Edge Davao 9 Issue 196

VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES VIRTOUSO AT WORK. Former freestyle football champion Tung Doan Thanh from Vietnam showcases his tricks and moves during yesterday’s 4th Asian Freestyle football championship press conference at People’s Park in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

P236-M CITY JAIL IN CALINAN SOON Facility can house 5,000 inmates PCG rescues 3 fishermen D

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

AVAO City is poised to put up a P236Million jail facility capable of accommodating 5,000 inmates in Calinan district, according to City Jail warden Grace Taculin in a press briefing yesterday.

Taculin the modern and much larger facility will be constructed inside an eight-hectare piece of land in Barangay Wangan, Calinan district.

The lot was donated by Louella Garcia, owner and propritress of Balik-Bukid farms.

“Three hectares will be allocated for the jail building and facility,” she revealed, adding that five hectares will be for industrial activities.

The jail will be donated to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

She said a 2019 deadline is being eyed for the construction of the jail facility with the bidding and construction expected to start at early first quarter next year.

Taculin revealed that the

P236 million allocation for the project was approved by both the lower and upper house of Congress.

“The jail in Ma-a will be considered as the annex once the new facility in Calinan will be complete,” Taculin said, pointing out that the current facility will soon be exclusive to female, high-risk or high-value target, and senior citizen inmates.

BJMP records show that the current Davao City Jail,

located in Barangay Ma-a can only accommodate 384 inmates, but is currently home to nearly 2,982 inmates.

“Inmates have been suffering from various diseases such as boils and tuberculosis due to overcrowding,” Taculin said.

Taculin admitted that there has been a tremendous increase in the number of inmates in the past few years, with more than 70 percent of

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HREE fishermen floating for nine hours after their boat capsized off Samal Island were rescued by the Philippine Navy shaken and hungry but still alive.

Lt. James Reyes, Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao public affairs officer, said the three fishermen were found and rescued at around 6:10 a.m. Tuesday.

He identified the fishermen as Soy-an Osani, 47; Jamir Osani, 20; and Henry Everre, 17, all residents of Barangay Isla Verde, Davao City.

Reyes said the three had just finished loading their catch 10 p.m. Monday when a huge wave suddenly hit their banca, capsizing it in

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

NOT TO BE LEFT OUT. Passersby and customers of a pawnshop along San Pedro Street gather in front of the establishment’s television set as they watch Kerwin Espinosa testifies in a Senate hearing yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

AFP grabs upper hand in anti-ASG campaigns

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UTGOING Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya said efforts to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Basilan and Jolo (Sulu) has been getting better as more and more bandits are being eliminated in the ongoing focused military operations.

“I would like to tell you that the situation in Mindanao, particularly in Basilan and Jolo is getting better and this only the first time in the history of (the) Armed Forces that a mass surrender of ASG (around 20 brigands) took place,” he noted.

Visaya was referring to the surrender of 20 ASG bandits, along with their weapons, last Sept. 23 in Basilan.

He also dismissed claims that kidnapping attacks per-

petrated by the bandits are on the rise, adding that it was greatly reduced with the Navy’s ongoing sea denial operations and deployment of the BRP Tarlac (LD-601) between the maritime boundaries of the Philippines and Malaysia.

“There were two kidnapping incidents happened in Malaysia but the perpetrators were unable to enter our territory because of the strategic location of our naval assets there,” Visaya stressed.

Since the AFP conducted its offensive against the ASG in July, bandits killed in Sulu during the July-October period has reached 60, with another 19 wounded, and 30 captured.

While in Basilan, military units have killed 10, wounded three, and captured two while 34 voluntarily surrendered to

F AFP, 10

DOJ reassures justice for victims of Maguindanao massacre

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USTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has reiterated the agency’s commitment to serve justice to the families of the victims of the Maguindanao massacre that will mark its seventh year on Wednesday. ”We will do all that we can to make the wheels of justice turn faster not only in this case but in other cases so justice maybe rightfully served to the victims and their families,” said Aguirre in a statement. . I ”We join the families of the

victims of the Maguindanao Massacre in prayer and solemn commemoration of that dastardly act that claimed the lives of innocent,” said Aguirre . “We pray not only for the eternal repose of the souls of the deceased but we also pray that those who are left behind will not only get the justice that they deserve but that they may find the grace to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives. ”We will do all that we can

F DOJ, 10

De Lima, PNP men got drug money: Kerwin

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

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adlopez0920@gmail.com

ENATOR Leila de Lima and high-ranking officers of the Philippine National Police were among several government officials that suspected drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa claimed he had given money to when he was still into drug trade.

The young Espinosa appeared during the resumption of the hearing by the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs on the killing of his father, Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. of Albuera, Leyte on Wednesday.

The committee was chaired by Senator Panfilo Lacson.

Joining yesterday’s hear-

ing were PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa and the members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) involved in the raid at the sub-provincial jail in Baybay, Leyte last November 5 that resulted to the killing Mayor Espinosa.

Espinosa told the committee he gave up to P8 million to support the senatorial campaign of Senator de Lima during the May 2016 elections.

He said the money was released in three tranches and coursed through de Lima’s driver, Ronnie Dayan.

Detailing the said transaction before the Senate hearing, Espinosa said Dayan called

him in August of 2015 and told him that Senator de Lima, who was then the Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary, needed funds to run her senatorial bid.

The first asking price was P2 million per month which Espinosa said he refused – “Tumawad ako sa kanya hanggang umabot ng P700,000 monthly.”

He said the first money he handed to Dayan was P2 million at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay and the second release, in the amount of P1.7 million, was on October last year in a parking lot in Manila.

Espinosa also told the committee that he also had

doubts whether the money he coursed through to Dayan would reach de Lima – the reason why he personally asked Dayan for a met up with the then DOJ secretary.

The meeting with de Lima was materialized between the dates November 19 to 22 last year in Baguio City, he added.

He said he used the alias “Batman” when he was introduced to de Lima and that after the meeting, he and his wife had their photo taken with the Senator.

Espinosa said he also handed down money to Dayan during the meeting.

The P8-million demand

MAGUINDANAO town mayor tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte as narco-politician on Wednesday insisted he is innocent and that surrender is not yet in his mind.

Speaking to reporters through a mobile phone, Mayor Montassir Sabal of Sultan Sumagca (formerly Talitay), said all the allegations against him were all baseless and unfounded.

Sabal, elected to his third and last term as town mayor, said surrender is not in his mind as of yet. “I will continue hiding in the meantime the rule of law is not anymore observed by authorities,” he said.

“I don’t know until when I will be hiding but surrender is still out of my mind,” he said in the vernacular. Sabal admitted he feared for his life.

Sabal also admitted he feared what happened to

Mayor Rolando Espinoza of Albuera, Leyte could happen to him if he submits himself to authorities.

“Fear for my life prevails so I will not surrender yet,” he said.

Last August 7, President Duterte publicly announced the names of narcopoliticians, including those of Sabal and his brother Abdul Wahab Sabal, vice mayor of Sultan Sumagca.

Abdul Wahab was arrested at Cotabato airport for possession of unlicensed guns and improvised explosives. He is currently detained at Camp Crame.

On Friday last week, government operatives raided the house of Sabals where three high powered guns and seven sachets of shabu were confiscated by authorities.

However, Mayor Sabal was not in his home. (PNA)

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Maguindanao mayor vows not to surrender A

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Massacre victims’kin seek RRD audience to press quest

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HE families of victims in the gruesome Maguindanao massacre have agreed to seek an audience with President Rodrigo R. Duterte in a bid to advance their quest for justice.

Emily Lopez, chair of the Justice Now Movement, said Wednesday the President could intervene in the slow-moving trial of the case, especially against its masterminds led by members of the Ampatuan family of Maguindanao.

She said President Duterte issued pronouncements in the past that he would help bring justice to the victims.

“We want to have an audience with him so we can get his commitment personally,” she said in an interview over

radio station dxKR. The group held various activities on Wednesday to mark the seventh year of the carnage that killed 58 people, including 32 media workers.

Some family members of the slain journalists visited anew the massacre site in Sitio Masalay, Barangay Salman in Maguindanao to light candles, and offer prayers and flowers for the victims.

In coordination with the tri-media association here, a commemoration activity was also held at the Forest Lake Memorial Park here, where 10 of the victims were buried.

Lopez said their group, which is composed of the families of journalists, is “deeply dismayed” as the massacre

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BOYS WILL BE BOYS. A young boy throws an oversized dice while he and two other children are playing snake and ladder game during yesterday’s culminating activities of this year’s Mindanao Children’s Festival at the People’s Park in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

Davao press condemns T spate of media killings

Arab royalties asked to turn RP islands into modern cities

By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

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ND IMPUNITY. JUSTICE NOW! This is the battlecry of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines Davao Chapter as they held a candle lighting event at Freedom Park, Roxas Ave., Davao City in remembrance of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.

The event also served as a call to address media killings and unresolved cases of missing journalists all over the country.

In a press statement,

NUJP Davao expressed their continuing grief and outrage because “justice remains elusive to the victims, especially to the 32 journalists who were mercilessly killed in a single day” at Sitio Masalay, Brgy.

Salman, Ampatuan, Maguindanao- the biggest in history.

NUJP Davao further condemned the failure of the former administration to bring justice to the bereaved families, stressing that Ampatuan family was able to regain foothold in their political strongholds and maintain their wealth.

Attending the event, Ryan Amper, Mindanao-wide secretariat of National Union of Peoples Lawyers of the Philippines expressed his hopes that the Duterte administration will be able to address the long-due imperative, pointing out the leader’s records as mayor of Davao City whose ways was able to carry out immediate justice.

Meanwhile, in a press statement from NUJP national office secretariat Dabet Panelo, he affirmed that this is the high time to be journalists adding that Philippine press

is most needed by the people these days.

The secretariat also expressed alarm on the current national leader stressing President Duterte’s “disregard of human rights”.

“Today, even as we commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Ampatuan massacre, we see a resurgence of threats and assaults on the independent Philippine press fueled by the open contempt and hostility of a leader who would crook absolutely no criticism of his person or his policies,” stressed Panelo.

HE Duterte administration is offering to lease several Philippine islands to the royal families in the Middle East to turn these landmasses into modern cities.

Philippine Economic Zone Authority director general Charito Plaza said over the weekend that the agency has met with the royals of Qatar and United Arab Emirates (UAE) to propound the proposal.

Plaza said the Duterte government wants to cash in on the wealth of these families by offering to them unproductive lands and even some of the country’s more than 7,000 islands for development.

“I was with the President when he went to the Middle East to Qatar, to Dubai and Abu Dhabi to observe the Dubai Freeport Zone and how they become competitive. I had the opportunity to talk to the members of the royal families in Qatar and Dubai. Most of the sheikhs are into real estate business. They signified to us that they will be coming over to invest thru PEZA and we offered to them our islands,” Plaza said.

“As our program with President Duterte, he wants all these

islands be converted into cities.

He’s been looking for investors to build cities in our islands as he wants all lands and islands to be utilized so I triggered the imagination of the royal families of Qatar and Dubai to have these islands leased by them and I suggested we create a Dubai in the Philippines and build the landmarks of Doha and Qatar, and make it as a tourist destination,” she added.

Plaza said the royals were amenable to her proposal and they are set to visit the country this week to do the first exploration of how their Philippine investments are going to turn out.

According to the PEZA chief, the Middle East is one big market the Philippines failed to tap in the past.

