Edge Davao 9 Issue 279 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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Duterte on 2-day visit in Myanmar

RESIDENT Duterte is scheduled to arrive in Myanmar Sunday, March 19 for a two-day official visit. The President is scheduled to meet with Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations between the Philippines and Myanmar. “President Duterte’s visit to Myanmar is significant in many respects. In particular, the discussion will include talks on improving trade and investment relations,” said Alex Chua, Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. The official visit, which will be from March 19 to 20, will coincide with the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-Myanmar bilateral relations. “Commemorative activities have been held beginning last year and the Pres-

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SITE VISIT. Vice Premier Wang Yang (right) of the People’s Republic of China conducts a site inspection with National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) 11 director Maria Lourdes Lim and other Chinese officials to the proposed Port and Coastal Development project at Sta. Ana Port in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

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MORE PROJECTS UP Davao execs present big infra projects to Chinese Vice Premier Wang

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA fficials in Davao City ao Railway Project. The presentation was facilitatand the region exed Saturday, March 18. pressed optimism on Lim said that Wang asked sevthe visit of Chinese 3rd Vice Premier Wang Yang, saying eral questions indicating his interit will result to the imple- est to invest on the development mentation of several infra- projects for the city, however, there structure projects that will were no further details disclosed be funded by the Chinese about the specific project that the Chinese government will invest. government.

Director Maria Lourdes Lim of the National Economic and Development Authority in Davao region said that they have seen light when they presented to Wang the five development project for Davao City, including the Mindan-

Among the five projects presented include the 23.3 km. Davao City Expressway Project that will cost P 24.5 billion; the P34.5 billion Davao City Coastal Road; the P38.95 billion Davao Coastline and Port Development Project;

the 31.3 billion Mindanao Railway Project; and the P40.57 billion Development, Operations and Maintenance of Davao Airport. Lim said that among the five projects, only the Davao Coastal Road has an initial lay out and will be having an initial P2 billion budget to be released this year intended for the road right of ways. “We are hoping that this will turn out positive, he (Wang) expressed interest on the projects that we have presented,” she said. She added that the Japanese government also showed interest in investing on the Mindanao Rail-

way Project. Meanwhile, Lim said that they have already approved the Davao Airport Development Project and is in its way to pursuance once a private partner will invest on the project. Davao Airport Asst. Manager Engr. Hector Nabua expressed optimism that the project will be pushed through anytime soon. On Friday this week, March 24, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua will visit the Davao City to follow up on the proposed projects that the Chinese

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AUSTRALIAN DIGNITARIES. Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) secretary Jesus Dureza (leftmost) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) secretary Ernesto Pernia (2nd from left) exchange pleasantries with Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop (2nd from right) and Australian

5 Surigao Sur execs suspended for 1 month for neglect of duty

HE Office of the Ombudsman (Ombudsman) has ordered the suspension for one month of five Lianga, Surigao del Sur officials after they were found guilty of simple neglect of duty. Ordered suspended were members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Noel Cunanan, Redentor Dela Cruz, Dr. Leo Alfonso Sarmen, Marlyn Lobo and Edwin Igsoc. In its decision, the Ombudsman said that Cunanan, et. al. committed irregularities in the conduct of negotiated procurement for the implementation of the Department

of Agriculture’s (DA) 2014 Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Program with a budget ofP939,582.00. The respondents failed to search for possible alternative suppliers, and instead directly chose Green Planet Plant Nursery in violation of Section 53.1.2 of the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 9184, or the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. In case of separation from the service, the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to the respondents’ one month salary. (PNA)

PDEA-ARMM, cops arrest 11 drug peddlers in Maguindanao

OINT police and anti-narcotics units apprehended 11 drug traffickers in Parang, Maguindanao province Friday afternoon, only hours after 11 others were arrested in a separate anti-drug operation in Pikit, North Cotabato province. Maguindanao Police director, Sr. Supt. Agustin Tello, said Saturday the 11 drug dealers operating in Parang town were arrested in a series of operations from 12 noon to 5 p.m. Friday. Armed with search warrants, police personnel and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-ARMM), swooped down on a suspected “drug market” in Barangays Making and Sarmiento, both in Parang.

Tello identified the bigtime drug dealers as Reinton Amor, Michael Tactaquin, Akmad Baulo, Reymark Ipili, Luis Tomas, Acmad Lacoto, Ritchie Salazar, Henry Salazar, Akmad Lacoto, Norodin Pasawiran, and Cocoy Abat. “These persons peddled methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) in Barangays Making and Sarmiento, despite the intensified police anti-drug campaign,” he told reporters. The raiding teams also seized almost P1 million worth of shabu, paraphernalia and three unlicensed guns, he added. Tello lauded the community officials and leaders for alerting the police about the existence of drug dens in the town, where illegal drugs have been sold like vegetables and fruits in a market place. (PNA)

Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City on Friday during the launching of the A$90-M Education Pathways Program for Mindanao that will be funded by the Australian government. Lean Daval Jr

AUD$90-M education program for ARMM dev’t plan lauded By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

adlopez0920@gmail.com

EACE promotion programs that focus on education of children will help the country realize its visions that are laid down in the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022. This was the message of National Economic Development Authority Ernesto Pernia during the announcement of Australian government on its new flagship education program for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at the Marco Polo Hotel here on Friday, March 17. The program, dubbed as Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao will be provided with AUD$90-M$90 million

(PHP3.4 billion) by the government of Australia. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop personally announced the opening of the program that will start in July 2017 until June 2026. “Communities in conflict-affected areas will be provided with assistance through the 2017-2022 development plan to attain just and lasting peace,” Pernia said. As he expressed gratitude to the Australian government, Pernia also acknowledged the potential of the said education program, saying that the same will give opportunity to the children in ARMM to achieve their goals in life.

He also announced that the program is already approved by the Investment Coordinating Committee and being processed for approval at the NEDA Board. Foreign Minister Bishop described the education program as transformative as it serves as pre-condition to peace and development. “Australia is a friend and partner of the Philippines,” Bishop pointed out, adding that this is not the first time her country provided support to the education program in the Philippines. Three education programs were funded by the Australian government in previous years

until this year – these programs include the Basic Education Assistance to Mindanao (BEAM) program from 2002 to 2009; the Philippine Response to Indigenous Peoples’ and Muslim Education (PRIME) program from 2011 to 2014; and the second round of BEAM program from 2012 until this year. The new program will be implemented in partnership with the Department of Education in ARMM and will focus on priority education reform areas in improving teacher quality; contextualizing the national curriculum to address Bangsamoro issues and culture; im-

ness and private groups. Maii Satol-Ibrahim, city information chief, said the fun run aimed to promote health and wellness among Cotabateños, aside from calling for an end to illegal drugs use in the city. Guiani-Sayadi said the fight against illegal drugs and other forms of criminality will continue in the city for the sake of the future of the youth. “I believe that the use of illegal drugs is the root of all crimes, which is why the police and I will not stop running after

its users and sellers,” Sayadi, a lawyer, said. “A drug-free city can lead to a crime-free city,” she added. Satol-Ibrahim said that since winning as city vice mayor until she assumed the mayoralty post, Mayor Guiani-Sayadi has been very supportive of the operations of the local police against drug personalities in the city. At least 110 individuals have been arrested since July 1 last year and millions worth of illegal drugs and paraphernalia

were seized by the authorities in the campaign to rid the city of illegal substance. Later, the joint “PNP-LGU Ronda” was created and institutionalized. The mayor regularly joins anti-drug operations during the wee hours of the morning. Aniceto Rasalan, secretary to the mayor, said the fun run commenced at the old city plaza and ended up at the People’s Palace (city hall). It was followed by Zumba exercises. (PNA)

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Cotabateños join drive vs illegal drugs T

HOUSANDS of Cotabateños from various sectors joined the city’s drive against illegal drugs by participating in Saturday morning’s “Run for a Drug-Free Cotabato City”. Initiated by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Cotabato City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, the event, which will be done on a regular basis, was participated in by representatives of such sectors as law enforcement, the academe, women, youth, busi-

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EDGEDAVAO

NEWS 3

Davao City honors “Everyday Heroes” By JECIA ANNE OPIANA

I JV’s TAKE. Senator JV Ejercito gives his thoughts about the impeachment complaint filed against President Duterte during a news conference at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Friday evening. Lean Daval Jr

NSPIRING “Everyday Heroes” of Davao City were recognized by the city government through the Davao City Investment and Promotion Center’s “Pasidungog: Garbo sa Davao Awards” last March 13 at the Royal Mandaya Hotel. Day-to-day individuals, who, through their selfless acts of compassion, embody the very essence of being a Dabawenyo were given the recognition as “Everyday Dabawenyo Hero”. The awardees include couple Samuel and Erlinda Mansunong who runs an IP business and recognized for paying their local business taxes religiously; Gina Talingting, former female jail inmate who provides and serves behavioral shaping tools at the

Ray of Hope Village for female detainees; Daniel Bray-an, an American national who resides in Davao City who helped an injured woman during the 4.8 magnitude earthquake last February 23; Yvonne Grace Quizon and Donna Dublan, a government employee and a nurse, respectively who helped a pregnant woman deliver a baby in a public restroom; PO3 Primo Pleños and PO2 Michaelangela Daquiadao, police officers who helped a woman deliver her baby in Barangay Malagos; and Norman Manlatican, a taxi driver who returned the cell phone of a foreigner left in his taxi. The awards were conferred by City Administrator Atty. Zuleika Lopez and City Mayor Chief of Staff Atty. Raul Nadela, Jr.

Alvarez: VP Leni involved New restaurant offers in impeach case vs Rody healthy food for kids By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

adlopez0920@gmail.com

HE House of Representatives released a press statement on Friday saying that Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez tagged Vice President Leni Robredo for direct involvement in the filing of the impeachment complaint against President Duterte. Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano on Thursday filed the impeachment complaint against the President at the House of Representatives. The press statement quoted Alvarez saying “Definitely yes” in a television interview when asked on the possible involvement of the Vice President into the complaint. It is the Vice President

who will directly benefit if the impeachment complaint would succeed, Alvarez added. He also took note that the filing of the impeachment complaint came on the heels of a video message Robredo sent to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs. In said video message, Robredo criticized the conduct of the administration’s war against illegal drugs. The impeachment complaint filed by Alejano was anchored on five grounds, to include violation of the constitution, bribery, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.

DOST wants to maximize Balik Scientists’potential

EPARTMENT of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato Dela Pena on Friday said he would like to maximize the potential of Balik Scientists. Balik Scientists are Filipino scientists who were already residing or working overseas, but have decided to return to the Philippines. Speaking at the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development’s (PCHRD) 35th anniversary activity in Manila, Dela Pena underscored the agency’s responsibility to translate remarkable scientific innovations into health gains for the nation. The greatest challenge, he said, was to create an enabling environment for translational research. “There is a gap in research translation and it is a

disadvantage to healthcare services,” he added. Dela Pena believes that Balik Scientists are among those who can help provide better translational research in the country. The DOST chief earlier expressed the agency’s desire to institutionalize the Balik Scientist program, as the law will provide incentives to the Balik Scientists. He told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that having a law would make it easier for the scientists to process their entrée requirements, as the law would allow them to process their visa and immigration requirements faster. This is essential, especially for those who were already granted foreign citizenship. Dela Pena added that the law must provide remuneration for the Balik Scientists. (PNA)

The Magdalo solon said the high crimes allegedly committed by President Duterte involved the killing of over 8,000 drug offenders and the reported 1,400 killings by the Davao Death Squad when the President was still the mayor of Davao City. Alvarez also pointed out that Robredo is likely worried that a recount of the ballots cast for Vice President in the last elections would reveal she is not the real winner. The Presidential Electoral Tribunal recently decided to proceed with the hearing of the election protest lodged by former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against Robredo.

