Edge Davao 9 Issue 180 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

VOL. 9 ISSUE 180 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

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EDGEDAVAO

ONE OF US. President Duterte joins Filipinos in the traditional observance of Undas. He visits his parents’ graves at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Davao City on Tuesday evening. SIMEON CELI/ Presidential Photo

Serving a seamless society

DUTERTE ACCEPTS FVR’S RESIGNATION By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ and TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

RESIDENT Duterte said he already accepted the resignation of former President Fidel V. Ramos as the country’s special envoy to China. “Nag resign na siya,” the President told reporters in an interview on Tuesday evening when he visited the graves of his parents at the Catholic Cemetery in Davao City. Ramos was appointed by President Duterte in July of this year in an effort to soften the tension between the country and China over claims in the South China Sea. “Nauna siya to break the ice,” the President said. He added the former President also wanted to take a breather after his very tight

schedule over the past few months. “Nagawa ko na yong inutos mo sa akin at akoy magpahinga muna,” President Duterte said, quoting the conversation he had with the ex-president.

Economic development vs. climate deals The President added that Ramos also talked to him about climate change and asked him to help protect mother earth. “I do not disagree with him. Ang sabi ko tama yan ... but,” President Duterte said, as he declined to further comment on the remarks made by Ramos on environmental and climate change issues. The former President pointed out in his recent col-

umn in the Manila Bulletin the country will not be able to protect itself from the adverse effects of typhoons if the current administration will refuse to ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The Philippines, together with 200 other countries, agreed to cut greenhouse gasses and keep global temperature increases below two degrees Celsius in a manifesto signed in December last year. The Philippines also guaranteed to decrease the country’s carbon emissions by 70 percent by the year 2030. The agreements were made during the term of former President Benigno S. Aquino III. But for President Duterte,

the Philippines’ cutting of carbon emissions while it is in the process of boosting its economy is unfair, as most of the advanced and industrialized countries have been releasing carbon emissions over the past decades. The current administration sees the need to prioritize the country’s development not on the basis of the demands of other countries, but on the needs of the Filipino people. The President explained the matter had not yet officially been brought to his attention, and that he was just being careful that any climate deal he consents to should not become a stumbling block to the country’s economic development.

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Central 911 chief delivers city aid to Lawin survivors

HE chief of Davao City’s Central 911 was tasked by Mayor Inday Sara Duterte to deliver the cash assistance of the local government of Davao to survivors of the typhoon Lawin in Northern Luzon.

For five days, Emmanuel Jaldon distributed the P5 million financial help to areas devastated by Lawin in Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Apayao, and Kalinga. Jaldon said that the

visit was a success. “The entire visit was a complete success,” he said. “They were all so grateful for the help of the city, they were happy for the assistance and that it was handed to them personally.” Jaldon said the 5-day road trip allowed them to see the extent of the devastation. “The most affected area was Tuguegarao. You can really see the effect of Lawin,” he said.

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 180 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

FATHER AND SON. Sebastian Duterte, youngest son of President Rodrigo Duterte, accompanies his father at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Davao City on Tuesday evening to visit the graves of their departed loved ones. SIMEON CELI/ Presidential Photo

Mayor Inday vows 100% support for drug reformists

AYOR Inday Sara Duterte has vowed to support 100 percent the desire of drug personalities to reform and live a life away from illegal drugs. The mayor made this statement through her chief of staff and Davao City legal officer Raul Nadela during the 13th anniversary of the Davao City Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Drug Dependents in Bago Oshiro. “I assure you that the city government will always give priority to intervention programs and initiatives for the rehabilitation of the citizens who are using drugs,” the mayor said.

Duterte also told residents of the rehabilitation center not to waste their chance of overcoming dependence on drugs through the city’s program. “Help us to help you,” she said. “We earnestly hope that you overcome this problem, live a life away from drugs, and reunite with your families who truly love and care for you.” The Presidential daughter also stressed the importance of family support for drug reformists. “We need your help so they do not relapse and their stay here would not be wasted,” she said.

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Arrest of 4 more Davao bomb suspects lauded By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

“I

adlopez0920@gmail.com

CONGRATULATE the military and the police for the arrest of four more suspects in the Davao blast.” This was the congratulatory message of President Duterte when interviewed by media on Tuesday evening at the graves of his parents in a Catholic Cemetery in Davao City. The President added the military and the police will continue to perform their law enforcement tasks, as the state of national emergency that was declared on account of lawless violence is still in effect

across the country. Authorities arrested in Cotabato City on Saturday last week four members of Maute Group identified as Mohammad Lalaog Chenikandiyil alias Datu Boi, Jackson Mangulamas Usi alias Abu Mansor, Zack Villanueva Lopez alias Haron and Ansan Abdulla Mamasapano alias Hamsa. Authorities also defused an improvised explosive device (IED) found in the residence of Chenikandiyil in Barangay Rosary Heights 7 in Cotabato City. Chenikandiyil and the oth-

er three suspects were arrested by the military and police during operations conducted in Ilang-Ilang St.,Tamontaka, Cotabato City. Recovered from Chenikandiyil and his group were assorted firearms and ammunitions, a hand grenade and two IEDs made out of 60mm mortar and 105mm howitzer mortar. The arrest was carried out on Saturday through search warrants issued by Judge Bansawan Ibrahim of Regional Trial Court Branch 13. Authorities have already

arrested seven suspects who allegedly were involved in the deadly Sept. 2 bombing at the Roxas Night Market in Davao City that killed 15 and injured scores of civilians. To recall, police and military authorities arrested last Oct. 4 TJ Tagadaya Macabalang, Wendel Factural, and Musaili Mustapha. President Duterte, after expressing lauding the joint efforts of the police and military which led to the arrest of the four other suspects, did not give further details on the successful police operations.

the investigation and assist in prosecuting the perpetrators. You shall have the full support of our region,” Europa said. Europa pointed out that Acido served as a prosecutor for more than 12 years and maintained one of the highest accomplishment rates in the Regional Prosecutors Office 11 (RPO 11). “He contributed a lot to Region 11,” Europa recalls, noting that Acido served as the sole prosecutor for Mati City from 2014 until an assistant prosecutor was appointed last

year. “This matter is already being addressed by DOJ and Prosecutor’s League of the Philippines such as expediting the issuance or procedure of exemption and/or license or permit to carry firearms for prosecutors, hazard pay and securing other protective measures for our prosecutors,” Europa said. On Nov. 1, Department of Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II released a statement condemning the killing

Rody:We will buy arms from Russia IBP condemns killing of Mati prosecutor By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

RESIDENT Duterte on Tuesday remains unfazed by reports saying the U.S. State Department decided to stop the sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in response to concerns over alleged human rights violations in the country. “There are many grenades here,” the President in Tagalog during his visit to the mausoleum of his late parents in observance of All Saints’ Day. He noted that there are other countries which manufacture better assault rifles than the United States.

President Duterte pointed out the country doesn’t really need to purchase rifles from the US, as he said that Russia will be the Philippine’s alternative supplier of weapons. “Remember what the Russian diplomat said? Come to Russia – we have everything you need,” he added. The President also repeatedly said he met with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in a state-visit in Laos, indicating the Russian leader is willing to help the Philippines in all possible areas of cooperation.

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By TIZIANA CELINE PIATOS AND RIA VALDEZ

HE Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has strongly condemned the killing of Mati City Prosecutor Rolando Acido who was shot to death by unidentified gunmen on Oct. 26. Atty. Ceasar Europa, governor for IBP Eastern Mindanao Region, expressed his anger over Acido’s tragic demise. “On behalf of the IBP Eastern Mindanao Region, and in my personal capacity, I strongly condemn this heinous act,” Europa said, adding the killing of lawyers and judges is a sure

way to create chaos in society. Based on initial investigations, the lawyer’s death may have been connected with the cases he was handling then as city prosecutor. Europa urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to act swiftly and decisively on the case, as he called upon members of the IBP to monitor the progress of the investigations. “I likewise call upon the members of the IBP, particularly of Davao Oriental, to vigilantly monitor the progress of

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 180 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

Laud well-managed garbage disposal at cemeteries: CENRO

HE City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) reported that garbage disposal and collection at the city’s public cemeteries during the commemoration of Undas 2016 was well-managed. This was according to Dolores Remojo, division chief of CENRO’s Environmental Waste Management Division in an interview with Edge Davao. Davao City has ten public cemeteries located in Ma-a, Panacan, Tibungco, Bunawan, Toril, Mintal, Calinan, Tugbok, and Paquibato. Remojo said CENRO had organized a campaign dubbed “Panchon Ko, Limpyo Ko” which encouraged responsi-

ble garbage disposal at cemeteries. The campaign, he said, was carried out by members of the economic enterprise committee of the public cemeteries who would use a megaphone to remind people every 30 minutes to properly dispose of their garbage. Remojo said the campaign also encouraged people to drop off their garbage in designated garbage collection points to be collected by CENRO personnel. “We are not stressed out in our operations because most people abide by these regulations,” she noted, adding that all cemeteries have strictly observed CENRO’s regulations.

ALL SOUL’S DAY DIP. A young boy and his family commemorate All Souls’ Day by having a morning dip at a beach resort in Toril, Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Undasoperations T successful: DCOTT F LAUD, 10

Davao City drug surrenderees trained in disaster preparedness By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

By RIA VALDEZ

N official of the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) said the terminal’s operations during the city’s commemoration of Undas 2016 was a success. In an interview with Edge Davao, DCOTT Manager Aisa Yusop attributed the terminal’s efficient operations to the effective coordination between Task Force Davao and DCOTT personnel. According to Yusop, Task Force Davao (TFD) Team Leader Cpl. Jasper Tamala regularly coordinated with DCOTT regarding safety measures that were put in place at the terminal a week before Undas. The task force, she said, had deployed 29 of its personnel at the transport facility in

preparation for the influx of travellers. She added DCOTT also met with bus operators to keep them updated regarding security preparations for the holidays. Aside from TF Davao, the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) also helped DCOTT to monitor the operations of bus companies. “They themselves dispatched the buses,” said Yusop. The DCOTT manager explained the LTFRB also prohibited buses from following the 10 to20 minute interval or waiting at the terminal, which is the usual practice. “This time, buses leave once they are full,” she said. Yusop said the Land Trans-

port Office (LTO) also conducted a drug test among bus drivers to ensure the safety of passengers. She revealed that as of the morning of Nov. 2, passenger volume had already normalized at the terminal, noting most travellers had already gone home earlier. “We expect a heavy inflow of travellers later this afternoon or tonight,” Yusop said, adding this is the pattern they have observed during the Undas season. Yusop pointed out this would not cause traffic in the area since some passengers would disembark at usual stopovers outside the terminal such as SM Ecoland or Toril. She said the heavy flow of outbound passengers started

last week. “Our usual bus trips number to above 700 a day, but last week it was above 800 a day,” Yusop said. This meant that DCOTT accommodated about 40,000 passengers last week, she said. Yusop said that as of Friday, Oct. 28, there were about 1,000 outbound bus trips at the terminal, which meant 50,000 passengers took a ride at the terminal. To manage the heavy flow of passengers at the facility, DCOTT converted the three lane (one for the baggage, one for men, one for women) entrance into six lanes (two for baggage, two for men, one for women, and one for children and pregnant women)

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HIRTY drug surrenderees who have undergone community emergency response training (CERT) conducted by the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office are set to compete in the Disaster Action Team (DAT) Olympics on Nov. 7 at Camp Quintin Merecido, Davao City. Under a reformation plan by the PNP’s 11th Regional Public Safety Battalion called Disaster Action Team (DAT), these surrenderees are set to be reintegrated back to their communities as disaster responders. They are set to compete in a series of events to test their competency in bandaging, splinting, CPR, moving and lifting, situation analysis, and firefighting. The drug surrenderees, aged 17 to 35, are from barangays in the city identified as disaster prone areas: Tigatto, Ma-a, Matina Pangi, Matina Crossing, Matina Aplaya, and Bucana. DRRMO training officer Lyndon Leovic Ancajas, said the DAT Olympics and the CERT training is a step for-

ward for rehabilitating drug users and pushers, and allow their return to their respective communities as productive citizens. On Sept. 19, Ancajas briefed drug surrenderees on the country’s disaster situation and the city’s hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities, as well as community-based early warning systems. “Through these regular trainings by the DRRMO, we hope to promote resilience in communities and to equip people with necessary skills to adapt and recover during disasters,” said Ancajas. He also stressed the importance of community-based responders as life-savers at the barangay levels. “Disaster preparedness is not enough,” he said, adding that regular trainings on resilience allow people to adapt, survive, and recover. The DRRMO training with the PNP is in line with President Duterte’s interventions for drug surrenderees. For his part, DRRMO chief Emmanuel Jaldon said the efforts of his department will

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Rody:‘There is no greater honor than to be buried next to my parents’ By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

D MAKE BELIEVE. A participant walks the ramp while projecting a supernatural character during The Royal Mandaya Hotel Halloween costume contest over the weekend. Lean Daval Jr.

