Edge Davao 9 Issue 76 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

VOL. 9 ISSUE 76 • TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2016

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

P 15.00 • 20 PAGES SEPARATION ANXIETY. An elementary teacher comforts a crying kindergarten student experiencing separation anxiety during the first day of school at Vicente Hizon Sr. Elementary School in Bo. Pampanga, Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

BAYAN OPPOSES DEATH PENALTY Zarate says flaws in justice system may cause life of an innocent person By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

ESPITE the support of the Bayan Muna for the “pro-poor and pro-people” agenda of president-elect Rodrigo R. Duterte, the progressive group said it will continue to engage the incoming president on issues that they do not agree. Bayan Muna Representative Karlos Isagani Zarate said that they will stand firm on their opposition on the restoration of death penalty. Zarate said that even from the start they aired their disagreement on the implementation of death

penalty although it is written on the Philippine Constitution. He said that there are so many flaws in the justice system of the Philippine that may cause the life of an innocent person. “Maraming problema sa ating justice system and if you impose death penalty to crimes, problema yan kasi period na yung death penalty, pano pag nag kamali? Hindi mo na maibalik ang buhay ng tao,’ Zarate said, Zarate explained that unlike other countries the forensic investigation of the

Philippines is late compared to the advanced technologies of the United States and Europe among others. Zarate however said that despite the advanced technologies of forensic examination of the firth world countries they still commit mistakes in imposing death penalty to some innocent people. Zarate however clarifies that they understand that death penalty is under the constitution of the Philippines. “Our constitution clearly says that death penalty

should only be imposed to crimes that are considered heinous. Pag aaralan natin yan pag dating ng panahon na nasa panukalang batas na iyan ng congress,” he said. Asked on what will be the proper punishment for people proven guilty of rape and murder, Zarate said that they will study the possible consequences for those people. He added that in the past, most people who were sentenced of death penalty were poor people for they cannot hire a good lawyer to defend them.

NO TO DEATH PENALTY. Bayan Muna Party-list representative Carlos Isagani T. Zarate says he disagrees with President-elect Rodrigo R. Duterte’s plan to reintroduce capital punishment for heinous crime offenders. Zarate was among the guests in yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

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CLASSES UNDERWAY. Grade 3 teacher Milalyn F. Salcedo writes her name on the board before formally introducing herself to her students during the opening of classes yesterday at Vicente Hizon Sr. Elementary School in Bo. Pampanga, Davao City. Lean Daval Jr.

Calls to end illegal drugs highlighted in Koronadal

IGHT illegal drugs menace the same we Filipinos fought for our Independence. This was the gist of Koroandal City Mayor Peter Miguel’s Independence Day message as the city joins the nation in the 118th Independence Day celebration. The program was held at Rizal Park Sunday morning. Hundreds of government workers and representatives from the private sector joined the celebration hat also included wreath-laying and floral offering at Rizal’s monument. Before Miguel’s Independence Day message, cultural and theatrical presentations informed the audience about how the country gained its Independence from foreign domination 118 years ago today.

In his speech, Miguel rallied the people of Koronadal to work hard to eradicate illegal drugs in whatever simple way by alerting authorities about illegal drug activities in their communities. He said Philippine Independence was achieved because all Filipinos helped each other to achieve it. “It can be done against modern day oppressors - the illegal drug lords, suppliers, pushers and pushers,” Miguel said in Filipino. Miguel also challenged the local police “to get the big fishes” so the “small ones” can be contained. He said the Koronadal City government is fully behind incoming President Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs and the people behind it. (PNA)

Police, militants want peace talks By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

HE Police Regional Office 11 and the Makabayan bloc in Congress welcome the resumption of the peace talks between the incoming administration of President-elect Rodrigo R. Duterte and the Communist Party of the Philippines –National Democratic Front (CPPNDF). PRO 11 Director Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan said that resumption of the peace talks is a welcome development for the Philippine National Police and they are one with

the peace development of the country. “We are one with the any group or any for that matter in serving the people,” Gaerlan said. Likewise, the Makabayan bloc in Congress also welcomed the openness of the incoming administration of Duterte and the NDFP. Bayan Muna Representative Karlos Isagani Zarate said that the two groups will talk about the ground rules for the resumption of the peace negotiation set to start on July.

Gaerlan supported Duterte’s move to resume the peace negotiation with the rebel group, sayin that it is a positive development for the country. He said that the PNP’s function is to implement law. “We only have one function together with Cong. (Karlos) Zarate and it is to serve not only the Davaoños but the Filipino people,” Gaerlan said. On July 15, incoming Peace Process secretary Jesus Dureza is set to conduct preliminary talks with the founder of the CPP Jose Maria Sison,

In Oslo, Netherlands. Zarate sadi that in the past six years “the peace process between the National Democratic Front and the Philippine government has been placed in the back burner.” Zarate also said that there were also suggestions that before Duterte takes oath as the 16th president of the country, there will be a mutual ceasefire between the New People’s Army, the armed goup of the CPP-NDF and the Philippine government.

said members of both peace panels should pursue national industrialization and genuine agrarian reform program to address the root cause of rebellion in the countryside. “Dapat masama ang issue sa agriarian reform at national industrialization dahil pag hindi pinag-uusapan na maindustrialize ang Pilipinas hanggang sa apo ng ating mga apo, mananatili ang Pilipinas na source ng raw materials ng ibang bansa,” Zarate said.

Zarate said control on the distribution of country’s resources and how these are developed for the benefit of the minority has resulted in massive defiance to the government. “If you go to Surigao del Norte,for example, grabe ang open pit mining dun. Inuubos nila ang mga mineral hanggang wala na tayong gagamitin siguro kapag panahon na nang national industrialization,” he said.

Zarate, who hails from Davao, said the proposed national industrialization would result in creation of better jobs not only centered at the capital region but especially in rural areas. “There will be no reason for our kababayans to go abroad to look for better-paying jobs,” he said. To speak, he said, representatives from the next government peace panel led by

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Region 11 lands 3rd with Socio-economic reforms to end rebellion: Zarate most number of HOTS By CHENEEN R. CAPON

AVAO Region was among the top three regions ranked by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Bureau of Local Employment with the most number of hired on the spot (HOTS) during the recently concluded 2016 Kalayaan Trabaho Patrol Job Fair. As of 5 pm yesterday, the region ranked 3rd with a total of 268 HOTS, second was Region I with 333 and first was National Capital Region with

496. Final job fair report recorded a total of 285 HOTS for Davao Region wherein 226 are for local employment and 59 are for overseas. 1,515 (local: 785; overseas: 730) total near hire applicants were recorded. The Kalayaan Job Fair this year was held in two areas namely NCCC Mall Kadayawan Hall in Davao City and New City Hall in Tagum City. Most job vacancies record-

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AYAN Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate on Monday underscored the importance of socio-economic reforms in ending the decades-long rebellion led by leftist Communist Party of the Philippines- National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NDFP). While grateful on how the next administration wanted to end insurgencies through resumption of the longstalled peace talks, Zarate

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EDGEDAVAO

Bayan Muna to push for decriminalization of libel By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

