Edge Davao 9 Issue 274

VOL. 9 ISSUE 274 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 12 - 13, 2017 REALIZATION AT LAST. Birds-eye view of Davao City, the center of trade and commerce of Mindanao. Eight decades after Davao was formally declared a city, President Manuel Quezon’s vision to make it a “progressive and model urban center has been realized. Lean Daval Jr.

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

‘BATO’ BACKS PEACE TALKS Calls for end to endless fighting T

HE government and the National Democratic Front should resume the stalled

Hot vans yield P10M contraband in DICT

peace negotiations after both sides terminated their unilateral ceasefire declarations amid mutal accusations of bad faith, Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said Friday.

De la Rosa, 55, told reporters during the launch of the Regional Women and Children’s Protection Desk at C a m p Quintin

PNP Director General Ronald Dela Rosa delivers a message on March 10, 2017 during the turnover of a shelter donated by the Rotary Club of Downtown Davao for the Women and Children’s Protection desk of Police Regional Office XI. MindaNews photo by Manman Dejeto

M. Merecido that he was already frustrated over the endless fighting and he wanted to see it end before he retires from service next year.

The mandatory retirement age for soldiers and police is 56.

“Walang Pilipino na gustong pumatay ng Pilipino. Ilang years na yang peace talk, peace talk nayan, wala pa rin nangyari, sige pa rin, tuloy tuloy pa rin, but still kahit frustrated na tayo ako mag-reretire na. (No Filipino wants to kill a fellow Filipino. Peace talks have been held for years but, it seems nothing has

happened. The fighting continues, but still even if we are already frustrated and I’m about to retire.)

I’m still giving peace a chance,” he said.

“Kung pwede mag-usap magusap tayo para… mahirap naman ito, sige lang tayo patayan (If we can talk so that…

This is difficult, we’re always fighting),” he said.

“Wag kayo gumawa ng karahasan, wag kayo manunog ng mga heavy equipment ng plantations, construction firms na hindi nagbibigay ng pera. (Do not do violence.

Do not burn heavy equip-

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ureau of Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon led Friday the opening of six container vans stuffed with various contraband products and a Mercedes Benz unit earlier seized by Davao customs agents at the recently opened Davao International Container Terminal in Panabo City.

The container vans turned out to contain old gmelina lumbers, falcatta pallettes, magcono log bolts and matured coconuts bound for export worth a total of at least P6 millon while the imported hot items consisted of a Mercedes Benz 2012 model valued at P1.89 million from Belgium and 172,450 kgs of red onions worth P2.24 million from India.

The contrabands were seized on DICT grounds in four separate con-

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 274 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 12 - 13, 2017

NOT TO BE OUTDONE. Women from Davao City’s 11 indigenous people groups are among the participants of a women empowering forum dubbed ‘We Make Change Work for Women Micro-Retailers’ initiated by Coca-cola Philippines held at the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City on Friday. Lean Daval Jr.

Duterte focused on Filipino people, says spokesman Despite all the noise to put the President down, President Rodrigo Duterte’s focus is on the Filipino people, Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Saturday.

“Sa totoo lang po, ano ba talaga ang pursuit, ano ba talaga ang habol ng Presidente kundi isang maayos na bayan.

Isang bayan na talagang nararapat para sa ating mga Pilipino,” Abella told Radyo ng Bayan in an interview.

He also shrugged off reports that Senate witnesses, retired police officer Arturo Lascañas and Edgar Matobato, are willing to testify against President Duterte before the International Criminal Court saying the administration has not done any crime that could

be tried by the ICC. “Unang-una po siguro maintindihan natin, ‘yung… mga krimen na pinag-uusapan sa ICC ay may kanya-kanyang klasipikasyon,” Abella said.

“Wala naman tayong kinakalaban na ethnic, racial or religious na mga grupo.”

The Palace official also said that the Duterte administration cannot be faulted for extrajudicial killings.

“Hindi po applicable sa atin ‘yung extrajudicial killings… wala, hindi po applicable. Hindi siya state-sanctioned. Saka ang dini-deal natin dito ay krimen against drugs and dealers and drug addiction and drug dealing… Actually nga, these are just police operations,” he explained. (PNA)

SoCot gov is recipient of DOH ‘health champions’program

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OUTH Cotabato Governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes has been chosen by the Department of Health (DOH) as among the recipients for the rollout this year of its innovative health governance program.

James Fruto, executive assistant of the Office of the Provincial Governor, said Friday that Fuentes is one of the 11 provincial governors in the country who were endorsed to “take on the challenge of becoming champions for health and catalysts in achieving the

goals of the Philippine Health Agenda.”

Dubbed Governors for Health and Development or G4HD Project, he said the initiative is a component of the Provincial Leadership and Governance Program (PLGP) being implemented by the DOH in partnership with the Zuellig Family Foundation.

Under the program, he said the recipients will receive assistance for the implementation of special community health programs and projects.

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Bill seeking protection for informal workers filed

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

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adlopez0920@gmail.com

BILL was filed in the Senate that will assure vendors, fisherfolks, farmers and other informal workers access to social protection and coverage in Social Security System and Philippine Health Insurance that will be subsidized by the government.

Senator Sony Angara filed Senate Bill 309 or the Magna Carta of Workers in Informal Economy (MACWIE).

The bill, he said, will mandate that informal workers must enjoy just and favorable conditions of work; a living wage and equal remuneration

for work; safe and healthy working conditions; rest, leisure and reasonable limitation of working hours, among others.

If enacted, a WIELDO or Workers in Informal Employment Local Development Office will also be established in every city and municipality in the country.

“Informal workers don’t have access to social protection and justice. Dahil hindi sila sakop ng batas, halos hindi sila kinikilala ng lipunan. Kadalasan ay nabibiktima pa sila ng kotong,” Angara said in a state-

ment sent to the media.

Angara serves as the vice chairman of the Labor Committee in the Senate.

The senator said workers in the informal economy are not covered by the Labor Code and other legislation that could protect their rights.

Such situation has made them vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous employers who make them work long hours and at very low wages, without benefits and under very poor working conditions, he added.

Considered as informal

workers in Angara’s bill are the micro-entrepreneurs, homebased workers, vendors, small transport operators, small and landless farmers, fisherfolk, non-corporate construction workers, garbage collectors and recyclers, petty retailers, barter traders, small-scale miners and quarry workers, entertainers, beauticians and hairdressers, laundry persons, on-call domestic helpers, barangay health workers and other volunteer workers, barkers, unorganized cargo handlers, among others.

MPLEMENTATION of former president Benigno Aquino III’s EO 23 on total logging ban led to corruption, a study by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) show.

EO 23 failed not only to achieve its objectives of reversing the trend of deforestation in the country but also caused “damaging unintended economic and social consequences” including disruption of wood processing enterprises and increased corruption ac-

tivities in thewood industry.

In their paper, PIDS Visiting Research Fellow Vic Paqueo and Senior Research Fellow Danilo Israel opined “policymakers of EO 23 and its implementation rules underestimated the power of increased corruptionthat the order would unleash.”

The previous leadership did not foresee creation of “lucrative opportunities and incentives” that lead to bribery and corruption among key players during implementation

of the total log ban, they noted.

Paqueo and Israel said strength of institutional capacities and law enforcement as well as incidence of corruption and collusion can be viewed through the lens of “deep-rooted social issues”.

“Inequalities in land tenure, discrimination against indigenous people and their land rights, subsistence farming and the poor and marginalized have a stake in design and implementation of logging-related policies,” they noted.

To substantiate their claims, Paqueo and Israel summarized key impacts of EO 23 in logging and wood industry-dependent Caraga Region.

Since its implementation, the number of wood processing enterprises in CARAGA fell from 119 establishments in 2010 to 27 establishments at present.

There has also been a recorded increase in corruption andrent-seeking activities between government regulators

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Total logging ban led to corruption: study I F TOTAL, 10

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4 NEWS EDGEDAVAO OMB sacks 5 NCMF officials T

HE Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal and imposed the penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office five executives of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos after they were found guilty of Grave Misconduct and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service.

The NCMF executives were charged in relation to the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund of former Maguindanao Representative Simeon Datumanong in 2012.

The NCMF executives were identified as Secre-

tary/Commissioner Mehol Sadain, Director III Galay Makalinggan, Acting Chief Accountant Fedelina Aldanese, Acting Chief Aurora Aragon-Mabang, and Cashier Olga Galido.

“In-depth investigation uncovered that in May 2012, the Department of Budget and Management issued a Special Allotment Release Order covering P3,800,000.00 in favor of NCMF, as implementing agency, charged against Datumanong’s PDAF. The money was intended to finance livelihood programs such as soap making, candle making and meat processing for the municipalities of Mamasapa-

no, Ampatuan and Datu Abdullah Sanki,” the Ombudsman said in a statement on Friday.

To facilitate the fund utilization, the Ombudsman found that Datumanong requested that the P3.8million be coursed through the Maharlikang Lipi Foundation, Inc. (MLFI), as NGO-partner.

But the Commission on Audit, in its report found that the selection of the NGO was undertaken in violation of COA Circular No. 2007-01 noting the absence of public bidding in the NGO-selection process.

The Ombudsman ruled that the “respondents par-

Mairel Valino Martinez from Cabanatuan City. Eight of the class’ 10 topnotchers are female cadets, including one from Baguio City’s Kankanaey ethnic group, C1C Eda Glis Buansi Marapao, who, along with Martinez, will join the Navy.

Marapao is also the youngest to graduate in her class, which according to academy records, has the most number of female graduates since the PMA began accepting female cadets in 1997.

The oldest graduate, Rinze Marrion de Monteverde Eviota, entered the academy as a member of Class of 2015.

Six other turn-backs from the Class of 2015 and 23 from the Class of 2016 will be part of PMA Salaknib Class of 2017.

Some 21 graduates came from the National Capital Region; 21 from Calabarzon; 20 from Central Luzon; 13 from the Cordillera region; 15 from the Ilocos region; and one from Eastern Visayas.

Sunday’s graduation rites will be held at the Borromeo Field, Fort Del Pilar here. President Rodrigo Duterte will address the graduates. Vice President Leni Robredo and National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana will also attend the event. (PNA)

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167 PMA graduates set to join AFP as officers

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TOTAL of 167 members of the Philippine Military Academy’s Sanggalang ay Lakas at Buhay na Alay sa Kalayaan ng Inang Bayan (PMA-Salaknib) Class of 2017 are set to join the Armed Forces of the Philippines as junior officers after their graduation rites on Sunday.

Of the 167 -- 104 male and 63 female cadets -- 90 will join the Philippine Army, including 32 female cadets; while 44 will join the Philippine Navy, 18 of whom are females cadets. The remaining 33 cadets will join the Philippine Air Force.