URING his visit to his parents’ tomb late Tuesday night, President Duterte said he wants to be buried beside his parents inside the family’s mausoleum at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Davao City if his time comes. “There is no greater honor than to be buried next to my parents and not at the Heroes’ Cemetery,” the President said. When asked if he would like to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, President Duterte said “Susmaryosep, they can have that – we might even have disputes because of that,” adding it will be a terrible thing to be buried there.

To recall, the President has been heavily criticized for approving the burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos’ at the Heroes Cemetery in Taguig City. President Duterte said he’d rather be placed in a small corner beside his mother, as he showed reporters a spot below Soledad Duterte’s picture. The President was finally able to pay respects to his late father and mother after a heavy rainfall initially prevented him from proceeding to the cemetery. He stayed for a while at the cemetery to answer questions from the media and meet some of his supporters.

4 SUBURBIA ‘OplanTokhang’on DOH in Region 12 supports even during Undas nationwide firecracker ban E I EDGEDAVAO

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VEN on “All Saints’ Day” and “All Souls’ Day,” police personnel in Cotabato City and Koronadal City continue to implement “Oplan Tokhang,” a comprehensive police anti-drug campaign, officials said. Chief Inspector Ruel Zafra, speaking on behalf of the Cotabato City police office, said police officers politely shared leaflets and reading materials to cemetery goers aimed at educating the public on the dangers of illegal drugs, its effects and how to avoid it. Generally, the observance of Undas, especially the days leading to the twin religious activities, was peaceful and orderly due to massive security preparations by the local police. However, there were two shooting incidents in the area, which Zafra clarified were not related to the observance of “All Souls’ Day” and “All Saints’ Day.” In Koronadal City, cem-

etery goers were met by floods following an overnight light to moderate downpour spawned by a low pressure area in eastern Mindanao that submerged the city’s public cemetery. Edgar Estares, cemetery caretaker, told Radyo Bida Koronadal, the overnight rains washed away soil and mud from the hilly side and of the cemetery en route to the grave sites. Many tombs were submerged in flood water overnight and mud surged to communities early on Nov. 1, according to Estares. Floods also hit the city’s Catholic cemetery. In Kidapawan City cemeteries, people failed to find the tombs of their dead relatives and opted to light candles in a chapel inside the graveyard. Region 12 is composed of the provinces of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Saranggani and the cities therein. (PNA)

HE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 12 has prepared some 30,000 food packs for emergency relief operations in line with the predicted onslaught of the La Nina phenomenon. Dennis Domingo II, DSWD Region 12 public information officer, said the food packs are on standby and ready for distribution to localities that would be affected by La Nina. He said the emergency stocks are stored at the regional office warehouse in Tantangan town in South Cotabato. “This is part of the contingency measures mandated by our central office in preparation for the La Nina,” he said. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration earlier said that the La Nina, which is characterized by unusual rainy episodes, could begin this month. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Region 12 had cautioned residents about the occurrence of floods and landslides when it eventually intensifies. Also known as Soccsksargen, the region covers

the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato, and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato. Domingo said the release of the food packs will be based on requests from local government units that would be hit by calamities. Each food pack, which is a two-day supply for a family of six, contains six kilos of rice, eight assorted canned goods and instant coffee. Aside from the standby stocks, he said they are ready to procure more supplies when necessary. He said the regional office has standby funds for calamity and emergency response, especially for the purchase of additional food packs and other relief items. As of end of October, the region has not experienced any major calamity related to the inclement weather. Minda Morante, OCD-Region director, said they are continuously monitoring the situation in parts of the region, especially in vulnerable areas. She said they have assisted local government units in the area in coming up with their La Nina mitigation plans. (PNA)

30,000 food packs readied for La Niña T

N a bid to prevent injuries during the upcoming Christmas holidays and other celebrations, health authorities in Region 12 are supporting moves for a nationwide ban on the use and selling of firecrackers. Dr. Francisco Mateo, Department of Health (DOH)-Region 12 regional director, said they are fully backing the passage of local and national legislations seeking a total firecracker ban as a measure to address the rising number injuries during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. “That is a long-time advocacy of (the DOH). We’re continually working with local governments and Congress for the imposition of more effective regulations,” he said in

a radio interview. The official said they are specifically pushing for a total ban on the selling of firecrackers and fireworks to individuals. He said traditional fireworks display may still be held but they should be done and supervised by experts and professionals in the field. Several bills are pending at the House of Representatives, seeking a total ban or setting stricter regulations on the manufacture, selling and use of firecrackers and firecrackers. Some local government units in Region 12 have existing regulations against firecrackers and firecrackers, but the number of injured residents during the Christmas

holidays has continued to increase over the past years. In the previous Christmas and New Year celebrations, the region posted a total of 193 injuries based on the DOH’s Online National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Also known as Soccsksargen, the region covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato, and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato. Mateo said the existing firecracker law, Republic Act 7183, has specific regulations on the manufacture of firecrackers and fireworks and set minimum allowable explosive content but the pro-

liferation of illegal items still persist. He said imported firecrackers like piccolo, which is the main cause of injuries during the past Christmas holidays, continue to be sold. Aside from the firecracker ban, he said all concerned sectors should come together to properly address the rising number of injuries. He said local schools, communities and households should carry out information and education campaigns to complement the efforts of local police in the enforcement and monitoring of the sale and distribution of illegal firecrackers and fireworks. “This is a big challenge for all of us not just for one sector,” Mateo added. (PNA)

REDD-PLUS IN DAVAO ORIENTAL. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD-plus), a German government-funded project is doing wonders in Davao Oriental. Dr. Bernd-Markus Liss, principal advisor of the project, meets with the provincial technical working group in the provincial capitol very recently.

Female pusher in GenSan arrested

OLICE operatives arrested on Tuesday night a “notorious” female drug pusher who has reportedly been using the name of a police official here in her illegal activities. Sr. Insp. Oliver Pauya, chief of the city police’s anti-illegal drug special operations task group, said suspect Mary Jane Gomez was nabbed in a buybust operation at around 7 p.m. in front of a fuel station along Acharon Boulevard in

Silway San Roque, Barangay Dadiangas West. He said the suspect sold a sachet of suspected metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth P500 to a police officer who posed as a buyer. Recovered from her possession were two plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, a P500 marked bill, and a cellphone that allegedly contained contact numbers of her clients and “swimmers” or “shabu runners,” he said.

“After we seized her cellphone, a number of persons called asking to buy some supplies,” Pauya said. He said the suspect, who initially claimed to be just a drug runner, later admitted that the callers were her “swimmers.” The police official said Gomez is a known drug pusher in the area and included in the city police’s drug watch list. He said the suspect’s husband was arrested for selling

shabu earlier this year and she eventually took over his illegal activities. “According to our informants, she has been claiming that I’m her boss. But when we finally got her, she can’t even recognize me,” Pauya said. He said Gomez would be charged for violation of sections 5 and 11 or the selling and possession of dangerous drugs under Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (PNA)

wrong, as Chief Insp. Joel Fuerte, Surallah town police chief, asked his men to continue carrying out surveillance operations on Tuesday afternoon against persons in illegal drug business. While others were visiting the graves of their loved ones, three men, identified

as Robert Tupas, 39 and Ariel Paniza, 34, both of Barangay Libertad, Surallah, and John Anthony Villafuerte, 34, driver and resident of Barangay Lambontong, also in this town, were nabbed a during drug buy bust operation at 10 a.m. Fuerte said the police

raiding team seized five sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu,” marked money and various shabu paraphernalia. Charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 are being prepared against the suspects now detained at the Surallah PNP lock up cell. (PNA)

SouthCot cops nab 3 in‘Undas’anti-drug ops HREE men in South Cotabato involved in illegal drug pushing thought the police had their hands full in securing public and private cemeteries during Undas so they can carry on with their illicit activities.. However, they were

5 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 180 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

Development forum set in Davao By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

adlopez0920@gmail.com

HE Department of Finance (DOF) said Davao City will host this year’s two-day Philippines Development Forum (PDF) slated from Nov 8 to 9 at the SMX Convention Center in SMX, Lanang. This year’s PDF is themed “Poverty Reduction through the Vigorous Implementation

of the Ten (10)-Point Socioeconomic Agenda,” according to an invitation sent by the DOF to the media on Wednesday. The gathering will also provide the administration of President Duterte the opportunity to share its strategy in translating the Ten (10)-Point Socioeconomic Agenda into

Agri officials see productive rubber industry in Region 12

GRICULTURE officials see a bullish rubber industry in Region 12 following the 3rd Regional Rubber Congress over the weekend, officials said today. Through this congress, rubber growers were retooled with new technologies and new information in uplifting the quality of their product, according to Dr. Jocelyn Torres, Department of Agriculture (DA-12) focal person on high value crops development program. “With great product attributeS, farmers will pass the price standards of the world market for rubber,” she said. Region 12 is the second largest rubber producing region in the country next to the Zamboanga peninsula. The Congress, attended by about 200 rubber farmers and stakeholders, was an activity of DA-12 in partnership with Department of Trade and Industry, Regional Agriculture and Fishery Council 12, Region 12 Rubber Industry Council, Provincial Government of North Cotabato and

Kidapawan City government. The event was anchored on the theme, “Advancement of Rubber Production and Marketing Standards.” Rodolfo Galang, the Philippine Rubber Research Institute (PRRI) interim executive director, presented the role of PRRI in helping small and medium holders during the summit. Hadji Tajuddin Ismail, Director of Texlow Technologies and Consultancy based in Malaysia, shared his expertise on the latest technology on rubber tapping as an aid to increase production. To further improve rubber land preparation, Congress participants visited a rubber nursery and plantation of Platinum Rubber Development, Inc. wherein they were able to learn new trends in cultivating the land for rubber. “We are thankful to DA and other agencies and stakeholders who provided the efforts to make this activity successful,” said Rodrigo Sargado, chairman of the Region 12 Rubber Industry Council. (PNA)

Alerts vs undervalued imports recover P4.6-M BOC revenues

TOTAL of P4.6 million duties and taxes were recovered from technical smuggling after grossly undervalued imported shipments in 112 container vans were put on alert by the Command Center (ComCen) of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in the past four months. Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon bared the adoption of a stringent anti-smuggling policy, now fiercely shared and effectively enforced by the Intelligence Group (IG) and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), has made gains in achieving his vision of genuine change at the BOC. “The recovery of 4.6 million duties and taxes from undervalued shipments is not an ordinary feat, but a rare and selfless act of public duty by BOC’s intelligence units,” Faeldon said. “Maybe it is not the first time in BOC’s history that genuine commitment to the call of duty has prevailed over graft, but today, I saw the nobility in the ranks among the fine men

and women in IG and CIIS rise with the challenge what good public service calls for. Keep it up,” Faeldon added. He cited that IG and CIIS have worked closely with each other in many aspects of intelligence campaigns since he took office in BOC, making both ‘one efficient apparatus’ in carrying out its missions: to support revenue collection; fight against smuggling; and protection of the country’s border security from local and alien threats. He said that while businessmen are encouraged to engage in increased importation activities, the agency also makes sure to fairly enforce the provisions of laws as provided in Republic Act 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016. “It is a tough balancing act for us. But we see to it that none in our mandate is left out and compromised,” he said. Faeldon said the recovered duties and taxes from alerted undervalued shipments came from five major ports namely:

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concrete programs, activities and projects in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022. The PDP 2017-2022 is currently being crafted by National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the DOF added. “The Government faces a paradoxical challenge as re-

cent economic gains continue to be dampened by high poverty incidence,” the DOF said, adding the government’s goal of reducing the nation’s poverty rate from the current 26 percent to 17 percent by 2022 calls for intensified cooperation among key stakeholders. The gathering, which will be attended by various stake-

holders across the country, will lay down the Duterte administration’s priorities as defined in the 10-Point Socioeconomic Agenda. The priority concerns will be clustered into five breakout groups, and will include Macroeconomic and Fiscal Policies; Mindanao Development; Rural Development; Human

Capital Development; and Infrastructure and Competitiveness. “Like in the past, we expect that policy recommendations worth considering in future dialogues will be garnered from the breakout group discussions that will highlight Day 1 of the PDF,” the DOF said.

