Edge Davao 9 Issue 267 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

VOL. 9 ISSUE 267 • THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017 FOLLOWING TRADITION. A Catholic faithful is smudged with ash on his forehead by Archbishop Romulo Valles at San Pedro Cathedral during Ash Wednesday service in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

LAVIÑA OUT Palace expresses regret but accepts Peter Lavina’s resignation By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

adlopez0920@gmail.com

N the midst of intrigues hurled against his person, Peter Tiu Laviña on Wednesday quit from his post as chief of National Irrigation Administration.

“Paalam!” was the opening statement Laviña made in his Facebook account “Irrigator Peter: Your Water Boy”. He created the account more than a month ago that served as a channel to update the various sectors on the regular activities, programs and projects of NIA. Laviña said there were efforts to discredit his person recently.

“I have been vilified in the past; my name used, abused and maligned. Recently, there had been efforts to discredit me again,” he pointed out. He added that circulated rumors carried intrigues such as the asking of money from the contractors of NIA. “These are not true!” Laviña clarified. Reports also mentioned of the recent audience made by the regional directors of NIA with President Duterte when and where they detailed the allegations of corruption against Laviña. In recent important gatherings in Davao City, the Pres-

ident, after meeting with the NIA directors already hinted he would fire an appointed official from the city. Laviña was appointed NIA administrator in November last year. During the 2016 election, he also served as the campaign spokesperson of President Duterte. “To spare the President from these embarrassing stories, particularly in these times of intensified attacks on him, I have quietly left government,” he continued in his post. He added that he has neither

personal vested interest in nor ill intent towards NIA and the whole government, which he said, we are trying to reform.

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CPDO survey to pinpoint depressed areas in Davao By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ ITY Planning and ed to update the ComprehenD e v e l o p m e n t sive Development Plan. “We will update that Office head Ivan with the intention to incorCortez bared one of the porate the DRRM (Disaster key priority programs Risk Reduction and Manof Davao City govern- agement) plans and also the ment to combat poverty climate change adaptation,” dubbed, “Community he added. Based Monitoring SysThe CPDO head stressed tem (CBMS).” CBMS involves proper data

Guesting during the bizforum at DermPath SM City Davao on Wednesday, Cortez said CPDO was mandat-

gathering. “Our enumerators or persons on the ground will

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 267 • THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017

SEND-OFF. Councilor Diosdado Mahipus watches as a sea green turtle is released to the sea at Aboitiz Cleanergy Park in Punta Dumalag, Barangay Matina Aplaya, Davao City Tuesday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

Above-normal rainfall seen to ease-PAGASA

HE country will experience in the forthcoming days a lesser incidence of above-normal rainfall that has characterized the La Niñalike conditions in previous weeks. Such rainfall will not continue to linger as the 20162017 La Niña has decayed, according to the state weather bureau, PAGASA. “Latest data indicate such La Niña is over,” said Analiza Solis, OIC of PAGASA’s Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section. Some rains that may still occur will just be remnants of the La Niña-like conditions previously seen in the country, she noted. Solis said latest data show

that La Niña conditions no longer exist in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific (CEEP). “La Niña-like patterns of above-normal rainfall in some flood- and landslide-prone areas, especially in Mindanao, aren’t likely to linger as noted in forecasts,” PAGASA also said in a Feb. 28 statement. PAGASA does not expect either La Niña or El Niño conditions to develop in the equatorial Pacific basin within the next three months. Solis said several international dynamical models indicate El Niño’s possible recurrence later this year. The bureau will continue monitoring conditions in the

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Tourist arrivals soar under President Rody By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

N increase of 8 percent tourist arrival was seen after former Mayor Rodrigo Duterte won the presidential race in 2016. City Tourism Officer Regina Rosa Tecson said that in 2016, the city recorded 1.850 million tourist arrivals in the city, higher than the 1.730 million of tourist arrival in 2015. She said that Duterte became the biggest endorser of the city when he decided to throw his hat in the presidential race.

The Tourism office even included the infamous green house of the President as one of the tourist destinations in the city. “The President is our biggest endorser in the tourism aspect ever since he decided to run there was an increase of tourist arrivals since the people wanted to witness the ‘exhibit a’ of the president,” Tecson said. She said that they also included Duterte as one of the icons of the city to attract

more tourists to visit the city. “Before we only have 4 icons, the waling-waling, Mt. Apo, durian and the Philippine Eagle, now we have 5. The President is now our 5th icon,” she said. She added that on this year’s 80th Araw ng Davao celebration, they will be expecting more than 150,000 tourist arrivals in the city since Davao has been making names after Duterte won the presidency. This year’s Araw ng Davao

celebration will run for 2 weeks starting on March 1 to 16 and will even be extended up to the 18th. During last year’s celebration, Duterte made an emotional goodbye to the Davaoeṅos since it was to be his last ARAW NG Davao as Mayor of the city. He even made his political sortie here on the very day of the Araw ng Davao. Duterte has been mayor of the city for more than 2 decades.

FFICIALS of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and in Maguindanao on Wednesday grieved the demise of Representative Simeon Ampatuan Datumanong, who is considered a great Muslim leader. He was 81 years old. Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman said the entire ARMM leadership grieved with the family of Datumanong, who he described as “an honest politician, great statesman, public servant and lawmaker.” “The whole Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has lost a great leader. Hon. Simeon Datumanong embodied the high ideals of an honest politician, a patriot who

believed in the Bangsamoro cause to which he devoted his life,” Hataman said in a statement. “He will forever stay in the hearts of the people of the ARMM in general and Maguindanao in particular as a deeply respected and loved leader. He will be missed not only by his constituents but also by the august halls of Congress, and the various offices he served with distinction and respect,” Hataman added. The regional governor said, “On a personal note, being part of the family, I extend my deepest sympathy and utmost support to all members of the clan in this mournful hour, as I wish them strength and cour-

age on the loss of a revered patriarch,” Hataman said. Mayor Zamsamin Ampatuan of Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao first broke the news of Datumanong’s death at about 9:45 Tuesday. Ampatuan is one of Datumanong’s relatives in government service. Ampatuan said the Muslim leader was confined in the Philippine Heart Center for about two weeks before he passed away due to cardiac arrest at 9:25 p.m. “He (Rep. Datumanong) will be laid to his final resting place at Maganoy (Poblacion Sharif Aguak, Maguindanao), at about 2 p.m. today,” Mayor Ampatuan said on his FB page. “We will miss him so much

as an epitome of good leadership, calm, simple and effective. For me, he is an elder who is my idol. Kaka Sim, May Allah bless your soul,” the mayor of Raja Buayan said. Rep. Bai Sandra Sema of Maguindanao’s first congressional district and Datumanong’s relative, was also saddened by his demise. “Tonight, we’ve lost a great leader. One who has served well his people. Who has inspired many to strive for their dreams and succeed. His track record is very hard to duplicate,” Rep. Sema said late Tuesday. “Thank you for inspiring me to reach my dream of be-

UK firms set business ARMM, Moro leaders grieve death of Rep. Datumanong mission to Davao City O

VER 20 businessmen from United Kingdom are set to visit Davao City for a two-day business mission from March 30 to 31. British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) Chairman Chris Nelson said in a media briefing Wednesday that some 10 UK-based companies will be looking at opportunities in the country particularly in Mindanao regions. Nelson said the business mission will eye opportunities in four sectors including agri-business, information and communications technol-

ogy, energy, and infrastructure. “The Philippines is a key focus in terms of opportunities by the UK,” the BCCP chief noted. He added that the business mission of British firms in Davao City is also in line with the government’s drive to push development outside Metro Manila. Aside from trade and investment forum and business matching sessions, Nelson said the delegation will also meet with local government

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 267 • THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017

BFP bares activities for Fire Prevention Month By JECIA ANNE OPIANA

ITH the month of March dubbed as National Fire Prevention Month, the Bureau of Fire Protection in Davao City has lined up a number of events in line with the month-long occasion. Insp. Christian Cena, BFP XI Central Fire Station Commander said that according to BFP findings, the month of March have higher number of fire incidents compared to other periods since the month marks the beginning of the hot season. BFP have started Fire Prevention Month on Wednesday, by having their kick-off ceremony and unity walk. On Friday, March 3, will be the Fire Square, a quiz bee and poster-making contest to be participated by public and private schools in both elementary and secondary level all over Davao City which will be held at the Davao City Fire District Central Parking Bay.

On dates March 6-10 will be the Kapihan sa PIA, back-toback with Berong Bumbero sa Paaralan, a fire safety awareness campaign in different schools. The third week of the month (March 13-17) will be allotted to the inspection and testing of all fire hydrants, house-to-house fire safety awareness campaigns and refreshers course training for the volunteer and barangay fire brigades. All fire stations will have an open house for the public on March 20-22. This month-long celebration’s highlight would be the Fire Combat Challenge participated by the different barangays and industrial organizations in Davao City. Winners of the said event will be awarded during the month’s culmination ceremony on March 31. According to the data divulged by the BFP, since the

DIVINE INTERCESSION. The city government of Davao employees and officials led by city administrator Zuleika Lopez attend yesterday’s sponsored mass or the ‘Misa sa Pasasalamat’ at San Pedro Cathedral ahead of the opening of the 80th Araw ng Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

CIGARETTES SEIZED FOR P165-M UNPAID TAXES Increase in rebels giving Customs, BIR agents jointly raid warehouse in Gensan F BFP, 11

up noted since ceasefire

INCE the lifting of the unilateral ceasefire on February 1, there has been an increase in the number of combatants of the rebel New People’s Army surrendering to government forces. According to 10th Infantry Division Spokesperson Captain Ryan Batchar, a total of 63 neutralized persons have been noted by the division. The number includes eight who were captured, three killed, one who was re-arrested and 42 who have surrendered. Recovered from them are 19 fire arms and 23 explosive devices. “They have been recruiting during the ceasefire pero ito yung mabilisang recruitment. Many are just forced to

join,” said BGen Gilbert Gapay during the AFP-PNP Corps Press conference on Wednesday. He also added that some recruited members are those with involvement to drugs who were promised to be protected if they joined the rebel army. There have been 21 encounters recorded within different parts of Mindanao since the lifting of the unilateral ceasefire but despite all of the recent encounters. BGen Gapay remains hopeful that the NPA will be cooperative with the resumption of the peace talks most especially since Mayor Sara Duterte have given them an offer to have a dialogue a week ago. (Jecia Anne Opiana)

OVERNMENT AGENTS belonging to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) seized 11,000 mastercases of cigarettes during a raid yesterday of a warehouse in General Santos City for unpaid taxes computed at P165 million. A raid jointly conducted at

around 8:30 a.m. by the BOC and BIR agents on a sales office and warehouse of Mighty Corporation, a cigarette company, in General Santos City in coordination with officials of Barangay Lagao, where the Sunshine Cornmill Warehouse along Aradaza St. is located Mighty Corp. is a 100-percent Filipino-owned company

based in Bulacan manufacturing Mighty, King, and Marvel cigarettes. Capt. Chris Degano, of the BOC’s Special Studies and Project Development Committee (SSPDC), leader of the raiding party, said that based on the computation of the BIR personnel from the Region 12 office, the total unpaid taxes

reached P165 million. Degano said that BOC Commissioner Nic Faeldon signed both the mission order and the letter of authority for the raid yesterday. He said they found out that the cigarette products that were in the said sales office of Mighty Corporation were

8,892 soldiers for the special quota as approved by the President; 1,069 soldiers for the newly organized 54th Engineer Brigade; and 3,600 soldiers representing the annual quota replacement in the Army. Hao said most of the new

recruits will fill up the Army infantry, cavalry and artillery units, while others will fill up the engineering, communication, logistics, and other administrative functions of the Army. Of the total number of recruits, 10 percent will be

allocated for female recruits, and 5 percent will come from Indigenous Peoples. Once a candidate soldier is recruited and becomes a trainee, he or she will receive a gross monthly income of P16,852.

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Philippine Army to recruit 13,910 more troops in 2017 HE Philippine Army will recruit 13,910 new soldiers this year to fill up various units, its spokesperson Col. Benjamin Hao said Wednesday. He said the distribution of the recruitment will be 349 officers (2nd lieutenant);

Don’t compare Mamasapano probe with Lascañas investigation: Gordon

PROUD OF OUR ROOTS. Students gather in front of a tarpaulin printed with Davao City’s landmarks while they listen to a licensed tourist guide’s history lecture during the 80th Araw ng Davao ‘Dabawenyo Ako’ at Magallanes Elementary School yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

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EN. Richard Gordon on Wednesday said it is not right to compare the reopening of the Mamasapano massacre inquiry to the probe on the new testimony of retired SPO3 Arturo Lascañas. Gordon made this statement after families of some members of the slain 44 elite police Special Action Force (SAF) personnel visited his office Tuesday urging him to reopen the probe into the bloody Mamasapano attack in 2015. The families were accompanied by Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) general counsel, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio. “Do not dishonor the 44 men by comparing their families’ request to reopen the Mamasapano investigation to Lascanas’ admission of perjury,” Gordon, chair of the Senate Committee on Justice, said.