This year’s class valedictorian is Cadet 1st Class Rovi

FIRST TAKE. Mutya ng Davao 2017 candidate No. 7 Maica Cabling Martinez wins Best in Talent during the prepageant event held at the activity center of Abreeza Mall on Friday night. Lean Daval Jr.

CHR slams Bansalan ambush NPA owns up to attack that killed 4 cops

By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

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adlopez0920@gmail.com

HE Commission on Human Rights in Davao region condemned the ambush of police officers in Bansalan, Davao del Sur on Wednesday, March 8 that killed four policemen and injured another.

CHR-11 also expressed sympathies and condolences to the victims and their families.

“We will continue to work with the authorities in order that the full force of the law will be applied against the

persons responsible for these human rights violations,” the CHR-11 said.

The agency added that it is currently conducting its own investigation and is continuously monitoring the developments related to the incident.

President Duterte and Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa already paid a visit to the families of the victims in Bansalan on Thursday.

The President also award-

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PDEA-ARMM‘one-time, big-time’ raids net 14 druggies in Cotabato

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T least 14 drug personalities were arrested during intensified anti-drug operations by narcotics agents and police in Cotabato City, authorities said Saturday.

Director Bryan Babang of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said the series of operations was conducted in separate areas in the city known to have been infiltrated by drug pushers and users.

Armed with search warrants, PDEA-ARMM operatives, backed by members of the Cotabato City Police and the Army’s Special Forces Battalion, raided Barangay Rosary Heights 10 and arrested Friday morning Mohaliden

Mamarinta, 33, Karim Kirat, 40 and Tahir Minalang, 33.

The raiding team seized 11 sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride and shabu paraphenalia.

At past 4 p.m. Friday, the same anti-narcotics operatives raided a safe house in Barangay Bagua Mother, Cotabato City and arrested 11 drug personalities.

The narcotics agents first arrested Samia Ngodong, and couple Catherine Abas and Palarisan Abas, all included in the PDEA-ARMM watch list of suspected drug personalities.

Babang said while the authorities were processing the items seized from the suspects, they noticed a group of people in a nearby house.

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Abu Sayyaf bandits abduct Sulu public school teacher

BACK TO THE SADDLE. Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza of North Cotabato exchanges pleasantries with National Security adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr during President Duterte’s meeting with local

executives in Mindanao held at SMX Convention Center in Lanang, Davao City on Thursday. Taliño-Mendoza is back in office after a 90-day suspension ordered by Sandigan Bayan last year. Lean Daval Jr.

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OVERNMENT troops are tracking down the whereabouts of a public school teacher who was abducted by Abu Sayyaf bandits in the island province of Sulu, a military official said Saturday.

Col. Cirilito Sobejana Jr., Joint Task Force Sulu commander, identified the victim as Ibrahim Potong, a teacher of Jolo National High School.

Sobejana said Potong was driving his motorcycle on the way home to Maimbung town

when he was waylaid and taken by the bandits on Friday afternoon.

He said troops have been immediately alerted to locate and rescue the teacher.

He said they are coordinating with the victim’s family “to gather more information about Potong”.

With Potong’s abduction, the number of hostages in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf has increased to 32, including 26 foreigners. (PNA)

VOL. 9 ISSUE 274 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 12 - 13, 2017

EDGEDAVAO ARAW NG DAVAO SUPPLEMENT

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8 DECADES AFTER: Davao City soars high

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IGHTY years ago on March 1, 1937, Davao formally became a city in an inauguration attended by then Interior Secretary Elpidio Quirino at what is now Quezon Park, a prominent landmark located in front of the City Hall.

From the United States, the late President Manuel Quezon said the cityhood of Davao was “important in international trade” as it “brings to realization one of my long cherished plans of affording your city every opportunity to make great strides in its political, social, and economic development.”

Quezon’s vision was to make Davao a “progressive and model urban center.”

Quirino administered the oath-taking of the first mayor of the city, Santiago Artiaga.

The seven members of the first city council were also present.

The creation of the city was hailed as a reaction to the increasing number of foreigners gaining control over the municipality of Davao -- among them Japanese businessmen who were instrumental in the vast development of lands into abaca plantations.

It was a political decision that indicated that the locals were independent and capable of running a government of their own.

Local historians said the triumph that the people felt with the newly-earned autonomy was shown by their excitement to participate in the events prepared by both the newly-born city government and the private organizations.

The announcement from the government was specific -- for the Dabawenyos to come out on the streets and to join the inauguration “in their best attire to witness, to join and to perform in their assigned roles...”

Davao historian Ernesto Corcino wrote that a threehour civic parade was staged that day.

Another historian, 89-year-old Librada “Libby” Rufo, said the parade’s route was limited only to the three major streets of the new city -- Oyanguren Street, Claveria Street, and Hospital Avenue, now called J.P. Laurel Avenue.

Oldest street and language But the parade ended at

the San Pedro Street, exactly in front of the City Hall, according to Rufo. It is the city’s oldest street, named after the equally oldest church in the city, San Pedro Church.

“There were only a few people then, and everyone knew each other,” she said.

There were only about 68,000 people in Davao at the time it was declared a city.

Most of the residents of downtown Davao were migrants from Luzon.

“The language predominantly used in Davao then was Tagalog because most of the residents were migrants from Luzon,” she said.

During the war in early the 1940s, it was said that the longest battles to liberate the country from occupation was fought in Davao City -- lasting for six months until the surrender of the Japanese in 1945.

“Davao’s destruction, followed by a swell of thousands of guerrillas who wanted to squat on former-Japanese owned plantations, together with a deluge of sickly refugees from the mountains, added to the physical and economic problems of the City,” an article on Davao history said.

The rebuilding of the city was aided by the deluge of war veterans and investors after the war. Davao gradually blossomed, its economic growth spurred by agriculture and trade -- its lands becoming host to high-value crops that even these days, provided the people livelihood and employment.

“After the war, Bisaya became the lingua franca,” said Rufo.

Soaring high After eight decades, Davao City is now the center of trade and commerce in Mindanao.

Aside its agricultural products like durian, cavendish bananas, pineapples, cacao, and orchid and tropical plants, Davao is also bursting with real estate development, manufacturing, and others.

For many, it is the city of great opportunities and the potential endless -- even despite the diversity of its people’s culture and tradition.

And it continues to soar high -- just like one of its icon, the Philippine Eagle.

Lemuel Ortonio, the chief of the Davao City Investment

Promotion Center, said the city grew higher in 2016 with 38, 526 total business application compared to the previous year with 36,950 -- with 2016 capitalization of P230 million. The city’s annual growth is 6.09.

He also noted how Chinese, Japanese, and other foreign investors have expressed their intentions to pour capital and establish businesses in the

city.

Its partnerships with other local cities continue -- even reaching across borders with pacts with cities in Japan, Hawaii, Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea, and Taiwan.

Davao City, the hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte, has also been widely recognized for trailblazing people

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 274 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 12 - 13, 2017

DOF: BIR still determining Mighty’s tax deficiencies

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SHARING A VISION. Philippine Air Asia chief executive officer Captain Dexter Comendador (center), Department of Tourism (DOT) 11 director Roberto Alabado III (2nd from left) and Davao Visit Fun Sale Execom, Inc. chair Benjamin Lizada (2nd from right) sign a partnership agreement

which aims to establish Davao as a premiere tourist destination in time for Air Asia’s launching of its new flights from Davao City on Thursday evening.

Lean Daval Jr.

Modern meat-cutting plant inaugurated in Butuan City A

MODERN meat-cutting plant was inaugurated Thursday morning in Butuan City.

The facility is a joint project of Pilmico Animal Nutrition Corporation (Pilmico), the Butuan City-based Happy Enterprises and Resources, Inc. and Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development-Philippine Cold Chain Project/United States Department of Agriculture.

The meat-cutting plant is “the first of its kind in the Caraga region.”

The inauguration was attended by Pilmico vice president and chief operations officer for feeds Tristian Aboitiz, Pilmico vice president for feed Sales Norie Bermudez, Happy Enterprises and Resources Inc. president Engr. Victorino Balibrea, a representative of Winrock International Chief of Party Remer Lane III and Dr. Claro Dennis P. Morante, from the National Meat Inspection Service.

In his message, Pilmico VP-COO Tristian Aboitiz said: “Our aim to improve the swine

industry in Caraga region is now clearly coming into fruition with the opening of the meat-cutting plant…This meat-processing plant will provide local backyard farmers with a market for their livestock and simultaneously give the local community access to locally grown, fresh quality meat.”

With a common goal of improving the practices of backyard farmers in the Caraga region, Pilmico, Winrock International and Happy Enterprises transformed their

current swine repopulation project into a more holistic and sustainable approach to address swine production challenges through the construction of the meat-cutting plant.

The facility will cater to Butuanons and nearby provinces and more importantly, it gives the local community access to fresh quality meat and opportunity for local employment.

The construction of the meat-cutting plant started in May 2016. (PNA)

Makati City.

PCCI-USAID tax reform roadshows have so far been held in the provinces of Pampanga, Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, Davao and Cagayan De Oro to inform the public of the benefits of the CTRP and gather their inputs on how to further finetune the proposed tax reform plan.

Dominguez thanked the PCCI, led by its president George Barcelon, and the USAID for proactively supporting the CTRP and helping the Department of Finance (DOF) pitch its merits before the business sector and the international community.

“Thank you for the support you offer in conducting the public diplomacy paving the way to revenue reforms.

Yours are credible voices representing the business community and our development partners. I assure you the support you extend is profoundly appreciated,” he said.

Dominguez noted that previous secretaries and undersecretaries of the DOF have vigorously endorsed this tax reform package, along with multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Asian Development Bank.

The Philippines’ development partners, as well as several reform-oriented civil society groups have also expressed their support for the CTRP. Although the CTRP has secured the support of an increasing number of institutions and organizations, Dominguez said, “It is the man-on-the-street we now need to win over. This manon-the-street is susceptible to populist and free-rider arguments put forward by groups that oppose any and all reforms in taxation.”

Dominguez said the popular proposals in the CTRP’s first package, such as the significant cuts in personal income tax (PIT) rates and estate taxes are “fairly easy to sell” to the public, but they should also be educated on the underlying reasons behind these reforms, which are to align tax rates with the rest of the region to make the Philippines a magnet for investments and to increase the purchasing power of compensation earners to further boost economic productivity.

The CTRP’s first package, introduced in the Congress

by Rep. Dakila Carlo Cua as House Bill No. 4774, also aims to lower donor taxes and

provide revenue reform measures such as adjusting the excise taxes on automobiles and fuel and broadening the Value Added Tax (VAT) base but retaining exemptions for seniors and persons with disabilities.