HE decriminalization of libel, the mandatory insurance coverage for journalists and the freedom of information are among the priority bills that Bayan Muna Party-list will work on in the incoming 17th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines. Speaking before the members of media during the regular Kapehan sa Dabaw at the SM City on Monday, Bayan Muna party-list representative Carlos Isagani Zarate said the Makabayan Block in the lower house will also file again the Genuine Agrarian Reform Law; the People’s Mining Bill; and the several other economic bills that include the repeal of the value added taxes on water, electricity and other public utilities. House Bill 1009 filed by Bayan Muna in the lower house on July 28, 2010 seeks to delete libel from the Revised Penal Code together with its penalty of imprisonment and fines. Instead, Bayan Muna proposed that libel should be a civil case for damages under the Civil Code. Once libel is decriminalized, as proposed in HB 1009,

a person who commits libel should still be held liable but will not be imprisoned for the exercise of the constitutional right to freedom of expression and the remedy should be a civil case under Article 19 of the Civil Code of the Philippines. In 2010, Bayan Muna also filed House Bill 2842 or the Journalists’ Insurance Act of 2010 which calls for additional insurance benefits for journalists and media employees. The proposed insurance packages include a P200,000 death benefit for journalists and media employees who die while performing their duties; a P200,000 disability benefit for those who will suffer total or partial disability while on duty; and reimbursement of actual medical expenses up to P100,000 for practitioners and employees who are hospitalized or requiring medical attention for injuries sustained while in the performance of their duties. Both measures did not pass the recent congress but Zarate is hopeful these will be given priority during the 17th congress. The Makabayan block

member also told reporters that they will again work for the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill and the Social Security System (SSS) Pension Bill that was already passed by congress but was vetoed by President Benigno S. Aquino III. “We will again file the SSS pension bill. It has already passed by the 16th congress overwhelmingly, hindi kami mahihrapan na ipasa ito sa 17th congress,” Zarate asserted. The congressman expressed optimism the SSS pension hike will have a good chance into the incoming congress as president-elect Rodrigo Duterte had earlier mentioned his support to the issue. Zarate added that they will also work for the passage of the bill that will support and defend human rights workers in the country. “The bill will protect the human rights workers. Most of the victims of human rights violations are the farmers and the workers.” He said that during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,

HE leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Davao region (PNP PRO-11) on Monday defended the police chief of Governor Generoso town who accused by the communists New People’s Army (NPA) rebels of being involved into illegal drug activities in the area. Chief Inspector Arnold Ongachen was captured when the NPAs attacked the Governor Generoso police station on the evening of May 29, Sunday.

“I did my own investigation and I have established that Police Chief Inspector Ongachen is not involved in any manner using or selling illegal drugs. He is not also protecting anybody who is involved in illegal drugs in Governor Generoso town,” PNP PRO-11 regional director Chief Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan told reporters during the regular press conference Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City on Monday. Gaerlan pointed out that the information they gath-

ered came from intelligence investigations they conducted especially from the residents of Governor Generoso who testified that Ongachen had no involvement in illegal drugs in the area. “I spoke with the mayor and the residents. I also sent my officers to conduct discreet investigations and we confirmed na hindi siya gumagamit (illegal drugs).” The results of investigation on Ongachen were also sent to the office of incoming

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SUPPORT FOR JOURNALISTS. Bayan Muna Partylist representative Carlos Isagani Zarate emphasized during the regular Kapehan sa Dabaw press conference at SM City on Monday that the Makabayan Block will

prioritize measures that will benefit the journalists in the country such as the Freedom of Information Bill; the Mandatory Insurance Coverage for Journalists Bill; and the Decriminalization of Libel. (Alexander D. Lopez)

service disruption in Ongachen is a good cop, says PRO-11 chief Short downtown area, June 15 T D president Rodrigo Duterte. “We have conveyed (to the incoming president) that these are our findings based on our open investigations. Ongachen was just doing his job as a police officer.” The NPAs in the region, through their spokesperson issued a statement claiming that the attack was based on reports of civilians in the area on the proliferation of illegal drugs and that those involved were protected by the police.

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AVAO Light and Power Co. will implement a 15-minute power interruption on June 15, Wednesday, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:15 a.m. affecting customers in the downtown area of its franchise. This short service disruption will be necessary to facilitate corrective works in Davao Light’s ERA Substation affecting Sta. Ana Substation. Particularly affected are customers in Bo. Obrero, Agd-

Mongolians impressed by SoCot mining program

TAKING BATO’S LEAD. Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 director Chief Superintendent Manuel R. Gaerlan says he has yet to receive specific orders from incoming Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald “Bato”

Dela Rosa, but explained that the agency is taking the new chief’s lead in fighting crime in the region. Gaerlan graced yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

ao Public Market going to Chinatwon and along Boulevard up to San Pedro Square including other nearby areas. Davao Light apologizes for the inconvenience of this scheduled power interruption. But it will exert all efforts to restore electric service as scheduled or earlier. However, there may be instances where restoration may extend beyond the schedule due to unavoidable circumstances.

BOUT 15 Mongolians involved in Artisanal Small-Scale Mining (ASSM) visited South Cotabato over the weekend to learn first-hand the “best practices” of the thriving small-scale gold mining industry in the province of South Cotabato, officials said here Saturday. Speaking during a news conference atthe South Cotabato provincial capitol, Provincial Environment and Management office (PEMO) chief Siegfred Flaviano said NGOBAN Toxics, PEMO partner in its province-wide campaign for Mercury-free mining, accompanied the Mongolians in their tour. “They were impressed how the province managed the small mining activities and they would like to emulate it,” Flaviano said in Filipino. To show effective PEMO

practices to ensure environment-friendly mining activities, he presented to visiting Mongolian miners the “Galing Pook-awarded Minahang Bayanihan” Program of the province through an audio-visual presentation which was translated by the group’s interpreter. Cesar Sulit, South Cotabato Provincial Tourism Officer, welcomed the Mongolian delegation and presented them South Cotabato’s tourism programs. After meeting with South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance Fuentes, BAN Toxics toured the group to a Mercury-Free Ball Mill facility in Poblacion, T’boli to witness first-hand the processing of concentrated gold ore using borax. The Mongolians also visited the mining site in Kematu,

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Study on how to raise police ASG’s‘Kumander salary presented to Duterte Red Eye’nabbed

ENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano has presented a study to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte on how to raise the salaries of the members of the Philippine National Police (PNP), a campaign promise they wanted to achieve in their term. Cayetano revealed this at the opening of the second leg of the coffee table book “The 36 Buttons” roadshow and exhibit organized by the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) and its alumni at Abreeza Mall late Sunday afternoon. During the campaign, Duterte promised to double the salaries of the police given

their huge responsibility to secure and protect the people. It is also a way of discouraging police officers to involve in illegal activities and to get rid of corruption among members of the PNP. With this development, Cayetano lauded the PNPA for coming up with the book, as he said this would “open the eyes” of the public on the hardwork in becoming a police officer. The book features the lives of the trainees in the Academy, history, and developments in the Academy. The 336-page book is titled “The 36 Buttons” in honor of the 36 class of PNPA from 1978 to 2015.