The senator said that unlike the probe into Lascañas’ testimony, the probe into the Mamasapano massacre only sought for justice. Lascañas admitted to lying before the Senate in a hearing last October 2016. “They went to me. I did not call them. They seek justice not vengeance,” he added. Gordon earlier expressed willingness to reopen the probe into the Mamasapano massacre if allowed to do so. He also said that he is also willing to invite former Pres. Benigno Aquino III among other key persons. In 2015, at least 20 senators signed a Senate committee report holding the former president “ultimately responsible” for the failed police operation. The report was drafted by the Senate Committee on Pub-

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

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Gatchalian: Free tuition policy in SUCs not anti-poor

UNDERSCORING. City Planning and Development Office head Ivan Cortez speaks about the priority projects of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio during the bizforum at DermPath SM City Davao on Wednesday. (Jermaine dela Cruz)

Livelihood projects for communities affected by mine closures underway T HE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) assured on Tuesday that livelihood projects are being put in place to help communities directly affected by the closure of 23 mining companies that failed the industry-wide audit conducted by the agency. In a press conference held Tuesday, DENR Secretary Gina Lopez said that a number of government agencies have participated in a planning workshop organized by the DENR in Butuan City to come up with a package of livelihood projects for the affected mine workers in the provinces of Dinagat Island, Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte. “Sa green economy, whether or not we’re there, the government goes there or wala ... kaya na nila sa sarili nila. Yan ang dapat. This is the very key important point that I want everyone needs to

know that by taking care of the environment, doon manggagaling ang pakinabang ng lahat,” Lopez said. DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Philip Camara identified the livelihood projects crafted by 11 participating government agencies to include revegetation of mined-out areas, biochar production and community enterprise initiatives. He said the re-vegetation of mined out areas has the potential of generating of up to 1,000 livelihood opportunities for mining workers for every 200 hectares, and yield around P7,000 monthly income per household, which is the same amount as the average salary of a mine worker. He also said that mining communities could turn agricultural wastes into biochar or charcoal briquette -- a type of charcoal that is produced by burning only a small amount of oxygen, thus enabling car-

bon to be absorbed by plants and prevent it from accumulating in the atmosphere. “Biochar has strong potential to provide alternative livelihood to mine communities given that the Philippines consume about 22 million cubic meters of wood for fuel and charcoal,” he said. “These alternatives not only provide high-value jobs, they also multiply into agriculture,” Camara said, adding that the re-vegetation process starts from rehabilitating the soil so it can grow plants and trees to boost agriculture. To prepare them into becoming ecotourism sites, the DENR will create community enterprises in mining affected areas within the next three to six months. Other livelihood activities that the DENR plans to undertake to assist displaced mining workers include establishment of plant nurseries, dredge rivers, improve

agricultural lands through biochar, introduce bamboo and napier grass as agricultural crops, raise poultry and livestock and set up priority sites for the Enhanced National Greening Program. Camara said the livelihood projects being put in place by the DENR are geared toward “creating a local economy that works for the local people.” Among the agencies that participated in the planning workshop were the Department of Labor and Employment, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Agriculture, Department of Science and Technology, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Trade and Industry, Philippine Coconut Authority, Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development. (PNA)

HE Australian Embassy will hold an information session on Friday, 3 March, 10:00 AM at Cinematheque Davao, Palma Gil St., Davao City to open opportunities for fellow Dabawenos who are interested to apply in the Australia Awards scholarship program. The Australia Awards is a prestigious international scholarships program aimed at equipping emerging leaders with skills and world-class Australian education to build a better future, not just for themselves, but also for their home countries. Scholarships are aimed at the Philippines’ best and

brightest - regardless of gender, ethnicity or disability - who wish to pursue postgraduate qualification (Master’s Degree) at Australian universities. Applications for the program’s 2018 intake is open until 30 April 2017. Scholars based in Mindanao like Professor Roy Ponce of Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology (DOSCST) and Maximo Macalipes Jr. of Davao City Government, are making a difference in a wide range of areas including education, business, peace and security, and governance. Prof. Ponce, who was awarded scholarships by the

Australian Government to complete his post-graduate degrees at Melbourne University, established afterschool care centres for marginalised children in Davao Oriental. “I was inspired when I witnessed the afterschool care centre system of the University of Melbourne which was just next to my college building. And I figured, if children in advanced countries like Australia can provide such service to school children, there must be a way to build centres that can benefit our own school children, especially those in poorer communities in the Philippines,” Professor Roy Ponce

explained. Maximo Macalipes Jr. of Swinburne University of Technology was awarded the same scholarship, resumed his post at Davao City Hall, and immediately set out to improve public financial management in the city. Under his guidance, the City Economic Enterprise Office turned around the performance of local government assets resulting to over 20% increase in revenues for the city in a year. For more information on the Australia Awards program, visit www.australiaawardsphilippines.org for more details.

HE implementation of a free tuition policy in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) would significantly improve the financial position of working-class households that are struggling to cope with the high cost of tertiary education, Senator Win Gatchalian said on Wednesday as he scored critics for attempting to brand the policy as “anti-poor”. In a statement, signed by several members of the Duterte cabinet, the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) characterized the policy as “anti-poor” by pointing out that only 12% of SUC students hail from the poorest 20% of households. “Ninety-three percent (93%) of SUC students come from working-class households supported by breadwinners who earn, at the very most, salaries only marginally above prevailing minimum wage rates,” said Gatchalian, one of the sponsors of Senate Bill No. 1304, the free tuition bill popularly known as the Free Higher Education for All Act. “In this context, characterizing the Free Higher Education for All Act as ‘anti-poor’ is elitist nonsense. The free tuition policy will help these modest working-class households improve their standards of living as they work their way up into the middle class,” he added. Gatchalian emphasized that, by giving them an oppor-

tunity to increase household savings, the free tuition policy would insulate near-poor and low-income households from economic shocks which threaten to pull them down into poverty, such as illness in the family or sudden loss of employment. “By lessening the burden of educational costs on working-class households, we are giving them the chance to build a more prosperous future for themselves and their loved ones. This is in line with the country’s long-term socioeconomic goal of building a strong middle-income society. Anyone who characterizes this advocacy as ‘anti-poor’ is obviously out-of-touch with the needs of the average Filipino,” said Gatchalian. Gatchalian also expressed continuing confidence in the imminent passage of the measure in the Senate, despite the shakeup earlier this week which resulted in a change of leadership of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts, and Culture. “The Free Higher Education for All Act continues to enjoy widespread support among senators, including our colleagues from the newly-formed Senate minority. I am optimistic that we will be able to put our political differences aside and continue to provide unified support for this important higher educational reform,” said Gatchalian, the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Education Committee. (PR)

PH, Japan to hold 3rd ViceMinisterial Strategic Dialogue

HE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday said the Philippines and Japan will hold the 3rd Vice-Ministerial Strategic Dialogue (VMSD) in the country Wednesday to continue building upon bilateral mechanisms that further enhance their strengthened strategic partnership. Undersecretary for Policy Enrique A. Manalo will lead the Philippine delegation while the Japanese contingent will be lead by Deputy Foreign Minister Takeo Akiba. DFA Spokesman and Assistant Secretary Charles Jose in a text message to reporters

said the event will be held at the main office of DFA. The VMSD which was established in 2009, is an avenue for both countries to share ideas and discuss matters of mutual interest such as political, security, economic, consular, and other issues that affect Philippine-Japan relations. The 3rd VMSD will particularly focus on the Philippines’ chairmanship of ASEAN, including possible joint activities to commemorate the landmark 50th Anniversary of ASEAN, as well as important bilateral concerns for the two countries. (PNA)

ONSUMERS may expect a possible P4 rollback in the price of an 11-kg. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder due to a downtrend in the international contract price for LPG, the Department of Energy (DOE) has announced. In a news release issued late Tuesday, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said that based on their international price monitoring, the contract price for March amounts to USD564 per metric ton (MT), which is USD9 lower than February’s contract price of USD573/MT, translating to a P0.36/kg. or

a reduction of P4 per 11-kg. tank. Cusi also called on the buying public to check every LPG cylinder to ensure that it has the right quantity and quality. The department has advised consumers to check the markings on LPG cylinders (brand name, tare weight and seals) and buy from authorized outlets; check the tank for excessive rust and dents; ensure that the collar and foot ring are smooth and properly welded; and make sure that the seal is intact and firmly affixed to the valve. (PNA)

Australian government to open prestigious scholarships to best, brightest in Mindanao T DOE sees possible P4 LPG price rollback C

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Lake Sebu traders decide to scuttle excess fish cages

ISH cage operators in Lake Sebu town in South Cotabato have agreed to voluntarily dismantle their excess fish cages in a bid to reduce the critical lake’s utilization to the allowable 10-percent limit. Zaldy Artacho, Lake Sebu municipal agriculture office chief, said Wednesday such move was an offshoot of a series of meetings initiated by the local government in the wake of last month’s massive fish kill that destroyed around P126.5 million worth of tilapia. He said some 464 fish cage operators signified support to the initiative in an assembly on Monday called by the local government. The gathering was joined by officials and fishery experts from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Provincial Environment and Management Office, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and the Mindanao State University-General Santos College of Fisheries. Artacho said they initially presented to the group three alternatives to address the problem: the setting of a three to five-year moratorium on fish cage operations, the declaration and observance of an annual fish holiday, and the reduction of the lake’s utilization to 10 percent. He said these recommendations were thoroughly discussed by the experts, and local stakeholders were eventually made to decide on the matter. “The 10-percent utilization was the solution chosen. It was considered a ‘win-win’ decision to allow the lake to recover and at the same time sustain our (tilapia) industry,” he said. Lake Sebu, which is the largest of the town’s three lakes, spans 354 hectares and covers barangays Bacdulong,

Takunel and Poblacion. With the implementation of the 10-percent utilization limit, the area’s fish cages and related structures should only cover 35.4 hectares. Records show that fish cages now cover 23.19 percent or 82 hectares of the entire Lake Sebu. Lake Sebu Mayor Antonio Fungan said the fish cage operators have no choice but to adopt the 10-percent utilization limit as it is provided by law. Under Republic Act 8550 or the Philippine Fishery Code of 1998, only 10 percent of the total area of inland waters is allowed for aquaculture development. “Besides, BFAR is coming out with an enforcement order for this so it’s only proper for us to comply now,” he said. The mayor said that aside from this, the lake’s cleanup of water hyacinths and other wastes will continue. The municipal government placed the entire municipality last month under the state of calamity as a result of the fish kill from January 27 to February 4. The fish kill had destroyed around P1.4 million tons of tilapia from 4,944 fish cages owned by 464 operators situated in Barangays Poblacion, Takonel and Bacdulong. Experts noted that the overcrowding of fish cages at the lake, the proliferation of water hyacinths and the use of commercial feeds by operators have caused its waters to deteriorate, triggering fish kills. They were blamed for the occurrence of “kamahong,” a phenomenon that is mainly 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 causes the massive fish kill. (MindaNews)

FAVORITE. Elementary students buy tamarind candies from a vendor outside Magallanes Elementary School in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Upland tribes to benefit from viable reforestation program By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

IVE upland tribes will benefit from one of Davao City Government’s priority programs under poverty alleviation. Guesting during the bizforum at DermPath SM City Davao on Wednesday, City Planning and Development Office head Ivan Cortez said the program, dubbed “Sustainable Reforestation Program for Upland Tribes” will benefit tribes of Matigsalog, Bagobo-Tagabawa, Ata, Obo-Manobo, and Bagobo-Klata. “Each will be given P5 million so a total of P25 million,”

said Cortez. According to the CPDO head, the hybrid reforestation program will use fruit bearing trees and that will provide them food and means of livelihood. He added, without bias to industrial tree planting, those who opt for those types of trees may go for it since there is also a demand for timber in the market. More importantly, Cortez pointed out Davao City’s risk for flooding which could be alleviated by the program. “Our concern is every year we have a reforestation

program, why not utilize the people living there in the uplands?” he said. Other livelihood activities will be introduced while waiting for the trees to produce fruits in commercial quantity, Cortez added. The two-year Sustainable Reforestation Program for Upland Tribes will be implemented by City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and City Agriculturist Office with the support of City Social Services Development Office (CSSDO) in coordination with the tribal leaders.

Poverty alleviation is one of the key priority areas under the mayor’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda, alongside infrastructure development, solid waste management, health, education, agriculture, tourism, transportation planning and traffic management, peace and order, and disaster risk reduction and mitigation. Programs and projects under poverty alleviation highlight social protection of vulnerable sectors, emphasis on access to opportunities, and strengthen responsible parenthood or family planning programs.