Dominguez said the public needs to know why the government is reforming the system of collecting taxes, such as in the VAT. “The VAT is a stable source of income of revenues. However, our system has been afflicted with too many exemptions inserted by law. These exemptions render the VAT system very, very porous. This is why Thailand collects the same percentage of GDP from its VAT system even though it imposes a rate of only seven percent against our 12 percent,” he said.

“If we are able to close the loopholes, it should be possible in the future to contemplate lowering the VAT rate itself,” Dominguez said.

As far as the DOF can accomplish within the existing tax framework, Dominguez said administrative reforms in the Bureaus of Internal Revenue (BIR) and of Customs (BOC) have already been “pushed” to the limit and produced “palpable results. (PR)

Tax reform“key link”to redeeming PHL future: Dominguez

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INANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has underscored the importance of public diplomacy to win popular support for the Duterte administration’s proposed Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) by convincing ordinary Filipinos that an overhaul of the outdated tax is the “key link” to “redeeming the country’s future.”

“It is important for us to quickly conduct public diplomacy to win our citizens to the side of reform. We should be able to convince our people of the long-term benefits of renovating the architecture of our country’s revenue system,” Dominguez said “We need to convince our people the comprehensive tax reform package is the key link to a more inclusive economy further down the road.

“This can be done only with the passage of the comprehensive tax reform program. This is the key link to redeeming our nation’s future,” said Dominguez in his remarks during Friday’s tax reform roadshow jointly conducted by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at the Shangri-La Hotel in

INANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is still determining the correct amount that Mighty Corporation should pay in deficiency taxes as lawyers for the cigarette manufacturing firm have been “obstructing” government efforts to look into its business activities.

“We have not received any written order from the President. [BIR Commissioner] Billy Dulay has not even finished quantifying how much (Mighty) should pay,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez added that “we are having a hard time determining how much the taxes should be because the lawyers of Mighty have been obstructing us.”

Earlier, Dominguez said the BIR and Bureau of Customs (BOC) are busy gathering evidence for submission to the Department of Justice (DOJ), “preparatory to the government’s filing of an air-tight case against Mighty Corp. for tax evasion and other possible charges.”

“The government needs to first establish strong evidence to pin down this cigarette manufacturer on such charges,” Dominguez said. “We must make sure the charges stick not only to haul the guilty

parties, including their possible cohorts in the government, into jail but to send a clear message to big-time tax dodgers that the Duterte administration is dead set on putting an end to their nefarious activities and sending all of them behind bars.”

Dominguez issued this statement on the heels of his call on the BIR and BOC last week to file soon enough the appropriate charges against persons and companies proven to be the owners of P2.2 billion-worth of smuggled and counterfeit tobacco products, shoes and clothes that government agents had seized in a series of raids.

Among the seized goods were cigarette brands manufactured by Mighty Corp. with fake tax stamps that BOC operatives had seized in raids in Pampanga and the cities of General Santos and Zamboanga in Mindanao.

“They (BOC and BIR) should speed up their investigations and also look into the possible involvement of bureaucrats acting as protectors of these large-scale tax evasion attempts,” he said.

According to Action for Economic Reform senior economist and trustee Jo-Ann Diosana, “If the law is followed, Mighty must pay as much as P15 billion in taxes.” (PR)

MSMEs take center stage in ASEAN, OECD meetings

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EDUCING regulatory burdens to provide a conducive environment to micro and small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) growth will take center stage when the Philippines hosts the third Southeast Asia Regional Policy Network on Good Regulatory Practices (GRPN) on March 14 to 16 in Iloilo City.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members would work on standardizing business registration in the region. “(In terms of the) number of signatures needed and the number of days required to get registration of a business,” he told reporters. “We’re going to emphasize similarities and work on the differences so there can be smoothing so some congruence can be achieved.”

Pernia, also Director-General of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said the GRPN meeting will address issues and regulatory challenges in order to facilitate the integration of ASEAN SMEs into the global value chains (GVCs).

“Part of the enabling environment is a simplified set of rules and regulations on business registration and licensing, entry and exit, paying taxes and access to finance,” he said, noting they aim to

emulate Singapore’s business procedure.

The NEDA will host the meetings on good regulatory practices which will bring together around 20 regulatory policy officials from ASEAN members and development partners from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries. It will be co-chaired

by New Zealand and Malaysia.

The meeting will provide a platform for ASEAN and OECD countries to share their experiences in improving business environment, specifically business start-up processes, simplifying administrative procedures, and reducing red tape.

The NEDA chief said they would also share best practices to support the ASEAN Community and the 2025 Vision through enhancing regulatory systems and frameworks.

Pernia said this aligned well with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 20172022, where regulatory reform was identified as a major strategy to improve governance, reduce inequality and increase potential growth.

One of the key presentations will be the Philippine National Competitiveness Council’s Project Repeal.

This initiative aims to review, repeal, or amend existing regulations that impose unnecessary burden on business firms. (PNA)

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Farm leaders, gov’t. officials invited to WIBI Minda forum

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OVERNMENT officials, community leaders and business executives are expected to take part in the National Stakeholders Forum of the “Scaling up Risk Transfer Mechanisms for Climate Vulnerable Agriculture-based Farming Communities in Mindanao” or “Weather Index-Based Insurance (WIBI) Mindanao” Project would like to invite you to participate in our National Stakeholders’ Forum slated at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City, tomorrow, March 14.

The WIBI Mindanao Project is implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DA), Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that aims to reduce poverty by strengthen-

ing the resilience of vulnerable rural communities in Mindanao through climate risk transfer mechanisms and productivity enhancement measures, according to Isarael Q. dele Cruz, national project manager of WIBI Mindanao.

In a letter of invitation sent to Capt. Ronald C. Go, president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII(), dela Cuz said the gathering will showcase the milestones along with culmination of project activities.

He thanked the stakeholders for their unwavering support in developing the index-based insurance system in the country, adding that Bukidnon and Davao are the pilot sites of this project with over 2,000 farmers enrolled in the WIBI.

EDGEDAVAO

ECONOMY 7

NGO honors migrant workers, asks protection of women OFWs W

OMEN hold a bigger share in the number of migrant labors, 51 percent of the total overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) left the country in 2015 to earn a living for their families.

And to this day, on a daily basis victims of abuses by the

agencies and employers are endured by women OFWs, according to the Mindanao Migrants Center for Empowering Actions, Inc., a nongovernment organization.

“Last year, an OFW mother came home to bury her son who died in the hands of the guardians she entrusted her

son to, but the mother who still cannot find a decent job in Davao City to stay with her children still has to leave and work abroad once more due to her standing contract and the difficulty of landing an opportunity that offers financial sustainability for her children’s needs,” the MMCEAI

stated.

“Early this year, another OFW widow was executed in Kuwait who did admit to the crime she was accused and sentence to die. She left two children behind. Her case that ran for a decade was not heard loudly of. A woman

F NGO, 11

DOF eyes P92-B more revenues from VAT exemptions removal

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HE Department of Finance’s proposal to remove non-basic sector’s exemption from paying Value Added Tax (VAT) will bring in additional P92 billion in revenues.

Finance Undersecretary Karl Chua told PNA that from the present number of exemptions, at around 143, about 100 will be removed. ”Only the basic necessities like food will be exempted. This is cited in the tax code,” he said.

Some of the sectors that currently enjoy exemptions from

paying VAT number to around 59 under the tax code while 84 others were given exemptions under special laws.

These sectors cover agriculture, schools, economic zones, power sector, housing sector, and the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Among those whose exemptions will be removed are the Girl Scout of the Philippines, which have already signified its willingness to be removed from the list, and the large cooperatives.

(PNA)

PRIME PRODUCTS. Representatives of various smartphone brands show off their flagship products during a news conference for the 17th anniversary of Davao City-based mobile phones and electronic gadgets dealer Wiltelcom on Friday. Lean Daval Jr.

Are banks in PH waking up to cloud? ePLDT urges finance sector to use cloud to reduce costs, improve scalability

I

N a report by the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA), the Philippines has improved its ranking for the second consecutive time in its Cloud Readiness Index (CRI), taking the ninth spot as the most cloud-ready nation in the Asia Pacific. According to ePLDT, while the country’s adoption of cloud technologies is gradually rising, banking institutions need to keep up with this trend to provide better services to customers, reduce operating costs and improve scalability and flexibility.

Just in April 2013, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released a framework on the banks’ use of IT infrastructure, which includes ruling on use of cloud computing technologies.

This opens the floor for players in the local banking and finance services and insurance industry to explore possibilities on cloud for their non-core applications.

“Customers want automation. That’s why banks want to make sure that their applications won’t crash during moments when customer service

is expected to be at its peak,” said Nico Alcoseba, Vice President and Head of ePLDT/PLDT Disruptive Business Group. “At this point, cloud adoption in the banking and financial sectors should no longer be a question—it is already a need. Cloud offers tremendous benefits that range from the agility to scale up and down to savings in total cost of ownership. With this solution in place, banks will definitely improve the way they deliver their services to customers across their branches.”

Embarking on a cloudbased business transformation journey helps banking institutions to optimize their operations. This is why ePLDT, Inc., an industry-leading enabler of digital business solutions for enterprises in the Philippines, pushes for the wide use of cloud for banks to leapfrog the competition in the market, innovate financial processes and meet customer satisfaction. ePLDT provides scalability to customers depending on their demand. It offers tailor-fit cloud infrastructure while saving on

costs, therefore supporting their growth in new markets without wasting time and resources in establishing a physical presence.

On top of these services, ePLDT ensures optimum security and disaster recovery to data stored in its colocation centers, the VITRO network of data centers. This is what separates cloud services from on-premise solutions.

“Banks are in a better position to maintain their relationship with their customers and entice new ones when they deploy their processes on the cloud,” said Nerisse Ramos, ePLDT Group Chief Operating Officer. “Huge banking institutions around the world are now embracing public cloud services because of its limitless security, scalability and cost-efficiency.

Our local banks should not lag behind the competition.” ePLDT, Inc. offers a suite of cloud technologies that range from IaaS, SaaS, DRaaS and Microsoft Office 365. For more information, please visit the website at www.epldt.com/ solutions/cloud/. (PR)

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

EDITORIAL

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Unsportsmanlike

HE brewing word war between Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Commissioner Ramon Fernandez is bringing out the worst in sports.

From legitimate issues involving the roles of the two sports bodies in relation to the training and funding of national athletes, the exchange strayed into personal accusations.