The proceeds will go to the families of the members of Special Action Force (SAF) 44 killed in the armed encounter in Tukanalipao, Mamasapano last Jan. 25, 2015. Chief Inspector Richie Yatar, the Public Information Officer of the PNPA who conceptualized the coffeetable book, said they have printed 3,000 copies and sold at PHP4,500 each. Yatar said that of the seven ranking police officers of SAF 44 six of them are PNPA alumni. “Kailangan din silang (pamilya) tulungan. Hindi madali magpaaral ng mga anak ng mga naiwan nilang pamilya

(They need help. It is not easy to send the children by the (surviving) families),” Yatar said. Aside from selling the books to the PNPA alumni, Yatar also eyes to sell the book to the public to draw interest from people to enter the police academy. “Konti lang nakakaalam na libre doon (Only few know it is free to study there),” he said. The PNPA campus is located in Silang, Cavite. Yatar said the PNPA accepts 350 applicants but only 70 to 75 percent of them survive the rigorous training. “Medyo malaki ang mortality (Mortality is quite high),” he added. (PNA)

NITS from the Western Mindanao Command (WESMINCOM) and its police counterparts have arrested the Abu Sayyaf Group’s “Kumander Red Eye” during law enforcement operations in Naga town, Zamboanga Sibugay Sunday early morning. Major Filemon Tan, WESMINCOM spokesperson, said the arrest of Sehar Muloc, also known as Abner Muloc, took place 1:00 a.m. at Barangay Kaliantana, of the above-mentioned locality. Arresting units are troops from Joint Task Force ZAMPELAN and its police counterparts. Muloc has direct links to ASG sub-leader Idang Susukan and is allegedly being utilized by the Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf in many kidnapping opera-

tions in the Zamboanga Peninsula. The subject was arrested by the military and police by virtue of a warrant of arrest for the kidnapping of former Italian priest, 57-year-old Rolando Del Torchio. The latter was abducted by Muloc’s group at his Pizza Resto Bar last Oct. 7 in Dipolog, Zamboanga Del Norte and handed him over to Sulu-based ASG. De Torchio was released last April 8 in Jolo, Sulu and was found aboard M/V Beatrice. “The Armed Forces of the Philippines continues to support the PNP in the intensified conduct of law enforcement operations to expedite the arrest of lawless elements in the province,” Tan said. (PNA)

Building for senior citizens, PWDs a legacy of Noynoy

TERROR GROUP? National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) negotiating panel spokesperson Fidel Agcaoili, during a press conference at the Ateneo de Davao on Wednesday (8 June 2016), said that Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chair Jose Ma. Sison’s return to the

country remains “a very ticklish issue” with the United States government’s recent move to once again include the CPP-NPA in its list of terror groups. MindaNews photo by Antonio L. Colina

Zambo City activates TF on safe water

TASK force has been activated to ensure the good quality and safety of water in this city. The creation of the body, known as Task Force on Safe Water, is pursuant to Executive Order BC-181-2016 Mayor Ma Isabelle Climaco-Salazar issued last week. The powers and functions of the task force include monitoring of water quality; recommend emergency response, activities and logistics; take active participa-

tion in all efforts concerning water quality protection and rehabilitation; and to coordinate with other government agencies and civil society and the concerned sectors in the implementation of measures to prevent and control water and food contamination. Salazar said the creation of the task force came as a result of the increasing number of diarrhea cases admitted in different local hospitals from March 28 to present that resulted to the declaration of

gastroenteritis outbreak in this city last April 25. Salazar said there is an urgent need and compelling reason to address the situation as the number of cases continues to rise and rapidly spread to other barangays. The Department of Health’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) said rotavirus was the main cause in the recent surge of diarrhea cases in this city and that the main contaminant was the drinking water.

The task force is composed of the City Mayor’s Office as chairperson with members coming from the offices of the City Health, General Services, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and City Planning and Development Coordinator, Department of Health, Department of Science and Technology, USAID-Be Secure, Zamboanga City Medical Center, Zamboanga City Water District and the Liga ng mga Barangay. (PNA)

Speaking during the 6th ID Independence Day celebration here, Pangilinan said the Filipino should not forget the blood offered by Filipino great leaders. “Sa ating pagdiriwang na ito, naway gamitin nating inspirasyon ang mga sakripisyo ng ating mga ninuno na nagdulot at nagbigay sa atin ng

tinatamasang kapayapaan at katiwasayan sa ngayon (As we celebrate independence, we Filipinos should not forget the sacrifices offered by out ancestors, and be inspired by them because that sacrifices led to the freedom that we enjoy now),” the 6ID commander said. At 7:30 a.m., Pangilinan led

the flag raising ceremony attended by the officers and men of the 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division, Philippine Army. During the ceremony, Pangilinan read the message of the acting Chief of Staff Gen. Glorioso Miranda. He then delivered his own message to 6th ID troopers.

Mindanao Army general: ‘Remember our fallen comrades’ AJOR General Eduardo Pangilinan on Sunday urged soldiers of the 6th Infantry “Kampilan” Division to remember fallen comrades who offered their lives for the pursuit of peace in Mindanao as the Army division honors Philippine heroes for shedding blood in the name of Philippine Independence.

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N official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has recognized the effort of the administration of President Benigno Aquino for leaving behind a legacy that will benefit the senior citizens and persons with disabilities with the construction of a building for their use. Rebecca Santa Maria, assistant regional director of the DSWD XI, said that the Aquino administration is consistent with its vision to give what is due to these two sectors of the society that are described to be underprivileged. Santa Maria was here Monday morning to spearhead the turn-over of the PHP1-million building for Senior Citizens and Persons With Disabilities that was constructed at the back of the new municipal hall. The turnover ceremony coincided with the week-long celebration of the 49th founding anniversary of the municipality

which will last from Monday until Friday. She said that the project which is under the Bottoms Up Budgeting (BUB) is to give the two sectors a decent facility for their meetings, gatherings and the likes. For his part, Mayor Arthur Davin said that the federation of the senior citizens and the association of the PWDs in the municipality are very active. “In fact, the PWDs here have already their own livelihood as they renting a stall at the public market for their chair and table rental business,” Davin said. Nilo Ducot, president of the PWD association here, said he could say nothing but a heartfelt gratitude for the government’s efforts to take notice of their flight being disabled. Ducot said unlike other places, the municipality has a very a concrete program for them. (PNA)

Zamboanga health office urges public to help fight dengue

HE Zamboanga City Health Office has urged the people to actively do their share as cleanliness and sanitation in the environment and the households are the most effective preventive measures against dengue. Dr. Rodelin Agbulos, city health officer, made the call as he noted an increasing trend in the number of dengue cases the last few months although they continue to reinforce an awareness drive to prevent and control the mosquito-borne disease. Agbulos disclosed his office has recorded a total of 845 cases of dengue since January until May this year, which was higher by 117 compared to

the 728 cases registered in the same period last year. However, Agbulos said the cases of dengue for the month of May this year dropped to 68 as compared to last year’s 106 or with a difference of 38 cases. He said the residents should actively join in the campaign to prevent occurrence of dengue in their respective areas. He said that anti-dengue campaigns to include fumigation and search and destroy activities by his office continue. He said part of the campaign is the fumigation of all schools in this city in time for the opening of classes today. (PNA)

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Drought-hit farmers get assistance By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