Alvarez also believed that Robredo is involved in the attempts to destabilize the administration of President Duterte. He added he is studying the possibility of filing an impeachment complaint against the Vice President on the ground of betrayal of public trust. Robredo’s act of sending a video message to the UNCND where she criticized the administration’s drive against illegal drugs may create a negative perception of the country before the international community, Alvarez said. He added that it could also lead to dire economic consequences.

GIFT FOR THE CHILDREN. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop hands over a gift to a student from the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on Friday at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City during

N E W LY - O P E N E D restaurant here is venturing on a different kind of a green or healthy food dining experience, especially for kids. Lenlen Uy-Bosquit, owner of Sundays Resto, said feeding children with healthy food like green vegetables is a challenge for many parents. “As a mother, I was challenged too and that inspired me to serve it here,” she said. Bosquit said among the dishes they serve, which appealed to the tastes of the kids, are malunggay dip with gourmet bread, mashed cauliflower and veggie-laden lasagna. Veggie salads mixed with Davao fresh fruits like pomelo and ripe mango are winners, too. Meanwhile, Bosquit, who does some of the cooking her-

self, said they also offer special comfort foods, which are “heirloom family recipes” from her Chinese grandmother, like “humba”, ox tail, pochero steak and chicken tender. Sundays complements the Go Hotel, a family venture with the Gokongwei led-Robinsons Land Corporation, which caters to foreign and domestic visitors. She said they get “good feedback” from foreign visitors involving Filipino comfort dishes. The family also operates Dencios Kamayan, which has eight branches around Davao City. Sundays Resto is the newest family baby under the supervision of Bosquit. “The homey setting is what we want to offer to our diners plus our family recipe

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the launching of the A$90-M Education Pathways Program for Mindanao that will funded by the Australian government. Lean Daval Jr

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Villanueva lauds DOLE order stopping‘endo’

CULINARY FESTIVAL. Indonesian Consul General BerlianNapitulu (left) and Marco Polo Davao general manager Dottie Wurgler-Cronin sing along with Indonesian performers during the opening of the Indonesian Culinary Festival at MRD’s Lotus Court on Friday evening. Lean Daval Jr

EN. Joel Villanueva on Friday hailed the move of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to ban labor-only contracting or “endo” noting that the order should be properly monitored. “I support the DOLE’s department order imposing a total ban on labor-only contracting and strictly regulating legal contracting,” Villanueva said in a statement. “We want to make sure, however, that there will be stringent rules to monitor and implement the order. Our goal here is to ensure that we end all forms of labor abuse,” he added. Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resource Development, said that he has filed his own bill to end endo, Senate Bill No. 1116 or

the “End of Endo Act” which is already out of the committee level. He, meanwhile, called on both Senate and House to prioritize the measure which he said would benefit the welfare of all Filipino workers. Malacañang, for its part, said that the order is “a major step in upholding and protecting the labor rights of our great Filipino workers.” On Thursday, the DOLE finally approved Department Order (DO) No. 174 on contracting and subcontracting after nine months of numerous dialogues and consultations with employers and workers. DOLE’s order will be effective 15 days after its publication. Putting an end to job contractualization is one of the major campaign promise of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. (PNA)

RoRo shipping service to ply PH bags USD 64.6-MWB Mindanao-Indonesia route funding for 1st BRT project By Walter I. Balane/MindaNews (FIRST OF 2 PARTS)

HE Philippine and Indonesian governments will launch next month a roll-on, roll-off shipping service that will link Davao and General Santos cities to Bitung City in Indonesia, an official of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said. Presidents Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines and Joko Widodo of Indonesia have been invited to grace the launch in Davao City after the 30th ASEAN Summit in Manila, MinDA Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro said. He said the DGB shipping will fill a gap in transport connectivity, at least between the Philippines and the rest of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asean Growth Areas and ASEAN itself. If pursued, the shipping service will be the first of its kind in the 50-year old ASEAN grouping and will help boost efforts for economic integration. RoRo carries rolling cargoes and do not require cranes for loading or off-loading as they simply roll on and off the vessel, hence the name. The

mode is economical, according to the Asian Development Bank, because it has removed cargo handling costs for labor and equipment, as well as cut the transport time. In 2012, the Japan International Cooperation Agency recommended in a study to set up a sea link dedicated to freight services between General Santos City in Mindanao and the Indonesian port of Bitung as the much needed maritime connectivity aimed to revive and strengthen trade between Indonesia and the Philippines. The Master Plan of ASEAN Connectivity 2025 cited the need for physical, institutional and people-to-people linkages to help achieve economic, political-security and sociocultural pillars of integration under the ASEAN Economic Community. Since its launching in 1994, BIMP EAGA cited improvements made in physical connectivity through improved roads and ports. The BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025 document, however, noted that most of the projects became “stand alone projects” showing benefits at the national level

PH posts lower current account surplus in 2016

IGHER importation to meet the requirements of the Philippines’ expanding economy resulted to the drop of the country’s current account surplus in 2016 to USD601 million. Data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Friday showed that USD601 million current account surplus last year,

which accounts for about 0.2 percent of domestic output, is lower than the USD7.3 billion for the same period in 2015, which in turn is about 2.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo, in a briefing, traced this to higher trade-in-goods deficit. Data also showed that

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that “fail to clearly demonstrate sub-regional impacts.” “Only a few projects have accounted for the need to link the two priority economic corridors of BIMP-EAGA, namely the Western Borneo Economic Corridor (WBEC) and the Greater Sulu and Sulawesi Corridor (GSSC),” the document said. For the transport sector strategy of BIMP-EAGA, the goal based on BIMP EAGA Vision 2025 is “interconnected, seamless and safe multi-modal transport.” According to the BEV 2025 project list for 2017 to 2025, aside from the DGB route, other sea linkages were also eyed in BIMP-EAGA, such as Bitung-Tahuna-Gensan, Brooke’s Point-Sandakan-Kota Kinabalo, Brooke’s Point-Bataraza-Kudat and Brooke’s Point-Brunei. For air linkages, there will be flights for the following routes: Puerto Princesa-Kota Kinabalo, Mulu-Bandar Seri Begawan, Davao-Manado, Pontianak-Bandar Seri Begawan and Balikpapan-Bandar Seri Begawan.

Poor transport connectivity Poor sub-regional transport connectivity, as identified in the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025 document, is one of its major challenges. It added that uneven economic development has led to different priorities, policies and regulations related to the transport sector. Montenegro said there is greater chance to address connectivity from 2017 to 2025 because a total of $23 billion, compared to only $1 billion in the previous decade, has been earmarked for priority infrastructure projects in the area. Over half of the amount goes to projects identified in Mindanao because the island needs more infrastructures. Also, a big ticket project, the Mindanao Railway System is in the pipeline. The Duterte administration is giving special focus on infrastructure. The DGB, Montenegro added, is strategic for the Philippines, not just for Mindanao because it provides a faster and cheaper access for domestic products to be moved in

ONGLOMERATE Ayala Corp. has acquired two renewable energy firms in a bid to fast-track its renewable energy expansion to meet its 1,000-megawatt (MW) capacity target by 2020. Ayala told the local bourse its subsidiary AC Energy Holdings, Inc. (AC Energy) signed definitive documents to acquire full ownership of Bronzeoak Clean Energy (BCE) and San Carlos Clean Energy (SCCE). The acquisition provides

AC Energy with a renewable energy development, management and operations platform that has a track record of successful project development. The platform currently provides operations and management support services to a number of renewable energy generation companies that include San Carlos Solar Energy Inc., Negros Island Solar Energy Inc., Monte Solar Energy, Inc., San Carlos BioPower Inc., South Negros BioPower Inc., and

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ASHINGTON-BASED World Bank approved on Friday (Manila time) the funding for the Philippines’ first bus rapid transit (BRT) project. World Bank and Clean Technology Fund (CTF) will be funding USD64.6 million or around P3.24 billion for the Metro Manila BRT Line 1 Project. The BRT project costs USD 109.4 million (P5.49 billion). The remaining USD44.8 million (P2.25 billion) will be funded by Philippine government. The country’s first BRT system will stretch along España Boulevard in Manila and Quezon Avenue in Quezon City, providing safe, reliable, and comfortable rides for about 300,000 commuters daily. “By providing an affordable and convenient public transport option, this project will help make job and education opportunities more accessible, especially for the poor residing around the BRT route,” said World Bank Country Director Mara Warwick. “High-capacity transport systems like BRT help reduce greenhouse gases, boosting the country’s contribution to the global fight against climate change,” she added. The Department of Trans-

portation (DOTr) will be implementing the project, which is expected to be operational by 2020. Aside from the BRT line, the project will also involve construction of bus terminals and stations, segregation barriers, sidewalks, warning and direction signs, and pedestrian crossing facilities, among other facilities. “Bus systems like BRT are cost-effective options for reducing emissions of harmful gases that cause climate change,” CTF Senior Program Coordinator Zhihong Zhang said. CTF is managed by the World Bank. It provides funding to developing countries and emerging economies to scale up technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CTF has funded USD3.8-billion projects globally supporting clean technologies such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and transport. “Implementation of this project alone will prevent the release of around 2.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents into the atmosphere in the next 20 years. Transport is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions globally and projects like this show the road to a cleaner future,” Zhang added. (PNA)

North Negros BioPower Inc. With the acquisition, SCCE and BCE have been renamed as AC Energy DevCo Inc. and Visayas Renewables Corp., respectively. “We are excited about this acquisition, as it strengthens AC Energy’s development capabilities. Bronzeoak is a leading developer of renewable energy projects, and there is so much complementarity between our groups,” said Eric Francia, AC Energy’s president and chief

executive officer. Francia is optimistic that with such a strong platform, AC Energy can scale up its renewable energy portfolio to 1,000 MW by 2020. AC Energy’s goal is to grow its portfolio of conventional and renewable energy to 2,000 MW by 2020. The company is building a portfolio of power generation assets using renewable and conventional technologies. (PNA)

Ayala acquires 2 renewable energy firms C

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ECONOMY 5

EDGEDAVAO

Mobile app for tourists launched By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

HE city government of Davao launched a mobile application that will inform tourists of the must go places and must eat restaurants all over the metro. The mobile app Davao guide was launched in partnership with Smart communications during the celebration of the 80th Araw ng Davao. According to Max Limpag, the creator of Davao Guide and

the CEO of Inno Pub, the developer of the mobile app, that the mobile application aims to lessen the worries of tourists especially on their itineraries during visit in the city. “The aim of Davao Guide is when you visit Davao, everything you need to know whether it’s foods, hotels, tourist spots, events or even emergency numbers are already in your phone, “ Limpag said.