“They are awash with cash and they’re exactly looking for areas to invest. So the Middle East market is our focus now and it’s very timely because of the independent foreign policy of the President. As we know before, our mindset is we only deal with democratic countries and non-Muslim countries. We failed to realize this is where the money is,” said Plaza, who also hails from Mindanao like Duterte.

TESDA offers cash reward to those who can prove graft in the agency

I THE BIGGER THE COME. Davao City Jail warden Jail Superintendent Grace Taculin says starting January next year, college education program will be offered to inmates of the Davao City Jail through the agency’s partnership

with University of Southeastern Philippines and a Non-Government Office (NGO). Taculin bared the project during yesterday’s AFP-PNP Press Corps media forum at Camp Domingo Leonor. Lean Daval Jr.

N line with Duterte administration’s anti-corruption drive, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Guiling Mamondiong is offering a cash reward to anyone who could prove corruption activities in the agency.

This reward system would encourage the public to take an active part in the government’s anti-corruption campaign, TESDA explained on Wednesday.

Mamondiong emphasized he doesn’t want to destroy the reputation of any TESDA official or employees.

“Our objective here is sim-

ply to prove the public that there is no corruption in our agency,” he noted.

Meanwhile, he reminded TESDA officials, as well as rank-and-file employees that “transparency” and “moral renewal” are included in the 17-Point Reform and Development Agenda enforced by TESDA for effective public service.

He also highlighted that corruption hinders economic growth.

The TESDA chief is encouraging the public to come out and report to them any knowledge of illegal activities in the agency. (PNA)

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House bill presses ban against plastic bag use

F ENDEARING WORDS. Senior vice president for Corporate Communications of Globe Telecom Ma. Yolanda Crisanto delivers her welcome speech during Globe Media Excellence Awards 2016 at The Marco Polo Davao on Tuesday evening. Lean Daval Jr.

10K rain harvesting gears sought to be established A

MEMBER of the House of Representatives has filed a bill that seeks to establish at least 10,000 rainwater harvesting systems and a thousand soil and water conversion guided farms across the country.

Deputy Speaker and AAMBIS-Owa Partylist Rep. Sharon Garin authored House Bill No. 3539, or the Proposed Soil and Water Conversation Act, which is pending before the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Garin said these farm

support systems are meant to save water and mitigate the destructive power of heavy rains and flash floods to farms. ”So instead of the farmers fearing heavy rains engulfing their farmlands, farmers will begin to take advantage of the massive adequate rainwater harvesting facilities to collect water which will be used to sustain production even during dry spell,” Garin said.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical

Services Administration (PAGASA), the Philippines has an average annual rainfall of 2,400 millimeters, more than enough to meet the demand for crop production.

Jose Manguera, Conservation Technology Development Section chief at the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), said this amount of rainfall is not evenly distributed throughout the year in most parts of the country. ”There is too much rainfall in some areas resulting in

severe soil erosion and flooding; while in other parts of the country, there is too little rain to support crop production, especially during summer,” Manguera said.

The funding of the proposed Act will come from the budget of the Department of Agriculture.

BSWM supports the passage of the bill, saying that most watersheds across the nation are already deteriorating due to indiscriminate logging and slash-and-burn practices. (PNA)

lion in 2018, the first year of its proposed implementation.

But such foregone revenues would be offset by gains totalling P301.6 billion from the additional revenues from the proposed broadening of the Value Added Tax (VAT) and adjusting the excise tax on fuel and automobiles, for a net gain of P174.2 billion.

In its original form, Chua said that Package One of the tax reform program is projected to raise an additional P111.2 billion from the removal of certain VAT exemptions, except for basic essentials, another P45 billion from automobile taxes, and P145.4 billion more from the fuel tax adjustment.

Speaking at a tax forum sponsored by the Stratbase ADR Institute, Inc. (ADRi) at the Ortigas Business Center in Pasig City, Chua said up to 40 percent of the incremental revenues collected from the first DOF-proposed tax reform package “will be used for targeted transfers to low-income and vulnerable sectors.”

“We recognize that the tax

reform will affect a number of vulnerable people. We are very much committed to protecting the poor, vulnerable, and low income sectors. The poorer the household is, the more social protection subsidies it will get especially, during the first year of the Tax Reform Package One implementation,” Chua said at the Ortigas forum.

These targeted transfers, Chua said, include time-bound unconditional cash transfers for the bottom 50 percent of the population; pantawid pasada programs for public utility vehicles to cushion the impact of fuel excises on commuters; higher socialized pensions or higher conditional cash transfer amounts, plus rice subsidies for indigent senior citizens; and higher Philippine health insurance (PhilHealth) coverage and other benefits to help them defray the ever spiralling costs of healthcare for persons with disabilities.

To benefit most ordinary consumers, the DOF plans to increase the VAT threshold for goods and services from P1.9 million to P3 million for micro

and small enterprises, effectively exempting them from the VAT. This means that sari-sari stores and small groceries, where most Filipinos buy their every day essentials, will be exempted from the VAT and will only pay the percentage tax, he said.

Chua made it clear that in expanding the VAT base, exemptions would be retained for raw food, education, health care and other key essentials, but would lifted for other items such as travel, restaurants and amusement so that the tax savings from this effort would be used to fund the targeted transfer programs for the poor.

He also stressed that senior citizens would continue enjoying their 20 percent discount, regardless of their income status.

“The rich will not need exemptions and subsidies anymore as they are already welloff compared to the rest of the population. To achieve a more equitable society, we are going

Tax reform seen to generate P174.2 B for gov’t

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HE Department of Finance expressed optimism to be able to raise from its proposed tax reform and Inclusion Act a net gain of P174.2 billion, of which a substantial portion would be spent on targeted transfer programs that will benefit the country’s most vulnerable sectors--if and when Congress passes this DOF initiative in its original form.

The first of a series of tax reform packages submitted by the DOF to the Congress last September seeks to lower personal income tax rates while expanding the base for the value-added tax to plug massive leakages, adjust the excise tax on petroleum products and index these to inflation, and restructure the excise tax on automobiles via a progressive ad valorem system.

Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua told a tax forum on Tuesday that the proposed tax reform and inclusion law, which the DOF submitted to the Congress last September, would result in revenue losses of P127.4 bil-

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ORMER President and now House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is seeking to ban the use of plastic bags in stores nationwide.

In her House Bill No. 3579, Arroyo is moving for the promotion and use of reusable plastic bags as a way of reducing water and air pollution and protecting marine life from the ill-effects of plastic products.

“Oftentimes immediately discarded, single-use plastic bags are found in landfills and have become a significant cause of water pollution.

In addition, plastic bags that are burned adversely impact the environment and human health, given the level of toxic chemical content,” Arroyo said.

The Earth Policy Institute based in Washington, D.C. estimates that one trillion single-use plastic bags are used every year at a rate of two million per minute.

Many of these bags, added the Pampanga lawmaker, end up killing marine animals such as sea turtles, whales and other species.

“Fish with plastic wrapper around their body, sea turtles with plastic in their noses, and even birds with their stomachs full of plastic bottle caps broke hearts and opened minds to the harmful effects of our

consumer-driven society,” she stated.

Due to its negative impact, Arroyo is proposing the prohibition of the use of plastic bags in point-of-sale stores. Instead, stores are mandated to use recyclable paper carry-out bags to enable consumers to carry their items or purchased products. Consumers may also use reusable bags.

Also covered in the prohibition are all retail and food establishments, point-of-sale areas as well as canteens and cafeterias.

If a consumer wants to use plastic bag, he will have to pay PHP5 for each bag.

Half of the amount will be kept by the establishment to cover for the cost of the bag while the other half will be remitted to the local government where the store is located.

The amount will be deposited in the Special Environment Fund which will be used to educate the public on plastic bag use as well as provide incentives for manufactures and community-based initiatives for the product of native reusable bags, and for non-government and civil society organizations promoting proper solid waste management.

Exempted from the prohibition are primary plastic packaging such as those used

ORKABROAD.PH, the country’s leading online platform offering overseas employment opportunities, has listed the 10 highest paying jobs abroad this year.

WorkAbroad.ph launched the 2016 Overseas Salary Report in Makati City on Tuesday.

The report revealed that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the field of health care have the highest paying jobs, with a monthly average salary of PHP111,620.

In particular, those who are specializing in pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology have the highest salary across OFW jobs.

The same report noted that such countries as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Canada, New Zealand, and United Kingdom give the highest salary for health care professionals.

The highest salary for health care workers in the UAE is logged at PHP253,826 a month, followed by Canada and New Zealand at PHP172,500 a month, and UK at PHP153,333 a month.

Overseas demand for health care workers is also strong, according to the report that was done from January to September this year.

Health care jobs shared 11 percent of the 117,000 jobs

posted at WorkAbroad.ph over the period.

Following health care professionals, OFWs in process design and control and instrumentation have the second highest average monthly salary of PHP87,027.

Third highest paying specializations abroad are in public relations and communication with an average monthly salary of PHP83,375.

This was followed by aviation and aircraft maintenance and law and legal service, with an average monthly salary of PHP81,149 and PHP80,500, respectively.

Completing the list of 10 highest paying jobs for OFWs are education and training and development at PHP62,438; quality control at PHP58,463; information technology-related jobs at PHP57,639; engineering-related jobs at PHP57,102; and architecture and interior design at PHP55,660.

Among the 10 highest paying jobs abroad, only the health care and engineering sectors are also in the top 10 list for in-demand overseas jobs from January to September 2016.

Over the period, engineering-related jobs are the most in demand overseas, accounting for 26 percent or 30,972 of the total job postings at WorkAbroad.ph.

10 highest paying overseas jobs bared W

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Piñol sees 4% aggie growth by year-end A GRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol has projected a 4 percent agricultural growth in the fourth quarter of 2016.

“For the last quarter... actually tingin ko baka pumalo tayo ng 4 percent towards the end (of the year),” said Piñol in a press conference on Tuesday at the DA central office in Quezon City.

He said the growth can be attributed to crops subsector and the opening of market opportunities by China as a result of the recent visit of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte there.

Piñol, however, said that agricultural growth performance for 2016 may be “break even” despite positive growth recorded in the third quarter (2.98%) and the projected 4 percent growth in the last quarter of the year.

“Hindi ma-overcome yung -7 percent sa 1st two quarters.

Ang tingin ko baka pumantay lang tayo -- break even for 2016 total agri growth (The growth could not overcome the -7 percent recorded in the 1st two quarters of the year. I think it will be break even for 2016 total agri growth),” he said.

But Piñol is optimistic that agriculture growth will have a “robust” performance next year, barring strong typhoons, due to greater demand for fish products from China.

Meanwhile, the Philippines may import 500,000 tons of rice in 2017 due to the projected 1.8 million metric tons deficit in the supply.

The National Food Authority (NFA) has procured 250,000 tons from Vietnam and Thailand the year. (PNA)

DOF says structural reforms to ensure inclusive growth

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HE Duterte administration’s on-going administrative and structural reforms will efficiently mobilize public resources to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, the Department of Finance said.

In the latest DOF Economic Bulletin, Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said the government could sustain the country’s robust economic growth and make it inclusive through higher investments in physical infrastructure and social services.

Based on Beltran’s report submitted to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the economy, which expanded by 7.1 percent during President Duterte’s first three-months in office, continued to be supported by strong macroeconomic fundamentals.

The Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) grew at its fastest pace in three-years in July to September period, beating market expectations and that of other major Asian economies like China’s 6.7 percent and Vietnam’s 6.4 percent.

“Amidst uncertainties in the global economy, the Philippine economic growth is the fastest in the region,” Beltran, who is the DOF’s chief economist, said.