ARMERS who were severely affected by the long drought in the province of North Cotabato recently received rice seeds assistance from the provincial government. The support is in time with the coming of rains as farmers are again set to cultivate their farmlands for the

planting season. The assistance was released through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) as more than 1,000 farmers were given one bag of certified rice seeds each in a series of distribution activities from May 26 until June 7. Farmers who benefited

PhilHealth assures funds remain robust, growing

HE Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) reiterated Monday that its fund is still in robust condition and there is no indication that it will be bankrupt in the next 128 years. PhilHealth president and Chief Executive Officer Atty. Alexander Padilla repeated the pronouncement in the second quarter “Kapihan with the CEO (of PhilHealth) event” wherein the print and broadcast media can throw questions that they want to clarify held at PhilHealth head office in Pasig City. “Alam natin sa huling presscon madaming balita nun like malulugi na raw ang Philhealth--ang sabi nga natin kung tutuusin, hindi naman, dahil ang pondo natin ngay-

on, ang reserve natin ay higit kumulang mga Php 127billion sa ngayon much more than enough for the year at sinabi nga natin dati na kung totoo na nalugi tayo ng isang billion nung taong 2015 na hindi naman-- dahil nagkaron tayo ng mga investments--kung ganun man it will take 128 yrs bago maubos ang pondo,” said Padilla in the presscon. Padilla assured that PhilHealth funds were going strong and confident that PhilHealth reserve funds would not go down and eventually became prone to collapse or turned to bankruptcy because of the good investments it had made, aside from collection efficiency.

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from the assistance came from the towns of Aleosan, Midasayap, Pigcawayan, Pikit, Libungan, Arakan, Antipas, Makilala, Magpet, Carmen, Kabacan, Banisilan, Mlang, and Tulunan. With the support, OPAG, in a statement expressed optimism for a better harvest, increased level of rice

production and the farmers to regain and recover from their losses during the onslaught of the El Nino Phenomenon. The farmer-beneficiaries also expressed gratitude to the provincial leadership of North Cotabato for the timely support they received. OPAG added that the

CULINARY CUP. Event organizer Zinnia C. Arellano (second from left), together with Erwin C. Tangonan (leftmost), Lilli C. Arellano (second from right) and Raffy Yroma, promotes during Kapehan sa Dabaw at the Annex of SM City Davao yesterday the upcoming Davao Culinary Cup, an event

provincial government had shouldered the actual price of bag of rice seeds distributed to the farmers that was pegged at P1,380.00 each. The months of drought ruined not only the rice lands of North Cotabato but also the production of high-value crops such as oil palm, coconut, rubber, cacao, coffee,

banana and sugarcane. The total agricultural damages, estimated to reach 1 billion pesos had also affected the corn and vegetable production in the area. OPAG added that another round of rice seeds distribution is set to be scheduled to reach more farmers in the area.

powered by the Philippine Culinary Cup and organize by the LTB Philippines Chefs Association Davao and Manila in partnership with Pastry Alliance of the Philippines, Premier Events Plus Inc. (PEP, organizer of the world Expo) and SM Lanang Premier, set on June 16 to 18 at SM Lanang Premier. Lean Daval Jr.

Oil firms adjust pump prices Tuesday

IL firms will implement price changes at 6:00 a.m., Tuesday, reflecting international market movement brought about by bombings in Nigeria and the wildfires in Canada. In separate advisories, Seaoil Philippines Inc., Phoenix Petroleum Philippines and PTT Philippines said they will increase diesel prices by 30 centavos per liter and decrease gasoline prices by 25 centavos per liter. Seaoil will also increase kerosene prices by 15 centavos per liter. With the developments, diesel will have a price range

of PHP25.35-28.95 per liter, with a common price of PHP28.20 per liter in Metro Manila. Gasoline, on the other hand, ranges from PHP36.7544.35 per liter. It also has a common price of PHP41.65 per liter. Energy secretary Zenaida Monsada explained in a press conference Monday that there were many events affecting international crude oil production, such as the forest fires in Canada and the bombing of facilities in Nigeria, which has lost a supply of 3 million barrels. Both countries are oil producers.

She noted some Nigerian facilities that were bombed are undergoing repairs. Monsada also said the supply is increasing due to small-scale oil producers slowly restoring operations as the prices are stabilizing. The firms earlier stopped pumping due to the oil price drop. “The crude prices are increasing as winter ended. The refineries had shutdown, but are returning, while demand is increasing. There’s a supply cut -- the demand for crude is high so the prices are increasing,” the DOE head added. (PNA)

aside funds for basic goods and services. Results of the latest Consumer Expectations Survey (CES) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that OFW households who said they allocated the remittances from savings fell to 30.4 percent from 34.5 percent in the first quarter 2016 CES and year-ago’s 36.2 percent. ”The decline in the percentage of households that allotted remittances for savings could be due to their expected increase in expenditures on basic goods and services,” the central bank report said. Of the 555 OFW households that participated in the nationwide survey, conduct-

ed from April 4 to 16, 2016, 97.1 percent said they utilized the remittances for food and other household needs, 55.5 percent said they used it for medical expenses, 21.6 percent for consumer durables, and 11 percent for acquisition of house. On the other hand, those who said they used it for education (68.3 percent) declined along with those who used it for debt payments, 43.6 percent; savings, 38.6 percent; investment, 4.5 percent; purchase of motor vehicles, 7.2 percent; and other miscellaneous expenses, 2.3 percent. The survey showed that most of the OFW households

OFW households’savings allotment down

VERSEAS Filipino Workers (OFW) households have proven themselves to be among the major drivers of Philippine economic growth in the last few decades. This, as more Filipinos increase their capacity to purchase things, which in turn help expand domestic consumption. Along with this is the OFW households’ ability to set aside some funds for savings, which although remaining low compared to Asian neighbors, has been increasing. However, their decision to save was hampered a bit in the second quarter of 2016 as more OFW households set

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SMC to build power plant in ARMM

AN Miguel Corp. will build a power plant in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which will supply electricity to 573,446 households. According to a statement from the conglomerate, it will build the project in the next two years -- as only 30 percent of household in ARMM have electricity. The Ang-led firm noted brownouts are frequent in the area, especially during the summer months. San Miguel Corp. presi-

dent and chief operating officer Ramon Ang and ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman signed a memorandum of understanding for the project, which will help curb Mindanao’s power crisis. Ang pointed out the region is one of most under-penetrated markets in the Philippines, but is ripe for investment offering huge potential growth. “San Miguel’s investment in ARMM is in line with its strategy to locate facilities and

LTFRB to inspect school service compliance to phaseout order

HE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is deploying inspection and enforcement teams in various schools to check if school service vehicles have complied with the phaseout order for vehicles over 15 years old. LTFRB said that this inspection is part of their efforts to ensure the safety and convenience of students returning to schools. Among the schools that will be inspected on the first day of classes on Monday are the Batasan Elementary School and Diliman Preparatory in Quezon City, Marikina High School, Marist School, and OLOPS Marikina, and School of St. Anthony, Mater Carmeli, and Lagro High School in Novaliches.