He added that the app also contains a notification system that will allow the local government to inform tourists of the big events that will happen in the city during their stay. “Essentially we’re tapping the mobile technology to deliver tourism, cultural and historical information to the visitors of Davao,” he added. The Davao Guide, is the first mobile app that is accredited by

the city government. Meanwhile, Regina Rosa Tecson, the City Tourism Officer said that with the creation of Davao Guide, they can see more tourist arrivals since it will make their visit in the city more accessible. Tecson said that that all accredited travel and tours agencies were listed on the mobile app as well as the accredited hotels and restaurants that ca-

ter the delicacies of the city. “This is a very big help to the tourism industry of the city since it will be easier for us to reach out to the tourists by informing them of our local events and even the emergency numbers whenever they need it,” she added. She also pointed out that it will be easier for them to monitor the arrival of tourists in the city since the data will be

PH foreign debts down to USD74.8 B in FY2016

AMUSED. Badjao children watch in amusement as mascots of a popular food chain perform their dance routine along R. Magsaysay Avenue in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr

Indonesia launches 1st expo in PH By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ

N view of the 80th Araw ng Dabaw celebration, the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Davao City has hosted the 1st Indonesian Food and Beverage Expo (IFBE) at the House of Indonesia on March 17 to 19, 2017. The opening ceremony was graced by Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines Johny J. Lumintang, Consul General of Indonesia to Davao City Berlian Napitupulu, City Administrator Atty. Zuleika Lopez, members of Indonesian Community in the Philippines, guests, and media practitioners. In light of improving In-

donesia-Philippines economic relations, the expo is the first event from the series of promotion activities that the consulate will organize this year. Speaking during the opening ceremony of IFBE, Napitupulu observed that in the duration of his term some Indonesian products come to Mindanao through a third country. “Of course, in the sense of economic theory, distribution by third party only add more to the total cost of production and in the end only increase the price of the product,” said Napitupulu. The consul general added in the last 5 years the total

trade between Indonesia and the Philippines grew not more that 0.41 percent positioning the former as the 9th import partner of the Philippines in 2015, a rank lower than Malaysia and Singapore. The expo featured 18 exhibitors of export-quality products, especially food and beverages to be marketed in the Philippines. Along with IFBE activities, the consulate also held a oneon-one business matching, arts and cultural performances, and tourism promotion. In addition, the Indonesia Culinary Festival was organized by the office in partnership with Mar-

co Polo Hotel from March 17 to 19. In an interview, Napitupulu expressed his determination to strengthen the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Philippines reiterating that he “will make noise”. He even cited Indonesia as the only ASEAN country that joined the Parada Dabawenyo during the Araw ng Dabaw celebration. The expo will also gear the two countries on the upcoming launching of RoRo Davao-General Santos-Bitung Sea Route which is eyed to cut off the travel time and cost in conducting bilateral trade relations.

and promote stable and orderly development of economic cooperation, enlarge the scope and enhance the level of cooperation, and drive sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic development in both countries.” Fu and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang had met on Friday afternoon with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Pernia in Davao.

The two countries exchanged letters related to the first two feasibility studies of the nine projects getting support from the Chinese, covering projects such as Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridges Project and Davao City Expressway Project. The officials discussed the recently approved Philippine Development Plan 2017 to 2022, and updates on bilateral cooperation in infrastructure, trade, investments, agriculture,

fishery, tourism, and financing cooperation. Local business leaders are expecting more investment opportunities, following Wang’s visit in Davao City on Friday to Saturday. Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCCII) president Ronald Go commended President Rodrigo R. Duterte for enhancing the country’s relationship with China. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

PH, China sign economic cooperation program

HE Philippines and China signed on Friday a sixyear development program for trade and economic cooperation between the two countries in Davao City on Friday. National Economic Development Authority Director General Ernesto Pernia and Fu Ziying of China International Trade Representative and Vice Minister of Commerce signed the program. The program “aims to steer

readily available once a tourist downloads the application. “It will boost up the tourism sector since the data will be readily available, whenever they will look for hotels and tourist destination it will be in the mobile app since everything will be put there,” she said. She also said that the app will replace the brochures and maps that the tourists will carry.

TRENGTHENING of the US dollar against other currencies along with repayments by the national government (NG) of its foreign liabilities helped lower the Philippines’ outstanding foreign debt in end-2016. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), in a release posted on its website Friday night, said outstanding external debt of the Philippine government and the private sector as of end-December last year declined by 2.4 percent to USD74.8 billion from the previous quarter’s USD76.6 billion. Year-on-year, the debt level is also lower compared to the USD77.5 billion in end2015. BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr., in a statement, said that aside from the payment of the government of its liabilities, another factor in the quarter-on-quarter drop in the country’s debt level was the audit adjustments on the

liabilities done in the previous months. Specifically, revaluation adjustments as a result of the dollar’s appreciation against the Japanese yen, among others, amounted to USD1.8 billion; net principal repayments by the government, particularly the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM), amounted to USD611 million, while audit adjustments amounted to USD73 million. The BSP, on the other hand, noted that the effect of these downward adjustments on the liabilities was countered by the transfer of USD591-million worth of government-issued debt instruments from onshore investors to overseas fund sources. Even with the new foreign last year, Tetangco said the country’s external debt indicators “remained at comfortable levels at the close of 2016.” (PNA)

Solar PH breaks ground for 150-MW solar farm

OLAR Philippines, the country’s largest producer of solar products, broke ground Friday for a 150-megawatt (MW) solar farm in Barangay Sta. Rosa, Concepcion in Tarlac province. The solar farm, considered to be the largest in the country and the first to be built under the Duterte administration, will make use of batteries for a stable, 24/7 power supply and will demonstrate renewable energy as mid-merit and even baseload. The Concepcion solar farm will be outfitted with solar panels produced by Solar Philippines in its 600-MW factory in Batangas province. ”This is a new day for the power industry,” declared Solar Philippines president Leandro Leviste. “The dream of renewable energy with storage as mid-merit and even baseload is not five, 10, or 20 years (away) but that dream has finally come.” Leviste acknowledged the support of the Department of

Energy (DOE) and its thrust towards a technology-neutral policy in finding viable solutions for the country’s power requirements. He said this has paved the way for industry players, such as solar energy producers, to fill in the gaps between fossil fuel and other forms of power generation. ”A least-cost energy policy will allow solar to supply the majority of the incremental requirements of the Philippines from here on,” announced the 24-year-old entrepreneur. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi was pleased to note that not only was Solar Philippines breaking ground but it already has on-site the inverters needed for the solar farm. “This is no longer a ground-breaking ceremony but a work in progress,“ Cusi said. He also noted the importance of having an additional power plant, especially as the summer months approach when electricity costs are higher due to increased consumption. (PNA)

6 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

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Biz leaders bullish on Tagum’s economy T

OP business tycoons signified that Tagum city’s economy is and will continue to be in top shape, stressing that more initiatives can still be done to ride on this positive economic dynamism that is keeping this city of 270,000 people afloat. A shift in paradigm on sustainable eco-tourism, more government business-friendly initiatives and support to micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) will sustain Tagum’s economic luster, according to local business leaders invited to speak during the 1st Tagum City Business Conference hosted by the City Government of Tagum last March 15, 2017 at Big 8 Corporate Hotel. The Tagumpay BizCon is the first city-wide business conference that provides opportunities for entrepreneurs and businessmen to attend presentations by the country’s key business players and thought leaders to discuss with them issues that concern today’s economy and various business sectors. Ms. Rosanna Tuason Fores, Chief Executive Officer and President of Hijo Resources Corporation, strongly emphasized that Tagum should invest on sustainable eco-tourism as it is an untapped economic driver that will benefit not just only the small businessmen but also the general community as well. “Our human capital and our untapped social capital are our assets,” Fores told a crowd of 500 businessmen gathered during the Tagumpay BizCon. On the other hand, Mr. John Gaisano, President and CEO of home-grown JS Gaisano, provided a litany of things that the government should do to encourage more businessmen to invest in Tagum. This includes additional infrastructure that should be on the right place, stable and low cost of energy, tapping the power of the internet, effective

and efficient mass transportation and improved peace and order situation. Mr. Gaisano also piqued the interest of business leaders gathered during the event to build more businesses that attract the interests of millennials. Meanwhile, the need to scale-up government’s support to MSMEs was advocated by Mr. Lorenzo Rubinos, Sr., chairman of Tagum-based LYR Group of Companies whose business empire sprawls over key areas in Mindanao. Rubinos argued it would be in the best interest of the local government to support this sector, noting that they are the lifeblood of the city’s economy. For his part, Mayor Allan Rellon said the local government is working hard to make Tagum more-business-friendly, following his administration’s agenda on improving Tagum’s economy and imposing affordable taxation as listed in the EAGLE WINGS Program. “We sincerely wish for your growth because your growth redounds to more livelihood opportunities for our people who are able to take part in impelling the growth of our economy and of our city,” Rellon said. During the event, Rellon also presented before the public Tagum’s significant infrastructure projects that will kick-off this 2017 which includes the construction of the City Historical and Cultural Center which will house the city museum, an improved city library and a 1,000-cultural theater. Big-time projects also include the traffic signalization project, module 3 public transportation terminal, sanitary landfill, honey bee production facility and a fishing village. He also presented the plans for building a railway project and an alternative airport site in the city to be funded by the national government. (Louie Lapat/CIO Tagum)

BUSINESS CONFIDENCE. Mayor Allan L. Rellon, during the Tagumpay BizCon expressed gratitude to the confidence shown by business leaders to the leadership of Tagum City and the positive impacts of the growing economy in the city. Joining him during the conference include (from right to

left) Rosanna Tuason Fores of Hijo Resources Corporation, Lorenzo Y. Rubinos, Sr. of LYR Group of Companies, John Gaisano of JS Gaisano and development consultant and forum moderator Nelson Casiano. (Leo Timogan/CIO Tagum)

SoCot gears up for rollout of P367-M road projects

HE provincial government of South Cotabato is gearing up for the implementation of eight priority road projects worth around P367 million under the national government’s Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces (CMGP). Marnilo Aperocho, Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO) chief, said Friday the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has issued

the go-signal for the commencement of the lined up projects, which will be assisted by the local government. The agency informed the local government in January of the approved grants, which will involve the upgrading of road networks. The official said they expect the preparatory works to start soon for some of the projects, which covers a total of 33.74 kilometers (km) of

roads in six municipalities in the province. The recipients are Polomolok and Tampakan towns in the province’s first district, and Banga, Sto. Nino, Surallah and T’boli in the second district. “These are road projects that we earlier identified as among the priorities for funding and implementation this year,” Aperocho said. The lined up projects are the upgrading of the 2.5-km

Crossing Talcon-Aflek Road (P27.5 million) and the 1.5km Crossing Aflek-Malugong Road (P16.5 million) in T’boli; 5-km Maltana-Lambayong Road (P55 million) in Tampakan; 3.6-km National Highway Silway 8-Silway 7 Road (P39.6 million), and 5.9-km Klinan 6-Cannery Road (P64.9 million) in Polomolok; 5-km National Highway Junction-M. Roxas-Poblacion Road (P55

He acknowledged that there is an urgent need for the move following the daring murder at the site on Tuesday of an employee of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in Region 12. “We’re currently studying that (outpost), including the appropriate security measures that should be implemented for the area,” he said in a radio interview. During the RDC meeting, he said they found out that some regional line agen-

cies and units situated at the site have no private security guards. He noted that securing the site is quite challenging at the moment since it is situated in an open area. Since the area has no perimeter fence, he said dubious individuals can disguise as workers and easily enter and get out from there anytime. “So the area is not totally (secure) right now,” Alvero said. Region 12’s Prime Re-

gional Government Center sits in an 8.9-hectare property of the city government of Koronadal in Barangay Carpenter Hill and presently hosts over a dozen regional line agencies and units. Koronadal City is the regional seat and center of Region 12, which is also composed of the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato, and the cities of General Santos, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato. (PNA)

F SOCOT, 10

PNP outpost mulled at Region 12 gov’t center in Koronadal

OLICE are considering putting up an outpost at the regional government center in Koronadal City to properly secure offices and personnel of various regional line agencies at the site. Sr. Supt. Franklin Alvero, South Cotabato police director, said Friday they are currently drawing up a security plan for the site as requested by officials of the Regional Development Council (RDC) of Region 12 in a meeting last week.