The third-quarter growth brought year-to-date economic expansion at 7.0 percent, which is at the high-end of government’s 2016 target range of 6.0 percent to 7.0 percent.

“Both administrative and structural reforms would eventually result in a more efficient resource mobilization of public resources,” Beltran said. “These would catalyse greater investments in both physical infrastructure and social services.”

“Higher public investments, in turn, will translate

into sustainable and inclusive development,” the finance official added.

To raise funds for higher public spending, Beltran said the Duterte administration needs the comprehensive tax reform to be passed into law.

Meanwhile, he noted in the third-quarter Philippine economic performance report that consumption remained strong at 7.3 percent owing to robust overseas Filipino remittances and stable prices.

“What is more noteworthy is the sustained double-digit rise in investments for four quarters in a row, which telegraphs robust economic growth ahead. This is welcome news as policy-makers steer the country to a more investment-led economy,” Beltran said.

Likewise, Beltran emphasized the narrowing trade deficit after exports recovered during the quarter that contributed to growth and the 20.1 percent rise in government construction.

From the supply side, Beltran said the growth was largely driven by the industrial sector, which expanded by 8.6 percent in the third-quarter amid strong manufacturing, construction, and utilities.

In the first nine-months of the year, the Philippine industrial sector maintained its steady domestic upward trajectory at 8.2 percent, significantly higher than 5.9 percent in the same period of last year.

Local agriculture sector also recovered during the quarter, finally reversing five quarters of continuous decline at 3.9 percent. Services sector also posted robust growth rate of 6.9 percent.

“Domestic consumption and investment continue to grow due to robust internal demand backed up by higher employment and rising real wages,” Beltran said.

CELFON LOAD. A pedestrian purchases mobile phone load at a makeshift loading station along San Pedro Street in Davao city yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

New PEZA chief backs Mindanaodevelopment

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HE newly appointed head of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has reaffirmed the agency’s support for the administration’s goal to further develop Mindanao.

PEZA Director General Charito Plaza said in an interview that among the agency’s initiatives to promote development in Mindanao are reducing energy cost and estab-

lishing more economic zones in the southern part of the country.

Plaza said she had discussions with Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi to consider cutting power rates in economic zones that will be established in Mindanao.

“I was told we’re paying around Php12.00 per kilowatt hour. Now, it will be lower -Php5.00 or less than Php10.00.

We’re looking into that,” she said.

“Also, PEZA has a franchise authority. Our plan is that every economic zone will have its own power, telecommunications, and water supply services. We will be inviting the industries, these water and power supply, and we will also go into renewable energy,” the PEZA chief added.

Earlier, Plaza said PEZA

wants a defense industrial complex to rise in Mindanao where manufacturing of defense equipment will operate and will generate jobs for the region.

Plaza likewise mentioned that Malaysian palm oil producer Alif Global Islamic Equities Sdn. Bhd. Eyes to invest USD1.0 billion for an agro-industrial economic zone in Agusan del Sur. (PNA)

that is 60% organics, 20-30% recyclables and 10-20% residuals.

CENRO data will show you that and in fact, the waste composition of Davao was the basis for the design of the landfill and its projected lifetime. The assumption was, the landfill will handle only the residuals. That was why in 2013-2014 when strict segregation was being practiced, the volume was playing around 300400 tons daily,” she said.

“If we are saying that we need WTE because our landfills are fast filling up, that is a dangerous road to take. Our landfills are full because we are not efficiently practicing segregation.

No matter how technologically-sound the WTE will be, if we do not address our segregation, it will not be beneficial for us in the long run.”

The group also pointed out that the WTE facility’s byproducts can create more problems because of its toxic and hazardous nature.

“The emission of dioxin, which is one of the most lethal persistent organic pollutants (POP) in the world today, should alarm every Dabawenyo,” said IDIS executive director Ann

Fuertes.

Dioxin, according to Fuertes, is a by-product of burning plastic. It does not degrade easily which is why it can accumulate in body tissues and the environment, causing cancer and toxic effects for a very long time.

“Current literature on dioxin says that there is no safe dose for dioxin intake or exposure.

It is so dangerous that even the US National Toxicology Program upgraded their classification of dioxin from ‘Reasonably Anticipated to be a Human Carcinogen’ to ‘Known to be a Human Carcinogen,’” she said.

“People can be affected by breathing the air coming from the WTE facility, or eating locally produced foods or drinking water from sources which have been contaminated by the air pollutants from the incinerator.”, she added.

The World Health Organization has linked long-term dioxin exposure to impairment of the immune system, the developing nervous system, and endocrine and reproductive functions.

The SDM maintained that the city should instead focus on the strict implementation of its

solid waste management program.

“We need to resume the strict compliance of our segregation policies especially in the barangay level.”, said Cora Refulle, president of the peoples organization Bucana Coastal Environment Fisherfolk Association.

Refulle pointed out that the daily load of trash that ends up on the coasts of the city has been increasing. “ There is still a lot of plastic that is being thrown in the rivers and canals and it ends up in our communities. People upstream have been neglecting in segregating their wastes.”, she said.

The group called for more consultations to discuss whether the WTE technology is the only valid option to address the city’s waste management concerns.

“We should hold a real public consultation on this, and get hold of experts from the public health sector and the WTE sector with a wide set of audience and stakeholders. We need to validate the questions and concerns on this technology in order for us to truly discern whether this is the right step in making Davao City sustainable.”, Santos said. (#)

Environmentalists caution vs waste-to-energy project

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EADERS of various environmental civil society groups aired their concern at the possible collaboration of Davao City and Japan on a waste-to-energy facility in the city next year.

The Sustainable Davao Movement (SDM) network, an alliance of 19 civil society groups and peoples organizations, said that the WTE facility is not the correct solution to address the city’s problem of waste disposal.

“When the Clean Air Act of 1999 (Sec. 20 of RA 8749) banned incineration, it was in recognition of the dangers of a burn-based technology. So why is the city entertaining this incineration-based technology, particularly when its safety nets rely on many factors, especially the volume and character of the wastes?”, said SDM member and Ecoteneo executive director Mylai Santos.

The group questioned the appropriateness of the WTE strategy considering that the city cannot even meet the minimum volume requirement of the proposed facility. “ Yes, the daily wastes deposited at the Tugbok-Carmen landfill is 600-700 tons daily, but

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EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

ComVal farmers laud passage of banana law S

393‘stateless’Indonesians acquire citizenship in GSC

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ARMERS, particularly those in the banana industry, lauded the approval of the Banana Industry Development Ordinance which they said will ensure the implementation of programs and projects aimed at further developing the banana industry in the province.

Banana farmers from the province on Tuesday said the ordinance, also known as the “Banana Industry Ordinance of 2016”, will protect them from

various challenges and problems that often affect the industry, not only those who are involved in production but also in its market.

The ordinance sets guidelines on banana production and development in the province that include site selection, land preparation, crop establishment, planting materials and plant care.

The measure will also provide support in terms of technology to banana

farmers in the field of soil amelioration, fertilization, weed control, leaf pruning, sucker control, plant sanitation, bud injection, bunch spray, deflowering, debelling, defingering, fruit insert, fruit tagging, fruit bagging, propping, and guying of fruits.

Guides on pest and disease control, including their eradication procedures are also part of the ordinance, including the effective control measures on Fusarium wilt, bunchy top and other

dreaded banana diseases.

The ordinance also outlined the terms, conditions, duties and responsibilities of banana exporters, traders, independent banana farmers, banana growers, banana corporate farms and packing facilities.

The ordinance was approved last November 9 during the 17th regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Compostela Valley headed by Vice Governor Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora. (PNA)

New DOT campaign to cost P650 M

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DVERTISING company McCann Worldgroup Philippines will be in charge of crafting the new tourism campaign of the country, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said over the weekend.

Tourism undersecretary for advocacy and public affairs Katherine de Castro said the P650-million contract with McCann, which won the bid to be the advertising and promotions partner of the DOT for one year, includes the production and positioning of marketing materials, as well as the formulation of a new tourism slogan.

“The P650 million, that’s not only for the tagline itself. That P650 million is inclusive of all the media placements from all over the world,” De Castro said.

“The production of commercials, billboards, radio jingles if there’s any, even the design of the website are part of the P650 million,” she added.

According to De Castro, the budget allotted to advertise Philippine destinations on a global scale is still

comparatively lower than neighboring countries such as Thailand.

“Thailand is spending millions and millions of dollars to promote their country. Compare it to the Philippines with only P650 million.

This is very little. And this is despite the fact that tourism contributes 10 percent of the GDP (gross domestic product) of the country,” she said.

The plan to replace the current tagline, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines,” aims to build up tourism arrivals in the country, De Castro said.

She cited anew the 2016 study by Nielsen, which assessed the effectivity of the current campaign.

The study showed that 65 percent of respondents from the European market liked the slogan, but only 26 percent intended to come to the Philippines.

Similarly, about 72 percent of North American respondents said they liked the campaign, but only 45 percent signified intention to visit the country.

But the DOT vowed that the new campaign would still highlight the “fun” as-

pects of the Philippines.

“Rest assured it will still connote the fun part of the Philippines but we will be more specific. We would be more focused on the experience that tourists can have when they come to the Philippines,” De Castro said.

For her part, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said when she was in Madrid for a meeting with the United Nations World Tourism Organization, she was questioned why there was a need to change the tagline when it was already a “good slogan.”

“I told them the reason and (they) said, you can just upscale it. Why is it more fun in the Philippines? Include that. Just answer the question,” Teo said.

“We might consider doing this. It’s more fun in the Philippines but why? Let’s add that to it,” she said.

The DOT said the campaign would be officially launched during the coronation night of the Miss Universe pageant.

“We decided to take that opportunity since we are a sponsor and we won’t need to pay the placement fee,” De Castro said.

PLANNING workshop and summit on “Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya” prevention is set to take place soon in this port capital of Northern Mindanao, local health officials here said Wednesday.

City Councilor Lourdes Gaane said the Department of Health (DOH), City Health Office, J.R. Borja General Hospital and Barangay Health Workers (BHW) are currently collab-

orating to pursue the project this month.

Gaane, chairperson of the City Council Committee on Health and Sanitation, said that the prevention campaign, which was going on has been initially carried out by the CHO. “The advocacy campaign includes the conduct of school symposia, community assemblies, and distribution of information and education materi-

als, among others,” she said.

According to Gaane, the city’s village chairmen, village health chairs, zone leaders, health center doctors and nurses, village health workers, and the city 17 sanitary inspectors would join the summit.

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne illness detected among monkeys in Uganda in 1947 and was diagnosed among humans in same coun-

try in 1952.

The virus was spread by the Aedes mosquito specie that is responsible for the transmission of dengue and Chikungunya viruses, and linked to birth defects known as “microcephaly.”

Outbreaks of the virus have been reported in Africa, South East Asia, and the Pacific Islands, which has stirred concern among health officials in the country, Gaane said. (PNA)

Zika summit mulled by CDO health execs A

OME 393 residents here of Indonesian descent finally received official citizenship from the Indonesian government as part of a joint Philippine-Indonesia effort to resolve their “stateless” status.

The Indonesian Consulate General in Davao City released letters of confirmation for the citizenship of the Indonesians, some of whom were born and had lived in the city and in the neighboring areas for decades.

Consul General Berlian Napitupulu led the ceremonial turnover of the confirmation letters in simple rites held at the oval plaza covered court here.

Lawyer Ruben Fondevilla, assistant chief state counsel of the Department of Justice , said the granting of the citizenships was an offshoot of a joint initiative of the government and Indonesia to resolve the status of the so-called “Persons with Indonesian Descent (PIDs)” in Mindanao.