Commissioner Fernandez, ever since he was appointed by President Duterte to the government sports agency, did not mince words in hitting Cojuangco, who at 82, still heads the POC, which is the umbrella organization of all national sports associations (NSAs). The NSAs are the ones who choose and train national athletes to compete in international competitions. However, funding of such training and participation is provided by the PSC. So that’s where the paths of the POC and the PSC meet.

The conflict between the two sports bodies arose when the PSC required all NSAs to liquidate the funds given to them by the PSC. As government disbursements, it is required by law that all monies be prop-

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erly accounted for.

Some NSAs could not comply with this simple requirement. When pressed to comply by the PSC, the POC cried intervention of affairs.

Then came Cojuangco’s personal attack on Fernandez. He accused the former basketball star of game-fixing back in his active days as a professional basketball player.

That is totally unacceptable. If Cojuangco cannot answer the issues raised by Fernandez, he should not resort to personal forays. Instead, he should answer the issues squarely. Straying into personal matters is a defense mechanism of one who cannot argue on the merits. In this battle, Cojuangco is clearly losing the argument.

What is Cojuangco’s problem with accounting for the money received from government? He comes from a clan of politicians and therefore should understand how government operates.

When asked to liquidate, it is not interference. It is accountability.

If you cannot follow, fund yourself. Do not ask or receive from government.

Simple as that.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

JIMMY K. LAKING Associate Editor PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ KENNETH IRVING K. ONG JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ BAI FAUZIAH FATIMA SINSUAT AMBOLODTO JECIA ANNE OPIANA MEGHANN STA. INES Reporters NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN FUNNY PEARL GAJUNERA Lifestyle CHA MONFORTE LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. ARLENE D. PASAJE Correspondents Cartoons Photography Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. Columnists: D. TACIO G.•DELIGERO • JOHN CARLO TRIA • VIDAGOTIANSE-TAN MIA S. VALVERDE•• NICASIO FRED C. LUMBA • ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA BORBONHENRYLITO • MARY ANN “ADI”• GREGORIO C. QUISIDO LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NIKKI ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER M. PEREZ

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EDGEDAVAO

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HERE is so much at stake in our country today that we need to stand up and fight for.

Education is one. Equitable distribution of wealth is another.

Social justice, peace and prosperity, brotherhood and unity.

But more than these basic realities, it is the quest for genuine freedom, where the voice of the people reigns supreme, that should prompt our collective action.

With freedom on the line, there should be a greater motivation for our people to strive harder, fight for their inherent constitutional rights and demand that government promptly deliver basic services to everyone.

The principle that government exists for the people and not vice versa should empower the citizens to take active part in governance.

This should be the sustaining motivation by all.

I

WAS riding a bus and was reading a national paper. A few minutes later, the woman sitting next to me asked me if she could read the other pages. An article on diabetes caught her attention. She told me that her father died of the disease and wanted to know if it is hereditary.

On another occasion, inside a bank, a man asked me if he could borrow the magazine I was holding which I was not reading. One of the articles discussed in the magazine, as its cover said, was geothermal power. He wanted to find out more what about the subject since his family lives near Mount Apo. These two incidents have proven two points. The first is that ordinary people read anything related to science. The second is that when nonscientists are looking for scientific information, they turn to mass media (newspapers and magazines, television, or radio).

Unlike in the past, people these days are now reading science articles and features. As Queena N. Lee-Chua wrote in the preface of her book, Cogito ergo sum and other musing on science: “Like any other human endeavor, science has gone beyond its traditional confines of textbooks and journals into the public realm of sci-fi, daily news, poetry collections, personal musings, cable channels, interactive museums. Science has also freed itself from the conventional triumvirate of biochem-physics and has blossomed into interdisciplinary and applied areas. Science has become ubiquitous in our world. Science is now hip!”

Dr. Crispin C. Maslog, a noted Filipino journalist, professor, editor

VOL. 9 ISSUE 274 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 12 - 13, 2017

VANTAGE POINTS

9

Transforming doubt into faith Past government administrations have but on the surface touched the fundamental needs of their constituencies. The negative thoughts that were left implanted in our minds because of their neglect, inefficiency and incompetence in governance produced scars of resentment, anger and indifference.

Doesn’t this tell us that the oft-stated “government of, for and by the people,” has shrunk into a meaningless “ism” - a myth, to say the least?

The faith of people in government is shaken to bits. Politicians who can swear by as many empty promises each one can make usually end up installed in office. The electorate doesn’t seem to mind at all, not anymore. The sweet-talking politician cum pseudo-leader has taken over the reins.

Shouldn’t we be glad and wel-

SPECKS OF LIFE Fred C. Lumba come the new wave of governance that has replaced the indolent, passive and corrupt regimes?

Shouldn’t we raise our hands in hope and in joy that the neglected poor and under-privileged are now

the focus of governance?

For the longest time, we have been living in doubt and in fear, in timidity and in bondage. For many decades - nay, centuries even - these circumstances plagued us.

Foreign powers and foreign business interests exploited not only our patrimony but also wilted our souls and spirits while our leaders merely looked the other way.

Let these ugly and sad experiences, traumatic and injurious as they were, awaken our sleeping souls and spirits and turn us into courageous freedom-fighters.

Let these circumstances transform our diffident attitudes into a wizened citizenry, educated by the difficult lessons we went through under centuries of foreign colonization.

Yes, let us transform our doubts into faith.

We must help each other, in a

cooperative manner, to encourage and promote the active participation of its citizens in all aspects of community life.

This is the true meaning of people empowerment.

Let us teach our young people to resist foreign subjugation, to correctly identify themselves as Filipinos and not by any other identity.

We are not the “little brown brothers” of anybody. We are our own.

“It does not matter what’s the color of your skin, what language do you speak, what religion you believe in. It is that we should all consider each other as human beings,” Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani teenager, uttered in a speech after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway.

Above all, have faith. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

ant were…” And the rest of the other commandments would be left out.

Yes, it is a very hard task to write a science report if you are given limited words. When I wrote the series on vanishing Philippine species, I had to explains such words as “carrying capacity,” “biodiversity,” “hotspots,” “endangered,” “facing extinction,” and “endemic.” At that time, no one knows what those words were.

More often than not, science writers should have science background compared to hose assigned in other beats. The reason: they would have easier way of dealing with those complex scientific issues.

If a science story is given to someone who doesn’t have any science background at all, the tendency is just to quote the scientist in toto without explaining them.

“They don’t have enough background to ask intelligent questions or write intelligent stories,” observed Ron Kotulak, science reporter for the Chicago Tribune. “They take the easy way out; they go for the jugular.”

Only very few editors gave space to science stories in the past. Today, some publishers and editors are giving one whole page or two for science articles. For instance, the Philippine Daily Inquirer has a science page every Saturday (where articles on medicine, environment, technology, and agriculture are published). Business Mirror also a whole science page every Sunday.

From time to time, EDGE Davao also comes out a science page.

In recent years, Philippines Graphic has given some of its pages to science features (technology, medicine, environment, and recent innovations).

But despite the recognitions science received in recent years, writ-

ers who report those innovations, technologies and breakthroughs that affect human lives are not given due respect. “I have the feeling that science writers generally are treated like plumbers,” deplores Edward Edelson, science editor of the New York Daily News. “A plumber is someone you call in when you need technical information. You pay for the information, but you have no particular respect for the plumber as anything but a fixer of plumbing.

In the same way, a science writer is paid well for writing about genes or whatever technical, and is sent to the back row when affairs of real importance arise.”

But on second thought, thanks for science reporting, I was able to attend international scientific gatherings in various parts of the world: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Bali, Indonesia; Durban, South Africa; Melbourne, Australia; Bangkok, Thailand; and Florida, United States. I had also the pleasure of attending the fourth world conference of science journalists in Montreal, Canada.

In recent years, my agricultural stories won me awards and brought me to Beijing, China and Hanoi, Vietnam.

Had it not been for science reporting, I won’t have those opportunities of hobnobbing with famous experts in their chosen fields. When I attended the 13th AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, I was able to talk with Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela who urged not to discuss where AIDS started or came from. “The disease is already here,” he said. “We have to find ways how to combat it now!”

Science reporting, anyone?

Write science right

and environmental activist, said it right when he told a group of college students: “Science communities are the bridge between the science in their laboratories and the people who will use their science discoveries. Without them, all the scientific efforts will be for naught.”

I became a science journalist by choice. When I was starting my career as a journalist, I didn’t know what beat to focus on. It was not after attending a workshop convened by the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) on environmental reporting that I finally discovered my place under the sun: science writing.

I was on the right track. My article on disappearing marine turtles and endangered coral reefs earned me citations from the science journalism awards sponsored by PPI. In 1995, my series on vanishing Philippine species won me a third prize in the science journalism awards.

For winning the grand prize in 1997 (for an article on diabetes) and 1998 (for a collaborative effort on global warming with my sister Elena D. Tacio), PPI elevated me to the Hall of Fame, the only one who received such distinction.

“I asked editors who are present here to use more science articles and features in their papers,” I told the audience when I accepted the coveted award in Makati City. “More often than not, science stories are buried in inside pages. Science stories are also the first to go in case there are breaking news.”

Oftentimes, science stories are long because they need necessary explanation. But editors want those stories short because they think only very few people read them. “When I was working on a newspaper,” re-

THINK ON THESE!

Henrylito D. Tacio

calls American science writer Susan West, “the editors would cut any science story down to 500 words. They didn’t believe there was anything important enough in science that couldn’t be said in 500 words.”

That’s my dilemma, too. I write long articles and features, usually more than 1,000 words. This is one of the reasons why editors in the past won’t publish them. “Can you make your stories short,” they asked me. But it’s very hard to do.

In most cases, the science story suffers when it is cut. Listen to the explanation of Patrick Young, a science writer for a news service in the United States: “If we’re trying to explain, for example, the various research techniques used to high-energy physics, we really can get bogged down.”

For instance, if the Ten Commandments were to be written in the present time for newspapers, the report would be something like this: “The Lord God issued ten commandments today. The three most import-

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 274 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 12 - 13, 2017

8 DECADES AFTER: Davao City soars high

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VALUABLE ADVICE. Coca-Cola Philippines president and general manager Diego Granizo delivers an inspirational message before 5,000 participants of ‘We Make Change work for Women Micro-Retailers’ event held at the University of Southeastern Philippines on Friday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

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ment of the plantations and construction firms who do not give money),” he said.

On the intention of the NDF to release six captives being held by the NPA, Dela Rosa called it “one of the gestures of goodwill”.

“One of the acts of goodwill pero hindi lang yan ang kinakailangan natin (but that’s not the only thing we need). Commitment talaga while naga-peace talk wag kayo pumatay ng police, wag kayo pumatay ng sundalo (We need commitment. While there is peace talk, do not kill a police, do not kill a soldier),” he said.

