Edge Davao 9 Issue 173

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES EARLY BIRD. Lantern maker Denmar Delima crafts one of his masterpieces at his makeshift store along Tionko Avenue in Davao City two months before Christmas Day. Lean Daval Jr.

SARA: NO EASY MONEY FOR BLAST INFORMERS

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

T

HE Davao City government says it will not easily turnover the P3 million reward it has promised to those claiming to be the informants who were instrumental in the capture of the three primary suspects in the Roxas night market bombing.

According to City Legal Office Chief Atty. Osmundo P. Villanueva, the fiscal’s office should find first a probable cause against the suspects before the city government releases the reward money to the informants.

Earlier this month, au-

thorities apprehended the three alleged blast suspects in Cotabato City.

The suspects were identified as TJ Tagadaya Macabalang, Wendel Apostol Facturan and Musali Mustapha.

For her part, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said her office has taken note of the City Legal Office’s recommendations, and will only release the money after the fiscal’s office has found probable cause or sufficient evidence to support a legal case against the suspects.

“Our city legal has released a guideline as to when will we release the reward money, for them the case

must be filed in court first, and that’s the only time we will consider giving out the reward,” the mayor explained.

As of the moment, she said the case is still under preliminary investigation at the fiscal’s level after the three suspects were recently summoned to submit their counter affidavits.

Mayor Duterte-Carpio said the city government will only release the reward money to the person or persons who will be recommended by the police operatives who apprehended the suspects.

She added the military has yet to release its report

containing the names of the informants.

“We required the military to submit a report for their recommendation as to who will receive the award,” the mayor said.

“They said that they will only release the names if the case(s) will be filled in the court,” she added.

To recall, Mayor Duterte-Carpio offered a P1 million reward to those who can give information on the identities of the blast suspects, while anotherP2 million will be given to those who can pinpoint the whereabouts of the perpetrators.

EDGEDAVAO Sports GIANTSLAYER P16 RC East Davao rules 30th Rotary bowlfest P15

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

LAWIN UPDATES. Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Judy Taguiwalo reports on the magnitude of typhoon Karen’s damage during a press briefing at Malacañan Palace yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

DSWD assures help Emerging technologies to victims of Lawin promoted in tech gab T I

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ adlopez0920@gmail.com

HOUSANDS of residents in Luzon whose houses were severely damaged by the onslaught of super typhoon Lawin last week will soon receive assistance from the government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

In a press briefing in Malacanang on Monday, DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo said their agency has already come out with a memorandum asking field offices to distribute within the first to three weeks an initial amount of P5,000 per household that were affected by the super typhoon.

The assistance will be coursed through the DSWD’s Emergency Shelter Assistance

(ESA) that will prioritize the poorest of the poor households who are members of the 4Ps or the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program.

Taguiwalo already signed and released a Memorandum Circular dated Oct. 22 for the Emergency Shelter Assistance for Typhoon ‘Lawin’-Affected Families.

“We are doing this in coordination with local government officials,” the secretary stressed, adding that aside from ESA, the DSWD will also provide cash for work for the affected families.

She added the DSWD and LGU social workers in the affected provinces are currently being mobilized to help deter-

F DSWD, 10

By RIA VALDEZ

N a bid to boost emerging technologies and strengthen research and development efforts in the country, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will spearhead the TechnoTransfer Day on Dec. 13, at the Grand Men Seng Hotel, Davao City.

This was announced by DOST Undersecretary Rowena Crisitna Guevara during the recent “Davao City Multi-Stakeholders Conference on Sustainability Science” held at the SMX Convention Center.

Guevara explained the event aims to “to promote DOST generated/assisted

technologies to intended beneficiaries, stakeholders and private sector in order to boost local awareness and investment in S&T innovations.”

She said DOST will showcase 74 technologies that can be purchased by potential investors and adopt them commercially.

“All these technologies will be featured in booths,” Guevara said, adding the proponents of each technology would be on hand to entertain questions from those who are interested to acquire the technology.

She explained that as a condition, the host region

of the techo-caravan would choose 10 technologies that would be suited for their area’s development.

The creators of these technologies would then be given 10 minutes to explain their inventions and how these would benefit their respective regions, she added.

“This caravan had also been done in Manila and Ormoc,” Guevara said, noting that several on-site deals and close to 200 inquiries were made during the Ormoc leg of the tech caravan.

In Davao, Guevara noted that a technology which utiliz-

es carrageenan as a fertilizer shows great promise, She revealed the said technology increases rice yield from 30 to 60 percent.

Guevara said the tech event will also feature technologies on health, food processing, and information communications technology (ICT), to name a few.

“We particularly invited the business sector for this caravan,” she disclosed.

Guevara stressed that it is the government’s role to develop and nurture these technologies, while it is the job of the

AVAO City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte credits the administration of now President Rodrigo Duterte -her father and the former mayor -- for the 2016 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) that the city received from the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

But she stressed that her administration is inspired by the award to improve the services that the city government is giving to the Dabawenyos.

“It is a source of inspiration for us to improve and work hard for the people of our city,” she said Monday.

In a letter, the Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno said Davao City passed “all the minimum parameters of the core components” of the SGLG -- Financial Administration, Social Protection, and Disaster Preparedness.

Sueno said Davao City also met the measures for Business Friendliness and Competitiveness, Peace and Order, and Environmental Management.

The SGLG is an award and incentive program for performing local government units to encourage and challenge all provinces, cities, and municipalities to improve per-

formance and service delivery set across the core areas and essential areas.

Lawyer Tristan Dwight Domingo, the Assistant City Administrator, said the SGLG award is “a testament to the good leadership and dedicated public servants that we have in the city government in Davao.”

“It also signifies that the Dabawenyos are also helping and doing their parts in effective public governance,” he said.

Having given the award, Davao City is entitled to be issued with the Good Financial

Housekeeping Certification and is qualified to access or use the so-called Performance Challenge Fund and other programs.

The assessment covered 81 provinces, 144 cities and 1,490 municipalities across the country from March to September this year.

The SGLG national conferment ceremony will be on October 27 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.

In 2012, Davao City won the Seal of Good Housekeeping, which is a prerequisite award to qualify for the SGLG. CIO

F EMERGING, 10

Pres. Duterte has celebrity Sara credits Rody for Good Governance Award drug watch list: Dela Rosa D

P

HILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Dir. Gen. Ronald dela Rosa confirmed Monday that President Duterte has a celebrity drug watch list.

Dela Rosa however said that there is still no “Oplan Tokhang” for the celebrities.

The PNP chief confirmed reports that indicate that showbiz personalities are also involved in illegal drugs.

Dela Rosa said the President’s celebrity drug watch list is separate from the 30 names

of celebrities included in the list of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) that he submitted to Malacañang.

President Duterte has his own list of celebrities which he may or may not divulge to the public, he said.

Under Oplan Tokhang or operation plan knock/request, the PNP visits the residence of a drug personality and asks him/her to abandon the illegal activity, surrender or undergo rehabilitation. (PNA)

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

NEWS 3

Army to hold 5th Heroes Run

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

T PSORIASIS AWARENESS. Dr. Victoria Guillano (left), president of Psoriasis Foundation of the Philippines and Dr. Liza Lagaret (right) emphasized during the regular Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City on Monday the importance

of informing the public on the causes and treatments of Psoriasis, one of the most baffling and persistent of skin disorders nowadays. (Alexander D. Lopez)

O honor the soldiers who have kept the public safe from various internal and external threats, over 500 participants are expected to take part in the 5th Heroes Run this coming Oct. 30 at the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM) in Panacan, Davao City.

According to Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division (ID) Spokesperson Captain Rhyan Batchar, the event dubbed “Run For... Run With...

Coz UR... A Living Hero” is open to all runners.

“The fun run aims to benefit the families of the fallen and injured soldiers who have gallantly risked their lives in the line of duty,” Batchar explained.

He said the fun run will have four categories - 3K, 5K,

10K, and 21K categories.

Runners are asked to assemble at the NFEM by 4:30 AM. The fun run will kick off at 5 AM. Registration fees are prized at P200 for 3K; P300 for 5K; P400 for 10K; and P500 for 21k runners.

The fees are inclusive of a finisher’s shirt for 21K racers, a loot bag, and a raffle coupon.

“The top 10 3K, 5K and 10K finishers will also get freebies,” Batchar revealed.

Registration for the event will end by Oct. 27. Application forms are available at SM City Davao, Abreeza Mall in Bajada, all Social Security System (SSS) branches, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), SM Lanang, and military headquarters/camps in the Davao Region.

AVAO City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte lauded the Armed Forces of the Philippines for activating Joint Task Force Haribon on Saturday, saying it is a welcome development, as it aims to boost security measures in Davao.

The mayor, who was the guest speaker during the ceremony held in Camp Panacan Saturday morning, said the Joint Task Force will a big help in the fight against terrorism.

“This is a welcome development to the security in our city,” she said.

“Davao City is no doubt in the forefront of what the Mindanao dream is. A Mindanao that is peaceful and progressive, where people live in harmony with each other,” she added.

Joint TF Haribon is composed of Task Force Davao, Task Force Samal, Philippine

Navy, Philippine Airforce and the Tactical Operations Group XI. Haribon will be headed by Brig. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista.

The activation of the task force will be crucial in the coming years, as the city is expected to host major national and international events, including Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) meetings.

Mayor Duterte-Carpio threw the full support of the city government behind Haribon.

She noted that the name Haribon is appropriate. It is a contraction of the words Hari (king) and Ibon (bird) or King of the Birds -- in reference to the strong, fierce, and powerful Philippine Eagle.

“Haribon is indeed very appropriate,” she said. “Let us be vigilant. Let us be strong.” CIO

Docs say psoriasis Haribon to bolster city’s campaign not communicable anti-terror D

By RIA VALDEZ

D

AVAO-BASED medical institutions will spearhead the local observance of World Psoriasis Day to be held on Oct. 26 at the SM Annex Activity Center.

This was announced by Dr. Victoria Guillano of the Southern Philippines Medical Center’s (SPMC) Department of Dermatology and a member of the Psroriasis Foundation of the Philippines Inc (PsorPhil) during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw press forum.

“There would be a medical mission by dermatologists, not only for patients with psoriasis, but for anyone who has skin problems,” Guillano said.

She said the one-day event will showcase the talents of psoriasis patients, a communi-

ty Zumba session, and a forum to educate the public on the skin condition.

“It (Psoriasis) is not contagious,” stressed Dr. Liza Lagaret, another SPMC dermatologist, as she explained the disease has no definite cause and specific cure.

However, Lagaret said there is a way to manage the skin lesions which develop as a result of the condition.

She noted that Psoriasis does not only affect the skin (skin peeling), but also the scalp (in the form of balakubak or flaking of the scalp), the joints (as a form of rayuma or joint pains), and nails when they grow thicker.

But Lagaret reminds people who think they have the

Solon calls for passage of nat’l land use law

A

LAWMAKER at the House of Representatives on Monday cited the need to enact a national land use bill to defuse the mounting tension over the land conversion moratorium pushed by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

In a statement, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat said the passage of a National Land Use Act (NLUA) would settle the perennial debate on what should be prioritized more -food security or housing.

“There is no debate actually. Both food and shelter are important for our people’s survival if only we carefully plan the use of our resources as a nation and as an ecosystem, and not just at the local government level,” Baguilat said.

”But we do need to determine where and which of our 14 million alienable and disposable lands classified as agricultural would be more suitable for food production or as built-up areas for housing, urban expansion and infrastructure,” he added.

With the country’s 2 percent growth rate, by the year 2045, 142 million Filipinos could be fighting for food and water if natural resources are not currently protected and conserved, Baguilat noted.

He also observed that housing demands will likewise multiply with the current population growth rate.