MAKING A LIVING. A young girl protects herself from the scorching heat of the mid-day sun as she sells bottled water outside San Pedro Memorial Park in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Rody gov’t must“work doubly hard”to reduce poverty

INANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has welcomed the decline in poverty incidence to 21.6 percent, saying this is the cue for the government to “work doubly hard” on its 10-point socioeconomic agenda to hit President Duterte’s target of reducing the number of poor Filipinos by 1.5 percent of the population annually over the next six years. Dominguez said that slashing the poverty rate from almost 22 percent to just 13 percent by 2022 remains “doable,” but it will require “the Duterte administration to work doubly hard on fleshing out programs of the 10-point socioeconomic agenda that would boost growth and generate enough jobs and livelihood opportunities nationwide as a way to raise incomes for the poor to meet their food and non-food needs. At the same time, food prices need to be managed so that it does not eat up income growth.” “President Duterte’s poverty-reduction target remains doable, but it will entail pursuing with greater vigor the accelerated spending on labor-intensive infrastructure to boost growth as well as on human capital formation like education and health, so poor Filipinos can have better access to quality jobs and livelihood opportunities,” he said. “A drastic reduction in the country’s poverty incidence as envisioned by the President

has become more challenging, as this will require improving the living standards of the poorest-of-the-poor families instead of just uplifting the lives of those on the fringes of the poverty line,” said Dominguez in reaction to the latest Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) released last week by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) pointing to the decline in the poverty rate from 26.3 percent in 2009 to last year’s 21.6 percent. “The government’s focus should be on the countryside as the severely poor are mostly in rural areas,” said Dominguez, who once served as agriculture secretary. “This also means that we have to pursue tax reforms in the Congress without letup,” he said, “so the Duterte administration can generate enough revenues to bankroll both the pro-poor and business-friendly programs of the 10-point socioeconomic agenda on inclusive growth.” Dominguez said the DOF will study the 2015 FIES of the PSA to see if it needs to finetune the figures in its Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, the first package of which was already submitted to both legislative chambers last September. The past government has managed to improve the lives of the marginal poor by way of projects like the Pantawid ng Pamilyang Pilipino Pro-

gram (4Ps), a conditional cash transfer (CCT) initiative in which poor families are given cash in exchange for meeting certain conditions like sending their kids to school and getting medical check-ups at barangay health centers. Dominguez said the government must shift to overdrive its higher spending on infrastructure, human capital and social protection, especially in the regions where the poverty and unemployment levels are at their peaks as shown in the FIES survey. The government also needs to frontload initiatives such as reforming the National Food Authority (NFA) with an eye on bringing down rice prices without a corresponding drop in the income of farmers by pursuing rural modernization to raise farmers’ productivity and incomes; and streamlining business rules to level the playing field for, and incentivize, micro, small and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs) that are a wellspring of livelihood opportunities in the communities and barangays. Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua said one conclusion by the FIES in its 2015 survey that the 4Ps program has apparently gained traction gives the Department of Finance (DOF) all the more reason to pursue tax-andtransfer measures that directly target and benefit the poorest families, in lieu of blind subsidies and exemptions from the

Value Added Tax (VAT) and other taxes that are vulnerable to multibillion-peso leakages and benefit more the affluent families and big corporations. As part of Package One of its comprehensive tax plan, the DOF has proposed to Congress the reduction in personal income taxes that will benefit wage earners and other low-income workers the most, but seeks to offset the projected revenue loss by adjusting excise taxes on petroleum products and automobiles, as well as broadening the VAT base by lifting certain exemptions. “However, the DOF tax plan provides for highly targeted transfers plus expanded health services to cushion the impact of the proposed adjustment in tax rates on the poorest families as well as on other vulnerable sectors like indigent senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs),” said Chua, who is also the DOF’s chief economist. “What the previous government did was mainly to uplift those closer to poverty line,” said Chua, adding that the DOF will go over the FIES’ latest household survey data and poverty statistics “to assess its impact on the DOF’s tax and welfare estimates.” Chua echoed Dominguez’s view that reducing the poverty incidence from 22 percent to 13 percent is “doable but more challenging as it is easier to up-

F RODY GOV’T, 10

6 ECONOMY

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 180 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

NFA willing execute plan of Piñol’s, ‘if directed’ T

Davao City LGU gets P2 M worth of projects from DA

By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

GRICULTURE Secretary Manny Piñol recently wrote a memorandum asking President Duterte’s help in providing assistance to typhoon-affected farmers in Luzon and Mindanao by buying their palay and corn harvest that were spoiled by recent heavy rains. In response, NFA Mindanao officials said they are willing to act on this matter “if directed” by higher officials in the agriculture department.

In fact, NFA Region XII Director Antonio C. Aranas expressed his surprise with the secretary’s proposal saying, “we are already doing that in NFA”. The regional director was referring to the procurement process being done by NFA as one of the agency’s primary functions. However, Aranas said there are certain parameters to be considered before a field office carries out procurement, which largely depends on the directive of

their national office. “We have been procuring the farmers’ spoiled harvests for a long time,” said Aranas, as he pointed out the NFA purchases the farmers’ spoiled harvests based on the quality of their grains. “If NFA buys dry and clean grains at P17 per kilo, the others (spoiled) go through a machine and we determine the price depending on their moisture,” explained Aranas. Meanwhile, NFA Davao del Sur Asst. Provincial Manager Maria Elaine M. Respe-

cia expressed her confidence in the province’s invulnerability to typhoons, noting there is “minimal rice and corn harvest” in the province. She also said that if directed by the national office, the provincial NFA will comply with the agriculture secretary’s proposal. “Dili namo na control pero if naa’y order gikan sa taas, iprocess namo (It is beyond our control but if there is a directive from the head, we will process it),” said Respecia.

HE City Government of Davao received P2 million from the Department of Agriculture. The money will be used for the implementation of programs and projects intended to improve the livelihood of fisherfolk in Davao City. The city received the money for its good performance and compliance with the Municipal Fishing Vessels and Gears Registry (BoatR) Program. Davao City was one of the 100 cities and municipalities in the country that completed the BoatR Program. The award was given on Oct. 21, in line with 53rd celebration of the Fisheries Week

End of QR on rice would benefit farmers, says central bank exec

UNDAS NECESSITIES. A hawker peddles hats and fans which are in demand during the celebration of All Souls’ Day near San Pedro Memorial Park in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

at the Philippine Coconut Authority Compound in Diliman, Quezon City. BoatR is a system established to fast-track and complete the registration of fishing vessels and fishing gears as required by Executive Order No. 305 series of 2014 and the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998. The data generated from BoatR will be utilized by the government to identify programs and projects for the fishing sector. Primo Humilde, Aquaculturist at the City Agriculturist Office, said the office has registered more than 900 motorized and non-motorized fishing vessels in Davao. CIO

RANKING central bank official said removing the quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice importation would be advantageous to farmers. The Philippines has extended the QR thrice and it will end by June 2017. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo, who represents BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. at the National Food Authority (NFA) Board, said they are still threshing out details of the eventual end of the quota. “It will be implemented until end of June 2017 so we have until then to work for the conclusion of the QR on rice,” he said. The Duterte administration has decided to end the QR, saying this will increase the sector’s competitiveness. The QR sets a quota for rice import and targets to protect domestic rice farmers.

It imposes a 35 percent duty on imported rice under a minimum access volume (MAV) of 805,200 metric tons (MT). Rice imported outside of the MAV has a 50 percent tariff. The bulk, or about 755,000 MT of the MAV, are allocated for Vietnam and Thailand, while the remaining volume can be sourced elsewhere. Guinigundo said removing the QR will give more businessmen the authority to import rice, but clarified this importation has a corresponding tariff. “Whatever the tariff will be, this is what you will use as assistance to the agriculture sector in terms of infrastructure, better seedling varieties, irrigation, drying facilities and farm-to-market roads,” he said. The central bank official added these benefits are better than just subsidizing farm gate prices of rice. (PNA)

Consumption taxes to affect rich the most, not poor households, says DOF PHL industries to get

T is a “fallacy” to believe that the proposed expansion of the value-added tax (VAT) base and adjustments to the excise tax on petroleum products under the proposed comprehensive tax reform program are anti-poor because being consumption taxes, these will impact the most on affluent Filipinos who make use of more goods and services, rather than the poor, low-income and even the middle-class households, the Department of Finance (DOF) said. DOF Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua said the Duterte administration’s proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act, which contains these VAT and fuel excise tariff proposals, would even shield poor and low-income consumers from the effects of these tax adjustment proposals because the new government is committed to providing highly targeted direct transfer programs and indirect subsidies to them.

“Rather than being anti-poor, the tax reform plan will actually correct the injustice of only a few enjoying the benefits of growth. Our primary goal here is to give everyone a better chance of building a more stable future by equalizing opportunities for all through the adoption of a simpler, fairer and more efficient tax system,” Chua said. Chua pointed out too that the imposition of an excise tax is always hinged on a twopronged objective, which, in the case of petroleum products, is to raise revenues and the other equally important goal of addressing pollution and the other negative environmental effects of using fossil fuels. “Given this, everybody should be responsible, both rich and poor. Equity considerations, therefore, should not figure in imposing the tax on petroleum products. What should be considered is how the tax will be adjusted to im-

prove equity,” Chua said. For instance, he noted that although diesel is widely used by both the rich and the poor, not doing anything to adjust its excise tax and indexing it later to inflation benefits the rich far more than the poor because the top 10 percent of households in the country consume almost 60 percent of oil products and the top one percent consume 20 percent. “Not adjusting the tax would mean continuing to subsidize the rich who can well afford to pay for fuel,” Chua said. “The use of highly targeted transfers that benefit the poor and other vulnerable sectors is the better and more effective option in addressing equity concerns.” He also corrected the false assumption that the proposed adjustment on the diesel excise tax would be P10 per liter, as the DOF proposal is only P6, which represents the accumulated inflation since this tax was last adjusted 20 years ago.

“The paramount goal of the DOF tax reform plan is poverty reduction as it aims to help the government raise enough funds for accelerated spending on priority projects under President Duterte’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda, which aims to transform the Philippines into an upper middle-income country by 2022,” Chua said. These priority investments are in the areas of infrastructure, human capital and social protection for the most vulnerable sectors so as to make growth truly inclusive and let the Duterte administration achieve its goal of drastically reducing poverty, he added. An additional P1 trillion is needed per year, said Chua, to fund these priority projects, which, when sustained, would put flesh into the Duterte government’s vision of transforming the Philippines into a high-income country in one generation by 2040.

F CONSUMPTION, 12

boost from Japan deal

ARIOUS local industries are set to get a boost from the Japan-Philippines Industrial Cooperation Initiative forged by the trade and industry departments of Manila and Tokyo. During the state visit of President Duterte to Japan, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez and Economy, Trade and Japanese Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko signed the industrial cooperation deal. The partnership aims to promote bilateral cooperation between the two countries in automotive industry and other manufacturing industries, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), services, business environment, and human resource development. In the joint statement of DTI and METI, the Philippines and Japan will discuss the details of the country’s industrial

development vision which is a collection of policies that will define the future of Philippine industries. “Aligned with the Philippines-Japan Industrial Cooperation Plan, the JS also noted developments that are supportive of the country’s Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) program, as well as recognized importance of convening an Industrial Cooperation Dialogue (ICD) in crafting an industrial development vision for the Philippines,” DTI said. “Both sides confirmed plans to pursue initiatives under the ICD for inclusive and sustainable manufacturing growth that will cover areas of MSMEs, regional development and services, as well as the creation of an innovation ecosystem,” DTI added. The deal likewise assured

F PHL, 10

ECONOMY 7

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 180 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

NFA 12 procures 35,000 bags of palay By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

HE National Food Authority (NFA) Region XII is in the process of procuring 35,000 bags of rice grains that were damaged by heavy rainfall since September. In an interview with NFA Region XII Director Antonio

C. Aranas, he said among the agency’s functions is the procurement of typhoon and heavy rain-affected crops, which means buying these crops at a lower prices and processing them for further use. “The price depends on

DOT gets Japan’s biggest travel ass’n to promote new PHL destinations

he Department of Tourism (DOT) on Wednesday got the commitment of Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) to promote new Philippine destinations the same way they marketed Cebu to become Japanese tourists’ favorite destination. DOT Secretary Wanda Teo personally received the good news during a courtesy call on JATA Chairman Hiromi

the moisture of the grain,” explained Aranas, adding the NFA buys dry and clean grains at P17 per kilo. The regional director said the procurement, which started on late September, is scheduled to be completed in the last week of Novem-

ber or first week of December. “We are 90 percent done,” added Aranas. Overall, the regional director expressed his confidence on the recent harvest of the region, saying there is “minimal to zero damage” in

the crops harvested by local farmers. The provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat are collectively recognized as the rice bowl of Region XII. As part of its mandate, the NFA procures paddy

from individual farmers and their organizations, as well as engages in buffer stocking, processing activities, dispersal of paddy and milled rice to strategic locations, and distributes the staple grain to various marketing as needed.

