of their students. It said in a statement that anybody who wants to amplify his or her opinion may do so under the blessings of our democracy. Yes, that old adage: “I may disagree with what you think but I will defend to death your right to express it” is at its best exemplified in how this government faced the issue. Sunday’s black protest did not end up the way it was intended to be primarily because the Jesuit priests and Brothers are successful in turning our children into gallantly discerning individuals and not woeful blind followers.

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) 0948-823-3685 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

VANTAGE POINTS

Need to monitor ‘Budget for real change’

NY budgeting process in government involves two main elements: the executing and implementing agencies and the congress that has the power to scrutinize and approve the expenditure, hence the power of the purse retained by the representatives of the people. The recent days have seen a flurry of activity in Congress, what with each major line agency presenting for approval its portion in the 3.5 trillion peso budget for real change. That it is higher than past budgets should come as no surprise, given the tall order with which the Duterte government aims to shake up government and make it more responsive to the people. Doubling teachers, police and soldier salaries, expanding affordable irrigation and post harvest facilities and organizing credit unions, pursuing armed forces modernization, having a heart, kidney and lung center accessible to people in the regions requires

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

NE of historical conundrums that has intrigued local historians for decades was the whereabouts of the cadaver of New Yorker Edward Robert C. Bolton, Davao’s first American quasi-civil governor. He was sent to the Philippines as part of the fabled US 17th Infantry under Maj. Calvin D. Cowles, his predecessor and patron. Bolton’s rise as governor was largely on account of his personal connection and endorsement of superior military officers. As a soldier, he believed the Filipinos could be governed through peaceful means, position that was contrary to the focus of the American pacification campaign in the islands. His appointment as head of Davao region was by virtue of Act No. 787. His viewpoint, however, was disputed by some historians who argue his death on June 6, 1906 in the hands of Mangulayon, a Tagacaolo sub-ward leader, was an offshoot of abuse and discrimination. His brutal death and that of his plantation foreman, Benjamin Christian, were committed through hacking, which was symbolic of deep anger and hatred. The governor’s death resulted in a bloody vendetta that was launched by the American military establishment. In search of the killer, innocent natives were unnecessarily sacrificed and subjected to juez de cuchillo, or indiscriminate killing. Countless lives were wasted as the vengeful ritual spread out to helpless communities that became victims of colonial reprisal. As early as a decade earlier, books on Davao reported Bolton was buried in Baran-

a progresMY TWO CENTS’ sive increase in spending over the next 6 years, more than any government has done so far. That we are in a “goldilocks moment”, enjoying John Tria a low debt-toecisouth@gmail.com GDP ratio indicates an economy that is able to finance itself better without too much external borrowing that threatens our foreign exchange rates. Added to this is the infrastructure gap where the Aquino government was rightfully accused of failing to spend enough. In successive years Philippine infrastructure spending was less than the ASEAN bench-

mark of 5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The current government wants it at least 7% of GDP, which is about 20 billion US Dollars (http://data.worldbank.org/ country/philippines) Vietnam spent more and built more, which explains why they are probably able to attract more foreign direct investment. Public spending in infrastructure pumps up the local economy, raises business confidence and allows more money to enter a particular market, keeping the cost of borrowing low, which, in turn, drives credit and strengthens and expands local business activities. The multiplier effect is extended since the income it gives local business and the salaries it supports to create a thicker local economy, fostering more robust trade. Check the Philippine Stock exchange index regularly to monitor the performance of local stocks especially companies involved in infrastruc-

ture, food and beverage and housing and real property. Expect good performance there. Infrastructure spending, in particular, creates direct local benefit for local manufacturing such as cement plants, steel mills, PVC pipes, engineering services and of course, creates a demand for local labor, many of whom come from lower income sectors. The additional income for the poor drives more local business among them. Of course, inflation needs to be monitored, as an excess of this drives up consumer prices of basic commodities, cutting the ability of the poor to partake of and participate in economic activities. IN all, pump priming through public spending will be good for us. It is a change from previous spending. It pays therefore, that we as citizens, through civil society participation, monitor how well this money is spent, so that we can reap the benefits of this important initiative.

gay Bolton, FAST BACKWARD in the town of Malalag, Davao del Sur. Because the supposed crypt was found empty upon inspection, local resAntonio V. Figueroa idents floated theory his remains were stolen as trophy for the relatives of the persons aggrieved by the abuses done by Bolton and Christian. Contrary to urban legend, Bolton’s remains were actually recovered and sent to New York for over two months on transit in a metallic coffin encased in a wooden box that bore his name, position, and former military unit. His burial procession was poignantly described in The New York Times in its Sept. 3, 1906 issue: “Through the streets of New Rochelle where he played as a boy, the body of Lieut. Edward C. Bolton, Governor of a district in the Province of Mindanao, Philippine Islands, passed yesterday afternoon on a caisson draped with the flag. Hundreds of persons followed it to the cemetery. As the procession led by the United States Artillery Band, many of the residents that old thoroughfare who remembered the dead soldier as a schoolboy and a nephew of the parish rector, looked from their windows with tears in their eyes.” Bolton’s last rites were conducted by Rev. A.F. Tenney, an Episcopalian minister.

His remains were escorted to its final resting place at Beachwood Cemetery by a squad of infantrymen who fired the traditional parting shots and bugle sound. His pall bearers included Lt. Col. Evans and Lt. John R. Thomas, Jr. of the 17th Infantry, of which he was a former member; Lt. Francis W. Healy of the 29th Infantry; Lt. Leon P. Le Wald, the U.S. assistant surgeon; and Lieutenant Allen Lefort and Hugh J.B. McElgin of the Artillery Corps. Bolton’s passing drew praises for the legacy he left behind. Brig. Gen. Leonard Wood, governor of the Moro Province, extolled his qualities as a civil servant and soldier, saying he “was a man of rare genius for the work to which he had devoted himself and in which, through a moment of overconfidence, he lost his life. This work requires indomitable physical energy combined with the unusual gifts of tact and discretion in dealing with savage people and an infinite, hopeful patience, and with it all the unflinching determination to be ‘faithful unto death.” The Legislative Council of the Moro Province, angered by the death of Bolton in the hands of the “savage people” and the “ignorant natives,” adopted the following resolution: “WHEREAS, First Lieutenant Edward C. Bolton, 17th Infantry, Governor of the District of Davao, met his death at the hands of a jealous Tagacaola (sic) Chief, on the west coast of Davao Gulf, on June 6, 1906, while courageously visiting, without escort, certain natives for the purpose of conciliating them

and the American settlers on said gulf, and “WHEREAS, It is known to the Legislative Council of the Moro Province that Governor Bolton’s service to the Province, both as a civil official and as a soldier, have been most valuable, and that his conduct of affairs in carrying out the policy of the Government has been uniformly marked by good judgment, modesty, tact, and courage. “Be it Resolved by the Legislative Council of the Moro Province, “First. That his untimely death deprives the Moro Province of a valuable public official, the Army of a brave and able soldier, and the ignorant natives whom he had so consistently labored to assist, of a staunch advocate and protector; “Second. That the earnest sympathy of the Governor of the Moro Province and the other members of the Legislative Council is hereby conveyed to his family and friends; “Third. That a copy of these resolutions and a copy of Act No. 166 of the Legislative Council of the Moro Province be sent to his family, to the Governor-General of the Philippine Islands, to the Military Secretary of the Army and to the Colonel of his regiment.” In Bolton’s memory, a small river at an altitude of 900 feet, close to Mt. Halcon in Oriental Mindoro, was named by military trekkers a couple of years after his death. In Davao City, a street (which has since been renamed to Paciano Bangoy, the last governor of undivided Davao) and a bridge are reminders of his legacy. A barangay at Malalag, Davao del Sur, created in 1953, has also been named after him.