LTFRB said that vehicles found violating their permits and not complying with safety rules prescribed by the Board will be penalized and disallowed from providing the school transport service. The team will continue to monitor and inspect various schools throughout the week (June 13-17). LTFRB Chairman Atty. Winston Ginez, meanwhile, warned operators and drivers from operating school service vehicles that should be phased out. Passengers can report colorum vehicles to the LTFRB through its 24/7 hotline number ‘1342’ or Viber at 0917-550-1342 for Globe and TM subscribers or 0998-5501342 for Smart, Talk ‘n Text and Sun users. (PNA)

Wheels in motion for historic school opening, senior high

OME 25 million students in both public and private schools troop back to school on Monday for the historic opening of school year 2016-2017. This school year sets the wheel in motion for the nationwide rollout of the Senior High School (SHS) program as more than 11,000 schools offering SHS open its doors to an estimated 1.5 million Grade 11 students. According to the Department of Education (DepEd), 28,844 SHS program offerings spread among 5,990 DepEd public schools nationwide. This is on top of the 28,991 SHS programs also offered by 5,046 private schools, public and private universities and colleges, and technical-vocational institutions nationwide. In SHS, a student takes 15 core subjects, seven applied track subjects, and nine specialized track subjects. ”What’s important to note here is that these programs offer our incoming senior high school students real choices, consistent with the intention of the K to 12 Program, which is to make education learner-centered, inclusive, competence-based and responsive to the need of the community,” said DepEd Assistant Secretary for Curriculum and Instruction

Elvin Uy. Although there were concerns regarding the low number of enrollment of Grade 11 students, Education Secretary Armin Luistro dispelled the claims, saying that there are at least a million students in Grade 11 that are already enrolled in the schools. ”The enrollment is not low. The submission (of enrollment lists) comes in trickles because this is the first time… (we have) ever done an online enrollment system nationwide that is simultaneous,” Luistro said. Meanwhile, incoming Education chief Leonor Briones has already expressed support for the K to 12 program, noting that there will be more problems arising from its suspension rather than its continuation. Briones said the incoming administration will be closely monitoring the implementation of Grade 11 starting June 13 and will be passing on the feedback to the current Education chief. Both Luistro and Briones will be visiting Commonwealth High School at 11 a.m. on Monday to ensure the smooth opening of classes and witness the historic nationwide implementation of Senior High School. (PNA)

production centers outside urban centers, creating strong “second-tier cities,” generating jobs and re-balancing the national economy by income and growth dispersal,” the firm said. The San Miguel president also noted the region made investors wary due to instability, lack of infrastructure and lack of stable power supply. He also expressed optimism that the “vote of confidence in the wartorn province would create much-needed jobs, entrepre-

neur opportunities, provide a major economic boost to ARMM and ease worries over perceived investment risks”. “San Miguel has shown great vision by choosing to invest in ARMM. Over the next few years, we’re going to see what can be achieved when the private and the public sector work together with the best interests of the local communities at heart,” Governor Hataman stressed. The conglomerate also eyes to invest in industries,

such as ports and bulk water facilities. The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao is composed of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. Last month, San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang said the company will build three units with a capacity of 300 megawatts each in industrial sites in Mindanao. “We also want to build at least three industrial estates in Mindanao to create jobs and

provide a location for investors that want to locate... For each site, we’ll build a power plant... Each site initially 300 MW, if there’s a need for additional requirement, we’ll build more,” he said. He noted the three plants will amount to USD around 1.8 billion. The company is also expected to start the commercial operations of its 600-MW coal fired power plant in Malita, Davao Occidental this year. (PNA)

READY-TO-WEAR. A sales attendant arranges the display of discounted ready-to-wear clothes at the Annex of SM City Davao yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

25M students troop back to school

BOUT 25 million Filipino students trooped to schools as school year 2016-2017 opened Monday, coinciding with the introduction of Grade 11 in the senior high school program under the K to 12 Law. Education Secretary Armin A. Luistro said the total enrolment in public and private schools nationwide hit about 25 million. Elementary has the most number of enrollees at 14,347,076, followed by secondary with 7,350,147 and kindergarten at 2,119,325. Over a million students form the first batch of Grade 11 students. With the historic roll out of Senior High School, some 11,000

schools nationwide are SHS ready. Of the total number, 6,002 are public schools operated by DepEd while 5,031 are private schools, private and public universities and colleges, and technical vocational schools. “I believe this is the boldest move the department has ever undertaken --to open simultaneously 11,000 senior high schools that offer academic, technical vocational, arts & design and sports options for our students to choose from,” the education chief said. The government continues to invest heavily in education, marked by an unprecedented 148 percent increase in the education budget from 2009 to

2016. “The Aquino government sees investments in education as the game changer of the future, thus, there has been a sustained and unprecedented growth in the education budget from PHP174.5 billion in 2009 to PHP433.5 billion in 2016,” Luistro said. The government has included in the 2016 education budget a provision for the senior high school voucher program. Under the program, Grade 10 completers who will enroll in private schools which offer senior high school will get financial subsidy from the government. Senior high school is free in public schools. DepEd has earmarked

PHP21.189 billion for the SHS voucher program. Noting that the implementation may not be perfect, Luistro said, “I am certain there will be challenges on day 1. But none of those will be insurmountable especially since our schools and divisions have prepared for this for the past three years.” Senior High School is the last mile of the implementation of the K to 12 program. SHS equips graduate with the knowledge and skills that will help prepare them better for their chosen path – be it higher education, employment, or entrepreneurship. “Sa SHS, magkakaroon ng sapat na kaalaman at

RE-ELECTED lawmaker will strongly push for the passage in the 17th Congress of a measure that would provide internet connectivity to Filipinos across all demographics. Rep. Rodrigo A. Abellanosa (2nd District, Cebu City) said he will re-file the bill mandating installation of high-speed broadband internet in all local government unit halls and public/private high schools to further open up opportunities for all citizens, marginalized or otherwise. Abellanosa cited a study conducted by the Nielsen Com-

pany in 2011 showing only 33 percent of the population has access to the internet. “With the advent of technology and the introduction and now the prolific usage of the World Wide Web, access to this important resource has become more affordable but continue to be limited,” he said. Abellanosa said existing direct financial subsidies coupled with expanded internet connectivity could help bring people closer to that goal. “After all, an informed citizenry feels more empowered and often becomes more productive,” he said.

“Imagine a nation where everyone has ready access to a vast fount of knowledge. We have always talked about bridging the gap between the rich and the poor,” Abellanosa added. House Bill 6470, also known as “The Free Wireless Broadband Internet Act,” requires the installation of highspeed wireless broadband connection in all local government offices, including provincial capitols, city and municipal halls; secondary and tertiary schools, colleges and universities nationwide. “Anyone may gain access

to the Internet through such wireless broadband connection and no restrictions in any form shall be imposed concerning such access unless it can be established that there exists a clear security or technical risk,” he said. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for local government offices, Department of Education (DepED) for secondary schools; and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for tertiary schools are tasked to ensure proper implementation and compliance with the proposed Act. (PNA)

F 25M, 10

Solon to push for free internet access for all A

7 AGRITRENDS

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 76 • TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2016

Planting rice on rainy days Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

FTER the long drought season caused by El Niño, here comes the rainy days.