The Ifugao lawmaker said that while more built-up areas are needed to cater to the Filipinos’ housing needs, these ar-

F SOLON, 14

disease to undergo a proper medical examination to determine if it is indeed Psoriasis and not something else.

“Patients who have psoriasis also suffer emotional problems,” she added, pointing out that those afflicted with the disease bear the stigma that their condition is contagious when in fact, it isn’t.

On the other hand, Guillano said that psoriasis is primarily hereditary and its number one trigger is stress.

She recalled a two-year old patient whose skin lesions suddenly appeared when both her parents travelled abroad.

Guillano said that among the simplest and inexpensive treatments for Psoriasis is to take a bath in the beach.

In the meantime, Guillano said the SPMC provides medication for Psoriasis patients, while PsorPhil conducts a yearly “Hug Me” campaign where people get to hug patients with the condition to help eliminate prejudices against the disease.

“Last year’s ambassador was Paulo Bediones,” she said, a male celebrity who also has a mild case of psoriasis.

Robin Padilla, Guillano added, was also one of movement’s previous ambassadors.

The commemoration of World Psoriasis Day is a collaborative effort of the Philippine Society of Dermatologists, Department of Health, and SPMC’s Department of Dermatology.

SURVEY SAYS. Dr. Adrian Tamayo (left) and John Mortia (right) of the Institute on Popular Opinion of the University of Mindanao presented to the media during the regular Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City on Monday the

result of their recent survey indicating the priority projects of the current administration in Davao City that impacts the lives and situation of the common people in the city. (Alexander D. Lopez)

EDGEDAVAO

4 SUBURBIA

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

Robredo to grace PLGU, DTI, BFAR team up VP GenSan housing gab to boost agri-biz in Comval A “C OMVAL has always been a major agricultural player in Davao region…we are optimistic this conference will contribute to production growth, poverty reduction and food security in the province,” Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy declared in his message during the first “Compostela Valley Investment Conference” (Comval-Icon) held from Oct. 20 to 21, at the Provincial Capitol.

The two-day conference highlighted the province’s five priority agriculture products: aquaculture, banana, cacao, coconut and coffee. The event featured a plenary session, a market and investment matching activity, and an industry and familiarization tour in key areas of the province.

Gov. Uy added: “This will provide employment creation, access to markets and

infrastructure development and developmental benefits through technology transfer.”

For his part, Atty. Lucky Siegfred M. Balleque, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Provincial Director, said, “We need to highlight the potentials of Comval, with the help of the provincial and municipal government and the national agencies in the province.”

Balleque explained the reasons why the five industries were featured in the conference.

“At first we started to think to highlight only the aquaculture industry. Sayang naman yung efforts natin, so we decided to bring in all the priority industries in the province for the conduct of investment conference to highlight and to position Comval as a premier investment destination of the

COMMITMENT OF SUPPORT. Compostela Valley Governor Tyron Uy A together with representatives of various local and national line agency take part in a “commitment signing” during the two-day Comval Investment

country,” he said.

Meanwhile, Florencio M. Crisostomo, president of the Compostela Valley Freshwater Aquaculture Stakeholders Association Inc (CVFASAI), in a press briefing, pointed out, “We hope through this program, they will evaluate and provide our needs as fish farmers not only in the sea but also for the fresh water or inland fishpond.”

“Nanghinaut me nga inyo ming matabangan para pud nga mabuhi me dili lang sa dagat kundili apil ang mga inland fishpond nga mga farmers,” Crisostomo added.

In the same event, DTI Undersecretary for Regional Operations Group Zenaida C. Maglaya noted “The DTI will assist if processing is needed, but we need to know the needs of the market, kay kung daghan nata mag buhi ug isda nga fresh mabagsak pud ang presyo.”

Maglaya further explained that “If we have a big harvest, we need also to know how to process and to put value adding, we need to know the technology for value adding. For example by the process of smoke, putting them in the bottle, or by using vacuum sealed so that we can market [the products] outside Comval.”

“These are the inputs and supports of the DTI to look what is the demand in the market, for us to have an idea for our fresh producers also to have strategies for the development of local industries on aquaculture and agribased products,” she added.

The Comval-Icon 2016 was organized by the DTI, BFAR, provincial government of Compostela Valley, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)and CVFASAI. (Rey M. Antibo, IDS Comval)

Conference held last Oct. 20 to 21, at the ComVal provincial capitol. Photo

by Albert Dayao, IDS Comval

ROUND 400 local stakeholders will gather on Thursday, October 27, for the city’s housing summit that will be graced by Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairperson, Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo.

Mary Ann Bacar, head of the City Housing and Land Management Office, said Monday the city government is all set for the summit, which will mainly focus on addressing various housing issues and concerns in the city.

She said the summit, which will be held at the KCC Mall Convention Center, will be joined by national and local government officials and representatives from the urban poor and informal settlers sectors.

The gathering is a joint initiative of the city government and the Habitat for Humanity Philippines.

“Its main objective is to embark on a participatory approach on addressing the city’s shelter and urban development challenges,” she said.

Bacar said the local government will present results of the five focus group discussions (FGDs) that it had conducted in line with the city’s housing concerns.

The FGDs covered issues and concerns on land and housing, including the city’s relocation or resettlement program, she said.

She said it tackled the plight of the city’s urban poor and informal settlers, who are considered as the “beneficiaries of the summit.”

Aside from Vice President Robredo, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor Chairperson Terry Ridon and Habitat for Humanity Philippines Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Charlito Ayco have confirmed their attendance.

Ridon, who is a former Kabataan partylist representative, will present the government’s response to “poverty housing in blighted areas.”

Ayco will discuss the group’s concrete responses to poverty housing and its experiences as a housing non-government organization (NGO).

Vice President Robredo will tackle the national government’s harmonization of “efforts towards the effective resolution of poverty housing in our country.”

She will also lead the awarding of titles for beneficiaries of the Community Mortgage Program in the city.

Bacar said the summit will be capped by the signing of commitments for various undertakings on addressing the city’s housing and shelter concerns by representatives of key shelter agencies, local stakeholders, NGOs, civil society organizations, religious groups and the academe.

(PNA)

economic development in the coastal communities of Sta. Cruz, comprised of eleven barangays from Inawayan to Bato.

BOATR is a national program that intends to fast-track and complete the nationwide registration of fishing vessels – weighing

three (3) gross tons and below, as mandated by Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code, the Executive Order 305, series of 2014 Devolving to Municipal and City Governments the Registration of Fishing Vessels Three Gross Tonnage and Below.

(Julius R. Paner, CDIO)

Panabo LGU, DOJ conduct Sta. Cruz cited a top LGU in BOATR implementation anti-trafficking workshop T

T

HE City Government of Panabo and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Regional Prosecutor Office XI conducted an Anti-Trafficking in Persons Training and Workshop on Oct. 19 at the Panabo City Hall.

Regional Prosecutor Janet Grace Fabrero explained the training is in line with the DOJTask Force and Panabo LGU’s thrust of intensifying anti-trafficking efforts.

She added the activity is in line with the goal of President Duterte to implement comprehensive services and programs to address the problem of human trafficking.

Fabrero noted the event aims to protect Filipinos from slavery, bonded labor, organ selling and from the sex trade.

She also stressed the importance of inter-agency collaboration which can help address these problems, especially if such efforts start from the grassroots level.

Meanwhile, Mayor James Gamao underscored the signif-

icance of the workshop, which is to strengthen the campaign against human trafficking and protect women and children’s rights since they are among the most vulnerable sectors.

Through the activity, the mayor said, stakeholders will enhance their knowledge and skills, while enabling them to efficiently enforce laws and advocate for the recovery and reintegration of trafficked persons.

The event was attended by barangay chairpersons and councilors, social workers, as well as Philippine National Police (PNP) and security unit personnel.

The Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Trafficking XI (IACAT) encouraged the participants to be vigilant. Cases of potential human trafficking can be reported to all law enforcers and coordinated with social workers, or they may call or text hotlines numbers 0917-718-5588 or (082) 3303058.

F PANABO, 10

HE Municipality of Sta. Cruz has been cited as among the Top 100 municipalities which have fast-tracked the implementation of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ (DA-BFAR) Municipal Fishing Vessels and Gears Registra-

tion (BOATR Project).

The citation was presented last Oct. 21, at the Philippine Coconut Authority Compound, Quezon City during the 53rd Fishery Week Celebration.

The municipality received P2 million worth of livelihood assistance to boost

5 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

EEC opens in Davao A

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

N interactive learning center on energy and power has recently opened its doors to the public.

The Energy Education Center (EEC), located inside the 300-Megawatt Davao Baseload Power Plant in Binugao, Toril, aims to make energy information more accessible to those who are interested to learn about the plant’s operations, in particular, and the power industry, in general.

The ECC was established by the Therma South Incorporated (TSI), a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power.

The facility has interactive and visual displays relating to the energy sector, as well as exhibits about Therma South and AboitizPower.

“The energy sector is not something that is easily understandable and would usually take time to explain or discuss,” said Sebastian R. Lacson, president and chief operations officer of TSI. “However, through the EEC, we intend to help the public understand the energy sector better through interactive and visual displays,” Lacson added.

F EEC, 10

Gov’t to review planting calendar A

GRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Monday that President Duterte has recommended a review of the planting calendar due to the adverse effects of climate change to agriculture.

In a Palace press briefing, Piñol said the planting calendar should be designed in such a way that farmers will avoid harvesting their crops during the rainy season or the onset of the typhoon season.

He said President Duterte made the recommendation Sunday after inspecting the

damage caused by typhoons in Northern Luzon.

Damage to agriculture inflicted by Typhoons Karen and Lawin has been estimated at P10.2 billion and counting, mostly from crops that were ready to be harvested.

“Because of climate change and the unpredictability of climate, October now has become a typhoon season and rainy season in Cagayan Valley.

Because climate change is a reality, it affects agriculture and we have to make adjustments,”

F GOV’T, 10

Leaders ask government to fasttrack banana law

By RIA VALDEZ

A

TOP official of PhilExport 11 says that a resolution endorsing the creation of a Banana Industry Development Council (BIDC) has already been drafted and forwarded to President Duterte for approval.

This was revealed by Edwin Sotto, executive director of PhilExport 11 during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM Annex Ecoland.

“We have forwarded the resolution to the President,” Sotto said, adding an initial

WELCOME DEVELOPMENT. Stakeholders in the banana industry and top officials of the Philippines Exporters Confederation in Davao region (from left to right) Executive Director Edwin Sotto, President Ferdinand Maranon and Director Rene Dalayon welcomed the recent move of China in lifting

selection of officers for the proposed BIDC was also held during the plenary.

According to Sotto, the President has committed to endorse the resolution Congress, as he wants an enabling act or law, and not just an Ex-

ecutive Order, to create the BIDC, which in turn, will establish the National Banana Research Center (NBRC).

“The President wants a Banana Industry Development Act,” he said. “He be-

F LEADERS, 10

the ban on 26 banana exporters from the Philippines, saying that it opened opportunities to exporters to market their products to China and other countries. (Alexander D. Lopez)

6 ECONOMY

BJMP inmates’works featured in design week

T

HE Department of Trade and Industry’s Design Center of the Philippines (DTI- DCP) together with the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) welcomes the participation of Bureau of Jail Management and Penology – National Capital Region (BJMP – NCR) at the October edition of the Design Week Philippines 2016 which runs from October 15 to 23, 2016 in Intramuros, Manila City.

Products made by internees of about 20 city jails around Metro Manila that are being exhibited and sold for the week-long celebration include bags, beaded purses, paper products, pot holders, doormats, pillow cases and the like.

These products have undergone design intervention and assistance of DCP under its program dubbed as “Designer’s Monday.”

“Design is an important element for every product.

