Edge Davao 9 Issue 215

VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.net

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

TAKING THE LEAD. Department heads of the city government of Davao led by city administrator Zuleika Lopez (center) perform various dances and songs during their Christmas presentation at Quezon Park yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

DEADLY ‘CAT AND MOUSE’ Lapanday says it’s hostage to acts of violence

By JIMMY K. LAKING

T

HE Lapanday Foods Corporation last week assailed a series of violent acts perpetrated by a small group of protesters that has prevented its workers from harvesting inside a 150-hectare Cavendish banana plantation in Tagum City’s barangay Madaum.

“These acts have turned the situation into a deadly

cat and mouse game with the lives of our workers at stake,” Hernani Geronimo, Lapanday human relations department head told a press conference in Davao City.

He said this group of protesters, backed by armed men, also cut down thousands of fruit-bearing banana plants inside 15-hectare area.

Lapanday legal counsel

Atty. Leilani Espejo bared the company suffered at least $250,000 in estimated damage arising from plants destroyed.

She said the violent acts began on December 8 when the protesters disarmed company guards and entered company premises.

“They were arrested and turned over to the police but were freed soon after,” she said,

adding that robbery and other cases have been filed against 36 suspects.

Chief finance officer Manolito Dagatan said Lapanday is obligated by its marketing contract to buy the produce from the plantation up to the year 2045.

The company has contract with a separate and bigger co-

FDEADLY, 11

Special Report:

Whale’s death bares degree of garbage of plastics in gulf

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

F

adlopez0920@gmail.com

OR some, the death of the seven-year old and 38-feet long juvenile male sperm whale in Babak District, Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) in Davao del Norte was just one of the ordinary happenings within the Davao Gulf area. FSPECIAL, 11

Darrell Blatchley (left) of the Bone Collector Museum in Davao City meticulously removed the skin and meat of the dead sperm whale.

(Alexander D. Lopez)

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

TOP-LEVEL GUEST. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte attends Senator Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Pacquiao’s 38th birthday celebration at the KCC Mall Events & Convention Center in General Santos City on Saturday night. RICHARD MADELO/Presidential Photo

Elusive drug lord slain in Sto. Tomas

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

A

N elusive drug personality suspected of operating region-wide has been killed by joint personnel of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Sto. Tomas municipal police on Saturday after he fired his handgun in a bid to elude arrest.

Eight others were arrested in the police operation.

PDEA regional director Adzhar Albani identified the suspect as one Arnold Florida, who was tagged as the brains behind a drug den in the municipality.

The police teams were in process of serving a search warrant in the drug den when Florida fired his gun in a bid to

escape. The police teams fired back making sure he would not ply his trade again.

Recovered from Florida’s possession was a .38 caliber revolver.

According to Director Albani, Florida was along the most elusive drug personality of Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte.

Albani said that Florida might be distributing drugs in the entire Davao region as well.

“There is the possibility that Florida’s group is distributing drugs in Davao City and the entire Davao region as well, since this is just near his place,” he said.

Albani said that Florida al-

FELUSIVE, 11

DCDRRMO turns over basic rescue gears to volunteers

T

HE Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office has turned over basic rescue equipment to volunteer responder groups on Sunday.

During a year-ender activity, ring buoys, life vest, rubber boots, thermal water jugs, tumblers, and rescue helmets were turned over to 12 independent volunteer responder groups. The equipment came from the Davao Region’s DRRM Council.

These 12 groups, recognized by CDRRMO, are not affiliated with any barangays and do not receive any regular funding for their efforts and

operations. Disaster responders of barangays are funded from their DRRM fund or five percent of the internal revenue allotment.

“They are vital to the CDRRMO because they augment our resources and capacity during the implementation of some programs like the City Wide Simulation Exercises and especially during times of disasters,” said Lyndon Leovic Ancajas, CDRRMO training officer.

Ancajas added that volunteer responders go through trainings and drills to improve their skills and capacity.

FDCDRRMO, 11

Dayanghirang next BOC commissioner?

Danny reacts to circulation of talks

By ANTONIO M. AJERO

S

OCIAL media and traditional media circles are abuzz with talks that Davao City Councilor Danilo C. Dayanghirang is being eyed as the next commissioner of the Bureau of Customs.

Dr. Dayanghirang himself confirmed yesterday that surprisingly he had received many text messages and calls

congratulating him or verifying the truth of the talks.

Speaking before newsmen attending the weekly Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum at the SM Annex yesterday morning, the veteran city lawmaker said in jest that “the talks come from either people who hate incumbent BOC Commissioner Nick Faeldon that they want

him fired, or people who want to make my life complicated by throwing me into a veritable snake pit, or a lion’s den such as the customs bureau.”

“The truth is that is there is no offer for me to take the job,” he said.

Turning serious, Dayanghirang said “however, if it’s a call of duty for the country, it’s

okay for me.”

“I am amused yet humbled by the queries especially by media members if the talks are true,” he said, adding that “maybe there are people who want to float my name in order to measure the reactions of the public.”

“Really, I am an elected

FDAYANGHIRANG, 11

‘World camp’to teach studes how to achieve a happy life Int’l fellowship at USeP compound, Feb. 9-12, 2017

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

W

EALTH and success in business and career cannot guarantee a person a happy life.

Among the examples of people inclined to commit suicides are those who come from wealthy countries like South Korea and Japan.

South Korea is one of the top 25 small and big countries in the world where the highest rates of suicides occur. It ranks No. 3 in number of suicides with an average of 28.9 people taking their own lives a day.

An article posted by Petr Habarta on Feb. 21, 2015 in

the internet states: “ Boasting numerous world’s primacies including the fastest internet connection, super modern technologies, one of the world’s best education and health care etc., South Korea has a shockingly high suicide rate. All types of social pressure and family problems are the main causes of this phenomenon. Since access to firearms is restricted in South Korea, the most frequent suicide method is poisoning.”

No. 18 is Japan. “One of the most developed, modern

FWORLD, 11

SHARING. International Youth Fellowship public relations officer Cho Sung Hyuk talks about the upcoming world camp slated next year at the University of Southeastern Philippines which will be participated by thousands of students from different countries. Hyuk was among the guests of yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

DOH: Be sure to give‘safe toys’ T

NOT A DEAL YET. Administrator Peter T. Laviña (right) of the National Irrigation Administration says Philippine Ports Authority will review the proposed Sasa Port Project that caused controversy after it raised concerns

from stakeholders and various sectors in Davao City. Laviña and NIA 11 director Engr. Feliz Razo (left) graced Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

PPA to review Sasa port project

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

T

adlopez0920@gmail.com

HE Philippine Ports Authority will review the proposed Sasa Port Project that has stirred controversy after it raised concerns from various sectors in Davao City.

National Irrigation Administrator administrator Peter Laviña told reporters in Davao City on Monday that the present leadership of the PPA will review the project particularly on its budget.

Laviña said PPA is looking into lowering down the total budget of the project and to go back to its original price of P4 billion.

The project will involve the development of the existing Sasa Port in Davao City into a modern and international-standard container terminal.

It is seen that the port, after its development, will help

improve trade to Mindanao and the entire country and support the growing agro-industrial sector in the island-region.

The project will be implemented by the PPA and the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

But concerned groups and various stakeholders in Davao City raised their questions and concerns regarding the

budgeting and the process of implementation of the said project.

The groups questioned the sudden increase of the price of the project – from P4 billion to P18.99 billion.

Laviña, prior to his appointment at NIA was among the individuals who advocated for the stoppage of the projects due the questionable increase

HE rational distribution of condoms in senior high schools in Davao region will push through despite the opposition posed by other sectors to the said measure.

This was emphasized to the media by Department of Health assistant secretary and director for region 11 Dr. Ab-

dullah Dumama Jr. Dumama said the DOH and the Department of Education (DepED) in Davao region have already agreed to push through with the rational distribution of condoms in schools particularly in higher levels.

He added that they are just

waiting for final instructions from the national office as the secretaries of the two agencies set to release the guidelines on the distribution of condoms.

“This measure must be implemented right away,” Dumama told reporters in Davao City in a press conference the SM City.

He said distribution of condoms among the senior students in high schools will help decrease the number of teen pregnancies and prevent the rising HIV cases in the area.

Davao region is listed by the DOH as among the areas in the country that have high

FPPA, 11

Condoms will be available in Davao schools T

DOH stresses Davao ban on firecrackers

FCONDOMS, 11

HE Department of Health Davao Region cautioned the public to shop wisely for safe toys to give as gifts this holiday season.

A safe toy, as defined by the DOH, is something which is “suitable for the child’s physical capabilities, mental and social development, durable, and safe for the child’s age.”

“We must also make sure the quality and safety of the toy, aside from looking at the value and from being appealing and suitable for a child’s age,” Health Assistant Secretary and Davao Regional Director Abdullah Dumamah explained.

For newborns to one-yearold, the Health Department suggests those toys such as rattles, large and brightly colored balls, washable stuffed dolls and animals with huge and clearly defined faces.

Meanwhile, toddlers or children ages two to three years old are recommended with toys such as dolls, wooden animals and rocking horses, sturdy kiddie cars, and modeling clay.

“Always check labels on

the packaging and observe precautions appearing in tags,” Dumamah stated, adding that the buyers must make sure that the child will play with a toy suited for his or her age under adult supervision Dumamah also reminded the parents and guardians to dispose plastic packaging accordingly and keep it out of reach of children.

DOH also released an advisory that the following toys are not recommended for children under three years old: balls with a diameter lesser than two inches; toys that are breakable into small parts or pieces (glass or brittle plastics) and those containing with small detachable parts or pieces which could become swallowed, and toys with sharp points and edges so as to prevent choking and other injuries.

Also, Dumamah warned on toys that may contain harmful chemicals such as lead.

“Toy manufacturers, importers, and distributors are mandated to secure Certificate of Conformity from Food and

FDOH, 11

DOLE to provide payout for Roxas market vendors

T

HE Department of Labor and Employment in Davao Region on Monday announced that it was set to conduct payout to Roxas Night Market Bombing on Thursday, December 22, 2016.

According to DOLE 11 representative Jason Balais, 29 victims of the Roxas Night Market Bombing incident will benefit from the payout under DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.

TUPAD is a component of the DOLE Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP).

“The program is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced

workers,” Balais explained.

Balais added that those who were self-employed and have lost their livelihood, including farmers and fishers, due to natural or human-made disasters, and the underemployed and the unemployed poor are included in the said program.