Tagawa in their Tokyo headquarters. “I came here today hoping to invite your esteemed members to help us get a bigger share of the Japanese market. With your reputation as the oldest and biggest travel association in Japan, you could easily encourage more Japanese tourists to come see the Philippines again. We have a lot of new and emerging destina-

R-L: Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo plays country’s saleswoman at a courtesy call Wednesday on JATA’s Chairman Hiromi Tagawa. Also in this photo are DOT Assistant Secretary Benito Bengzon, Jr., TIEZA’s Atty Guiller Asido, and PHL Tourism Attache to Tokyo Gwendolin Batoon.

L-R: Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo hands out a gift to JATA Chair Hiromi Tagawa during a courtesy call on Wednesday at their Tokyo headquarters.

tions like Laoag, Siargao, Iloilo, Palawan, Clark, and Davao to consider,” the tourism chief told Chairman Tagawa. According to Secretary Teo, the DOT is pursuing a more aggressive Philippine tourism campaign in the Jap-

anese travel market, as it eyes new targets and niche segments such as the Joshi tabi or Japanese lady travelers, among others. “We hope Japan would rise to become our top source market of tourists from its current

spot as the fourth largest outbound travel. The Philippines has so much more to offer than just our beautiful beaches, as we are also a MICE destination, diving and ecotourism, shopping, gastronomy, sports and adventure tourism, she added.

JATA Chairman Tagawa will call a membership meeting right away to discuss plans of promoting the next big Philippine destination. Tourism Secretary Wanda arrived in Tokyo Tuesday to

F NFA 12, 10

ONE NETWORK BANK, INC. (A RURAL BANK) Balance Sheet

As of September 30, 2016 (Head Office and Branches) ASSETS Amount Cash and Cash Items P 1,000,281,881.80 Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas 708,000,862.64 Due from Other Banks 810,448,245.29 Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or Loss 0.00 Available-for-Sale (AFS) Financial Assets - Net 391,995,435.08 Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets - Net 347,654,405.94 Unquoted Debt Securities Classified as Loans - Net 0.00 Investments in Non-Marketable Equity Security - Net 0.00 Loans and Receivables - Net 21,003,390,069.74 Loans to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas 0.00 Interbank Loans Receivable 0.00 Loans and Receivables - Others 21,208,568,013.25 Loans and Receivables Arising from RA/CA/PR/SLB 0.00 General Loan Loss Provision 205,177,943.51 Other Financial Assets 356,125,269.79 Equity Investment in Subsidiaries, Associates and Joint Ventures - Net 0.00 Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture and Equipment - Net 1,872,436,591.79 Real and Other Properties Acquired - Net 18,840,291.77 Non-Current Assets Held for Sale 0.00 Other Assets - Net 525,327,148.15 Net Due from Head Office/Branches/Agencies, if any (Philippine branch of a foreign bank) 0.00 TOTAL ASSETS P 27,034,500,201.99 LIABILITIES Financial Liabilities Designated at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Deposit Liabilities Due to Other Banks Bills Payable a) BSP (Rediscounting and Other Advances) b) Interbank Loans Payable c) Other Deposit Substitute d) Others Bonds Payable - Net Unsecured Subordinated Debt - Net Redeemable Preferred Shares Special Time Deposit Due to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Other Financial Liabilities Other Liabilities Net Due to Head Office/Branches/Agencies (Philippine branch of a foreign bank) TOTAL LIABILITIES STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Capital Stock Other Capital Accounts Retained Earnings Assigned Capital TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

0.00 22,650,837,681.07 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 70,410,234.62 321,272,378.99 0.00 P 23,042,520,294.68 P

2,704,914,735.08 250,355,015.53 1,036,710,156.70 0.00 P 3,991,979,907.31 P 27,034,500,201.99

CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS Guarantees Issued P Financial Standby Letters of Credit Performance Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Commitments Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Securities Held Under Custodianship by Bank Proper Trust Department Accounts a) Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts b) Agency Accounts c) Advisory/Consultancy Derivatives Others TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS P ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Gross total loan portfolio (TLP) P Specific allowance for credit losses on the TLP Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) a) Gross NPLs b) Ratio of gross NPLs to gross TLP (%) c) Net NPLs d) Ratio of Net NPLs to gross TLP (%) Classified Loans & Other Risk Assets, gross of allowance for credit losses DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross allowance of credit losses Ratio of DOSRI loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses, to gross TLP (%) Gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables Ratio of gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables to TLP (%) Percent Compliance with Magna Carta (%) a) 8% for Micro and Small Enterprises b) 2% for Medium Enterprises Return on Equity (ROE) (%) Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Solo Basis, as prescribed under existing regulations a) Total CAR (%) b) Tier 1 Ratio (%) c) Common Tier 1 Ratio (%) Deferred Charges not yet Written Down Unbooked Allowance for Credit Losses on Financial Instruments Received

Amount 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2,000,000.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 47,412,771.32 49,412,771.32 21,747,520,455.17 538,952,441.92 1,291,421,025.14 5.94 752,468,583.22 3.46 1,807,564,706.93 626,927.31 0.00 0.00 0.00 8.01 2.02 7.05 14.31 13.60 0.00 0.00 0.00

We, Romulo C. Guerrero and Ramon T. Militar of the above-mentioned bank do solemnly swear that all matters set forth in the above balance sheet are true and correct to the best of our knowledge and belief. (SGD.) ROMULO C. GUERRERO (SGD.) RAMON T. MILITAR SVP/Comptroller President SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 17th day of October 2016 at Davao City, Philippines, affiant exhibiting their Driver’s License No. L02-81-02-0440 and N09-78-037961, respectively.

Doc. No. 131 Book No. XIV Page No. 27 Series of 2016

ATTY. PERSIS NIÑA M. MULA Notary Public Roll No. 59994; 3/22/2012 IBP No. 1021352; 01/08/16 – Davao City PTR No. 6881576; 01/11/16 – Davao City Serial No. 101-2016 until December 31, 2017

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 180 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

EDITORIAL

Kilusang Pagbabago a political party?

HERE is reportedly a rift within the ruling administration Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) that supported then Davao City mayor and now President Duterte in the last elections. That rift is said to be brewing between the original PDP-Laban members and the President’s trusted adviser Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, Jr. Reports say the rift is a result of “clashes in ideology.” The reported rift in the administration party is said to have started when Evasco launched the Kilusang Pagbabago grassroots movement which many observers believe will become a new political party. Kilusang Pagbabago is seen as the frontliner of the Duterte administration’s thrust towards ensuring delivery of government programs to the masses. If the Kilusang Pagbabago eventually registers as a political party, it will brew conflict with the ruling party and eventually, as observers see it, PDP-Laban will be sidetracked.

EDGEDAVAO

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The Kilusang Pagbabago was formally launched last August and has reportedly been recruiting members. Those being wooed include current cabinet members and government officials. PDP-Laban is currently headed by Duterte as chairman and Senator Koko Pimentel as party president with Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez as the incumbent PDP-Laban secretary-general. PDP-Laban is pushing for a peaceful and democratic way of life characterized by freedom, solidarity, justice, equality, social responsibility, enlightened nationalism and a federal system or parliamentary form of government. On the other hand, the Kilusang Pagbabago of Evasco seeks to be the partner of the Duterte administration in pursuing its developmental focus that includes the war against drugs and criminality, anti-corruption, pursuit of the peace process and shift to a federal form of government. Whether or not the Kilusang Pagbabago is indeed designed to be the political party that will replace PDP-Laban remains to be seen. For now, it is but a feared speculation.

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EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE POINTS

Donald is now knocking at Hilary’s Door

ITH barely a week before the United States Presidential Elections we are seeing the Democrats frantically trying to regroup after the fallout from the Hilary Clinton email scandal, what with the US Department of Justice ready to conduct an official probe into alleged improprieties resulting from the leaked messages. The scandal has already brought outspoken Republican candidate Donald Trump to within striking distance in private polls, with CNNs poll of polls summary showing a mere 4 point lead over the former US Secretary of State. The ABC/ Washington post Poll on the other hand, puts Trump on top by 1 point. Having trailed Clinton since may 2016, Donald Trump looks like he has a lot of Momentum going into the final week of campaigning. Naturally, the candidates and their surrogates are barnstorming key bailiwicks

“C

VOL. 9 ISSUE 180 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

HILDREN are the brightest treasures we bring forth into this world, but too large a percentage of the population continues to treat them as inconveniences and nuisances, when they’re not treating them as possessions or toys,” Charles de Lint wrote in The Onion Girl. Cornelia, the wife of an emperor, was a noble lady. She had two small sons, who were her pride and joy, since she had lost all her other children to an accident. One day, another noble Roman lady came to her house for a visit. The woman was proudly showing off her jewelry to her hostess. After a while, she challenged Cornelia to show off her own jewels, too. Cornelia thought for few seconds then pointed to her sons, who had just entered the room. “These are my jewels,” she said. “Never fear spoiling children by making them too happy,” Thomas Bray suggests. “Happiness is the atmosphere in which all good affections grow.” Children are bound to commit errors. They learn life as they grow up. All too often, however, parents turn children away by pointing out only their faults and mistakes. But a wise parent makes it a point to praise a child when he or she deserves it. “Children need love, especially when they do not deserve it,” said Harold Hulbert. In fact, praising a child may work wonders. Jack Denton Scott, in an article which appeared in Reader’s Digest, told of a story of a woman who completely transformed

and swing and MY TWO CENTS’ battleground states, those where they have a chance of winning, or where local surveys indicate that the vote can go either way. John Tria Unlike the ecisouth@gmail.com Philippine elections, winning the US presidential election requires that you win the majority of electoral votes. It employs an electoral college system where each state has a given number of electoral votes held by electors. Winning a state means that you get all their electoral college votes. Winning more states than your opponent, and you win the election. Thus, it pays to win the states with a huge

number of electoral votes like California and Texas. When its this close, however, all votes count. Even the United States recognizes the pivotal role East Asia plays in the global scheme of things. What this means for many of us in Asia is clear- it is a repudiation of President Obama’s Asian pivot. The approach, meant to establish influence in Asia and keep it close to the runaway economic growth, and rising influence of countries like China, the Philippines and India, hopes to revive the US economy from its current doldrums. Knowing this, economic diplomacy is best played with countries where you obtain significant economic gain. It comes as no surprise that the Pivot to Asia came with a hard sell. However, recent meetings attended by Barack Obama in China and Vientiane Laos indicate a strong rejection of US influence in Asian affairs. America has practically

lost its decades old ally the Philippines with Rodrigo Duterte’s swing to China and Japan. The latest is Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razaks week long state visit to China and his country’s decision to buy Chinese warships, all seen by many as a slap to American influence. That said, the game is in Asia. With that, America failed. What matters now for the Dmeocrats is to regain momentum they already had for most of the campaign period. That will be tough. It needs to pull out every stop and get the vote out. It will try to win over the supporters of green party candidate Jill Stein, now holding a good 2%. This is down the wire, polarizing and potentially hazardous for American democracy. How the country can repair itself after such a brutal campaign will be the challenge for whoever wins. Regardless, candidate with momentum often wins. Whether we see a Trump in the White house, well know on election day.

her son’s disTHINK ON THESE! like of drying dishes by a word of praise to him. One night, the two of them were doing the dishes together, much to his dislike, when Henrylito D. Tacio suddenly he henrytacio@gmail.com dropped a large meat platter. There was silence after the crash. Then, the mother looked at him and said, “You know, son, of all the times you have dried dishes for me, this is the first time you have ever dropped one. I think you have set some kind of record.” Fear left the boy’s face and he broke out into a smile. Forever, after that, drying dishes was fun. “Praise virtue,” a psychologist once advises, “and you will find few vices to condemn.” Have you ever noticed why some children of famous families turn out to be so much more successful than others? For instance, why did Joseph Kennedy’s son excel while Franklin Roosevelt’s did not? Certainly, Roosevelt had as good an understanding of power and how to use it as did Kennedy. Part of the answer to that puzzle may be found in Franklin Roosevelt Jr.’s remark that an appointment was always needed if he wanted to see his famous father. One day,

the younger Roosevelt had a pressing problem. The two talked. Although the elder Roosevelt was listening he kept on working at his desk. When the boy stopped talking, the father remarked, “Glad you could drop by,” and that was the end of conversation. In contrast, Joe Kennedy had ferocious interest in his children’s lives. For all his shortcomings, his loyalty to his children was absolute. “My business is my family and my family is my business,” he said. In an interview, he revealed, “You know, when I was just trying out for the freshman team for some of those swimming meets, my dad was always there. He was always there. He did the same for all the kids.” A friend once sent me a memorandum about raising kids. It reads: “If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn. If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight. If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive. If a child lives with jealousy, he learns to feel guilty. If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient. If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to be confident. “If a child lives with praise, he learns to be appreciative. If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself. If a child lives with recognition, he learns it is good to have a goal. If a child lives with honesty, he learns what truth is. If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice. If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith in himself and those about him. If a child lives with friendliness, he learns the world is a nice place in which to live.”