The NDF identified the six captives as Pfc Edwin Salan, captured in Alegria, Surigao del Norte on January 29; Sgt. Solaiman Calucop and Pfc Samuel Garay, captured in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat

on February 2; PO2 Jerome Natividad, captured in Talakag, Bukidnon on February 9; and two alleged paramilitary members Rene Doller and Carl Mark, both captured in Lupon, Davao Oriental on February 14.

In a statement on March 9, NDFP peace negotiating panel chair Fidel Agcaoili said the NDFP has approved their release.

“Discussions have been going on since between third party peace facilitators and the GRP Panel. The POWs should have been released as early as 2 March but arrangements on their safe and orderly release, as well as those of the third party peace facilitators, local government officials, ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) representatives and the custodial forces, have still to be worked

out,” he said.

“On the Bansalan (Davao del Sur) incident, we still have to confirm if this was done by the NPA command in the area. There are peace spoilers around. And people should not forget that there is no ceasefire in place at the moment, and that AFP and PNP troops have been going into villages and violating people’s rights in their combat and intelligence operations, including murderous Tokhang operations,” Agacaoili said.

In a separate statement issued on March 10, the NPA Regional Operations Command in Southern Mindanao owned up to the ambush in Bansalan.

“The New People’s Army Regional Operations Command in Southern Mindanao commends the successful tactical offensive by a squad of Red fighters belonging to

the Mt. Apo Subregional Operations Command during a 15-minute ambush, which seized four firearms and subdued a PNP unit engaged in armed operations in Brgy.

Sibayan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur on March 8, 2017,” it said.

It said the NPA carried out an order “to exact revolutionary justice against Marlon Lomantas, a former AFP soldier turned active intelligence agent of the 39th IB and a known drug trader and user in Brgy. Sibayan, Bansalan.”

The slain PNP personnel were identified as PO1 Rholly Benelayo, PO1 Joey O Narvaza, PO1 Saro S Mangotara, all from Bansalan Municipal Police Staion, and PO3 Jeden Mei Rabor, a member of Scene of Crime Operatives.

Wounded in the ambush was PO3 Allen Arnado. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

fiscations made by BOC Port of Davao’s officers from Dec. 29, 2016 to Feb. 10, 2017 for having spurious and fake documents, no import clearance, no export authority and mis-declaration.

Faeldon lauded the effective monitoring and intelligence efforts of BOC Davao’s customs agents and officers under the leadership of District Collector Jamail Marohomsalic.

Faeldon and other BOC officials were welcomed by DICT Senior Operations Manager Virgilio Alonzo.

He said that BOC’s role in the wharf is to certify and check all outbound and inbound cargos whether these are in order

or not.

BOC intelligence and investigation national chief and spokesman Neil Anthony Estrella said that the seizure of contrabands was the result of monitoring, intelligence gathering and validation of information of customs officers.

He said that the DICT management has been “very cooperative” with the customs as it gives them a free hand in inspecting cargoes that take off or land on its modern wharf.

As to the seized cargoes, he warned that the Duterte government is serious in going after smugglers, noting that there is a tough law against agricultural smuggling.

Collector Marohomsalic said that the BOC Port of Davao is continuing with its probe on the consignees of the contrabands with the aim of filing cases against them.

The consignees were identified as Transmodal Int’l Davao, Mr. P.J.J.M. Moerkens, Davao Greenfarm Fruit Venture C. Ltd, Gwearjam Imports Trading Int’l, Rhymarts Enteprises, and Peter Helen Wood Industries.

Marohomsalic said that as to the particular case of high-grade coconuts bound to become seedlings in another country the serious implication is economic sabotage and agricultural destruction.

He added that if it was not thwarted by customs authorities “we might end up one day importing good coconuts that came from us.”

DICT is considered as the most modern container port terminal in the Philippines. It is a joint venture between the Anflo Management and Investment Corporation (ANFLOCOR) and Dole-Stanfilco, the leading producers and exporters of fresh cavendish bananas in the Philippines.

It lies along the Panabo shore inside the 63 hectares that is being developed as the Anflo Industrial Estate. It fully opened last January. Cha Monforte, Correspondent

andassociations.

Cost of fees to transport wood through checkpoints and overloading fees at weighbridges surged.

Concurrently, cost of doing business also increased.

Cost of production on the side of suppliers and direct cost for consumers and downstream industries made the logging and wood industry sec-

tor uncompetitive.

The study’s authors noted rural livelihood of small-scale timber production is “gravely affected as they were invariably unable to comply with required paperwork to legally operate.”

EO 23 “discouraged the practice of and investment in private tree planting as it may create the uncertainty planters

may not be able to harvest the trees they plant,” they noted.

This inadvertently resulted in shift in resource management of forest land from the practice of common integrated logging systems to the common access mode of bygone days.

As an alternative to the current policy, the authors recommended a more holistic and

realistic approach.

A “sustainable, effective and economically sensible” strategy must meet needs of both conservation efforts and industries relying on logging.

Paqueo and Israel recommended focusing resources on on-site inspection activities at two sites only: at forests to be protected and at wood processing plants. (PNA)

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development and welfare, economic growth, security, environmental protection, good governance and many other legislations that are being emulated across the country.

It is one of the safest cities in the world, consistently on top of child-friendly cities in the Philippines, the most competitive city to do business, most gender-responsive LGU -- and the list could go on.

Under the leadership of Mayor Inday Sara Duterte, the city government is focused on realizing her 10 priority sectors -- Poverty Alleviation, Infrastructure Development, Solid Waste Management, Education, Health, Agriculture, Tourism, Transportation Planning and Traffic Management, Peace and Order, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation.

Under ‘Byaheng DO30: Our Trip For the Next Three Years’, Mayor Sara intends to accomplish 30 projects and programs during her term.

Celebration: Araw ng Davao The journey and the plight of the city and its people have always been celebrated with pride and great anticipation for more productive and better years ahead.

The late Gil Abarico, who

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served as Davao City Press Secretary, said the celebration is an “occasion for assessing and demonstrating Davao City’s capacity for growth and progress along economic, industrial, social and cultural endeavors.”

Today, eighty years later, the celebration is about reconnecting to our roots and being proud that we are Dabawnyos.

Mayor Inday said the celebration of Araw ng Davao this year is a salute to the people, the history, the icons, the industry, the milestones that made Davao City a modern, multi-cultural melting pot of harmony and unity in diversity.

“On this 80th founding of Davao City, I call on the Davaoenos to stand tall, united, and resilient in the face of various challenges of the modern era,” Mayor Sara said.

“Let this milestone remind us to be humble and mindful of the lessons of the past and inspire us to remain resolute as we rise together in unity and prepare for a brighter future ahead,” she added.

Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte also said that this year’s celebration is a “celebration of the dynamism, the strength, and determination of the city and its people.” Gayley Fuerzas and Jefry Tupas/Davao City Information Office

“Most of our informal workers are described as the ‘working poor’--or those who are working but cannot work their way out of poverty because of very low earnings and very high risk. Tulungan po natin silang makaahon,” the senator added.

He said data from the Department of Labor and Employment estimates that 16.7 million workers in the informal economy will benefit if the bill is enacted into law.

The bill, he added, will also provide for special allocations for programs and services for workers in informal economy amounting to at least 10 percent of the annual national budget and at least three percent of the development fund of each local government unit’s internal revenue allotment.

To avail of such development programs and services, Angara said informal workers must register in the local government to be listed in a centralized database system, and

issued an identity card and a record book with a list of all services and benefits they can avail of.

A one-time registration fee of not more than P50 per worker shall be paid to the municipality or city where they reside.

“Passing the Magna Carta would lead to a win-win situation for the country. While we provide basic rights and social protection to our informal workers, we also grow our economy by harnessing their full potential to become effective and productive economic actors of the country,” Angara said.

He added that the proposed bill will be the culmination of persistent advocacy efforts involving informal workers’ associations, women’s groups, human rights and other civil society organizations stretching for more than a decade.

“It is high time for this bill to move forward,” Angara stressed.

Fruto said the governor has identified Sitio Traanleteng in Barangay Kematu, a small-scale mining community in Tboli town, as her special project area.

“She will work on creating change in this area through community health care,” Fruto said in a media forum.

Fruto said the PLGP is one of the programs of the DOH

and ZFF that help provincial leaders analyze current health care capacities to attain vital change at the grassroots level.

“Our governor is very eager to start with her pet project. In fact, there were series of meetings conducted already and a team of community organizers has visited the area to conduct community profiling,” he said. (PNA)

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INdulge!

FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A ROW, Davao’s Huckleberry Southern Kitchen & Bar makes it to the exclusive Philippine Tatler’s Best Restaurants Guide (BRG).

Huckleberry was the only restaurant from Davao in last year’s list and the only one from Mindanao. It is one of the only four restaurants from Davao listed for this year along with The Lotus Court, The White House, and Misto.

Huckleberry opened in January 2015 and has then made it to Tatler’s BRG annually.

The Best Restaurants Philippines Guide 2017 winners were announced last January 17 at the Bonifacio Hall of Shangri-La Residences at the Fort, Manila. More than 300 guests comprising the country’s top restaurateurs, hoteliers, chefs and gourmands came in full force to see which are this year’s must-try culinary gems across the country.

Tatler’s BRG lists 172 of the best restaurants from all over the Philippines across every cuisine imaginable.

To arrive at the Tatler list of best restaurants, every restaurant had been rated in four key areas – setting, food, wine and service. The system is used by all Philippine Tatler BRG reviewers. To ensure that the experience was as close to that

of a regular diner, each venue was reviewed anonymously during the compilation of the guide. The final ratings are a result of the reviewer reports, plus the general recommendations of the Philippine Tatler’s Editorial Panel.

“We are glad and very proud to be recognized hav-

VOL. 9 ISSUE 274 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 12 - 13, 2017

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Huckleberry remains a Phl Tatler best ing opened for just two years and making it to the list both years,” said co-owner Chris Pamintuan, who is also the Chairman and CEO of Apo View Hotel, who runs and owns Huckleberry with his cousin Kim. The 2017 Tatler recognition reflects how the restaurant stays true to its culinary blueprint, keeping dishes and drinks satisfying in every visit.

Huckleberry is the only restaurant in this side of the country that is home to contemporary flavors of the American South and soul food.

“We opened as a Southern US restaurant with food from the deep south and we won’t digress,” Pamintuan said, re-

Huckleberry A2

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UP AND ABOUT

VOL. 9 ISSUE 274 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 12 - 13, 2017

Sale in the City at SM malls, March 13 to 19 SM MALLS IN DAVAO are celebrating the city’s 80th birthday with a week-long sale event from March 13 to March 19. Excellent finds of up to 70% off await Davaoeños and its guests at SM City Davao and SM Lanang Premier.