Evacuees in Comval receive support from provincial gov’t

AID TO EVACUEES. The provincial government of Compostela Valley led by Gov. Jayvee Tyrone Uy visited the more than 100 evacuees in Barangay Cabuyoan, Mabini. The residents were affected when government troopers clashed with NPA rebels in the area last March 11. (IDS ComVal Photo)

ESIDENTS who evacuated following the recent skirmishes between the New People’s Army rebels and the government troops in Barangay Cabuyoan, Mabini town were personally visited by Gov. Jayvee Tyron L. Uy. Three soldiers were wounded during the encounter that took place last March 11 and affected more than 100 residents in the area. Relief goods were also distributed by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office of Compostela Valley during the governor’s visit. The evacuees stayed temporarily at Cabuyoan Elementary School until March 13 when they already returned to their respective homes after authorities declared the area as safe.

Uy, who also serves as the chairperson of the Peace and Order Council in Davao region also told the residents of his continued support to the resumption of the peace talks between the government and the rebels. “Let us continue to strive to ensure that every inch of our territory is protected, and our people can sleep peacefully every night,” he said. Compostela Valley province, a known operational area of the NPA rebels was already officially declared as conflict-manageable and development-ready area last August 23, 2016. Following the declaration, the provincial government then crafted the Provincial Peace and Order and Public

F EVACUEES, 10

7 PROPERTY EDGEDAVAO

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Aeon Towers now 70 percent complete By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO njb@edgedavao.net

OOK up sky-high along the busy JP Laurel Avenue and you will never miss the towering structure that’s touted as the next tallest building in Mindanao. Yes, Aeon Towers is already 70 percent complete and had just held its topping off ceremony recently. More than that, it has sealed a deal with a global investment firm that had bought in bulk 288 units in the 33-level high-rise development to operate apartment units and a hotel. The recent topping off ceremonies was presided over by the top brass of developer FTC Group of Companies led by president and CEO Ian Y. Cruz, Chairman Francisco T. Cruz, Finance Director Lesley Ann Cruz-Arquiza, Corporate Secretary Alvin Y. Cruz, and Ian Campbell, president of I.A Campbell and Associates Inc. The building is being eyed to be fully finished by December this year or January next year. “We are targeting to turn over the units in December this year. Only a few remaining units are on sale,” Cruz, FTC’s CEO and president, said.

GLOBAL INVESTMENT FTC Group of Companies recently signed a landmark transaction with Altus Hospitality South, Inc, a joint venture hospitality investment company between Altus Capital Corporation and Private Equity capital, via a fund from Singapore. The investment company is managed by Altus Capital Partners, an affiliate of the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation. The deal involves the bulk purchase by the company of units at Aeon Towers, a new mixed-used residential and commercial tower, which at 33 floors is set to become the tallest skyscraper in Min-

danao. Designed by Syndicated Architects Far East Associates with Ian Campbell and Associates as project and construction manager, Aeon Towers will boast a 144-key Hotel and 144- Residence serviced apartment (both operated by Altus Hospitality) coupled with a 197-room high-end residential condominium; over 2,000 sqm of prime retail space, and at over 1,000 sqm, the largest grand ballroom in Davao. The investment is a sign of confidence by the international investment community in FTC Group of Companies, a Davao-grown firm with diverse business interests.

ABOUT AEON TOWERS Aeon Towers is a mixuse 33 storey building development of F.T.C Group of Companies with a total project cost of P3.1 Billion. Aeon Towers will also house world-class amenities and it’s strategically located at the Central Business District (CBD) of Davao City. With a total land area is 4,574 square meters, Aeon Towers will house 473 units parking slots of 300 and commercial spaces will be located in the ground floor to 5th floor. The seventh floor to 10th floor will be allocated for the hotel

component while the sky deck is at the 33rd floor. Campbell said the building boasts of earthquake resistant features. “After the earthquake last week we inspected the building and not one cracks this is a very safe building. The building has stiffness and flexibility just like a palm tree,” Campbell said. Tagged the most iconic structure not only in Davao but Mindanao as well Aeon Towers building features fiber optic ready on all units, wifi connections in common areas, four spacious, high speed passenger elevators exclusively for condominium rise; advance fire protection alarm and sprinkler system, provision of complete facilities for every condominium system, green building technology-use of UV protected glass, iconic building with LED lights, 24 hhour CCTV security camera, building management by NYC Properties Management Corp, unit merging will be allowed with a fee and specified layouts for combined units, and floor to ceiling height is at 2.8 meters. The building will also house amenities that include swimming pool, sky deck, spa, fitness gym, library, and meeting and conference room.

8 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

EDITORIAL

The bigger picture

EST people in metropolitan Manila forget, the Philippines has Visayas and Mindanao as well aside from Luzon. So when we talk about development and what the government under the present administration, people in the metro should realize there are ‘other’ places in the country that had been left behind. Mindanao, to be specific, is the bigger ‘laylayan’ than the concept and definition of Vice President Leni Robredo. So when you talk about Mindanao Railway project and the peace efforts in Mindanao, that is bigger than picking on the anti-drug war alone. Last week alone, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced that her government is giving the Philippines some AUD40 million for the peace efforts in Mindanao and another AUD90 million for education development in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Australia wanted to get more involved in the development of Mindanao by supporting the government’s peace initiatives. Of that

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grant, AUD40 million would be for the development projects in conflict-affected areas, including water supply, infrastructure, and other basic necessities. Other than money, the Australian government provide technical assistance to ensure the success of the peace process. And then there is the peace process, wherein the government has reopened peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). Barring any hitches, peace talks with the Moro National Islamic Front will conclude with the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law that was sidelined during the previous Congress. It is also worthy to note that the government is addressing the issues raised by the Moro National Liberation Front in relation to the 1996 Final Peace Agreement. If this journey to change stays unblocked and untroubled, we are bound to see what was never conceived before—the government and rebels jointly implementing development programs in Mindanao. That is the bigger picture. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

JIMMY K. LAKING Associate Editor PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

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HE appears helpless, like a damsel in distress, shouting her voice hoarse for her knight in shining armor to rescue her. Employing this tactic, she would rather seek a foreign audience to spill the beans on her president to catch attention. VP Leni is committing a major faux pas. Those who dislike her methods of protestations display their hate and dislike in the various platforms of the social media. She is at the receiving end. As a lawyer and as one who originally wanted to become an RTC judge, there’s something in VP Leni that is as mysterious as what they curiously say about the proverbial Mary. As the presumed leader of the opposition, it is but normal to fiscalize the incumbent leadership but this must be put forth in the proper context. Leni should not just tow the line

F someone mentions the words “organic agriculture,” what comes into your mind right away? Environment-friendly, natural, not using pesticides and other chemicals, sustainable, regenerative, and healthy – these are the words use to describe this method of farming which has recently captured the attention of many countries around the world. Thanks to Republic Act 10068, organic farming is now being promoted in the Philippines. More popularly known as the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, the law is a state policy that promotes, propagates, and further develops the practice of organic farming in the country. The United Nations Food and Agriculture (FAO), in its report, Organic Agriculture and Food Security, believes organic agriculture is one of the methods that can fight hunger, tackle the issues of climate change aside from being beneficial for farmers, consumers and the environment. In a recent report, Lucille Elna Parreno-de Guzman gives us further information about organic agriculture: “Organic agriculture is an agricultural production system that avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, growth regulators, pesticides, livestock feed additives, and genetically modified organisms and products.” As espoused in RA 10068, the practice of organic agriculture can significantly control the pollution

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VANTAGE POINTS

Leni should not wash dirty linen in public of the party that brought her to where she is just a heartbeat away from the presidency. She must have her own concept of leadership, her own concept of governance that subscribes fully to the principles of a “government of, by and for the people.” Filipinos do not appreciate fiscalization for its own sake. VP Leni can best serve the interests of the people by analyzing and meeting their needs, coming forward to extend her help to the Duterte government regardless if her own partymates may or may not appreciate it. Because whether she likes it or not, by mere logic and not by choice, as the second highest elected official of the land, she likewise carries on her shoulders the brunt of good governance. If her partymates desire the Duterte administration to fail so that the Liberal Party can have enough ammunition to use in the next presidential

SPECKS OF LIFE Fred C. Lumba derby, Leni should not abet it because her own countrymen will suffer. Right now, she is committing a wrong mistake, as this redundancy is often stated jokingly. Leni should stop washing our dirty linen in public in order that she may appear a sainted leader.

Argue about this. Doesn’t a good, tested leader think about the good things he/she can bring to her people? Gender has nothing to do about it. Whether man or woman, a leader is the king who leads his people to success and not to dooms-land. Elizabeth I, in leading her English troops against the invasion of the Spanish armada in 1588, said: “I know I have the body but of the weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king.” There. Obviously, VP Leni is still wet around the ears. Her so-called political mentors are exploiting her un-sophisticated methodologies and she is left with no recourse but pursue the line of opposing those in power for the sake of putting them down. Again, very obviously, she has been made to realize that the 2022 presidential polls are the medium range target. Just keep on training

your guns on the mistakes of the administration. The people remember things that are repeatedly said even if they are untruths and therefore lies. Unfortunately, she is haunted by anxieties about getting unseated in relation to the electoral protest of former Sen. Bongbong Marcos, her chief rival in the 2016 vice-presidential race. The protest is progressing in the presidential electoral tribunal, albeit slowly. But would a leader this close to the presidency connive and conspire to utilize deadly and evil schemes to achieve her ambition? Does this not reduce her status to somebody like Hamlet who stole the king’s crown by any Machiavellian plot possible? Filipinos deserve more, don’t you agree? (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

ipalities where the study was done. “This is mainly due to the continuous and indiscriminate use of chemical inputs in farming,” Parreno-de Guzman wrote. Agricultural savants believe that continued use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides causes organisms present in the soil to die. Without soil organisms, chemically saturated land will eventually lose its capacity to nourish healthy and fruitful crops, until finally the soil “dies.” With “dead” soil, how can farmers grow crops? “In Laguna, soil erosion occurs but only at a minimal rate,” Parreno-de Guzman wrote. “Farmers who have converted to organic agriculture did so mainly to observed and experienced negative health effects in using chemical fertilizers and pesticides.” Despite the benefits derived from organic agriculture, farmers were still not agog about it. The author cited four reasons: For one, organic agriculture is “knowledge-intensive.” There are so many options available and it’s up to the farmers to select which suit best to their farms. After training, “constant monitoring and assistance are still needed to ensure farmers’ continuous practice and compliance to organic agriculture standards,” Parreno-de Guzman wrote. Another reason: too much labor in the production of organic fertilizers and concoctions. Most farmers are used to having quick fixes by simply buying chemical inputs. “Gathering

raw materials and preparing these into organic fertilizers and other concoctions is considered laborious and time-consuming,” wrote Parreno-de Guzman. Vermicomposting – the process of using earthworms to turn organic waste into vermicompost – is the main fertilizer production technology promoted in organic agriculture. But doing so entails high capital as it requires construction of vermi beds and the use of a shredder to cut the materials for composting. “These expenses are beyond the reach of small farmers,” Parreno-de Guzman wrote. But the real reason why most farmers won’t adopt the technology is the low production during the conversion period. The low harvest is due to the use of organic fertilizer. “The NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) in chemical fertilizers is easily available for plant uptake unlike organic fertilizers which are slow in releasing nutrients,” wrote Parreno-de Guzman. Aside from those four reasons, the high cost of organic certification has also been cited as a stumbling block. Section 17 of RA 10068 stated: “Only third-party certification is allowed (for agriculture produce) to be labeled as organically produced.” The researcher considered that statement as limiting factor in organic agriculture implementation. In addition, the cost of certification – ranging from P42,000 to P150,000 – is also limiting.