HE spokesperson of the Department of Finance (DOF) today asserted that Secretary Carlos Dominguez III’s position on the mining policy of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is founded on the principles of due process of law and non-impairment of contract obligations as enshrined in the 1987 Constitution. Contrary to the misguided allegation by certain groups that Dominguez is siding with the miners with regard to the DENR’s closure or suspension of mine sites nationwide, Assistant Secretary Paola Alvarez said in a statement that “the DOF Secretary is simply on the side of the Constitution and the law when it comes to this issue.” Alvarez pointed out that “Secretary Dominguez himself has stressed in a Tuesday news briefing at Malacañang that the only position he supports is that of President Duterte, which is to follow due process and honor all contracts in dealing with all kinds of activities in Government.” Alvarez pointed out that, “These critics have conve-

niently left out one major point in this issue, and it is that both Secretary Dominguez and DENR Secretary Regina Lopez have, as co-chairperson of the MICC (Mining Industry Coordinating Council), both signed the Council’s Resolution No. 6 dated Feb. 9 affirming the primacy of procedural and substantive due process in the final resolution of the DENR’s series of actions on the closure or suspension of 28 mines and cancellation of the government’s 75 MPSAs (Mineral Production Sharing Agreements) with mining companies.” In fact, she said, it is this MICC Resolution No. 6 signed by both Secretaries Lopez and Dominguez that have led to the creation of a Technical Working Group (TWG), which, in turn, formed a week ago five technical teams that would conduct a three-month multi-stakeholder review of the performance of the affected mining projects. “As agreed upon by the MICC’s TWG in its organizational meeting last Feb. 20, these technical review teams or TRTs are to go over the compliance of the affected mines

with applicable agreements, submissions, laws and regulations as well as the technical, legal, social, environmental and economic impact of the DENR’s orders,” Alvarez said. This MICC action is pursuant to Executive Order No. 79, which provides for the multi-stakeholder review of mining operations once every two years, in consultation with local government units, she added. A lawyer, Alvarez said that Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution’s Article III on the Bill of Rights states that, “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws,” while Article III’s Section 10 states that, “No law impairing the obligation of contracts shall be passed.” “Hence, the DOF Secretary is only upholding the principle that nobody can be deprived of life, liberty or property without the appropriate legal procedures and safeguards as enshrined in the fundamental law of the land,” she said. Alvarez dismissed the critics’ concern about alleged

partiality, noting that the multi-stakeholder review will certainly follow an objective or impartial process, given that (1) the TRTs are mandated to take off from the existing reports conducted by Secretary Lopez’s very own DENR’s audit team, and that (2) no representative from the mining industry shall be allowed to take part in the three-month review process. The five review teams will present their findings to the MICC, which shall then submit its recommendations to the Office of the President, which shall make a final decision on the DENR’s closure and suspension orders, she said. Alvarez further said that it was only natural for Secretary Dominguez and several more Cabinet members to be concerned about the impact of the DENR’s actions on local employment and finance, considering that estimates by the DOF-attached Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) show that the closure and suspension orders will cost 17 affected cities and municipalities in 10 provinces over P821 million annually in foregone revenues. (PR)

Secretary Dominguez is on the side of the law, says DOF spokesperson

T DOLE conducts assessment of Region 9 establishments

HE Department of Labor and Employment is conducting assessment on the different establishments here in the region to ensure they comply with the labor standards. Maria Elena Alabata, DOLE regional supervising labor and employment officer, on Wednesday said prioritized for assessment are hotels, retail and wholesale trade, malls and fast food chains, hospitals, manufacturing establishments with expired Certificate of Compliance. Covered by the conduct of the assessment are the establishments located in this city, Isabela City and nearby provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay. The assessment undertaken by the Labor Law Compliance Officers (LLCO) is covered by authorization issued

by DOLE Regional Director Sisinio Cano. “We ask them to cooperate and welcome our LLCO since they can be assisted how to be compliant if there are deficiencies,” she said. Checked during the assessment are payment of minimum wage, benefits and other pays the workers must enjoy such as overtime and others. She said they also check the working area including the equipment being used by the establishments. Alabata said establishments with violations will be given the opportunity to be compliant. Fines will be slapped to violators depending on the gravity of the violations. She said the number of establishments to be assessed this year is 1,425 in the entire region. (PNA)

ECONOMY 5

6 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 267 • THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017

Wonderful experience awaits P140-M road concreting project to start in DavSur DAVRAA delegates, spectators G T

HE thousands of delegates and visiting spectators of Southern Mindanao’s biggest sports event to be held in the City of Mati on March 19 to 24 will not only be regaled with “excellence in sports” as the host province, Davao Oriental, will also be showcasing its wondrous and unique ecotourism destinations during the event in a bid to position the province as the new premiere ecotourism destination in Mindanao. “One of the reasons why we accepted the offer to be the host for the 2017 DAVRAA Meet is that it is an opportune time for us to showcase our wonderful and unique ecotourism destinations in the province. We will show to them that we’ve got the best tourism sites and we are the new premiere tourism destination. It is not often that we have the opportunity to host an event as big as this one. And we are proud and grateful and privileged to host the biggest sports event in Southern Mindanao,” says Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang during a press conference at the provincial Capitol on Thursday afternoon. The Davao Region Athletic Association or DAVRAA Meet is an annual multi-level regional scholastic athletic competition participated by elementary and secondary students both from private and public schools in the Davao Region. Eye-Opening Destination Expand your perspective by seeing and experiencing Davao Oriental, an eye-opening destination that will help you find what is really most important in life, says one of the tourist-promotion messages of the provincial government. A wonderful experience awaits the athletes and visiting spectators to this province, a place that beguile and inspire, sedate and stir, where

the distance between heaven and earth collapse and you will be able to catch glimpses of the divine or the Infinite Whatever as you are united with nature. The resplendent landscape and seascape of Davao Oriental, a wind-swept province south of Mindanao, will give you an exciting and powerful experience that can change forever your outlook on nature. You will fall in love with its lovely sea and the treasure troves of riches beneath its surface. Its myriad forest, lush mountain peaks, verdant ravines, waterfalls and cool coastal areas down to the coral reefs, sea grass beds, the mangrove forests, plus the lakes and rivers that breeds an impressive array of plant and animal species are the most enjoyable reasons for coming. You surely will be mesmerizingly drawn by the unspoken words of its stupendous beauty and then lost to nature’s wondrous gifts. A magnificent place, Davao Oriental gives you an experience like no other: The transformative magic of travel. The province’s crown jewel, Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, is the first and only place in the island of Mindanao declared as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO, adding worldwide prestige to a province known as the “sunrise capital” of the Philippines, the province being located at the easternmost part of the archipelago. A Philippine eagle

nest located recently in Mount Hamiguitan could be a perfect spot for local and international bird enthusiasts to visit and see the “jewel of all birds” in its natural state. Mount Hamiguitan represents a complete, substantially intact and highly diverse mountain ecosystem, in a significant bio-geographic region of the Philippines. Qualitatively different from other destinations, Davao Oriental is host to extra-long wild and untamed beaches of white fine sand that enjoy the best view of the mesmerizing infinite waters of the Pacific Ocean. And having the most impressive scenery that directly faces both the Pacific Ocean and the Celebes Sea, the long coastlines of Davao Oriental are sanctuaries of sea cows, whales, dolphins and marine turtles that nest along sandy beaches. Indeed, a most affordable slice of paradise in the Pacific, this province is tucked away from the highly-urbanized Davao City, the economic center of Mindanao. The crystal-clear waters of Davao Oriental’s awesome, serene beaches both in the islands and mainland provide blissful moments for wanderers both the laid-back and the kind that parties on sun-burnt islands. Wildlife viewers and serious nature observers spends unhurried periods of time in areas of unspoiled wilderness to have spectacular encounters with wild animals without too much sweat and

inconveniences. In Davao Oriental, you will experience the best animal encounter that provides meaningful environmental lessons. You make your own plans to meet whales and dolphins up close and get ready the binoculars or telescopes, video and still cameras for an enjoyable whale-watching trip. Whale-watching can be a lot of fun. It can be done from land or sea depending on how close the whales or dolphins are to shore. It is always more rewarding when you can come up close. In Davao Oriental, you will be introduced to the astounding diversity of whales and dolphins as the locals regarded them as an important presence with great ecological significance and eco-tourism potential. Plus, you will also be regaled by Dugong or sea cows that abound in the place. Only a very small proportion of the world’s Dugong stocks are found in Philippine waters today. Populations of cetaceans, including some which are rarely seen elsewhere in the world, are abundant and readily accessible in Davao Oriental by small boats operating from picturesque coastal villages whose inhabitants are among the most hospitable people in the country. Like the Philippine eagles that have managed to survive in the remnants of our forest, whales are barometers of the state of our seas. (Ferdie Zuasola/PIO DavOr)

Rizal monument unveiled in Tagum

HE country’s most celebrated hero is now found standing at the heart of Tagum City, alongside the street that bears his name. The City Government of Tagum, through the City Historical and Cultural Commission, has unveiled to the public the city’s monument of Dr. Jose Rizal in front of the former City Hall at Rizal Street last February 25, 2017. Standing at 8.85 ft., the monument is part of the larger historical and cultural complex, which includes the city museum, a theater and a pasalubong center, that will soon rise in the city. Aside from Tagumenyos, hundreds of local and foreign

visitors alike also witnessed the ceremonial unveiling, which was one of the side events of the three-day International Assembly of the Order of the Knights of Rizal which both Davao and Tagum City hosted. The convention was attended by more than 500 Knights coming from the United States, Europe, Africa and Asia, including the Philippines. Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno also graced the event being the Supreme Commander of the Order. In his speech, he stressed that Filipinos should become visionaries just like the Philippines’ national hero, with the erection of the statue of Rizal in the city a way to remind Tagumenyos to become

one. Mayor Allan Rellon, meanwhile, underscored the essence of the Rizal Monument which the local government aspired to be perceived by the locals of Tagum. “Through this, it is our hope that the people of Tagum can recollect, through a simple gaze, the greatness, enormity and sacrifices of Jose Rizal, as well as to rekindle the sense of patriotism within us that have been faded with time,” the local chief executive said. The program for the unveiling of Tagum’s biggest Rizal Monument was highlighted with a wreath-laying ceremony and a 21-gun salute. (Roy Banias/CIO Tagum)

OVERNOR Douglas Cagas spearheaded the ceremonial groundbreaking of the P140-million concreting project on a farmto-market road here Tuesday morning. Cagas was accompanied by Mayor Arthur Davin, Vice Mayor Donnabel Joy Mejia, municipal councilors, and Department of Agriculture regional executive director Engr. Ricardo Onate Jr. in laying the time capsule and unveiling of the billboard to signal the start of construction work. He displayed no animosity to local officials even as he ran with the rival political party during the 2016 national and local elections. This was the first time that he appeared in an activity here after his assumption to office late last year. “Let us forget politics. It will just pass by in three years time but the implementation of projects must be sustained,” Cagas said in his message during the program. He said he is already old

and that he wanted to spend the remaining of days of his life providing services to his people in the province. The project covers the 12-kilometer stretch from Barayong, Mabini, Bala to Upper Bala which is under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP). The total project cost reaches P140,105,207. The cost sharing will be 80 percent loan proceeds from World Bank (P112,084,165), 10 percent Government of the Philippines (P14,010,520) and 10 percent Equity from the Local Government Unit (P14,010,520). For his part, Davin said the project proposal has since been submitted for approval sometime in October 2015 and it was only this time that the actual implementation was realized. “It has been very tough in getting this project but here we are now. I would just like to appeal for full cooperation of our constituents for the smooth project implementation,” he said. (PNA)

ARMM, CSC launch program to improve, strengthen HR

HE Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on Tuesday jointly launched a program that will institutionalize excellence in managing human resources in regional offices. Dubbed as “Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM),” the program would promote human resource excellence among agencies in the region, according to Lawyer Rasol Mitmug, Jr, ARMM chief of staff, said. “This is one of the most important program we are promoting in ARMM to improve our human resources in various government agencies,” Mitmug said. “PRIME-HRM is a mechanism that supports the attain-

ment of the CSC vision of becoming a Center of Excellence for Human Resource and Organization Development,” said Leopoldo Roberto Valderosa, Jr., CESO V and regional director of CSC-ARMM. The PRIME-HRM assesses the agencies’ human resource management competencies, systems, and practices toward HR excellence. The program represents a more progressive system of assessment as it entails greater engagement not just of the human resource management officer but also the officials and the rank-and-file employees. It has four main objectives: serves as search mechanism for best practices in Human Resources Management; serves as venue for exchange and development of expertise in the area of HRM between

F ARMM, 11

RIZAL MONUMENT. Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon and Former SC Chief Justice Reynato Puno lead the unveiling of the city’s newest Rizal Monument fronting the former City Hall and alongside the Rizal Street. (Jay Apostol/CIO Tagum)

COMPETITIVE EDGE 7

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 267 • THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017

Aeon towers

MIDST the backdrop of the Philippine’s southern capital, rises a monument dedicated to the innovative spirit of the Davaoeños and the luxury of southern hospitality. The Aeon Towers embodies the progressive and rapidly evolving lifestyle of the modern Filipino. Offering state of the art condominium living at the heart of Davao City, the Aeon Towers exemplifies the grace and ingenuity of Filipino architecture and engineering. Rising 33-storeys above Davao City’s fast growing landscape, the Aeon Towers is a Residential Condominium and Hotel developed by the FTC Group of Companies which provides world-class amenities and globally competitive accommodations. Housing a wide variety of commercial establishments, opulent hotel suites, and lavish condominium units, it revolutionizes city living and sets the bar high against both its local and international counterparts. The Sky Deck and infinity pool perched at the top crowns this manmade marvel of architecture and engineering and offers a majestic view of Samal Isand and Mt. Apo. The Project Team includes I.A. Campbell and Associates, Inc. (Project Manager), D.J. Litonjua and Associates (Design Architect), Syndicated Architects (Design Consultant), SY2 and Associ-

ates (Structural Consultant), A.C. Pama Engineering Design and Consultancy (Structural Engineer), Forsspac (MEPF Consultant), and Far East Associates (Technical Documentation Support). Far East Associates is a professional architectural firm specializing on building design, master planning, urban design, construction management, and quantity surveying. It has over 23 years of experience in the design and construction industry. Acting as the TDS team, Far East Associates ensures that all technical coordination from architectural to structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and auxiliary designs are done properly, timely, and efficiently. Far East Associates maintains its uncompromising commitment to excellence and superior service and contributes to Aeon Tower’s success story. February 28, 2017 marks a major milestone as Aeon Towers held its topping-off ceremony. The Aeon Towers is a testament of its tenacity to compete at the international level. It is an urban utopia built in paradise; a landmark celebrating the spirit of defying the normal and ubiquitous. The Aeon Towers is a true achievement that, like its namesake, will stand indomitably to provide exceptional service and extravagant luxury beyond even the immeasurable confines of time.