“The beneficiaries will receive a minimum daily rate for their ten-day work,” Balais added.

The said program is one of DOLE’s assistance to the victims which was announced during the recently conducted interagency forum on November 25, 2016.

“Under the program, if the victim is unable to work they can send their about work on behalf of them instead,” Balais said. Tiziana Celine S. Piatos

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

W

ITH the yuletide season looming, the Department of Health has called attention to its Oplan Iwas Paputok campaign in Davao Region to avoid and eradicate casualties of firecracker injuries.

Assistant Health Secretary and Regional Director for Davao Region Abdullah Dumamah Jr. said on Monday the agency is encouraging the public to use alternative means of celebrating Christ-

mas and New Year.

He added that the public could avoid using firecrackers by blowing trumpets, playing music or even visiting community firework displays.

“We can still make noise.

We can use trumpets or car horns, and we can clap, or use any noise creating gadgets,” he said.

Dumamah explained that there are other ways to celebrate Christmas and New

FDOH, 13

AMUSED. City Hall employees watch their bosses perform during the department heads of the city government of Davao Christmas presentation at Quezon Park yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

5 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

Duterte TRAIN Xpress to boost 9% GDP growth

A

SPELLING IT OUT. Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, chairman of City Council’s Committee on Finance, discusses Davao City’s P7 billion budget for 2017 where the peace and order program will get the biggest chunk during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

NIA-IAs partnership to be strengthened

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ adlopez0920@gmail.com

W

HEN the envisioned free irrigation system is fully implemented in the country, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) must strengthen its ties with the various Irrigators’ Associations (IAs) in the country in order to ensure the maintenance and continued services of irrigation systems to farmers.

This is among the priorities that newly-installed NIA administrator Peter Tiu Laviña will pursue.

“Right now there are working models that the NIA and IAs follow in terms of partnerships,” Laviña told reporters during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City in Davao on

Monday.

Among the models he mentioned is the provision of incentives to IAs especially those that continue to provide irrigation services to the farmers.

Laviña clarified that such ties between the NIA and IAs will be abolished as soon as the free irrigation system will be implemented in the country.

“We will push through with strong partnerships with IAs in the country,” he pointed out, adding that partnerships are aimed to ensure that irrigation systems are properly maintained and continue to serve the irrigated areas in the country.

Congress is now working on the passage of a bill that will ensure free irrigation in the country, he said.

NIA will also encourage IAs to generate their own incomes, either by planting more crops or engage themselves into inland fishing and fishpond development.

The NIA chief also expressed worries of possible decline in rice production if maintenance of irrigation systems will fail.

“There must be a co-sharing of responsibilities in maintaining our irrigation systems in the country,” Laviña said.

He said the country has a total of 3.2 million hectares of irrigable lands, of which 1.7

million hectares or 57 percent are still irrigated.

“At present, NIA is undergoing institutional changes,” he stressed.

A total of P36 billion will be allocated to the agency by 2017, but aside from its regular budget, NIA will also undertake a package of six irrigation projects that will be funded by China and other donor countries.

These package of projects, Laviña said, are all worth P42 billion that will be implemented next year.

He added that NIA is now working on the feasibility studies that are needed for the release of the funding of said package of irrigation projects.

On the other hand FDIs grew year-on-year by 25.3 percent to US4.7 billion as of end-September this year.

The central bank’s policy-making Monetary Board (MB), during its review of the central bank assumptions last November, upgraded its FDI assumption this year to USD6.7 billion from the USD6.3 billion during the review last May. FDI is among the components of the BOP, which is the summary of a country’s total transaction with the rest of the world.

“As far as FDIs are concerned I think we have more basis for saying that this will really be a good support to the balance of payment surplus,” Guinigundo said.

The central bank official, on the other hand, pointed

out that there are other BOP components such as foreign portfolio investment, otherwise called hot money due to the speed it comes in and out of an economy, that will affect the BOP position.

As of the week ending Dec. 2, 2016, the country posted a USD672.73 million net hot money inflow, a reversal from the USD473.41 net outflow in the week ending Dec. 4 last year.

The BSP’s hot money assumption this year is a USD1.1 billion net outflow.

Last year, hot money posted a USD599.69 million net outflow due to the impact of negative external developments.

Guinigundo said hot money is a volatile item because “it is, by its very nature, very

mobile.”

“It’s a footloose kind of capital. So if that’s the case any small change in sentiment will be enough to drive them out,” he said.

Another component of BOP, the capital account, where exports and imports are included, is decelerating, with the end-September level at a surplus of USD1.5 billion, lower than year-ago’s USD6.2 billion surplus.

The country has been posting current account surpluses at least in the last 10 years due to inflows from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) but some analysts forecast its slower growth this year as a result of weak exports and higher importation due to increasing domestic demand.

(PNA, Joann Santiago)

BSP exec says FDIs to remain strong A

RANKING official of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas remain confident that foreign direct investments will continue to boost the country’s balance of payment position.

“I think foreign direct investment will remain strong,” BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo told PNA. This, after the central bank announced on Dec. 16 the cut in the central bank’s balance of payment assumption for 2016 to a surplus of US500 million from US2 billion surplus previously due to impact of weak global economy.

Last November, the BOP posted a US1.67 billion deficit, way higher than the US183 million deficit last October and the US141 million deficit in November 2015.

LBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda has filed House Bill 4688, titled Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN, a centerpiece program that will “ultimately reduce poverty to single digit, grow the economy by 9%, and transform the Philippines into an Asian economic powerhouse by 2028, with USD 1.2 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It will then qualify the country for membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

“This is the TRAIN of the Duterte Express, which I committed to file during the Philippine Development Forum in Davao last November with the participation of non-government agencies, civil society organizations, official development assistance ODA partners, and LGUs,” the Albay lawmaker explained.

House Bill 4688 aims “to create a tax system that is simpler, fairer and more efficient, characterized by low rates and a broad base that promotes investment, job creation and poverty reduction.”

The bill, Salceda said, ran parallel with President Rodrigo Duterte’s “Tunay na Pagbabago” or real positive change commitment to the Filipino people, that included more inclusive growth and comfortable life for all, improved public services, more and better jobs and more money in the people’s pock-

ets; and safe, healthy, and peaceful communities.

The measure is a concrete step in making tax rates on income in the Philippines competitive in the region and fit the structural objective of the Asean Economic Community (AEC). It seeks the “full and immediate adjustment of Personal Income Tax (PIT) on the first year,” since according to Salceda, “the PIT income bracket is one of the most horrific and protracted social injustices” confronting Filipinos.

Salceda describes the Philippine PIT as the most regressive in the entire Asia.

“And we do this to the most faithful partner of the government and dependable pillar of taxes -- the employees whose share of nation building is automatically withheld, with compliance at almost 99% since they have no choice.

The expected net benefit here would be P156 billion,” he pointed out.

HB 4688 also provides that 25 percent of the compensating revenues from excise tax on petroleum of Php 165 billion will be earmarked for subsidies to the lowest 50 percent by way of fare vouchers and direct income transfers to be administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and to be designed by an inter-agency committee composed of DSWD, Department of Budget and Management, and the Department of Finance. (PNA)

P3.3-M plastic fish cages distributed to Sebu fishers

T

HE provincial government of South Cotabato distributed on Monday around P3.3 million worth of plastic fish cages to fishermen in Lake Sebu town in line with its bamboo-to-plastic fish cage conversion program.

South Cotabato officials led by Governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes spearheaded the distribution of at least 132 plastic fish cages to the initial 111 tilapia fishermen who availed of the local government’s “convert now, pay later” scheme.

Loida Villa, senior environment management specialist of the Provincial Environment Management Office’s forest and inland water division, said the initiative is part of the local government’s efforts to convert all existing bamboo fish cages in Lake Sebu with plastic units.

She said the bamboo-to-plastic fish cage conversion program mainly aims to reduce the organic load caused by decaying bamboo fish cages at the critical Lake Sebu.

The use of the plastic fish cages are expected to improve water circulation and minimize pollution at the lake, she said.

Under the “convert now, pay later” scheme, Villa said the beneficiaries are required to pay back the cost of the plastic fish cages through install-

ment basis.

She said 80 beneficiaries availed themselves of the “1twin fish cage with net” worth P22,474; 21 for the “2-twin fish cage with net” worth P33,723; and, 10 for the “1twin fish cage with frame” worth P13,749.

In the first 10 months, Villa said the beneficiaries will pay 40 percent of the total cost and the remaining 60 percent in the succeeding 12 months.

Gov. Fuentes reminded the beneficiaries of their obligation to pay back the cost of the “affordable fish cages” through the agreed installment terms.

As additional task, she enjoined their cooperation in the maintenance of cleanliness at the lake.

“Let us not think only of ourselves but also of the future generations. Let us all help one another in making the lake clean and sustainable,” Fuentes said.

Pollution and the overcrowding of bamboo fish cages had been blamed over the occurrence of fish kills at the lake these past years.

The fish kill was caused by “kamahong,” a phenomenon caused by the sudden rise in the water’s temperature.

“Kamahong,” which usually occurs during the rainy season, triggers the rise of sulfuric acid in the lake’s waters that eventually caused the massive fish kill. (PNA)

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

Tobacco farmers criticize House-okayed sin tax bill

T

HE Philippine Tobacco Growers Association (PTGA) reiterated its strong objection to the House of Representatives-approved bill proposing a huge increase in cigarette excise taxes while keeping the two-tier structure even as its President Saturnino Distor disowned reports maliciously attributing statements that he supports the measure.

“Hindi po nagbabago ang aming posisyon. Mariin naming tinututulan ang House Bill 4144 sa dahilang madudulot lang ito ng daragdagan paghihirap sa mga magsasaka na ngayon’y hindi pa rin nakakabawi sa dagok noong napakalaking 2013 tax increase (We have not changed our position.

We strongly oppose House Bill 4144 as this will only bring hardship to the farmers who are still reeling from the huge tax increase in 2013),” said Distor in a statement.

“Kinokondena ko din po ang walang pahintulot na pag gamit ng aking pangalan and pagsubo ng mga salaysay na taliwas sa aking paninindigan.

(I also condemn the unauthorized use of my name and the attribution of statements that are contrary to my views),” he added.

Distor said such malicious statement “is the product of malicious minds serving vested interests.”