You can be a child once. And it won’t return but you can definitely remember the past. Ellen Glasgow said, “The older I grow the more earnestly I feel that the few joys of childhood are the best that life has to give.” Do you want to know the truth? Ask a child. “If help and salvation are to come, they can only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men,” Maria Montessori once said. The great Danish sculptor Thornwaldsen once carved a statue of Jesus Christ. He wanted to see if the statue would cause the right reaction in those who saw it. So he brought a little child to look at it. “Who do you think that is?” he asked. “Some great man,” the child answered. Thornwaldsen knew he had failed, so he scrapped the statue. He went to work on a new statue. Again, he showed it to the child and again asked, “Who do you think that is?” The child smiled and answered, “That is Jesus who said, ‘Let the little children come to me.’” Then, Thornwaldsen knew he had succeeded. William Barclay commented, “The test of a child’s eyes is a good test. If a child thinks a person good, there must be some kind of goodness in that person. And if a child shrinks away from a person, then that person is surely not a good person. The goodness that can meet the clear gaze of a child and stand the test of a child’s simplicity is goodness indeed.” As a mother or father, how does you child react to you?

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The President added he is also inviting several investors to build industrial estates in the country, and that the climate deal might prevent investments from pushing through. He said recommendations from Department of Environ-

ment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Gina Lopez and his legal advisers are also needed to make sure the climate deal would not only be good for the environment, but also would not restrict the country’s economic development.

Jaldon’s team handed out P1.8 million to Cagayan valley, P900,000 to Ilocos Norte, P200,000 to La Union P150,000 to Apayao, P350,000 to Mountain Province and P1.6 million to Ka-

linga. The team started traveling on October 26, a day after the approval of the city council for the P5 million cash assistance to the victims of Lawin. CIO

“ So that in time, they may return to our society not just proactive citizens, but also as individuals that are enthusiastic about life, pursuing their dreams and contributing to nation building and development.” As the center entered its 14th year, the city also opened its new two-storey facility inside the compound. Perla Redulosa, assistant manager of the DCTRCD, said the new facility will accom-

modate more reformists. The old facility currently has 110 residents. The new building costs P6.6 million. “This is home away from home for those who go through drug rehabilitation,” she said, adding that they would open the new facility for drug dependents in November. The Dangerous Drugs Board funded the construction of the new building. (CIO)

He added that he prefers to buy weapons over other more advanced war assets since the Philppines does not have any intention to fight other countries. President Duterte explained the Philippines can buy the arms where they are sold cheaper, there are no strings attached, and the transactions are more trans-

parent, adding he would not deal with anyone else unless if it is on a “government-to-government basis.” He said the country should be “content” with propeller-driven planes which can be used extensively in counter-insurgency. “I don’t need jets, F-16 – that’s of no use to us,” the President added.

also be directed to support programs of the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC). “Disaster response trainings will be incorporated in the

aftercare program of drug surrenderees,” Jaldon said. As of October 5, the CADAC has so far recorded at least 9,322 drug surrenderees.

Port of Manila (POM), Manila International Container Port (MICP), Port of Cebu (POC), Port of Cagayan de Oro (POCO), and Port of Davao (POD). Quoting from IG and CIIS summary report, Estrella cited the ports with most number of alerts. These are: • MICP 44 alerts on 83 container vans • POM 11 alerts on 15 container vans • POCO 13 alerts on 14 container vans • POC 3 alerts on 3 container vans • POD 2 alerts on 2 container vans

Per records, the alerted shipments in 112 container vans were positively uncovered correct as declared but undervalued, hence its import-

ers were charged by BOC for additional duties and taxes. The shipments vary in items ranging from pump parts, waste water treatment system, panties and ladies accessories, used copying machines, drilling equipment parts, cutting wheel grinding stone, poultry incubation equipment, etc. The recovered P4.6-million duties and taxes will go into BOC records as IG’s and CIIS’ contribution in revenue collection efforts of the agency for the period. So far, reports on other cases of smuggling involving misdeclaration, misclassification, and non-declaration that were alerted by IG and CIIS through ComCen are still under legal scrutiny by BOC’s legal service. (PNA)

Japan’s support to the Philippines’ hosting of ASEAN Summit next year. Japan will also host the ASEAN Economic Ministers

(AEM) Roadshow in cooperation with Lopez who will co-chair with Tokyo at the AEM-METI consultation meeting. (PNA)

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SOLEMN. A mother and her son solemnly pray for their departed loved one inside the solemn Filipino-American Veterans and Masonic Memorial Park (FAVMMP) in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Sea piracy, kidnapping to highlight PRRD’s meet with Malaysian leaders

HE issues of sea piracy and kidnapping along Malacca Strait will highlight the meeting of President Duterte with Malaysian leaders next week. “We have a lot to talk to about the piracy on the Malacca Strait, kidnapping, criminality abounds in that area,” he told reporters in an interview during his visit to the graves of his parents at the Davao City Catholic Cemetery on Tuesday night. The President underscored the importance for Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines to talk about the said issues

and “once for all come up with a solution.” He added that the three countries share the same coastline. President Duterte, who is scheduled to visit Malaysia and Thailand next week, voiced concern that the incidence of kidnapping is increasing while piracy has become vicious, with some of the victims being murdered in the high seas. On Saturday night, the President received Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Speaker of Parliament Pandikar Amin Mulia, at the Davao Internation-

of the prosecutor. “An act of senseless violence that we will not tolerate!,” Aguirre said, as he vowed to put behind bars those responsible for the brutal crime. Aguirre also ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct a probe on the killing of Acido, saying “I have already ordered the NBI to investigate this condemnable act. The Department of Justice extends our condolences to his family and relatives. We will not stop until justice is served.” Earlier, the National Prosecution Service (NPS) headed by Prosecutor General Claro Arellano also released a state-

ment which read: ”We, at the National Prosecution Service, condemn the cowardly and senseless killing of City Prosecutor Rolando Acido of the Office of the City Prosecutor of Mati, Davao Oriental.” Arellano said Acido’s killing is a grim reminder of the many risks state prosecutors confront in the line of duty. ”We urge the PNP and the NBI to conduct parallel investigations to conclusively determine all of the circumstances surrounding this treacherous attack against City Prosecutor Acido so that the culprits may be immediately brought to justice,” the prosecutor general stressed.

lift those near the poverty line, which the previous government did than those who are severely poor, which is the task of the Duterte government.” “This is why we must accelerate tax reforms to equitably raise money to invest in the poorest families by providing them with better education and health services, and in rural infrastructure like more targeted farm to market road and irrigation,” he said. Expounding on Dominguez’s other poverty-reduction proposals, Chua said “we need to accelerate NFA reform

to help bring down retail rice price without farm incomes necessarily falling, as well as simplifying business regulations, enhancing competition to level the playing field, and securing property rights. All these can help micro, small and medium enterprises create more and better jobs to help accelerate poverty reduction.” “With the 2015 Family Income and Expenditure Survey now available, we will need to recompute all the revenue, economic, equity, and price effects,” he said. (PR)

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al Airport. The President said he discussed with Hamidi and Mulia the need to a stop to such criminal activities “because it has somehow paralyzed the trade and commerce in that area,” adding it is very important that the arterial channel is safe and free troublesome guys. According to President Duterte, they (Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines) should agree on the agenda on the situation in the Malacca Strait, including the kidnapping in Jolo in the context of border crossing and joint military and police operations. “Hindi naman namimili ng Pilipino eh. Indonesian, Malaysian. So dumating ang panahon na kailangan kami mag-usap

(Filipinos do not really choose… Indonesian, Malaysian. The time has come for us to talk),” he said. President Duterte said there was no discussion on any political ideology except the deteriorating peace and order situation in Jolo, as some areas in the province have become the sanctuary of rebels. “And what is really embarrassing to me was ang sanctuary ng mga rebelde, nandiyan sa Jolo, sa ating jurisdiction (the sanctuary of the rebels is there in Jolo, in our jurisdiction. So that makes it doubly worrisome. Eh pangit kasi ‘yung aming mga kababayan diyan dinadala (It is not good that our compatriots are brought there),” he pointed out. (PNA)

Yusop said she is pleased with the success of their operations, as she advised passengers to abide by the rules set by DCOTT at thj terminal. “So far wala ring reklamo sa peddlers porters. Dati

maraming complains because of overpricing. But starting last week no complaints. Salamat jud sa TF Davao. Canvassers porters peddlers dapat magtulungan. Ipakita na dispilinado ang Davaoenos,” she said.

Meanwhile, Remojo said that private cemeteries had the biggest volume of garbage, particularly the Davao Memorial Park. She said these cemeteries pay CENRO a special collection fee for their garbage to be collected. Remoso reported that as of Oct. 31, CENRO had collected 400 tons of garbage throughout the city, with an additional 300 tons collected last Nov. 1 in cemeteries. She noted this volume was smaller than the usual 600-700 tons of garbage they collected during the previous

commemorations of Undas. “Our garbage collection operations [for Undas] are still on-going,” Remojo said. She added that by Nov. 3, the CENRO would be able to determine the total volume of garbage it had collected during Undas. In the meantime, Remojo reminded people who are still planning to go to the cemeteries to dispose of their garbage properly. She said she was pleased that Dabawenyos are now more informed with regards to proper garbage disposal. RIA VALDEZ

accompany President Rodrigo Duterte on his three-day Official Working Visit to the Japan, along with a delegation composed of other cabinet members and business leaders.

She is joined by DOT Undersecretary Benito Bengzon, Jr. and Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority Officerl-in-Charge Atty. Guiller Asido.

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 180 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

FOOD

EDGEDAVAO

Too good dishes from Cena Modern Bistro

SELDOM DO I HAVE FAVOURITES. Why? I’m as fickle minded as the word if defined; I change my mind on things on a regular basis. It’s not that I don’t have preferences, just like you, I do, it’s just that I also like an adventure especially on food. Whenever I’m asked of food faves, I always, always ask them first. Why? So I’d know what to recommend. Not that I’m an expert, I am too a novice at this, but knowing their preference would give me an idea on where to lead them. Welcome to CENA Modern Bistro, Home Crest Hotel’s very own delicious in-house restaurant. Serving you an array of American-Italian dishes, Cena is undeniably one of the newest gastro dining hubs in the city that you must visit. Located not in the heart of the city, Cena is one of the many best reasons to explore Davao’s south side. At Cena, expect a gastro adventure. Their menu is not complicated but is packed with dishes that you’d surely would want to try. Personally, I love that their dishes are dissected and described – making your mind wander in an instant. Of the many times I’ve visited the place, I can say that I have grown to love some of their dishes. Some of which are now on my must-have list that I recommend to family and friends. Serving size wise, you’d love that every dish is perfect for sharing.

Nachos and Cheese This is a regular on my fave list. Whenever I’m at a restaurant, this is the first thing I look for. Mind you, I think I’ve tasted the many versions of nachos in town. But theirs is one of the many that I’d love to have anytime of any day. Every bite is an exploration and explosion of textures. Aside from that, I love the crunch that makes me lit in delight. Oh and the oozing cheese is also another reason to order a bowl – or two – of this. Pizza I love mine fresh and hot off the oven. Though I’m not a big pizza fan, I like that theirs is not as commercialised as the others. The smell alone is invigorating and the taste is, like their other dishes, flavourful and textured. Just have a slice Fish and fries while it’s hot and you’ll thank me later. This, like the nachos, is a regular on my list of faves. Ask my friends, I always end Creamy Carbonara The issue with me and a plate of car- with a plate of this just because I can and bonara is the bacon. I don’t eat bacon I want to. I like my fish and fries crunchy – I’m on a no pork diet since birth so I but juicy on the inside. I like mine seaneed to inform the staff that, if I’m having soned but not overly seasoned that I can carbonara, the bacon is a no-no. Luckily, still taste the sea and the root of which the there are restaurants that allow the sepa- potato is from. Yup, that’s the beauty of ration of the creamy pasta and the bacon. being a foodie -- the mind wanders withMy friends rave that it’s the bacon that out you knowing. Hence, Cena’s Fish and makes for a great carbonara dish. Maybe, Fries is a must try. yes, but Cena’s carbonara – even without Grilled Salmon the bacon – is also a knockout.

For the salmon lovers, this is a treat. Grilled salmon, personally, highlights the salmon even more. Their plate of grilled salmon is a delight that you’ll love. It’s grilled, yes, but the flavour of the salmon is not overpowered by the smokiness you’d expect of any grilled dish. More so, it remains intact yet flaky with a hint of sea in every bite. It’s also best for sharing. Chimichuri Chicken I love this. I love that the chicken is tender and juicy and the pairing with chimichuri is one of a palate adventure in an instant. The texture and flavours elevate this

dish without giving off that umay taste. With or without rice, you’d have a great time munching on this. Cena Modern Bistro is located at Walnut Avenue, Corner Tulip drive, Ecoland Subdivsion, Davao City. For inquiries and reservations, you may call them at (082) 297 7777. Want to know my latest food finds? Follow me on Instagram @iamleebai and I’ll make you hungry in a snap. For missed features, you can read them on my blog theroyalchefeats.wordpress.com. Happy munching, #royalistas!