CERTIFIED. An external audit found that the 100 Megawatt (MW) bargemounted floating power plant of AboitizPower subsidiary Therma Marine, Inc. (TMI) located in Maco, Compostella Valley conforms with international

standards on occupational health and safety and environmental management. TMI Mobile 1 is one of the most efficient peaking power plants in Mindanao providing reliable power whenever needed by the customers. (Aboitiz Photo)

More Aboitiz plants pass int’l safety, environmental audits A

BOITIZPOWER’S Oil Business Unit secured international certifications in occupational health and safety and environmental management upon the recommendation of TÜV Rheinland Philippines Inc. TÜV Rheinland Philippines-an affiliate of TÜV Rheinland, internationally known technical testing organization for safety, efficiency and quality-conducted an audit on the Oil BU headquarters at the PFDA Bldg. and Therma Mobile, Inc. (TMO) in Navotas; Cebu Power Private Corporation in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City; Therma Marine, Inc. (M1) in Maco, Composte-

la Valley; and Therma Marine, Inc. (M2) in Nasipit, Agusan del Norte. The power plants provide efficient and reliable peaking power to its customers in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao as part of AboitizPower’s balanced mix strategy of tapping various power generation technologies to ensure ample power supply at a cost-effective rate. The audits aimed to determine the Oil BUs’ conformance to OHSAS 18001:2007 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System) and ISO 14001:2004 (Environmental Management System) standards.

“I would like to congratulate each and every one of you for a job well done. These certifications prove that our organization satisfies internationally recognized standards for safety, health and environmental management and is in line with our APGen initiative of gearing up towards a world-class organization through IMS Certification,” AboitizPower Oil BU President and COO Danel Aboitiz said. “Safety and environmental standards are among the pillars of our business. Pursuing world-class practice in these areas limits operational risk, enhances stakeholder

reputation and ensures we deliver a positive effect on the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit,” Aboitiz said. The Oil BU embarked on securing the OHSAS and ISO 14001 certifications to demonstrate that its facilities are safe for workers and host communities, and that their environmental impacts are minimized and managed. Conformance to the international certifications meant team members and team leaders of the Oil BUs have adopted the principles and procedures on occupational health and safety and environmental management. (PR)

Coalition, in a letter delivered to the DENR last Monday. At the same time, the group sought a more stringent short-term exposure limit to protect workers’ health and the removal of the exemption on the use of arsenic for pesticides used in the treatment of wood. The group also asked for a more rational phase-out timelines for arsenic-containing wood treatment and preservation products that will prioritize the removal from the market of those products posing the highest exposure risk to children, women and other vulnerable sectors. Information from the Toxicology Data Network indicates that chromated copper arsenate or CCA is used in pressure treated wood to protect it from rotting due to insects and microbial agents. In US, effective December 31, 2003, no wood treater or manufacturer may treat wood with CCA for residential uses, with certain exceptions. As described by the World Health Organization (WHO), “the intake of the

acutely toxic inorganic arsenic over a long period of time can lead to chronic arsenic poisoning or arsenicosis.” The WHO has listed arsenic among the “ten chemicals of major public health concern.” “Effects, which can take years to develop depending on the level of exposure, include skin lesions, peripheral neuropathy, gastrointestinal symptoms, diabetes, renal system effects, cardiovascular disease and cancer,” the WHO said. As long-term actions are required to reduce exposure to arsenic, the EcoWaste Coalition recommended removing exemption in the draft CCO permitting the use of arsenic in pesticides for wood treatment. The group cited the “Arsenic Treated Wood Ordinance” in San Francisco, USA to justify the removal of such exemption, which says that “preservative-treated wood containing arsenic poses potential human health and environmental risks through the release of arsenic during manufacture, installation, and disposal of wood.”

According to the US National Center for Healthy Housing, “arsenic can leach to the surface of the treated wood, becoming accessible for absorption through exposed hands and skin touching the wood surface and, especially in the case of children, ingestion through normal hand-to-mouth behavior.” The EcoWaste Coalition also cited that under the European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), “arsenic compounds shall not be used in the preservation of wood. Furthermore, wood so treated shall not be placed on the market.” With respect to the phaseout timelines, the EcoWaste Coalition suggested that a survey be conducted in order to prioritize the phase-out of wood and treatment preservation products that present the highest exposure risk to children, women, workers and other potentially disproportionately exposed populations. “The government through

Coalition calls to ban use of arsenic for wood treatment, preservation

BPI Foundation inks partnership with Hineleban Foundation

PI Foundation, the social development arm of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, and the Hineleban Foundation have joined forces for a rainforestation project in the mountain ranges of Amai Manabilang, Lanao del Sur, as well as a transformational business partnership with the indigenous peoples (IP) and Muslim residents of the project site. “With its rich biodiversity, natural resources, and agricultural potential, Mindanao was known as the land of promise and food basket of

the country. However, due to the loss of forest cover, Mindanao has experienced a drastic decrease in rainfall and river water resulting in extended dry spells. Conversely, Mindanao suffered from massive flooding during the rainy season. Both conditions resulted in a decrease in agricultural productivity and a reduction in crop cycles leading to poverty and hunger in the region,” said Urooj S. Malik, Hineleban Foundation Chairman. “Rainforestation of the mountains of Mindanao is the only long-

F BPI, 11

CORRIGENDUM

The write-up entitled, “The 1st Roving PH Overland Mnl-Dav”, which appeared on the February 22, 2017 issue of Edge Davao was written by Christopher Paris Lacson.

HE EcoWaste Coalition urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) to strengthen the proposed regulation on toxic inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen, by removing exemption on its use in pesticides for the treatment of wood. As the lead agency in charge of drawing up regulatory controls for substances in the Philippine Priority Chemicals List, the non-profit toxics watch group lauded the DENR-EMB for embarking on such a policy initiative that will regulate, phase out or ban arsenic and its compounds as these chemicals pose serious risks to public health and the environment. “We support the issuance of the said CCO and specifically support the ban on arsenic and arsenic compounds in the manufacturing of fertilizers, pesticides, wood treatment and preservation products, commercial pigments and paints, toys, school supplies and cosmetics,” stated Eileen B. Sison, President, EcoWaste

F COALITION, 11

EDGEDAVAO

8 VANTAGE

VOL. 9 ISSUE 267 • THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017

EDITORIAL

The honorable thing to do

HE resignation of National Irrigation Administrator Peter Tiu Laviña from government because of reports he had asked for “commission” just showed the tight standards of honesty being imposed by the administration of President Duterte even on people very close to him. Laviña is a very close ally of the President dating back to the days in the City Hall of Davao. There were reports he was fired, but whether or not he was kicked out or he resigned, the fact remains that this administration would not allow a tinge of corruption. For Pete’s sake, he has not been proven to have made any irregularity. The decision to leave government stemmed from reports that reached the President he had asked for a share in transactions. But ever the honorable man, Pete did the most honorable

EDGEDAVAO

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thing. Spare the administration from adverse public perception. Pete said in his farewell message: “I have been vilified in the past; my name used, abused and maligned. Recently, there had been efforts to discredit me again. There are rumors circulating that I have asked money from NIA contractors. These are not true!” “To spare the President from these embarrassing stories, particularly in these times of intensified attacks on him, I have quietly left government. I have neither personal vested interest in it nor ill intent towards NIA and the whole government, which we are trying to reform.” In the end, Laviña was grateful to the President for the opportunity to serve the government. May Pete’s resignation set forth an example across government service that no one is sacred in his post.

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IZA Maza, chair of the National Anti-Poverty Commission, thinks the Conditional Cash Transfer program of the government is not effective. “By its very concept, the CCT cannot address poverty. I don’t think it will ever, ever address poverty,” the former threetime party-list member of Congress stated. Maza, known for her pro-poor approaches in governance, instead suggested that the volume of government funds earmarked for CCT be channeled to meaningful investments in livelihood programs. “This will have greater impact on their lives,” Maza stressed. The CCT was launched in 2009 in the GMA administration when the initial number of recipient-beneficiaries was only 340,000. Copied from the original concept of Brazil and Mexico which had startling success, the CCT, from a measly P5B rose to a staggering P70B in the last year of the

AMBOO, the world’s tallest grass and member of the family that also includes rice and corn, can help boost the country’s economy and also sustain the income of those who plant it. One of those who believed in bamboo as economy booster was the late Leonardo Avila III. When he was still the officer-in-charge of the Davao City Agriculture Office, he told us that the bamboo industry in the Philippines has the potential to grow. “But it needs a proper research and government support for it to prosper,” he said. “The bamboo industry can be another good source of livelihood to our local farmers in the next few years,” Avila said, adding that his office was planning of including bamboo in the city’s Agro-Industry Program. I don’t know what happened to his plans. But I have to agree with the late city councilor. I think it is high time to go back and see the economic benefits of bamboo. “The grass of hope” is how some economic experts are calling bamboo. Perhaps farmers in Davao Region should take a cue from those in Region VI (Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo and Guimaras). A press release which this columnist received said that farmers in Iloilo have started training on bamboo planting, having been encouraged of bamboo’s high return on investment and quicker payback compared to other long-gestating crops.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 267 • THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017

VANTAGE POINTS

NAPC: CCT ineffective PNoy adSPECKS OF LIFE ministration. I agree with Sec. Maza. The CCT is a dole-out that feeds the negaFred C. Lumba tive traits of mendicancy and indolence. She enumerated the basic needs that the poor must have access to: food, land reform, water, shelter, health, education, work, social protection, healthy environment, peace and participation. We all understand the first nine needs. What I want to elaborate on is “participation.” For me, this means that the poor (21.6% per records of the Philippine Statistic Authority) must have direct involvement in the economic process and

growth of the country to enable them to move up and out of the poverty level. If I understand Maza’s point to the letter, CCT funds should be utilized instead to get the poor involved in self-redeeming activities that would make them less and less dependent on government assistance. I am leading you, dear readers, to the concept of a cooperative economy which transformed Israel, through the kibbutz, to its present economic status. A bill in Congress, HB 4174 creating the Department of Cooperatives, is now pending. It has already the support of One Hundred Forty (140) members of the House of Representatives who signed as co-authors of the bill principally sponsored by Reps. Maria Valentina Plaza, Prospero Pichay, Manuel Zubiri, Evelyn Mellana and party-list congressmen Sabiniano Canama and Rico Geron who are representing the cooperative sector. If Sec. Maza is reading this, I would invite her to link up with Congw. Plaza et al

because HB 4174 is a pro-poor, anti-poverty legislation that will benefit people from all walks of life, including the unemployable thousands (ex-convicts, reformed drug-users, rebel returnees, the unskilled and uneducated, etc). Rep. Canama, in fact, has been moving around the countryside, talking to officials and members of cooperative federations. He says the cooperative movement and stakeholders are in total support for the passage of HB 4174. Even the CDA leadership, to repeat, is encouraging the principal authors to push and push. I believe that Sec. Maza, being NAPC chair, can contribute a lot of inputs. For this matter, I also think that the Church, through the CBCP, might be invited to endorse HB 4174 because the cooperative movement is continually growing in numbers. Latest count from CDA is that there are now 25,000 active cooperatives with 14M members. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