The PTGA presudent was earlier quoted in media reports as throwing his support behind HB 4144 in his capacity as the Pangasinan Chapter President of the National Federation of Farmers Association and Cooperatives. (NAFTAC).

Distor said he has not changed his position which he publicly stated during the hearing of the House Ways and Means Committee last December 5.

“Ang posisyon po namin ay nakalahad sa kongreso and at public record po (Our position is stated in Congress and is a matter of public record),” he said.

In fact, Distor said he refused to sign a position paper of support for House Bill 4144 offered to him by the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) during the House committee hearing.

“Uulitin ko po. Kawawa po ang mga magsasaka ng tobacco kapag pumasa ang panukalang ito (I repeat. The tobacco farmers will bear the brunt of this bill),” he stressed.

(PNA)

Customsmen confiscate P700-M smuggled fuel

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HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) scored its first big break against oil smuggling in only six months on the Duterte watch with the seizure of two oil vessels carrying a combined 45,000 metric tons (MT) of smuggled fuel worth P700 million in the port of Limay in Bataan.

Newly appointed Deputy Customs Commissioner Edward James Dy Buco said the M/T Alpine Magnolia and the M/T Malolos, which were carrying the smuggled fuel, were also seized by the customs agents.

The two vessels have a combined estimated value of P300 million, Dy Buco said.

Dy Buco said the BOC caught its big haul when Limay Acting District Collector Julius Premediles received information from a reliable informant about the arrival of the M/T Alpine Magnolia and the possibility that the ship could be carrying smuggled fuel.

“District Collector Julius Premediles called the attention of (Customs) Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon regarding the arrival of M/T Alpine Magnolia carrying huge amount of fuel products. Upon verification with the office of the DepComm for AOCG, it was noticed that the load Port Survey Report (LPSR) contained serious inconsistencies,” Dy Buco said in his report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. Dy Buco said a team from the Commissioner’s anti-smuggling task force, armed with a Letter of Authority and

a Mission Order, was immediately dispatched to the area to monitor the movements of the vessel and the actions of its crew members.

“In the afternoon of December 15, 2016, M/T Malolos Limay was seen to have shipsided with M/T Alpine Magnolia and discharging of fuel started. This was done without lodgment or filing of entry. No duties and taxes were paid.

This is pure smuggling in violation of Customs laws and regulations,” said Dy Buco, who heads the BOC’s Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group (AOCG).

He said Premediles immediately issued a Warrant of Seizure and Detention covering the two oil tankers and its contents of fuel.

“The vessels were included in the apprehension because they were obviously used in the commission of smuggling,” Dy Buco said.

The apprehended cargo was consigned to S.L. Harbor Bulk Terminal Corp., said Dy Buco, adding that the BOC was now readying charges against this Bataan-based company.

Dy Buco also reported to Dominguez that since Premediles took over, revenue collections in the port of Limay substantially improved, with the District of Limay thus far collecting about 60 percent of its P2.5 billion assigned target for December.

Premediles is a member of the BOC’s Committee on Revenue Enhancement (CORE).

(PNA)

UPBEAT. Department of Labor and Employment 11 assistant director Jason Balais bares that the employment rate in Davao Region reached 96.4 percent according to the latest report of the National Statistics Office

and minimum wage in the region will increase effective this month from P317 to P335 plus P5 COLA. Balais made the disclosure during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

BOC submits to DOF draft IRR v agricultural smuggling L

ARGE-SCALE smuggling of agricultural products in the country is now considered as economic sabotage.

This was according to draft Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, submitted by Bureau of Customs (BoC) to the Department of Finance (DOF).

The draft IRR of RA 10845 aims to penalize agricultural smugglers with graver penalties which is set for final review by the Finance department.

Under the IRR, “Largescale agricultural smuggling” covers all importations -- involving sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, fish, and cruciferous vegetables -- in their raw state, or which have undergone the simple processes of preparation or

preservation for the market.

Illegal importations with a fair market value of PHP1,000,000 or PHP10,000,000 in the case of rice, will fall under this classification.

Under RA 10845, largescale agricultural smuggling is committed through any of the following acts: -- importing or bringing goods into the Philippines without the required import permit -- unauthorized use of import permits -- using fake import permits or shipping documents -- selling, lending, leasing, assigning, consenting or allowing the use of import permits -- organizing or using dummy corporations or companies for the purpose of acquiring import permits -- misclassification, undervaluation, or misdeclaration to

evade payment of lawful duties and taxes -- transporting or storing the agricultural product subject to economic sabotage -- acting as broker of the violating importer.

Violators will be imposed with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and a fine of twice the fair value of the smuggled agricultural products and the aggregate amount of the taxes, duties, and other charges. Local offenders shall be penalized with perpetual disqualification to engage in importation, while alien offenders shall be deported after serving the sentence. Government officials involved in smuggling shall be punished with criminal liability and perpetual disqualification from public office.

Also, seized smuggled agricultural products shall be forfeited in favor of the govern-

ment.

RA 10845 aims to protect farmers from unscrupulous traders and importers. Illegal importation of agricultural products -- especially rice -significantly affects the production, the availability of supply and stability of prices, and the food security of the state.

Also, illegal entry of agricultural products causes heavy damage to the country’s agriculture sector and the government, with revenue losses amounting to PHP60-80 billion.

In drafting the IRR, the BoC engaged various stakeholders and agencies such as the Sugar Regulatory Agency (SRA), National Food Authority (NFA), National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) in a public consultation. (PNA)

fect the Republic’s credit rating,” said the three Cabinet secretaries in their memo to Mr. Duterte, and the “SSS would be bankrupt and left with no funds for other members in the future.”

Although the government is ready to keep the pension fund viable by way of a subsidy in case the SSS finds itself in dire financial straits, the three secretaries stressed that this should merely be a “last resort,” because it remains the primary responsibility of member-employees and their employers to keep it afloat not only for their benefit but for future generations of members as well.

Given that “government subsidy only introduces undue fiscal burden to taxpayers,” they pointed out in their joint memo that “the public must not be made to carry the burden of the increase which benefits only privately employed individuals.”

The three secretaries were reacting to a proposal by the Congress, as contained in Joint Resolution No. 5 of the Senate and Joint Resolution No. 10 of

the House of Representatives, for the SSS to implement a staggered Php 2,000 across-the-board increase in its monthly payments to member-pensioners now numbering 2.2 million - the first tranche of Php 1,000 to be given starting in January 2017 and another Php 1,000 in January 2019.

Without a corresponding increase in member contribution, the three secretaries said the congressional proposal would cut the actuarial life of the pension fund by 14 to 17 years from 2042 to 2025-2028 because the SSS will have to cough up an additional Php 32 billion annually to cover the initial Php 1,000 hike and Php 62 billion for the entire Php 2,000 increase in monthly payments.

“While we recognize the thrust of the joint resolution to promote the well-being of the country’s private sector retirees…...any increase in pension without increasing member contribution and expanding its membership base would introduce severe fiscal issues, and should be discouraged,” they said.

“We strongly recommend that any improvement in pension benefits be accompanied by an upward adjustment or restructuring of the contribution rate from employee members and their employers, as well as self-employed and voluntary members,” they said. “We do not believe it is unfair to ask for this increase as pensions have increased 22 times while the contribution rate has only increased three times since the establishment of the rates in 1980.”

“This proposed resolution is foreseen to cut the actuarial life of the fund by 14 to 17 years from 2041 to 2025-2028 and will result in approximately Php 64 billion additional pension every year” to an estimated 2.2 million pensioners, they said. “This has detrimental effects to the financial position of SSS and the viability of its business model.”

According to the House resolution proposing the Php 2,000 pension increase, there are at least 33 million members of the SSS and 2.2 million retirees currently receiving pensions. (PNA)

Increase in SSS contribution pushed T

HE country’s economic managers have recommended to President Duterte that the congressional proposal for a two-step, across-theboard increase of Php 2,000 in the Social Security System (SSS) monthly pension be made contingent on a corresponding adjustment in the contributions of employers, employees, self-employed individuals and volunteer members to save this pension fund from bankruptcy.

In a Dec. 15 memorandum to the President, Secretaries Carlos Dominguez III and Benjamin Diokno of the Departments of Finance (DOF) and of Budget and Management (DBM) along with Director-General Ernesto Pernia of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) fretted that without an accompanying “upward adjustment or restructuring of the contribution rate,” the proposed pension hike would unduly jack up the unfunded liabilities of the SSS from Php 3.5 trillion to Php 5.9 trillion.

If approved, this congressional proposal “may adversely af-

EDGEDAVAO

7 SUBURBIA

VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

OUTSTANDING FARMER. Banaybanay rice farmer Genevieve Y. Madelo received the award Outstanding Rice Farmer during the 46th National Gawad Saka held in Manila on December 12. Joining her receive the award are Davao Oriental Governor Nelson L. Dayanghirang, Banaybanay Mayor Adalia Tambuang, and PAGRI head Rotchie Ravelo.

PNP provides livelihood for R-12 drug personalities T

Lanao Sur exec hosts summits to fight extremism, narcotics

T

HE Police Regional Office in Central Mindanao (PRO-12) has started rehabilitation program for drug personalities who voluntarily surfaced and offered to be rehabilitated, a police official said Sunday.

Superintendent Romeo Galgo Jr, speaking for PRO-12, said there are 33,200 drug personalities have far “surrendered” to police offices across the region.

Region 12, also known as SOCCSKSARGEN region is composed of the provinces South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Saragani and the cities of Cotabato, Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal and Gen. Santos.

The rehabilitation program forms part of the brain

child of Chief Supt. Cedrick Train, PRO-12 regional director, called “PROJECT DUTERTE,” an acronym for Drug Use and Trafficking through Rehabilitation, Training and Enforcement.

It served as the “implementing rules and regulations” of “Oplan Double Barrel,” a comprehensive police anti-narcotics program launched by the Philippine National Police.

“Oplan Double Barrel” was an operation plan patterned after a double-barreled gun. The upper barrel is a massive drive against big time drug lords, pushers and distributors while the lower barrel is a program aimed at providing drug dependents the opportunity to mend

ways.

The latter includes giving drug personalities livelihood programs after detoxification process. “‘Project Double Barrel’ in reality is giving new meaning to life, new hope and direction for drug surrenderees,” Galgo said.

He cited the case of a seven-hectare open farm field in Barangay Sinawal, Gen. Santos City where drug personalities planted corn and other crops. Three hectares are already planted with corn while the rest are planted with squash, sweet potatoes, bananas, tomatoes, among others.