Experts at the Philippine Rice Institute (PhilRice) are urging Filipino farmers to plant appropriate varieties and adopting right technologies in rice farming. Dr. Norvie Manigbas, head of PhilRice’s Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Division, advised farmers to plant varieties which stand at most 100 centimeters and with strong stems that can withstand 40-60 kilometers per hour (kph) wind speed. Some of these varieties are PSB Rc14, Rc68, NSIC Rc9, and Rc222. “Rainfed areas are also prone to flooding. The varieties suited for this condition are PSB Rc18 (Ala), which can withstand 5-7 days of complete submergence, NSIC Rc194 (Submarino 1), which can survive, grow, and develop even after 10-14 days of complete submergence, and PSB Rc68 (Sacobia), a submergence-tolerant and a drought-resistant variety,” Manigbas said. Among the recommended varieties which have higher yields are Rc222 (10 tons per hectare) and RC18 (8.1 tons per hectare). Rc14 has a maximum yield of 6.1 tons per hectare while Rc68 gives a maximum yield of 4.4 tons per hectare. Rc194 has the least maximum yield: 3.5 tons per hectare. “These are the maximum yields that the farmers could get under stressed conditions,” Manigbas said. Additionally, PhilRice also emphasizes reduction of fertilizer application rates. Manigbas reminded that while fertilizers are beneficial to plants, in high amounts, they may cause lodging. “Fertilizers cannot be maximized, as there is a limited amount of sunlight during the rainy season. Depending on soil analysis results and recommended nutrient requirement rates, it is better to reduce fertilizer application rates by 20-30% in wet season,” Manigbas explained. There are four major kinds of rice culture: rainfed paddy, upland rice, deep-water rice and irrigated lowland rice. Rainfed paddy culture is the most common in

South and Southeast Asia. Rainfed paddy culture depends on monsoonal rains to soften the fields for plowing, harrowing and planting and to keep the seedling roots submerged. It is the least demanding, most erratic and cheapest method of cultivation. If rainfall is too little or too much or at the wrong time, the yield may be disastrously low. Under rainfed conditions, Manigbas encouraged farmers to practice synchronous planting in their communities. Doing so reduces incidence of pests and diseases in a specific area, thus minimizing yield loss. Dry land preparation is also desired so farmers can do direct-seeding when the rain comes. With this technique, the seeds will start to germinate within 5 days, PhilRice claims. Manigbas explained that under irrigated lowland conditions, land preparation should be done at the onset of heavy rains so that fields are wellsoaked in water. Levees and dikes should be repaired to avoid water loss. Farmers can use the wet bed or dapog method for seed establishment depending on field conditions. PhilRice also suggests proper drainage to avoid flooding, use of machines during land preparation, harvesting, threshing, and drying to save time and labor. “Time is vital during the wet season especially during harvest. As the rain usually comes in the afternoon, we suggest the use of combine harvester to hasten harvesting operations. If it is unavailable, farmers can use reaper and collect the straws for threshing,” Manigbas explained. He emphasized the impor-

“Time is vital during the wet season especially during harvest. As the rain usually comes in the afternoon, we suggest the use of combine harvester to hasten harvesting operations. If it is unavailable, farmers can use reaper and collect the straws for threshing” tance of finishing field operations in the shortest possible time to prevent yield loss.

PhilRice also recommends drying of palay in flatbed dryers and on nylon nets or canvas for easier turnover when the rain comes. “The general rule is to harvest and thresh the crop within a short period of time and dry the seeds to a desired moisture content (usually 14%),” Manig-

bas pointed out. Rice has been cultivated for such countless ages that its origin must always be a matter of conjecture. In his book simply titled, Rice, D.H. Gist wrote: “We do not know the country of origin of rice, but the weight of evidence points to the conclusion that the center of origin of rice is southeast Asia, particularly India and Indo-China, where the richest diversity of cultivated forms has been recorded.” Cultivation of rice dates to the earliest age of man. Carbonized paddy grains and husks, estimated to date 1000

to 800 B.C. have been found in excavations at Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh, India. Specimens of rice have been discovered in China dating from the third millennium B.C. and the Chinese term for rice appears in inscriptions during from the second millennium B.C. Paddy cultivation is of great antiquity in the Philippines. It is thought that immigrant people from south China in the second millennium B.C. constructed the wonderful system of terraces on the mountainsides of Banaue and its neighboring areas. These people were reportedly driven into the hills by subsequent invasions of Malays. “The history of rice cultivation in the country dates back at least 3,000 years,” wrote Dr. Gelia T. Castillo, author of Rice is Life: A Review of Philippine Studies. “The building of rice terraces came a bit later. As early as 1521, the Tagalog vocabulary for the cultivation of rice was already rich, indicating the technology already available in the Tagalog region.” Swidden planted to rice was called “bukid” as opposed to irrigated fields, called “tubigan.” Although rice is basically a complex carbohydrate, its protein contains all eight of the essential amino acids found in many other foods. Low in sodium and fat, with no cholesterol or gluten, it is a boon to weight worriers and those allergic to other grains. It is also low in fiber and easily digested. So important is rice to Filipino culture that the late epicurean Doreen Fernandez wrote: “If we did not have rice, our deepest comfort food, we would probably feel less Filipino.”

EDGEDAVAO

8 VANTAGE

VOL. 9 ISSUE 76 • TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2016

EDITORIAL

When so much finesse is already a sign of weakness

F President-elect Rodrigo R. Duterte were asked about the mass shooting in a gay nightclub in Florida last Sunday, you can be sure it would be exploding with expletives. Surprisingly, that is not the case with the American leaders and controversial presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump couldn’t help but fire at President Barrack Obama and Congress. Sunday’s mass shooting in Orlando, Florida left at least 50 people dead and 53 more wounded. It is by far, the deadliest mass shooting in American history. Within hours after the incident, debates sparked across the United States as the country itself prepares for another keenly-awaited elections. The mass shooting at a gay nightclub had set off renewed political debates -- with Democrats calling for gun control and Republicans blasting “radical Islamic terrorism.” Each side called those causes critical to preventing future shootings -- but there are no signs that the dynamics in Congress have changed, leaving measures like new gun laws no path forward. As this current American elections is becoming as eventful as one the Philippines also had. Late Sunday afternoon the trash-talking Trump talked about how timid words are being used in the aftermath of the massacre. Trump issued his first call in the campaign for Obama to step down from the presidency and challenged presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to ratchet up her language about terror threats. Trump thinks Obama was disgraceful in refusing to even say the words

EDGEDAVAO

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‘Radical Islam.” And if Hillary Clinton still cannot say the two words ‘Radical Islam’, Trump said she too had better step out. Trump is often compared to Duterte (for the trash-talking stuff), and in this unfortunate incident, Trump thinks there is just too much political convenience being peddled in the American leadership. That is the same case with Duterte who has faced condemnation by the leader of the United Nations for his comments on media killings and his leanings on vigilante killings. Like Trump, Duterte is hated for his mouth. The comparisons of the two may be limited to that part of their anatomy, the rest are entirely different. Duterte has yet to start his term and has already earned the ire of the United Nations and the international press. Duterte may not even mind that. His business is to focus on the problems of this country, and these problems are not even the troubles of the UN. But Duterte has to focus on the job at hand and in the course of doing it he knows he could not please everyone. In the case of the United States, there apparently is just too much caution on the part of the leaders of America and they simply played it too far for convenience and self-preservation. Trump is short of saying Obama has no balls, and Hillary no courage. Duterte meantime is all balls. Now, what’s the problem with too much finesse and caution? The enemies could already be creeping on you and you just look at them in the eye. Gun control is one legislative agenda that must be in the offing but other than that, who would scream expletives on terrorism?