And we hope to assist more Filipinos who want to improve their designs and introduce them emerging trends through

DCP’s interventions,” said DTI Industry Promotion Group Undersecretary Nora K. Terrado.

According to DTI-DCP, BJMP’s participation in this year’s October edition of the Design Week Philippines will serve as an avenue to showcase creative output of the internees and as a sustainable activity to encourage entrepreneurship among them once they get out of the detainment.

“DCP is ready to assist entrepreneurs who would like to promote or even strengthen their product designs and creative output. For young and aspiring designers, even those who would like to start their businesses, we urge them to tap and link with us,” said DTI Industry Promotion Group Undersecretary Nora K. Terrado.

DCP serves as an attached agency of the DTI that is mandated to promote and strengthen Filipino design.

Through different program initiatives, DCP aims to showcase more creative outputs in the future and to support more institutions and enterprises through design interventions and assistance programs.

EDGEDAVAO

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Enhanced trade with China to benefit banana growers

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

F

INALLY, the country’s banana growers can enjoy better prices for their exports to China, an official of a local exporters’ group said.

Philexport Region 11 Director Edwin Sotto pointed out that the country’s improving political and economic relationship with China has already made a positive impact on the local banana industry.

This development comes in the heels of Chinese President Xi Jinping order to lift the suspension against 20 banana and six mango exporters from

the Philippines who reportedly sold around US $33,000 worth of rotten produce to China.

Sotto did not mention the names of the 27 Filipino exporters, adding that his office is still verifying the exact export value of the goods sold by the said fruit traders.

He noted that China has become a lucrative market for Philippine bananas not only because it offers better prices, but is also nearer as compared to other established markets such as Japan, the Middle East

and United States.

Sotto explained that shipping bananas to China only takes three to five days, while it takes a lot longer to ship to the United States and Middle East.

“The Japanese and Middle East market will always be there, but China has a better price,” he said..

Banana exports to China last year stood at 448,000 metric tons, and valued at $157.5 million.

Sotto revealed that the Philippines remains the second largest producer of ba-

nanas worldwide and supplies 95 percent of the total banana demand of Asian markets and beyond.

The PhilExport official said President Duterte’s successful state visit to China, which was highlighted by his profuse praise for the economic powerhouse has indeed paid dividends, particularly for the Philippine export industry.

These renewed ties, he added, are expected to result in improved trade and investment initiatives between both countries.

FEF backs DOF tax reform

T

HE Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) has lauded the tax reform program submitted by the Department of Finance (DOF) to the Congress, describing it as the groundwork for achieving the Duterte administration’s vision of inclusive growth, better public services and improved purchasing power for Filipino consumers.

According to FEF, which includes as its members former Cabinet secretaries and leading figures in the academic community, the DOF-proposed tax reform plan is “also aligned with the 10-point socioeconomic program” that President Duterte had put in place at the start of his administration.

“We, the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF), an advocacy group for good economic governance and market-friendly reforms, strongly commend the Department of Finance for crafting a forward-looking fiscal program for legislation,” the FEF said in a statement.

“We believe that this program will translate to a more comfortable life for all Filipinos along with safe, healthy, and peaceful communities all over the country,” it added.

The FEF has for its Board of Advisers, former Prime Minister Cesar Virata and former Socio-economic Planning Secretary Dr. Gerardo Sicat.

Its Board of Trustees is chaired by former Finance Secretary Roberto de Ocampo, and includes former Finance Undersecretary Romeo Bernardo as vice-chairman, political economist and entrepreneur Calixto Chikiamco as president, former Finance Secretary Ernest Leung as treasurer and Ricardo Balatbat as executive director and corporate secretary.

The DOF-proposed tax reform plan, according to FEF,

will help the government raise the additional P1 trillion that it needs to accelerate spending on infrastructure, human capital and social protection.

“Moreover, its design and various components address identified problems in the current tax system namely: 1) too narrow tax base; 2) too complex collection policies with too many leakages; 3) exemptions with debatable benefits that are too cumbersome and costly to comply with; 4) inequitable taxation of salaried workers; 5) uncompetitive rates vis-a-vis our country’s peers; and 6) tax policies that are too prone to gaming, evasion, and corruption,” the FEF said.

Package One of the DOF tax reform proposal was submitted to the Congress last month. It includes proposals to reduce the personal income tax (PIT) rate, and offsetting measures such as adjustments in the fuel excise tax and the expansion of the value-added tax (VAT) base.

The FEF, in particular, is backing the DOF plan to reduce personal and corporate income tax rates.

“We particularly support the downward adjustments in the personal income tax on the grounds of fairness. We also strongly back the reduction in the corporate income taxes, which will promote and attract more investments and facilitate job creation,” the FEF said.

It also commended the DOF for crafting revenue-enhancing measures that would make these reductions in personal and income taxes possible, particularly the proposed adjustments in the fuel excise tax, the review of fiscal incentives, the relaxation of bank secrecy laws in fraud cases, and the expansion of the VAT base by limiting exemptions to raw food, education and

F FEF, 10

FOR THE SOUL. A physically-challenged vendor arranges colorful candles inside San Pedro Cathedral compound in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Medium term plan, reforms to transform PH

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

T

adlopez0920@gmail.com

HE Philippines now has enough opportunities to institute reforms through the implementation of the government’s medium term plan coupled with the unmatched popular support that the President enjoys – factors that Department of Finance (DOF) secretary Carlos Dominguez III believe are needed to elevate the economic status of the country into what he called an “upper middle-income state” in the next six years.

Speaking before the recent meeting of the Board of Governors of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) in Washington DC, Dominguez said that President Duterte, aside from the unparalleled support from the Filipino people, has the political will to carry out the profound reforms in government and the economy necessary to achieve such goal.

“We have the elbowroom to undertake the institutional reforms necessary to bring our country to the high-middle income level over the next six years,” Dominguez pointed

out.

He added that the new administration of President Duterte will “never shirk from the challenges of this vital conjuncture and fully intends to transform the economy from a consumption- to an investment-driven one by implementing the tough reforms ranging from the upgrade of its law enforcement capabilities to the long-overdue overhaul of its tax system.”

The secretary also told internal bank officials of the government’s intention to sustain a growth rate of 7 percent that will bring down the country’s poverty rate from 26 percent to only 17 percent by 2022.

“The more important ‘war’ the Duterte administration is waging is that against poverty. It is a war we intend to win resoundingly,” Dominguez stressed, adding that the new administration will move on to institute difficult reforms ranging from upgrading law enforcement capabilities to modernizing tax administration.

The 10-point socioeconomic agenda is now in place,

he said, that will “break the stranglehold of the oligarchy,” improve education and health services, and lay down the needed infrastructure to open new business opportunities and properly disperse economic activity in all regions in the country.

“In the three decades since the country was buffeted by a debt crisis, the Philippines worked hard to put its economic house in order to effect the prescribed structural adjustments and maintain exemplary fiscal discipline,” the secretary stressed.

The sustained efforts, he noted, paid off with continued high growth, he said, but the government unfortunately postponed spending on vital infrastructure and on the poor, so much so that the recent economic gains failed to trickle down to the majority that also made the recent economic accomplishments less inclusive than desired.

“Now with the beneficial conjuncture, it is time to undertake the economic investments we long postponed.

These investments will allow

us to move to a higher growth plane and make the Philippines a regional economic leader instead of the region’s laggard,” he said.

The current administration is also committed to undertaking long-postponed economic investments that will let the country defeat poverty and transform itself into a regional economic leader.

“Now is the moment to break from the past of low growth. Now is the moment to do what past austerity programs prevented us from doing: investing in the young, building the bridges that will connect our communities, building up our energy supplies, improving domestic transport and mass transit in our cities, using information technologies to open new business opportunities,” Dominguez said.

He also cited the country’s strong economic fundamentals, lowest interest rates, inflation rates at benign levels, banks with teeming excess liquidity and the millions of young Filipinos who are about

F MEDIUM, 10

7 FEATURE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

9 days in China

Part 3

PHL can benefit from China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ Initiative

By ANTONIO M. AJERO

T

HE GOODIES that President Rodrigo R. Duterte brought home from his recent four-day official state visit to China –26 projects of investment and credit line pledges worth $24 billion – are impressive and inspiring.

However, guys familiar with China’s colossal project --“One Belt, One Road (OBOR) Initiative”—agree that the best is yet to come.

Some of these guys are the 212 media executives from 101 countries of the world gathered at the China National Convention Center (CNCC), previously called the Olympic Green Convention Center, in Beijing, to participate in what was dubbed as the “2016 Media Cooperation Forum on One Belt & One Road” starting July 26. The three-day forum, hosted by the People’s Daily, has been held for three years since the first opened in 2014.

Forum venue The CNCC sits on a 27-hectare area and is one of the four main buildings of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The convention center served as the competition spot for the shooting and fencing parts of the modern pentathlon events.

It was also venue of the International Broadcast Center.

The convention center has a component hotel, called the China National Convention Center Hotel, one of more than 20 hotels located in the vicinity of the huge 2008 Beijing Olympic village. In fact, the place where most of us, delegates, were billeted, the Intercontinental Beijing, was right beside CNCC Hotel. The delegates only had to walk up one floor and sashayed a long common corridor to reach the convention center.

Congratulatory message from President Xi Jinping No less than President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the organizers and participants, saying that the initiative was about jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Maritime Silk Road. During the next two days, we listened to more than 60 speakers and most of speeches had to be translated because they were either in Chinese or in the languages of those coming from non-English speaking countries. Yes, more than 60 speakers, not one of them with a sense of humor! And except for a representative of a German think-tank who said he merely wanted to play the devil’s advocate, everybody spoke so highly about the project and rhapsodized about the benefits that their respective countries expected to get from the colossal geopolitical initiative of China.

Aside from us five Filipinos, the foreign participants came from big news organizations of Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belguim, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, The Comoros, Congo Republic, Cuba, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Republic

President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping review the guard of honor as they attend a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Photo by REUTERS) of Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldovia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, United States of America, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the United Nations.

PH and Belt and Road Fast forward to October, 2016 in Manila. How may the Philippines benefit from the initiative was explained by Jin Yuan, economic and commercial counsellor of the embassy of the People’s 26 of China in

Representative from Chinese and African enterprises attend a photo session after signing cooperation contracts during the China-Africa Business Cooperation seminar in Beijing on Thursday. Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily

the Philippines, in a special presentation during the Philippine Business Conference & Expo at the Marriott Manila middle of October which I also attended as a trustee of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Yuan told more than a thousand businessmen from various parts of the country that China and the Philippines were linked by the ancient Maritime Silk Road, and “should be united as natural partners by the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.”

He said the Philippines and its business enterprises can benefit from Belt and Road through projects along the line of e-commerce, international trade, global supply chains, joint investment, industrial zones, agriculture and tourism.

It would help very much that the Philippines has signed up to be a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to be able to take advantage of Belt and Road Initiative.

Mr. Yuan said the initiative is now involved in various projects in 34 countries, in 46 industrial zones which have created 80,000 jobs so far.

He said AIIB has so far lent US$829 million to bankroll six construction projects on power stations, power transmission facilities and roads, among others, in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Myanmar.

It is also providing funds to the pursuit of such gargan-

tuan projects as the China-Pakistan economic corridor, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway and the China-Laos railway, Yuan said.

In the area of production capacity, the commercial counsellor bared, there is the China-Belarus Industrial Park, the China-Indonesia Integrated Industrial Park, and the China-Kazakhstan Horgos Frontier International Cooperation Center.

For the purpose of facilitating private sector participation in projects along the line of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Philippine Silk Road International Chamber of Commerce has been organized. Its officers and members were likewise inducted

during the PBC and expo.)

A week after the PBC & E, Philippine President Duterte visited Beijing with hundreds of Filipino businessmen in the entourage.