Gov. Bolton’s ‘lost’ cadaver

10 NEWS CHILD... FROM 1

dren through various interventions, overall they are not enough to address the rising problem. For one, she said, the government through DSWD should intensify monitoring of the implementation of the 4Ps program and endeavor to increase the subsidy of the pov-

erty alleviation intervention. She said they are receiving reports that some parents are not using the funding subsidy properly. She confirmed that many of the transactions involving commercial sex workers are now done through mobile phone gadgets.

rte who pushed for the reopening of the peace talks between the GRP and the NDFP. “He may not be capable of elegant language, as you have noticed, but he has a pure spirit and heart in wanting to have peace in the land,” Dureza said. On the other hand, GRP peace panel head Secretary Silvestre ‘Bebot’ Bello III said a draft amnesty proclamation is already ready for submission during the second round of peace talks on Thursday.

“The list has been narrowed down to just over 400 from a high of more than 500. As per agreement during the formal resumption of the peace talks in August, the proclamation will only cover NDF members currently detained,” Bello said. He said the president, with the concurrence of Congress, could declare a general amnesty once the peace talks are brought to a successful conclusion. ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

Proceeds from the convention will go to the Anak Kaugmaon Foundation, Inc., a Davao-based foundation of SPMC-Department of Pediatrics. Manalaysaid and Flavier

added the participation and support of all stakeholders will go a long way in helping indigent patients who are admitted at the pediatrics ward of SPMC.

concerned local and national government agencies to help stop the exploitation of these women, and push for the closure of establishments who hire GROs. She said that her group has helped these prostituted women to find other sources of livelihood in line with then former Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to assist those who would like to turn a new leaf. “We would like to prioritize their employment before livelihood,” Ampog said. She said Talikala is doing its best to support the needs of these exploited women by providing them and their families

with rice subsidies. “They wouldn’t stop if we couldn’t give,” she said, adding that looking after the welfare of these women should be a shared responsibility among all sectors in the community. In the meantime, Ampog said the Talikala will spearhead a drama forum that will showcase the talents of victims of prostitution. “We would give the audience an opportunity on how they want to end the stories of these women,” she said. The forum will be held on Oct. 11 at the Ateneo de Davao Community Center. RIA VALDEZ

ated in 1997,” said Aquino, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Science and Technology. “And we’re very happy that there’s a lot of openness with the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) and the DOF in terms of pushing for this reform package,” he added. Dominguez, for his part, expressed his appreciation for the lawmakers’ support for the DOF’s tax reform program. The Tax Congress at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel was organized by the Center for Strategic Reforms of the Philippines, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Integrity Initiative, Go Negosyo, Ateneo De Manila University-Graduate School of Business, Association of the Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI), and the Abrea Consulting Group (ACG). At the end of the forum, the Pledge of Support—it was signed by all business organizations, associations and individuals who are committed to provide a culture of honesty and integrity in paying taxes— was officially handed over to Dominguez.

The Pledge expressed the full support of the signatories to the adoption of a “simpler, fairer and more efficient” tax system that will promote inclusive growth and ultimately benefit small businesses and ordinary employees. The DOF submitted its proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act last month to the Congress, in line with the new administration’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda that aims to free 10 million Filipinos from poverty and transform the Philippines into an upper middle-income economy by the end of the Duterte presidency in 2022. In his speech, Dominguez said at the forum that the first tax bill under the comprehensive reform plan was submitted to the House after the DOF’s consultations with members of the Cabinet, legislators, former Secretaries of Finance, prominent economists, stakeholder and business groups, and with various foreign embassies, global financial institutions and joint foreign chambers signifying their support for this proposal.

Oslo... FROM 2

Davao... FROM 3 Day... FROM 3

More... FROM 6

EDGEDAVAO

CHARTING MINDANAO’S FUTURE. University of the Philippines Alumni Association Davao City Chapter President Bo Puentespina (left), together with Rene Estremera of UP Mindanao, announces the upcoming symposium

Social... FROM 3

didn’t receive her salary for month because the gay man was the one who handled her finances. When the man returned to Davao to recruit more girls, she decided to come along. Bubai revealed that she continued to offer her sexual services here by texting clients. She said her income from

the flesh trade helped finance her schooling. Luckily, when she turned 13, she was taken in by Talikala and has been with the group since then. According to Ampog, social media has made it easier access for younger prostituted women to ply their trade, as most of them now are tech savvy. RIA VALDEZ

munities and the economy in general,” he added. To shield the economy from adverse shocks, Llanto proposed the need to build the capacities of local commu-

nities to face various types of hazards, provision of sufficient budgets, and undertaking of “whole-of-government policy” to strengthen vulnerable sectors. (PNA)

while sustaining the competitiveness of exports. “As of September 22, the peso weakened to P47.85 against the US dollar from P47.15 at end-December last year owing to the normalization of interest rates in the US and the economic slowdown in China,” he said. The peso has fallen 1.47 percent to date, trailing gains of 5.2 percent in Indonesia’s rupiah, 3.5 percent in Malaysia’s ringgit, 3.92 percent in the Thai baht, 4.78 percent in Singapore’s dollar, 6.11 percent in Korea’s won, and 0.85 percent

in Vietnam’s dong. Asian currencies, on average, rose 2.8 percent with five of 13 countries showing depreciation rates ranging from 0.1 percent for Hong Kong to 9.9 percent for China. “The Philippine peso depreciated by only 1.5 percent year-to-date but showed the biggest depreciation monthto-date as the positive impact of the May election on the peso subsided,” Beltran said. “The rest of Asia lost $205 billion to support their currencies; the Philippines gained $5.1 billion,” he added.

Negros Occidental, Bukidnon, Davao, and Cotabato. The program is pursuant to the financing response for the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA) program under DA System-Wide Climate Change Office (DA-SWCCO). Under the program, ACPC tapped nine financial institutions which include: Coop-

erative Bank of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur Cooperative Bank, Cooperative Bank of La Union, Cooperative Bank of Nueva Vizcaya, First Isabela Cooperative Bank, Cooperative Bank of Negros Oriental, Negros Cooperative Bank, Cooperative Bank of Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon Cooperative Bank, and Cooperative Bank of Cotabato. (PNA)

IPC, through its carrier-grade, telco-neutral data centers, provides highly secure colocation services as well as its IaaS product, IPC CloudServers, or a hybrid setup that involves both. With expertise in the full range of IT infrastruc-

ture implementations, IPC is able to efficiently assist businesses in setting up their own hybrid systems. Learn how IPC’s infrastructure-as-a-service can solve real life business problems at cloud.ipc.ph.