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Minnie rocks the dots

WHAT’S DOT ALL ABOUT? The iconic and sic Minnie Mouse wearing her dotted outfits of the most recognizable characters in the w And she continues to rocks the hearts of man

Minnie Mouse is sweet, enjoys dancing and singing, a dots in her wardrobe are impeccable. Minnie’s good vibes spread to kids’ style and have it dot as SM Kids Fashion introduces a new collection of Mouse apparels. And the best part is little girls up to 12 years old ca Minnie make-over and participate in the Minnie Rocks th Fashion show on November 5 at the ground floor of SM M All these for a minimum purchase of P1, 500 from partic branches: SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM Makati a North Edsa. Promo period is from October 5 to November 5, 2016

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The adventures of Tsuperhero begin this November THIS NOVEMBER, GMA Network brings a whole new viewing experience to the televiewers with the launch of the newest Pinoy superhero comedy adventure Tsuperhero.

The show tells the extraordinary story of Nonoy, portrayed by Derrick Monasterio, a jeepney driver who turns into a superhero because of a mysterious object from a distant planet. Derrick is very grateful to GMA 7 for entrusting him the role of Nonoy, “It is my first time to portray a role like this na isang superhero. Nakakakaba talaga siya pero at the same time nakakachallenge din kaya mas pagbubutihan ko po talaga yung trabaho ko. Nakakaflatter din po kasi dahil ako yung napili ng GMA to portray this role. So I have to work hard for this project.” Nonoy’s journey becomes more interesting as he develops feelings for Eva, played by Bea Binene, a barker who finds Nonoy’s kalye attitude irritating and endearing at the same time. Joining them are respected actor Gabby Concepcion as Sgt. Cruz, Nonoy’s ninong who works as a cop; Alma Moreno as Aling Martha, Nonoy’s half-blind and loving mother; Albert “Betong” Sumaya as Julius, a small time crook; Philip Lazaro as Mang Pedi, the owner of

SM City Davao unveils Royal Holidays, Nov 4

the karinderia where Nonoy usually hangs out; Miggs Cuaderno as Bok, the alien who gives Nonoy his powers; Valentin as Polding, a cook; Annalyn Barro as Anna, the probinsyana niece of Mang Pedi who Nonoy becomes friends with; Jemwell Ventenilla as Choy, the street kid that Nonoy and Eva come across with; Kuhol as Mong, the tactless yosi vendor. Tsuperhero is an original concept of Kapuso comedy genius Michael V.

Under the helm of Direk LA Madridejos, don’t miss the wacky adventures of Tsuperhero this November on GMA Sunday Grande. Get the latest updates about Tsuperhero from the official website of GMA Network www.gmanetwork. com, official Facebook page of GMA Network www.facebook.com/GMANetwork, from the official Facebook page of Tsuperhero www.facebook. com/GMATsuperhero and from its Twitter account @TsuperheroGMA.

A ROYAL HOLIDAY AWAITS EVERYONE AT SM CITY DAVAO as the mall kicks of the holiday celebration on November 4 with the ceremonial tree-lighting at the Annex Event Center. This year’s centerpiece is made up of 3 Christmas trees decked with 600 gold, silver and green balls. The trees are 10-ft, 12-ft and 18- ft tall. A grand staircase is the centerpiece’s backdrop, adding to the atmosphere of royalty. Beginning September 16, 100 days before Christmas, 4 giant Toy Soldiers greeted shoppers at the Annex Building entrances, reminding mall-goers of the nearing merry season. On Friday, 7 more 8-foot toy soldiers will man the Christmas centerpiece. Fifty children from the community will get a royal treatment from the mall administration employees and merchants as they experience the fun things kids can do inside the mall—rides, play shops and dine. Also, they will be the launch’s guests at the 5PM grand lighting of the trees. In time for the season of giving, SM Cares is activating its Bears of Joy campaign. For P200, a shopper can take home 1 stuffed teddy bear and donate another to beneficiaries identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development XI. Catch more exciting events and great deals this season at SM City Davao. For inquiries, call 297 6998. Like SM City Davao on Facebook or follow them on Instagram for event and promo updates.

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Metal-eating plants can help rehab mining areas - expert

NE of the country’s leading forest scientists said that the use of indigenous plant species which feed on metals can be used to rehabilitate mining areas in the watershed. “These species are called metallophytes. They can tolerate high levels of heavy metals such as lead. Some of these will even require the presence of heavy metals in the soil in order to survive.”, said Dr. Edwino Fernando. Speaking at a rainforestation capacity training organized by the Rain Forestation Restoration Initiative (RFRI) network at the Ateneo de Davao University last September 8, 2016, Dr. Fernando said that the use of this species can be an alternative strategy to rehabilitate watersheds which have been damaged by mining. “Given that there are so many mining companies right now, metallophyte plants can be used to restore forests in mining areas.”, he said. In 2011, Dr. Fernando and his research team discovered the Rinorea niccolifera, a nickel-eating shrub, in Zambales. The finding was significant because the plant was able to accumulate and tolerate metal content at levels 100 times greater than the average ordinary plant growing in the same environment.

According to plant scientists, the Philippines has some 20 species of metallophytes, of which the Rinorea niccolifera is the latest discovery. Because of the species’ significance, the RFRI network is planning to convene a conference next year to discuss the potential of this species for propagation in the government’s forest rehabilitation programs. RFRI partner and watershed advocacy group Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) said that the properties of native metallophyte plants are very valuable because it can increase the impact of current soil remediation techniques. “This is very important, especially in watersheds with large scale and small scale mining activities. This will shorten the rehabilitation period, enabling the renewal of the ecosystem more quickly. And because this approach is natural and environment-friendly, it would mean lesser costs for rehabilitation efforts.”, said IDIS executive director Ann Fuertes. “Now that the DENR has been closing critical areas due to the damage caused by mining operations, this can be mainstreamed as a major approach towards renewing our forest resources in the watersheds.”, she said.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy Taguiwalo (above photo, right) joins President Rodrigo R. Duterte (above photo, 2nd from right) at the launching of the Comprehensive Reform and Development Agenda (CRDA) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The CRDA is an inter-agency effort to improve ARMM with DSWD as lead in the implementation of the Supplemental Feeding Program for Children. The Feeding Program covers 100% of the identified children aged 0-12 years who are stunted (low height-for-age), wasted (low weight-forheight), and underweight (low weight-for-age), in two phases. Fifty percent

will be covered for the first six months and another 50 percent in the 2nd phase, also for six months implementation. The project will be implemented in priority barangays of the following 5 municipalities in 2 provinces of ARMM: Maguindanao - Mamasapano, Datu Salibo and Dau Piang; and, Sulu - Jolo and Patikul. Program duration is one year and three months beginning October 2016 until December 2017. Social preparations in the communities, actual project implementation,capacity-buildi ng and periodic monitoring and evaluation are covered in the entire project duration.

Prioritize rights of children NOW SHOWING of the poor: Sec. Taguiwalo November 2 – 8, 2016

THE ACCOUNTANT Anna Kendrick, Ben Affleck Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

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11:40 | 2:15 | 4:50 | 7:25 | 10:00 LFS

TROLLS Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

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A MONSTER CALLS Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Liam Neeson Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

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DOCTOR STRANGE Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor Guaranteed Seating & One Time Viewing Only

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EPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo today announced that the DSWD and the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) as well as the National Youth Commission (NYC) will take the lead in celebrating the rights of children this November as the Philippines observes National Children’s Month. The country has been observing the same since the passage of Republic Act 10661 which adopts the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child passed on November 20, 1989. “The DSWD is one with the rest of the nation and all agencies of government in celebrating National Children’s Month. However, as an agency that gives priority to the poorest of the poor, in the same vein do we recognize that the rights of children who come from the poor and marginalized sectors of Philippine society must be given priority,” she said. The theme this year is “Isulong: Kalidad na Edukasyon Para sa Lahat ng Bata”. Sec. Taguiwalo said that

government agencies, civil society organizations, individuals and private institutions concerned with children’s rights should focus their efforts on helping children from the poorest sectors. “These are the children who come from urban poor communities, whose parents struggle with the greatest difficulty to find means of livelihood so they can feed their families and keep a roof over their heads,” she said. “They are the ones we should give the most attention to as we promote programs that champion children’s rights – their right to be fed, clothed, protected from abuse and exploitation, and provided with the means to go to school and learn,” she said. She cited an end-of-2015 survey that stated how 2.6M families have experienced involuntary hunger. A family with at least five members would have three children, and this means that 7.8 million children experience involuntary hunger. The National Nutrition Council has also come up with a report stating that there are 4M children suffering from

malnourishment; 3.4 million children have stunted growth; and, there are at least 300,000 who are categorized as severely malnourished. “We must also give attention to the plight of children who become laborers at a very tender age. Many of them work in plantations, haciendas, and mines. Their rights as children are violated a thousand fold because they are subjected to backbreaking work, and exploited to the maximum because they are hardly paid,” she said. Sec. Taguiwalo cited the baseline study published in 2015 by the Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education Research (EILER) that exposed how prevalent child labor is in many mines and plantations in various parts of the country. According to the EILER report, in plantation communities, about 22.5 percent of households have child workers. In mining communities, children comprised 14 percent of labor. The group was able to interview children as young as five years old working in mines; in the meantime, their findings reveal that most children who work in the mines were 12

years old. “Given their extreme poverty and their employment, 76 percent of child laborers no longer attend school. Instead they work for 10 hours a day, or 13 to 16 hours a day in the more extreme cases,” she said. Finally, Sec. Taguiwalo issued the reminder that the Philippines is signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. “We are committed to uphold this Convention, and to pursue all appropriate measures to ensure the protection of children and the implementation of the rights stated in the Convention. Our efforts to change society must include and give priority to efforts to help children, most especially those who come from families who can barely address their own needs. We must all work together to address the issues of low wages, landlessness, widespread lack of productive and sustainable means of livelihood, and lack of job security which affect majority of Filipinos so they themselves can become empowered to help their own families and their most vulnerable members – the children,” she said.

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“The poor will benefit from better roads, both urban and farm-to-market roads, public schools, health centers, and improved social services. The accelerated spending on infrastructure, human capital and social protection will equalize opportunities and give better chance to the future generations of Filipinos,” Chua said. As for the expansion of the VAT base, Chua assured the public that there would be no increase at all in the tax rate and that all seniors and persons with disabilities would continue to enjoy their VAT exemptions on essentials such as raw food, education and health services, including medicine. The VAT threshold would also be raised for micro and small scale enterprises from the current limit of P1.9 million to the proposed P3 million, so that purchase from small businesses like sari-sari stores where the poor buy their needs will remain exempted from VAT payments. “Again, it is a fallacy to believe that the revenues from expanding the VAT base would be mostly coming from the poor, In fact, the principle of VAT lies on how much one consumes—meaning the more VATable items one consumes, of course, he/she would have to pay more tax,” Chua said. For instance, better-off families who use air-conditioners would have to pay more taxes than their low-income counterparts who normally use electric fans to cool them-

selves at home, Chua said. The same is true, he added, for people with two or more cars, or those who dine out, which are amenities that the poor cannot afford. “Even then, we should not forget that the income tax relief included in the proposed tax reform plan would be beneficial most especially to the lowand middle-income taxpayers with modest living conditions,” Chua said. Earlier, President Duterte’s economic managers formally guaranteed highly targeted, direct and indirect transfer plus other social protection initiatives to shield the poor and low-income households from the impact of the proposed adjustments in excise fuel taxes under the initial comprehensive tax reform program that the government submitted last September to the Congress for its approval. In a joint statement, Secretaries Carlos Dominguez III of the Department of Finance (DOF), Benjamin Diokno of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and Ernesto Pernia, the director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said these “highly targeted transfer programs” would help cushion the impact of the proposed indexing to inflation of the excise taxes on oil products on “the poorest 50 percent of the population.” A main feature of the first reform package submitted by the DOF to the Congress last

EDGEDAVAO September is that personal income tax (PIT) rates would be cut from 32 percent to 25 percent that will in effect exempt 4.7-M taxpayers, which already include the current 1.7 million minimum wage earners, from paying income taxes. An additional 3 million taxpayers with taxable incomes of P250,000 and below would be included in the batch that would pay zero taxes. Another 450,000 taxpayers as gathered from the 2013 database of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) would pay only 20 percent of the excess of P250,000 of their net taxable income. For those with a net taxable income of P400,000 but not over P800,000, the highest tax that they would pay under the new DOF tax reform plan is P130,000, compared to the current system where they are now shelling out a maximum of P221,000 for PIT. Based on the 2013 BIR database, this bracket consists of 357,875 taxpayers representing 4 percent of the total tax base for individuals, includes government workers under Salary Grades 18 to 25. For individuals with net taxable income of P800,000 but not exceeding P2 million, which covers 114,856 individuals or 3 percent of the tax base, the maximum PIT paid under this bracket would only be paying P490,000 in the first year of implementation, compared to P605,000 under the current system.