The goodies he brought home did not include the results of business matching done by Filipino-Chinese merchants, including some from Davao City, on the sidelights with their Chinese counterparts.

Mr. Duterte’s successful official visit was like a sneak preview of the initial fulfillment of the promises of the Belt and Road Initiative which is already starting to benefit some countries of the world.

(Next: The centenarians and the digital media)

WITH LADY CHINESE ARTIST. Davao newsmen Serafin “Jun” C. Ledesma Jr. of the Mindanao Journal and the author pose with a lady pottery artist after briefly interviewing her in the sidelines of a formal dinner tendered by the People’s Daily welcoming the more than 200 delegates (from 101 countries) to the “2016 Media Cooperation Forum on the Belt and Road Initiative” in the Chinese National Convention Center (CNCC) dining hall in Beijing on July 26.

From SCLJ photo files

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

EDITORIAL

D

No more parasitic mentality

ON’T ask the Duterte adminstration abut any foreign aid in the aftermath of storms Karen and Lawin. There is none and there will never be.

Reason? The government is not asking any and does not need any. Why? It has enough money for relief assistance.

Social Welfare and Development secretary Judy Taguiwalo said the government has enough resources to fund relief operations to affected areas.

Taguiwalo said in a Facebook post: “The government is not appealing for foreign assistance or donations from other countries for the victims of Karen and Lawin because the government and its agencies apparently have enough funds to extend help to the affected residents.”

The existence of funds came as a result of transparency and lack of corruption in current government process, promising to further enhance and clean up the system of relief and assistance distribution without any political influence. Note that

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even in the relief goods, no names of political figures were printed unlike in the past when distribution of relief goods was always colored with politics by “epal” politicians.

Taguiwalo also assured the national and local governments are cooperating with private sector to deliver the help urgently needed by the typhoon victims.

That some people thought negatively of the absence of foreign aid coming our way speaks of the parasitic culture that has gripped our country in the past administrations.

Not this government. Under President Duterte, the winds of change has crept into the cultural fabric that encourages Filipinos towards a life of self-reliance through industry and creativity.

It comes with the tough message of the President not to be reliant to our allies not only to the United States but also to everyone else.

That, as a nation, we can stand on our own.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

VANTAGE POINTS

9

Some pieces of advice

F

ROM time to time, we get some pieces of advices – from our peers, from our teachers, from our parents, and even from those we really don’t know.

Students who take examinations are usually given some pieces of advice. Newly-wed couples are also advised as to what they need to know to make their marriage successful. And those broken-hearted individuals are always asking some information on how to move on.

“What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain,” said Maya Angelou, author of “Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now.” Michael Crichton, the man behind “The Lost World” seemed to have the same idea when he said: “All your life people will tell you things. And most of the time, probably ninety-five percent of the time, what they’ll tell you will be wrong.”

Advices abound, indeed. But here’s a thought from Holly Lisle who penned “The Silver Door”: “I have never yet figured out what to do about good advice that you get, and that you know right away would help you, but that you cannot follow.”

To follow or not to follow. There are only two options. But what happen if you follow what you are told.

Below is a story sent to be through e-mail by a friend.

I really don’t know who wrote this originally (could someone tell me so I can give the proper credit?).

They were just married. Both came from a very poor family and they lived in a small farm in a far, far away place. Then, one day the husband made the following proposal to his beautiful wife: “Honey, I will leave the house: I will travel in a distant place, get a job and work hard. When I return, I will give you a comfortable life that you deserve. I do not know how long I will be away; I only ask one thing: Please wait for me. While I am away, you should be faithful to me, because I will be faithful to you.”

The wife THINK ON THESE! agreed and so the young man left. He walked for many days until he found a farmer who was in need of a helper.

The young man offered his services.

He was accepted.

But before that, he discussed the terms with his Henrylito D. Tacio boss: henrytacio@gmail.com “Let me work for as long as I want and when I think I should go home, please relieve me of my duties. I do not want to receive my salary. I ask you to save it for me, until the day I leave.

The day I decide to go, please give me the money and I will go my way.”

They agreed on those terms. So, the young man worked without holiday and without rest. After twenty years, he came to his boss and said: “Sir, I want my money now because I want to go home to my family.”

The boss replied: “All right, after all, I made a deal with you and I will stick to it. However, before you go I want to offer you something new: I will give you all your money and send you away or I will give you three pieces of advice and send you away. If I give you money, you lose the three pieces of advice. If I give you the three pieces of advice, you lose the money. Now, go to your room and think about your answer.”

The man tried to figure out which of the two options he will choose. After two days, he went to the boss and told him: “I want the three pieces of advice.”

The boss reminded him again if he gave him the three pieces of advice, he would not receive any money.

The man understood that. “I want the three pieces of advice,” he confirmed.

These are the three pieces of advice the boss told him: No. 1: Never take shortcuts in your life, shorter and unknown paths can cost your life.

No. 2: Never be too curious, for curiosity towards evil can be deadly.

No. 3: Never make decisions in moments of anger or pain, because when you repent, it could be too late.

After giving the three pieces of advice, the boss said: “Here, you have 3 loaves of bread. You can eat the two bread during your travel and the last is when you get home; eat it with together with your wife.”

After the first day of travel, he met a man who asked him where he was going. “To a distant place,” he replied. “It is about 20 days away if I continue walking.” The man told him: “Oh, that path is too long! I know a shortcut that is very safe and you will arrive within 5 days.”

He started to follow what new path until he remembered the first piece of advice. So, he returned and followed the long path instead. Days later, he learned that the shortcut led to an ambush.

After a few more days of travel, he found an inn, where he took a much needed rest. During the night, he woke up hearing a terrifying scream. He rose to his feet and went to the door to check what happened.

But before he could open the door, he remembered the second piece of advice. He returned to bed and slept again.

After breakfast, the owner of the lodging asked him if he had heard the scream at night. He said he did.

The host wondered if he were curious as to what had happened. “No,” he replied.

The host disclosed: “You are the first guest to leave this inn alive. My neighbor is completely crazy.

He usually shouts at night to call someone’s attention.

If someone happens to come out he kills the person and buries his body in the backyard.”

After many days and nights of walking, he was almost home. But it was already night when he arrived.

He saw some light coming out of the window of his house and was able to see the silhouette of his wife.

But he also saw that she was not alone. He came closer and saw there was a man with her. She softly caressed his hair. When he saw that scene, his heart was filled with hatred and bitterness.

He wanted to rush at and kill them both. But, he took a deep breath and remembered the third piece of advice. Then he stopped, reflected and decided to sleep outside that night. He slept in the midst of the bushes, determined to make a decision the next day.

At dawn, he was calmer and thought: “I will not kill my wife and her lover. I am going back to my boss to ask him to take me back. But before I go, I want to tell my wife that I have always been faithful to her.”

He went to the front door and knocked. When his wife opened the door and recognized him, she cried and embraced him warmly. He tried to push her away, but he was not able. Then, with tears in his eyes he told her: “I was faithful to you but you betrayed me.”

She was shocked, so she replied: “How did I betray you? I have never betrayed you. I waited patiently for you for twenty good years.”

Then he asked: “How about the man that you were caressing yesterday?”

“That man is your son,” she declared. “When you left, I discovered I was pregnant. He is now twenty years old.”

Hearing that, the man asked for forgiveness. He hugged his son. Then he told them all the things he had experienced while he was away.

Observing that he was hungry, the wife prepared some coffee for them to eat together. He took the last bread that his boss had given him. It was neatly packed. After a prayer of thanksgiving, he opened the package and he was surprised to see all his money inside.

In “The Richest Man in Babylon,” George S. Clason wrote: ‘“Advice is one thing that is freely given away, but watch that you only take what is worth having.”

(Speech delivered by Guiamel Alim at the Global Autonomy, Governance, Federalism forum on Day 2, 20 October 2016 at Dusit Thani hotel in Makati City.

Mr. Alim is a member of the Council of Elders of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society and is executive director of Kadtuntaya Foundation) Good afternoon. ”Assalamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu!”

Speaking of CSOs, I think most of us know that one of the more vibrant civil societies in Asia, and maybe elsewhere, is that found in the Philippines. In the issue of peace in Mindanao, civil society organizations (or CSOs) have shown dynamism and active participation over the years. Indeed, CSOs have taken on different roles that range from civilian protection, to ceasefire monitoring, to peace education, to service delivery and rehabilitation of conflict-affected and displaced communities, and even shuttle diplomacy between the negotiating parties, among others.

Aside from these, they also play important roles in areas that indirectly support the peace process— by doing advocacy and capacity building for good governance, support for policy-making, development, and democracy-building.

All these efforts are geared towards helping create an environment conducive to the peace talks, providing public support and political sustainability for the negotiations and the agreements. These self-assigned tasks within the realm of what is known as “Track II Diplomacy” have been executed in various and creative ways. In some occasions in the past, CSOs have even tried to enter Track I Diplomacy, seeking a seat in the peace table, even if only as observers.

In 2008, after the botched signing of an important agreement on ancestral domain in the peace process between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), CSOs were actually included in the mechanisms of the evolving peace infrastructure in that peace process—as part of the Civilian Protection Component and the International Contact Group, which is a “hybrid” structure

MINDAVIEWS

where there was division, and even competition, as sectoral interests got in the way.

Sadly, underlying some of these differences were the varied understanding of the root causes of the conflict, and even latent prejudices and stereotypes about what the Bangsamoro is and is not capable of doing. Some advocacies were project-driven, and just anchored on single issues, forgetting the larger picture of this second chance at peace-making.

Other groups, on the other hand, have turned apolitical, lured by the “safer” task of delivering services and being turned into virtual “appendices” of national or international organizations in implementing social service delivery projects.

to bring together the greatest consensus beyond the Bangsamoro, and among Mindanaowons. Thus, building inter-group relations for solidarity-building is likewise an important objective. Bridging ties among different organizations with varied sectoral and other agenda is a necessary step towards that greater consensus.

As we do this, and as we move towards political transition, we face additional challenges. As we move towards a desired state of affairs in the Bangsamoro, we have to deal with the culture of impunity that for decades have been ingrained in our structures and way of life. We have to contend with the many ways of promoting transitional justice, as we desire to address historical injustice, legitimate grievances, human rights violations, and marginalization through land dispossession.

Surely, these are challenging times as the new administration has raised the ante--- from an asymmetrical autonomy, we are even asked to ponder upon the question of a nationwide arrangement for federalization. If the details of the Bangsamoro autonomy had divided the CSOs in Mindanao, federalism and its different models and formulations, can very well do the same, if we are not sensitive to the many latent and manifest divides that are there

Role of CSOs in peace building, political transition in Mindanao

BY GUIAMEL ALIM that includes both States and International NGOs. For local CSOs, however, the burden was really to rally support for the peace process. And this is where the CSOs got creative— doing grassroots advocacy and education work, explaining the need for peace, presenting the negative effects of the conflict, and the ways forward. In several instances, CSOs have shown strong unity and partnerships with each other and with the protagonists in the peace process, in the direst of times, when hope was fading and spoilers abound.

Outside of the peace process, CSOs also take on the challenge of bringing different groups together in a horizontal peace process, as other kinds of violent conflicts abound in the communities.

On hindsight, I could see the glorious days of CSOs working hand in hand in rallying around the peace process. But since a peace agreement had been signed, and the peace process moved towards the implementation phase, the peace work of CSOs have been threatened by disunity among its ranks.

While everyone was united on the idea of peace and the process by which it was to be achieved—i.e., through a negotiated political settlement-- there was no clear bases of unity in the substantive agenda for sustainable peace.

Different groups had different pet advocacies, and saw the peace agreement in different lenses.

Hence, while majority of the CSOs were supportive of the peace agreement and the idea of giving an asymmetrical autonomy for the Bangsamoro, different groups saw the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) differently.