Galgo said the drug personalities were not “detained.” They were allowed

to go home after they signed affidavit of undertaking, expressing desire to reform.

Since they volunteered to be rehabilitated and trained on income generating projects, the drug personalities regularly showed up at police office in Gen. Santos City to farm in Barangay Sinawal, get paid and sent home again.

In a video presentation, the PRO-12 Regional Information Office that Galgo heads, a drug dependent only named as Justin, revealed how the project has given him the opportunity to reform.

“Now, my life has direction, I can sleep soundly without fear,” Justin said. “I did not regret grabbing this opportunity provided by the police,” he added. (PNA)

HE provincial government of Lanao del Sur have launched a series of multi-sectoral summits aimed at containing religious extremism and narcotics that created unstable peace and order and stalled development in the province, officials said today.

In a statement, Lanao del Sur Gov. Soraya A. Adiong said Lanao Sur’s prevalent poverty and unstable peace were used by militant Maute Group to propagate religious extremism that made Marawi City and surrounding towns of Lake Lanao “unsafe.”

“During our teenage years, it was safe for us to roam around Marawi City even in the evenings, not afraid of any violence and danger,” the 66year old Adiong said. “These days, current events in our province involving a group of local terrorists have kept us in the news the past couple of weeks,” Adiong admitted.

To bring back the old days,

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS. The municipal government of Montevista in the province of Compostela Valley recently opened the “Diwanag Festival” or the festival of lights, an event that local and foreign tourists visit every December. (PIO Montevista Photo)

Adiong said, she decided to seek stakeholders’ participation in the government’s fight against illegal drugs, religious extremism and poverty.

Six summits were held in Marawi City and nearby municipalities attended by academic, political, business, traditional and religious sectors to craft measures that will save the province from the hands of extremists and jihadists.

During the summits, calls for federalism as an anti-dote against extremism and poverty became even louder in support to President Duterte’s advocacy for Mindanao.

Efforts were brought down to community level with stakeholders, including police and military officials and officials of Mindanao State University, explaining the ills of extremism and narcotics.

Adiong’s son, Mamintal Jr, the vice governor, earlier urged national education officials to strictly implement law requiring accreditation of private Arabic and Islamic schools to comply national academic standards and norms.

It was Adiong’s reaction to reports that some Arabic and Islamic schools (Madaris) have become “breeding grounds for radicalism.”

In one of the meetings, Islamic preacher Ismael Menk, an international peace advocate, talked about “misinterpretations” by jihadist of the Qur’an scriptures to promote terrorism as what the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The Maute Group have been espousing ISIS ideology, bombing areas in Mindanao.

The group was blamed for the September 2 bombing in Davao City that left 15 dead and 60 wounded. Eight of its members allegedly involved in Davao bombing are now in government custody.

Dr. Habib Macaayong, MSU president, said the state college has lined up more peace summits next year.

President Duterte was invited as keynote speaker on the MSU-sponsored peace summit on February 2017. (PNA)

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

EDITORIAL

The satisfied majority

N

O matter how conflicting the presentation of news reports are on the battle against illegal drugs, it cannot be denied that the government’s drive is winning the people’s approval.

About 85 percent of Filipinos are “satisfied” with the antidrug campaign of the Duterte administration.

That was the result of the latest Social Weather Station survey done from Dec. 3 to 6, 2016. The results of the study done from Dec. 3 to 6 first came out of BusinessWorld. It had a margin of error of + or – 3 percentage points.

A Philippine Daily Inquirer report picked to amplify the 78 percent turnout of those fearing that they could fall victim to extrajudicial killing. It elaborated that nearly 8 out of 10 adult Filipinos are worried that they,

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or someone they know, would fall victim to extrajudicial killing amid the ongoing antidrug campaign of the Duterte administration.

The survey had 1,500 respondents.

The propensity of some giant media outlets to amplify the negative side of surveys rather than the favorable-to-government in effect clouds the general atmosphere when it comes to issues like the antidrug campaign.

Given the 80 percent incidence of worry, the survey still equated to an “excellent” net rating of +77 percent for the government’s antidrug war.

In reporting the results, it does boil down to one’s leaning when appreciating the issue. It’s a case of choosing to say it as half-empty or half-filled.

AGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR Circulation

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I

9

Davao Oriental in US economic radar

N January 1968, W.E. Knight, counsellor for economic affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, visited Mati, the capital of the newly-created province of Davao Oriental, to attend the inaugural luncheon. The appearance did not only afford him the opportunity to observe first-hand the problems the new territory was confronting, and the resources available for exploitation.

As expected, he talked about relevant US interest in the country and the policies the American administration had adopted towards “lessening aid programs,” an aspect of diplomatic language that is usually not understood in depth by people in the know. He told the audience, as a diplomat and an agent of his country, with authority saying: “The problems of the Philippines today are basically problems of development, and while development is interesting even from a theoretical point of view, it is more interesting still to come to see these problems in concrete form in provinces like Davao Oriental. This is where the work is really being done, and where the economic theories come to life in terms of people…

“I have already seen in Mindanao many enterprises which are perfect examples of Philippine capital and Philippine enterpreneurs pushing ahead with projects that are of importance to Philippine progress. Your Government realizes, and we all realize, that the problem of building the Philippines of the future must fundamentally be solved by Filipinos: by Philippine money, Philippine workers and Philippine skills. Outsiders will help, but

R

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

ECENTLY, I was surprised to get a private message from an American friend, who happens to be a journalist, in my Facebook account.

“Did Davao really put up with this murdering thug for 20 years? Did your newspaper cover it? How long will the nation put up with the bloodbath on the streets he has unleashed,” he inquired.

His questions stemmed from an article entitled, “Duterte keeps admitting to killing people. His supporters keep shrugging it off,” which appeared in The Washington Post.

“It should have been a shocking admission,” author Emily Rauhala wrote. “On Monday, Rodrigo Duterte, president of the Philippines, bragged about killing people. He said that when he was a city mayor, he used to hunt suspects on his motorcycle, shooting people on the spot. The goal, he said, was to encourage police officers to do to the same.”

Duterte was quoted as saying: “In Davao, I used to do it personally. Just to show to the (police) that if I can it, why can’t you? I (would) go around in Davao with a motorcycle… and I would just patrol the streets and looking for trouble also. I was really looking for an encounter to kill.”

Instead of answering him my lengthy thought, I sent him an editorial which came out in Business Mirror: “Admittedly, the President, in his war on drugs, is trying to apply nationally a formula his supporters find to have worked in Davao City, hailed as one of the most peaceful Phil-

basically this is FAST BACKWARD a task that you will perform.

(Italics not mine.)

“I am convinced that you have reached a position where you will be able to do this job. You have Antonio V. Figueroa great resources of capital, great talent, a tremendous education program and an active and energetic work force. You have great assets, and your future will be accomplished. It will not, however, be easy.

“We Americans watch all efforts of this kind with what I would call “affectionate enthusiasm”, because we are what might be called growth-oriented. We feel that economic growth, in itself, solves a great number of problems, and those it doesn’t solve in itself it makes much easier to solve. We believe that a strong, healthy, and growing Philippines can play an important role in showing how democratic government and economic progress can go forward together.”

Knight’s attendance was also graced by the presence of newly-installed governor Leopoldo N. Lopez and the province’s first congressman, Constancio P. Maglana who discussed with the diplomat the challenges Davao Oriental was expecting to hurdle in

order to reach its development goals. Knight said: “The very kinds of things that your Governor and Congressman have talked about today are the matters that are engaging the attention of Governments throughout the world.

Governments everywhere, in fact, are, acting as if their very existence as Governments depended upon development. They feel, in the first place, that they must make their economies grow rapidly, and in the second place that they must spread the fruits of this growth throughout their population as a whole.

“But often, as we discuss these matters in general terms, the real reason for their importance is buried under a mass of economic jargon - words and phrases that economists learn as they go through college. These terms do not mean much to most people and they often tend to obscure what is really involved in the issues.”

Knight also debunked claims the American investors were seeking special privilege for the money they would bring in, adding that the decision to accept foreign investments is not US’ judgment but the preference of the country hosting the businesses. He also bragged that American policy on investments has been successful in regions where these are made available.

“I want to assure you of one thing, to begin with. The U.S. does not seek a position of special privilege for American investments here.

Also, I would say, in general terms, that most Americans are convinced that there is nothing that can match the record of progressive, ener-

getic, technologically-advanced, private American investment in helping to speed the growth of developing countries. I want to make this quite clear. We are proud of the record of our private investors. We think they make a tremendous contribution to the quality of life almost wherever they go.

“However, we also are convinced that the degree to which new investment is to be welcomed in each country is a decision which each country must make for itself. No one is going to try and force it down the throat of any country which doesn’t want it. We generally don’t inject ourselves into this discussion. If we are asked, we do comment on the kinds of measures that have proven effective elsewhere throughout the world in the competition to attract new investors. Because there is a competition under way, and it is a vigorous one.”

Knight, who was noncommittal, ended his message by saying: “I will say that I will take away with me a much better understanding of the tremendous opportunities of this province, and of Mindanao as a whole, and also of the problems that you personally face. I don’t want to hint for one minute that there is a likelihood of large-scale new U.S. Government economic aid programs in the future. The history of our international operations in the last decade has been one of gradually lessening aid programs, as you know, and this is likely to be the case in the future as well. However, understanding your situation in Davao Oriental will make it more easy for me to understand the situation, and the problems, of the Philippines as a whole.”

ippine cities.

As city mayor THINK ON THESE! there for more than two decades, Duterte’s iron-fish approach restored security amid vigilante killings. His constituents swear they feel safe walking alone Henrylito D. Tacio in their city henrytacio@gmail.com even at night.

“In Metro Manila, people are starting to feel the same sense of security a couple of months after the President launched his war on drugs. Now they can home late at night with no fear of being mugged by drug users.

That’s why most everyone supports Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs.”

My journalist friend wrote back after reading the complete editorial. “So, according to this column, your only two options in the Philippines are to become a criminal narco-state or to be run by a thug who either encourages or actually enables death squads to act as judge, jury and executioner on the street and kill not only drug dealers but users and anybody else even suspected?” he wondered. “That’s pretty sad…”

I answered back: “It’s just like in the United States. You have also only two choices during the election.”