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 76 • TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2016

VANTAGE POINTS

Purging Bilibid

MONG our current crop of national officials, only President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has publicly expressed indignation of the wide spread, continuing illegal drugs trade going inside the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City. This revelation clearly indicates that many of our past and present elected and appointed government officials have failed in their assigned tasks and played deaf and dumb, preferring to ignore and downplay the harmful truth. The Filipino people were again the victims of mis-information and dis-information, as the nation groped to find out just how extensive the drug menace is already engulfing the country and its youths. I agree with Duterte’s strong suggestion for a complete top to bottom cleansing of NBP whose rank and file personnel deserve to be shipped out to Mindanao to destroy the network of fraternization with drug lords imprisoned therein. Duterte bemoaned the fact that despite highly publicized periodic inspections and confiscation of illicit items by justice and prison officials, confined drug lords have

not been efSPECKS OF LIFE fectively prevented from pursuing their illegitimate operations. This is because it is a wellknown fact Fred C. Lumba that prison guards are in cahoots with the said drug lords who are enjoying so many amenities smuggled inside like state of the art laptops, cellular phones, video and audio entertainment, air-conditioning units, cookware, equipment etc. In exchange for favors, drug lords generously give monetary rewards by including them in their monthly payrolls and payola. Truth to tell, a former high profile prisoner disclosed to me, some years ago before he died, that there exists a sophisticated and elaborate laboratory that manufactures shabu inside Muntinlupa under the noses of prison officials.

At first I doubted his story but soon after persistent reports that convicted drug lords, including Chinese gangsters, are freely operating an illegal drugs laboratory inside the prison was slowly being validated. Did you know that some notorious prisoners convicted of murder are also utilized to assassinate and kill for money? They are temporarily released and when the contract is done, these assassins for hire are taken back to the NBP as if nothing happened. The above somehow validates also the publicized threat against President-elect Duterte and incoming PNP chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa by drug lords who had offered a pooled P50M bounty for each. You will recall that during the recent presidential campaign, Duterte warned of a bloody consequence should his war against illegal drug lords materialize. Filipinos should be properly informed and educated by news developments in Mexico and Colombia that drug cartels are dominating the daily lives of their citizens. Police and other high government officials are reportedly on the take, else their lives and families would be prejudiced.

Sadly, the Philippines has become a regular transhipment point of cocaine, shabu and other smuggling activities because of corruption and weak leadership. Wanted foreign criminals are also finding the country a safe haven to hide and continue their scrupulous criminal operations because they easily get through lax immigration questioning and frisking. Now that Duterte has spelled out his tough agenda against criminality and the illegal drugs market, one can see how law enforcement personnel have suddenly toughened their stance against these unwanted law violations, fearing surely of being transferred to Mindanao and other strange places of assignments. Nagpapa-impress kumbaga. NBP personnel are welcome here in Mindanao. A red carpet should be rolled out. They can savor and enjoy our beaches, delicious tropical fruits like durian and marang and fresh sea catch, breathe the crisp clean air and also see the sites and scenes in Sulu and Basilan. They could even stay there forever. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo. com.) God bless the Philippines!

“Whiskey’s for drinkin’, but water is for fightin’ over.” -- Mark Twain *** N 2003, during the observance of World Environment Day, the slogan was: “Water: Two billion people are dying for it!” Davao City doesn’t have that too many people but some residents will soon be experiencing without water. “Davao City will soon be running short of supply of potable water if the Davao City Water District won’t be able to find a new source in the next three years as the demand continue to increase due to rapid growth in population,” wrote our roving reporter Cheneen R. Capon in her recent news report. She quoted Atty. Bernardo Delima, Jr., the DCWD official spokesperson, as saying: “There’s a necessity to look for another source of water.” Every month, the number of new customers increased an average of 2,000. “Water demand in the city is expected to reach 117 million cubic meters three years for now, higher than the 112 million cubic meters annual requirement of the city,” Capon wrote. Seven years ago, there was a call to declare Panigan-Tamugan River in Davao City as a “single purpose river.” The petition read: “Because of the critical role of the Panigan-Tamugan River to the health of Davao City residents and to the development of the city, it is likewise important to declare Panigan-Tamugan River as a ‘single purpose river,’ a river whose sole purpose is to serve as a source for domestic and municipal purposes.”

But that’s THINK ON THESE! going ahead of the story. At that time, it was bared in a study that Dumoy Aquifer -- then the source of drinking water for Davao residents -- would Henrylito D. Tacio not be able to henrytacio@gmail.com supply the water needs of the city by 2013. “It has been projected that by 2013, Davao City will have a deficit of potable water supply at approximately 13.80 million liters per day,” the petition said. “Over extraction of groundwater aquifer will result to ground subsidence and saltwater intrusion which makes our waters unsuitable for domestic uses.” Thus, there was a need for additional source of water. One study had study identified “the Panigan-Tamugan River as the only river that possesses an acceptable water quality and sufficient volume to meet the city’s future water needs.” “There is no water on earth now than there was 2,000 years ago,” notes the US National Wildlife Federation, which has been working for years to protect water resources not only in the United States but throughout the world as well. “This limited supply of freshwater must meet the needs of a human population.” “Water is the most precious asset on

Earth,” points out Dr. Sandra Postel, director of the Massachusetts-based Global Water Policy Project. “It is the basis of life.” Next to air, water is the element most necessary for survival. Water makes up more than 60 percent of our body weight. Proteins make up only 18% while fats encompass 15%, minerals 4%, carbohydrates 2% and vitamins less than one percent. Science tells us that our brain contains 74% water, blood contains 83% water, lean muscle has 75% water and bone has 22% water. A lack of water affects everything from your digestive tract to our immune system. It also helps regulate our body temperature. A household of five needs at least 120 liters per day to meet basic needs – for drinking, food preparation, cooking and cleaning up, washing and personal hygiene, laundry, house cleaning, according to the Washington-based Worldwatch Institute, a global environmental group. A person needs at least 24 liters of water daily or one liter per hour. Even when he breathes, he still needs water. “Our lungs must be moist to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide,” wrote Leroy Perry in a “Reader’s Digest” article. “It is possible to lose half a liter of liquid each day just by exhaling.” In a study done by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Davao City was one of the nine major cities in the country that were listed as “water-critical areas.” The other eight were Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Baguio, Angeles, Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga. “The rapid urbanization of the Philippines, with more than 2 million being added

to the urban population annually, is having a major impact on water resources,” notes the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its Asian Water Development Outlook 2007. Actually, we can save water if all of us conserve this precious asset. Now take a closer look at that tiny piece of rubber found in the bathroom taps and kitchen faucets. It’s called washer and it is one of a range of low-tech devices with a big part to play in reducing losses of water. A leaky tap, dripping every second, may seem like a drop in the ocean, but studies have found out that it wastes well over 4 liters a day. Over a month, a seriously leaking tap can lose as much as 10,500 liters. Showers account for some 20% of a household total in-door water use. Installing low-flow shower-heads has been calculated to save a family of four 80,000 liters of water a year. Rainwater harvesting is underutilized. Harvested water can be used in many ways – for laundry, flushing, gardening, irrigation and even process water for drinking. Other uses include help mitigate flooding of low lying areas and lessen use of water wells. “We must remember, and remind others, that one very good way to ensure a supply of water for domestic and other uses is to keep the water sources clean,” says a publication entitled “Water and Health.” “This means we must not put garbage and other wastes into streams and other waterways. No one should throw papers, cans, plastics and other trash into any possible source of water. Industries should not be allowed to thoughtlessly dump sewage into streams or rivers.”