After all, it is in the BBL where details of the powers to be given to the Bangsamoro are supposed to be articulated. In short, while everyone agreed on motherhood statements for peace, it is in the details

Challenges and opportunities Now, as we face the same task of lobbying for the BBL in the 17th Congress, we are faced with the challenge of doing things better and, being more coordinated and united. We have to be able to learn from our mistakes and work on our differences, in the same way that the peace panels from Government and the MILF and the MNLF have overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties during their respective negotiations.

Dialogues between and among CSOs should be enhanced, as we move forward to additional challenges that are before us. With peace within our reach, we should strive even harder to reap those promised dividends for our people.

Some thoughts on how to move forward As a (former) community organizer, I know just how important and potent the work of CSOs are in building peace and potentially, even in the political transition that we are looking forward to.

Hence, I think it is imperative for like-minded CSOs to continuously find that common agenda that bind them together. For Bangsamoro CSOs, intra-Moro dialogue towards unity should be a first objective in reaching the goal of sustainable peace.

But we do not stop there, as we should be able

Conclusion In conclusion, I would say that CSOs, as the organized groups that connect the communities to the decision-makers, are a very powerful stakeholder in the issue of Mindanao peace. They have played and are still playing important roles in the peace-building, peace-making, and potentially, in the expected political transition. There is a need among CSOs for continuous dialogues and conversations to define common and larger interests that will maintain their cohesion, potency and relevance in the lives of the people for whose benefit, peace eventually lies.

It is my fervent hope that we can cross the divides and work for a cause greater than ourselves.

Thank you.

10 NEWS DSWD... FROM 2

mine and verify the families who need help the most.

According to Taguiwalo, President Duterte flew to Tuguegarao and other provinces that were severely affected by the powerful typhoon.

She said the President also met with top officials of Isabela province, including local chief executives of municipalities which were devastate by the recent typhoon.

Total assistance provided by the DSWD and LGUs to affected families in regions I, II, III and CAR now stand at P31,456,688.51 in terms of food and other basic needs.

In its latest bulletin on Monday, Oct. 24, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that of 33,183 families or 158,863 individuals were directly displaced, and

affected regions I, II, III and the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR).

Eight persons were confirmed to have died in the CAR due to landslides, while one resident was injured.

The NDRRMC added that a total of 46,257 houses were destroyed by Lawin last week, of which 6,551 were considered totally damaged, while 39,706 houses were partially damaged.

The strong typhoon also flooded 64 barangays in four regions in Luzon including parts of Pampanga and Bataan.

Total damage in the four regions have now amounted to P2,527,246,025.16 of which, damage to infrastructure stands at P1,583,404,188.00, and to agriculture at P943,841,837.16, the NDRRMC said.

business sector to commercialize them.

She said the Ormoc caravan was an excellent example

of public-private partnership, as it was participated in by almost 500 delegates from across the region.

lieves this is long overdue.”

Sotto said banana industry stakeholders have agreed to temporarily name the proposed piece of legislation as the “Philippine Comprehensive Banana Act” (PCBA) of 2017.

The BIDC, he added, would take the lead in advocating for the passage of the PCBA. Sotto said the formal establishment of the banana council would also operationalize the NBRC, which will take the lead in the development of the country’s banana industry.

“We have different private [banana] research centers but not a national one,” he said, explaining the BIDC will implement a more holistic and integrated approach to boost the nation’s banana industry.

Sotto also bared the creation of a national databank system that would include data from growers, exporters, and middlemen, as well as growership and export contracts that need to be monitored by the government and

private sector.

In the meantime, the PhilExport executive director said that once the PCBA is approved by Congress, a separate budget has to be allocated for the banana industry.

“We want [the banana industry] to [develop] like the sugar [industry],” he said, pointing out the local sugar industry is allocated a yearly budget of P2.2 billion.

To realize the full potential of the banana industry, Sotto called on the national government to fast track the approval of the PCBA, as the private sector cannot do it alone.

“Rest assured, big banana growers, medium and small growers, cooperative groups and farmers from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao are well-represented [in the BIDC],” he stressed.

Sotto said that BIDC’s membership will also include representatives from the departments of agriculture, trade and industry (DTI), and interior and local government.

Piñol said.

He said that making adjustments is now actually the battle cry of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

“We really have to make adjustments. In fact, in one presentation I made in the agriculture ministers’ conference in Peru, my presentation was subtitled ‘Adopt, Adjust or Die’,” the agriculture chief said.

But besides revising the planting calendar, Piñol said his department is focused on providing farmers with the necessary support for the country to achieve its food self-sufficiency goals.

“You don’t achieve rice sufficiency by simply talking about it and praying for it. You have to work for it. We have to provide our farmers with good seeds, fertilizer and sufficient irrigation, and that is

what we are doing right now,” he said.

Piñol said this was the concept of the Masagana 99 and Yamang Dagat programs that President Duterte hopes to revive.

The two self-sufficiency programs were initiated by former president Ferdinand Marcos.

“What President Duterte referred to when he said that let’s take a second look at Masagana ’99 and Biyayang Dagat was the concept of really focusing on self-sufficiency in both our fisheries and our rice production. What the President meant was that he wanted DA to really focus on the two main things that Filipino families would need on their table -- rice and fish or viand for that matter,” Piñol said.

(PNA)

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

PLAYGROUND. Young boys spend their Sunday morning playing and swimming at a beach resort in Toril, Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

Panabo... FROM 4 Also discussed during the training were the salient provisions of Republic Act No. 9208 also known as Anti-Human Trafficking Act of 2008 as amended By R.A. 10364 (Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act) as presented by SARP Robert Michael Razon; Red Flag Indicators of Trafficking in Persons - APA Rizza Mae

Sam); Anti Child Pornography Law - Provincial Prosecutor Norman Solis; Organizational Structure, Referral System and Procedural Workflow of IACAT XI Network - DCP Leah Fe San Juan; and Psycho-Social services for Trafficking in Persons victims - DSWD XI Social Worker Alma Acera. Jasmine A. Paras - CIO Panabo

The EEC is open to the public every Tuesdays and Thursdays (except holidays) from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Visits to the center are made through appointment, and should be done five working days prior to the visit.

There are four slots guests can choose from: 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM; 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM; 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM; 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. As it is still in its early stages of operations, the center can cater to two tours per day.

Each visit can accomodate a

maximum of 30 persons.

One of the main displays in the EEC is an interactive scale model of the circulating fluidized bed technology, which is being used by the Davao Baseload power plant.

Though it had its soft opening last May, the EEC can now accept more visitors.

For queries, bookings and reservations, please contact the EEC through this numbers, 244-6516 or 244-6500. The center can be emailed at energyeducationcenter@aboitiz. com.

healthcare.

“These policies will facilitate an equitable opportunity for every Filipino to contribute to the sustainable economic growth of the country that will truly be felt by every sector,” the FEF said.

The FEF’s other prominent members include Monetary Board member Dr. Felipe Medalla; former Presidential Adviser for Strategic Projects Gloria Tan Climaco; investment bankers Simon Paterno, Eddie Gana, and Vaughn Montes; international trade law adviser Anthony Abad; corporate lawyer Perry Pe; and urban land planning expert Dr. Art Corpuz.

In its statement, the FEF also said that “with the right set of public policies and investment programs that create an enabling environment for private sector investments, the Duterte Administration can attain the growth target of at least 7 percent annually, reduction of poverty from 26 percent to 17 percent, and a sharp reduction in the 25 percent unemployment rate over the next six years.”

“Fiscal stability, mobilization of resources to fund government programs, and investment-friendly tax policies will serve as a strong foundation to make these growth targets a reality,” it added.

Earlier, other prominent

business and tax advocacy groups also expressed their support for the DOF-proposed tax reform program These groups include the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII), the Tax Management Association of the Philippines (TMAP), the Association of the Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI), and the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA).

Civil society groups have also thrown their support behind the DOF tax reform plan.

In a recent forum in Makati City, the head of one of these progressive advocacy organizations—Renato Redento Constantino of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities—assured Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III that his group would exert “humongous effort” to get other sectors to support the DOF-proposed tax reform program.

A senior economist of the advocacy group Action for Economic Reforms (AER), JoAnn Latuja Diosana, earlier said she believes the DOF tax reform plan could be a “game changer” that intends not just to generate revenues but to raise enough funds to let the government address the backlog in physical and human capital investments.

EEC... FROM 5

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Medium... FROM 6

to become workforces over the next few years as additional factors in attaining the country’s goals.

The secretary also recognized the hard work of previous administrations that reduced the country’s debt to 43 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as of June this year that allowed the government to free revenues to spend on its programs for inclusive growth.

“The Philippines has also kept its investment-grade credit ratings that will help accomplish the goal of shifting from consumption- to investment-led growth, which, in turn, will ensure our economic expansion will pace the rest of Asia,” Dominguez said.

He stressed that poverty in the country’s regions can be traced largely to uneven development but the new government is now working “to open access to the economic mainstream, end the armed insurgencies that are most active in the poorest regions, rapidly modernize the nationwide logistics backbone, and modernize agriculture so that farm production ceases to be the poverty trap for millions of Filipinos in the countryside.”

To make all the imperatives doable, the secretary said the government will raise deficit spending from 2 percent to 3 percent of the GDP and pursue tax reforms so it can undertake massive investments in infrastructure, human capital and social protection for vulnerable sectors.

The proposed tax reform package that seeks to lower the prevailing oppressive in-

dividual and corporate rates was already submitted to Congress.

“Notwithstanding the revenue loss that goes with lowering rate, we intend to compensate for that with a broader tax base enabled by making our tax system fairer, simpler and more efficient,” he said, adding that a number of specific taxes targeting the rich and supporting public health will also result in higher revenue despite the rate reductions.

Forty percent of public spending will also be devoted to poverty reduction programs and investments in human capital, a move that will provides the context and allow the government to call the tax reform package as pro-poor.

“We are confident the Philippines will move forward quickly through the medium term. There is newfound optimism among our people.

There is uncharacteristic determination on the part of our nation’s leaders,” Dominguez emphasized to international bank officials.

He also reported on the gains that the administration of President Duterte is gaining as it seeks political settlements with armed insurgent groups as part of its efforts to attain government imperatives.

He finally told the IMF and WB officials that the country is entering a period of vibrancy, new opportunities and new challenges, and that the government is “seeking your support at this important turning point for our nation. Change has indeed come to our archipelago.”

beneficiaries will receive their social security claims regardless of whether they decide to reside in the Philippines or Denmark.

“We encourage SSS members to continue paying their SSS contributions even while employed in Denmark. That way, they will be able to meet the required contributions for both countries, which may allow them to receive social security benefits from two pension systems,” said Bautista.

The Philippines also has existing bilateral agreements with Austria, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Spain,

France, Canada, Quebec, Switzerland and Belgium. Agreements with Germany, Sweden, Luxembourg and Japan have been concluded and signed and are currently undergoing the ratification process as mandated under the constitution.

“As the Philippines is among the top labor-sending countries, the government continues to pursue other agreements with countries that host overseas Filipinos to guarantee that they will be accorded much-needed social security protection,” Bautista said.

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INdulge!

Lost in La Isla de Kopiat

JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I KNEW EVERYTHING ABOUT MABINI IN COMPOSTELA VALLEY, I was proved wrong.

You may be wondering where’s the third series of my Siargao escapade, don’t worry! It’s up next. I just had to share this little island gem that is within a day’s travel from Davao City.

For those wanting a different escape from the usual getaways in Samal Island and Talicud Island, there is another island paradise in our beloved Davao Gulf that is waiting to be re-discovered - and enjoyed.