Resilience... FROM 5 PHL... FROM 5

P90-M... FROM 6

Hybrid... FROM 12

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

on Mindanao issues and federalism slated at UP-Mindanao on October 15 during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

Dominguez... FROM 6 Dominguez said the DOF tax bill was completed after the Department had consulted with members of the Cabinet, legislators, former Secretaries of Finance, prominent economists, stakeholder and business groups, and with various foreign embassies, global financial institutions and joint foreign chambers signifying their support for the tax reform proposal. Public investments are estimated to reach P1.273 trillion this year, of which P621 billion will be in infrastructure; P454 in education, P128 billion in health, P60 billion in social protection, and P10 billion in training, research and development (R&D) and other programs. Dominguez said the Duterte administration wants public investments to almost double to P2.29 trillion each year, of which P951 billion will go to infrastructure (or an increase of P330 billion), P908 billion to education (P454 billion increase), P256 billion to health (P128 billion increase) P120 billion to social protection (P60 billion increase), and P55 billion to training, R&D and other programs (P45 billion increase). Hence, the need for an extra P1.017 trillion per year to double public spending on infrastructure, human capital and social protection over the next 24 years till 2040, he said. Such massive investments “require robust revenue inflows,” he stressed. “Without reforming our tax system so that it becomes fairer, simpler and more efficient, government cannot undertake the volume of spending required in achieving its goals.” “To raise the additional P1 trillion per year, the government needs to adopt a fairer, simpler and more efficient tax system with low rates and a broad base that can promote investment, job creation and poverty reduction,” Dominguez said, “and at the same time effect tax administration reforms at our major revenue-generation agencies, the Bureaus of Internal Revenue (BIR) and of Customs (BOC).” Also, budget reforms must

go hand-in-hand with tax reforms “to improve spending, transparency and efficiency as a way to generate savings that could then be invested in infrastructure, human capital and social protection,” he said. Four leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives—Deputy Speaker Romero Quimbo, Senators Juan Edgardo Angara and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, and Rep. Dakila Carlo Cua—all cited this DOF-proposed reform package at a tax forum in Makati City last week. Angara and Cua are the respective heads of the Senate and House ways and means committee; Aquino chairs the Senate committee on education, arts and culture; and Quimbo chaired the House ways and means committee in the past Congress. Quimbo noted what he called a “paradigm shift at the DOF” from the current direct taxation towards indirect forms of taxation that would raise more revenues for the state coffers. “I’m absolutely delighted with the fact that the DOF, for the first time in the last seven years, is actually going out of its way to present a comprehensive tax reform program,” said Quimbo, who likewise pointed out that he “rarely see[s] Secretaries of Finance actually presenting at [the tax reform package] at this lateness of this hour.” Dominguez, along with DOF Undersecretaries Karl Kendrick Chua and Antonette Tionko, attended that tax forum, which lasted past dinnertime. Cua said at the forum that the DOF’s reform proposals were “timely” and “much awaited,” given that the last comprehensive tax reform was done 30 years ago. “Hinog na hinog na yung issue (The issue is very ripe) and we will act on it as fast as possible without compromising the quality of the legislation,” he said. Angara commended the DOF at the forum for coming up with a tax reform package in less than three months into the Duterte administration.

INdulge!

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

TRAVEL

EDGEDAVAO

A day with Asia’s top surfer

PHILMAR ALIPAYO IT WAS MY ULTIMATE PLEASURE TO VISIT SIARGAO ISLAND DURING ONE OF ITS MOST FESTIVE SEASONS, the 22nd International Siargao Surfing Cup which concluded last September 29. It was my first time to visit and I was so excited to finally cross this item off my bucketlist. On my third day in the island, I saw kids running around barefoot and sunburnt local surfers hanging around the surf shops that fronted the entrance to the watch tower and boardwalk in Cloud 9. Michael Eijansantos, who heads the sports news website mylifeonboard.net, was just heading back to their resort when we arrived. We asked if the top surfers were around. Michael said that he didn’t know who would be around as the competition was called off for the day. As if on cue, Michael quickly tells us he sees Philmar Alipayo, the champion from a recent international competition, arriving on motorbike. He hailed the riding duo and introduced us. I asked if he would be available for a really short interview and with a sigh of relief, he agreed. He tells me that he was on his way to surf and prepare for the competition. As a lover of surfing myself, I tried to relax. I was bursting with joy just getting the chance to talk to a pro surfer. Thank goodness for Leslie Egnora, his girlfriend, a practicing doctor from Surigao City and a fellow surfer,

I felt more comfortable as more people started to populate the Cloud 9 watch tower. The 24-year-old Siargao native tells me that he recently came back home after winning his first international surfing competition at the 2016 West Sumbawa Pro 2016 earlier this year. He was the lone Filipino surfer, up against 7 of Indonesia’s best surfers during the quarterfinals. “I was 10 years old when I first started surfing. My Uncle Yok-Yok , one of the best Filipino surfers of his time, taught me” Philmar said when asked how he started. Living in front of a world-class surf break, it seemed destined that Philmar had a head start in the surfing world. He is eldest of three siblings who are all surfers and goofy-footers (a stance where the right food is forward). I offer him an ecstatic high five and told him that I’m a goofy-foot too! “My favorite spots are Cloud 9 and Tuason Point because they’re lefthander waves!” Philmar says reminiscently and then goes on to describe using

MERMAID A2

ABOVE: A perfect shot of Philmar Alipayo tube riding in Cloud Nine’s world famous barrels. Photo by Gaps Sabuero. LEFT: Trying not to be an obvious fan girl, I take a memento of the moment with Leslie Egnora (middle) and Philmar Alipayo (right) before he heads out to surf at Cloud 9. BOTTOM: The view of Siargao’s iconic watch tower located a meters off shore where one can easily watch surfers battling it out in Cloud 9.

A2 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 201

PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS

TRAVEL MERMAID A1

hand gestures how the waves peel towards the left. Asked if he does anything else aside from competing, “I also teach surfing to tourists and guests who check in at Harana Resort, who are one of my sponsors. But I only teach when I want to” he says with a sly grin. “If the waves are good, you won’t see me around,” he laughs. I smiled and thanked him for spending time away from the waves to talk to me, wishing him all the best in the competition. I found out a few days later that he won second place in the 22nd International Siargao Surfing Cup. Automatically giving him a big lead, Leslie tells me to check the leaderboards. I found out that Philmar is just five points away from being Asia’s No. 1 surfer, according to the Asian Surfing Championships (ASC). “It’s a super long and hard process to get to where I am now but I’ve got nothing else to do but to chase my dreams. I need to relax and focus.” Philmar says when asked for his reaction being Asia’s Top 2. With two more competitions left for the year, Philmar aims to do his best in the upcoming competitions this October in Rote Island, Bali and in Taiwan this November. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to surf and represent the

Philippines in the international arena. If it weren’t for my sponsors and for the people who believed in me, I don’t think I would be where I am right now.” Philmar adds. When asked how he seems himself five to 10 years from now, he says he has grown so much not just in terms of surfing better but as whole person. More mature, more focused. “I don’t really mind what achievements I’ll get in this journey, I’ll always be the same person. I will always give back to the locals A stunning portrait of Philmar Alipayo by Siargaothat’s why I never sell based surf photographer, Gaps Sabuero. my boards when they get old, I just give them away.” Says https://www.mylifeonboard.net/. Philmar. You can read the full version of this I pray Philmar does so much bet- story soon in my blog: www.millenter in the upcoming competitions. nialmermaid.com. With his generosity, humility and I would like to thank the followpassion in what he does, it’s inevi- ing awesome folks who have made table that he succeeds. I won’t be this possible: Mike of mylifeonsurprised if the year ends and he board.net for introducing me to becomes Asia’s number one. Philmar , Leslie for being so helpTo see how you can help Phil- ful, to Gaps Sabuero for the photos, mar succeed, please contact and to Sharlene, Marie and Ma’am 09390821580. For more informa- Jean Camarin of the Department of tion about Philmar’s win at the Tourism – Region 13 for having us West Sumawa Pro 2016, please visit: in Siargao.