According THINK ON THESE! to Dr. Henry A. Adornado, executive director of the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB), bamboo planHenrylito D. Tacio tations are henrytacio@gmail.com soon to flourish in the said region – with 3,898 hectares to be planted with bamboo. “Bamboo is considered to be the best conservation material because of its low maintenance compared to other plantations aside from the fact that there is a high return on investment and faster payback in bamboo,” he said. Based on studied plantations in Central America, the REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Monitor placed bamboo’s return on investment at 26%. Planting bamboo is environment-friendly. It can help address the problem of climate change. Some studies showed that bamboo plants can sequester 12 tons of carbon dioxide per hectare per year. Not only that. Bamboo is an effective tool in addressing soil erosion, landslides,

and flooding. There are so many potentials from bamboo. Furniture makers and wood craftsmen who shift from wood to bamboo are expected to share in the huge export bonanza expected from a growing demand for bamboo furniture and bamboo handicrafts in the global market. “We’re not talking here of raw bamboo for export, but finished products made from bamboo. From roots to tip, you can make soap, medicines, cosmetics, furniture, bricks, clothing, paper, floor tiles, wall panels, drinks, vegetables – even surf boards from bamboo,” said an official from Department of Trade and Industry. There are a million uses of bamboo. According to an article, which appeared in Reader’s Digest, bamboo “is delicate enough to be used in phonograph needles, yet strong enough to be used in bridge construction.” As such, bamboo can replace or indirectly decrease consumption of three critically scarce resources: wood, metal, and oil. Bamboo is also edible. Its shoots are a source of food rich in fiber, nutrients, Vitamins A, B, and C. Bamboo shoots are made of 88.8% moisture, 3.9% protein, 0.5% fat, 5.7% carbohydrates and 1.1 minerals. “The amino acid content of bamboo is higher than cabbage, carrot, onion and pumpkin. Bamboo also contains 17 different types of enzymes and more than 10 kinds of mineral elements, such as chro-

mium, zinc, manganese, iron, magnesium, nickel and cobalt,” said the press release. In Maasin, Iloilo, the bamboo charcoal is one of its major products. The company Iloilo Kawayan Marketing is reportedly producing the charcoal that is considered to be a natural product and is ecologically friendly. “Used as a fuel, it is smokeless and odorless and is best for barbecues,” the press release said. “Bamboo charcoal works as a natural fertilizer and pesticide. It is also used as a deodorizer. It can filter tap water. Put pieces of bamboo charcoal in a jug of tap water, then leave it for 4-5 hours. The water in the jug will taste like mineral water.” With its anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties, bamboo charcoal is now used as soap ingredient. “It cleans the skin deeply. Because of the incredible absorbency of the bamboo charcoal with activated carbon, the soap can clean to the very bottom of skin pores and does not leave a residue on the face. The newly cleaned skin pores can receive natural moisturizing from the body’s oils,” the press release added. In the Philippines, bamboo grows anywhere. Often, it will grow on marginal farm areas not much good for anything else. “It is a pity that we have neglected this important crop for so long,” deplores Roy C. Alimoane, the director of Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center.

Grass of hope

10 COMMUNITY SENSE EDGEDAVAO

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300 Kalahi CIDSS volunteers hold fun day in Montevista C

LOSE to 300 community volunteers of Kalahi CIDSS and parent leaders of the Regular Conditional Cash Transfer in the town of Montevista, Compostela Valley Province held their first fun day last February 15 at the Freedom Stage of the local government unit. Kalahi-CIDSS means Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive Delivery of Social Services started by the government about a decade ago. The key features of KALAHI CIDSS are social inclusion, open menu system so communities can identify and implement projects they need, community-driven so citizens can handle all levels of project management. As a community-driven development program it

seeks to help alleviate poverty, improve local governance and empower citizens. The volunteers and parent leaders enjoyed the whole-day fun day activities which included parlor games, yells and cheers competition and entertainment numbers, according to Sonny Legario Jr. , area coordinator of Kalahi-CIDSS in the municipality. Most of all, the participants learned a lot from the sharing of experiences of the volunteers who related the challenges and milestones that they encountered in implementing the program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 11, Legario said. The volunteers were joined by Montevista Mayor Eutropion S. Jayectin, some

municipal councilors and barangay captains of Montevista’s 20 barangays, including municipal planning and development officer Emilio Corias. The event started at 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. non-stop despite the continuous rains. In his speech, Mayor Topoy Jayectin congratulated the volunteers for their determination in taking part on all the process needed to complete the first Community Empowerment Activity Cycle or (CEAC) of the program. He said that during the initial cycle, only 10 out of the 20 barangays were able to implement their proposed projects, but he asked the leaders of the remaining 10 barangays not to be discouraged as the implementation of the second cycle is well underway and has recently conducted

the Criteria Setting workshop and Project development workshop and maybe their barangays will be prioritized this cycle. He said that all barangays gained in the first cycle in terms of empowerment and valuable lessons learned in the procurement process. Legario said that the upcoming Municipal inter-barangay forum for participatory resource allocation, composed of officials of the 20 barangays, Barangay Representation team(BRT), Project preparation team(PPT) and members of the Municipal Inter Agency Committee (MIAC), will pass upon the proposed projects based on the criteria that they themselves have set will determine the recipient barangays for this cycles implementation in the municipality.

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communication LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao City

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ DUAL Ordinary Regular Service

Case No. 2011-XI-00865 WILLIAMITA S. VILLAVELEZ, Petitioner x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --x

NOTICE OF HEARING

TESDA, NCIP to provide skills training to IPs T HE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) have forged a partnership and work together to empower the indigenous peoples (IPs) through technical education and skills development. TESDA Director General, Secretary Guiling “Gene” Mamondiong said that the training program of IPs is geared to-

ward transforming them into competitive and productive individuals, especially in their respective ancestral domain. On February 28, Mamondiong and NCIP Chairperson Leonor Oralde-Quintayo signed the memorandum of agreement that will help the IPs for self or wage employment to uplift their economic status. The project aims to provide National Certificate (NC)

DSWD @66. Members of Management Committee of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region XI led by Director Mercedita P. Jabagat [second from right] cut the ceremonial ribbon on Monday to mark the opening of the week-long celebration of the DSWD 66th Founding Anniversary. Theme for the observance is Sama-samang

and Certificate of Competency (COC) to successful IP-graduates after they have completed their skills training. Then TESDA will facilitate the job referrals, according to the agreement. Mamondiong has ordered all provincial and regional directors to coordinate with the IPs in their respective areas to facilitate the conduct of competency assessment in the identified facility to qualified

beneficiaries. The NCIP thanked Mamondiong for giving priority to IPs so that they will develop their ancestral domain into a highly productive community. Aside from Mamondiong and Oralde-Quintayo, other officials who attended the MOA signing were TESDA Deputy Director General for Partnership and Linkages Rebecca Calzado and other officials of both agencies. (PR)

Paglilingkod ng may Malasakit. Other ManCom members are [from left] ARD for Administration Ma. Vilia L. Vigil, Chief Admin. Officer Teresita V. Mercado, Institutional Development Chief Ma. Elena S. Labrador, Policy and Plans Chief Estrella D. Brigole and ARD for Operations Rebecca A. Santamaria. (DSWD Photo)

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communication LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao City

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a AIRCONDITIONED TAXI Service

Case No. 2012-XI-00200 ANA MARIE G. PANGANDAMAN, Petitioner

x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --x

NOTICE OF HEARING

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ Dual Ordinary Regular service on the route: MINTAL and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in Region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate will expire on August 14, 2017. In the petition filed on February 17, 2017, petitioner requests authority to extend the validity of said Certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a AIRCONDITIONED TAXI service on the route: WITHIN DAVAO CITY to any point in REGION XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate will expire on December 31, 2017. In the petition filed on February 20, 2017, petitioner requests authority to extend the validity of said Certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

At least, TEN (10) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao

This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on MARCH 14, 2017 at 9:10 a.m. at this office at the above address.

Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

WITNESS the Atty. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ, Chief Transportation Development Officer/Officer-In-Charge, this th 20 day of February 2017 at Davao City.

MARIE JEAN A. JARALBA Administrative Officer IV Acting Administrative Officer V

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on MARCH 14, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at this office at the above address.

WITNESS the Atty. TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ, Chief Transportation Development Officer/Officer-In-Charge, this st 21 day of February 2017 at Davao City.

MARIE JEAN A. JARALBA Administrative Officer IV Acting Administrative Officer V

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FOOD

EDGEDAVAO

On the hunt for

banana cake

SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE. Despite the years, I always associate the Queen city of the South to a slice of moist banana cake. Weird, right? But, since I can recall, my palate has had the most delicious banana cake experience in Cebu (Thank you, Cafe Georg). Hence, to me and my palate, Cebu will always be my personal banana cake capital.

Davao is also big on bananas. Being a major producer, you’d surely be in awe of the many dishes in the city that makes use of the banana. Like Cebu, we also have a number of bakeshops that serves an array of sweet banana creations. The likes of cakes, loaves, cupcakes and even breads to satisfy one’s craving for potassium on any given day is made readily available. Banana cake or loaf is one of the simplest cakes one can ever create. Though simple, personally, I love that this cake is very versatile that you can add, mix and match and of course, layer a variety of ingredients for a more textured finished. Indeed, the option is endless. All you need is the imagination to make it happen. Mashed or pureed ripe ba-

nana, all purpose flour, sugar, eggs, butter and baking soda – is your basic banana bread (loaf) recipe. Can also be your basic banana cupcake recipe. Personally, I love adding slices of pineapples (chunks), julienned carrots (squeeze out the juice) or raisins. At times, I experiment with local tablea, pure chocolate liqueur or slices of dates for a more textured taste. Not to mention the many kinds of nuts I add for that additional crunch.

My recent trip to Cebu rekindled my cravings as soon as we landed. It was that or me going to one of their crafts store and spending hours inside. We took the lesser evil and opted to buy some banana breads or cakes or loaves – whatever suits your preference. Without the luxury of time, I asked the locals for suggestions. They gave me 3 (the third was Cafe Georg, of course). First stop, Abaca Baking

Company (www.theabacagroup. com/abaca-baking-company). One, if not, the best looking cafe I’ve been to in the past months. It’s laidback vibe will surely grow on you like skin on your bones and body fats. Inside, you’d be in awe of the many artisan breads on display. Good thing our dear friend, Cocoi, did the ordering for us. On the other hand, I ended with 3 types of loaves in my suitcase. Their chocolate loaf is densely moist. Their carrot cake is something you’d want to keep inside your bag on any given day. Of course, their banana loaf is one for the books – fragrant, sweet and light on the tongue. Too bad I only got one of each. Second stop before our flight back was Leona’s Cakes & Pastries. Like ABC (Abaca Baking Company), they too have a wide selection of sweets on display. Unlike ABC, theirs is more traditional. Their Choco-Banana Loaf is fragrantly enticing. That instant whiff of chocolate and banana is reason enough to indulge more than a slice. On the other hand, their Carrot cake loaf is an addition to my list of faves. It’s sweet yet savoury and very moist. Perfect for a cup of tea. And yes, they too made their way onto my suitcase. In Davao, I’ve not had the opportunity to go around and

thus ended with anything I can find in malls. NCCC Mall has a bakeshop that serves a wide selection of breads, cakes and pastries. Of course, I opted for their banana cake slice. It’s refreshingly soft and flavourful. Not too pungent, you’d taste the banana in every bite. What’s more, you’d love that it’s classic and very traditional. On another note, Bread Living at the SM City Davao has 2 banana loaves that lured me in an instant. Their Banana cake with Chocolate chips is something I’d take on a trip with. It’s sweet, yes, but not too overly sweet. The addition of chocolate chips is a refreshing take on this classic favourite. The other one was their Banana Loaf which is very typical of a banana cake or bread. It’s pungent, yes, but with just the right amount of sweetness. I love that its sweetness is subtle and does not overpower your palate. So, what’s next on my food hunt trip? Want to know my latest food finds? Follow me on Instagram @iamleebai and I’ll make you hungry in a snap. For missed features, you can read them on my blog theroyalchefeats.wordpress.com. Happy munching, #royalistas!

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Ayala Group conducts nationwide bloodletting activity The nationwide bloodletting activity initiated by the Ayala Group in partnership with Philippine Red Cross generated about 400 bags, with 8 stations around the country.

IN A JOINT INITIATIVE of Ayala Multipurpose Cooperative, Ayala Group Employee Relations, and Ayala Business, a nationwide bloodletting activity was conducted last February 23-24, 2017. The event had a number of bloodletting stations located in Makati, Quezon City, Laguna, Pampanga, Cebu, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao.