At SM City Davao, celebrate culture through dance and motion at the Sayaw Pinoy, March 15, at the Annex Event Center. Be enchanted with the lead cast of the Filipino fantasy series original Encantadia on March 17, Friday, 4PM at the Annex Event

Center. Get a chance to meet and greet Glaiza de Castro, Ruru Madrid and Sanya Lopez in an afternoon of fun and games at the Kapuso Mall Show. On March 18, Saturday, Bea Alonzo and Enchong Dee are set to celebrate Araw ng Davao at 4PM. The Pinoy Boyband Superstar Top 5 are also expected to heat up the Kapamilya Karavan at the mall’s Open Parking. Showcasing the best agriculture and floriculture products of the region, the Farm and Garden Fair runs from March 8 until March 31 at the Open Parking.

SM Lanang Premier hosts

the region’s first Food Truck Festival on March 10-12. Delight in an adventure for the palate with over a dozen of food concepts at the Open Parking. Davao artist Vic Secuya holds his 24th oneman show at The Atrium on March 11-19. Bench International brings Pietro Boselli at The Atrium on March 14. The Fountain Court comes to life with Urban Sounds of Miles Experience on March 15, Gab of Urban Dub on March

16 and Reese Lansangan on March 17. Take part in the Art Commune, an interactive creative experience with the Davao Art Link, at the Fountain Court on March 15-19.

Shoppers get a chance to win exciting prizes like Vivo V3 smartphones at the Balloon Drop of Treats at SM City Davao on March 19. At SM Lanang, roundtrip tick-

ets from Manila to any Asian destination and Vivo V3 Max phones are at stake with the raffle promo.

Malls hours are extended until 12MN at SM City Davao and until 10PM at SM Lanang Premier on March 17-18. For more event and promo details, visit both malls’ official pages and follow them on Instagram.

FOOD Huckleberry A2

calling Huckleberry’s humble beginnings and how it easily fit right in Davao City as a food destination, thanks to the local’s similar fondness on fried and straightforward food such as barbecues, shellfish and rice and how the food pairs perfectly with whiskey, especially ones from Kentucky and Tennessee.

Co-owners Chris and Kim Pamintuan work closely with partners Executive Chef Kenneth Villaluz and restaurateurs Vince and Tricie Arcenas to run the restaurant the way it was intended when it opened last January 2015: to serve good food and drinks with no fuss.

The humble restaurant offers simple, filling dining experiences with fares that excite foodies and regular diners alike.

Classic, all-time Huckleberry favorites are the

Southern Fried Chicken with Waffles, Louisiana Stew with Rice, and Fresh Oysters from Aklan.

Newcomers include the restaurant’s Squid Ink Pasta, Pulled Pork Spring Rolls, and the Beignets à la Café du Monde, plus ever-changing specials such as this month’s Fried Catfish with Spaghetti in Crab Fat and Grilled Pork Shoulder keep diners interested and coming back.

“The BRG is all about the best dining experiences, which, essentially could be casual—such as a gastropub or bistro,” said Shauna Jay Popple, Philippine Tatler marketing and special projects manager. “It’s about leaving the table satiated, fulfilled and impressed with the experience.”

Huckleberry prides in sticking to serving drinks that go well with straight up comfort food.

The restaurant’s extensive range of whiskey and

tequila—flown from the US—make every drinking glass a feast. Their housemade infused rum also give staple cocktails a local punch; each rum infusion uses real mangosteen, santol, pineapple, mango, ginger, sili, and cacao.

Apart from the good food and drinks, Huckleberry’s carefully designed spaces keep patrons coming back for more. Huckleberry is located in the heart of Davao City, in a picturesque area of the Oboza compound, reminiscent of the houses in the Garden District of New Orleans.

“The restaurant and dining scene in the Philippines has improved significantly in the past year and we want to keep getting better too,” Pamintuan said.

Huckleberry remains in the Tatler list because there is no other restaurant just like it.

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ENTERTAINMENT

EDGEDAVAO

INdulge! A3

Kapuso stars draw crowds to colorful PH festivals

UP NORTH AND DOWN SOUTH, thousands of fans showed their support to their favorite Kapuso stars when GMA Network brought the cast of its biggest shows “Destined To Be Yours” ,“Meant To Be” , “My Love From The Star”, and “Impostora” to this year’s Panagbenga, Kalilangan, and Tagum City Musikahan festivals.

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Baguio City’s cold weather was no match to the warmth that locals and tourists alike bestowed to the stars of hit romantic comedy series “Meant To Be” during their Kapuso Fans Day last February 25. Amid the bustle of the city as it celebrated the colorful flower festival, Sunshine Park was packed with thousands of eager fans who waited for Kapuso actress Barbie Forteza and her leading men Jak Roberto, Ivan Dorschner, Addy Raj, and Ken Chan.

The stars were elated with the continued success their primetime show is getting. And while they were busy taping for Meant To Be, they always welcome going on trips to personally show their gratitude to their fans.

Meanwhile, the phenomenal love team of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza, stars of the primetime series Destined To Be Yours, joined this year’s colorful Panagbenga Grand Float Parade, a day before their show’s worldwide premier.

The AlDub couple drew excited screams from the more than one million onlookers when their Kapuso float traversed Upper Session Road up to the Melvin Jones football field last February 26. But their treat to their fans did not end there. Alden and Maine, together with their costars Koreen Medina and Juancho

Trivino, gave a taste of what to expect from their first-ever Telebabad project when they held a Kapuso Fiesta at Sunshine Park afterwards.

Gracing the Kalilangan Festival on the same day was no less than Ultimate Star Jennylyn Mercado who flew to General Santos City to celebrate the city’s founding anniversary. Together with Jennylyn was her leading man in the local adaptation of “My Love From The Star”, new Kapuso actor Gil Cuerva. The Pinoy Steffi Cheon and Matteo Do thrilled their fans who gathered in KCC Mall that afternoon.

Fresh from their successful Baguio show, the cast of “Meant To Be” flew to Davao del Norte last February 28 to meet their fans during the Tagum City Musikahan Festival. The New City Hall Grounds in Tagum City overflowed with 20,000 people who patiently waited for Barbie, Jak, Ivan, Addy, and Ken during the Kapuso Fiesta. Shrieks and kilig filled the air as

fans could not help their excitement upon seeing the faces behind their favorite MTB characters Billie, Andoy, Ethan, Jai, and Yuan.

Earlier that day in NCCC Mall Tagum, mall goers were also treated to an afternoon of delight when stars of upcoming teleserye “Impostora”, Kris Bernal and Rafael Rosell, held their Kapuso Mall Show.

“We look forward to joining these festivals because it’s our opportunity to get in touch with our regional viewers, bring our artists to meet and greet their fans and at the same time help in promoting our very own festivals,” said GMA Regional TV head Oli Amoroso. “We cannot help but be overwhelmed by the warm reception we got from the people in Baguio, Gen San, and Tagum. We would like to thank all our Kapuso viewers from Luzon to Mindanao because they continue to keep us number one nationwide,” he adds.

A4 INdulge!

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PDEA... FROM 4

EDGEDAVAO

When checking the house, they found eight other persons in the act of sniffing shabu.

Babang identified them as Adones Salik, Sagat Panda, Alrashid Jabal, Jose Nogra, Norillaine Guiapal, Ahmoud Is-

mael Biruar, Cos Makakua and home owner Joey Macabalang.

Babang said Macabalang’s home has been used as a drug den by users who regularly gather in his house located in the village’s squatters’ area.

All the suspects, currently detained at the PDEA-ARMM detention facility, will face charges of violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (PNA)

also died in Kuwait on the same day of the execution allegedly due to physical abuse from her employer.

“Women, like all OFWs, face all the uncertainties as they leave their families and their country to find employment. Women face risks of physical and mental abuses, death and trafficking. These cases are old wounds that were only remedied while the wound is still fresh, and yet later on forgotten. For

years, the same cases, different names.

“Families have also been affected by labor migration, as mothers and wives together with their children struggle on their own after OFW husbands and men abandon them. Many of these women would singlehandedly raise their children as OFW men can easily run away from their responsibilities and obligations.

“It is still the most viable

solution that the government, and a strong call for this administration to hasten the creation of more decent jobs and other economic opportunities for Filipinos to no longer recourse to labor migration. We are calling and challenging the government to push further programs for the protection of women in migration. May the changes come soon to uplift the conditions of migrant women and their families.”

NGO... FROM 7

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that Stock Certificate No. 833 of APO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, INC. which was issued to TAGUM AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, INC., with three (3) common shares, was declared lost last February 10, 2017 as per Affidavit of Loss executed by the latter’s manager for corporate affairs, MR. ZEAUS APOLLO Q. VADIL, entered as Doc. No. 7; Page No. 2; Book No. 2; Series of 2017, in the Notarial Register of Atty. Roland A. Reyes, a notary public for and in the city of Davao, Philippines.

OMB... FROM 4

NEWS11

ticipated in the preparation, processing and approval of the Memorandum of Agreement and the PDAF documents governing the project implementation and fund releases to MLFI.” It was also found out that the funds in question could not have been transferred to the MLFI if not for the recommendations as well as certifications, approval, and signatures found in the corresponding disbursement vouchers and checks.

“There was extraordinary accommodation extended to MLFI in the examination, processing and approval by the concerned NCMF officers of the PDAF releases as show by the unnumbered and undated disbursement vouchers; and issuance of check prior to execution of the Memorandum of Agreement,” the Ombudsman added.

The NCMF officials, the Ombudsman said, are also facing trial before the Sandiganbayan for violation of Sec-

tion 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) for the anomalous utilization of the PDAF of the former Representative Datumanong.

“This is the second set of PDAF charges filed against Sadain,” the Ombudsman pointed out, adding that in September 2016, Sadain was also charged alongside Senator Gregorio Honasan for the anomalous utilization of Honasan’s P30million PDAF. ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

ed the Medalya ng Kagalingan, a PNP merit medal, to the victims for their “acts of conspicuous courage and gallantry in action rendered to the PNP while responding in the report of shooting incident at Brgy. Sibayan, Bansalan.”

“I’m sorry that this gory incident had to happen,” President Duterte told reporters during the visit as he emphasized that peace talks with the NPA rebels and their leaders nowadays is totally absent.

He also ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP to go on with the military offensives.

“Go ahead, wage a war against them. Anything goes. I will allow the military and the Police this time to use all avail-

able assets,” President Duterte stressed.

Davao del Sur Governor Douglas Cagas was also present during the President’s visit and condemned the killing of four police officers.