His reply: “Yes, those are bad choices. I’m currently in despair regarding Trump, an incompetent moron and scoundrel, actually becoming a president. But last time I checked, he’s not a murderer sanctioning mass murder on the streets. I hope for the sake of Filipinos that the country can do something about it, because he will destroy your economy, your society and whatever is left of your democracy. Trump would probably do the same to us if he could get away with it; I can only hope our institution are strong enough to resist him.”

Without thinking much, I answered: “But most people, except for the chosen few and oligarchs, like Duterte because they are safer now. They know that there are collateral damages but to keep everyone safer, they will want Duterte to be the president of our country.

I added: “But there are those who oppose with his war on drugs.” Then I sent a scanned copy of the cover page of EDGE Davao with the headline: “END KILLINGS.” The other end wrote: “I might do the same if I were in their position. I know it’s easy for me to talk from the safety of a suburb in America. What they don’t realize is that one day the ‘collateral damage’ will be one of their family members.”

My answer: “I know. And we pray it won’t happen. But then again, a lot of changes happened in just a matter of 100 days when Duterte become the president – changes that never happened during the past administra-

tions.”

He wrote back: “Is it worth it is my question. If innocent people are being shot in the street every day along with the guilty, and neither get a fair trial, is it worth it?”

Instead of answering him back, I sent a news report which came out in Philippine Daily Inquirer. The reactions of two senators about the statement of Duterte admitting about “personally” ending the lives of drug suspects.

“To some people, it could be wrong. To some people, there would be liability. But if indeed there are liabilities, then file a case against him,” Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III was quoted as saying. “We don’t know how it (killing) happened, if it really happened, or if it is what is called a hyperbole.”

Hyperbole, which is derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting,” is a figure of speech. It involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. It is a device that we employ in our day-to-day speech.

For his part, Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto was shocked to hear the statement of the President. “I was surprised to read that in the papers today. I don’t know in what context he said it, I didn’t watch it, I just read it in the papers today, but I was very much surprised because the other day, he said he had not done it, or something to that effect,” Recto was quoted as saying.

I was not sure if he read the news report.

But I got no feedback from him anymore.

End of the story.

War on drugs

EDGEDAVAO

10 COMPETITIVE EDGE

VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

Merry Magical Disney Christmas at SM Lanang M

AGICAL surprises are in store at SM Lanang Premier as the world’s leading family entertainment company – Disney – brings for the very first time a “Merry Magical Disney Christmas” in Davao.

SM Lanang Premier’s Atrium has transformed into a Disney Christmas Village with Mickey and Minnie’s houses, Goofy’s Diner, a giant Mickey’s ears arch and Davao City’s tallest indoor holiday tree decked with hundreds of colorful Disney-inspired decors.

The Merry Magical Disney Christmas at SM Lanang Premier was recently opened to shoppers with a special guest appearance of Disney’s beloved icon, Mickey Mouse.

It was a well-attended affair with the husband of Mayor Sara Duterte, Atty. Mans Carpio, DOT Asec. Eden Larano-David, Councilor

Al Ryan Alejandre and Japan Consul Tomoko Dodo gracing the event. Davao personalities such asIkebana Davao’s Arlene Puentespina and Danney Barnett, Angcore’s Toby Ang, Fun Cuts’ Yvonne Soriano and many more also turned up at the Christmas launch. SM Supermalls Mindanao headed by VP for Operations Oliver Tiu and The Walt Disney Company’s Head for Studio Marketing and Media+ Anna Driz welcomed the guests.

Hundreds of kids and their families enjoyed special Meet and Greet with Mickey Mouse and heartwarming musical performances of SM Little Stars 2015 Grand Winner Annastacia Penny and Davao Girls Choir.

The event was also a celebration of gift-giving as kid beneficiaries from CSSDO were given presents and the chance to meet Mickey.

Visit and take Instagram-worthy photos at the

SM Little Stars 2015 Grand Winner Annastacia Penny performs upbeat holiday tunes with Disney’s most iconic character.

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kat-onan naa sa ilang notebook, ug ila pud gigamit sa ilahang inadlaw-adlaw nga pag-ugmad sa ilahang uma,” Lavador added.

Further, DA 11 Rice Coordinator Alejandro Yadao Jr.,encourages the rice farmers to use farm machineries in their fields to help reduce production costs especially that the importation of rice will be lifted on 2017.

“Hopefully e-program gihapon nato karong 2017 ang SOA on Rice Production and Climate Change aron mas makatabang kami in a wide scope and daghan maminaw sa atoang technology sa rice farming,” Yadao said.

As the ASEAN trading will be opened in 2017, Yadao expressed the department’sgoal to preparethe farmers especially

thatwith ASEAN trading, importation of agricultural products are tariff-free.

This is seconded by Rodolfo Estigoy, Chief of Applied Communications Division of Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) who urged the farmers to avail of the farm machineries.

Estigoy further showed a video of farm machineries and said that they can acquire the machineries for free as long as they are members of farmers’ organizations or irrigators’ associations.

“Hinihintay lang naming yung interes nyo na mag-acquire ng ganoong mga makinarya. Lahat ng nakikita niyo ay pwede niyong ma-avail, provided that the

irrigators’ association o farmers group ay rehistrado sa DOLE, sa CDA, at sa SEC. Estigoy further shared that availing of farm machineries will help farmers increase their yield, lower production cost, and prevent spoilage of agricultural crops caused by climate change.

Mas mabilis ang paggawa sa bukid kung may makinarya at iyan ang magandang benepisyo nito para sa ating mga magsasaka,” Estigoy added.

DA Regional 11 Assistant Regional Director Angelina Panchoalso points out that climate change is readily affecting agriculture and needs to be addressed. She said the climate is already more bizarre than the past decades and cannot be easily predicted.

FDA’, 13

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DA’s school on the air yields 500 graduates E

VEN after not being able to graduate in a formal education setting, Edgardo Lavador,a rice farmer from Laak, Compostela Valley Province was glad that he was able to graduate in the recently concluded School on-the-air (SOA) on ‘Rice Production and Climate Change’ after a month of intensive listening over the radio at DXRD KhZ 711.

Lavador said that the learnings he got as a SOA student helped him use modern methods of solving the problems he encountered on his rice fields especially in weathering climate change.

A total of 450rice farmergraduated along with Lavador from more than a thousand farmers who listened every Mondays to Saturdays at 4-5:00 in the morning. Mr. Lavador said that their fellow farmers were still glad that they can use what they learned over SOA as they worked in the field.

“Didto sa amoa, daghan niapil aning programaha, sobra siguro sa usa ka gatos nga tao ang nagapaminaw niining programaha matag kadlawon, apan duha ra kami natawag isip graduate”, Lavador said.

“Pero sige lang kay matod pa sa among mga kaubanan didto nga bahalag wala sila naapil sa graduation, at least ang ilang na-

projects for bank financing

A

SIAN Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) president Jin Liqun has expressed enthusiasm in finalizing Philippine infrastructure projects for financing by this China-led multilateral lender after the Senate had finally concurred in the ratification of the bank’s Articles of Agreement before the end-2016 deadline.

Jin confirmed that the initial two projects that the AIIB will co-finance in the Philippines with other multilateral lending institutions are the Metro Manila Flood Management Project and the EDSA Bus Rapid Transit system.

“We are all very eager to finalize the infrastructure projects in your country … This time, we are very happy we can really talk about something to do in your country,” Jin said in a recent meeting with Philippine officials led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. The P23.46-billion Metro Manila flood control project supported by the World Bank is now being processed for project financing by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), which, according to National Treasurer Roberto Tan, has tapped the AIIB for co-financing of the project.

On the other hand, the P37.76 billion EDSA Bus Rapid Transit system is partly funded by the Asian Development Bank.

The ADB support for this land transport project excludes the Public-Private Partnership portion of the project cost, which the NEDA hopes would be backed by the AIIB. In the meeting, Jin also thanked Dominguez for help-

ing facilitate the speedy concurrence by the Senate of the ratification of the AIIB treaty on the Duterte watch.

Dominguez has strongly backed the Philippines’ membership to the AIIB, which, he said, would provide the government “another source of long-term funding at very reasonable interest rates” for the Duterte administration’s unprecedented infrastructure buildup.

“Achieving full membership in the AIIB is a significant milestone. Completing our domestic procedures for ratification puts us in solidarity with 56 other countries,” Dominguez said.

President Duterte signed the instrument of ratification of the AIIB last Oct. 19, after which the Senate concurred in the ratifica “We’d like to thank you very much for speeding up the ratification so that we can start very soon. We believe there is so many that we can do in your country,” Jin told Dominguez during the meeting.

Also with Jin at the lunch meeting were Dr. Supee Teravaninthorn, AIIB director general; Najeeb Haider, principal strategy officer of the Bank; Yong Zhou, senior advisor to the AIIB president; and Huan Chen, Jin’s chief of office.

Representing the Philippine side were Dominguez, Senator Loren Legarda, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, NEDA director general and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, Finance Undersecretary Antonette Tionko, Finance Assistant Secretary Edita Tan, and BTr chief Tan.

INdulge!

VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

FOOD

EDGEDAVAO

FROG KAFFEE How coffee should be CELEBRATING 365 DAYS OF EXCEPTIONAL CUPS OF COFFEE, FROG Kaffee has been one of the biggest breakthroughs in the Davao food scene.

What begun as an idea has been converted into the city’s favourite coffee place that singlehandedly introduced our palates to how a cup of coffee should taste.

In the past year, FROG Kaffee has grown into a well rounded gastro dining place that serves more than just coffee. Adding to their plate are a selection of global favourites not readily available in other dining places in the city. From savoury to sweet treats, FROG Kaffee has your every cravings covered.

FROG Kaffee is dedicated to remain as Davao’s #1 Coffee Shop. Hence, to enjoy a cup of coffee seriously while having fun exudes of a great commitment to never stop experimenting and share to the world the magnificence of coffee. And this is their continued mantra.

Yes, coffee is their main pillar. Not just coffee but globally inspired coffee recipes created with international standards and fine tuned to suit every customer needs. With their extensive and in-depth knowledge on coffee and coffee making, every cup is a result of skilled techniques and inhouse roasted coffee beans unlike anywhere else. Though still considered unknown in Davao, FROG Kaffee has generously taught us the basics of coffee, coffee making and how to enjoy every cup.

On that note, aside from their homey interiors, delectable coffee and delicious dishes, FROG Kaffe further aims to re-educate the public in supporting local Mt. Apo coffee farmers and their products.