WIT TIO 24 HA POP also pop Wh peo ridi rela

Bu than writi note land the Tow the Shan for w W squa man you with rival

EDGEDAVAO

TH A POPULAON OF MORE THAN MILLION, SHANGAI IS CHINA’S MOST PULOUS CITY. It is o considered the most pulous city in the world. herever you go, you see ople walking, talking, ing, driving, eating and axing.

ut there’s more to Shanghai n its people. Kate Morgan, ing for “The Lonely Planet,” ed: “From the architectural dmarks lining the Bund and rickety charm of the Old wn, to the leafy backstreets of former French Concession, nghai is a city that just begs wandering.” With an area covering 5,760 are kilometers, there are so ny things you can do while are in the city that oozes h a vibrant atmosphere which ls New York and Paris in

INdulge! A3

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

SHANGHAI SOJOURN Shanghai at night. terms of its modern, vibe. Here are some of the things you can do to keep you busy and make the best of your trip in this great city of sights and sounds: See the city at night. You can do this by joining a cruise tour of the Huangpu River. This is the best way for youy to admire Shanghai’s classic skyline populated with colonial architecture and modern skyscrapers along the river. Cruise ships vary in size, decoration and amenities; some boats look very trendy with a modern-style bar, while others are decorated in the traditional Chinese style. Learn about its history, present and future. Put on your snickers and proceed to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center located at People’s Square which is just adjacent to the municipal government building. It’s a sixstorey building that showcases

the city’s urban planning and development activities. Due to its multiple functions, it is regarded as a window for Shanghai to communicate with the outside world. Don’t miss going to the small theatre room housing a 360° screen. It plays a video which gives you the impression you are flying through the Shanghai of the future, as you view the city’s top tourist locations. Conquer your fear. If you have a fear of heights, then you better visit the 101-storey Shanghai World Financial Center, a supertall skyscraper located situated in the heart of the Pudong district. Opened to the public in 2008, it has an observation deck which offers views from 474 meters above ground level. The hitch is this: you will be walking on a glass-floor so you will see the ground below from where

Inside Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center. you are standing! Actually, there are three separate observation decks: on the 94th floor (1,388 feet), on the 97th floor (1,440 feet) and the highest on the 100th floor (1,555 feet). In 2009, the Guinness World Records declared the facility as the world’s “highest observatory.” Visit the French Concession. This place was actually

SHANGHAI A4

PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS

Serving a seamless society

EDGE DAVAO GENSAN PARTNERS

EDGEDAVAO

A4 INdulge! TRAVEL

SHANGHAI A3

a foreign concession from 1849 until 1943. Many street front buildings have been preserved; a house on Wukang Road is a very good example of how the locals have taken care of such historical spots. It was here where Adeline Yen Mah stayed and later on mentioned in her autobiography, “Chinese Cinderella” (1999). This area was also mentioned in Jules Verne’s novel, “Tribulations of a Chinaman in China” (1879).

Look for places featured in Hollywood movies. In “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” one scene showed Harrison Ford in a fictional club called Obi-Wan in Shanghai. But there are several other Hollywood

films that were shot in the city: “Shanghai Express,” “The Lady from Shanghai,” “Shanghai Surprise,” “Empire of the Sun,” “Mission Impossible 3,” “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” “Looper,” and “Skyfall.”

Commune with nature. Located beside the City God Temple is a picturesque Chinese garden with a unique design. Called Yuyuan Garden, it perfectly blends decorative halls, elaborate pavilions, glittering pools, zigzag bridges, pagodas, archways and impressive rockeries. If you keep your eyes on the details, you will find many clay sculptures and brick carvings, calligraphic and paintings of famous artists. Drop by at The Bund. This two-kilometer strip along the west bank of the Huangpu River is the symbol of colonial Shanghai. It has dozens of buildings of various architectural styles. One scribe describes the place as “perfect blend of the East and the West, the ancient and the modern.”

September 30 – October 4, 2016

BARCELONA/*MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla/ *Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

PG/*R13

11:45 | 2:15 | 4:45 LFS / *7:15 | 9:55 LFS

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN Eva Green, Asa Butterfield Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

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

MY REBOUND GIRL/ * ANG BABAENG HUMAYO Alex Gonzaga, Joseph Marco/ * Charo Santos-Concio, John Lloyd Cruz Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

PG/*R16

12:45 | 2:55 LFS / *5:00 | 9:05 LFS

MASTERMINDS/ *I.T. Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig/ *Pierce Brosnan, James Frecheville Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

PG/ *R13

12:00 | 2:00 | 4:00 LFS / *6:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

5. 6.

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11th Judicial Region RTC Branch 10, Davao City

ANNE YAP-HECHANOVA, EVANGELINE L. YAP, MARIAM YAP-RONQUILLO, JANE YAP-TAN, INES JOSEPHINE YAP-MUYCO, Plaintiffs,

CIVIL CASE NO.: R-DVO-16-02426-CV FOR: JUDICIAL PARTITION OF PROPERTY.

-VS-

THE HEIRS OF RALPH L. YAP, namely, RUBINA E. YAP, GLADYS E. YAP, CHRYSANT MIRACLE E. YAP and KEVIN E. YAP, Defendants. x------------------------------x

COMPLAINT

COME NOW, plaintiffs by counsel and unto the Honorable Court, most respectfully aver, THAT : 1.

A. THE PARTIES

Plaintiffs are all of legal ages, Filipinos, married and widow respectively and residents respectively of Davao City, Philippines and New York, USA, but all of them could be served with summons and other processes of the Honorable Court at 111 San Pedro St. , Davao City, care of Evangeline L. Yap;

Defendants heirs of the late Ralph L. Yap, namely Rubina E. Yap, Gladys E. Yap, Chrysant Miracle E. Yap and Kevin E. Yap, are widow and children/heirs of the late Ralph L. Yap, all of legal ages, Filipinos and could be served with summons and other processes of the Honorable Court at their last known address at 111 San Pedro St., Davao City; B. CAUSE OF ACTION

Plaintiffs, in a Decision dated November 25, 2015 rendered by the Regional Trial Court of Davao City, Branch 16, denominated as Civil Case No. 36,262-15, were declared co-owners of a property previously registered in the name of the late Ralph L. Yap, consisting of One Hundred Sixty Five (165) square meters per Original Certificate of Title No. 146-2013000044 , certified copy of said decision and Title are hereto respectively attached marked and submarked as Annex “A” and “B” ;

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

In fact, the Honorable Court , page 6, paragraph 1 of said Decision, had directed the Office of the Register of Deeds of Davao City to issue a new Title No. under the names of plaintiffs herein , that is ½ share for Evangeline Yap , the rests for 1/14 share and 1/14 aggregated share for the defendants ; Said Decision had become final and executory and in fact a Writ of Execution had already been issued by the aforesaid Court, copy of which is hereto attached marked as Annex “C”; Based on the said Decision of the Honorable Court, except for plaintiff Evangeline L. Yap who would get 82.50 square meters( 165 sq.m x 50%), the rest of the plaintiffs would get 11.785 square meters(165 sq.m. x 1/14) and so with defendants as their aggregate share; In view of the said sharing, plaintiffs herein have decided that it would be best for everyone to just sell the aforesaid property, save for the 11.785 square meters allotted to the defendants since the latter could not be located and contacted anymore despite diligent effort, to at least inform them of the said intention and a chance to amicably settle their differences; in fact even before the filing of this action and when the aforementioned case was filed against herein defendants, earnest effort had been exerted by plaintiffs herein to settle their controversy amicably but the same failed; Considering the fact that defendants could no longer be found in their last known address nor could they be contacted for the purpose of letting them know and agree to that intended sale of the property which could have rendered this Complaint unnecessary, it becomes imperative now to partition the property between plaintiffs herein and the defendants based on their respective share;

The property in question has still to be resurveyed and there is no specific portion thereon yet that would be occupied by anyone among the parties herein but since the plaintiffs are in agreement to sell their whole share on the property, assigning them to a particular part thereof is no longer necessary but indispensable for the defendants however whose whereabouts are unknown and therefore could not give their take on the matter;

10. Consequently, plaintiffs have identified a portion of the property of the same size as theirs, that is 11.785 square meters thereof, located in the area defendants used to occupy which would give them free access anytime, copy of a sketch for said location is hereto attached marked and submarked as Annex “D”; 11. Rule 69, Section 1 thereof, of the Rules of Court as amended, provides as follows:

Section 1. Complaint in an action for partition of real estate. – A person having the right to compel the partition of real estate may do so as provided in this Rule, setting forth in his complaint the nature and extent of his title and an adequate description of the real estate of which partition is demanded and joining as defendants all other persons interested in the property.