He said both countries agreed through a series of engagements to provide citizenships to the concerned individuals in compliance with the United Nations conventions on statelessness.

The official specifically cited the 1954 Convention re-

lating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

He said the government pledged to accede to these in a ministerial meeting in Geneva, Switzerland in 2011, essentially adopting legal and jurisprudential principles on statelessness.

The government and Indonesia, through the Consulate General in Davao City, listed a total of 8,745 PIDs settled in parts of Mindanao, specifically in Regions 11 and 12.

Most of them were descendants of Indonesian fishermen who eventually settled in the area, married locals and started their own families. Some of the PIDs have reportedly lived in Mindanao for three generations.

Both governments have so far settled the nationality or citizenship status of 2,975 individuals or about 34 percent.

Of the 2,975 resolved cases, a total of 1,937 individuals were assessed as “clearly Indonesians,” 831 as “clearly Filipinos,” and 189 qualifying for dual citizenship.

Fondevilla said the latest confirmation of the citizenships is part of the second phase of the joint initiative.

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Borromeo San Nicolas, Diez, Sarvida, Roxas and Narcisco streets.

Kilometer 1, the national highway, Gemina and Vasquez streets became impassable as floodwaters rose from knee to waistdeep and some vehicles conked out.

Surigao City braces for Tropical Depression Marce

S Tropical Depression Marce approached Mindanao on Wednesday, the city began a close monitoring of the rainfall mount and water level to avoid a repeat of the traffic jam caused by a flashflood early this month.

The city had been experiencing slow to moderate rains since Tuesday evening.

“We are now taking consideration and anticipating the possible recurrence of heavy traffic triggered by a flashflood in the city streets,” Annette Villaces, information officer of the Surigao City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office said.

Villaces said the city will implement alternative routes if needed.

She said they will ask the Department of Public Works and Highways to put up early warning signals for all unfinished drainage construction projects in the city.

She said some drainage canals in the city needed to be unclogged.

“We advise the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils to monitor their area of responsibility for possible flashfloods and landslides,” she said.

On November 4, the city experienced a flash flood that caused a traffic jam.

Floodwaters rose ankleto knee-deep along Navarro,

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) issued a weather advisory at 5 pm Wednesday that the low pressure area approaching Mindanao had developed into a tropical depression and was named Marce.

At 4 pm on Wednesday, Pagasa said “Marce” was spotted at 420 kilometers East of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur with sustained winds of 45 km per hour and moving west northwest at 17 kph.

By Thursday afternoon the weather disturbance is expected to be 145 km east southeast of Surigao City.

Pagasa hoisted tropical cyclone warning signal number 1 over Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Island, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Misamis Oriental Camiguin, Southern Leyte, Bohol and Siquijor.

The weather bureau advised DRRMCs and the public to make preparations.

(Roel N. Catoto/MindaNews)

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

EDITORIAL

7 years after Ampatuan

(Editor’s Note: The following is an official statement by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.) ovember 23, 2009 is a day that will forever live in infamy, not only for the Philippine media community, which lost 32 of its own in what is now acknowledged as the single deadliest attack on the press on record, but also the for the country’s body politic, for which the slaughter was the worst incident of electoral violence in the country’s recent history.

The massacre of 58 persons seven years ago on a hilltop in Sitio Masalay, Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town, Maguindanao showcased everything that is wrong in the rotten system of governance and disposition of justice in this country, where clans of warlords, criminal kingpins and corrupt politicians wield virtual powers of life and death in what amount to fiefdoms, their thievery and corruption tolerated by the centers of power that have to court their favors to effectively rule over the archipelago.

It is a testament to how entrenched this system of governance remains that, in a country that never tires of proclaiming itself the freest and most democratic in this corner of the globe, seven years after the orgy of violence, justice remains elusive for the Ampatuan 58 as on the day gunmen commanded by a madman who would brook no challenge to the almost absolute rule he and his kin enjoyed over their poverty-stricken province mowed them down in a hail of fire and steel.

Not even the shock and revulsion with which the carnage was greeted not just here but around the world has served to prod government to ensure that this blot to the nation be erased by the swift administration of justice to the dead and to those they left behind.

If anything, the State, which by rights should have taken on the burden of seeing to the futures of the widows, widowers and orphans of Ampatuan – after all its agents were responsible for this most heinous of crimes – has abandoned most of them, particularly those of our colleagues who were their families’ breadwinners, to lives of misery and un-

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EDGEDAVAO

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certainty, reduced to wondering where to get their sustenance from day to day.

One orphan, that of Gina dela Cruz, died of illness because the family could no longer afford the treatment that would have saved its life. And her mother, Nancy wasted away alone after being left with no other choice than to make the grandchildren she could no longer support wards of the state.

This heartlessness of the State, this unconcern for the plight of the people whose grief it is primarily responsible for, is also what feeds the impunity that has emboldened those who seek to silence those brash enough to seek to unveil their abuses. It is, of course, the same kind of impunity that has marked the murders of hundreds more of our compatriots whose only crime was to dare speak truth to oppressive power.

Today, even as we commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Ampatuan massacre, we see a resurgence of threats and assaults on the independent Philippine press fueled by the open contempt and hostility of a leader who would brook absolutely no criticism of his person or his policies, not even if these have opened the floodgates to an orgy of bloodletting unprecedented in its savagery and its utter disregard for the rule of law and human rights.

Seven years after Ampatuan, we fear that the worst is yet to come and the seekers of truth will be faced with ever more danger from those who see our work as anathema to their pursuit of an order built not on compassion but brute force, not on the realities we all face but the distorted picture they would force us to accept.

Yet even as we worry, so do we affirm that these are the best times to be journalists, to be the bearers of the knowledge and free thought that the centers of power would seek to suppress. It is in these times, as in the darkest days of the unlamented dictatorship, that the independent Philippine press is most needed by the people. We do not doubt that the Filipino journalist and the independent media community will prove themselves worthy of the calling.

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EDGEDAVAO

9

The young and the damned

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N the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 19, verse 14), Jesus rebuked his disciples for turning away a group of children. He told them, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

Despite the plea from Jesus Christ, children all over the world are still suffering.

While child labor is fiercely debated -- and mostly outlawed -- in industrialized countries, it continues to persist in developing world.

To think, the Philippines – touted to be the only Christian country in Asia – considers children as blessings from God. Section 13, Article II of the Philippine Constitution emphasizes the importance of the role of the child in the Filipino family.

It said: “The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs.”

But still child labor still exists – in urban or rural areas. But the good news is that their number is dwindling --- from five million some few years back to only three million today. The statistics, however, are only for documented ones but what about the undocumented? There may be more. It’s just a tip of the iceberg, someone pointed out.

Child labor, says the Geneva-based International Labor Organization (ILO), is work that harms children’s well-being and hinders their education, development and future livelihoods. When children have to work long

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

hours, their ability to at- THINK ON THESE! tend school or skills training is limited, preventing them from gaining education that could help lift them out of poverty in the future.

“It is lam- Henrylito D. Tacio entable that henrytacio@gmail.com there are children who are forced into domestic work, doing household chores in their employer’s home instead of going to school,” deplored Senator Loren Legarda. “It is a sad fact there are children who are forced to work to support their families and are deprived of their childhood and their right to education.”

The editorial of “EDGE Davao” some years back puts it bluntly: “They go by hardly noticed, moving about in urban areas as if they did not exist. But they are there, and their presence is a strong indictment on the country’s failure to share the wealth with the masses. Children as young as five are working as scavengers, accompanying their older siblings and sometimes their parents as they collect trash that can be sold to junk shops for a few pesos. They are also in factories, in ports, in farms, toiling all day with hardly enough time to rest.”

I have no quarrel with children working.

They need to work to help some household chores. They need to work somehow so that

when they go out in the real world – when they are no longer under the custody of their parents – they can stand on their own.

But letting them work in order the help the family financially is another story. The ILO defines working children as those aged from 5 to 17 years old, who worked at least one hour in the past 12 months.

Borongan Bishop Crispin Varquez of Eastern Samar said poverty and irresponsibility of some parents had been among the leading causes of child labor in the country. “First, some parents are really irresponsible that’s why children are forced to work. Second, parents do not have enough income... poverty,” the bishop wrote in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news site.

In the sugar fields of Northern Mindanao, the use of child labor is so common that some landowner shrug it off as a way of life. “The parents beg us to include their children to work,” one landowner said. “They like to have their children employed because there’s more income for the families.”

In Davao City, poverty has also been cited as the reason why some minors are engaged in the flesh industry. “We cannot blame them for getting into that,” said Jeanette Ampog, executive director of Talikala, on prostituted children and women. “We also cannot decide for them. We can only let them realize what is right.”

Stunted in height, child laborers look much older than their years. For the United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF), the legal definition of child labor is “exploitative labor among children below 17 years of age.”

In the Philippines, most of child laborers are exploited to the hilt. “Some unscrupulous individuals take advantage of the situation – the innocence of the child on human and labor rights, and cheap labor costs – by employing kids as laborers,” a lawmaker once pointed out.

Apart from poverty as the principal cause of child labor, there are other contributing factors, according to UNICEF. These are: increasing pattern of family breakdown and weakening of the extended family system and other support groups; high population growth and changing family values and lifestyles which may lead to unwanted children, promiscuity and solo parenthood; poor enforcement of laws due to ignorance of the law, corruption or apathy; socialization of children into work; and support for children’s work in formal education.

“Robbed of their childhood” was the title of the EDGE Davao editorial. It said: “Children are especially vulnerable to official neglect, and we see this in the existence of kids who at their young age are forced to work before they can even read. And that is the greater tragedy: already forced to grow up way ahead of their time, their future is also taken away from them because they are unable to go to school.”

Is there an end to child labor in the Philippines?

Definitely, it can be ended, according to Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). One key element, he said, is education. “If all children are in school, this can lead to better future for them and their families,” he said in a statement.

MINDAVIEWS

Then we also have auxiliary languages or regional dialects that are contemplated to function as a third level means of communication within the regions where they are spoken. Hence, there are technically over a hundred auxiliary languages operating all over the country.

When set against reality, this neat arrangement of Philippine languages does not really stack up. The fact is most Filipinos commonly relate with English because it is still the official language used by the state.

Moreover, the usage of Filipino as the language of the nation could be suspect because it is basically a Tagalog clone. And hence it is very rarely spoken by nationals outside the Tagalog region.

Our real experience of languages in the country necessitates a rethinking of the Constitutional designation of Filipino as a national language. Is it really necessary to have just one national language? Given the richness of our linguistic heritage, a robust and educational discussion on this matter is definitely warranted.

The truth is, we need to be asking more questions like those mentioned here. All Filipinos should make the effort and look for them in the text of the 1987 Constitution.

And I think it would be wise for the Duterte administration to facilitate this constitutional analysis through a nation-wide public consultation process.

For Filipinos to undergo this civic exer-

cise is extremely critical because they must be actively and directly involved in the drafting process. Note that constitutional revision or charter change or whatever it may be called, is fundamentally a nation re-building effort. Therefore, Filipinos must be prepared to present intelligent and coherent proposals as to what the new constitution should contain regardless if the mode chosen is Con-Con or Con-Ass. Let me be clear now that participating in this debate between Con-Con or Con-Ass is still very important. But we also must recognize that save for a few proven patriots, both chambers of Congress have shown their potential to be a rubber-stamp of the administration. And worse, the recent decision of the Supreme Court in the Marcos burial case has revealed the true colors of this once noble institution.

Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that Filipinos be extensively involved in the drafting process as well as to intently monitor the drafting body, be it a Con-Con or a Con-Ass. Let us bear in mind that if Cha-Cha does push through, this is another chance for us to make a better Philippines.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a practicing lawyer, is the author of the book “Rethinking the Bangsamoro Perspective.” He conducts research on current issues in state-building, decentralization and constitutionalism.”

Gearing up for the next battle: Cha-Cha

OTH the Senate and the House of Representatives have indicated that they are about to move into the Cha-Cha phase of this administration’s national development plan. The debate being framed now is between Constitutional Convention (ConCon) versus Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass).

I expect this debate to be spirited, but I hope it will also be enlightening for all Filipinos. However, be reminded that we still need to ask this question: What are the aspects of the 1987 Constitution that need to be revised or removed altogether?

For instance, Article II, Section 6 clearly states that the separation of Church and State shall be inviolable. Now I hardly think any religion in the country is being suppressed.

By and large, I believe Muslims and lumads have the space to practice their faith freely.

Indeed, I believe Christians are the brazen violators of this tenet as evidenced by the regular pilgrimage of politicians to the INC, JIL and El Shaddai during election season.

Clearly, a robust and educational discussion of secularism in government is warranted.

Of course, there is that popular push to open industries in our economy to foreign ownership to make the country more enticing to investors. If this eventuates, it is plausible to imagine esteemed institutions such as Harvard and Carnegie Mellon establishing a campus in Marawi or Cagayan de Oro. Would having these world-class universi-

BY MICHAEL HENRY LL. YUSINGCO, LL.M ties setting shop in regions outside of Metro Manila be a fulfillment of the mandate in Article XIV, Section 1? That the State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.

Clearly, a robust and educational discussion on the further liberalization of sectors in our economy such as education, media, and advertising is warranted.

Then there is this confusion in our national language in Article XIV. Section 7 provides that, “For purposes of communication and instruction, the official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English.” To complicate matters further, it also directs that, “The regional languages are the auxiliary official languages in the regions and shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction therein.”

In sum, we have one national language, which is Filipino, but we also have two official languages, which are Filipino and English. And as far as I know, no law has ever been passed to remove the status of the latter as such. In fact, until now the language of government, of legislation, and of the courts in the Philippines is English.

10 NEWS P236-M... FROM 1 inmates involved in drug-related cases.

She also noted that the jail is currently 677 percent congested wherein 567 percent of the inmates are women – 110

percent higher than male.

Taculin, meanwhile, revealed that the City Government of Davao has also provided P 1 million supplemental budget for 2017.

the process.

The fishermen spent almost nine hours in the water before being spotted by the patrolling BRP Nicolas Mahusay around 5:35 a.m.

All three fishermen were then taken to Naval Station Felix Apolinario in Panacan, Davao City for treatment and rest before they were allowed to go home. (PNA)

for contribution to de Lima’s campaign was completed when he handed to Dayan the amount of P2.3 million in February last year, he revealed.

The P8-million contribution to de Lima’s campaign and the meeting in Baguio City was also confirmed by Dayan when he was presented by the PNP in a press conference last Tuesday.

Dayan was arrested by the PNP on Tuesday afternoon in the province of La Union.

Senator de Lima denied the allegations made by Espinosa.

Protection Money The young Espinosa also tagged former generals, a drug enforcement agent, and police officials who received money from him to protect his illegal drug trade in the Visayas, particularly in Region 8.

He claimed that he gave money to former police General Vicente Loot especially during the time when the general started to crack down his illegal drug operations in the area.

Espinosa said he gave money for Loot for at least a year that was coursed through Chief Inspector Leo Laraga of the CIDG Region 8.

The amount involved was P120,000 every month – the breakdown, Espinosa said was P100,000 for Loot while P20,000 for Laraga.

Loot, is a retired police general who was also named

by President Duterte in July of this year as among the high-ranking police officers involved in illegal drugs.

He is now the mayor of Daanbantayan town in Cebu.

Laraga, on the other hand, headed the CIDG operation at the sub-provincial jail in Baybay, Leyte that killed Mayor Espinosa.

Both Laraga and Loot denied the accusations made by the young Espinosa at the Senate.

Espinosa also told the committee on Wednesday that his family also gave a total amount of P3 million to Supt.

Marvin Marcos, the CIDG head in Eastern Visayas.

The money, he added, was intended to fund the electoral campaign of Marcos’ wife who was then running for vice-mayoralty post in Pastrana town in Leyte.

Espinosa said his late father first handed P1.5 million to Marcos, and that after the election, an additional P1.5 million was also given by the late mayor to Marcos.

Marcos also denied the allegations of Espinosa.

He also told the committee that sometime on 2015, he also gave money to a certain “General Dolina in Region 8.

Espinosa said he was able to hand P6 million in total amount to that certain “General Dolina” through a “bagman” which he did not identify.

The real identity of the certain “General Dolina” is still being ascertained as of press time.

A total of P30,000 per week was also paid to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) through a certain Jordan Sarmiento, claimed Espinosa.

KaltaSSS Program as voluntary SSS members. About 60 of them showed interest and 32 employees already joined the monthly salary deduction and remittance of their SSS contributions under the program. It was the first program on social protection undertaken by CAAP under the new administration.

Michael B. Aldea (top photo, right), the Acting Adminis-

tration Officer in place of CAAP Area Manager Agnes B. Udang who had a prior commitment, signed the agreement on behalf of the agency. In his speech, Aldea emphasized the importance of SSS membership for a more secure future.

An employee from CAAP also delivered a testimony on how he and his father reaped the benefits of their SSS membership.

interventions, especially on the socioeconomic aspect.

“That means that we have to double or even triple the per capita income of our countrymen to reach their aspirations,” he said.

Arturo Valero, NEDA Region 12 director, said the realization of Ambisyon Natin 2040 does not mean that there should be

increases in wages or salaries.

“The assumption is that, there would be two wage earners then per family. That is already a reality right now wherein it is common for both husbands and wives to be employed,” he said.

One of the couples or both could be into entrepreneurial activities or business ventures as well, he said. (MindaNews)

PCG... FROM 1

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Ambisyon... FROM 13

EDGEDAVAO

STILL AT IT. Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Dante Lachica, commander of Philippine Army’s 3rd IB, says the New People’s Army continues its recruitment and extortion activities in Calinan area of Davao City despite the

AFP... FROM 2

the AFP. Visaya said these operations have made a sizeable dent against the ASG terrorists those active strength is estimated to around 400 armed men.

These figure includes the

death of key terror personalities Mohammad Said, Jamiri Jawhari, Musanna Jamiri, and Nelson and Braun Muktadil.

Visaya, a member of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983, is scheduled to step down on Dec. 7. (PNA)

trial has reached nearly seven years.

She said they had hoped that justice would be served in the previous administration but did not materialize as promised.

Lopez said they have high hopes that “significant progress” would be achieved in the Duterte administration.

“As we can see now, whatever he wants will surely be done. We’re hoping that it will be also applied to our case,” she said.

On Nov. 23, 2009, the victims were on their way to Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao to file the certificate of candidacy of then Buluan vice mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu for governor when their convoy was waylaid here.

Around 100 gunmen allegedly headed by former Datu Unsay, Maguindanao

Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. herded them off to a hilly portion of Sitio Masalay in Barangay Salman, where they were brutally killed.

Mangudadatu was spared from the massacre after he sent his wife Genalyn and several female family members to file his candidacy. The media workers were part of the convoy to cover the filing.

Some 197 individuals were accused to have a hand in carrying out the brutality, although four have already died. Among the primary suspects, 28 bore the surname Ampatuan.

Andal Sr. died of heart failure on July 17, 2015 while in detention.

Of the remaining 193 people accused of complicity in the gruesome murder, 112 are detained and facing trial while 81 others are still scotfree. (PNA)

to spend more equitably even in terms of highly targeted transfer programs for vulnerable sectors,” Chua said.

“As a general principle, the money we generate from the rich, who do not need exemptions and subsidies, will be transferred back to the poor and used to fund more and better services,” Chua said.

With the tax reform and targeted transfers taken altogether, Chua said “we will see higher incomes for 99% of the Filipino people even with the increase in excise taxes. Only those in the top 1% will see incomes reduce, as the rich tend to spend more, and so will have to pay their fair share by way of higher total excise payments,” Chua noted.

“The result is that with transfers, there will be less inequality in our society compared to the present day scenario. However, income inequality will significantly increase if only the revenue-eroding measures--the reduction in personal income tax rates--are passed,” Chua said.

Chua said the targeted transfer programs to help low-income households are not only meant to cushion the impact of higher fuel excise taxes on them, but are also long-term investments in human capital development to help the poorest of the poor become healthier, more educated and better-trained to take on quality jobs or set up their own means of livelihood.

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

ongoing ceasefire. Lachica made the statement during yesterday’s AFP-PNP Press Corps media forum at Camp Domingo Leonor. Lean Daval Jr.

DOJ... FROM 2

to make the wheels of justice turn faster not only in this case but in other cases. I enjoin everyone in the DoJ to join us in praying for the victims, their families and that justice may rightfully be served,” he added.

At present, the Public Information of the Supreme Court said that a total of 197 people were charged including members of the influential Ampatuan clan (15 of whom are surnamed Ampatuans) while 58 people, 32 of whom are print and broadcast reporters were killed by gunmen on the morning of November 23, 2009.

Around 114 accused were already arrested, including one whose cases were dismissed as against him for lack of probable cause, one already dropped from the (Amended) Informations by virtue of a Joint Order dated Feb. 13, 2013 and Order dated Nov. 5, 2013, two discharged as state witnesses.

Four of the accused, including Andal Ampatuan, Sr., died while in detention.

From those arraigned, only 106 accused remain on trial before the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, Branch 221.

As of Wednesday, the court has already heard a total of 232 witnesses: 131 prosecution witnesses, 58 private complainants, and 43 defense witnesses.

The trial court has resolved all the 12 sets of Formal Offer of Evidence (FOE) in connection with the bail applications of 69 accused. It has likewise resolved all bail applications of the accused, except that of accused Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan, Jr., whose formal offer of evidence was deemed submitted for resolution on October 14, 2016.

It added that all bail proceedings having been resolved (except for accused Ampatuan Jr.), the proceedings are already now at the stage of presentation of the evidence-in-chief.

The prosecution is no longer presenting evidence in the main cases against 103 of the accused subject of the six batches of FOEs it has already filed in Court.

The SC-PIO also noted that it is now the turn of the defense to present its evidence-in-chief.

Nine of the accused, who were the subject of the first batch of defense FOEs resolved by the Court on June 13, 2016, have already either presented their defense evidence or filed a demurrer to evidence. As of this writing, only one accused of the nine is still presenting defense evidence.

The second batch of defense FOEs, involving 45 of the accused, has already been resolved on Nov. 15, 2016. The initial presentation of their defense evidence of these 45 accused will commence on January 19, 2017.

As of this posting, only the following major incidents are left: (1) resolution of the bail application of accused Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan, Jr., and subsequently his trial-in-chief; (2) the resolution of the remaining defense FOEs; and (3) the conclusion of the presentation of defense evidence. After all of the parties have rested, these murder cases would then be submitted for the decision of the court.

Earlier, Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno admitted that the Maguindanao Massacre Case, which took place in Nov. 23, 2009, is one of the biggest challenges being faced by judiciary.

To expedite trial, Sereno said the SC ordered Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes to focus solely on this case, while three assisting judges have been assigned to handle minor motions and other pending cases in her court.

“Special trial guidelines have been issued to fast track reception of evidence and to allow her to issue partial judgments, all of this so that the trial can be expedited.