What hampers organic agriculture?

brought about by using chemical inputs like fertilizers and pesticides. By avoiding using them, the soil fertility is greatly improved. This is the reason why the Bureau of Soil and Water Management, a line agency of the Department of Agriculture, considered organic agriculture as one of the methods that can combat land degradation. It has been found that organic agriculture does not only help improve soil fertility but also prevent wind and water erosion of the soil, improve water infiltration and retention capacity, reduce surface and ground water consumption and subsequent soil salinization and reduce ground and surface water contamination. In the Philippines, land degradation is a continuing serious problem. Around 11.45 million hectares (about 38% of the country’s total land area of 30 million hectares) is the estimated degraded land. About 2.6 million hectares are considered hot spots as these are cultivated without soil and water conservation measures. As a result, soil productivity has been reduced by 30% to 50%. The estimated total net primary productive loss from 1981 to 2003 was 4,100,145 tons, which affected 33 million people or about 42.75% of the total population at that time, a report said. The paper written by Parreno-de Guzman was part of the of the cross-country research project, “Sustainable Land Management: Adoption

THINK ON THESE!

Henrylito D. Tacio

and Implementation Constraints,” which was funded by the Economy and Environment Programs for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA) and the Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative. According to the author, organic agriculture has been identified a sustainable land management intervention that can help avoid, reduce or reverse land degradation. It has almost been seven years now since RA 10068 has been signed but still not too many farmers are adopting the technology. What must be the reasons? To find out, Parreno-de Guzman conducted a study in selected towns in Laguna and in La Trinidad, Benguet, where farmers are adopting organic agriculture. Chemical pollution of soil and water bodies is the main land degradation issue in the munic-

10 NEWS MORE... FROM 1

government might invest. Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang who represented Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said that a fact finding team will also be sent in Davao City in a couple of weeks to look further on the proposed projects of the city government. “After the visit of the Ambassador, the Chinese government will also send fact finding team to further study in those proposed projects,” Dayanghirang said. Aside from the development projects that the city has presented to Wang, the Chinese Vice Premier also brought with him about $6

billion in deals that will include the agreement for agriculture exports to China. Wang is the highest Chinese government official who visited the hometown of President Duterte since he took office last year. Wang’s visit also opened several economic and investment projects as the Philippine and China’s relationship continuous to bloom since Duterte reestablished the tie with the latter country. On May this year, Duterte is expected to visit Beijing and discuss the proposed development projects in the city and Mindanao.

proving data collection, quality and use in policy making; and stakeholder engagement in education policy. ARMM Executive Secretary Laisa Masuhud Alamia who represented Governor Mujiv Hataman thanked the Australian government for its continued support in the region. She said the BEAM program is instrumental in the improvement and accessibility of

basic education in ARMM. “The program allowed us to do more to improve the education sector in our region,” Alamia said. The program and announcement was also joined by Secretary Jesus Dureza of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Representatives Karlo Nograles and Mylene Albano-Garcia of Davao City.

at an affordable price,” she said. Bosquit said the opening of more restaurants in Davao City is a welcome competition. She said that the raw materials they use like vegeta-

bles, meat and other products are sourced locally except the cheese, which they import. Sundays is one of the participants at the “Visit Davao Fun Sale,” a sales event in Davao. (PNA)

Safety Plan to sustain peaceful and orderly communities towards achieving socio-economic development in the area. The provincial government also continues its sup-

port to the national government’s Comprehensive Local Integration Program to help former rebels find hope by providing them financial, health and education assistance packages. (IDS COMVAL)

million) in Sto. Nino; 6-km Banga-Lambayong-Lampari Road (P66 million) in Banga; and, the 4.24-km National Highway Junction-Collongulo-Moloy-Duengas Road (P42.42 million) in Surallah. CMGP is a performance-based devolution program of the national government that seeks to institutionalize good governance practices for local government units (LGUs) with respect to local road management. Formerly called the “Konkreto at Ayos na Lansangan ang Daan Tungo sa Pangkalahatang Kaunlaran” or KALSADA, the program will rehabilitate and upgrade provincial road networks and later transfer them permanently to provincial governments for mainte-

nance. Its primary requirement is the compliance of the LGUs with the Good Financial Housekeeping component of the Seal of Good Local Governance of the DILG. In 2016, the provincial government implemented a total of 169 infrastructure projects worth P817.12 million within the province’s 10 towns and lone city. A report released by the PEO said 112 of these were already completed while 57 projects worth P245.9 million are still ongoing. Among those competed were structures and road projects under the Philippine Rural Development Project, KALSADA and DA’s Food Security Program. (PNA)

the establishment of the Council that will oversee their welfare, will address this and other concerns connected to the welfare of our senior citizens,” the social welfare chief explained. The bill defines acts committed against senior citizens, imposes higher penalties for their commission, and requires the development of strategies

to prevent or reduce abuses. The other bills intend to benefit children by safeguarding their right to grow up in a safe environment. The Magna Carta of Day Care Workers bill is also being lobbied so that public servants in the day care service are recognized for their contribution. (PNA)

AUD$90-M... FROM 2

New... FROM 2

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DAVAO VISIT. Chinese delegates take their photographs at Sta. Ana Port in Davao City, the site of the proposed Port and Coastal Development project which Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang inspected yesterday. Lean Daval Jr

Duterte... FROM 1

ident’s visit to Myanmar this year is the culmination of the celebration of this milestone in our friendly relations with Myanmar,” said Chua. According to the envoy, this year, the Philippine President’s visit to Myanmar, an ASEAN member country, symbolizes the Philippines’ commitment to the shared aspiration and values of ASEAN. This year, the Philippines chairs the ASEAN as the region celebrates the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the grouping. During President Duterte’s visit, Chua said, a Memorandum of Understanding on Food Security and Agricultural Cooperation will be signed between the two governments. President Duterte will meet with key political figures in Myanmar. “President Dute-

rte’s meeting with President U Htin Kyaw, Myanmar’s first civilian President in five decades, is a concrete manifestation of the Philippines’ continued support for countries in the region,” Chua said. The President will also meet with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to discuss regional cooperation and Commander-in-Chief Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing to explore the deepening of the two countries’ bilateral defense cooperation. Since the establishment of their bilateral relations in 1956, the Philippines’ and Myanmar’s economic relations have grown, Chua said. Based on the Philippine Statistics Authority’s trade statistics, the Philippines’ top exports to Myanmar are me-

dicaments, while the country’s major imports from Myanmar are agricultural products. The Embassy is hopeful that the recently concluded sister-city agreement between Quezon City and the Yangon region, the first twinning agreement between the two countries, and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippine Franchise Association and the Myanmar Retailers Association will facilitate stronger business relations between the Philippines and Myanmar. The Filipinos in Myanmar are professionals, working as teachers, lawyers, engineers and humanitarian workers. There is also an increasing number of Myanmar nationals studying in the Philippines. “It is these exchanges between

Filipinos and Myanmar nationals that strengthen our relations,” Chua said. The Philippine Embassy in Yangon have facilitated the conclusion of a visa-free agreement with Myanmar in 2013, which allows Filipinos to stay in Myanmar for up to 14 days without the need for a visa. This visa-free agreement is expected to lead to more people-to-people exchanges. The Filipino community is looking forward to welcoming President Duterte. “Masasabi kong lubos na nasasabik ang mga Pilipino na makita at makapiling ang ating mahal na Pangulo sa kanyang pagbisita sa Myanmar (I can say that the Filipinos here are very much excited to meet the President when he visits Myanmar),” Chua said. (PNA)

ASEAN and other parts of the world. Notably, Mindanao is physically separated from the other BIMP members.

the businessmen,” he said via telephone. He said this means a big cut in transport cost, too. MinDA said it takes three to five weeks to move products from Davao City to Manado. With the DGB RoRo route, the travel time will be cut to three days. PortCalls Asia estimated the savings to be around P75,000 (PUS$1,500) per 20-foot equivalent unit. Apart from intra-regional trade, the route can also serve as a cheaper alternative for transshipment of goods in Asia, Montenegro said. Davao City will use the privately-owned Kudos Port. In General Santos City, the Makar Wharf will be used and in Sulawesi, the Bitung Port, which was recently identified as an international port of entry to Indonesia. Enough goods? Trade and Industry Assistant Secretary Arturo Boncato Jr. said the revival of regular Davao-Manado flights should follow the opening of the shipping service.

He said the new shipping link will be crucial in increasing trading in the BIMP EAGA, which is now considered as a building block of ASEAN. “Connectivity plays a critical role in trading and the goal of the ASEAN Economic Community,” he added. But Boncato, who is the Philippine senior official to the BIMP-EAGA, said while the easier direction is for the route to be used in the transshipment business in Asia, it should really facilitate and improve intra-regional trading in BIMP-EAGA. For his part, Bronx Hebrona, who chairs the Committee on ASEAN and BIMP-EAGA of the Regional Development Council in Region 12, asked: “But now when a ship is available, are there enough goods to be transported?” He said there is greater push for BIMP EAGA with President Duterte, who he said was instrumental in expediting the preparations for the DGB route opening. “It’s possible. But it’s a wait and see situation. We are

waiting for concrete terms,” he added. Boncato said loading the vessel is already the easier part. The challenge is how to sustain the shipping service. Montenegro said a joint meeting is scheduled next week for the Philippine and Indonesian task forces created to prepare for the opening of the route. During the Davao General Santos Bitung Business Forum last month, Philippine Transport Undersecretary Fernando Juan Perez described the route as a “gold mine” saying it opens up a lot of opportunities for exporters from both countries. Rosan P. Roeslani, chair of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomed the proposed opening of the route, as quoted by Jakarta Post on March 15. “It is going to be easier to access the Philippine market through the Bitung Port [in North Sulawesi], especially for products and commodities from Indonesia’s eastern regions,” the source added.

percent, a big diference from the 0.6 percent expansion in exports. For the last quarter of 2016 alone, current account registered a deficit of USD1

billion, down 171.6 percent compared to the USD1.4 billion surplus for the same period in 2015. This resulted to the reversal of the USD809 million

balance of payment (BOP) surplus in the last quarter of 2015 to a USD2.1 billion deficit, which is the net lending of Philippines residents to the rest of the world. (PNA)

RoRo... FROM 4

Regular flights needed Vicente Lao, chairperson of the Mindanao Business Council Philippine representative to the BIMP-EAGA Business Council private sector forum, said the opening of the route will be good for Mindanao and trading with the Indonesian areas in the ASEAN sub-region. “The governments should act together to make it happen. The private sector should come in to take advantage,” he told MindaNews this week. Since regular flights between Davao City and Manado in Indonesia have been suspended since 2008, travelers between the two areas have relied only on chartered flights, he added. Lao said the service should be made regular to stop the dependency on chartered flights. “It is not dependable. It has to be regular trips to make sure it addresses the needs of

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imports of goods rose by 16.5 percent in the fourth quarter alone, more than four times the 3.8 percent rise in export. For the whole of 2016, imports of goods rose 16.6

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STYLE

EDGEDAVAO

Prints and cottony comfort shifts and caftans for Chimes x Maureen Disini.

The Chimes Spring/Summer preview

Designer Maureen Disini with her exclusive line of chic mommy and tot dresses for Chimes.

FIRST DIBS. A fresh vibe. Front row. Chimes gave its clientele many reasons to feel excited for the brightest and happiest seasons of the year as it ushered in its Spring/Summer collections with a trunk show last March 11 at its flagship store in Gov. Sales Street. The upscale retailer which has its own share of bringing in many firsts for Davao brought the stylish set yet another all-access tête-à-tête that saw them rubbing shoulders with the likes of hot local designers Maureen Disini, Jeffrey Rogador, Joyce Oreña, Tessa Villalon of Florence Fling and Yendy Yu of Fringy and Heart & Bolt.

From L-R - designer Yendy Yu, Chimes EVP Cindy Yap, this writer and accessories extraordinaire Joyce Oreña.

Summer Phresh meets funky with Jeffrey Rogador’s apparel. Model turned designer Tessa Villalon debuts more feminine pieces from her fast-selling brand, Florence Fling.