12. Resort to conciliation between parties before the Office of the Barangay Captain of 38-D, could not be made since as stated earlier, defendants could no longer be found in their last known address and whose whereabouts could not be ascertained anymore by the plaintiffs;

13. The estimated, market or assessed value of the land in question is P 247,500.00 , while that of the improvements is pegged at P 142,500.00 as determined by the Davao City Assessors Office, copies of its assessment are hereto attached marked and sub-marked as Annex “E” hereof.

WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed of the Honorable Court that the aforesaid property be judicially partitioned in a manner prayed for by the plaintiffs herein.

Other relief just and equitable under the circumstances are likewise prayed for. May 31, 2016, Davao City, Philippines.

DENNIS G. DAGOHOY Counsel for the Plaintiffs Suite 202, 2nd Floor JMS Bldg., No. 88 Maya St., Ecoland, Davao City PTR No. 6786877; 01.05.16; Davao City IBP No. 989165; 12.07.15; Davao City Roll No. 38726 MCLE Comp. No. V : 0019614

Republic of the Philippines) City of Davao……………….….) s.s. x----------------------------x VERIFICATION/CERTIFICATION

WE, ANNE L. YAP-HECHANOVA, MARIAM YAP-RONQUILLO, JANE YAP-TAN, VIOLA YAP-DUMDUM, EVANGELINE L. YAP, INES JOSEPHINE YAP-MUYCO, of legal ages, Filipinos, married and widow respectively and residents of Davao City, Philippines and New York, USA, under oath depose and say, THAT: We are the Plaintiff in the above-entitled case; we have caused the preparation of the foregoing Complaint; We have read and understood the said Complaint and that the allegations therein are true and correct based on our personal knowledge or based on authentic documents;

We hereby CERTIFY that have not commenced any other action or proceedings involving the same issues in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or different divisions thereof, or any tribunal or agency, that based on our personal knowledge, no such action or proceeding is pending in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, or different divisions thereof, or any tribunal or agency, and that should We learn of the pendency of other action or proceeding before the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or different divisions thereof or any other tribunal or agency, We shall undertake to inform the Honorable Court of such fact within five(5) days therefrom. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of May 2016 at Davao City, Philippines. ANNE L. YAP-HECHANOVA Affiant SSS ID No. 03-4603599-1

MARIAM YAP-RONQUILLO Affiant SSS ID No. 04-3007224-2

JANE YAP-TAN Affiant CRN ID No. 0111-1707013-9

VIOLA YAP-DUMDUM Affiant Passport ID No. 524045751

EVANGELINE L. YAP Affiant OSCA No. 13-001248

INES JOSEPHINE YAP-MUYCO Affiant PRC No. 0020270

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 31st day of May 2016 at Davao City, Philippines, affiant exhibited to me their respective identification document as above-described.

DOC NO. : PAGE NO : BOOK NO : SERIES OF :

216 45 118 2016

DENNIS G. DAGOHOY Notary Public for and in the City of Davao Until December 31, 2017 Suite 202, 2nd Floor, JMS Bldg., No. 88 Maya St., Ecoland, Davao City Serial No. 116-2016; Roll No. 38726 PTR No. 6786877; 01.05.16; Davao City IBP No. 989165; 12.07.15; Davao City

12 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

Republic Cement, TESDA producing new welders T T

HE Republic Cement Group, a leading cement and building materials manufacturer and construction solutions provider, continues the success of its community development initiatives as 147 graduates of its Iligan Plant’s skills training program recently received National Certificates II (NC II) in Shielded and Arc Welding from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). “Republic Cement is firmly committed to the development of our host communities, including providing relevant skills training that can trans-

late into employment opportunities both here and abroad,” said Renato Sunico, president of Republic Cement and Building Materials, Inc. (RCBM). The newly certified welders represent the second batch of trainees under the program, which has since produced over 200 graduates. The project mostly benefits indigent and unemployed members from its two neighboring communities, Barangays Kiwalan and Acmac in Iligan City. Under the program, which is implemented in partnership with TESDA and the Barangay Councils of Kiwalan and Acmac, scholars undergo a total

of 324 hours of intensive training in order to receive a certificate. NC II is part of TESDA’s Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) Qualification and Certification System, which validates that its program graduates are equipped with the technical aptitude in all relevant competency requirements and standards prescribed by the industry. Apart from offering livelihood opportunities, the program promotes equal opportunity and gender diversity, having trained over 20 women in the Shielded and Arc Welding course, a traditionally male-associated profession.

Sunico further notes that the partnership with TESDA is part of the company’s capability-building efforts, helping to expand the local pool of skilled workers from which it can hire contractors for its expansion requirements. He adds that most of the welding contractors currently servicing Republic Cement’s Iligan Plant are products of the skills training program. “This is one way that Republic Cement builds shared value in our host communities,” shared Sunico. “Our skills training program is one way for us to contribute to the communities’ overall well-being.”

Hybrid Cloud key to business success L

OCAL cloud and data center services pioneer IPC (IP Converge Data Services, Inc.) believes that Hybrid Cloud setups, a combination of public cloud infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and physical hardware-driven systems, are key business growth strategies, especially for medium to large enterprises that already have operational IT systems in place. Businesses of today face challenges that not only dampen growth, but more so, threaten their very survival. As the digital age forces companies to rely heavily on ICT (information and communications technology), business processes are changing and IT systems have become “mission-critical,” thus compelling CTOs to seek IT infrastructure options that bring high systems availability without breaking the bank or getting into a fight with the CFO. A Hybrid Cloud configuration involves the use of public cloud resources combined with hosted physical machines to run and maintain specific systems for an organization. There are companies that would like to take advantage of the cloud but would also like to maintain data or applications using their own physical resources. This setup is a viable solution to a slew of business concerns, i.e. maintain control over a particular component or set of data within a system, backup and disaster recovery, security or compliance issues, and data sovereignty. In addition, the public cloud components allow companies to scale up or down as needed and pay only for what is used. According to IPC’s Director for Product Management and Marketing Niño Valmonte, a hybrid approach enables companies to maintain control of

RTWBP XI to conduct wage public hearings this month HE Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) XI is set to conduct public hearings for the review of Wage Order No. RB XI-18 on October 17 and 18 from 1 pm to 5 pm at Tagum City and Davao City respectively. The public hearing on October 17 will be at Molave Hotel in Tagum City to cover areas of Tagum City, Panabo City, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental; and on October 18 at The Apo View Hotel in Davao City to cover the areas of Davao City, Island Garden City of Samal, Digos City, Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental. Initially, the hearings were scheduled on October 10 and 11 but was further moved in order to provide additional time for all sectors to submit their comments/ position papers. This new schedule was also published in a local newspaper on Thursday, September 29, 2016. The notice was issued by Department of Labor and Employment XI Regional Di-

rector and RTWPB XI Chairman Joffrey M. Suyao. “We are encouraging and inviting all of our stakeholders to take part in the upcoming public hearings as this is also an opportunity for them to provide their position on all forms of petitions, verbal or written on the wage rates here in the region,” Director Suyao said. Parties interested may submit or present their comments/position papers relative to the on-going review of the Wage Order with the Regional Board on or before the scheduled date of public hearing. Wage Order No. RB XI-18 sets the current minimum wage of Davao Region which is at P317 for non-agriculture and P307 for agriculture sector with P5 as the new cost of living allowance (COLA) effective December 1, 2014. The wage order also sets that a minimum wage of P317 will be observed for those employing more than 10 workers and P286 for those not more than 10 workers. Kriztja Marae G. Labrador/ LCO-DOLEXI