Hearings are continuous and thrice-weekly,” she stressed.

Sereno added the presiding judge, who took over the case only on Jan. 5, 2010, has already heard a total of 223 witnesses: 131 prosecution witnesses, 34 defense witnesses, and 58 private complainants as of August 2016. (PNA)

INdulge!

VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

FOOD

Sweeter than sugar:

REAL CONFECTIONS INDEED, CAKES ARE FOR LIFE and not just for birthdays. Cakes and pastries, like everything else, is for keeps -- even the calories from it. Nonetheless, indulging a sweet craving has, is and will always be a delectable-celebration-even-without-a-celebration moment.

With the boom of online marketing, SME’s saw this as a great opportunity to capitalise on. However, for many, it was not an easy postand-click succession. It took more than just patience and perseverance; it was a constant everyday struggle to make it in the real world -- to really make it in the real world.

For Chieb Elizalde, Pastry connoisseur and Real Confections owner, it was not an easy walk in the park. As they say, the struggle is real. It was not all glitz and glamour -- he too had to endure challenges and find ways to get his delicious products out in the public. From meet-ups inside the mall with inquisitive security personnel to abandoned boxes of brownies by buyers on the last minute, he had walked the path as others have. Yet, he did not give up.

Instead, he persevered until he saw the light at the end of the tunnel. And he did.

Real Confections is primarily an online pastry and cake shop. It offers an array of delectably baked sweet treats that’ll make you crave for more. I know, I always want more when I’m eating a piece (or two haha).

Just imagine a box full of sweet treats baked to perfection -- not too sweet, not dense and most of all, moist to the core -- now, that’s something you’d want to munch on all day long.

Known as the pastry shop with the indefinite “Buy-onetake-one offer,” many patrons began as curious online viewers that slowly turned into regular customers. Baking since 2012, nowadays, Chieb has ventured into bigger options. He now designs and bakes cakes for special occasions -- birthdays, gatherings, anniversaries and of course, weddings. And that includes layers and layers of cake on top of one another. Majestic, divine and double tap worthy -that’s how his creations are.

At first, Chieb was a walker-seller. He peddled into locations to meet his customers and deliver them their boxed goodies.

Now, Real Confections is conveniently located at Kitchen Pantry, a baking supplies centre right in the heart of downtown Davao.

Owner Jenny Grace Abasquez (of Kitchen Pantry) urged Chieb to occupy a small section on their store -- for display and act as a pick-up station for his buyers. It was that invitation that fuelled Chieb to go on further and continue baking.

Since then, Real Confections has been synonymous with the name, Kitchen Pantry and vice versa.

With Real Confections, you’d always end up expecting the unexpected. Chieb entertains customised designs -- truly, he is a real-life dream maker.

The balance of sweetness is also what sets it apart from the rest.

His cakes, brownies and other sweet treats verily completes any celebration. Not to mention, they are affordably priced hence every reason to order boxes after another without breaking your budget.

Best seller? Everything! Try the Nutty Brownies, Dulce de Leche Brownies, Salted Caramel Bars, Choco Fudge Brownies, Rocky Road Brownies, Strawberry Bars, Oatmeal Bars, and Red Velvet Bars. Personally, I love the cheesecake cups ---- ooohhh soooo yummy! I’m actually looking forward for a bite of their Banana Cake. Can’t wait.

Chieb’s story is one for the books. It’s one thing to be successful -- but when you’ve gone the road to success, success becomes more of a life lesson than just a plaque on the wall.

To Chieb and Real Confections, thank you for feeding us with your many sweet treats. Please don’t stop.

Real Confections’ pick-up point is at Kitchen Pantry Acacia near STI college, corner Villa Abrille (fronting LYR), Davao City. It is open from 8:00am to 8:00pm. For orders and inquiries, you may call them at 0917 726 3849 or follow them

on Facebook at www.facebook. com/real.confections.

Happiest Birthday to my first and only superhero,Daddy dearest! Thank you for the gift of life and for allowing me to believe in forever. Loveyou mucho mucho Daddy and Mama!

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!

EDGEDAVAO

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EVENT

VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

Lighting up the Heart of Davao THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS NOW IN HIGH GEAR with many of Davao’s malls and hotels basking in the Christmas glow. and one lighting ceremony I always make time to attend is the one by the Marco Polo Davao.

The Heart of Davao officially kicked-off their Christmas season and 18th year anniversary celebration last November 18 with a Lighting Ceremony at the hotel’s lobby.

The event was attended by friends from the media, Hijos de Davao Foundation, League of Cities of the Philippines representatives and guests from Asean JCI Senate.

“We would like to welcome you to our Christmas Lighting Ceremony which also serves as a countdown

to the upcoming events of our 18th year celebration and we would not have attained this milestone if not for your unending support to our hotel”, says GM

Dottie V. Wurgler-Cronin in her welcome message.

Marco Polo Davao’s Director of Finance Armin Lorenzo and Director of Sales and Marketing Pearl Peralta-Maclang joined General Manager Dottie Wurgler-Cronin and Songspell Philippines Inc. President Fernan Pareja in leading the formal lighting ceremony.

Upon switch-on, the lobby of the Marco Polo was bathed in a glow of gold and everything glittery. “This event leads up to the Marco Polo Davao’s 18th anniversary date and that is why we chose golden colors coupled with crystals and twinkling lights,” said DOSM Pearl Peralta-Maclang.

The event was made special with colorful and festive presentations of children from the international performers Songspell Philippines Inc. Cocktails at Eagles Bar followed shortly after the ceremony.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT

EDGEDAVAO

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Catch X Factor Australia winner Cyrus Villanueva live at SM City Davao THE AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY, in partnership with SM, brings Cyrus to SM City Davao for a one-day concert on Friday, 25 November.

The concert is one of the highlights of the Embassy’s 70th anniversary celebration of PhilippinesAustralia relations.

Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely said, “We are pleased to bring Filipino-Australian pop artist Cyrus for a oneday concert in Davao, as part of our #First70Years celebration.” The Australian Embassy in the Philippines and the Philippines Embassy in Australia have been hosting a series of events to mark the year-long celebration.

“Davao has a special place in my heart. I have family there and visiting them is my favourite part of coming home,” shared Cyrus, whose father hails from Mindanao and is a full time musician in Australia. “My dad has been my inspiration in pursuing music,

and it’s great to perform for the very first time in Davao,” he said.

The 19-year old grew

up listening to his musical influences such as Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole

and Stevie Wonder. He also joined his musician father, Jo Vill, on the road and during his performances in weddings and cafes.

“I invite everyone to come to my show and celebrate the PhilippinesAustralia’s #First70Years.

I look forward to meeting family and fans in Davao,” Cyrus added.

Cyrus is the winner of X Factor Australia 2015 and has since become one of Australia’s most popular rising stars. His self-titled debut album, containing his hit original singles, “Stone,” and “Keep Talking, was released in December 2015 and was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).

Catch Cyrus live on Friday, 25 November at 7:00 PM at the Annex Event Center, SM City Davao. For more information about the Australian Embassy’s #First70Years celebration, please visit www. philippines.embassy.gov. au, like us on Facebook and follow @AusAmbPH on Twitter.

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A4 INdulge!

ENTERTAINMENT

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

Dark high school comedy “2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten” bags best picture award in Cinema One Originals Film Fest 2016 KAPAMPANGAN FILMMAKER Petersen Vargas’ coming-of-age drama “2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten” led the winners at the 12th annual Cinema One Originals Film Festival Awards with three awards, including Best Picture.

“2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten” also won the Best Supporting Actor Award for “Hashtags” member Jameson Blake and Best Cinematography for Carlos Mauricio at the awards night held at the Dolphy Theatre Sunday (Nov 20).

“Thank you, Kapampangan cinema, which has given me the opportunity to tell stories,” said Petersen in his acceptance speech. “It has always been Kapampangan cinema that I’ve been inspired of and inspired by.”

The film depicts the story of Felix, a hard-working but friendless student, whose life changes when two half-American brothers arrive in his high school. The story takes place in Pampanga as Vargas paid tribute to his Kapampangan roots.

Also bagging 3 awards is Samantha Lee’s millennial LGBT love story “Baka Bukas,” with Best Actress for Jasmine CurtisSmith, Best Sound for Andrew Milallos, and the Audience Choice Award.

Jasmine, who was on the

verge of tears while accepting her award, said “I want to give a shout out to everyone that watched the film... You have a lot of reviews and served as your own critics; and for that we’re very, very thankful. And long live the LGBT community. I will stand for you guys, and I will be with you all the way.”

Keith Deligero’s Lily took home the most number of awards that night, with Best Director, Best Editing, Best Actor (Rocky Salumbides), and Best Supporting Actress (Natileigh Sitoy).

Jules Katanyag’s geriatric action film “Si Magdalola At Ang Mga Gago,” meanwhile, bagged the Special Jury Prize.

The Cinema One Film Festival 2016 opened last November 14 and will run until November 22.

Cinema One Originals is an annual film festival that allows talented Filipino storytellers to showcase their stories through film. It is a local independent film festival of Cinema One, one of the cable channels of Creative

Programs, Inc., a subsidiary of ABS-CBN. This year, it celebrates its 12th year with the tagline “Anong tingin mo?” to highlight different ways of looking at movies and the multi-layered diversity that has been the hallmark of the festival.

Cinema One Originals has made a name for itself as the film festival that breaks new ground and has brought honor to the country. It produced the 2015 Cinema One Originals Awards Jury Prize-winning “Hamog,”

directed by Ralston Jover, which won the Outstanding Artistic Achievement award the Shanghai International Film Festival and was screened at the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) this year. The movie’s star, 2015 Cinema One Originals Awards Best Actress Teri Malvar, was also named Best Actress at the 2016 Moscow International Film Festival and was a recipient of the Screen International Rising Star Asia Award at the NYAFF for her performance.

The following are the winners

at the 2016 Cinema One Originals festival: Jury Prize winner: Si Magdalola at ang mga Gago Best Picture: 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten Best Actress: Jasmine CurtisSmith (Baka Bukas) Best Actor: Rocky Salumbides (Lily) Best Supporting Actress: Natileigh Sitoy (Lily) Best Supporting Actor: Jameson Blake (2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten) Best Director: Keith Deligero (Lily) Best Screenplay: Malinak Ya Labi (Jose Abdel Langit) Best Cinematography: 2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten (Carlos Mauricio) Audience Choice: Baka Bukas Best Sound: Baka Bukas (Andrew Milallos) Best Music: Tisay (Francis de Veyra) Best Editing: Lily Best Production Design: Tisay (Michael Español) Best Documentary: Forbidden Memory Best Short Film: Maria Special Citation: The Diary of Vietnam Rose Champion Bughaw Award: Tisay C1 Minute Top Student Film: No Seguir

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

11 COMPETITIVE EDGE

SSS, CAAP sign agreement on social Jollibee acquires China protection of job order personnel food manufacturer T

HE Social Security System (SSS) Davao Branch and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP) in Region XI signed a memorandum of agreement for the social protection of 280 CAAP job order

personnel under the KaltaSSS Program during ceremonies last November 11 at the CAAP office at the F. Bangoy International Airport in Davao City.

With the agreement, CAAP job order personnel who are

excluded from coverage under the Government Service Insurance System will be able to avail of loan privileges and benefits for SSS-covered contingencies such as sickness, maternity, disability, retire-

ment and death as actively-paying members.