The provincial government and the local government unit of Bansalan also provided financial support to the families of the victims.

ations Command commended the successful tactical offensive by a platoon of NPA rebels belonging to the Mt. Apo Subregional Operations Command in what he described as a “15-minute ambush” in Barangay Sibayan, Bansalan town.

Sanchez said they were in anticipation of police and military operations to be coordinated by the 39th Infantry Battalion after the same unit of NPAs successfully carried out an order to exact revolutionary justice at around 2:20 a.m. last March 8 against Marlon Lomantas, a former soldier who turned as an active intelligence agent of 39th IB. Lomantas, Sanchez alleged, was also a known drug trader and user in Barangay Sibayan.

NPA forces were also positioned at the mountainside of Barangay Sibayan in order to frustrate military and police operations, he added.

He said that at 6:15 a.m., heavily armed police personnel aboard two mobile PNP vehicles were dispatched, apparently to reconnoiter and clear the area before deploying its soldiers.

The first police vehicle was allowed by the rebels to pass as civilians riding in motorcycles were in close proximity to the vehicle, and at 7:10 a.m., the second police vehicle passed and was ambushed by the positioned NPA forces, Sanchez said.

“After the initial five-second volley of gunshots, the NPA commander called for the enemy troops to surrender and lay down their arms. The PNP personnel, however, retaliated with numerous return of fire. A wounded police officer jumped off from the vehicle. It took ten minutes of an exchange of fire before the NPA squad succeeded in subduing the PNP unit,” he added.

Sanchez also hit the PNP leaders for peddling “dubious line and outrageously melodramatic declaration that the PNP unit was a non-tactical police team overwhelmed by a superfluous NPA force.”

He said the PNP pronouncement was an attempt to cover-up the fact that an armed PNP unit on offensive operation was effectively neutralized by the NPAs. After the incident, Sanchez said the Army’s 73rd IB supported by the PNP Regional Public Safety Battalion, PNP Special Action Force and the 39th IB are now conducting military operations in the area.

CHR... FROM 4

NPA justifies ambush The Regional Operations Command of the NPAs in Southern Mindanao Region owned up to the ambush-slaying of four policemen in Bansalan.

Rigoberto F. Sanchez, spokesperson of NPA-Southern Mindanao Regional Oper-

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 274 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 12 - 13, 2017

EDGEDAVAO

NEWS 13

Coal plants’ continuing emissions can trigger more deaths

P

OTENTIAL nationwide annual death toll from coal-related air pollution can soar to over twice its current estimated level unless the country already mainstreams renewable energy (RE) use instead of pollutive coal-fired power plant (CFPP) operations.

Greenpeace Southeast Asia climate and energy campaigner Reuben Muni warned about such possibility, noting studies estimated CFPPs’ current health impacts to be as high as 1,420 deaths already.

“Studies project such health impacts to reach a high 3,600 deaths,” he said Friday at

a forum Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) spearheaded in Metro Manila.

Data Muni presented during the forum that such deaths can be due to various ailments arising from people’s exposure to ozone and PM 2.5, a pollutive fine particulate matter CFPPs emit when burning coal for power production.

Ozone exposure can cause respiratory diseases in adults, data show.

Exposure to PM 2.5 can cause lower respiratory infection in children and lead to either strokes,ischemic heart disease, lung cancer, other car-

diovascular diseases or respiratory ailments in adults, the data show further.

“PM 2.5 is smaller than a grain of sand but exposure to this air pollutant increases the risk for such diseases,” Muni said.

Citing available literature, he said PM 2.5 remains inside the body where this pollutant wreaks havoc.

Greenpeace warned that aside from PM 2.5 and other particulate matter, CFPPs also emit health-threatening sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and trace metals like mercury.

Once in the air, Green-

peace said such pollutants can disperse and cause harm in areas beyond locations of CFPPs where these originated.

“If one lives within 50 kms of a CFPP, that person is already exposed to PM 2.5 and other pollutants,” noted Muni.

He said such exposure reduces life expectancy but breathing clean air will help people live longer.

Coal-Free Bataan Movement (CFBM) continues calling for closure of CFPPs in Bataan province.

Ash and other pollutans from those CFPPs are jeopardizing health of people there,

noted CFBM coordinator Derek Cabe.

She said there’s a new death march in Bataan and it’s one fueled by coal.

“Coal is slowly but surely killing people there,” she said during the forum.

Pictures Cabe presented during the forum show skin disease and other ailments already affected people particularly in Limay municipality that’s reeling from an ash fall earlier.

Limay folk link the ash fall to private coal-fired power production near their communities.

Muni reiterated Green-

peace’s call for the country to break free from coal and instead shift to RE. RE is the clean and safe alternative, he noted.

Shifting to RE is becoming increasingly viable as cost ofrenewables continues dipping, said Roberto Verzola, president of Center for Renewable Electricity Strategies.

“Solar energy is already the cheapest source of electricity,” he said at the forum.

He noted in the US, solar energy is already the second cheapest electricity source after wind energy which is another RE. (PNA)

scheduled to receive the additional benefit on March 31, provided they have already reported to SSS for the resumption of their monthly pension.

Meanwhile, retiree-pensioners who availed of the advance 18 months retirement pension from August 2015 onwards will receive the P1,000 additional benefit on May 12 to cover the remaining months starting January 2017.

“Around 16,000 retiree pensioners who availed of the advance 18 months retirement pension from August 2015 onwards did not receive the additional benefit last March 3 since they are not yet receiving their regular monthly pension.

However, come May 12, they will receive the P1,000 addi-

tional benefit paid retroactive from January 2017 onwards,” said Dooc.

Pensioners with settled initial disability, death and retirement (DDR) claims from November 2016 to April 2017 as well as those who filed for adjustment in their pension will be able to withdraw their P1,000 additional benefit from their bank accounts on May 12.

Other types of pensioners scheduled to receive the additional benefit on May 12 are partial disability pensioners with less than 12 months duration paid in lump sum. The additional P1,000 per month benefit will cover the number of months they receive the disability pension starting January 2017. (PR)

SSS... FROM 14

14 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

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Abreeza Mall celebrates Araw ng Dabaw with Bamboo, Kapuso stars, and more T

T

HIS Araw ng Dabaw, Abreeza Mall treats Davaoeños to a lineup of celebratory treats featuring showbiz’s rising young stars, OPM’s enduring rock icon, Mindanao’s admirable entrepreneurs, and great discounts from your favorite stores!

From March 13 to 19, Abreeza Mall holds its annual Araw ng Dabaw Sale, which gives shoppers up to 70% off on great finds from their favorite brands mall-wide.

On March 11 to 15 at the Activity Center, the Mindanao Trade Expo holds its Araw ng Dabaw edition, encouraging shoppers to support local products and craftsmanship

by Mindanao’s micro, small, and medium enterprises.

On March 16, 4pm at the Activity Center, four GMA Kapuso stars that make up two of local showbiz’s most adored love teams today—Derrick Monasterio and Bea Binene, Bianca Umali and Miguel Tanfelix—are coming over to party with Davaoeños.

On March 17, 6pm at the Activity Center, Filipino modern rock great Bamboo will ignite the Abreeza Mall audience with an electrifying musical performance.

Admission to the celebrity

shows is absolutely free.

Abreeza Mall earlier kicked off its Araw ng Dabaw celebration by hosting the Mutya ng Davao 2017 Pre-Finals Night on March 10.

To give shoppers more reason to celebrate Araw ng Dabaw at Abreeza Mall, launched this month was the Grocery Grab Shopping Spree Promo, which offers customers a chance to win a one-minute shopping spree at Robinsons Supermarket. To join, simply present a single or accumulated receipt purchase worth at least P500 s from any Abreeza Mall store or Robinsons Department Store or P1,000 from Robinsons Supermarket at the Main Concierge from March 1 to May 31, 2017.

DOE lauds EU assistance towards full electrification

E

NERGY Secretary Alfonso Cusi extended his gratitude to the European Union (EU) delegates and assured them that the Philippine government is working doubly hard to provide full access to electricity to Filipinos.

Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella delivered the Secretary’s message at the Philippine-EU Access to Sustainable Energy Program (ASEP) conference held on 9 March 2017 at Bonifacio Global City.

The ASEP is a joint undertaking of the DOE and the EU collectively espousing total

electrification, energy security, efficiency and sustainability in the Philippines.

“The Philippine government is accelerating its identified households for electrification in order to meet the 100% target by 2022,” said Fuentebella.

DOE Undersecretary Jesus Cristino P. Posadas highlighted the DOE’s overall objective in line with the programs of ASEP in expanding sustainable energy projects and assisting its short- and medium-term targets pursuant to the Philippine Energy Roadmaps. (PR)

For inquiries and updates on Abreeza Mall news and events, please visit the Main Concierge at the ground floor or call (082) 321-9332. Stay

updated by liking www.facebook.com/AbreezaMall and following @abreezatweets on Twitter and @iloveabreezamall on Instagram.

SSS announces release of P1,000 additional benefit for pensioners under special cases

HE Social Security System (SSS) announced that there will be separate withdrawal dates for the additional P1,000 benefit for pensioners under special cases.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel F. Dooc said that SSS had to run a special program for about 10 percent of its pensioners who are not regularly receiving their monthly pension as of the approval of the P1,000 additional benefit on January 10 since their pension computation varies depending on the nature of their pension status.

“We had to do system adjustments for these special cases to make sure that everybody will receive the additional benefit either on March 31, May 12 or May 26,” explained Dooc.

Dooc said only about 10 percent or more than 242,000 of the 2.2 million SSS pensioners will receive the P1,000

additional benefit on the said dates.

Among the pensioners who will receive the P1,000 additional benefit on March 31 are those under the Special Pension System which includes death claim with more than 1 payee and one of them is overpaid; payees with withheld share; and those covered by a Bilateral Social Security Agreement between the Philippines and other countries and the Portability Law. “We want to clarify that for the death benefit with multiple payees, we will not give P1,000 for each of the payee rather, the P1,000 additional benefit will be shared equally among them,” said Dooc.

Likewise, pensioners on suspended status due to non-compliance with the Annual Confirmation of Pensioners but are up for resumption from January to March are

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EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS15

Huge turnout in 9th Phoenix Open A

HUGE field came to play in the 9th Phoenix Open Golf Tournament on Saturday at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club.

Phoenix Petroleum Philippines CEO Dennis Uy along with Secretary Manny Pinol fired off the ceremonial balls of the 18-hole golfest that attracted over 200 golfers, mostly businessmen.

Uy and Pinol were joined in the tee off by City Councilor Dado Mahipus and Gilas coach Chot Reyes.