BDO insurance brokers top latest IC rankings

an internally managed private cloud, while relying on the public cloud as needed. Though they operate independently, they can be setup to communicate over an encrypted internet connection in order to fulfill specific tasks. For instance, during peak periods in the retail industry such as the holidays, applications, or even portions of applications of an order entry system can be migrated to the public cloud, thus providing more stability. This will also allow for more flexibility and scalability. “IPC is in the best position to help companies achieve a hybrid cloud setup that is efficient, secure and effective, being both a highly experienced Internet data center operator and pioneer cloud IaaS provider in the country,” Valmonte said. “We leverage our stateof-the-art data center facilities and robust network infrastructure to provide the entire spectrum of IT infrastructure solutions ranging from data center co-location, hosted private cloud infrastructure, hybrid cloud, virtual private cloud, and public IaaS.” On the rise

Ease of use and customization possibilities are key drivers for businesses shifting to hybrid cloud setups. A study by the International Data Corporation (IDC), revealed that over 70% of enterprises in Southeast Asia are integrating hybrid cloud in their IT strategy. According to IDC, enterprises realize that adopting hybrid cloud is important to reduce cost and achieve business transformation, agility and scalability. “2016 will be a big year for solutions built on hybrid cloud architectures with 65% of Asia Pacific enterprises to commit for its implementation,” said Chris Morris, vice president, Cloud and Services, IDC Asia/ Pacific. IDC believes that the big drivers for increased implementation of hybrid clouds are IT’s continuing quest for optimized infrastructure, and the ability of solution builders to source application and infrastructure components from multiple providers to construct a hybrid cloud-based solution. “With increasing cloud spending, many enterprises will have begun use of hybrid solutions without direct involvement. With the business

unit managers increasingly buying their own cloud solutions, hybrid cloud architectures can proliferate, and sometimes not be aligned with the enterprise architecture,” added Morris. Another study, made by Frost & Sullivan, shows that Hybrid IT is the “new normal” for companies in the Asia-Pacific. “At their core, successful hybrid cloud strategies support the delivery of high-value applications and services to the business, while at the same time driving cost and inefficiency out of the IT infrastructure,” the report said. Hybrid cloud environments are becoming more popular in the marketplace, as they enable IT to remain flexible and respond quickly to market demands, as well as providing lines of business with the resources they need to succeed. Additionally, cloud users recognize that different workloads or applications perform optimally in differently configured environments: configurations that work well for one application or workload may not work for another. And many workloads share data that is drawn from different sources outside of where the application itself

DO Insurance Brokers, Inc. (BDOI), a subsidiary of BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO), emerged as number one among the 60 insurance brokers operating in the country in terms of both premiums and commissions generated. This is based on the yearend 2015 industry ranking recently released by the Insurance Commission. BDOI maintained its position as the top broker in terms of commissions for the second straight year, while it improved its ranking from number two in terms of premiums from the previous year. The company generated P7.04 billion in premiums and P1.22 billion in commissions, making it the only locally owned insurance brokering firm in the top five in terms of premiums, and one of only two in the top five in terms of commissions. In terms of product line,

resides. As such, businesses are integrating a variety of infrastructures to create a complete, hybrid cloud environment. Boosting digital shift “Adopting a hybrid cloud strategy is definitely key to boosting digital transformation. It allows companies to utilize the cloud for scalability while keeping critical data and processes in check whether in their offices, or colocated in IPC Data Center. This way, companies enjoy a highly flexible and

BDOI is the top premium producer in fidelity and surety, motor vehicle, and miscellaneous lines. In terms of commissions, on the other hand, it is the top producer in fire, ocean marine, fidelity and surety, motor vehicle, engineering and miscellaneous lines. “Teamwork, a close working relationship with our bank counterparts, and a passion to provide customized solutions to clients’ needs made BDOI number one,” said Tracy Tan, general manager and senior vice president of BDOI. For his part, BDOI Chairman and President Jesus A. Jacinto said, “We have managed to steadily grow the business despite challenges posed by competition, because we always put the interest of our clients first. We build business relationships this way, and in turn, our clients trust us with their insurance requirements.”

customizable IT environment,” added Valmonte. “Digital is the New Normal, and the time to make the digital pivot is now.” According to Gartner, digital transformation has become a key factor in future business growth and success, and the latter will be defined by how well companies, organizations, and governments leverage the technology to enable partner and customer engagement across a wide range of digitized processes.

F HYBRID, 10

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late ROMEO PEÑANUEVA MANOG has been the subject of an Extra Judicial Settlement of Estate executed among his heirs, per Doc. No.49; Page No.10; Book No. XII; Series of 2016, of the NOTARY PUBLIC MARK PETER M. QUILANETA 10/4,11,18

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

All unredeemed items pawned during the month of May 2016,if not redeemed/renewed on September 30, 2016 will be put on Auction Sale October 5, 2016 at 9:00 A. M. to 5:00 P.M. Pahibalo nga ang tanang wala malukat nga prenda sa bulan Mayo 2016, kung dili malukat sa Setyembre 30, 2016 isubasta sa bulan sa Oktubre 5, 2016 sa alas 9:00 sa buntag hangtud sa alas 5:00 sa hapon.

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

NEWS 13

Gov’t on top of human rights abuses in PH -- Sen. Cayetano S

ENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday expressed hope the Senate hearings on extrajudicial killings will help send the message to the international community that law enforcement authorities are on top of the human rights abuses in the country. Cayetano, a staunch ally of President Duterte, made this point after the hearing in which alleged members of the so-called vigilante group Davao Death Squad (DDS) were present. “We’re hoping that these marathon hearings until Wednesday will establish that

although our system is not perfect but the goal is peace and order; there are abuses, but those who abuse will be jailed and charged; there are killings but because suspects resist arrest and fight back but they are not killed just for being pushers alone,” Cayetano said. “Again we are not saying there are no abuses in the PNP (Philippine National Police) but to accuse the President of state-sponsored extrajudicial killings is not true,” he added. Cayetano explained that media should take note of two things: there are countries upset because there are communists in the government

and there are countries upset about the Philippines being ‘friendly’ with their enemies. He also raised the possibility that these human rights abuses were only raised to pressure the Philippines and that it was all part of “geopolitics”. The senator, meanwhile, admitted that although it would be helpful if the President did temper down his foul way of speaking in speeches and press conferences, it was difficult for him to change old habits. “He (President Duterte) talks that way because he talks in a way drug pushers can un-

derstand him. Of course, the diplomatic community doesn’t want people to talk that way,” Cayetano said. “I agree that some of these things can be done away with more diplomatic language. We have two audiences, foreigners and criminals. But the President’s focus is [on] criminals— he’s trying to relay his message that they can’t get away from misdeeds under this administration,” he added. Asked if he trusted the credibility of Matobato after alleged DDS members testified, Cayetano said that he would rather have the public decide for themselves. (PNA)

a quorum),” said Fariñas. With 293 members composing the House of Representatives, there must be at least 146 lawmakers to constitute a quorum. The solon also said it is the first time in history the national budget will be approved on second reading earlier than the scheduled date. “Before, it will take us 10 days working until midnight and on the last day prolonging until the succeeding day. Now, we will be done by