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The series of events were partnered with Philippine Red Cross, in support of the organization’s endeavors to save more lives. Based on the recent results of the bloodletting activities, Ayala Business Club of Davao (ABCD) garnered the most number of blood donations: • Globe (BGC) – 85 bags • Makati Stock Exchange (Makati) – 58 bags • Marquee Mall (Pampanga) – 54 donors • Volkswagen (Cebu) – 60 donors • Ayala Northpoint Clubhouse (Bacolod) – 21 donors • Nuvali and IMI Clinic (Laguna) – 20 donors • Centrio Mall (Cagayan de Oro) – 23 donors • Abreeza Mall (Davao) – 98 donors ABCD is the Davaobased family of companies under the Ayala Group. Its members include the following: Abreeza Mall, Ayala Land, Avida Land, Alveo Land, Bank of the Philippine Islands, BPI Family Savings Bank, BPI MS Insurance, BPI-Philam Life Assurance, Corp., Globe Telecom, Makati Development Corporation, and Seda Abreeza Hotel.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 267 • THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017

UP AND ABOUT

EDGEDAVAO

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Marco Polo Davao receives Agoda Gold Circle Award for 2016

AGODA.COM, one of Asia’s leading online booking sites awarded Marco Polo Davao the Agoda Gold Circle Award for 2016. The award was received on behalf of Marco Polo Davao team by Revenue Manager Juliet Villarico in a cocktail event in Manila. “The award makes our hard work pay off. For two consecutive years of receiving this award, it’s affirms the consistency and excellence in our services and relationship with our customers. We are proud and happy indeed to receive this commendation,” says Marco Polo Davao General

MPD General Manager Dottie Wurgler-Cronin (LEFT) and MPD Heads of Department.

Manager Dottie Wurgler-Cronin. The Agoda Gold Circle Award is given to hotels based on several factors, the most important being a top performing property based on customer feedback and reviews on Agoda.com. Aside from great customer reviews, high quality content of the hotel, Agoda’s Yield Control System and excellent customer service are key to qualify for the award. In the Philippines, only 40 properties received the award wherein only two are from Davao City, including Marco Polo Davao.

EDGE DAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

EDGEDAVAO

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EDGEDAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

VOL. 9 ISSUE 267 • THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017

LAVIÑA... FROM 1

“Thank you for the opportunity to serve the government, especially to President Duterte, whose trust I have never betrayed,” Laviña stressed, adding that he had already proven in the past that one need not be in government to do public service or work for the common good. He said he will likely continue to do his media works, in the civil society and the business sector where he has been involved before. “May the Lord continue to light our paths. God bless us all. This is your water boy, signing off!” Laviña concluded. Palace accepts Pete’s resignation Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella on Wednesday said President Duterte appar-

ently accepted Laviñas resignation as NIA chief. Speaking before reporters in a briefing in Malacañang, Abella said Laviña resigned in the midst of attempts to malign his person and to save the President from embarrassment. “NIA administrator Peter Laviña has tendered his resignation amidst attempts to vilify and malign him and to spare the President from embarrassment due to these attempts,” Abella quoted a statement from the Office of the Cabinet Secretary. Malacañang also expressed regret over Laviña’s resignation and wished him well in his next endeavours. The resignation, Abella added, was a proactive move on the side of Laviña.

be provided their respective tabs and then this tab will have a software that will allow the city planning to monitor them, what they are doing while in the survey,” said Cortez. He added, this is for CPDO to monitor if the enumerators are not performing their duty and if they only made up the data submitted to the agency. CBMS will involve conduct of household census with geo-tagging such that profile of specific needs are mappedout geographically and interventions and assistance are downloaded or provided to the rightful social work services beneficiaries in their exact locations. “We don’t have any clear determination whether those who fall in line in barangays legitimately fall under the poverty line,” said Cortez.

According to the CPDO head, CBMS has an allocated budget of PP40 million and will employ 405 enumerators who will conduct the survey for 90 days within 2017. Poverty alleviation is one of the key priority areas under the mayor’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda, alongside infrastructure development, solid waste management, health, education, agriculture, tourism, transportation planning and traffic management, peace and order, and disaster risk reduction and mitigation. The city planning office head explained programs under poverty alleviation highlight social protection of vulnerable sectors, emphasis on access to opportunities, and strengthen responsible parenthood or family planning programs.

term solution to attaining food self-sufficiency.” “This is BPI Foundation’s first project located in ARMM, specifically in Lanao del Sur, one of the region’s poorest provinces. Through our 3-year partnership with Hineleban Foundation, we hope to restore 100 hectares of denuded watershed in Lanao del Sur,” said Fidelina A. Corcuera, BPI Foundation Executive Director. “Another important component of the project is the capacity development of the IPs and Muslims living in the vicinity of the watersheds on food security and sustainable livelihood. Some of the livelihood initiatives include production of industrial crops such as coffee, cacao and bamboo. These initiatives will help the communities increase their income and become more financially empowered even after the project ends.” About BPI Foundation: The story of empower-

ment is at the center of BPI Foundation’s work. Through our programs in Education, Entrepreneurship, and the Environment, we build the Filipinos’ ability to participate in a dynamic economic landscape. Where there are gaps in knowledge and a lack of access to the right opportunities, we build bridges, ensuring that no one is left out of progress, that quality of life improves, and that everyone is able to meaningfully contribute to the continued development of the country. In order to create innovative ways of solving development challenges, we take BPI’s experience as the country’s most established financial institution and infuse it with fresh perspectives, collaboration with strategic partners, and a deep understanding of the needs of communities. By investing in the Filipino today, we make the best happen for the country tomorrow. (PR)

the CCO can then make appropriate phase-out timelines and encourage the market for safer alternatives,” it said. The current draft of the CCO would allow the use for

three years of arsenic-containing wood treatment and preservation products for architectural, decorative and household uses and six years for industrial uses.

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BPI... FROM 7

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NEWS 11

EDGEDAVAO

TAKE TWO. Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 spokesperson Chief Inspector Andrea dela Cerna provides the details of the planned relaunching of antidrug campaign of the Philippine National Police (PNP) a month after it was

suspended by President Duterte. Dela Cerna graced yesterday’s AFP-PNP Press Corps media forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel. Lean Daval Jr.

Moro... FROM 2

Above... FROM 2

coming a congresswoman. Thank you for mentoring me when I was a neophyte legislator. Thank you for the example of being humble, patient and competent public servant,” she added. Datumanong was born on June 17, 1935 in Shariff Aguak (formerly Maganoy) in Maguindanao. He is Moro politician and one of the recipients in 1974 TOYM Awardees for Public Administration. Known among Moro people as “Bapa Sim,” he was married to Sigrid de Guzman with whom he had four children named Borgiva Tasmi, Merinisa Anisalam, Soraya Julie, and Rahma Anna Liza. He has 13 grandchildren. He finished his elementary education at the Cotabato Elementary School (1951) and secondary education at the Cotabato High School (1955). He obtained his Bachelor of Laws at the University of the Philippines (1959). He was a representative of the 2nd District of Maguindanao from 1992 to 2001. In 2001, he was appointed by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). In 2003, he served as Secretary of Justice until he resigned in the same year. He was re-elected to the House of Representatives in 2007.

The late Datumanong also served as: Member, Board United Coconut Planters Bank (1986-1992); Member, Board Philippine Amanah Bank (1985-1986, Representative Batasang Pambansa (19841986); Minister of Muslim Affairs and Cultural Committees (1984-1986); Chairperson Executive Council of Autonomous Region XII (1980-1984). He was also served as member of the Board of Regents Mindanao State University; University of Southern Mindanao (1980-1984); Regional assemblyman, Autonomous Regional Government of Western Mindanao (1979-1984); Regional commissioner, Region XII (1975-1979); Provincial governor, Maguindanao (19731975); Provincial governor, Cotabato (1968-1971); Provincial board member Cotabato (1963-1967);Co-chairperson Provisional government in Southern Philippines, 1977; Member, Philippine negotiation panel for the Tripoli Agreement 1976; Provincial vice governor, Cotabato 1967. His awards and recognition include TOYM awardee recipient, Community Service Award from the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA); Three-time citation, Kagitingan Award by the Philippine Constabulary, Philippine Army, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. (PNA)

If enlisted, the new private will receive a starting gross monthly income of P23,204 plus a number of allowances and benefits. Hao said the Army will prioritize its recruitment in the following order -- grad-

uates of Military Science 43 and Advanced ROTC; college graduates or those who completed at least 72 units in college; and high school graduates who possess technical and vocational skills needed by the Army. (PNA)

and among government agencies; empowers empowering the agencies in the performance of HRM functions; and promote and reward excellent HRM practices. The program covers all national and local government

agencies, including government-owned and -controlled corporations with original charter, state universities and colleges, as well as regional offices of agencies with human resource offices or units. (PNA)

Philippine... FROM 3

ARMM... FROM 6

Pacific and update the public on developments there that can affect the country, she added. According to experts, La Niña and El Niño are the warm and cool phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle. They said ENSO is a naturally occurring phenomenon of the climate system resulting from ocean-atmosphere interaction in CEEP.

“ENSO-neutral conditions are present in tropical Pacific and are favored to continue through at least the MarchApril-May 2017 season,” Solis said Wednesday at a forum in Metro Manila. With the transition to ENSO-neutral conditions, PAGASA announced the termination of its La Niña watch. PAGASA’s ENSO Alert System already shifted to ‘inactive’ status. (PNA)

units in Davao City. “The Philippines is an attractive story with high growth rates, consumer population, and well-educated employment area. That is good opportunity for people to work,” he mentioned. Moreover, the BCCP executive pointed out the significance of trade and investment visits of foreign businesses here, as this paves way for doing business in the country. Nelson cited that a British

food and beverage firm that joined a recent business mission to the Philippines have started business operation here. British health and beauty company Eve Taylor is also looking for partners to kick off its business in the Philippines, while another firm is eyeing to get Filipino tailors to work in UK, according to Nelson. UK is the country’s largest source of investment from the European Union bloc. (PNA)

start of the year until the end of February, there had been 47 recorded fire incidents with a total damage amounting to almost Php 4.4M. Most of these establishments are residential

and commercial areas. March had been declared as the National Fire Prevention Month under Proclamation 115-A in 1966 during the time of President Ferdinand Marcos.

complete with tax stamps that were actually fake since no corresponding taxes were properly paid to the BIR. Investigation indicated that there are 50 reams which means a total of 500 cigarette packs in every mastercase. And in every pack of cigarette the excise tax is pegged at P30. “And since there were 11,000 mastercases that we found to be with fake tax

stamps, it would be P165 million worth of taxes that were not paid by Mighty Corporation for their products,” Degano said. SSPDC was created by Faeldon last August 10 and the BOC “COMCEN” (Command Center) was also subsequently formed in an effort to put a stop to “abuse of authority” and other suspected anomalous transactions in the Bureau.

lic Order and Dangerous Drugs led by then chairperson, Sen. Grace Poe. On Jan. 25, 2015, the slain police commandos were de-

ployed to Mamasapano to capture wanted terrorists. The operation sparked a fierce encounter that claimed the lives of SAF members. (PNA)

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Gordon... FROM 3

12 SCIENCE EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 267 • THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017

Mercury rising By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

SIDE from sea level rise, coral bleaching and ocean acidification, there is a new threat that rising temperatures bring to the saline water that composes much of our planet’s hydrosphere. And it’s a bad news for Filipinos, who eat fish (which comprised around 41% of animal protein intake).

In a new study published in the journal, Science Advances, Swedish researchers found out that rising temperatures could boost mercury levels in fish by up to seven times the current rates. “(The researchers) have discovered a new in which warming increases levels of the toxin in sea creatures,” wrote Matt McGrath, environment correspondent for BBC News. “In experiments, they found that extra rainfall up the amount of organic material flowing into the seas. This alters the food chain, adding another layer of complex organisms which boost the concentration of mercury up the line.” Mercury, a naturally occurring element in the Earth’s crust, is one of the world’s most toxic metals. It is released into the atmosphere with natural events such as volcanic activity. The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) considered mercury as “one of the top ten threats to public health.” Actually, there are two types of mercury: inorganic and organic. Metallic mercury, which is a type of inorganic mercury, is used in familiar items such as fluorescent lights, batteries, and thermometers. The methyl mercury is a type of organic mercury. It is a white powdery substance and smells like the sulfur in a hot spring. It is easily absorbed from the stomach into the blood and carried to the liver and kidney, and then the brain and even the fetus, where it is absorbed and concentrated and causes great damage to the human body. “Human activities like coal burning, gold mining and chloralkali manufacturing plants currently contribute the vast majority of the mercury released into our environment,” explained Dr. Anne M. Davis, an assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics director at the Didactic Program in Dietetics of the University of New Haven. In an article which Live Science published, author Alina Bradford wrote: “When mercury is released into the atmosphere, it dissolves in fresh water and seawater. A type of mercury called methylmercury is most easily accumulated in the body and is particularly dangerous.” A paper published by the Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health said that about 80%-90% of organic mercury in a human body comes from eating fish and shellfish, and 75%-90% of organic mercury existing in fish and shellfish is methylmercury. Minamata disease One of the best-known cases of methylmercury poisoning was discovered in 1956 and it was

called Minamata disease since it was found in the communities near Minamata Bay, Japan. In 1968, the Japanese government announced that it was a pollution disease caused by the Chisso Company, Limited. Minamata disease is caused by eating large quantities of fish and shellfish polluted by methyl mercury in factory wastewater. It is not a contagious disease transmitted through air or food, and it is not inherited. In Minamata disease, the methyl mercury that enters the body mainly attacks the central nervous system, including the brain, and causes various symptoms including numbness and unsteadiness in the legs and hands, tiredness, ringing in the ears, narrowing of the field of vision, loss of hearing, slurred speech, and awkward movements. Records show that some early severe victims of Minamata disease went insane, became unconscious, and died within a month of the onset of the disease.