The designers at hand presented their latest pieces for the current season alongside freshly laid out items from Linda Farrow eyewear, swimwear from Sapph Netherlands, leather goods from Julianne Candice and fragrances from Soleil et Lune. Excited VIPs and shoppers made good use of their time that afternoon to make their choices and snap them up before the fashion show even started. The short fashion show was the highlight of the afternoon as models formed fashion tableaus of each label’s key pieces. From the vivid red, black and white of Florence Fling’s balmy chic pieces to Maureen’s feminine prints on her signature day dresses and caftans, the selection successfully provided insights on how to style the pieces and showed them to their full advantage. It was impossible not to view the fashion with fresh eyes that afternoon because as always, the merchandising team behind Chimes made sure to bring in new blood to the Davao retail fold. “People come to Chimes for things that are different and interesting. We are fortunate that our roster of brands keeps on growing,” quips Cindy Yap, EVP for Felcris Group of Companies. It would be the first time accessories brands Heart & Bolt and Fringy would be stocked in-store anywhere in the country and the much-awaited pieces from Jeffrey Rogador’s athletic leisure line would finally arrive on their racks. Cocktails, savoury bites and sweet treats were served to guests after the show as they milled about enjoying the lovely indoor set up from Davao’s famous and wellloved event stylist Annie Lim. Exclusive treats for shoppers this March were launched that afternoon such as a pick of a free pair of earrings for every purchase of Florence Fling, footwear pouches from Maureen Disini and cash wallets from Julianne Candice. The swirl of deliciously vibrant things ripe for the picking made for an afternoon of summer delight and luxury shopping at Chimes Boutique. Visit Chimes at Governor Sales Street, Felcris Centrale and Abreeza Mall.

As hot as kicks are right now, so are Fringy’s clip on and tie-on leather and fur accessories.

The Yap siblings - Camille, Cindy and Clark - with Yendy Yu of Fringy.

Kimonos and sexy swimwear from Sapph Netherlands.

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EDGEDAVAO KORONADAL PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

Tel No. 082.221.3601/224.1413 Email: edgedavao@gmail.com marketing@edgedavao.net

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EVENT

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Krispy Kreme shares joy with Dabawenyos By JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ KRISPY KREME joined Davao City’s celebration of its 80th Araw ng Davao as it opened its doors to kids of Providence Home of St. Joseph by hosting a fun doughnut tour at its SM City Davao store on Thursday afternoon. The food store chain has also teamed up with Global Impact, SOS Village, and the City Social Cervices and Development Office (CSSDO) for the earlier Parada ng Dabawenyo, a yearly socio-civic activity organized by the local government to showcase the best of Davao. During the fun doughnut tour, the children were given the chance to become Junior Doughnut Masters for a day as they explored their artistic side by decorating their own

doughnuts. In line with the Araw ng Dabaw, Krispy Kreme is offering its fan-favorite doughnuts in an exciting deal. From March 17 to 19, customers may vail a dozen Original Glazed Doughnuts for only PhP80. Krispy Kreme Philippines chief executive officer Sharon T. Fuentebella hopes to make the city’s celebration even more fun and colorful with their activities and offers. “We hope that in our own little way, we are able to help

create happy and memorable activities for the attendees of Araw ng Dabaw,” she said. Krispy Kreme is an international retailer of premiumquality doughnuts. It was introduced to the Philippines in

2006 as it established its flagship store at Bonifacio High Street, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. At present, it has more than 70 outlets nationwide with Hot Light stores in Bonifacio High Street, Limketkai

Mall, and SM City Davao. For more information and updates about the brand and its products, visit www.krispykreme.com.ph or like Krispy Kreme Philippines on Facebook.

DESA inducts officers and board members for 2017 By LEEBAI SINSUAT AMBOLODTO DAVAO EVENTS SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION (DESA) is Davao’s answer to the overwhelming need to beautify and make every event memorable. Composed of event organizers, florists, designers, sound and light providers, entertainment performers, hosts, make-up artists, photo and videographers, bakers and cake makers, party supply providers, caterers, hoteliers and other Davao based allied professionals, DESA was first known as Wedding

Events Suppliers Party (WESP) back in 2011 and later renamed by September 29, 2015.

DESA’s vision as a group is simple: To provide quality service and perform significant role in professional support to the industry. They aim to spearhead the development, planning and utmost execution of events. Of which includes the delivery of holistic and strategic directions in order to achieve success in every endeavor they partake in. DESA also aims to inspire a collective spirit of professionalism and camaraderie among its members through

their continuing education and training. The founding Officers of DESA, together with its enthusiastic board and members are at the forefront of these initiatives. Everyone is

fully committed to create an air of cooperation rather than competition. Most of all, protect the interests of its member and clients. Again, congratulations and Thank you for always making

every event memorable. With DESA, you need not have to worry and question their legitimacy. Every member is a legitimate professional and of good personal standing.

EDGE DAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

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Win fuel, lubes, or P500,000 cash in Phoenix Petroleum’s Summer Combo Panalo Promo

HOENIX Petroleum Philippines welcomes the summer season with an exciting raffle promo. Lucky motorists will get the chance to win Php500,000 worth of cash in the grand raffle draw or Php100 worth of Phoenix fuels and lubricants instantly. Three lucky winners from Luzon and three lucky winners from Visayas and Mindanao will each win Php 500,000 worth of cash in the grand draw on May 31, 2017. Every Php 300 single or accumulated fuel purchase from any participating Phoenix retail station nationwide entitles a customer to one peel-off/ raffle coupon. Each coupon gives the customer

a chance to win either or both of the following prizes: instant win of Php 100 worth of Phoenix fuel or lubes; and/or Php 500,000 worth of cash in the grand draw. Minor prize winners of the Php 100 fuel or lubes can participate in the grand raffle draw for a chance to win the major prize. To participate in the raffle draw, customers must completely fill-out the back portion of the coupon and drop in drop boxes located at Phoenix stations. The promo is open to all participating stations nationwide from March 18 – May 18, 2017. Visit the nearest Phoenix station and you could be one of the lucky winners.

A must-see agri business expo at SMX Convention Center M

ARK your calendar on March 23-25… Once again, CMB Events and Promotion Specialist Inc .will feature the best assembly of the worlds latest technologies, products and services in the field of Agriculture & Livestock Farming under one roof. Mindanao Agriculture and Livestock Expo is the premier Agri-Business Trade Fair held annually in both Visayas & Mindanao for almost a decade now. This year, we focused on showcasing the recent trends, products, and technologies in the country’s Agriculture and Livestock Sector; as we all know this industry provides income and livelihood for millions of Filipinos. We believed this kind of Expo will promote goodwill and innovative exchange of ideas, not only amongst manufacturers, traders and

consumers, but also with the local government. This will also further boost, widen and open up the market in the agricultural sector especially here in Mindanao Region.. Recognizing these great opportunities, the Organizer and some of its sponsors will also be holding FREE seminars on Livestock Raising, Organic Farming, Solar Farming Technology and other Agri-business seminars that will surely benefit the audience/attendees. In conjunction with the Expo, there will be a one day seminar on March 23 discussing about the Climate Change Vulnerability “ The potential of information technologies to help mitigate the effects of climate change and develop adaptation tools”. Mindanao Agriculture and Livestock Expo will cover farming & Irrigation,

Hogs and Livestock Raising, Agricultural Equipment and housing, Crops and Seeds, Food Manufacturing, Fertilizers and Pesticides and solar farming. Among the companies who will join the Expo are Amamzon Mfg. Corp, Philippine Foremost Milling Corp, Bounty Farms Corp., Enterprise Bank, Community Dev’t. Corp. Arca Galleon, Sagrex Corp., Julu Enterprises, Tractorco Comp.,Inc., San Miguel Foods Corp./ B-Meg, Southern Synergy Sales, Asuki Weighing Scale, Atlas Fertilizer, Bounty Agro Farms Corp., Leads Agricultural Products, Ramgo International Corp., Payo Manufactring, Weitex Scale, Exceed Enterprises, Nature’s Bio Organic, Sanko Phils., Team Agri Ind’l. Corp., Apthealth, Belmont AGri Corp., Rainmac Enterprises, Universal Harvester, Agri Component INc., Prime Agri-

DSWD seeks legislators’support for 7 social welfare-related bills

T SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY GRANTS. U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Y. Kim meets grantees of U.S. Agency for International Development’s Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) project. (USAID Photo)

U.S. gov’t awards Filipino scholars, universities

HE United States government, through the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines’ United States Agency for International Development (USAID), recognized 10 research scholars and 37 grant recipients in science, technology, and innovation who support the Philippine government’s push for innovation-led and inclusive growth. The grants and scholarships are awarded by USAID’s Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) project, which boosts science and technology research in the Philippines to stimulate inclusive economic growth. U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Y. Kim personally acknowledged the individual scholars and the research grant recipients. “Our grantees represent the best

scientific minds in the Philippines,” said Ambassador Kim. “We look forward to the results of their research projects that will upgrade industries, generate jobs and investments, and build skills and capacities in communities, academic institutions, and companies.” Today’s awards included 24 P5 million ($100,000), oneyear research grants to Philippine universities to undertake collaborative research with U.S. universities on disciplines that contribute to high-growth sectors, including electronics, chemical industries, alternative energy, agri-business, and information technology. USAID also funded 10 prototype development research grants, valued at P1.15 million ($23,000) each, and three innovation development grants that address human development challenges, valued

at about P4 million ($80,000) each. The universities who received research grants include University of the Philippines Diliman, Western Philippines University, University of Southeastern Philippines, and the Technological Institute of the Philippines. USAID’s $32 million Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) Project is the U.S. government’s largest higher education project in the Philippines. The five-year project strengthens the Philippines’ capacity for innovation-led inclusive growth through strengthening applied research capabilities in Philippine universities and industries, and bolstering human capacity development in science, technology and innovation (STI).

To date, the project has awarded approximately $5.5 million in collaborative science, technology, and innovation research grants to more than 20 universities around the country. It has awarded 56 scholarships to Filipinos to study in U.S. universities, provided advanced technical training to scientists and researchers, and brought 28 U.S. professors to visit the Philippines. STRIDE is also establishing 10 knowledge and technology transfer offices at select universities in the Philippines. USAID’s STRIDE project is implemented by RTI International, in collaboration with sub-grantees including the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan, Florida State University, Rutgers University, and local non-profit Philippine Business for Education. (PR)

tech, Suntrust Inc., My Happy Farmer, Schalen Scales, Plastech Mfg., Corp., Santeh Feeds, Maharlika Agro Ventures, Enterprise Bank, Brianna Surveying, Vet One Inc., Jocanima Agri Products Alatone Plastics Inc. and Genex Biotech Group. This event was also supported by Department of Agriculture and Livestock Development Council The event is open for free to the public and is considered a “must- go- event”, especially for those thinking of setting up their own agri-businesses and for those who want to learn more in the field of agriculture sector. For inquiries and participation about the event, please call CMB Events and Promotion Specialist Inc. at (02) 531-9947, 425-3205, 571-7143 or mobile phone at (0998) 5448077 or e-mail us at cmb_events@yahoo.com.

HE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has appealed to legislators to prioritize seven bills that will help the department fulfill its mandate to provide social protection to the poor and marginalized sectors of society. These bills are on social welfare and development agencies (SWDAs); public solicitation; amendments to the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000; elderly abuse; establishment of the National Council for the Welfare of Senior Citizens; positive and non-violent discipline of children; and the Magna Carta of Day Care Workers. “The immediate passage of social welfare and development-related bills will surely benefit the needy, marginalized, and vulnerable sectors. This is why we appeal for the support of our legislators to prioritize the review and enactment of the seven bills that we are proposing,” Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said in a news release issued Friday. In citing that these bills are important in achieving a corrupt-free and effective governance, she urged lawmakers to include them in their priority list. The SWDA bill is in support of the department’s core mandate of setting standards for the implementation of social welfare and development programs. Its primary aim is to strengthen the DSWD’s regulatory functions; set standards; provide benefit and incentives; and monitor public and private individuals, agencies and organizations engaged in social welfare and development activities.