Lubi Plantation is an exclusive island sanctuary, located in Kopiat Island in Barangay Pindasan in Mabini, Compostela Valley. It takes almost an hour and a half to reach the town of Mabini if you’re coming from Davao City. From mainland Mabini town, it takes less than five minutes by

speedboat to reach Kopiat Island.

I immediately noticed floating plastic jetties starting from the port in Mabini until Kopiat Island. These plastic jetties pose less of a safety hazard as compared to

concrete jetties because of their ability to float on water. Despite being made of plastic, these floating jetties, with proper maintenance, have proven to be more environmentfriendly and should be used more than concrete ones.

Clear and warm waters teeming with schools of tiny fishes greeted us as we walked on the floating buoys towards the Beach Club, Lubi Plantation’s main area. It felt like I was transported back in time, walking in an early 1900s plantation by the sea.

We were ushered towards the Panabo-facing side of the island. Passing by natural saltwater lagoons lined with mangroves, a more secluded area of limestone paths, coconut trees and clear waters invited us to stay awhile. Idyllic driftwood

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

TRAVEL

EDGEDAVAO I think there is no place that is not picturesque in Kopiat Island. Even their floating jetty is perfect even for random shots.

can be spotted on the shoreline that ended up as perfect backdrops for the million of photos we took.

I found out that Kopiat Island is part of the Mabini Protected Landscape and Seascape. It is known for being the nesting grounds of the endangered leatherback turtles. Locals who now work at the resort say that during Habagat season, pods of dolphins are a common sight during afternoon boat excursions at the back portion of the island.

Our host, Ma’am Chai Abaya of Torre Lorenzo (Lubi Plantation’s developer) happily shows us a video of dolphins swimming alongside their boat.

Unfortunately, it was already the onset of the Amihan season and the dolphins may have been

MERMAID A4

Seen from the jetty on a low tide, the colourful soft corals and anemone easily grabs one’s attention upon arriving in Kopiat Island.

Lubi Plantation’s signage is an immediate backdrop for guests who arrive at the island. Framed by beautiful potted plants, it’s already Instagram-worthy.

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2

PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS

TRAVEL

Flying abroad

THE HOLIDAY TRAVEL SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. I am sure that by now, many urbanites have made travel plans for a fambam or barkada trip. And for those who have extra funds to spare, their plans may include a trip abroad to shop, dine, and enjoy the cooler weather.

Although the flight schedules coming in and out of Manila have now normalized and are less prone to delays, the sheer volume of holiday travelers can sometimes be a disincentive for those who want to take a long-deserved vacation. The goal of this piece, therefore, is to provide travelers with a list of alternative destinations to visit, and well, ultimately skip the hustle and bustle of Manila’s airports.

Japan jafun Philippine Airlines has been flying to Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka from Cebu for a while now. However, Dabawenyos flying to Japan via Cebu had to stay overnight at the Mactan airport, as flights to Cebu from Durianburg did not connect to flights bound for the Land of the Rising Sun. To address this concern, PAL recently introduced an early morning flight from Davao to Cebu which would allow travelers to fly from Davao to Japan flight with just an hour-and-a-half stop-over in Cebu.

This means that travelers no longer need to check out their luggage nor spend an extra night in Mactan.

PAL also flies to other international destinations from Cebu. You may visit www. philippineairlines.com or visit their booking offices or your travel agent for more details.

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2016

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

d? Skip Manila

udget options For the budget conscious, AiAisa has recently announced the art of thrice weekly flights to aipei and Taiwan, from Cebu.

The budget airline also offers rect flights to Kuala Lumpur, ncheon, and Singapore from ebu.

Although there are no scheded AirAsia flights from Davao Cebu as of the moment, there e other budget flight options, as ell as a lot of affordable hotels ithin the vicinity of the Macn Cebu Airport that would enourage more travelers to avail of irAsia flights.

You can check out www.airaa.com for all available flights nd seat sales.

Singapore and beyond Though most Dabawenyos considered Cebu as a primary take off point for international flights, it has been their dream to fly directly to foreign destinations via Davao. SilkAir has made this dream come true, as the airline has scheduled 10 direct weekly flights from Durianburg to Singapore. With this development, Dabawenyos will surely be making more frequent trips to the “Lion City.”

SilkAir’s flights now also connect Davao to the rest of Southeast Asia and Australia. And through SilkAir’s partnership with Singapore Airlines, Dabawenyos can now fly to Europe, and North America through one of

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

the world’s best airports, Changi, which has enough shops, restaurants, and lounges to keep travelers pre-occupied until they reach their final destination.

SilkAir’s flights to Singapore are priced at USD 185, while flights to exotic destinations in Malaysia such as Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Kuching, and Kota Kinabalu cost USD 200. You may check out www.silkair.com or visit their booking office or your travel agent for more details.

PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS

Serving a seamless society

EDGE DAVAO GENSAN PARTNERS

EDGEDAVAO

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TRAVEL MERMAID A1

somewhere else. Had I known there were dolphins in this side of Mindanao, I would have gone sooner. Maybe next time, I can swim with them too!

The 97-hectare island, nestled perfectly in the Davao Gulf, has a perfect view of Compostela Valley’s mountains on one side, and a good look of Panabo on the other. With limestone abundant in the island, it has portions of white sandy beaches coupled with interesting reef formations scattered all around its shoreline.

I would be the last person to pass the opportunity to check out their underwater scene. We headed towards the jetty and immediately jumped into the warm water. Even if it rained the night before, the water was not that murky and we could still see the colorful soft corals and fishes that surrounded the jetty. The locals were also eager to point us to the giant clams or taklobo that were nearby.

What was more interesting than the romantic eternity pool in the Beach Club area was the diving spot, which is located on the other side of the island (facing Panabo City).

The warm waters of their eternity pool is the perfect place to relax after chasing after fish in the sea.

That part was so pristine, I knew it was teeming corals and marine life, the reason it was chosen as a marine protected area. I can’t wait until they finish the biodiversity assessment and open their diving spot to the public.

This trip made me realize how much there is still a lot to see in the Davao Gulf. I wonder how many of the Philippines’ nature

spots we have discovered and explored. Keeping in mind our responsibility as stewards of this planet for the next generation, let us go out and discover!

Stay tuned next week for the continuation of the Siargao Island series. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out my blog: www.millennialmermaid. com and sign up for exciting surprises!

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

11 COMPETITIVE EDGE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

U.S. program helps improve ARMM’s access to health care T

DCWD Advisory: Water service interruption in Catalunan Pequeño

U

.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip S. Goldberg joined the Zuellig Family Foundation, Inc. (ZFF), the Philippine Department of Health, and the U.S. Embassy’s Agency for International Development (USAID)/ Philippines in celebrating the graduation of 38 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) leaders who successfully completed a two-year Health Leadership and Governance Program.

The program, culminating in a Health Colloquium, seeks to improve quality, affordability, access and availability of health care for the Moro people.

Through the leadership of these graduates, hailing from 18 different municipalities, ratios of midwife to population

and facility-based deliveries have improved; the number of clinics accredited with Philhealth have increased; and the number of reproductive health units that are accessible around the clock has tripled.

Department of Health Secretary Jean Paulyn Ubial, Vice President Leonor Robredo, ARMM Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman , and ZFF Chairperson Roberto Romulo also graced the ceremony.

Secretary Ubial, acknowledging the health challenges in ARMM, declared, “It is our hope in the Department of Health to have an inclusive health agenda that will allow us to actually focus on the health and well-being of the poorest Filipinos, the marginalized, the most vulnerable.”

Three mayors from the

municipalities of Tandubas (Tawi-Tawi), Akbar (Basilan) and Sultan Mastura (Maguindanao), and one Municipal Health Officer from Masiu (Lanao del Sur), all alumni of the program, shared moving leadership stories about how they overcame health issues in their respective regions, describing first-hand how even low-income municipalities in ARMM can improve health outcomes with strong health governance.

Vice President Robredo praised the Health Leadership and Governance Program, stating that “Programs such as these allow mayors to quickly understand the problem and become a catalyst for change.

When the local leader governs with honesty, integrity, and transparency, constitu-

ents have better quality of life and progress happens from the top to the bottom.”

USAID/Philippines, in partnership with the Philippine Department of Health and through the Zuellig Family Foundation, builds health leadership and governance in 104 municipalities and cities nationwide, and strengthens health systems for improved service delivery at provincial hospitals, primary health care facilities and communities.

From 2013 to 2016, USAID contributed more than P 1 billion in Mindanao and ARMM. As Ambassador Philip Goldberg affirmed, “The U.S. government will continue to support Mindanao and ARMM to achieve lasting peace and development in the years to come.”

LTE BOOST. Smart introduces a host of LTE devices to Davaoeños at simultaneous mall events from October 15 to 16.

Smart brings more LTE devices to Davao C OMPLEMENTING its network improvement efforts in Davao, Smart Communications recently partnered with device manufacturers to introduce a variety of LTE (Long Term Evolution) handsets that will enable locals to enjoy a better mobile internet experience.

In the recent Connected Davao event simultaneously held in SM Lanang Premier, NCCC Mall, and GMall Davao, mallgoers got first dibs on affordable, mid-range, and premium LTE devices. One of the featured handsets was the O+ Presto 700, which can use the 700 MHz frequency band for LTE, available at a special price of P2,188.

Other LTE devices snapped up were from Samsung, Alcatel, Asus, Huawei, Lenovo, Starmobile, Oppo, and Apple.

Smart has promised to bring a wider variety of LTE devices, running on multiple frequencies, so that more

Davaoeños could enjoy the network improvements in the area. LTE is the fastest wireless data service that is commercially available.

Tripling LTE-capable sites in Davao Smart is boosting LTE coverage in Davao City and surrounding municipalities by tripling its LTE-capable sites by the end of the year. This is part of Smart and parent company PLDT’s three-year plan to cover 95 percent of the country’s cities and municipalities with LTE services by end-2018.

The rollout plan submitted to the National Telecommunications Commission last July includes the use of spectrum that Smart has gained access to under a co-use arrangement, as a result of the acquisition of the telecoms business of San Miguel Corporation by PLDT and Globe Telecom last May. So far, Smart has fired up

eight 700 MHz-powered sites, five of them in Davao City.

These are located in Matina, in Barangay Ma-a near DBP Village, along San Pedro Street near Osmeña Park, at the PLDT building along Ponciano Reyes St., and at Kilometer 4, near the Davao City Golf Club.

In the Matina cell site, Smart combined its 700 MHz and 1800 MHz frequency bands using carrier aggregation, resulting in peak speeds of up to 200 mbps.

“Davao City continues to grow in importance as a major trade, enterprise, and tourism hub in Mindanao. In line with this, we are expanding the capacity and coverage of our network here, particularly for mobile data,” said Ramon Isberto, head of Public Affairs at PLDT and Smart.

Helping subscribers maximize the network The Connected Davao event also featured affordable data subscriptions, such as

Smart GigaSurf 50. This enables subscribers to use 1 GB of mobile data plus 300 MB for streaming, for three days.

“We have a multipronged approach to giving Davaoeños a better mobile internet experience. First, we are improving our network. Second, we are making available more LTE devices so they could enjoy the benefits of the enhanced network. Third, we are offering value-packed data subscriptions,” Isberto said.

“On top of these, we deployed a customer education team in the Connected Davao event to answer subscribers’ questions on mobile data, and give tips on how to maximize their internet experience,” he added.

The simultaneous mall events also featured interactive exhibits where guests got to experience the connected life – at home, outdoors, in the office, and in school – that PLDT and Smart’s internet services enable.

HE Davao City Water District has advised of a water service interruption on Oct. 27, from 9 AM to 5 PM, affecting some areas in Catalunan Pequeño, particularly Residencia Del Rio and Sitio Walog. DCWD’s Engineering and Construction Department crew will tap the water distribution systems at Residencia Del Rio which supplies Blocks 35 to 38 and Granville Subdivision.