This year’s edition of the tournament coincided with the celebration of the Araw ng Dabaw festival.

As of presstime, the official results are still being consolidated. Five fabulous hole-inone prizes-- a brand new Mercedes-Benz A180, a Tata Xenon 4x4 Premium, one million cash, an Omega Speedmaster watch and P100,000 worth of Phoenix fuel cards--were dangled in the tournament.

The tournamnt also gave away a brand new Pioneer Srixon golf bag for the Nearest to the Line at hole #10, Longest Drive at hole #15 and the Nearest to the Pin at hole#17.

The awarding night followed late Saturday at the RPVGC clubhouse.

The 18-hole Stableford tournament was presented by Phoenix Petroleum and Pioneer Insurance with the Brenton Engineered Products Corp. as Co-Presentor.

The major sponsors are

ChinaRocket & Co Ltd, EEI Construction & Marine Inc., Infinite Loop Technology Corporation, Trans-Overseas Industrial Corp., HSBC, Joytrade Industrial Marketing, Mechatrend Contractors, Novalco, Seadove, The Fourth Dimension Inc, Vitol Asia PTE Ltd, AC Corporation, China Bank , CTBC Bank, Denber Trading and Electrical, Emicor, Inc., Guco Industries, Hatteras Construction, Land Bank of the Phil., Legaspi Import and Export Corp, Lomar Supply Company, Monark Equipment Corp, Philippine Prosperity Chemicals, Real Soft Inc., Servityre Sales Services Center, UCPB, Vynex Signs Philippines Inc. and Worthrand Petropower Corporation.

The patrons are A. Medrano Construction Inc, Absolut Distillers, Inc., Avseneca Construction Corp., BPI, Elite Member of Contecna, Greenflex Consulting, International Engineers Phil Inc., Kewl Solutions, Mechell D. Hernandez, Multinational Foundation Inc., P&A Grant Thornton, PentaCapital Investment, Petro Builders Corp., TF Botones Construction Corp., UCPB Gen Insurance, Wilhelmsen-Smith Bell , Ohcotech Corporation, Blumol Inc., Creon Builders Corp. and RCA Engineering Services.

The donors are DRBarrios Engineering Construction, K&S Cargo Forward, Mega Fortis, Ng Chua Trading and DCtech Micro Services.

MEDIA GOLFERS. Tomas Inigo and Jon Develos were among the media golfers who joined the 9th Phoenix Open.

MISS EARTH. Miss Earth Elizabeth Espin graced the awarding ceremony.

PHOENIX OPEN. Lawyer Ramon Edison Batacan gets his signature pose before teeing off in the 9th Phoenix Open at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club last Saturday.

Maguindanao I and Lamitan City divisions declared ARMM Palaro overall champions Cignal topples Sta. Lucia in 4 sets M Games on Thursday (FilOil Flying V Center) 3 pm – Petron vs Foton 5 pm – Cocolife vs Sta. Lucia 7 pm – Generika-Ayala vs Cignal

C

IGNAL took its sweet time before blasting away Sta. Lucia, 20-25, 25-10, 25-20, 25-10, yesterday in the Belo-Philippine Superliga (PSL) Invitational Conference Saturday at the Malolos Sports and Convention Center here.

Rachel Anne Daquis had an impressive all-around performance while Honey Royse Tubino spearheaded a sizzling run in the deciding set to lift the HD Spikers to an easy triumph in this prestigious women’s club tourney bankrolled by Mikasa, Asics, Senoh and Mueller with TV5 as official broadcast partner.

With the win, the HD Spikers have avenged their sorry five-set loss to Petron last Thursday and are now in the third spot with a 2-1 win-loss mark.

They, however, but could still climb the leaderboard pending the result of the matches between Generika-Ayala and Foton and Petron and Cocolife later in the day.

Daquis, a fresh recruit from RC Cola-Army, delivered seven kills, three aces and two blocks for 12 points while Tubino finished with 11 markers for the HD Spikers, who fielded their second unit

early in the game before veterans like Daquis, Tubino, Jovelyn Gonzaga and Chie Saet restored order in the second and third sets.

“We managed to cut down our errors unlike last game,” said Cignal coach George Pascua, admitting they cannot afford to relax now as they’re setting their sights on making it to the semifinals in this very short but competitive tournament that also has Gold’s Gym as official fitness partner and UCPB Gen as official insurance provider.

“We have a very good chance of making it to the top three. We just need to work hard and treat each game as if it’s a championship match.”

Daquis said their performance may have been impressive, but they still remain a work in progress.

“We’ve been together for only a month. We’re still working on making some adjustments,” said the comely open spiker, who was named Most Valuable Player of the PSL All-Filipino Conference two years ago.

The HD Spikers emerged with less errors compared to the Lady Realtors, 24-31, while having a huge advantage in the attack points, 50-31, and aces, 9-4.

One of the two new teams this year, the Lady Realtors came out firing in the opening set as 6-foot-1 Lourdes Clemente and hard-hitting Rachel Austero took turns in piercing the defensive blanket of Cignal in the first set.

AGUINDANAO I and Lamitan City school divisions were declared overall champions at the elementary and secondary levels, respectively, as the 27th edition of the annual Palarong Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Athletics Association (ARMMAA) wrapped up here on March 10, Friday.

With a total haul of 28 gold medals, Maguindanao I division dominated the weeklong sporting event at the elementary school level while Basilan’s Lamitan City division garnered 49 gold medals at the secondary school level.

Maguindanao II placed second overall at the elementary level, with 20 gold medals, followed by Tawi-Tawi with 14

and Sulu with 11 to round up the top four placers. While at the secondary level, Maguindanao II bagged second place with 40 gold medals, Maguindanao I with 25 and Tawi-Tawi with 20.

Winners of this year’s special awards were Maguindanao I for the most disciplined delegation and Maguindanao II for the cleanest billet.

Dr. John Magno, ARMM’s Education department (DepEd-ARMM) secretary, said Palarong ARMMAA is the department’s way of promoting physical education and sports as an integral part of the Basic Education Curriculum.

“Bad weather did not stop our best young athletes in

the region from pushing this intense week of games,” Sec. Magno said.

“We really prepared for this year’s Palarong ARMMAA, daily practice and team effort are the reasons why our division got the title,” Saudi Dalu, Lamitan City division superintendent said.

“It was great spending here a week of sportsmanship, thrill, and excitement. The municipality of Upi is a very peaceful place and the people are very accommodating,” Dalu added.

The champions in the Palarong ARMMAA will represent the region in the upcoming 2017 Palarong Pambansa scheduled from April 23 to 29 in Antique. The region is aim-

ing for more medals this year.

Norina Malaguit, Grade 9 student of the LamitanCity National High School, playing arnis, said she has been participating in Palarong ARMMAA since Grade 6 and has played in Palarong Pambansa for two years.

“Pangatlong taon na po na sasali ako sa Palarong Pambansa, at ngayong taon sisiguraduhin kong masusungkit ko na ang gold medal,” Malaguit said.

In the 2016 Palarong Pambansa, the region bagged three gold medals, four silver medals, and 10 bronze medals. ARMMAA has served as the training ground for the region’s promising athletes. (Bureau of Public Information)

ing in several ASEAN countries and several local coaches were also sent to our neighboring countries to conduct sports seminar like in basketball.

Abarquez emphasized that to date, our athletes and coaches are getting the much needed training from our ASEAN partners.

He pointed, like in Malaysia, our national athletes get training in - badminton and squash, which Malaysian players’ rated world class in the said sports disciplines.

Our national football players also get high-level of training in Myanmar and Thailand,

pride of their international ranking in football, similar in the case of Malaysia.

The Philippine sports official also stressed that ASEAN Framework of cooperation has been a driving force in our economy in the field of commerce and business.

Kumjaran Nadaraja, Principal Assistant Secretary of the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports which together with Abarquez presented the technical details of the historic baton run, shared the observation of the Philippines.

Nadarajah though admitted that “there exists prob-

lems” in the ASEAN Framework, but he stressed that “by working together as one ASEAN” it could be addressed.

“We have created one identity- ASEAN. We share a common vision, ” said Nadarajah, emphasizing that “we are a strong region.”

The Malaysian senior sports said this SEA Games Rising Together-Baton run aims not only to promote the Kuala Lumpur games on its 29th edition and the 9th ASEAN Para games, respectively, it also promotes the healthy lifestyle and sporting culture in our region. (PNA)

PSC-Asean sports cooperation grinding well

T

HE Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) is robust, according to a senior official of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Lawyer Carlos Abarquez, acting executive director of PSC, a government sports body, in a press conference on Friday about the SEA Games Rising Together-Baton run, described the sports cooperation by and among the 10 ASEAN member countries as “robust.”

In the case of the Philippines, decades, countless members of the national team have been a recipient of train-

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

VOL. 9 ISSUE 274 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MARCH 12 - 13, 2017

UPSET IN LA Tagum fighter KOs

STOPPAGE. Romero Duno celebrates after stopping Christian Gonzales in the 2nd round. (philboxing.com)

famed US boxer

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO njb@edgedavao.net

W

HAT was set up to be another easy workout for a popular California kid turned into a nightmare.

Dabawenyo Romero Duno of Tagum City wrote a big blot on the erstwhile immaculate record of local favorite and house fighter Christian “Chimpa” Gonzales of Buena Park, California, knocking out the American in the 2nd round at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles Friday night (Saturday PHL Time).

Duno, who improved to 13 wins against a loss, claimed the World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth Intercontinental lightweight title in the process. Gonzales, who dropped to 13-1-0, is Duno’s 12th KO victim.

Philboxing.com reported on Saturday that Duno, fighting out of General Santos’ Sanman Boxing stable, dropped Gonzales, 21, of

Golden Boy Promotions, twice in the fight - once in the first and then the deciding punch at the 57 second mark of Round 2.

The 5-7 Duno, who was born in Maguindanao, who was jumped on and pummeled early in the fight by Gonzales, sent his opponent down with a well-placed right hand to the chin in the final minute of the opening round.

Gonzales got up, but was visibly surprised and shaken from the knockdown. He survived the Filipino’s attempt to put him down for good in the dying seconds of the 1st and was immediately tended by his team after the round.

Duno’s only loss of his young career came at the hands of Mikhail Alexeev of Russia via a unanimous decision in Ekaterinburg, Russia on May 6 last year. At that time, he was gunning for the WBO Youth superfeatherweight title.

CELEBRATION. Team Duno celebrates, L-R: former world champion and trainer Rodel Mayol, Duno and cutman Dr Ed de la Vega.(philboxing.com)

DOWN AND OUT. Gonzales is being helped by the referee after he was knocked out by Duno. (philboxing.com)