It also provides mechanisms for sanctions in case of non-compliance with standards and procedures set by the DSWD. It grants benefits and incentives to registered, licensed, and accredited SWDAs in recognition of their importance and invaluable contribution to social welfare and development. Meanwhile, the bill that seeks to protect the public from deceitful solicitations aims to protect the general public from unscrupulous solicitation by strengthening the system of granting permits for charitable and welfare purposes. The bill also provides the modes of solicitation and prescribes penalties for solicitation without permit. It will help protect the public from falling prey to fake solicitations and resource generation efforts. On the other hand, the bill amending the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2009 acknowledges the issue that solo parent-headed families have valid concerns that need to be addressed. According to Taguiwalo, there is a need to amend Republic Act 8972, which has been enacted into law 16 years ago, to help solo parents cope with their situation. On the bill for the protection of the elderly, the DSWD wants to ensure the prevention of abuse and abandonment of older persons by their own families. “We hear of senior citizens being beaten by their guardians. Some sickly elders were allegedly even tied to posts or locked in rooms. There is an urgent need to ensure the protection of the older persons. The Elderly Abuse Bill, as well as

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A bigger dream for “Pangarap”

“With the dwindling population of the eagles, the need for conservation and protection of the eagles from hunting and further destruction of its habitat becomes more important than ever.” – Philippine Eagle Foundation

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

ER name literally means “daydream” in English but it’s now a reality that Pangarap has finally reached her debut – if she were a human being. Last February 23, the eagle bred in captivity turned 18. Thanks to the Aboitiz Power Corporation, the holding company for the Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution, and retail electricity services, which adopted the eagle since 2010. “That was the year when we were looking for a conservation effort done by the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) to support,” says Wilfredo Rodolfo III, the corporation’s manager of the branding and communication division. The Aboitiz Group of Companies decided to adopt an eagle as a symbol of their support. “We then held a contest within the company for the best name of our eagle,” he recalls. “The name Pangarap won.” On why the endangered Philippine eagle, Rodolfo explains: “She symbolizes the hopes and dreams of the company and its members not only in wildlife conservation but also our dreams for our country to take flight like the majestic eagle.” A private non-profit organization, the PEF dedicates itself to the conservation and protection of the endangered Philippine eagle. “By using the eagle as its flagship for conservation, it has been able to undertake direct actions that benefit the species, other endemic wildlife and the people who share its rainforest habitat with the eagle,” it said in its briefing that was sent to this author. Since 1987, the foundation was funded by private voluntary contributions. It wasn’t until in 2013 that the Philippine government started to invest in the work the foundation is doing. But as early as that, it has called private business companies to join its cause. Aboitiz was one of the first to respond to the call. “We are grateful to Aboitiz Power for their commitment to the cause,” said Dennis Salvador, the foundation’s executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), during the hatchday anniversary at Malagos in Calinan last month. “For seven years now, they have supported PEF through the adoption of Pangarap.” Every year, the power company sponsors P150,000 for the eagle’s upkeep, research and

civet cats, bats, rodents, and snakes. Efforts to save the Philippine eagle was started in 1965 by Jesus A. Alvarez, then director of the Autonomous Parks and Wildlife Office, and Dr. Dioscoro S. Rabor, another founding father of Philippine conservation efforts. General Charles Lindberg, an aviator, spearheaded a drive to save the bird (which he called as “the air’s noblest flier”) from 1969 to 1972. His vigorous campaign eventually led to the establishment of the eagle conservation program which the Congress supported by enacting Republic Act No. 6147 to protect the bird.

conservation actions to guarantee the survival of the endangered bird. “Their annual donation has greatly contributed to the progress of Pangarap in our captive breeding efforts,” Salvador added. “It is with partnerships like this that the mission is advanced.”

Conservation program Pangarap is a product of the center’s captive-breeding conservation program through natural pairing. Born in 1999, she is the offspring of the pair Biomate and Robinhood. She was reared by a combination of hand and puppet rearing (where the caretaker uses a hand puppet shaped like a Philippine eagle; doing so makes the young bird feels secure). As she has become matured, she was transferred to her own enclosure so she won’t be able to see other people in adjacent lot. “Pangarap has now adjusted to her enclosure,” said a statement released by PEF. “The disturbance from the adjacent lot has now been addressed by covering the side of her enclosure.” The role of Pangarap at the eagle center in Malagos of Calinan district is to help augment the dwindling population of the Philippine eagle by producing the next generation offspring. Studies have shown that a Philippine eagle can already produce an egg by the time she’s five years old. “When she was sexually matured, she was twice introduced to natural pairing. These attempts were unsuccessful due to her aggressive behavior toward the male Philippine eagles,” said a note which this author received. When Pangarap was already 13 years old, she was able to lay an egg but unfertilized since she didn’t have a male partner when it was conceived. “We are hoping that in the next breeding season, she will lay a fertile egg,” Salvador said. There are two ways of breeding eagle at the center: natural pairing and artificial insemination. In captivity, natural pairing seems to take forever. The reason: Philippine eagles are monogamous by nature. Once it finds a partner, it will be for life. If that partner dies, the remaining one won’t find any other mate. At the eagle center, pairing attempts are done in an introduction cage about 40 feet high. It has a partition in the middle to avoid the eagles from harming

each other in the process. As they are highly territorial, they show aggression to each other if they are not compatible. “Once an eagle finds a suitable female eagle for him, he will court her by giving her twigs. It’s like giving roses to us humans,” said Rai Gomez, PEF’s education administrator. “Once the pair successfully copulates, they are able to lay an egg. It takes 56 to 60 days to hatch an eagle egg.”

Artificial insemination In the case of artificial insemination, the caretaker allows the male Philippine eagle to mount while the caretaker waits for the semen of the male to voluntarily comes out. The semen is then injected into the genital of the female eagle. Pangarap is among the seven eagle at the center to be artificially inseminated. “Once semen is collected, she will be stimulated for the production of fertile egg,” the press statement said. In the past, many pioneering efforts to breed certain endangered species in captivity failed. According to Salvador, breeders of captive eagle and other birds find it a Herculean task to induce captive birds to reproduce.

Many factors like food, protection and nesting needs have to be considered. Salvador, who was named as one of The Outstanding Young Men in 2000 for “his contributions to the country’s wildlife conservation efforts,” cited five reasons why the eagle center resorted to the artificial insemination method. These are: (1) while the male gets into all stages of the breeding cycle, he still fails to copulate; (2) most eagles at the center are already “sexually imprinted” on humans, meaning the eagle has already accepted a human as its sexual partner; (3) there is shortage of unrelated sexually mature male eagles; (4) crippled or disabled eagles cannot have natural sex; and (5) some pairs of eagles of opposite sexes would rather kill one another than have sex. Currently, Pangarap is being fed 250 grams of meat. Her diet is composed of rabbit and white rate with one ration per day. Live feeding is still being done once a week as a form of enrichment activity to keep the eagle physically fit. Threatened bird

The Philippine eagle is listed by the International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources as among the country’s threatened birds. In July 1995, then President Fidel V. Ramos signed Proclamation No. 615 naming the Philippine eagle as the country’s national bird. Ramos said that the bird is found only in the Philippines and as such it should be a source of national pride. If the national bird dies, the former president said, “so will all the country’s efforts at conserving its natural resources and treasures.” It was English naturalist John Whitehead who discovered the bird in Samar in 1896. He called it “monkey-eating eagle” based on the reports that the bird fed primarily on monkeys. So much so that the scientific name, Pithcophaga jefferyi, came out of that belief. The word Pithocophaga was derived from two Greek words: “pitekos” meaning “monkey” and “phagien” meaning “to eat.” The specific name jefferyi was Whitehead’s tribute to his father Jeffrey who financed his expedition. The bird was later renamed Philippine eagle under the administration of Ferdinand E. Marcos when it was learned that monkeys comprise “an insignificant portion of its diet,” which consists mainly of flying lemurs,

First eagle center Today, PEF is trying to save the endangered bird from extinction. It came into existence in 1979. Unknowingly, not too many people know that the first facility was built at barangay Baracatan in Toril. Salvador, at that time, was in-charge with the eagles’ food. “Every week, I had to go down to the town and purchased native chickens and goats,” he recalled. “I loaded them up to the roof of the public jeepney then riding along with them all the way to Baracatan. But the jeepney terminal was about two kilometers away from the camp so I had to carry the chickens on my back while pulling the goats.” Since insurgency was at its peak then, they were often isolated and left alone as neighbors would go to evacuation centers. “At night, we would dread hearing the dogs barking because that meant the rebels were just around the corner,” Salvador said. Another pressure they had to face at that time was from a government agency. “They were hot on our heels trying their best to take the eagles from us and relocating the entire operation to a state university in Luzon,” he said. “In the end, they simply

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stopped funding the project.” Media attention and support from the local government unit of Davao City kept the agency from taking the eagles “so they just left us on our own.” It was not until a couple of howitzer shells that fell some 50 meters from its facility that they finally decided to leave Baracatan and move to Malagos.

Programs and projects The eagle center has come a long, long way. According to Salvador, it has two tasks: in situ and ex situ conservation of the Philippine eagle. In situ is the raising of birds in its original habitat while ex situ is the method of breeding the species in captivity. The foundation has also operating programs involving two components: field research and community-based resource management. Research activities include habitat assessment, prey counts, monitoring of nests in the wild, verification of eagle sightings and retrieval operations. In 1988, PEF opened its facility in Malagos to the public as an education resource center. “Many of those who come are from Mindanao although we have also visitors from other parts of the country,” Salvador said. “There are also foreigners who come to the center every now and then.” Through the above program,

the foundation is able to tell the visitors the importance of wildlife conservation. “Our mode of dissemination ranges from providing lectures, slide and film presentation, to guide tours.” According to Salvador, “the eagle center is probably the biggest tool we have in educating the people.” He added: “The facility enables us to bring the Philippine eagle and other wildlife closer to our people.”

Captive breeding But the captive breeding is the center’s top program as its main objective is to augment wild populations of the endangered bird while serving as a “genetic insurance” for the species. Studies conducted by the center indicate that more than 90% of fledglings and juveniles do not reach breeding age or adulthood primarily because of human persecution (mainly shooting followed by trapping-capture incidents). A Philippine eagle is considered adult when it reaches the age of six to seven years. If the old breeding pairs in the wild are not being replaced, Salvador said, it is more likely that the whole Philippine eagle population could suddenly collapse. “Before we know it, we’d probably lose the Philippine eagle. We’ll have a national bird that doesn’t exist,” Salvador warned.

Deforestation has been blamed for the fast disappearance of the world’s second largest eagle. “The Philippine eagle has become a critically endangered species because the loss of the forest had made it lose its natural habitat,” he pointed out. In the 1920s, forest still covered 18 million hectares of 60% of the country’s total land area of 30 million hectares. It went down to 50% (15 million hectares) in the 1950s. In 1963, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published data that placed forest cover of the country at 40% (12 million hectares). By 1970s, the forest cover shrunk to 34% (10.2 million hectares). From 1977 to 1980, deforestation reached an all-time high -- over 300,000 hectares a year, according to a booklet published by Environmental Science for Social Change. Between 2000 and 2005, the country lost about 270,000 hectares of forest a year, according to a study made the regional office of FAO in Bangkok. A pair of Philippine eagle needs at least 7,000 to 13,000 hectares of forest as a nesting territory. “Without the forest, the species cannot survive over the long term,” Salvador said. “Without the forest, not only the Philippine eagle will go extinct, but so will the dreams and aspirations of millions of marginal income families who rely on the forest to survive.”