Once completed, both projects will allow the water facility to install additional service connections. The DCWD management has asked for the understanding and cooperation of would-be affected customers, advising them to store enough water prior to

the scheduled water service interruption as water supply may be restored earlier if work goes smoothly, or later if unforeseen problems arise.

Customers may visit DCWD website (www. davao-water.gov.ph) and official Facebook page (www. facebook.com/davaowater) or call the Central Information Unit/Call Center through the 24-hour hotline 297-DCWD (3293) and press “1” on their phone dial for the latest daily water updates. They may also call/text 0927-7988966, 0925-5113293 and 09084410653 for other updates, complaints, queries, and matters pertaining to DCWD services. (Katrina Belen M. Roble)

PH launches social security partnership with Denmark

F

ILIPINO workers employed in Denmark will be entitled to social security benefits under the same conditions applicable to Danish nationals under the bilateral agreement signed by the two countries, according to the Social Security System (SSS) which led the negotiations for the Philippines.

SSS International Affairs Department Manager Roberto B. Bautista said the agreement, which was ratified last year and already in effect, will benefit Filipino and Danish nationals with current or previous work in the Philippines and Denmark who have been covered by social security legislation in either or both countries.

“The agreement is in line with the International Convention 118 on Equality of Treatment. We want to ensure that the covered Filipino workers will receive social security benefits during times of contingencies, regardless of whether they choose to stay here or in Denmark,” Bautista said.

Among the key features of the agreement is the “totalization” provision which allows the consolidating or adding together of contribution periods – excluding those that overlap – under Philippine and Danish legislation for the benefit of a worker who fails to meet the minimum qualifying period for pension entitlement in either or both countries.

For example, under the Philippine Social Security Law, a member must have at least 120 monthly contributions to qualify for retirement pension. Without the agreement, the member with only 100 monthly contributions will only receive a lump sum amount consisting of total contributions paid plus interest.

“But with the totalization provision of the agreement, if the member has at least 20 monthly contributions or creditable periods under Danish legislation, he or she

will qualify for a pro-rated SSS retirement, disability, death or survivorship pension. However, a minimum of 12 monthly contributions is required to apply the totalization provision,” Bautista said.

As for Denmark, for a Filipino worker to be entitled to the country’s social pension under the same conditions as Danish nationals residing there, a total work period of at least 12 months is required under the country’s legislation.

“The amount of benefit paid by each country will be proportional to the worker’s creditable periods or actual contributions. However, there will be no need to apply the totalization provision if the worker meets the minimum qualifying period or number of contributions needed for pension eligibility under social security legislation in either or both countries,” Bautista explained.

Under the bilateral agreement, the workers’ paid contributions and period of work in both countries will determine the amount and type of their retirement, disability, death or survivorship benefit as provided by applicable social security legislations in the Philippines and Denmark.

The Philippine agencies involved in the agreement’s implementation include the SSS and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), while their Danish counterparts are the Pensionsstyrelsen and the Denmark Pension Agency.

Bautista noted that the covered workers can file their claims in any of the designated Philippine and Danish agencies. For example, Filipino workers residing in Denmark no longer need to go to the Philippines to file their SSS or GSIS claim since they can do so in any of the Danish liaison agencies.

Moreover, the bilateral agreement provides for the export of benefits, which means that the eligible workers and

F PH, 10

12 PROPERTY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

Aeon Towers epitomizes Davao’s growth

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

I

njb@edgedavao.net

F there is an epitome of Davao’s growth, it must be its next tallest skyscraper that’s nearing completion.

Aeon Towers, Davao’s soon-to-rise architectural masterpiece, has reached the 26th level in its construction works. That leaves only seven levels left in its overall vertical construction.

Of late, Davao City is experiencing a boom in economy driven by the real estate industry where the country’s major developers have expanded its projects to the countrysides especially in this Presidential hometown.

Several factors are driving developers to go out of megacities and into Davao

City. Better business opportunities, lower costs of taxes and operations, plus the emergence of better Internet and mobile phone communications services, more expressways and better road networks make Davao a viable destination for investments.

But this did not faze the FTC Group of Companies which ventured into real estate as a newbie homegrown player.

“We know we have a good product to sell and the market responded well,” said president and CEO Ian Cruz.

Aeon Towers is considered nearly fully sold with but a few units left.

It is schedule to top off by December and turn over by

next year.

Latest construction updates have plaved the stateof-the-art residential and commercial skyscraper as having completed 25 levels.

Construction has risen to the 26th floor which is expected to complete its concrete pouring by the end of this week.

The company hopes to fast track the turnover of the project and possibly move on to a next tower project. Cruz, however, refused to make earlier pronouncements.

Most of the residential units have been sold out with just a few left in the inventory.

“We are excited about the developments happening in our first project and

we cannot wait to the time we will turn over the units to the owners,” he said.

The top floors of the futuristic building are the premium residential units and the skydeck infinity pool and offices.

Details of the building tenants for the commercial spaces and luxury hotel have been kept under wraps and will be announced formally at the appropriate time.

“We are glad to have earned a place in this industry and we welcome the growth of Davao with the influx of more competition,” Cruz said.

EDGEDAVAO

HEALTH13

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

Glaucoma: Invasion of sight snatchers

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“Early diagnosis and treatment can minimize or prevent optic nerve damage and limit glaucoma-related vision loss.”

-- Mayo Clinic

“G

LAUCOMA is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world,” wrote Dr. Andrew A. Dahl in an article which was published in medicine.net. “While anyone can get glaucoma, some people are at greater risk.”

Worldwide, glaucoma is the second-leading cause of irreversible blindness. In fact, as many as 6 million individuals are blind in both eyes from this disease. In the Philippines, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness -after cataracts.

Generally, those who are affected with glaucoma are adults above 40 years old. “As the population increases and ages, the risk for glaucoma becomes higher,” points out Dr. Maria Imelda Yap-Veloso, an ophthalmologist at the Asian Eye Institute.

Like a thief in the night, glaucoma robs you of your vision without you knowing it. “Glaucoma can damage your vision so gradually you may not notice any loss of vision until the disease is at an advanced stage,” the Mayo Clinic says.

“Glaucoma is not just one eye disease, but a group of eye conditions resulting in optic nerve damage, which may cause loss of vision,” the Mayo Clinic points out. “Abnormally high pressure inside your eye (intraocular pressure) usually, but not always, causes this damage.”

Glaucoma develops when the production of liquid in the eye (called aqueous humor) increases or the liquid is not drain adequately. The pressure rises in the eye to unhealthy levels. Nerve fibers and blood vessels in the optic nerve – which carries visual impulses from the eye to the brain – become compressed and can be damaged or destroyed.

Glaucoma usually causes no symptoms early in its course, at which time it can only be diagnosed by regular eye examinations (screenings with the frequency of examination based on age and the presence of other risk factors).

Actually, there are two forms of glaucoma: acute and chronic. If you feel sudden eye pain, it may be a signal that you have an acute form that can lead to blindness. Acute glaucoma can occur when the drainage canal from the eye-

ball is suddenly closed off and the fluid pressure builds rapidly, says Dr. Kevin Greenidge, a member of the glaucoma service at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary.

Along with intense pain, you may have blurred vision and see rainbow halos around lights. Some people also experience nausea and vomiting. This condition may be relieved promptly, but you must get to a hospital as soon as possible.

Acute glaucoma is an ocular emergency. “If not

treated imm e d i a t e ly, acute glaucoma results in complete and permanent blindness within two to five days,” says Dr. Tony Ho, an eye surgeon with the Clearvision Eye Clinic in Singapore.

Although most common among people who are farsighted, acute glaucoma is rare. About 90 percent of those with the problem suffer from chronic glaucoma. This happens when the drainage canals in the eyes are blocked gradually slowly. Symptoms include teary, aching eyes, blurred vision, occasional headaches, and progressive loss of sight.

Glaucoma is an irreversible disease. As Dr. Mark De Leon, an ophthalmologist as the Cardinal Santos Medical Center, puts it: “Glaucoma is a progressive disease and cannot be cured. Progression, however, can be delayed by proper treatment and follow-up.”

Early detection is the best way to combat glaucoma The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends a comprehensive eye exam for all adults starti.ng at age 40, and every three to five years after that if you don’t have any glaucoma risk factors. If you have other risk factors or

How people with glaucoma sees

yo u ’ re older than age 60, you should be screened every one to two years.

Only an eye exam by an ophthalmologist can tell whether you have early glaucoma. But you should be alert to any changes in vision such as blurriness or “blanked-out” sights, says Dr. George Spaeth, professor of ophthalmology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. He’s developed this selftest to help you spot warning signs between eye exams: Sit about a foot way from a large television set

tuned to a channel that has nothing but random, blurred spots or lines. Close your left eye and look at the center of the screen with your right eye.

Are any areas of the screen blanked out, washed out or less visible? Pay particular attention to the upper left-hand side of the screen: If you have trouble seeing that area, you vision loss may be caused by glaucoma. Reverse the procedure to test your left eye; look at the upper right-hand side of the screen to find out whether you’ve lost any vision in that eye. If this quick test shows any sight loss, don’t wait for your next regular eye exam. See an ophthalmologist right away.

Generally, medicines – in the form of eye drops – are the first line of treatment against chronic glaucoma. Oftentimes, doctors prescribe beta-blocker eye drops to lower liquid production in the eye. However, glaucoma can’t be controlled by just one bottle of medication alone; it is a lifetime problem and eye drop will be the patient’s partner for

the rest of his or her life.

For some people, eye drops may not be enough. In such case, the doctor may prescribe oral tablets or intravenous injection. “Whether taken orally or injected, the drugs do not cure the disease but only reduce the ocular pressure and its fluctuations,” explains Dr. Liza Sharmini Ahmad Tajudin, a lecturer of the ophthalmology department at the Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang.

There are several reasons why a person suffers from glaucoma. Among the so-called “glaucoma suspects” are advancing age, family history, steroid use, history of eye trauma, nearsightedness, diabetes, and hypertension. As such, eye doctors urge people to protect their vision. In addition, they must see their doctor regularly.

“Just like cancer,” reminds Dr. Yap-Velosos, “glaucoma is never cured. However, it can be controlled. The key management is early detection and treatment to preserve your vision.” (Photos taken from the net)

14 COMMUNITY SENSE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016

A Paradigm Shift: Moving medical documents from print to digital

H

Business solutions provider Canon Marketing Philippines, Inc. (CMPI) partners with Davao Doctors Hospital (DDH), the leading privately-owned health institution in Mindanao in digitizing key health services

EALTHCARE organizations commonly face challenges with administration of information via physical records and documents management, leading to counterproductive results such as excessive manpower resources and longer response time.

In the Philippines, there is an increasing number of health institutions integrating digital systems into their document management processes to uphold best quality health service and maintain their competitiveness in the industry.

Davao Doctors Hospital (DDH) continues to be at the forefront of offering quality health services to patients in the city that promise the highest level of quality and efficiency. DDH, celebrating its 47th anniversary this year, has been catering to mostly locals of Davao City and other neighboring areas with state-of-the-art diagnostic, therapeutic and intensive care facilities.

With its vision of becoming “TheUnparalleled Health Institution Beyond Borders,” the hospital found it most appropriate to partner with Canon Business Imaging Solutions in working towards the full digitization of its operation beginning with the implementation of a “paperless” records and documentation management. Such is to address the

institutions’ need for a more efficient system of managing its rapidly growing patient archive.

The partnership serves as the stepping stone to the creation of a “doctors’ portal” – an online database of patient records that is always on and accessible for doctors anywhere around the world. Technology of this kind remains to be uncommon in the local practice of medicine, and have nly been utilized by select institutions in developed countries such as the United States and Australia.