Regular CAAP employees who were previously employed in private firms can also participate in the

F SSS, 10

The signatories for SSS were (top photo, from left) Senior Vice President for Mindanao Operations Group Atty. Eddie A. Jara and SSS Davao Branch Head Rizalito Alberto C. de Leon. Bottom photo shows the CAAP personnel during the ceremonial handshake which followed the agreement signing.

F

AST food giant Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) has taken full ownership of food manufacturer in China, Happy Bee Foods Processing Pte. Ltd., after acquiring the remaining 30-percent stake.

JFC told the local bourse that through its wholly owned subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd (JWPL), it had obtained governmental and regulatory approvals in the People’s Republic of China for the transfer of assets in Happy Bee Foods Processing in Anhui, China.

It also completed the transfer of shares in Happy Bee in Singapore.

Prior to this government approval, JWPL owned 70 percent of Happy Bee, a Singapore corporation; while its partner Hua Xia Harvest Holdings Pte. Ltd. (Hua Xia) owned 30 percent.

Happy Bee (Singapore) owns 100 percent of Happy Bee Foods Processing in Anhui, China.

Happy Bee Anhui operates a manufacturing facility in Anhui, China that services the requirements of JFC’s Yonghe King business and produces and sells foods for business institutions other than JFC’s brands.

With the change in ownership, Happy Bee will no longer produce and sell food products to institutions other than JFC’s restaurant businesses.

As consideration for the acquisition‎ of the additional

30 percent, JFC, through its subsidiaries, has effectively conveyed to Hua Xia certain manufacturing facility assets worth US$ 10.34 million related to the production and sale of products for outside institutions.

“The transaction is basically an asset for equity swap.

JFC has minimal net cash outlay for this acquisition,” the company said.

JFC said the full ownership of the food processing facility will enable the company t‎ o focus on supporting the growth of its Yonghe King business and on further improving its food quality and increasing the assurance of its food safety.

Yonghe King is JFC’s largest business in China with a total of 316 stores as of Oct. 31, 2016 and contributes 8 percent to JFC’s worldwide system wide sales. Happy Bee Anhui produces the food products sold at Yonghe King stores.

JFC operates a total of 22 commissaries worldwide: 15 in the Philippines, three in China, three in the United States and one in Vietnam.

It is also building three additional commissaries in Luzon Island in the Philippines and a joint venture poultry processing plant in a joint venture with Cargill.

It is also exploring a joint venture with ISE FOODS, INC. a Japanese firm for an egg production facility in the Philippines. (PNA)

Engr. Torrejon as the Auditor.

These recognition and national positions garnered by the Davao City Chapter are another feathers in the cap for the 41-year old chapter.

This national activity was considered a record-breaking event participated in by 8000 civil engineers and almost 3000 civil engineering students throughout the country.

The Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) is

the lone professional organization of civil engineers in the country accredited by the Professional Regulation Commission composed of more than 80,000 registered civil engineers in 102 local, 10 international chapters and some 46,646 civil engineering student- members in 179 student chapters throughout the country. (ENGR. SHARON ANGELICA GILLA-BONGUYAN, MPA)

Air Asia begins daily PICE Davao City shine in national convention Manila toTaipei flight D Arrivals of Taiwanese tourists into Manila, Cebu to increase

T

AIWANESE tourists arrivals into the Philippines are expected to rise with the commencement of AirAsia’s direct flight from Manila to Taipei on November 22 at 11:05PM. Guests on board the inaugural flight Z2 128 from Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 got an early Christmas gift wrapped in iconic red and were welcomed by Philippines AirAsia executives led by its Chairperson Maan Hontiveros and CEO Dexter Comendador.

Philippines AirAsia CEO Dexter Comendador said, “We have introduced amazing connections for our guests to enjoy and we are aiming to go further across Asia by strengthening AirAsia’s presence in Taiwan. Today heralds a brighter and much closer ties between two countries to improve trade and tourism.”

Taiwanese tourist arrivals in the Philippines have reached 157,517 from January to August this year. Taiwan is currently the country’s sixth

top visitor market after Korea, United States, China, Japan and Australia.

The AirAsia Group operates direct flight to Taipei from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and now from Manila and Cebu in the Philippines starting November 25.

Comendador added, “AirAsia is also launching our maiden flight to Taipei from Cebu in Southern Philippines with three flights every week or every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday in less than a week from now and it brings so much pride to be able to provide a world-class and award winning service to our travellers, Overseas Filipino Workers and Taiwanese tourists.”

To celebrate the twin launch Filipino cultural dancers flew from Cebu to perform “Sinulog” dance during the press conference held in Sheraton Hotel in Taipei. Sinulog is an annual religious festival in Cebu, which includes street dancing and group performances with elaborate and colourful costumes.

AVAO CITY - The Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Davao City Chapter bagged four PICE 2016 National Awards during the culmination ceremonies of the 42nd PICE National Convention at SMX Davao Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier, Davao City.

The awards were as follows: Most Outstanding Chapter – Class A Category, Most Outstanding Community Proj-

ect, Most Outstanding Newsletter and Best Civil Engineering Month Celebration – 2nd Runner Up. On the said occasion four of the Davao City representatives were elected to the National Board of Directors, namely Engr. Mariano R. Alquiza, Engr. Cary H. Beatisula, Engr. Erdsan Rene S. Suero and Engr. Angel T. Torrejon.

Engr Suero was voted as the 2nd Vice President, while

Davao City civil engineers bagged four major national awards during the recently concluded 42nd PICE National Convention held at SMX Davao Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier, Davao City, November 17-19, 2016.

12 HEALTH EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

Yes, eggs do matter!

Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

T

HE low demand for eggs in the local market is very surprising in a country where balut, penoy, and kwek kwek is a street food delicacy. In some department stores, itlog na maalat are readily available.

One triggering factor for lower consumption is the health issues often associated with eggs. The fear of excessive cholesterol from daily consumption of eggs has often limited the demand for it, as Filipinos have opted to go “safe” and go for substitutes to supplement their diet.

“Eggs are high in cholesterol, and a diet high in cholesterol can contribute to elevated blood cholesterol levels,” explains American physician Thomas Behrenbeck. “However, the extent to which dietary cholesterol raises blood cholesterol levels isn’t clear.

Many scientists believe that saturated fats and trans fats have a greater impact than dietary cholesterol does in raising blood cholesterol.”

On the other hand, the American Heart Association recently acknowledged that as long as you limit dietary cholesterol from other sources, it may be possible to include a daily egg in a healthy diet.

So, what’s the real score?

Here’s what Dr. Behrenbeck shares: “One large egg has about 213 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol — all of which is found in the yolk. If you are healthy, it’s recommended that you limit your dietary cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg a day. If you have cardiovascular disease, diabetes or high LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol, you should limit your dietary cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg a day. Therefore, if you eat an egg on a given day, it’s important to limit or avoid other sources of cholesterol for the rest of that day.”

Despite what is being said about cholesterol, not too many know that cholesterol also helps to maintain the flexibility and permeability of cell membranes and is also a raw material for the fatty lubricants that help to keep the skin supple. Cholesterol is likewise essential for the production of sex hormones, cortisol, vitamin D and bile salts.

Eggs also contain protein, vitamins, and minerals. “Eggs are considered to be one of the best sources of protein available,” reported James McIntosh in an article which appeared in Medical News Today. “One medium-sized egg weighing 44 grams typically contains 5.53 grams of protein.

Around 12.6% of the edible

portion of an egg is protein.”

“Egg protein – the most nutritious protein known – is the standard by which other proteins are compared,” wrote Dr. Lorenzo David T. Guzman in an article which appeared in Greenfields. “All the essential amino acids or building blocks of protein are present in such generous quantities in an egg.”

Although protein is more concentrated around the yolk, there is in fact more protein in the albumen. Also known as egg white, albumen accounts for most of an egg’s liquid weight, about 67 percent. Albumen contains more than half the egg’s total protein, niacin, riboflavin, chlorine, magnesium, potassium, sodium and sulfur.

“Eggs are also rich in other nutrients and vitamins, except vitamin C,” Dr. Guzman informed. The egg is a source of all the B vitamins. It is a particularly rich source of vitamins B12 and B2 (riboflavin) and a useful source of folate. The egg is also a good source of the fat-soluble vitamins A and D and provides some vitamin E. Likewise, eggs contain many of the minerals that the human body requires for health. In particular eggs are an excellent source of iodine, required to make the thyroid hormone, and phosphorus, required for bone health. The egg is a significant source of selenium, an important antioxidant and provides some zinc, important for wound healing, growth and fighting infection.

Eggs also contain iron, the vital ingredient of red blood cells, although the availability of this iron to the body is still under investigation.

“Even with these nutrients, 100 grams of egg have only 144 calories compared to ham’s 374, cheddar cheese’s 398, hamburger’s 377, and salmon’s 203,” Dr. Guzman pointed out. “Eggs are, there-

Balut

fore, good for weight-watchers and convalescents who must eat light but nutritious food.

Eggs are usually one of the first solid foods that mothers feed to infants. Eggs also aid in the rapid growth of children and teenagers and are served as a quick, easily prepared meal for adults and elderly.”

According to McIntosh, the majority of fat in an egg is that which is generally regarded to be the healthiest; approximately 38% is monounsaturated and 16% is polyunsaturated, with only 28% being saturated.

“Eggs are also a rich supply of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids,” McIntosh wrote.

“These are predominantly in the form of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which helps with the maintenance of brain function and normal vision. These fatty acids are most commonly found in oily fish and so eggs provide an alternative source for people that are unable to eat fish.”

Oftentimes, people who travel eat hard-boiled eggs.

Partly, such practice helps. According to experts, a medium egg has an energy value of 78 kilocalories (324 kilojoules).

The consumption of one egg daily would contribute around three percent of the

Newly-harvested eggs average energy requirement of an adult man (or four percent for an adult woman).

Chicken eggs are widely used in many types of dishes, both sweet and savory. Eggs can be pickled, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, scrambled, fried and refrigerated.

They can also be eaten raw, though this is not recommended for people who may be especially susceptible to salmonella, such as the elderly and pregnant women.

Eggs, as well as flour, are the structural ingredients in baking. Eggs provide leavening; add color, texture, flavor and richness to the batter.

They are very important in helping to bind all the other ingredients together. Beaten eggs are a leavening agent as they incorporate air into the batter, which will expand in the oven and cause the cake to rise. Some cakes use beaten eggs as their only source of leavening. Eggs are also used as a thickener in custards and creams, and to glaze pastries and breads. Egg whites are used to make meringues.

While eating eggs is good for your health, there are instances which it might endanger your life. McIntosh discouraged eating raw or

undercooked eggs as bacteria can enter the egg through pores in the shells.

“Eggs exit the bird’s body via the same passageway that feces are excreted from and so there is a risk that bacteria such as Salmonella could enter the egg at this stage,” he explained. “Bacteria can also enter the egg if they are present in the bird’s reproductive tract before the shell has formed around the egg’s contents.”

Eggs whose shells are cracked should be avoided at all cost. Most experts recommend that eggs should be stored in the refrigerator. In the United States, the Department of Agriculture said that if eggs are left out at room temperature they can sweat, making it easier for bacteria to move into the egg and grow.

“Washing eggs is not recommended as this can not only lead to water getting into the egg through the pores of the shell but also remove the protective coating that is put on the outside of the shell by the bird that lays it,” McIntosh said.

Now, which comes first: the egg or the chicken? Most scientists say, the chicken.

Those who argue that it’s the egg say it has something to do with Adam being created first.

But that is another story…

VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

NEWS 13

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‘Continuing attacks’against Lumad hit

T

WO progressive lawmakers have called attention to what they said are continuing attacks against Lumad or indigenous peoples in Mindanao.