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Magsayo to face Tanzanian in PP40

UNDEFEATED. Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo celebrates after sending out Mexican foe Rafael Reyes to the canvas for good.

OMI N G o f f from an impressive UD win over Mexico’s Ramiro Robles at the Stubhub Center, Carson, CA last September, the undefeated and current WBO International Featherweight Mark Magsayo hopes to make a strong 2017 impression against Tanzanian veteran Issa Nampepeche (24-7-4)

in the co-main event of Pinoy Pride 40, headlined by the Nietes-Nantapech IBF world flyweight championship. Magsayo is set to fight in the main undercard alongside knockout artist Jeo Santisima on April 29 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. Issa Nampepeche has so far fought for 4 different international titles in the lightfly, super bantam, featherweight, and even lightflyweight divisions, including one world title

at 126lbs. The fight with Magsayo is his third outside of his own country. Magsayo successfully defended his international title twice the past year: first against world title contender Chris “The Hitman” Avalos under the Donaire-Bedak championship in April, and second when he won over Robles in September, who came in to replace Ruben Garcia when the latter suffered an injury from his training.

In an earlier interview, Magsayo disclosed he has been working on improving his skills, citing his experience from Avalos, saying the fight made him realize he still had a lot to learn as a fighter. Magsayo also admitted he needed to work on his defense and focus when inside the ring. Magsayo currently sports a 15-0 record with 11 knockout wins. He is scheduled for a tenround featherweight showdown with Nampepeche.

Without Cousins, Pelicans stop Rockets

Bucks hold off Lakers

alcolm Brogdon delivered a hard foul to Nick Young, who shoved back. Greg Monroe then staggered Young with another shove, which got D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram involved - along with a Milwaukee Bucks security guard. The third-quarter fracas ended with three ejections, and it left Los Angeles coach Luke Walton furious. The drama also motivated the Lakers to make a surge, but the Bucks held on for a bumpy victory in their increasingly smooth playoff push. Khris Middleton scored 14 of his season-high 30 points in the fourth quarter

and the Bucks beat the Lakers 107-103 on Friday night for their eighth victory in nine games. Monroe, Russell and Young were ejected after the scuffle with 36 seconds left in the third quarter. While Walton praised his players’ response and saw problems with nearly every decision made by the officials in the aftermath, Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd also was pleased by his team’s resilience. ‘’After things like that, there’s always a momentum swing, and it swung their way,’’ Kidd said. ‘’The guys stayed the course. They kept playing, and we found a way to keep the lead and finish the game.’’

OLOMON Hill hadn’t been on the court for two minutes when he received a pass from Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday on the perimeter and decisively drained a 3-pointer. There were five more long-range baskets to come from Hill, who scored a career-high 30 points to help the New Orleans Pelicans overcome the absence of AllStar DeMarcus Cousins in a 128-112 upset over the Houston Rockets on Friday night. Hill was averaging just 6.5 points per game coming in, spending most of this season focused on defense. Against Houston, he helped the Pelicans beat the Rockets at their own, up-tempo game. ‘’When you get that shot, you’ve got to take it,’’ Hill said. ‘’That’s what I’m just getting comfortable with, just my teammates finding me and making the most of the opportunity.’’ Hill made six of his eight field goals from beyond the 3-point line and drew fouls by attacking the hoop, hitting 8 of 9 free throws. ‘’He looked great,’’ Pelicans All-Star forward Antho-

added 19 points for New Orleans, which has won three of four. James Harden had 41 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, but that was not enough to prevent Houston’s first loss in four games. He was the only Houston starter to reach 10 points. Lou Williams added 14 points and Montrezl Harrell 13 in reserve roles. ‘’James had a phenomenal game, but we were lethargic starting and they got every ball, every rebound, and every fast break and we never broke out of that,’’ Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. ‘’We have to write that one off and get to the next one.’’

ROUGH GAME. The Bucks-Lakers game saw three ejections. The Bucks went on to win. ny Davis said. ‘’He was talking and being aggressive - a guy who’s just been doing what the team asks of him, what the coach asks of him, and to

BLUE KNIGHTS IN MOA, MALACANANG. The Ateneo de Davao University Blue Knights boys basketball team take a souvenir pose at the MOA Arena (right) and at the Malacanang Palace (left).

go out there and have a night like this was huge for him, huge for us.’’ Davis had 24 points and 15 rebounds and Jrue Holiday

LOSING COUSINS Cousins was sidelined by left knee and rib soreness. New Orleans is now 2-0 without him and 3-7 when he’s played since trading for him Feb. 19. ‘’When DeMarcus is out, roles change and guys have got to step up,’’ Davis said. ‘’When he’s playing, we’ve got to change it back, kind of slowing it down and playing from the inside out.

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Ben Mbala

SPORTS 15

EDGEDAVAO

Prince Rivero

Aljun Melecio

PROTECT THE HOUSE La Salle cagers arriving Tuesday for Araw hoops

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

njb@edgedavao.net

EFEND the crown— that will be the main mission of the De La Salle University Green Archers. The reigning UAAP champions are arriving on Tuesday, two days before the start of the 80th Araw ng Dabaw Invitational basketball tournament set March 23-26 at the Davao City Recreation Center. The Green Archers will once again carry the Royal Mandaya Hotel-CMO outfit and will be

ANY observers and Filipino sports fans alike are not pleased with what they see, read and hear about the goings-on in the country’s sports realm. They cannot understand why the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) are at odds when these two agencies are supposed to link arms to produce the very first Olympic gold medal. Yes, these two sports bodies are feuding over seemingly small issues and concerns but a second, deeper look will reveal that there is more to it than meets the eye. For the layman and the sports fan to clearly grasp the issue, some definitions and clarifications are in order. The PSC is the government agency created under RA

defending the title they won last year. There are some changes though. Top scorer Jeron Teng, a fan favorite here owing to his father’s city of birth, will not be around as he has graduated. Likewise, Thomas Torres, another DLSU graduate, won’t be around. However, coach Aldin Ayo is not fazed. He has some new faces who are out to fill the void left out by the two mainREBOUND. Raymond Almazan of Rain or Shine grabs the rebound against Kevin Alas and Wayne Chism of NLEX in this bit of action during the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Center. PBA Media Bureau

stays. Aljun Melecio and brothers Prince and Ricci Rivero are expected to fill in the shoes of Teng and Torres. With fiery Cameroonian Ben Mbala back in the fold, the reigning UAAP Season 79 champion De La Salle Green Archers are all set to defend its title in Davao and keep the streak going for the multi-titled TRMH-CMO squad. Former Ateneo de Davao coach Miggy Solitaria has also

“UST also decined,” Elegino told Edge Davao. Elegino said they are awaiting another Davao team to be formed to complete the six-team roster. Five teams have already confirmed in the official Araw ng Dabaw sports event now stretched to six teams from the traditional four. Former UAAP champion National University Bulldogs and University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons are

around to give the cagefest a touch of UAAP rivalry while commercial squads Montana Pawnshop-Davao and Pacman Warriors-Gen. Santos provide the challenge from the commercial side. The tournament will have two groups playing single round robin. The top teams after the eliminations square off for the championship. The tournament is sanctioned by the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas 11.

tions head Chief Inspector Neil Richard Regalado said that the said measure being implemented is to ensure the safety of the delegates as well as spectators of the big sporting event in the region. Regalado encouraged the public to follow the security measures being imposed and cooperate to the authority to avoid hassle on their part. He also said that the police and the army are now conducting checkpoints on all the entry and

exit points of Mati City since last week so that there will be no any untoward incident to happened just like in 2015 when the province hosted the regional sporting event. It can be recalled that one week before the event in February 2015, the New People’s Army (NPA) attacked Mati City Police Station. “I can say to the community that it is safe to come here in Davao Oriental,” he said.

Regalado said aside from the checkpoints, there will be security personnel will be deployed in the billeting areas to avoid looting incidents to the athletes’ quarters. He said a police assistance desk will be mounted in the 21 sporting venues to provide police visibility. Regalado said his team expects more than 6,000 delegates that will come in the province to compete in DAVRAA.

pine Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF) that acted as the umbrella organization responsible for the identification, selection and training of national athletes. Then, the PAAF, which metamorphosed into the present POC, would run to private corporate sponsors. Individually, the NSAs used their connections to raise money for their athletic contingents. When the PSC came into being, the NSAs and the POC sighed in collective relief. They need not scrounge for private support anymore because the PSC was awash with taxpayers’ money. Everybody happy, huh? Many PSC chairmen came and went. Many POC presidents as well came and went. None of the POC presidents has produced a sin-

gle gold medal to this date since the country took part in the modern Olympics in 1932 (if my recollection of the date is correct). This has been the national yearning. If it is any consolation, we have secured three silver medals many years apart – in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics by boxer Anthony Villanueva; in the 1996 Atlanta edition by another boxer, Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco; and by weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz in the recent 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil. The bone of contention plaguing Philippine sports now is this: When will a Filipino athlete bring home the elusive first Olympic gold medal? Many tongues are wagging, asking POC president Peping Cojuangco this nagging question. The guy has no clear and defi-

nite answer, despite holding on to the POC reins for the last sixteen years. Cojuangco, 81 and father of Asian Games equestrian gold medalist Mikee Cojuangco, is the longest-reigning POC chief ever. On the NSA side, many of their presidents have been there for more than 20 & 25 years. Old foggies, sportwriters say of them. The government has spent taxpayers’ money funding Filipino athletes for the last 25 years somewhere around a mind-boggling figure of P10B (computed at the conservative annual P400M PSC budget). Where do you lay the blame on for this Olympic gold medal drought: on the doorsteps of the PSC or the POC? (Email your feedback to fredlumba@ yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

joined the bench and will officially serve as one of Ayo’s regular assistants. The other members of the squad are Justine Baltazar, Andrei Caracut, Mark Dyke, Jollo Go, Andrew Langston, Kib Monalbo, Brent Paraiso, Jason Perkins and Abu Tratter. Meanwhile tournament director Cholo Elegino said the UST Growling Tigers has turned down the invitation to be the sixth team in the league.

Strict security measures in DAVRAA By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

ECURITY forces in Mati City, Davao Oriental will implement a strict implementation of non-wearing of caps and non-bringing of backpacks during the Davao Regional Athletic Association (DAVRAA) meet which commence this Sunday. Davao Oriental Police Provincial Office (DOPPO) Opera-

Olympic gold medal drought 6847 in 1990 under the Cory government mandated to fund the preparation and training of Filipino athletes that are taking part in Olympic-sanctioned competitions such as the SEAG, Asian Games and the Olympics. The POC is the private, non-government organization recognized as a member of the International Olympic Committee representing the country. The IOC demands that no government intervention is ever allowed, otherwise, a country could be suspended from participation. Over the years, there were no clear-cut lines as to which body should reign supreme in the sports hierarchy. While the PSC recognizes that only the POC is recognized by the IOC, the former has visito-

SPORTS KEN By RED C. LUMBA

rial powers over the National Sports Associations that comprise the POC. As funder, the PSC, under the law, must ensure taxpayers’ money spent by the NSAs for their athletes are used judiciously. The NSAs are NGOs recognized and funded by the government and are run by private, sports-minded individuals. Before the advent of the POC, there was the Philip-

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

BEAUTY AND POWER. Mika Reyes of Petron (right) strikes the ball over the outstreched arms of Foton’s Dindin Santiago-Manabat. Petron beat Foton to remain undefeated with four wins in the ongoing Belo-Philippine Superliga Invitational. Foton dropped to 2-2. PR

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