There are also victims with chronic symptoms, such as headaches, frequent tiredness, loss of the senses of smell and taste, and forgetfulness, which are not easily visible but make daily life difficult. In addition, there are congenital Minamata disease patients, who were born with handicaps after being attacked by methylmercury while in the wombs of their mothers who have eaten polluted fish. Aside from the physical damage, there is also social harm, such as discrimination due to Minamata disease. The US National Institutes of Health said that mercury poisoning is a slow process that can take months of years. Since the process is so slow, most people don’t realize they are being poisoned right away. “The populations most vulnerable to mercury are pregnant women (because it affects fetuses) and small children,” wrote Linda Greer, Michael Bender, Peter Maxson, and David Lennett, authors of Curtailing Mercury’s Global Reach, one of the reports included in the “State of The World” published by Worldwatch Institute. “A child’s brain develops throughout the first several years of life, and mercury interferes with development of the neuron connections in the brain crucial to a healthy nervous system. High levels of prenatal and infant mercury exposure can cause mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness, or

blindness,” the four authors noted. Even in much lower doses, mercury exposure is still dangerous. “(It) may affect a child’s development, leading to such results as poor performance on neurobehavioral tests, particularly those relying on attention, fine motor function, language, visual spatial abilities (such as drawing), and verbal memory,” the four authors pointed out. In adults, chronic mercury poisoning can cause memory loss, tremors, vision loss, and numbness of the fingers and toes and can adversely affect fertility and blood pressure regulation. There’s also a growing body of evidence that suggests that exposure to mercury may also contribute to heart disease in adults. “Mad as a hatter” Humans have had a long history with mercury, and it is well known, for instance, that mercury was used in the gold plating of the Great Buddha in Nara, and in

the Edo period in medicine and facial powder. Furthermore, Japanese place names such as Niu indicate areas where mercury was produced and used long ago. Mercury has long been known to be toxic; the phrase “mad as a hatter” refers to the 19th-century occupational disease that resulted from prolonged contact with the mercury used in the manufacture of felt hats. Some workers today, especially laboratory technicians, nurses, and machine operators, continue to be exposed to mercury on the job. In the United States, most mercury pesticides have been withdrawn from the market, and many countries banned ocean dumping of mercury and other pollutants in 1972. In 1991, production of mercury-containing interior and exterior paints in the US was phased out. But despite the banning of dumping of mercury in the oceans, levels of mercury in the global environment have risen sharply over the past two centuries due to man-made releases from industrial processes, products, mining, waste disposal, and coal combustion. Although it travels through the atmosphere, it settles in oceans and waterways, where naturally occurring bacteria absorb it and convert it to methylmercury. Here’s what happened, according to Bradford: “Once in the water, mercury

makes its way into the food chain. Inorganic mercury and methylmercury are first consumed by phytoplankton, single-celled algae at the base of most aquatic food chains. Next, the phytoplankton are consumed by small animals such as zooplankton. The methylmercury is assimilated and retained by the animals as waste products. Small fish that eat the zooplankton are exposed to foodborne mercury that is predominantly in the methylated form. These fish are consumed by larger fish, and so on until it gets to humans.” Predatory fish such as large tuna, swordfish, king mackerel, pike, walleye, barracuda, and marlin contain the highest methylmercury concentrations. “As a result, this contaminant now endangers people on every continent, exceeding established safe levels in various fish and marine mammals and threatening the viability of wildlife populations as well,” the Worldwatch authors wrote. Greenhouse effect It was Dr. James E. Hansen of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration who first raised the problem of climate change. In 1988, he told an American Senate hearing that the greenhouse effect “is changing our climate now.” The greenhouse effect is a natural warming process. During

the Climate Change Media Workshop three years ago, Dr. Rosa T. Perez said that carbon dioxide and certain other gases are always present in the atmosphere. These gases create a warming effect that has some similarity to the warming inside a greenhouse, hence the name “greenhouse effect.” Here’s what happens: “Visible sunlight passes through the atmosphere without being absorbed; some are back-scattered. Some of the sunlight striking the earth is absorbed and converted to heat, which warms the surface. The surface emits heat to the atmosphere, where some of it is absorbed by greenhouse gases and re-emitted toward the surface. Some of the heat is not trapped by greenhouse gases and escapes into space.” Dr. Rosa is a research fellow of the Manila Observatory. She was one of the scientists who contributed to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations body which became a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. According to Dr. Perez, human activities that emit additional greenhouse gases to the atmosphere increase the amount of heat that gets absorbed before escaping to space, thus enhancing the greenhouse effect and amplifying the warming of the earth. “Although the Earth’s climate has changed many times throughout its history, the rapid warming seen today cannot be explained by natural processes alone,” points

out Dr. Perez, who has a PhD in Meteorology from the University of the Philippines. “Climate change is very simple,” noted Dr. Robert Watson, IPCC Chairman. “We are increasing emissions of greenhouse gases and thus their concentrations in the atmosphere are going up. As these concentrations increase, the temperature of the earth rises.” A possible outcome of climate change is sea level rise. The World Bank report -- entitled Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts and the Case for Resilience -- maintained: “Limiting warming to 2⁰C may limit sea-level rise to about 70 centimeters by 2100, but in a 4⁰C world over 100 centimeters can be expected, with sea-level rise in the tropics 10-15% higher than the global average.” Scientists claim that for every meter the sea level rises, some three kilometers of inland would be inundated. The sea will literally rise to flood the plains. Climate-related changes in the marine ecosystem also affects the oceans. For instance, coral reefs are not spared from destruction like bleaching. “Coral bleaching takes place when corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light or nutrients,” the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explained. “Bleaching is not a good thing,” explained Dr. Terry Hughes, a distinguished professor at James Cook University, adding that as

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warm temperatures intensify, coral bleaching will also increase at an unprecedented level. “Bleaching events are expected to increase in terms of frequency,” he said. Further, increased carbon in the atmosphere is triggering ocean acidification. About a quarter of human-caused carbon dioxide from the atmosphere has been absorbed into seawater. This changes the chemistry of the water and makes it more difficult for some marine organisms (such as oysters and corals) to form shells and skeletons. Once these populations are affected, entire food webs are threatened. Now, there’s mercury. Every year, about 6,500 tons of mercury are released into the atmosphere, according to experts. In compari-

son to releases of other polluting substances, this may seem inconsequential. “But because mercury is persistent and never degrades, this annual loading accumulates in soil and water bodies year after year to levels sufficient to contaminate the food chain,” the four Worldwatch authors explained. And there’s more bad news. The recent study conducted by Swedish researchers said that climate change could be driving up levels of methylmercury in a manner not previously recognized. McGrath wrote in his BBC report: “In a large laboratory, Swedish researchers recreated the conditions found in the Bothnian sea sanctuary. They discovered that as temperatures increase, there is an increased run-off of organic matter into the world’s oceans

EDGEDAVAO and lakes. This encourages the growth of bacteria at the expense of phytoplankton.” Dr. Erik Bjorn from the Umea University in Sweden was quoted as saying: “When bacteria become abundant in the water, there is also a growth of a new type of predators that feed on bacteria. You basically become get one extra step in the food chain and methylmercury is enriched by about a factor of ten in each such step in the food web.” “If we reduce mercury emissions, then we need to know how fast will ecosystems recover,” Dr. Bjorn pinpointed. “If we don’t do anything and mercury doesn’t decrease, and we add this on top then the implications would be severe.” (Photos taken from the net)

NEWS13

DOST assures RP to honor Paris climate change pact D

EPARTMENT of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said his agency will focus on programs that will ensure the Philippines’ commitment to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. “I understand that the DOST was a major participant in the development of our stand in the Paris Agreement and so whatever difficulties we may encounter, we are bound to extend our support so I think it is doable if all sectors will cooperate,” Dela Peña said in a press briefing in Malacañan on Wednesday, March 1.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Paris Agreement last Tuesday, February 28. “For example, we have made a commitment that between the years 2000 to 2030, we have to reduce our carbon emissions by 70 percent. That’s really a big commitment,” Dela Peña explained. “We have to intensify our research on renewable energies, on energy conservation, and on other areas... So we have to improve our programs,” he said. “Of course, education will also be an important part,” Dela Peña said.

According to Dela Peña, human resource development is one of the key priorities of the DOST, adding that the DOST is providing scholarships to high school students with the completion of Philippine Science High School (PSHS) campuses all over the country. “We have opened the last two regional campuses of Philippine Science High School with the opening last August of the regional campus in MIMAROPA located in Romblon and the regional campus for the Zamboanga Peninsula located in Dipolog,” Dela Peña said. (PNA)

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PH inks new Chevrolet Davao wins Carmudi partnership with AAP 3 Grandmasters awards O By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

njb@edgedavao.net

HEVROLET Davao took home three Individual Awards and 2 Group Awards in the 2017 Chevrolet Grandmasters Awards last February 20 in Manila. The dealership, which is under the Angcore Motors Corporation, won Best in Customer Service and Best in Aftersales Service. “I am so proud to be part of this team,” said Chevrolet Davao president and cEO Tobi Ang after receiving the awards. Ang said the awards are a product of team effort. “A few of us may have received the awards, but each and every steward of Chevrolet Davao is responsible for this achievement,” he said.

“We take these awards as a challenge to continually improve our customers’ ownership experience, and keep making life better,” Ang added. Ang said the recognition

validates the change in vision and direction the company has been going through the past few years, as well as the importance they have put into each individual steward con-

tributing to that vision. The AngcoreABT group vision is “Make life better”. “We make sure our clients have the best ownership experience,” Ang said.

Mitsubishi presents first locally made Mirage

ITSUBISHI Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) is betting big on the continued growth of the local automotive industry as the company presented the first Mirage G4 manufactured at its 21-hectare assembly plant in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna to President Rodrigo Duterte. The Mirage G4 is the first vehicle that is manufactured under the Philippine government’s Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy or CARS Program. The CARS Program is a fiscal-capped, time-bound, and performance-based program provided by the government to help elevate the Philippine automotive industry. It is specifically implemented to transform the Philippines into an automotive manufacturing hub in the region. The government will give incentives to the manufacturers who commit to manufacture 200,000 vehicles of their chosen model in a span of 6 years. Heading the presen-

tation of the first Philippine-made Mirage G4 to President Duterte were Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Osamu Masuko, Sojitz Corporation Vice Chairman Mr. Shigeki Dantani, and MMPC President and CEO Mr. Yoshiaki Kato. At the ceremony, Mr. Masako stated: “Under the strong leadership of his Excellency President Duterte, there is big potential of economic growth in the Philippines. It is my conviction that the automotive industry with its broad base, high quality labor force and strong support through the Philippine government’s development policy, will contribute to the economic prosperity of the Philippines. Our intension is to contribute to the prosperity of the Philippines.” The ceremony, held at the Malacañan Palace was well attended by government officials, diplomats and executives as this marks a significant milestone not

only to Mitsubishi Motors but to the local automotive industry and to the Philippine economy. Witnessing this milestone were honorable Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, Department of Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, DTI Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo, DTI Assistant Secretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba, Philippine Economic Zone Authority Director General Charito B. Plaza, CARS Program Director, Romulo Manlapig, Deputy Chief of Mission of Japan Embassy, Atsushi Ueno, MMPC’s executives and business partners. The local production of the Mirage entailsadditional job opportunities to both MMPC and local parts suppliers. Some of the local parts suppliers will also take advantage of technology transfer from their foreign partners for the overall improvement in operations, efficiency, and quality.

With the start of the production of the Mirage G4 and the Mirage hatchback in May, MMPC aims to manufacture 20,000 units at the end of the year. The new stamping plant is also set to start operation in January 2018 which is expected to even increase further local content and boost production volume of MMPC by 50 percent. With MMC’s sincere commitment and trust to the Philippine government and on the CARS program, MMC has already invested 4.3 billion pesos for the production facilities and equipment required for the localization of the Mirage models. The Philippines is one of the most important markets for Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. Given the state-of-the-art production facilities and processes, the additional investment and the Filipino workmanship, MMPC is highly confident that the Philippine made Mirage G4 is of the same global quality.