In a statement Wednesday, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said that since October 11, students and teachers of Center and Lumad Advocacy and Services (CLANS) in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat had been “harassed and intimidated” by govern-

ment officials.

Castro said the alleged harassment and intimidation was committed by Palimbang Mayor Abubacar Maulana, representatives from the Education, Social Welfare and Development and Local Government departments, Philippine Marines and Philippine National Police.

Joined the protest led by the Save Our Schools (SOS) Network, an advocate of alternative education for our

Lumad brothers and sisters, calling for an immediate stop to the recent attacks in schools at Sultan Kudarat, November 22 at Department of Education, Pasig City.

“Due to this continuing harassment, about 1,003 students including adult learners were affected and have stop schooling...,” he said.

CLANS is a community school for Dulangan Manobos in Palimbang.

Castro urged Education

Secretary Leonor Briones to reprimand DepEd Region 12 director Pudja Acub and other officials involved in the alleged intimidation.

He said Briones should prove her advocacy for alternative education and learning systems “by standing for the Lumads and exacting accountability from her colleagues in the cabinet for the actions of their local officials against the Lumad school.”

“The new Secretary

should scrap DepEd Memo 221 that legalizes the military encampment in schools because this only brings terror to students, teachers, and to the communities who had been deprived of their right to education for so long,” he added.

In a privilege speech on impunity on Monday, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate also cited the reported continuing attacks against Lumad under Oplan Bayani-

Ambisyon Natin 2040 gets support from Region 12

R WEIGHING IN. Senator Peter Alan Cayetano joins the call to bring closure to the Maguindanao massacre even as lauds the current administration for its notable effort in promoting transparency in government and in creating a task force that would investigate unsolved cases of media killings in the country.

han, the counterinsurgency program that started under the Aquino III administration.

Zarate said a teacher and Lumad leader from CLANS approached Congress last week to seek assistance for their plight.

He said the reported harassment was disturbing because justice had not been rendered for Lumad victims like Emerito Samarca, Dionel Campos and Bello Sinzo. (MindaNews)

EGION 12 stakeholders have pledged full support to the flagship AmBisyon Natin 2040 as an aspiration and development vision for residents and the country in the next 25 years.

Local government and community leaders, officials of government agencies, non-government organizations and other multi-sectoral groups committed to ensure that necessary interventions would be in place to facilitate its full realization.

They issued the commitment during the regional launching here on Tuesday of AmBisyon Natin 2040, which is a “collective long-term vision of the Filipino people for themselves and the country.”

Reynaldo Cancio, director of NEDA’s national policy and

planning staff, said the initiative presents the aspirations for the future of the Filipino people.

He said it was drawn from the findings of a series of focused-group discussions nationwide and a survey commissioned by the agency.

“A very big majority or almost 80 percent (of the respondents) said they want a simple and comfortable life,” he said.

In specific terms, by 2040, a family should have its own house and lot, car, capable of sending all children to school and can afford to travel for vacations.

The ideal monthly income for households by then should be around P120,000.

Cancio said these could be realized through government

F AMBISYON, 10

14

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 196 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2016

Davao hosts Asian Freestyle Football

By JIMMY K. LAKING

I

T’S another historic first as Davao City’s takes the bat in hosting the prestigious 4th Asian Freesytle football championship on December 9-10 at the fountain court area of the SM Lanang premier---the first for both city and the Philippines.

Daniel Wood, president of the World Freestyle Football Federation, promised Dabawenyos never-before

seen tricks and balancing acts that 40 competitors from 12 countries in Asia will unveil on the way to produce this edition’s champion.

“It’s non-stop action with no dull moment as each competitor is determined to showcase his bag of world-class skills,” said Wood.

The Norwegian-based Philip Warren Gertsson, the world champion in 2013 and

whose mother is a Filipina, will represent the Philippine colors.

Tung Doan Thanh, Vietnam’s reigning freestyle football champion, said he has been preparing hard for every competition and he is looking forward to the championship to bring out some of 100 to 200 tricks up in his sleeve.

“For sure everybody has his new moves and new tricks

PHIL SAVES DAY Azkals held to another draw

by Indons in Suzuki Cup

P

HIL Younghusband fired a sensational goal at the 82nd minute to help the Philippine national men’s football team draw even versus Indonesia, 2-2, and keep alive the Azkals’ chances of making it to the next round of the AFF Suzuki Cup on Tuesday at Philippine Sports Stadium.

With the Azkals down 2-1 in the last 10 minutes, the hosts leaned on their No.1 all-time scorer who blasted a powerful strike off a free kick from the top corner that Indonesia’s defensive wall couldn’t contain.

The draw, the Azkals’ second straight in the tournament, put the Filipinos in second place of Group A with two points. They will next face the still-unbeaten Thailand on Friday, while Singapore and Indonesia, both with one point apiece, also tangle in matches that will determine which team will advance to the next round.

The Azkals got off to a bad start after allowing the Indonesians to score an early goal at the seventh minute courtesy of Fachruddin Aryanto who buried a header off a Stefano Lili-

P

EQUALIZER. Phil Younghusband knocked in the equalizer in the 81st.

paly cross from the left flank.

The Filipinos bounced back at the 31st minute thanks to a nice pass from Stephan Schrock who found a streaking Misagh Bahadoran for a soft touch goal.

The Indonesians regained the lead at the 68th minute after Boas Salossa recovered a teammate’s miss and slotted home a rebound goal.

That spelled doom for the Azkals who couldn’t afford a loss. But after persistent play, they earned a free kick just right outside the box, with Younghusband taking the golden chance for them to nail an equalizer.

The Azkals veteran didn’t disappoint as he made the match-tying goal to force a draw.

Lakers’Russel out for 2 games

OINT guard D’Angelo Russell will miss the Los Angeles Lakers’ next two games to rest his sore knee.

Coach Luke Walton says Russell will sit out of the Lakers’ home game against Oklahoma City on Tuesday night and their road game at Golden State on Wednesday.

Russell missed his first game of the season last Friday against San Antonio. He

to present,” he said.

The federation has partnered with the Davao-based Maharlika Sports Development Institute in promoting the championship which is hoped to serve as a catalyst in drawing interest nationwide.

“We decided to bring this to Davao as part of the direction we are seeking which is sports tourism,” said Edgar L. Te, executive director of the

returned Sunday against Chicago, but managed only eight points and seven assists while playing with little of his usual aggression.

Russell is the Lakers’ second-leading scorer with 16.1 points per game, and the second-year pro leads the team with 4.8 assists.

Jose Calderon started in Russell’s place against the Spurs, and he is likely to start the next two games as well, Walton says.

INJURED. D’Angelo Russel won’t be around for the Lakers when they play Golden State and OKC.

institute.

Aside from the Philippines, participants from Iran, China, Kazakstan, Japan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar are slated to register.

Wood said the game has similarities to Sepak Takraw which is also played throughout Asia using a smaller ball made of rattan.

Unlike competitive football, freestyle football is played individually and the winner is judged not only with his skills in balancing the ball but in timing, rhythm, execution of difficult tricks and in the introduction of new moves.

“It is similar to break dance in that it can be accompanied with music and can be played with choreography,” said Thanh.

World MMA Championships set Nov. 26-27 in Macau

T

HE best amateur mixed-martial-arts fighters in the world will compete Nov. 26-27 at the World MMA Championships in Studio City, Macau, China.

Close to 100 fighters have registered to compete. The 2016 European (Russia) and Asian (Kazakhstan) team champions head a list that includes Spain, Australia, Belgian, China, Colombia, France, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Tajikistan, Germany, Hungary, Macao, Nepal, India, South Korea, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Taiwan and Uzbekistan.

We’re looking forward to the World MMA Championship in Macau on November 26-27,” WMMAA president Vadim Finkelchtein said. “We expect spectacular, competitive fights.”

The WMMAA Congress will also be held to discuss MMA issues relative to children and women, as well as countries being decided to host the 2017 European, Asian and World MMA Championships. A judicial committee will also be created and seminars held for coaches, judges and medical specialists in each country.”

P

age, banged his leg against a chair while chasing the ball out of bounds. New Orleans led the Atlanta Hawks 34-14 after the first.

A three-time All-Star in each of his three NBA seasons, Davis ranks sixth with an 11.3 rebounding average.

Davis uncertain after bruised knee

ELICANS forward Anthony Davis was questionable to return after sustaining a right knee contusion late in the first quarter Tuesday night.

Davis, who began the game leading the league with a 31.7 scoring aver-

Thai confident of beating Melindo

C

EBU – Former world title challenger Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr is confident of bringing home the IBF interim world light flyweight crown to Thailand when he faces local boy Milan Melindo this Saturday at the Cebu Coliseum on ‘Pinoy Pride 39: Road to Redemption’ boxing event.

Sakkreerin, accompanied by his father former world champion Fahlan Sakkreerin Sr, his manager Jimmy Chaichotchuang, English trainer Rian Munton and co-trainer former world rated boxer Fahsai Sakkreerin, had a luncheon press conference with the local media at the St Mark’s Hotel Tuesday after their arrival in Cebu Monday night.

“We respect Melindo. He is a good boxer, a highly technical boxer but we’ve prepared hard for this fight – we have a good plan -- and on Saturday, we will be victorious,” Munton told

PINOY PRIDE 39. Thai contender Fahlan Sakkreerin Jr. is confident he can dethrone champion Milan Melindo of the Philippines. (Philboxing.com photo) Philboxing, adding, “we will use all the advantages that we have.”

Fahlan Jr, who stands at 5’6”, is taller than Melindo by 4 inches and younger at 23

years old to Melindo who is 28.

Fahlan has enough speed and has the ability to fight inside or outside that can frustrate Melindo’s vaunted technical skills.

Asked for any predictions,

Munton said “it not a good idea to look for a knockout. We will fight our fight, and if an opportunity to knock him [Melindo] out comes, we will seize that opportunity.”

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. VOL.99ISSUE ISSUE196 196••THURSDAY, THURSDAY,NOVEMBER NOVEMBER24, 24,2016 2016 REMATCH TALK. Pacquiao: “If he comes back, why not?”

IFeelingWANT FLOYD like 20, Pacquiao wants another fight with Mayweather W

BO welterweight world champion Manny Pacquiao told a television interview he felt like a young man in his twenties and would relish another crack at Floyd Mayweather.

The Filipino icon, 37, made a winning comeback from his brief retirement earlier this month and said

he was in great shape to try to avenge his defeat to Mayweather last year in the richest fight in boxing history.

“I feel young. I feel like I’m just 25, or that I’m just 28 years old,” Pacquiao told ABS-CBN in a television interview last Tuesday.

Asked if he wanted to

fight Mayweather again, Pacquiao said: “Of course, if he wants to come back (to) boxing”.

Pacquiao fuelled talk of “Pacquiao-Mayweather 2″ when he invited the undefeated American, who retired in September 2015, to attend his successful comeback against Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas on No-

vember 5.

Last week, Pacquiao teased fans about a possible rematch by posting pictures on social media wearing a suit bearing photos of him and Mayweather in the lining.

But Mayweather, 39, said days later he had no plans to come out of retirement.

Pacquiao originally retired in May after beating American Timothy Bradley in a non-title fight before standing for and winning a seat in the Philippines Senate.

But he said he would not be stepping away from the ring again any time soon.

“I still believe in my

skills. You just need discipline, how you discipline yourself and work hard,” Pacquiao said, adding he would only walk away once he no longer wanted to put in the long hours of training.

“Because once you get lazy, that’s the start of the decline of your performance and your body.”