Wednesday[...] We are on the right track,” the House leader said. The two-week plenary deliberation on House Bill 3408 or the 2017 General Appropriations Bill started last Sept. 26 and was originally scheduled to end on Friday. Within this period, Fariñas assured there has been no major realignment in the proposed national budget. When asked about his assessment on the House of Representatives’ performance during the current

administration’s first 100 days, Fariñas said the lower chamber is on the right track, also expressing confidence that they can fulfill President Rodrigo Duterte’s legislative agenda expeditiously. Ranking high on the agenda are the granting of emergency powers to the President to address traffic woes in the metropolis; the government’s shift to federalism; restoration of death penalty and implementing reforms the country’s taxation system. (PNA)

House to wrap up plenary budget debates on Wed

HE House of Representatives is expected to wrap up its plenary deliberations on the proposed P3.35 trillion national budget for 2017 on Wednesday, majority floor leader Rodolfo Fariñas said. In a press conference on Monday, Fariñas said the consistent presence of a quorum hastened the completion of the plenary debates. “[F]irst time in history that we have been conducting roll calls every day. Palaging may quorum (There’s always

14 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

CHARGING UP Panabo’s Barriga wins second pro bout F

ANOTHER WIN. Panao City’s Mark Anthony Barriga has raised his pro record to 2-0.

SW, CCC renew rivalry at PAL Ladies Interclub

ANILA Southwoods-Masters and Cebu Country Club renew their rivalry Tuesday at the start of the 11th Philippine Airlines (PAL) Ladies Interclub golf team championship at the Camp John Hay Golf Club in Baguio City. The SW-Masters squad is gunning for a record sixth straight title against a team it beat by an average of 2.5 points in the last two years. “It’s going to be tight, that’s for sure,” said SW-Masters playing captain Claire Ong. Last year in Bacolod City, the SW-Masters rode on Abby Arevalo’s 54 points to edge CCC by four points. Arevalo won’t be around

this week to defend her individual title, but SW-Masters will not be lacking in talents. Pauline del Rosario, who finished a strong second behind pro Princess Superal in the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Ladies Invitational last week, spearheads the defending champions. Joining the 17-year-old Del Rosario are junior standouts Mikhaela Fortuna, Bernice Ilas and Sofia Chabon. Fortuna, 15, and Ilas, 14, finished fourth and sixth, respectively at Eagle Ridge while Chabon, 15, is a member of last year’s champion team. Completing the squad are holdovers Lora Roberto, Serafina Kim, and Andrea Pi-

neda. The tournament has reverted back to its old format of four-to-play, three-tocount over four rounds with each player limited to two rounds each. Last year, the event was played in only two rounds with each team fielding eight players per round with the six best scores counting. “We aim to field a balanced lineup each round. Our goal is to let everyone play in the first two rounds and take it from there,” said Ong. CCC, which lost by a mere point two years ago in Cebu City, will miss the services of ace Lois Kaye Go, but can count on sisters Junia and Irina Gabasa for firepower.

The other members are playing captain Mary Kim Hong, Crystal Faith Neri, Riko Nagai, Catrina Martinez, Jyra Wong and Ryoko Nagai. A total of 32 teams, including a squad from Papua New Guinea (PNG), are entered in the four-day event that also offers trophies in the Founders, Sportswriters and Friendship classes. Major sponsors of the 72hole championship include Solar Entertainment Corp., Airbus, Business Mirror, Mareco Broadcasting Network, People Asia and Manila Broadcasting Corp. Other backers are Philippine Daily Inquirer, Fonterra, Mega Fiber, Mastercard, Tanduay Distillers and Zalora.

ed muscle, than he appeared during NBA Summer League play in July. The notion beggared belief, as even teenagers on a workout jag would find it nigh on impossible to add on that much bulk in such a short amount of time. Stein reports that Simmons only showed up to camp four pounds heavier than observed during the summer. Still, any added heft would put the delicate feet of any burgeoning NBA prospect in varying degrees of peril. The type of bone fracture Simmons repeatedly suffered ended the careers of Bill Walton and Yao Ming, it frightened the hell out of the Chicago Bulls during Michael Jordan’s second season (when he missed 64 games with the same break), and it delayed the rise of All-Star center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, drafted all the way back in 2014, still has yet to play an NBA game after missing two full seasons with

foot fractures. Center Nerlens Noel missed his rookie year in 2013-14 with an ACL tear, and Jahlil Okafor (last year’s rookie center) missed the end of 2015-16 after left knee surgery. The Sixers have seen this dance before. For Simmons to break his foot in a mishap, and not the endgame of a 6-10, 244-pound athlete

coming down hard, is a good sign. The 76ers weren’t heading anywhere this season anyway with its three raw rookies (including Embiid and swingman Dario Saric), and though Simmons badly needed the basketball reps after a truncated lone season at LSU, the idea that his team won’t have to worry about his frame handling the weight is an optimistic one. It won’t make life any easier for Sixers fans that have waited out this unending rebuilding project, but there is a possibility that one significant worry is off the table for Ben Simmons.

Top pick Simmons out 3 months

EN Simmons’ franchise-altering foot injury is taking an expected turn. The hoped-for Philadelphia 76ers star and No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA draft will require surgery to correct a broken bone in his right foot. He is expected to be out possibly into the year 2017, according to a tweet from ESPN’s Jeff Goodman: Simmons likely out until December or maybe even January, source told ESPN. Team expected to be cautious with the No. 1 pick. While this is unfortunate news, ESPN’s Marc Stein passed along a potential silver lining. Simmons’ injury was a freak one, and not the result of his 19-year old body being unfit to carry the weight: Sources told ESPN on Saturday that doctors involved believe Simmons suffered an acute injury — caused by landing on another player’s foot — and not a stress reaction, and that the Sixers are supportive of a conservative timetable for his recovery. Rumors hit early in Sixers training camp that Simmons reported to the team 33 pounds heavier, fit with add-

BEN SIMMONS. Out for 3 months for foot surgery.

ORMER 2012 Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga put on a fine exhibition of boxing when he handily outpointed veteran Powell Balaba at the air-conditioned Strike Revilla Gymnasium in Bacoor City, Cavite. The fight card staged by United International Promotions of Ryuta Kato of Japan and his top Executive Warren Evison unfortunately didn’t draw a big crowd because of the heavy rains but the fights didn’t lack excitement. Southpaw Barriga who turned pro last July 30 boxed beautifully, ripping jabs to the head and double-hooks to the body of Balaba whose experience didn’t mean anything to the hugely talented Barriga whose movement and hand-speed were a delight to watch. All three judges had Barriga the winner by a wide margin with Gil Co turning in an 80-72 shutout, with Jojo

Llanera and Danilo Lopez returned identical 79-73 scorecards also in Barriga’s favor. If he is able to add some power, as former world champion Luisito Espinosa did during his career, then Barriga should be a force to reckon with in the light flyweight division where he remains unbeaten with a 2-0 record having earlier beaten Melvin Mananquil over six rounds last July 30. Balaba from Cagayan de Oro city, tried his best but Barriga was simply too good in a fight card that was graced by the presence of Mayor Lani Mercado, wife of senator Bong Revilla, from the start. Mayor Mercado who was featured in “The Main Event” to be telecast on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. over Pinoy Box Office (PBO) on Sky Cable said she was a boxing fan and together with her husband had watched some of the fights of eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao and enjoyed it.