In fact, they are already using their produce and has incorporated such to their menu. This, according to Markus Ableitinger and Gina Esperanza Ellorango is an undertaking that they are personally proud of. Presently, one of the farmers is recognized nationally and will soon be exporting coffee beans outside the country.

Novice to be considered, but FROG Kaffee has won the largest latte art competition in Davao. In fact, they had 3 barista/staff who then won the top major prizes -- 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Not only is this a big marketing push for the cafe in general but more so, an achievement and testimony for their detailed quality of work and training for their staff.

FROG Kaffee is also a foodie place with its ever evolving menu of elevated global gourmet dishes that complements their detailed offering of coffee.

The merging of flavours and focus on details gives it its distinct and special taste. Despite the extravagance, you’d find that everything on their menu is affordable and budget-friendly.

With their relaxing interiors,

you’d surely love to explore the place. Opening its 2nd floor to the public, groove to live acoustic jams whilst you enjoy a cup of coffee. Their open lounge, compared to the more formal dining space below, is more relaxed and perfect for exclusive parties or get togethers. The lounge is decked with comfortable sitting to make your stay even more memorable. *Schedule for live acoustic bands is available on their official facebook page.

As FROG Kaffee moves forward, they want to give back to community by engaging with them online. Through an array of interactive games, customers get a chance to win prizes that includes loyalty points for their Loyalty Cards. Aside from that, they are launching a monthly game, Learn, Compete & Win where customers are selected to brew their coffee in-house and judged by a small jury. Great prizes await the winners.

Frog Kaffee is located at Prime Square, F. Torres Street, Davao City and is open Mondays to Thursday from 9am to 12:30am, Fridays to Saturdays from 9am to 1am, and Sundays from 10am to 12am.

EDGEDAVAO

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EVENT

VOL. 9

Edge Davao and Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. celebrate Christmas Party

Once more with feeling

5-Year Service Awardees

By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS Photos by LEAN DAVAL JR. CHRISTMAS is indeed the season to be jolly as Edge Davao and its sister company Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. just recently hit it all out in a denim-themed Christmas party at Seda Hotel - Abreeza in Davao City last Friday night, December 16.

Everyone was in their best denim attire and most especially their best smiles as Christmas always has its way of making everyone into happy and merry people it was even the event with the presence of two big bosses: Olivia D. Velasco as the general manager of the sister companies and Edge Davao’s editor-in-chief Antonio M. Ajero.

Folks coming from editorial, production, marketing, and accounting departments did their best to amaze everyone with their unique dance productions and made everyone smile.

The company also acknowledged three loyal awardees for staying with Edge Davao and Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. for five years, namely: Ella Tingzon, Jhon Merwin Ladroma, and Robert Kaye Jamoy.

Lucky employees also went home with a 19inch flat screen TV as a grand raffle, radio and other goodies and appliances during the company’s raffle; yet, everyone also did not return emptyhanded as there were also prizes, aside from the traditional exchange of gifts.

Lastly, the intangible things such as the gift of life and friendship was considered as a present in the Christmas Party; these are the most important things that one would not trade for anything else.

Rover Kaye Hamoy

Jhon Merwin Ladroma

Ella Tingzon

Emcee of the night, Ms Ferina Santos

Opening remarks by Ge Manager Olivia D. Velasc

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g!

Team presentations Doxology

by Jam Canonigo & Jay Caro

Talent Competition 1st Place Winner: Marketing Team

2st Place Winner: Admin Team

eneral sco

3rd Place Winner: Production Team

Christmas message

by Editor-in-Chief Antonio M. Ajero

Closing remarks

by Associate Editor Jimmy Laking 4th Place Winner: Editorial Team

Grand Prize Winner of 19” LCD TV: Meanard Into

A4 INdulge!

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

Deadly... FROM 1 operative to buy its produce from an area of 430 hectares.

But the protesters, which also formed themselves into an association, ‘wanted to take over 150 hectares of the total area,’ according to Lapanday.

The Lapanday officials said the real conflict actually boils down to the group of protesters and a bigger cooperative and not between the protesters and Lapanday.

“Hence we urged authorities to implement a court decision that addresses this concern,” said Espejo.

She said the Department of Agrarian Reform can also step in to resolve matter and to put things in order.

Espejo said the company was willing to sit down with the protesters to iron out differences but to no avail.

She said Lapanday is also looking forward to the office of City Mayor Allan L. Rellon to be able to help bring about a peaceful settlement of the

conflict.

Rellon was scheduled this Monday to meet with Lapanday and officials of the cooperatives involved in the conflict in his office.

The protesters had earlier accused the company’s security personnel of firing at their group, injuring seven of them, two in critical condition.

Those injured were identified as: Taldan Miparanun, 16; Jose Balucos, 42; Emmanuel Buladaco, 46; Belardo Francisco, 53; Jojo Gomez, 26; Rico Talagaga; and Joseph Bertulfo, 58.

The protesting famers belong to the Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association Incorporated which company said represented a minority of the ARBA beneficiaries.

The continuing protests were seen as part of the farmers’ campaign to reclaim the land that LFC turned into a plantation in the late 1980s.

councilor and I am focused on this mandate, however if there is a serious offer I would not run away from any national position if it is for the best interest of the country,” Dayanghirang said.

He said that he was at the disposal of the Duterte Team, meaning the President, May-

or Inday Sara Carpio and Vice Mayor Pulong Duterte .

Being with the team for a long time now, Dayanghirang said he knows by heart the philosophy and values behind the Duterte brand of governance which are hard work, discipline and result-oriented.

AMA

number of new HIV infections for this year.

The health department also took note of high cases of infections among the youth aged 15 to 24.

Data from DOH added that from July to October of this year a total of 3,112 new cases of HIV infections were recorded in the country.

Dumama however clarified that distribution of condoms in senior level students will be with parental supervision.

“The distribution condoms will not be open and indiscriminate,” he said.

Counselling and information drive will also play vital

role in the process of the distribution that will ensure that the aim and purposes of the drive will be served.

The move of the DOH in the region also received support from a member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Davao City.

City Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang told reporters in the same press conference that he is supporting the move of the DOH and the DepED as the same will be good for the people of Davao City.

“The use of condoms will help reduce the population and prevent the escalation of HIV,” he pointed out. ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

of its budget.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Davao City also raised the concerns of the failure to conduct consultations prior to the start of the project.

Members of the city council and the Samal City Resort Owners Association (SCROA) went to the Supreme Court for the issuance of a Writ of Kalikasan against the said project.

Recently, the PPA announced that it is withdrawing the Sasa Port development from the list of PPP (public-private partnership) projects previously approved by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

In a statement, PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago said they will abandon the proposed P19 billion Sasa Port project and that the PPA board is now studying the redevelop-

ment of said port with a budget of P4.7 to P4.9 billion.

Laviña said government agencies should learn that projects must not be rushed and must constantly consider consulting the various sectors that have stake on certain projects.

“Do not rush projects without consulting the people,” he told reporters, as he also called on the people to be vigilant and active in looking into programs and projects being implemented by the government.

He also lauded the efforts of the city government of Davao, the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCCI), the consumers and the residents for pursuing their cause against the implementation of the said project.

“Victory at last,” was the message Laviña posted in the

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Condoms... FROM 4

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EDGEDAVAO

Darrell Blatchley (center) led his team in the process of cleaning and eventually to preserve the skeleton of the male sperm whale. (Alexander D. Lopez)

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NEWS 11

Photo shows plastic bags, a mug-size plastic basket and assorted non-biodegradable garbage found inside the stomach of the seven-year old, 38-feet long male sperm whale that was discovered on Saturday in Samal Island, Davao del Norte. (Alexander D. Lopez)

with the rumors that the sperm whale died due to a wound when hit by a propeller of a cargo ship.

He suspected that the young marine mammal was poisoned due to too much intake of plastics and other forms of non-biodegradable garbage from its habitat.

They also discovered string-like white parasites from the stomach of the dead sperm whale.

Blatchley said the wounds found in the body of the dead sperm whale were not life threatening as these were only bites from other marine creatures such as sharks and giant squids.

“Davao Gulf is still rich in marine resources. We also found remains of shark bones and giant squids from its stomach. These are the foods of sperm whales,” he added.

The necropsy report Darrell Blatchley, of the famous Bone Collector Museum

in Davao City, was contacted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Saturday to perform a necropsy on the dead sperm whale.

Blatchley and his team were also contracted by the city government of IGACOS to clear, clean and preserve the bones of the dead sperm whale.

It is the aim of the city government of IGACOS to preserve the skeleton of the dead sperm whale and display for public viewing in the city.

Blachley told EDGE Davao on Saturday that it would take them nearly two years to complete their works, including the process of preservation.

“After two years, we will bring back the complete skeleton of this sperm whale here in Samal for public display and viewing,” he said.

But what struck Blatchley and his team after the necropsy was the discovery of lots of garbage – mainly composed of plastics in the stomach of the dead sperm whale.

“We recovered lots of plastic bags, a mug-size plastic basket, parts of fishing net and an almost foot long 2x2 wood with protruding nail inside the stomach of the dead sperm whale,” he reported.

Blatchley also disagreed

Alarming Blatchley expressed alarm over the cases of death of marine mammals due to pollution and human intervention.

Aside from the death of the sperm whale in IGACOS, he said that a dwarf sperm whale was also killed by strikes of propeller of a ship last December 15 in the town of Sta. Maria in Davao Occidental.

The 2.8-meter female dwarf whale was also pregnant, he added.

For the last 7 years, Blatchley said they were able to respond to 56 cases of death of marine mammals in Mindanao, most, or 54 of which, were in Davao region.

Of the 54 cases of deaths in Davao region, only four of the marine mammals died of natural death – the other 50 were due to human intervention and pollution, he added.

He put across his concern over the seemingly improper disposals of garbage especially of plastics that are considered non-biodegradable.

The presence of plastics and other forms of garbage in the habitat of the marine mammals in the region is evident with the findings they made in the necropsy of a juvenile sperm whale.

He pointed out that awareness and campaigns to conserve the environment must be done to save the marine resources in the Davao Gulf and other areas in Mindanao.

“We do clean up drives once a year but people continue to improperly dispose garbage daily – 365 days. Worst things will happen to our environment and the seas if this will continue,” Blatchley said.

and richest countries, Japan has been struggling with an unusually high suicide rate for a long time. Suicide is the leading cause of death in men ages 20-44 with unemployment, depression and social pressure as key contributing factors, “ the internet article said.