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13 ENVIRONMENT EDGEDAVAO

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Can mangroves protect people from typhoons? By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

FEW weeks before Christmas, on November 8, 2013, Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) made a landfall in the Philippines. It was touted as “one of the most intense tropical cyclones on record.”

“(The typhoon) uprooted trees, destroyed buildings, and brought storm surges of up to 6 meters,” wrote Dr. Alice Joan G. Ferrer, a professor of the Division of Social Sciences at the University of the Philippines in Miag-ao, Iloilo. “The typhoon destroyed coastal communities in 8 of the 17 regions in the Philippines and affected 16 million individuals or 3.4 million families.” The total cost of damage: P38.9 billion (P20.2 billion for agriculture and P19.6 billion for infrastructure including bridges and buildings). In the midst of the chaos that came in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda, there were stories on how mangroves saved people from death and their houses from destruction. “People attributed their zero casualties to mangroves,” Dr. Ferrer wrote in a paper that was published by the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA), which was founded by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) of Canada. “These communities remind us of the value of mangroves.” But do mangroves really saved these people from annihilation? To find an answer to this question, a study on the protection service by mangroves was conducted by a group of researchers from the Visayas State University (VSU) based in Baybay City, Leyte. EEPSEA funded the study.

The researchers collected data from areas where Typhoon Yolanda passed through, particularly Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Negros, Panay and Palawan. They used secondary data from municipality offices and other government agencies. “For casualties, we collected data on number of dead, missing and injured individuals,” said Moises Neil V. Seriño, assistant professor of the university’s Department of Economics, who headed the study. “For the damages to properties, we collected data on totally and partially damaged houses.” Based results, they found out the province of Leyte as having the highest number of death among the provinces hit by typhoon Yolanda. Those injured were not classified into either major or slight injury. “As long as people seek treatment in hospital and clinics, they are counted as injured without a distinction regarding the extent of injury,” Seriño explained. “However, a huge number of people who were injured did not seek treatment.” According to the researchers, heavy casualties were reported in Leyte and Samar because storm surge heavily devastated these areas. Aside from casualty, heavy damages on properties were also recorded. “We disaggregate the damages into partially and totally damaged houses. Results show that on average, 85 houses per barangay were reported to be partially damaged and around 58 houses per barangay were reported to be totally damaged,” Seriño reported. Negros Occidental and Leyte were among the top provinces that reported rel-

Remaining mangroves after typhoon Pablo

Mangroves protect storm surges

Moises Neil Seriño

Mangroves provided significant protection to communities. Coastal communities with substantial mangrove cover suffered fewer or less casualty and less housing damages as compared to coastal communities with reduced mangrove cover. -- Moises Neil Seriño, assistant professor of the university’s Department of Economics

atively higher damages in housing property while Bohol reported minimal damages to housing property. The study found out that “there are more damages in housing properties in areas with relatively lesser mangrove cover compared to coastal barangays with substantial mangrove cover,” the researchers wrote. In an exclusive interview, Seriño also said: “Mangroves provided significant protection to communities. Coastal communities with substantial mangrove cover suffered fewer or less casualty and less housing damages as compared to coastal communities with reduced mangrove cover.” Seriño further said: “Our study finds that the remaining mangrove vegetation reduced the number of deaths and damaged houses during the Yolanda incident. This property and lifesaving effects of mangrove is robust. Mangroves can protect us (our lives, livelihood and properties) from damaging effects of typhoons.” Dr. Ferrer had the same idea. “Mangroves act as natural barriers in coastal areas,

protecting communities from storm surges, waves, tidal currents, and typhoons,” she wrote. Some scientific studies have shown that “a barrier of mangroves over 100 meters wide can reduce wave height by between 13% and 66%.” In addition, “a per kilometer width of mangroves can weaken storm surge by 5-50 centimeters and surface wind waves by more than 75%.” On why the VSU researchers emphasized their study more on mangroves, Seriño said: “We focus on mangroves because mangrove have suffered degradation in the past decades and these mangrove ecosystems have been doing a very important job of protecting coastal communities from damaging effects of typhoons.” The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 typhoons a year, according to the country’s weather bureau. “The Philippines is in the typhoon prone zone and we can use mangroves as a natural defense against typhoons,” Seriño said. According to Seriño, if given a value, “the estimated average cost of saving a life by retaining the current mangrove vegetation amounts to as much as P15 million.” Because of that, he urged policy makers to “intensity its efforts in conserving mangrove forests as a long-term strategy in providing protection to coastal communities and better adaptability to typhoon-related disasters.” According to Seriño, mangroves that were devastated by typhoons can grow back naturally. “If you have thick mangrove cover, the expected damage will be reduced,” he said.

Aside from protection service, mangroves also provide a number valuable ecosystem services that contribute to human well-being, including provision (timber, fuel wood, and charcoal), regulation (erosion control; prevention of salt water intrusion), habitat (breeding, spawning and nursery habitat for commercial fish species; biodiversity), and cultural services (recreation and aesthetic). Not only that. “Mangroves in general are one of nature’s best ways for combatting global warming,” Dr. Filiberto Pollisco, policy and research specialist of ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), told participants of the panel discussion on the relationship between biodiversity and climate change some years back. But, on the other hand, mangroves also act as “a ticking carbon time bomb.” A Rappler report explained that “when a mangrove forest is uprooted and deforested, the enormous amount of carbon stored in its roots are released into the atmosphere as carbon emissions.” According to Dr. Pollisco, digging up only two meters of soil in a mangrove forest for conversion into, say, a shrimp pond, already releases 1,400 tons of carbon per hectare per year. But despite their varied uses, mangroves are fast disappearing. Studies have shown the country’s original 500,000 hectares of mangroves has whittled down to 120,000 hectares in 1994. “The massive losses of mangroves happened in the 1950s and 1980s when the government encouraged aquaculture in order to increase food production in the country,” Dr. Ferrer said.

14 COMMUNITY SENSE EDGEDAVAO

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Solo parents need help Reaching out to communities of community - DSWD in the country one box at a time

OGNIZANT of the difficulty of solo parents to raise their children on their own, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has recognized the vital role of the community in providing the necessary support system. “Mahirap maging isang solong magulang kaya‘t kailangan nila ang tulong ng komunidad. Kung maaari ay maibigay natin ang tulong sa kanila sa pamamagitan halimbawa ng pag-buo ng mga daycare centers o child minding centers sa ating mga komunidad kung saan safe nilang maiiwan ang kanilang mga anak habang sila ay nagtatrabaho. (It is difficult to be a solo parent so they need the community’s help. It would be of great help if communities can set up day care centers or child minding centers where they can safely leave their young children while they are at work),” Assistant Secretary Hope V. Hervilla said during the Advocacy Meeting/Forum with Solo Parent Employees of DSWD Central Office held recently. Kailangan ding matanggal ang stigma ng pagiging isang solo parent, pag-unawa at pagkalinga ang dapat ibigay sa kanila at hindi panghuhusga (We also need to remove the stigma of being a solo parent, they need care and understanding, not judgment),” Asec. Hervilla emphasized. She added that the DSWD under the leadership of Secretary Judy Taguiwalo gives its all-out support for the amendments to the existing Solo Parents’ Welfare Act to ensure that the evolving needs of solo parents are addressed. The DSWD CO-Solo Parent Employees Organization (SPEO) organized the forum to inform the new solo parent-employees and members of their rights and benefits under Republic Act 8972. Carina Javier, DSWD COSPEO president also called on her fellow solo parents to be actively involved in advocating for the speedy passage of House Bill 3398 which seeks

to grant additional benefits to solo parents, thereby amending RA 8972. “Dapat tayong mga stakeholders ang maging aktibo sa adbokasiya upang maamendyahan ang batas sa lalong madaling panahon. Sulatan at kausapin natin ang ating mga lokal na opisyal, mga representante sa Congress at mga senador (We as stakeholders should actively participate in our advocacy to amend the law as soon as possible. Let us write and talk to our local officials, congressmen, and senators),” Javier underscored. Representatives from the Department of Labor and Employment-Bureau of Working Conditions (DOLE-BWC) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) also discussed their respective agencies’ policies on the availment of the 7-day parental leave, as well as programs for solo parents and their children, such as the Student Financial Assistance Programs (StuFAPs). “CHED prioritizes solo parents and their children in scholarship programs, which include State scholarship program for high school students and graduating high school students; partial scholarship; Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA); Tulong Dunong; and, Study Now, Pay Later Plan, “ Dr. Nena Asinjo expounded. The application period is from February to April. For further information, solo parents may call CHED’s Office of Student Development and Services at telephone number 988-0001 or emailoss@ched. gov.ph. The presidents of some member organizations of the Federation of Solo Parents in LuzViMin –United Solo Parents of the Philippines (FSPLUSPP), like the Provincial Federation of Solo Parents in Bulacan; Solo Parents Alliance for Community Empowerment (SPACE) of Angeles City, Pampanga; and, 4Ks Task Force on Solo Parent of Quezon City also shared their respective groups’ and LGUs’ best practices and local ordinances.

HILE we live in a technologically-advanced world, it is undeniable that those who live in the darkest corners and remote areas in our country still have no access to technology. Because of their location, professionals are not around to guide them. They need the technology and better equipment to further enhance and improve their agriculture, education, and health sector, among others. In the health sector alone, far-flung areas receive the least access to basic healthcare services. There is a lack of health workers and doctors to attend to their needs. The nearest hospital may be a 3-hr ride away from their barangays. People just tend to sleep off their sickness and pray it will not get any worse. But here comes a technology that could potentially help patients in rural communities. The future of our healthcare system may lie in telemedicine. Telemedicine

or telehealth is the use of telecommunications technologies to enhance and deliver healthcare services and information. With telemedicine, doctors and specialists can evaluate and diagnose patients in far-flung areas through text or email. According to the National Telehealth Center (NTHC), a bill proposed by Congressman Rogelio Espina seeks to establish a comprehensive National Telehealth System. He stated that telehealth “has the potential to reduce and improve access to health care in rural and other medically unserved and underserved areas” (National Telehealth Center, 2015). Among the eHealth projects implemented by the NTHC is a 5-in1 biomedical device dubbed as RxBox, and electronic medical filing system called CHITS. When combined and integrated, it provides smarter diagnosis, paper-less and electronic records management, and teleconsultations.

RxBox: Your basic healthcare services in a box Through the partnership forged among National Telehealth Center (NTHC), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), DOSTAdvanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), DOST- Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), DOSTPhilippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD), UP Diliman-College of Engineering, RxBox was born out of the desire to bring a telemedicine device to far-flung and isolated Rural Health Units (RHU). RxBox is a multi-component program which functions as a biomedical device, electronic medical record system, and telemedicine training. It captures medical signals through built-in medical sensors intended to reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and detect non-communicable diseases.

These sensors include blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter, electrocardiogram (ECG), fetal heart monitor, maternal tocometer, and temperature sensor. It also stores patient’s data in an electronic medical record known as the Community Health Information System (CHITS). To reach more rural health units, the National Telehealth Center launched the “RxBox1000”. It is a project which targets to deploy 1000 units of RxBox all over the country. In Davao Region, there are six RxBox units already deployed, particularly in Lupon, Governor Generoso, Banganga, and Caraga, Davao Oriental; Talaingod, Davao del Norte; and Maco, Compostela Valley Province. By next year, 38 units will be deployed all over the region. To know more about RxBox, you may visit rxbox. chits.ph. You may also send them an e-mail at rxboxdavao@gmail.com.

RXBOX1000 ROLL-OUT. RxBox was used to determine the blood pressure of a resident of Brgy. Binondo, Baganga, Davao Oriental during the 18th ARENA Serbisyo Caravan.

Philippines AirAsia inks partnership with GMA Kapuso Foundation Partnership aims to bring aid and generate awareness and action on environment protection and rehabilitation

(L-R) GMAKF Executive Vice President and COO Rikki Escudero-Catibog, Philippines AirAsia CEO Capt. Dexter Comendador and GMAKF Founder and Ambassador Mel Tiangco at the signing ceremony held last 20 October in Quezon City.