NLINE car platform Carmudi Philippines and the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP), the country’s biggest and oldest auto club, has forged a partnership that aims to promote safer mobility for brand-new and second-hand car owners. Last February 20, Carmudi Philippines Managing Director Abhi Mohan and AAP President Gus Lagman signed a Memorandum of Agreement making AAP the exclusive emergency roadside service provider for every motor vehicle duly enrolled in AAP’s Corporate Membership Program for Carmudi Philippines. Based on the Memorandum of Agreement, Carmudi shall warrant those motor vehicles duly registered under its corporate name in the AAP’s Corporate Membership Program. Vehicles purchased through Carmudi that will be enrolled under the AAP Corporate Membership Program shall be entitled to two (2) service interventions or 50-kilometer tow distance (whichever comes first), 24/7 Ambulance Service, and discounts for car/ non-motor insurance and from partner establishments. For its part, the AAP shall provide benefits such as service interventions, towing, and ERS assistance in Metro Manila, North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) up north and Metro Manila Skyway and ground-level expressway from Magallanes to Alabang (SOMCO), and the Alabang-Calamba- Sto. Tomas Expressway (ACTEX) down south. Under the program, the AAP shall extend its assistance to enrolled vehicles within a 25-kilometer road distance of AAP offices at Alabang, Cebu City, Davao City, Lipa City, and San Fernando,

Pampanga. The leaders of both organizations have expressed firm belief that the newly-formed partnership will be fruitful and stable given the background for both entities. Carmudi Philippines’ managing director said that they share the same vision with the AAP and providing AAP memberships through the Corporate Membership Program would further show their cause. “Carmudi Philippines is in the business of ensuring the best automotive ownership experience to our customers, right from the research stage until they day they sell their car to upgrade to another. Road Safety has been one of our strong focuses and we have undertaken various measures to educate current and future car owners about road safety.” Mohan added. “As a responsible member of the automotive industry, we take pride in this partnership and the services around safety education and assistance we will be able to provide to our customers, thanks to AAP. Lagman shared that the AAP is happy with its partnership with Carmudi Philippines, saying that this new partnership shows the utmost trust and confidence the Berlin-based company has for the car club. “We hope that this partnership would go places. The years of being in the business of extending assistance to its members would speak volumes of the capabilities of AAP. Rest assured that the members that will be under the Corporate Membership Program will be taken care with quality,” the club president guaranteed. Carmudi Philippines’ partnership with the AAP started in 2016 by assisting the organization with the printing of the copies for the Republic Act 4136—also known as Land Transportation and Traffic Code.

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MEN’S INTERCLUB DAY 1. Kristoffer Arevalo of Manila Southwoods lines up his shot at Hole no. 10 of the Apo Golf & Country Club during Day 1 of the hotly contested PAL Men’s Interclub in Davao City.

MEN’S INTERCLUB DAY 1. Canlubang’s Miguel Castro carefully steers his putt at Hole no. 10 of the Apo Golf MEN’S INTERCLUB DAY 1. Luisita’s Vicente Tuason steadies his putt at Hole & Country Club during Day 1 of the hotly contested PAL MEN’S INTERCLUB DAY 1. Raul Miñoza of Del Monte fires away from a bunker at Hole no. 10 of no. 10 of the Apo Golf & Country Club during Day 1 of the hotly contested PAL Men’s Interclub in Davao City. the Apo Golf & Country Club during Day 1 of the hotly contested PAL Men’s Interclub in Davao City. Men’s Interclub in Davao City.

FIRST ROUND WOES Davao clubs struggle amidst strong Interclub field By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO njb@edgedavao.net

HOW THEY FARE: FOUNDERS DIVISION 123—Orchard 1220—Wack Wack, Villamor 117—Forest Hills, Tagaytay Highlands 116—Riviera 113—Cebu 112—Apo 107—Valley 106—Pueblo de Oro 105—Rancho Palos Verdes

AVIATOR 106—Sherwood, Lumba 95—Alta Vista 91—Davao

FRIENDSHIP 95—PGA of British Columbia 75—Camp Aguinaldo 74—San Juanico, KGC Boys Club of Melbourne 72—Filipino Golfers of Middle East-Dubai 71—South Cotabato, MSU 69—Pearl Kai Hawaii 68—Silicon Valley 67—Skywest 66--Lanang

N golf, there is no such thing as homecourse advantage. That rude reality of the game came into play again on Wednesday as local clubs struggled in the face of tough course conditions and the imposing field.

When the smoke of battle cleared on the first round, Davao City Golf Club was the best placed among local teams while the rest where bunched around the middle of the leaderboard in the 70th Philippine Airlines Interclub. The Matina-based DCGC were at

third spot overnight at 91 points, 15 adrift co-leaders Sherwood and Lumbia at 106 in the Aviator Division. Scoring for DCGC were Junjun Grandeza with 27, Larry Pasquil with a 20 and either the identical 19s of Ludwig Van Ledesma and Jerson Lebosada. In the tougher Founders Division, Apo Golf and Country Club is at 8th place with 112 points while Rancho Palos Verdes is at 11th with a 105, its course familiarity not playing up to their advantage. Apo’s scorers were Chikpy Saavedra with a 31 while Vincent Gumapac, Monchit Mackay andd Patrick Ryan Co all scored 27s. The RPV swingers were led by Jose Briones with a 31 while Mark Lopez could only do no better than a 27 and Roderick Lo a 23. The 20 of Leo Yap did not count in the four-to-play-three-to-count team format. Lanang Golf and Country Club also had a rough sailing, finishing the day at 11th place with an aggregate 66. Danny Nagayo led Lanang with a 20, Paul Dakudao had 19, Elias Arriba 18 and Ruben Erikson 9. The 7 of Danny Gotera did not count.

Hatton: Pacquiao too much for Khan R

ETIRED British boxing champion Ricky Hatton has backed former opponent Manny Pacquiao to triumph over Amir Khan in April. The fight was confirmed on Sunday and Hatton said that Pacquiao will have too much for British star Khan when they square up in Dubai on April 23. Pacquiao recently polled fans on Twitter to determine who he should box next and the results were overwhelmingly in Khan’s favour. It is a second super-fight in a row for Khan but the Brit will be determined to pull out a vic-

tory having recently suffered a knockout loss to Saul Alvarez last year. The defeat was the fourth of Khan’s career, but three of those have been via stoppage having also fallen to Danny Garcia and Breidis Prescott. Consequently, Hatton believes that the 30-year-old has suffered one knockout too many. “Manny has seen better days but I think he might still have a bit too much for him [Khan],” Hatton, now a world champion trainer, said in an interview. A sporting legend, Pacquiao’s resumé includes wins

over Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar de la Hoya, Shane Mosley and, of course, Hatton himself. Hatton took on the “Pacman” when the Filipino icon was in peak form in 2009 but the Mancunian was dropped in two rounds. Pacquiao, 38, has lost three times in the last eight fights, has not scored a knockout victory in eight years and has seen some of his greatest assets - power and speed - fade with age. Amir Khan posted a signature win over Devon Alexander in 2014 but was recently

outclassed by tough Mexican middleweight “Canelo” Alvarez and Hatton does not envisage a victory for his countryman come April. “I hope I am wrong but Amir is coming off a heavy knockout defeat and that’s his third heavy knock out,” Hatton said. “There are only so many times you can come back from [the] brutal knockouts Amir has had.” Since losing a decision to Floyd Mayweather in 2015, Pacquiao reclaimed the WBO welterweight world title against Timothy Bradley before trumping Jessie Vargas.

Southwoods roars to11-point lead M

ANILA Southwoods got the decent start that it wanted, pooling 136 points at tree-lined Apo Golf here for an 11-point lead over Canlubang after the first 18 holes of the 70th Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub Men’s Championship yesterday. Young Carl Corpus fired a one-over-par 73 worth 35 points, the veteran Jun Jun Plana and Jets Sajulga accounted for 34s and Kristoffer Arevalo completed the balanced attack with 33 as the Carmona-based par-busters got their “three-peat” bid off to a rip-roaring start. “Yes, this is the start that we want,” non-playing skipper Thirdy Escano said after congratulating anchor Plana on the ninth green, the team’s last hole. “But this is just the first round. We need to continue playing well.” Jolo Magcalayo matched par for 36 points, Luis Castro fired 34 and Jakey Yulo accounted for 29 to make up for the bulk of Cangolf’s 125. But the Sugar Barons had to count the 26 of JP De Claro, who couldn’t bounce back from a bum start. So efficient was Southwoods that it had to throw away the 29 of Tom Kim, while Cangolf’s struggles were highlighted as lanky Fernando Zaldarriaga accounted for only 24. “We were not expected to win this anyway,” Cangolf owner Luigi Yulo said. “This is a good effort on the part of the boys and there’s still a lot of golf left to be played.” Action shifts to Rancho Palos Verdes for the second and third rounds and Cangolf will be sending out the multi-titled Rupert Zaragosa to lead its second five and help stop the bleeding. Luisita was 21 points after a 115 built around the 32 of Josh Jorge, while Del Monte pooled 111 after Noel Langgamin fired a

32 and Mel Cubillo 31. “The important thing for us is to not allow (Canlubang) to gain ground (in the second round),” Escano, a member of several champion Southwoods teams in the past, said. “I still expect scoring to be very close at Palos (Verdes) and we must keep them at bay.” Southwoods still has Yuto Katsuragawa, Aidric Chan, Ira Alido, Liam Cully and Jama Reyes kept in the freezer in the first round and this five could be more explosive than the one that came out yesterday. Escano, though, refused to say who will see action for the second day while stressing the need to come up with a scheme that would allow him to field his finest five for the final day on Saturday, which will also be at Apo Golf. “This is where the tournament will be decided. I have no doubt about that,” he said. “Big (point) swings can take place here.” The 70th PAL Interclub Platinum sponsors are Mareco Broadcasting Network, A&E Networks Asia, RMN Networks, The Manila Standard, Fox Networks Group, Rolls-Royce, TV5, MasterCard, TFC and Business Mirror. Major sponsors include Asian Air Safari, Airbus, Primax Broadcasting Network and Sabre Airline Solutions while Corporate sponsors are Baron Travel Corporation, Boeing, MX3, GE Aviation, Bombo Radyo Philippines, Asia Brewery, Tanduay Distillers, Sabre Airline Solutions and Tourism Promotions Board. The donors are Shangri-La at The Fort, Trinity Insurance and Eton Properties. A total of 83 teams are entered in the four-day, five-division event which ends on Saturday. They will play at the Apo Golf and Country Club and Rancho Palos Verdes.

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Ateneo voluntarily forfeits game for fielding ineligible player TEAM STANDINGS GROUP A W JMC 1 DCNHS 1 Ateneo 0 PWC 0 ACD x Emar x GROUP B DJA Ford DRANHS Agro Holy Child Holy Cross

GANGED UP. Ateneo go-to guy Francis Gabriel Escandor goes through four defenders in this bit of action during the opening game of the 4th Emilio Escandor Cup. Lean Daval Jr.

1 1 0 0 x x

L 0 0 1 1 x x

0 0 1 1 x x

TENEO de Davao University voluntarily admitted committing a rule infraction and forfeited its won game in the 4th Emilio Escandor Cup High School Basketball Tournament.

In a surprise turn of events, Ateneo de Davao coach Miggy Solitaria informed tournament director Ronel Leuterio that his team has indeed fielded a

Games on Saturday, March 4 8:00 – DJA vs Ford 9:30 -- PWC vs ACD 11:00 -- Emar vs Ateneo 1:00 -- Holy Child vs DRANHS 2:30 -- DCNHS vs JMC 4:00 -- Agro vs Holy Cross Sunday, March 5 8:00 -- JMC vs PWC 9:30 -- Holy Cross vs DJA 11:00 -- ACD vs Emar 1:00 -- Ford vs Holy Chils 2:30 -- DCNHS vs Ateneo 4:00 -- Agro vs DRANHS

player whom they just found to be over the age limit. Only players born 1999 onwards qualify for the tournament sanctioned by the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP). “Even though no one has come forward to file a protest, Ateneo voluntarily asked to forfeit their won game in favor of JMC. It was a nice gesture of sportsmanship on the part of Ateneo. They felt that it was the right thing to do. They have admitted their mistake and recognized it was a great teachable moment for the whole team,” Leuterio said. The Blue Knights scored

a 78-50 rout of Jose Maria College in top of Francis Gabriel Escandor’s explosive 16-point effort and the able back up of Axel Doromal who fired 12. As it is, Ateneo would now drop to 0-1 and JMC will get the W (1-0) in Group A. The other completed games last Sunday saw Davao Jones Academy gave newcomer Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School a rude welcome with a 106-61 mauling while Davao City National High School eked out a 76-64 win in its league debut and Ford Academy of the Arts dropped Agro Industrial Foundation College 71-53. On Saturday, defending champion Holy Child will make its debut against Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School (0-1). Davao Jones Academy (1-0) will meet Ford (1-0) in a battle of early winners, PWC (0-1) clash with Assumption School of Davao, Emar Learning Center meets Ateneo (0-1), Davao City National High School (1-0) tangle with co-leader JMC (1-0) and Agro (0-1) takes on Holy Cross of Sasa. (NJB)