Canonhas offered theTherefore™solution to DDH – one of the world’s most renowned end-to-end software solutions that is specifically created to improve storage, management, and processing of information from input management, to document management and workflow, to output management.

Therefore™enables organizations around the world like DDH to work smarter and become more competitive in their respective industries.

“We have been using Therefore™ for the scanning of our records for the past two years. The access and use of records are evidently faster now, and the solution allows us to save a significant amount of time in comparison to the manual process. The best thing

DDH reportedly has medical records of over a thousand within the last 15 years. aboutthe system is that it is a complete and integrated business solution, from the technology to the manpower services and training needed for its use,” sharedJan Rhea Ruiz, Head of the Medical Records Department at DDH. “Once we have achieved scanning and storing of all records, we will be able to fully implement a ‘doctors’ portal’ for DDH to have easier and more secured health care processes, particularly diagnoses and feedback on necessary documents for patients. With this, we can truly achieve health care services that go beyond borders; there will no lon-

TheTherefore™ system is one of the world’s leading end-to-end business solutions that provides all necessary equipment such as multi-purpose devices, and manpower services like operational training and engineering.

Solon... FROM 3

eas may not necessarily come from the remaining 4 million prime agricultural lands planted with rice and corn across the country.

“These 4 million hectares are merely part of the 14 million hectares of the total alienable and disposable lands generally classified as agricultural, meaning not public lands or forest areas,” said Baguilat.

The lawmaker stressed that appropriate land use

planning should be done in the whole country to determine land allocation for settlements without compromising the remaining rice and corn lands.

He said the moratorium for conversion is just a reiteration of the DAR’s mandate to protect prime agricultural lands under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law. “The NLUA, if passed, will compel the whole country to

determine what areas need to be protected for long-term use and which are more appropriate for other or multiple uses. It has been languishing in Congress for the past 23 years already,” Baguilat said. ”It almost passed in the 15th Congress but was questioned in the Senate. This 17th Congress, I do hope there will be more support for the passage of this bill, which will definitely force us to put some

(In photo) Davao Doctors Hospital shows how proper document management systemthrough Canon has been helpful in safekeeping and accessing medical records since it has been filed 15 years ago. ger be a need for additional resources like time and transportation from doctors and patients, alike to hold a medical consultation or approval of documents,” shares Ruiz.

“We are proud to be partners with an institution like Davao Doctors’ Hospital that truly define and set standards in their industry,” shares Arnold Endaya, Assistant Director of Business Solutions at Canon Marketing Philippines Inc. (CMPI).

“It is with these cases that we feel that our hard work at Canon truly impacts the

sense into our use of our land and natural resources for our future generations,” he added.

The current version of the NLUA was recently passed by the House special land use committee, headed by Quezon City Rep. Kit Belmonte.

However, the Senate committee on the environment, chaired by Sen. Cynthia Villar, has yet to tackle the NLUA and other environmental bills.

(PNA)

community in which we operate through providing solutions for not only better organizations or companies, but also and most importantly, a better society,” adds Endaya.

Canon offers a suite of business solutions that help

companies or organizations save on operational costs, optimize business processes, and provide utmost quality customer service.

To learn more about their products, services and other clients, kindly visithttp:// canon.com.ph/solutions.

AUCTION SALE

RC East Davao rules th 30 Rotary bowlfest

Mother club’s Rene Dalayon is master champ

R

OTARY CLUB OF EAST DAVAO is once again the champion in this year’s 30th Inter-Rotary bowling tournament in last Sunday’s final outing which saw the team’s come-from-behind performance over perennial rival RC Sta,. Ana Davao, champion of the tourney for at least two years in a row.

It was a thrilling bout which was finally won by RC East under President Fred Yelinek with only 10 pinfalls to grab the championship in Governor’s category in honor of Rotary International 3860 incumbent District Governor Meanne Solomon. RC East scored a total of 3,346 points (pinfalls) over RC Sta. Ana Davao’s 3,336 points for first runnerup.

Other top performers in the governor’s cup were RC Central Davao, RC Downtown Davao and RC South Digos in that order.

According to past president (PP) Val L. Dionisio, tournament director, it is the third time that RC East ruled the annual tourney—in 2011, 2015 and this year. It was likewise champion in many of the 30 years that the tournament. In the interregnum, the champion team was either RC Sta Ana Davao or Rotary Club of Davao.

For this year’s splendid feat, President Yelinek thanked the following team membersRotarians Tans Bernas and Manny Nierra, immediate past

president (IPP) Oca Escudero, PP Vir Sojor, PP Val Dionisio, VP Renan Andres, Commodore Lito dela Cruz (club director), and spouses Lody Sojor, Angie Bernas and Flor Sancho.

The team thanked Rtn. Manny Nierra who scored a game high of 207 pinfalls anchoring the last games of the team, specially thanking him for two double strikes in the last frame that stunned RC Sta. Ana bowlers who have been leading in the previous three outings.

Meanwhile, RT Toril scored a total of 2,936 points in four games, thereby romping away with the President’s Cup (category) championship, followed by RC Bansalan with 2,864 points, RC Digos with 2,785, RC West Davao, RC South Davao, RC North Davao and RC Sta. Davao in that order.

In the individual honors, highest single game went to Rtn Nierra of East Davao with 207 points for male, and Ms Brookshield Kintanar of RC Bansalan with 180 for female.

For high average (male) Jules Mejos of RC Downtown Davao with 165 points, and an unidentified lady bowler with 131.75 points in the female category.

Rene Dalayon of the “mother club” RC Davao ruled the elite masters contest, followed by Neil Ian Ancheta of RC Sta Ana Davao, first runnerup, and Paul Basan of RC South Digos, second runnerup.

Go fires 46 but CMO bows to BFP B

UREAU of Fire Protection weathered another scorching performance of Sec. Christopher “Bong” Go to pull away with a 93-80 win over City Mayors Office on Saturday at the Genesis 88 Gym. Jan Lumogda came through with 30 points for the Firemen who needed an all around extended effort to seal the win.

John Neri dished out a breakout game chipping in 24 points as Bayon made 12.

CHAMPION TEAM. The bowling team of RC East Davao pose for posterity as the champions of the 30th Inter-Rotary Bowling Tournament culminating last Sunday, October 23.

too much to handle with superb perimeter shooting and long bombs.

Simply lacking back up, CMO stretched its losing run to three games.

John Barot scored 12 points for the City Hall dribblers CMO who earlier lost to 10th ID and Police Regional Office 11.

CMO won its season debut against Davao City Police Office.

Fresh from a foreign trip to Brunei and China, Go, the special assistant to President Rodrigo Duterte, scattered 46 points and the BFP made various adjustments to weather the storm.

The Firemen simply could not contain Go, who nailed 10 triples.

BFP put up variety of defenders and scheme on Go all throughout.

But the PMS chief was just

Superal, 2 others to final stage of LPGA Qualifying

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RINCESS Superal, Mia Piccio and Regan de Guzman advanced to the final stage of LPGA Qualifying with decent closing rounds in Stage II on Sunday in Venice, Florida.

Winner of several tournaments on the Philippine domestic ladies professional tour, Superal closed with a 73 for a 294 total at Plantation Golf and Country Club and a share of 40th spot.

That was middle of the group that qualified for the final stage, with 84 four players from 29 countries earning a

chance to play in the tournament set Nov. 28 to Dec. 4 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Stage II started with a field of 193.

The final stage of Q-School is a 90-hole stroke play event.

Piccio came up with a closi n g 73 for a 296 aggre-

ONE MORE STAGE. Princess Superal leads two other Filipinas from Stage II into the final stage.

GIANTSLAYER... FROM 16 MASTERS CHAMPS. Rene Dalayon of RC Davao, first placer; Neil Ian Ancheta, second; and Paul Basan of RC South Digos, third.

SPORTS 15

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gate and a share of 52nd spot.

De Guzman had a final-round 75 and wound up in joint 62nd at 297.

Marianne Skarpnord, who payed for Norway in the Rio Olympics, had a final-round 71 to top Stage II with an 11-under 277 total.

British amateur Bronte Law wound up second at 282 after a closing 69.

The 2017 category status and number of membership cards will be determined by LPGA prior to the commencement of the Qualifying School Stage III competition.

Vargas challenges Peping in POC polls

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EEKING change in Philippine sports, Ricky Vargas finally made official his candidacy for the presidency of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) on Monday as he looks to end the 12-year reign of incumbent Jose ‘Peping’ Cojuangco.

Vargas, president of the Alliances of Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP), formally filed his candidacy at the POC office in Pasig, beating the afternoon deadline set for all candidates to submit their respective papers.

The TNT Katropa board of governor in the PBA is the grandson of Jorge Vargas, founding member and former president of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation, forerunner of the POC. “I hope he’s guiding me and I know he’s guiding me,” said Vargas.

“I know there, he’s guiding me, and he’s probably very happy.”

But Vargas, one of the known trusted men of businessman-sportsman Manny V. Pangilinan, is out to do it on his own, believing he has formed a team worthy enough to give Cojuangco and Co. a run for their money in the November 25 elections.

safely punched out of the sand to a driver-distance to the cup before settling for two putts and a bogey.

He matched par at the par-5 14th, putted for birdie on the 15th but missed and then dropped to his second bogey on the par-3 130-yard 16th.

He missed two mor birdie opportunities in the 17th and 18th.

Hamish Farquhanson of Port Melbourne Primary School finished second with a 39 while Eric Zhuang of Mt. Waverley placed third with a 40.

Daniel is now gearing up for the Regionals next month.

“The kids are doing good both in their studies and in golf,” Danny said.

Ella may mmiss out on the 2017 Philippine Open Ladies Championships because of conflict in her school schedule.

DAVID AGAINST GOLIATHS. Daniel Nagayo (third from left) beat these three taller kids in his category.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports GIANTSLAYER Daniel Nagayo tops Primary golfest in Melbourne, sis Ella playing against boys

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

T

njb@edgedavao.net

HE golfing Nagayo kids are zooming up in the land Down Under.

Word junior golf campaigner Ella and her younger brother Daniel Nagayo, who took golf scholarships in Melbourne this year, shone in their very first action with their respective schools in the tough Victorian junior golf circuit.

The power-hitting Ella, now a standout of Rowville Sport Academy, advanced to the atch play round of the annual Victoria Junior Pennant but bowed to a 16-year old boy with a 4-handicap.

“Nag lisod sya kay kusgan kaayo.. na surprised ko kay boy against girl ilang match play (She had a tough time because the boy was so powerful, I was surprised they match girs with boys here),” said Ella’s father Danny, husband of former Davao City councilor Rachel Zozobrado-Nagayo.

Golf Victoria Junior Pennant, which started in 2001 is a mixed competition for junior golfers aged under 18 years of age. The competition originated out of both the former City Zone and Mini-Minor Pennant Competitions played prior to this time. The clubs electing to participate are separated into general Regions on an annual basis.

The 2016 Junior Pennant Season consists of “round robin” con-

tests between respective clubs in each Region followed by a finals series as outlined in conditions.

The bigger ripples, however, came from the eleven-year old Daniel who topped his class in the 2016 Victorian Primary Schools Golf tournament which ended on Monday at the Waverley Golf Club.

The fifth grader Daniel, representing Park Ridge Primary School, fired a two over par 38 to finish on top of his class. His victory quaified him to the Regional States Qualifying on November 18. He will also play at the next eg in Keysborough Golf Club on November 17.

Playing under shot gun time, Daniel began his round at the par 3 13th which measured 125 yards. He opened with a nice tee shot that had a pretty little draw to the right that landed on the greenside bunker. He then

F GIANTSLAYER, 15

BIG HITTER. Ella Nagayo hits her tee shot.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 173 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016