S PART of AirAsia’s corporate social responsibility program, the airline group’s Philippine unit has formally signed a memorandum of agreement with GMA Kapuso Foundation. The partnership aims to bring aid, generate awareness and action on climate change, environmental protection and rehabilitation. Philippines AirAsia’s chief executive officer Captain Dexter Comendador said, “This dynamic collaboration between GMA Kapuso Founda-

tion and Philippines AirAsia represents another step forward in our commitment to the philosophy that no corporation can live apart from the community it serves. As a truly Filipino airline, we will always extend a helping hand to the communities we serve. We are honoured to partner with GMAKF as we share the same commitment and passion in public service.” The signing ceremony was led by GMAKF Founder and Ambassador Mel Tiangco with Rikki Escudero-Catibog,

the foundation’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. Under the agreement, AirAsia will partner with GMA Kapuso Foundation in the delivery of public service via its various charitable missions. AirAsia and GMAKF will also work on join projects for the environment, like tree planting drives and coastal clean ups. GMA Kapuso Foundation ambassador Mel Tiango said, “Our partnership with AirAsia is anchored on a shared com-

mitment which is to deliver a reliable and credible service to uplift the lives of underprivileged Filipinos all over the country.” GMAKF is a non-government and media-based organization, the foundation arm of GMA Network. It has been long dedicated to its mission of uplifting the holistic welfare of less fortunate Filipinos. Under its Health, Education, Disaster Response and Values Formation programs, GMAKF served over half a million needy individuals the past year.

EDGEDAVAO

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SPORTS15

Warriors are back in form Top Rank CEO predicts KOs in Pacquiao A -Vargas, Donaire-Magdaleno bouts FTER a stunning season-opening blowout defeat that left them searching for answers and wondering what hit them, the Golden State Warriors bounced back with a pair of victories that still felt a little too close for comfort. Yes, the Warriors beat the New Orleans Pelicans, but they gave up 114 points and had absolutely no answers for Anthony Davis inside. Yes, Golden State knocked off the Phoenix Suns, but they let a Suns squad expected to be one of the league’s worst teams this season hang around into the final minute. Yes, they’d gotten big scoring performances from Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, but when were the Warriors going to start looking like … y’know … the Warriors? The answer: on Tuesday night, at the Moda Center, after halftime. Unfortunately for the Portland Trail Blazers, that’s when the Human Torch version of Curry showed up, when the choke-youout version of the Golden State defense showed up, and when, for the first time this season, the team

we all expected to see started to come into view, taking a good Trail Blazers team to the woodshed in a 127-104 beatdown. It started, as everything that matters has started for Golden State these past few years, with Curry. He’d struggled through Tuesday’s first two quarters, missing seven of his nine shots and all four of his 3-point tries while committing four turnovers. He was getting roundly roasted by his opposite number, early-season MVP candidate Damian Lillard, who hit the ground running against Curry defense that was alternately too passive and too aggressive, pouring in 22 points on 11 shots in 18 minutes before intermission. Despite struggles for Steph and Klay, who went 4-for-12 from the field in the first half and also missed all four of his 3-pointers, the Warriors still took a six-point lead into the locker room thanks to strong starts by Durant, Draymond Green and hot-shooting guard Ian Clark, who led the way with 16 points on perfect 6-for-6 shooting in 10 first-half minutes.

Hill keys Utah win over Spurs

TAH point guard George Hill used the lessons he learned in three seasons with San Antonio to hand his former team a rare home loss. Hill had 22 points and the Jazz made a season-high 15 3-pointers, handing the Spurs their first loss of the season 106-91 on Tuesday night. ‘’He had a great game,’’ San Antonio veteran Manu Ginobili said. ‘’For three quarters they played good solid basketball and in the fourth he just took

o v e r. Made some big shots, good plays off the pick-androll. He’s a great player, we know he can do it.’’ Utah handed San Antonio only its second home loss since March 2015. The Spurs didn’t lose their first home game last season until April 10 and finished 40-1 at the AT&T Center. ‘’Every loss is disappointing to me,’’ said Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, who had a gamehigh 30 points. ‘’Just disappointed in our defensive effort. Our energy wasn’t there in the first quarter. They were knocking down shots in the fourth quarter. They scored 33 in the fourth and that’s not good

either.’’ Hill made four straight baskets starting with about 6 minutes left in the fourth, scoring 10 points to give the Jazz a 96-88 lead with 4 minutes remaining. The Spurs rallied from an anemic first quarter to capture the lead, but Hill helped steady t h e young Jazz with a court presence he learned under San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich.

‘’Play like you’ve been there before,’’ Hill said. ‘’Coach Pop always instilled that into me my first three years here. Don’t show really that much emotion, unless it’s part of the game, but act like you’ve been there before. That’s what I try to instill in the guys, move onto the next play every time.’’ GEORGE HILL. 22 points against former team.

PRESIDENT... FROM 16 Duterte narrated that during his early days as a professional, Pacquiao trained at the ABAP Davao City Gym at the back of the Almendras Gym. “His fellow boxers, those who spar against Manny, swear that he hits so hard. Pag tinamaan ka daw ni Manny yung joints mo parang maghihiwalay,” he said.

A number of government officials are expected to be at ringside when Pacquiao cross punches with Vargas on Sunday. Presidential Assistant for Sports Glenn Escandor, a close friend of the legendary boxer, will be watching the fight. “Let’s pray and cheer for Manny,” Escandor said.

HERE has been a cauldron of activity bubbling in Nevada not only because it is a hotly contested swing state in the 2016 U.S. elections; it’s also because it’s five days to go before Philippine boxing legend and Senator Manny Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38 KOs) –- coming out of retirement – goes up against World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight Champion Jessie Vargas (27-1,10 KOs). Joining a Pacquiao-headlined fight for the first time on November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas is Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire (37-3, 24 KOs) who will defend his WBO Super Bantamweight title against the undefeated Jessie Magdaleno (23-0, 17 KOs). The fight – billed as The Legend vs The Champ -- will be shown on November 6 at 4 a.m. in KSA and 5 a.m. in Dubai, live (with replays) via TFC.tv PPV subscription is at 80 SAR. The Legend vs. The Champ is also available via OSN, ELife and Mozaic TV Powered by Ooredoo. In the U.S., it will be shown on November 5 live, distributed by Top Rank PPV. In a recent interview with Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman on First Take on ESPN, Top Rank Founder and CEO Bob Arum claimed that far from being an easy fight forPacquiao, Vargas could end up knocking out the legendary Filipino fighter. “Jessie Vargas has become a terrific fighter,” said Arum. “He has a trainer – Dewey Cooper – that has turned him from being a de-

WHO’S GOING TO BE KNOCKED OUT? Manny Pacquiao (left) and Jessie Vatgas (right). fensive fighter into an offensive force. And when he won the world title, he knocked out Sadam Ali who is a terrific fighter, who was a member of the U.S. Olympic team, and he (Vargas) knocked out Ali cold. Let me tell you something: the way Manny fights and the way Vargas fights, if Vargas hits him – which he is capable of doing – he could knock Pacquiao out. Remember, Vargashad Bradley out in the last round. The referee stopped the fight by mistake because he thought the 10th second was the bell.” Arum also told ABS-CBN in another interview: “I think you will see, one way or another, a knockout in this fight. And it’s a lot because Jessie will be fearless, and some people say reckless, and he will be going after Manny, to try and knock Manny out.” Vargas, who is 10 years younger than Pacquiao, said in an interview with ABS-CBN that “It’s my time to shine. I’m going for a knockout. The minute that he (Pacquiao) gives me that opening, I’m taking it. The 8th round sounds very, very good to me.”

The bold predictions don’t end with Vargas; Magdaleno also had daring words to say against Donaire in an ABSCBN interview. “He (Donaire) is past his prime. He will be strong for about five rounds. Then he will fade and we will take over,” Magdaleno claimed. Come fight night, Donaire will be 9 years older than his challenger. “Maybe I’ll be the real Flash come November 5th,” added Magdaleno. “I’m proud of that fight (Donaire vs Magdaleno),” Arum added. “I think it’s going to be a terrific fight. I think every one of these fights is going to be evenly matched, but I can see where people are saying that Donaire and Magdaleno will be a barn burner.” Arum also noted that while Donaire is an experienced warrior, Magdaleno is “training like a beast”. Of course, Pacquiao and Donaire are aware of all the macho boasting by their respective opponents. In an interview with Michelle Joy Phelps of Behind The Gloves, a very relaxed Pacquiao said, “I know him (Var-

gas) well. He fought in my undercard before so, I know him. I know what I’m going to do in the ring.” It is interesting to note that the only defeat of Vargas came in the hands of Timothy Bradley who Pacquaio has beaten twice, the last time in April 9 of this year. However,Bradley’s unanimous decision win over Vargas was questioned after what many people thought was the premature halting of the fight when Vargas almost put Bradley out with a devastating punch in the dying seconds of the 12th round on June 27, 2015. Meanwhile, Donaire is so confident against Magdaleno that he is already looking at career plans beyond November 5 which includes leaving the 122-pound super bantamweight class to return to featherweight category. “The truth is that if I win on November 5th, the next thing I want to do is going against Leo Santa Cruz or Carl Frampton. I’m a warrior and I want the big fights. Expect me in big fights at 126 pounds,” Donaire told Boxing Scene.

World Series goes to Game 7

FTER 108 years, what’s one more day? The Chicago Cubs are far from finished. They’re frothing. Addison Russell hit a grand slam and tied a World Series record with six runs batted-in, and Chicago took advantage of a huge early misplay in Cleveland’s outfield as the Cubs throttled the Indians, 9-3, on Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time) in Game Six to push this tense tug-of-war between baseball’s two longest title drought holders to the limit. Game Seven, it is. The biggest, most nerve-wracking day yet. For one city, hysteria. For the other, heartbreak. “It’s correct and apt it will go seven games,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. Kris Bryant homered to spark a three-run first inning, Russell hit the first slam in the Series in 11 years and Jake Arrieta worked into the sixth as the Cubs, who came to Progressive Field one loss from elimination,

are now rolling and one victory from their first championship since 1908. “You dream for that, man,” Bryant said. “We’re going to play a Game Seven tomorrow and that’s pretty special.” Indians ace Corey Kluber, dominant while winning Games One and Four, starts again on short rest on Wednesday night at home against big league earned run average leader Kyle Hendricks. The NL champions, who also got a two-run homer from Anthony Rizzo, are trying to become the seventh team to rally from 3-1 deficit and first to do in on the road since Willie Stargell and the Pittsburgh Pirates came back against Baltimore in 1979. Maddon didn’t take any chances despite a comfortable late lead, using atomic-armed Aroldis Chapman for one out in the seventh, the eighth and one batter in the ninth. The lefty, who got the final eight outs in Game Four, will be on call for Game Seven.

Chicago’s Ben Zobrist scores and collides with Cleveland’s Roberto Perez in the first inning. AP Maddon said he used Chapman as long as he did because he felt the game was still in the balance. The Cubbies, shut out twice earlier in this Series, brought their clubbies to Cleveland. They hammered Josh Tomlin, who couldn’t get out of the third inning and didn’t get any help from his outfield in the first.

The right-hander, who was so effective in Game Three at Wrigley Field, pitched on short rest for the second time in his career but wasn’t the problem as much as his location. Everything seemed to be lined up for a massive downtown street party in Cleveland, which has waited since 1948 for another World Series title.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

PRESIDENT’S FORECAST ‘Manny will win by a knockout, his power is God-given’ By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

njb@edgedavao.net

OU don’t expect President Rodrigo Duterte to be in Las Vegas on Sunday to watch eigt-time world champion Manny Pacquiao fight reigning world welterweight champion Jessie Vargas. But, as always, he will be with the fighting Filipino Senator in spirit. “I will pray for him. I always do,” the President told reporters on Tuesday night at the Roman Catholic cemetery in Davao City. Coming out of retirement, the 37-year old Pacquiao will meet the Mexican-American titleholder who is 10 years younger and almost half a foot taller. Despite his age and his shortlived retirement to focus on politics, Pacquiao holds an impressive 58 wins 6 losses and 2 draws record against Vargas’ 27-1. But if you ask President Duterte whether Manny will survive Vargas, he said he is

PRESIDENT DUTERTE TO MANNY: “Knock him out in the first four rounds.” confident “Manny will win.” Pressed for a fearless forecast, President Duterte said he cannot tell what round but he has a feeling it will end by a knockout with Manny as the winner. “He has to do it in the first four rounds. Pag umabot ng seven, eight rounds pagod na yan,” the President, who has followed Pacquiao’s career, said. “Pag nadaanan ka ng suntok ni Manny, bagsak ka talaga.

His power is God-given,” he added. The President recalled that Pacquiao had been sending him two tickets in each of his fights but he always turns it down. “Noon pa yan, hindi pa sikat si Manny pinapadalhan ako ng ticket. Magkaibigan talaga kami, pero sabi ko hindi ako makakapunta kasi wala akong pera pero ipagdadasal kita,” he said.

F PRESIDENT, 15

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