ILIPINO tennis player Arthur Craig Pantino bowed out of the China Juniors Tennis Championships on Sunday after losing to top seed Chinese Wu Yibing in the boys’ singles semifinal round at the National Tennis Centre in Beijing. The 15-year-old Cebuano absorbed a 4-6, 0-6 defeat from Wu, who has played in the Wimbledon, French Open and Australian Open Juniors this year. Pantino, the country’s No. 1 player in the 16-under category, marched into the semifinal after beating Chinese qualifier Yang Mingyuan, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in the first round; Russian Egor Noskin, 6-4, 6-4 in the second round; and third-seeded Taiwanese Hsu Yu Hsiou, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (2) in the quarterfinal. The China Juniors was the

sixth international tournament this year for Pantino, who also played in Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia and Hong Kong. Last week, Pantino competed in the Guangzhou leg of the China Juniors where he reached the singles round of 16 and the doubles quarterfinal with Alester Magalit of Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Filipino John Bryan Decasa Otico and Korean Sung Yohan also advanced to the boys’ doubles semifinal round but lost to second seeds Moerani Bouzige of Austria and Hsu Yu Hsiou of Chinese Taipei, 2-6, 1-6. To reach the semifinal, Otico and Sung won over Chinese pair He Xiaoyu and Lu Pengyu, 7-5, 6-2 in the first round and Chinese tandem Fan Chong Yuan and Liu Yi Zhou, 2-6, 6-3 (10-3) in the quarterfinal. (PNA)

Filipino netter Pantino bows out in China F

Warrios get Raptors spanking

HE NBA pre-season tipped off on Saturday with the Toronto Raptors making a statement before handing the Golden State Warriors a 97-93 defeat in Vancouver. Raptors players stood with arms locked during both the Canadian and US national anthems in their version of the controversial anthem protests sparked by NFL player Colin Kaepernick as a comment on social injustice and racial inequality. With that message sent, the Raptors went on to spoil Kevin Durant’s first game with his new Warriors team. Four-time NBA scoring champion Durant, who departed the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Warriors on a two-year, $54.3 million deal, was booed by fans, who apparently feel his move to

Golden State — the 2015 NBA champions who came within one game of a title repeat last season — is an attempt to take a shortcut to a title. Durant scored nine points and pulled down four rebounds while reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry added eight for Golden State. DeMarre Carroll led the Raptors with 14 points. Cameroon’s Pascal Siakam, drafted 27th overall by the Raptors in June, had nine points, eight rebounds, an assist, a steal and two blocked shots, scoring off an offensive rebound to put Toronto ahead by four with 8.5 seconds remaining. “I was nervous, I’m not going to lie,” Siakam said of entering the game and being assigned to guard Durant.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016

SPORTS 15

EDGEDAVAO

MONSTROUS. Ben Mbala of De La Salle University flies high for a dunk against Ateneo. The Green Archers dealt wht Bue Knights a big spanking.

BLACK EYED Black Sunday’fizzles out, only black eye for Ateneo

GREAT number of La Salle and Ateneo fans refused to heed the call from officials of both school to wear black for Sunday’s UAAP match between the archrivals at the Mall of Asia Arena. Several fans showed up for the marquee match wearing black shirts, in response to the call made by school officials as a show of solidar-

ity with human rights victims as well as a protest against extrajudicial killings and the planned Marcos burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. However, a bigger number of fans chose to wear their respective school colors — green for La Salle and blue for Ateneo -in the first meeting of the two rivals this season. A few fans interviewed

by SPIN.ph expressed mixed emotions about the call. “Wala namang extrajudicial killings. It depends really on how you see it,” a La Salle fan, who chose to wear green, said on the condition that he not be named. Conservative estimates put fans who wore black at 25 percent of the more than 16,000 who showed up at the

MOA Arena. An Ateneo fan who wore a black shirt said he supported their school’s stand on the issues besetting the early days of the adminisration of President Duterte. “We don’t mind wearing it. We support the call of the school,” said a fan from Ateneo. One La Salle fan also de-

cided not to wear black for the match, believing that sports and politics should not mix. “I’d rather show my support to my team,” said the La Salle fan. Meanwhile, some supporters chose to bring with them black items like a cap or jacket but still wore their school colors. “Yes, I’m

Cone vows to go all BACK ON TRACK the way in Game 5 Pacquiao impresses Roach in training T “V HE morning after Baran- say thank you enough to fans gay Ginebra suffered an who stayed with the team until embarrassing beating in the bitter end on Sunday. a game which fans anticipated “Such a beautiful crowd would mark its glorious reviv- last night, yet we fell flat on our al, Tim Cone perhaps still felt faces,” said Cone. “We’re so sorso bad that he took to Twitter ry to let the fans down. They to make a promise. were great even if we were not. “We will make you proud,” “But we will pick ourthe Ginebra coach tweeted to selves up and fight for the fans fans who had to endure the in Game 5. We will make you sight of the league’s most pop- proud,” he vowed. ular team falling flat on its face in a 72-101 loss to San Miguel on Sunday that set the stage for a sudden-death Game Five in their PBA Governors Cup semifinal series. Cone could only commiserate with Ginebra fans especially those who were part of the 22,000-strong crowd that trooped to the Smart Araneta Coliseum expecting a victory but instead witnessed a game so lopsided from the opening minute on. The two-time Grand Slam coach, ADMISSION. Ginebra coach Tim Cone admitted however, couldn’t his blunder in Game 4.

ERY good!” Was how chief trainer Freddie Roach greeted fighting Senator Manny Pacquiao following his pupil’s eight-round skirmish with a pair of sparring partners Saturday, two days after the eight-division champion left him, conditioning coach Justin Fortune and members of the training team worrying on the state of his readiness four weeks into his comeback fight next month. Pacquiao will attempt to recapture the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown against current ruler Jessie Vargas on November 5 at the Thomas & Mach Center in Las Vegas. “Everything went well today. T’was a good day and I think everybody can again sleep well,” Roach told everyone who cared to listen as Pacquiao proceeded to punish the heavy bag, double end ball and speed ball on the way to completing the day’s work. Last Thursday, the soonto-be 38-year-old Pacman looked sluggish, flat and tired as he merely went over his

chores leading Roach, Fortune and assistant trainers Buboy Fernandez, Nonoy Neri, Roger “Haplas” Fernandez and those helping carry out the build up program doubt the gains achieved in the month-long camp before Roach flew in last Tuesday. The Hall of Fame trainer, in an effort to check the perceived slack even cancelled the mitts portion as part of that day’s routine. “ S o , we’re back on track , meani n g e ve r y thing that we prepared in the training program will proceed as scheduled,” Roach said with a wide grin. Roach, again, dispensed with working the mitts but only because the four division lineal titlist had an important commitment later in the day in relation to his being a law-

maker. “Besides, I don’t think Manny still needs working on it. As I said, everything went well, Manny’s back to where he was before the day he suffered fatigue,” he explained. The seven-time trainer of the year awardee had actually

against the Marcos burial but so that we can be identified, I also wore green,” said one La Salle fan. Surprisingly, there were some fans interviewed by SPIN.ph who said they weren’t aware of the call from Ateneo and La Salle officials to wear black. Others even said it was only coincidence that they wore black. (SPIN.ph) IMPRESSIVE. Manny Pacquiao prepares hard for his fight against Jesse Vargas.

increase the load of sparring from six rounds in the first two days since he and sparring mate Jose Ramirez arrived to eight rounds Saturday -- five with the Mexican-American at the opposing side and three with local lightweight Leopoldo Doronio.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 158 â&#x20AC;¢ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2016