One has to have a strong heart to withstand pressures in life, and this is one of the purposes of a “world camp” being organized by the In-

ternational Youth Fellowship (IYF) to unfold in Davao City, particularly inside the campus of the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) in Bo. Obrero, Feb. 9-12, 2017, according to Cho Sun Hyuk, public relations and communication officer of IYF Philippines.

Cho came to the Philippines to lay the groundworks for the international gathering, staying long enough to

learn to speak Tagalog fluently.

The world camp will be attended by some 5,000 students –4,000 from the USeP, 500 from Davao City to be sponsored by the city government and hundreds from foreign countries, mostly from South Korea, Cho said.

The camp will feature academic games and other competitions, inspirational speeches from international

speakers as well as national experts including those involved in peace-making advocacies, he said.

He thanked the administration of USeP for hosting the international gathering which would cost millions of pesos considering its huge attendance.

Dr. Lourdes Generalao, USeP president, had earlier attended a similar gathering in South Korea, Cho said.

ready received a warning from Sto. Tomas Mayor Benigno Andamon weeks before the issuance of search warrant, however he still continues with his illegal drug activity.

“Mayor Andamon already warned them, he even scolded them giving them the chance to change, but they did not obey,” he said.

Authorities recovered worth P1.9 million of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride commonly known as shabu in the possession of Florida

Arrested during the operation were: Raul Mohammad Asiaw, Shanon Jay Valparaiso, Abel Muñez, Jose Delos Reyes, Adonis Florida, Chris Florida, Omar Timbreza and King Florida.

The PDEA accused them of maintaining the drug den and filed cases against them for violation of Republic Act 9165 commonly known as the Dangerous Drug Act of 2002.

Albani said that they are still monitoring several drug dens in the entire region.

Carlo Danilo de Leon, president of the EAGLES Disaster Rescue Group, one of the largest volunteer respond-

er groups in the city with over 600 members, welcomed the support given to them by the CDRRMO.

Drug Administration for the toys they sell or offer,” Dumama said.

He added that the establishments must be diligent in ensuring that toys are toxic-free and consumers are strongly advised to buy their toy gifts from “legitimate” toy

institutions.

“Salubungin natin ang Pasko at Bagong Taon nang ligtas, masaya, at puno ng pag-asa. Tiyakin natin na ang ireregalong laruan ay magbibigay ng saya at hindi disgrasaya,” Dumamah concluded. TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS

Local residents said this was not the first time that the body of a sea-dwelling beast of burden was swept ashore – such occurrence they also witnessed before.

“Nakakita pud ko ani niadto (I witnessed this occurrence before),” said Ricardo, a 53 year old tricycle driver from Babak.

But Ricardo could not tell the cause of the previous deaths of whales and other sea creatures he witnessed – “Basta ingon nila naigo daw sa sabad sa dakung barko (I was told it was hit by a propeller of a huge cargo ship).”

Last Saturday, December 17, Ricardo and more than a hundred residents in Babak saw how a backhoe pulled ashore another dead sperm whale.

Some fishermen in the area told EDGE Davao that they already saw the sperm whale Friday afternoon alive, floating but very weak.

By Saturday morning, they added, it was already dead.

Again, they suspected that the young sperm whale was hit by a propeller of a cargo ship.

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12 NEWS NFA accredits more rice outlets

T

O make affordable government rice more accessible to the consuming public, the National Food Authority has started increasing the number of its accredited rice outlets nationwide.

NFA Officer In Charge Tomas R. Escarez directed all field offices to accredit additional rice retail outlets not only inside the market but even in remote barangays to make NFA rice readily available especially to the marginalized sector.

NFA rice is still being sold at P27.00 per kilogram for 25 percent brokens; and P32.00 per kilogram for 15 percent brokens.

To enable those who are interested to become an NFA accredited rice retail outlet, Escarez said that field offices were instructed to ease the requirements for accreditation.

He said that interested applicants can be issued a temporary accreditation pending

completion of inspection and submission of requirements so they can immediately sell NFA rice to the consuming public.

NFA currently has a total of 16,775 accredited rice outlets nationwide. Aside from the traditional rice outlets inside and outside the markets, NFA has also other non-traditional rice outlets such as the Bigasan sa Barangay, Bigasan sa Parokya, and Barangay Food Terminal.

NFA also participates in the Diskwento Caravan in the different municipalities organized by the Department of Trade and Industry to bring affordable government rice closer to the public especially during this holiday season.

Escarez reported that the food agency has already distributed a total of 21,405,835 bags of the good quality but low-priced NFA rice from January to November of this year through its accredited outlets across the country. (PNA)

Daniel Evans comes in to partner Watson.

Evans’ claim to fame in 2016 was his heart-breaking five-set US Open third round loss to eventual champion, Stan Wawrinka (the Brit missed a match point in that one), but he spent a large chunk of the year on the Challenger Tour, with a sprinkle of appearances at ATP level.

Things were looking up for Watson following a second career title in Monterrey and decent showings in Miami and Rome (in May), but it has been downhill from there. Watson failed to win back-to-back matches until September, and when she finally managed to string a couple of victories together in Wuhan, her tournament was cut short by a stomach bug. She was forced her to retire against American Madison Brengle, bringing back memories of the illness she suffered during her US Open first round loss to Richel Hogenkamp.

Watson, at 76, is the lowest-ranked female player in the Hopman Cup, and with Evans at 66, Great Britain have a combined ranking of 142comfortably the lowest at the tournament.

top-tenner, and Grand Slam semi-finalist is the most accomplished in this group, and she will back herself to nick a win or two in Perth.

Petkovic is joined by one of the brightest youngsters on the ATP Tour- Alexander Zverev, who is fresh from a career-best season.

Zverev won just one of his three singles matches in his debut appearance at the start of 2016, but he is a much better player these days. Between then and now, he has beaten Federer in Halle; and has beaten Stan Wawrinka to win his maiden tour title at St. Petersburg. He will not be fazed.

HOPMAN... FROM 15

GERMANY Germany’s Andrea Petkovic will make her second appearance at the Hopman Cup, and she will dearly hope that this second coming goes far better than her debut appearance.

The German was taking on Australia’s Ashleigh Barty in her opening match in 2013 when a knee injury brought a tearful end to her tournament.

Such misfortune has been symptomatic of Petkovic’s career. She peaked at number nine in the world after a brilliant 2011, but injuries have impeded her progress since then.

Petkovic has had her injury problems, but the other ladies in this group have also got their issues. The former

FRANCE France lost all three group matches in the 2016 Hopman Cup, when they had Caroline Garcia and Kenny de Schepper (who came in for the injured Gael Monfils) as their representatives. Garcia actually won all her three singles’ matches, but de Schepper lost all of his, and the pair combined to lose all three ties in the mixed doubles.

Now, take out de Schepper, and bring in Richard Gasquet, who returns after helping France to the final in 2012, and all of a sudden, they are a much better team. They will certainly make a better feast of it this time around.

Kristina Mladenovic replacing Garcia isn’t much of a difference; there is not a lot to choose between those two.

GROUP B: AUSTRALIA, CZECH REPUBLIC, USA, SPAIN

AUSTRALIA Nick Kyrgios and Daria Gavrilova return to the scene of their triumph twelve months ago attempting to become the first pair to defend the Hopman Cup title.

The United States successfully defended the title in 2004, but they did so with a different line-up. Lindsay Davenport represented the US in the 2004 tournament, Serena

EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

SSS joins pre-retirement seminar for exiting DENR Region XI employees T HE Social Security System (SSS) participated in two sessions of Pre-Retirement Seminars attended by nearly a hundred retiring employees of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region XI on December 2 and 6 at the DENR regional office in Lanang, Davao

Williams played the previous year.

The hosts have got arguably the best combination in the 2017 Hopman Cup. Kyrgios is the highest-ranked male at number 13, while world number 25, Gavrilova is the second highest-ranked female in the tournament.

Both have done reasonably well this year years, with Kyrgios, despite all his antics, winning titles in Marseille, Atlanta and Tokyo- his first tour titles.

The dogged Gavrilova couldn’t get her hands on any titles (she’s yet to win a WTA title), but she ended the season strongly with a quarter-final in Beijing, semi-final in Hong Kong, and her only final of the season in her final tournament of the year in Moscow.

She will hope to continue that upward trend in Perth.

CZECH REPUBLIC Petra Kvitova is a superb tennis player, but she takes it to an even higher level when she represents her country in team events.

The left-hander helped the Czech Republic to Hopman Cup triumph in 2012, to go along with the five Fed Cup titles in her collection.

Kvitova formed a worldclass union with Tomas Berdych in that 2012 team, but her 2017 partner isn’t quite as high-profile.

The two-time Wimbledon champion is joined by 22-year-old Adam Pavlasek, who won two Challenger titles in 2016, but barely figured on the ATP Tour.

Pavlasek can at least draw from his experience in 2015, when he was drafted in as replacement for the injured Radek Stepanek, but given the quality of opposition he will be u against, the young Czech will struggle to make an impact.

USA No country has won the Hopman Cup more times than

City.

Featuring topics such as SSS retirement claims and the Portability Law, the seminar aims to provide exiting DENR employees vital information on the benefits offeredand procedures implemented by agencies such as SSS, Government Service Insurance System and Pag-IBIG Fund.

the United States, and Jack Sock and Coco Vandeweghe have been tasked with delivering a seventh title to the country.

This is a powerful unit.

Sock might not have won a title in 2016, but he was particularly strong towards the end of the year, reaching the fourth round at the US Open; quarter finals in Shanghai and final in Stockholm. Sock is your typical American, with the huge serve and massive forehand, and when those shots are on, he can be unplayable.

Vandeweghe is not dissimilar in style with the serve and forehands, but she has often flattered to deceive. Her best results came on grass, but she did basically nothing either side of the grass court season, and tapered badly towards the end of the season with four straight losses.

The Americans will hope the more relaxed ambience in Perth brings out the best in her. If she fires, she can be very hard to stop.

SPAIN Four-time champions, Spain will be represented by two debutants- Feliciano Lopez and Lara Arruabarrena.

It is not the most intimidating Spanish line-up you would ever see, but Lopez, with his big serve and old school forays to the net will be an irritant to many in Perth. Lopez’s 2016 scorecard doesn’t exactly jump at you, but he did manage to sneak in a title on the clay of Gstaad.

The same can be said of Arruabarrena- unspectacular year, but a title on the hard courts in Seoul shows the threat she carries.

Lopez and Arruabarrena have the lowest combined ranking in the group, and it will be a big surprise if they advance to the final ahead of the hosts, Australia, a powerful American team, and a Czech side with the dangerous Petra Kvitova. (With data from Livetennis)

Many of the attendees have been covered by SSS prior to their entry in government service and have continued paying SSS contributions as self-employed and voluntary members.

Photo shows SSS Davao Regional Communication Officer Dr. Mario I. Daray (right) speak before the participants

of the second session (left) on SSS-related topics pertaining to retirement benefits and other issues such as the SSS pension increase and fund status. DENR Region XI has expressed willingness to conduct similar activities in the future to assist its employees retiring from active government service.

BIR posts higher November collection of P157-B

T

HE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) posted a 15 percent revenue collection increase to P157.3 billion in November from its year-ago performance.

The BIR said in a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III that it collected P157.29 billion last month, or 15.34 percent higher than its November 2015 collection of P136.37 billion.

This year’s total collection of the BIR has reached P1.454 trillion as of Nov. 30, which is P127.41 billion more than last

year’s collection for the same 11-month period.

This translates into a 9.6 percent increase in its year-toyear collection, said the BIR in its report to Dominguez.

It attributed the collection increase mainly to the agency’s streamlined processes that have improved efficiency in monitoring and collecting taxes, particularly the reduction of documentary requirements for one-time transactions (ONETT) and monitoring of process workflow of the agency’s offices.

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EDGEDAVAO

NEWS 13

Erap warns RP to become ‘narco state’ if narco-politicians still remain in office

M

ANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada on Monday warned that the Philippines could became a “narco state” if government officials protecting and working with drug lords are not removed from their posts.

Estrada said drug traffickers and operators of big-time illegal drug laboratories have managed to run their trade unhampered in the past decades because government officials in power are protecting them.

“You know, every election,

there are candidates -- mayors, congressmen, governors, who ask for political donations, campaign funds, from drug lords, because these drug lords have the money,” Estrada said as he distributed motorcycles to the first batch of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) instructors who have been teaching the anti-drug education program to elementary public school students in Manila and Pasay.

“You know why there are big drug labs in the provinces?

They are protected by these pol-

iticians,” he added. “This is very dangerous, we will become a ‘narco state’ if we do not act fast.”

“That is why for the sake of our country, let us unite and support President (Rodrigo) Duterte for making a great stand against these drug lords,” said Estrada.

The former president said that providing motorcycles and PHP2,000 in monthly allowances to 15 DARE officers will help improve the mobility of the DARE instructors in going to and from different public schools.

(PNA)

Year and that firecrackers may be eliminated from the celebration.

According to DOH statistics, there were 932 firework-related injuries recorded nationwide and tallied a total of 125 injuries in Davao Region from December 21, 2015 to January 5, 2016.

“According to our data, 385 or 42 percent of the reported injuries nationwide were caused by piccolo while 103 or 11 percent of the casualties were coming from

kwitis—whose victims were often children aged 10 to 14 years old,” Dumamah said.

Most incidents were monitored on Davao Region were from Davao del Norte with 92 recorded injuries, followed by Compostella Valley with 26 injuries, Davao del Sur with four, Davao Oriental with three, and none from Davao City.

DOH - Davao Region has also recorded two stray bullets and the victims were admitted at the Davao Regional

Medical Center in Tagum City.

As means for action, the DOH has prepared posters and short videos with graphic images of firework-related injuries.

The department plans to post them on the main thoroughfares and public areas to further increase public awareness.

“I would like to advise the parents and guardians not to allow their children to use firecrackers,” Dumamah added.

“Ang kainit sa atung panahon karon, sobra na kaayo.

Kaniadto, ang alas-onse sa buntag, pwede pa mangguna sa umahan. Karon, alas otso pa lang, mura nag kusion imung panit sa kainit sa adlaw. Pipila lamang kini sa mga timailhan

nga aduna nay kausaban ang atong klima karon nga gitawag nato ug climate change,” she said.

Rice Production is one of the most important industries in the country of which government efforts are geared to.

Through the SOA on Rice Production and Climate Change, the farmers are given added knowledge from various experts especially in rice mechanization as they adapt to a changing world. (Nitt Lantaya/DA-11)

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DA... FROM 10

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EDGEDAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

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EDGEDAVAO Sports 15

VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016

CHAMPS. The DCNHS cagers receive their trophy from Dr. Willie Torres of UM, Ronnel Leuterio of the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas and UMBN officials Fritz Tan and Jinggo Camomot.

GETTING IT DONE

DCNHS bags 2016 GET hoop title

D

AVAO City National High School banked on its gang-ho defense then delivered the crucial baskets down the stretch to edge rival Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High, 85-74, Sunday for the 2016 GET (Guillermo E. Torres) Inter-National High School title at the University of Mindanao gymnasium.

Most Valuable Player awardee Miguel Manuel canned 27 points, 10 of them in the fourth quarter that halted a possible Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High comeback.

Manuel, a power forward for the Carlos Perez/Jayson Villanueva-coached squad mostly had his scores coming from offensive boards especially in the fourth noting a crucial

SEASON OPENER. Swiss former world no. 1 Roger Federer will begin his 2017 season in Perth.

backboard lay-up that had the lead for good, 69-76 with 42 seconds left.

Manuel also got help from guard Victor Marquez who finished with 22 points while Daniel Villanueva added nine as Davao City National High outscored DRANHS, 24-17 in the final quarter.

Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High’s pair of Ken Montero and Rain Sendiong woundup with 22 points each on a losing effort. Montero got hot early in the first quarter drilling three straight triples that gave them a 12-4 lead but failed to convert behind the arc in the final quarter when it needed most.

Other members of the Davao City National High squad

included Cristian Cabunoc, Kevin Villarojo, Kit Realino, Marvin Salvana, Cristian Batao and Peter Calupo. Villanueva and Perez were also joined by Ren Porras at the bench. Their road to the finals included a 4-0 win-loss card to top Bracket B and an 81-71 victory in the final-four semifinal round next to Sta. Ana National High School.

Sta. Ana National High School salvaged third place after beating Dona Carmen Denia National High School, 9990. Playmaker JP Olivar led the Marc Enoc-coach quintet with 22 points backed by Christian Romero’s 16. DFort Tee and EJ Baculod also added 15 points each.

Dona Carmen Denia’s pair

GET CAGEFEST. Dr. Willie Torres, president of the University of MIndanao, tosses the ceremonial championship ball in the match between the Davao City National High School and the Daniel R. Aguinaldo National HIgh School.

GUTSY. A DCNHS cager goes up for a layup. of Peter Lastimado and Ken Labrador finished with similar 18 points. Sta. Ana National High finished second in the eliminations with a 3-1 record in Bracket B behind leader Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High.

GET Inter-National High

chairman Dr. Guillermo P. Torres Jr., SBP Region XI head of operations Ronnel Leuterio along with Oca Salvador and coordinators Fritz Tan, Jinggo Camomot and Roy Geonzon awarded the winners with their respective trophies after the

games.

The month-long grassroots development program which is focused on public national high schools was presented by GET Holdings Incorporated, the Royal Mandaya Hotel and the SBP-XI chapter.

HOPMAN FEVER ON Federer opens 2017 season in Perth, Aussies to defend title

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO njb@edgedavao.net

P

ERTH, AUSTRAL I A —T h e Hopman Cup fever is as hot as the summer here in Down Under.

Former World no. 1 Roger Federer of Switzerland will be the biggest drawcard at the 2017 Hopman Cup, the biggest sporting event this summer in Western Australia.

The seventeen-time Grand Slam champion continues to ease his way back into action following a lengthy spell on the sidelines and will be partnering with Belinda Bencic for the Swiss team.

T h e 2017 edition of the Hopman Cup action begins on New

Year’s Day through January 7 at the Perth Arena.

The injury-plagued Federer sat out the second half of last season, watching on as Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic tussled for the number one ranking, while his own ranking slid out of the top ten for the first time in fourteen years.

Yes, Federer had a disappointing year, but it is important to note that he still contested two Grand Slam semi-finals, the most recent of which was a painful fiveset loss to Milos Raonic at Wimbledon.

He remains very relevant at the highest level, and injuries permitting, the great Swiss will be a factor in 2017- and it will all begin at the Perth Arena.

The Hopman cup features eight countries split into two groups of four, with the countries playing each other in a round-robbing format. The winners of each group advance to the final.

Each team is represented by one male player, and one female player.

Each match-up between the nations features a men’s singles’ duel, a women’s singles’ match and a mixed doubles’ contest.

This is how the groupings go: GROUP A: SWITZERLAND, GREAT BRITAIN, GERMANY, FRANCE

Team Preview: SWITZERLAND Roger Federer has got great memories of the Hopman Cup. His first appearance was back in 2001, when he teamed up with Martina Hingis to win the tournament, but perhaps more memorable was his participation in 2002, when he paired with then girlfriend, Miroslava Vavrinec (now wife, Mirka Federer).

Switzerland failed to get out of the group phase.

Federer will be joined in

the 2017 edition by teenager, Belinda Bencic in a team of the walking wounded.

Like Federer, Bencic endured an injury-ravaged 2016, during which her ranking slid from a career-high number seven in February to her year-end number 43 ranking.

Bencic made a good enough start to the year, notably pushing Maria Sharapova hard in the fourth round of the Australian Open, but a back injury forced her to pull out of the French Open, and a wrist problem ended her Wimbledon campaign.

Bencic struggled on her return from those setbacks, but there was still time for one more bout of bad luck when she took a nasty tumble during a second round match against Svetlana Kuznetsova in Wuhan. Her tournament ended there.

Bencic suffered six opening round losses in the eight tournaments she played af-

ter Wimbledon.

It will be nice for Team Switzerland to add to their two Hopman Cup titles, and at their very best, their two former top ten stars should provide a formidable unitbut the Swiss maestro and miss will just be happy to get matches under their belts in a more relaxed environment ahead of the perils of the new campaign.

GREAT BRITAIN Britain’s best performance at the Hopman Cup was in 2010, when Laura Robson and Andy Murray guided them to a second-place finish.

The Brits, parading Murray and Heather Watson, just missed out on a place in the final in 2016, but they will be without their world number one superstar next year, and that severely limits their chances of bettering that performance.

FHOPMAN, 12

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 215 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2016