Coming soon: Water crisis

10 NEWS Police... FROM 2

He said that they also welcome the offer of Duterte to give three posts of his cabinet to the progressive group. “We also welcome the gracious offer of the incoming

president for cabinet position for the left. These are all confidence building measures that will overwhelm for the resumption of the (peace) talks,” Zarate said.

ed filled by the HOTS include for local: customer service representatives, cashiers, hotel staff, accounting staff, nurses, and production workers; for overseas: machine operators, electricians, pipefitters, riggers, baristas, welders, and dental technicians. With a total of 18,592 local and overseas job vacancies from 109 participating companies, the job fair was able to register a total of 1,715 job applicants wherein 1,236 had qualified. The applicants who did not qualify were either referred for further skills training or to other DOLE XI programs. A total of 2,454 (local: 1,486; overseas: 1,486) applicants were interviewed. Last year’s Kalayaan Trabaho Patrol Job Fair, which was held in the cities of Davao, Tagum and Digos, has gathered a total of 2,557 job applicants with a total of 532 HOTS (local: 450; overseas 82). DOLE XI Regional Director Joffrey M. Suyao during the department’s Monday program said that there has been an

apparent decrease seen in the number of the participating job seekers in Kalayaan and Labor Day Job Fairs, the department is looking at it positively as a reflection of the improvement in the employment situation in the region as supported by the recent improvement in the labor force survey data. Davao Region’s employment rate as of April 2016 according to the Philippine Statistics Authority Labor Force Survey is now at 94.7% which is an increase from the same period last year at 94%. “Through our efforts in employment facilitation this data may also be a reflection that many of the job seekers have already been employed which will multiply to their family allowing their children to avail of better education that will further contribute for their better future,” Director Suyao said encouraging all the members of the department to continue strengthening its efforts on employment facilitation. This year’s theme is: “Kalayaan 2016: Pagkakaisa, Pag-aambagan, Pagsulong.”

more than a thousand activists and journalists were killed and others disappeared. “This is the rationale why we will work for this bill. The human rights defenders are just doing their duties as human rights workers. They should not be subjected to harassments and more so subjected to human rights violations. The bill will also reinforce the idea that human rights is an important issue in our society,” he pointed out. On joining the super coalition Zarate said that on-going talks are being facilitated between the Makabayan block and the presumptive speaker Congressman Pantaleon Alvarez. “But we have not yet reached a conclusion that the Makabayan block will be joining the super coalition in the lower house,” he emphasized. He clarified that even the talks are on-going the Makabayan block had already expressed support to the pro-people and pro-poor agenda of the incoming president. “We will support his pro-people and pro-poor agenda in congress such as the

abolition of contractualization of employment and his policy statements on mining.” But not in all policies that the Makabayan block may agree with incoming President Duterte, Zarate clarified, as there are also issues that the group will disagree with the coming administration. Among the issue is on the re-imposition of the death penalty law. “But while we support the pro-poor and pro-people agenda of Duterte, we will continue to engage him in some issues that we cannot agree such as the re-imposition of the death penalty law.” He reiterated that their group, ever since, had a clear stand on the issue and that the flaws of the justice system in the country are among the reasons that they are not in favour to the law’s re-imposition. “Maraming problema sa ating justice system that if you impose death penalty paano kung nagkamali? Hindi mo na maibalik ang buhay ng tao.” Zarate cited that in other jurisdictions such as in the US and Europe where DNA testing and forensic science are more advanced by still they met instances of flaws in their justice system.

kasanayan ang bawat graduate. Magiging handa sila para sa trabaho, negosyo, o kolehiyo,” Luistro said. Rendel Mancera Cortez, a student from Lamon Bay School of Fisheries, San Vicente, Gumaca, Quezon added, “Hindi hadlang ang kahirapan upang magkaroon

ng magandang buhay dahil nasa ating kamay ang ating ikauunlad. Ito ang prinsipyong pinaniniwalaan at isinasabuhay ko.” The DepEd has piloted the implementation of the SHS in different locations and students have testified the benefits of the program. (PNA)

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Region 11... FROM 2

Bayan... FROM 3

25M... FROM 6

NEW SCHOOL YEAR. Part of the 1.5 million students who will enter Grade 11 in 11,029 public and private senior high schools nationwide troop back to school as classes open for school year 2016-2017 yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

Socio... FROM 2

incoming peace advisor Jesus Dureza have flown to Oslo, Norway to discuss possible provisions of the pact on socio-economic reform. Zarate said both parties are expected to deliver protocols on the formal resumption of the peace talk after the preliminary meeting on June 15. After, he said the peace panels are expected to create technical working group to discuss political reforms. “This is a very welcome development because the peace talk between the NDFP and the government did not move in the past six years because it was placed in the back burner by the Aquino adminiatration,” Zarare said. The current government , he added, failed to resume the talks with the reds because it

focus on policies on surrender and capitulation of the group just like the how the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law was designed, and later on “mangled without recognition” by the members of the Congress. “We wanted the peace process to be comprehensive this time. It’s not only to make revolutionary front surrender or capitulate, dapat i-address ang root causes ng rebellion,” Zarate said. Outgoing president Benigno Aquino III, he said, wanted to disregard the Hague declaration jointly signed by the rebel group and the government in 1992 and discuss new sets of agreements instead. With high hopes, Zarate asked the public ro support the endeavors of both parties.

T’boli and the province’s summer capital Lake Sebu. Through an interpreter, the Mongolians lauded the

provincial government program and declared what they have learned here will be emulated back home. (PNA)

from the National Capital Region (NCR) spent most of the remittances for medical expenses, debt payments, savings, purchase of consumer durables and house compared to those from Areas Outside NCR (AONCR). With more people, not just OFW households, spending more for goods and services, monetary officials are confident on the sustained expansion of the domestic economy. BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said people’s ability to save and spend is among the factors of the continued growth of the economy, with the 6.8 to 7.8 percent growth target for this year seen as achievable. The domestic economy has posted an average of about 6.2 percent growth in the last five years. This has enabled more people to join the work force with better job options than in the past. ”Clearly, savings is also a

very important function of income,” Guinigundo said. In terms of percentage of savings, the survey’s result showed 70.6 percent of households with family income of Php 30,000 and above allocated money for savings, followed by those with Php10,000Php29,299 monthly income, 40.5 percent; and those with less than Php10,000, 20.5 percent. The nationwide average is 33.2 percent, an improvement from the 32.7 percent in the survey done in the first quarter this year but slightly lower than the 33.9 percent in the second quarter of 2015. On where they put their savings, the respondents said most of them, at 65.9 percent, saved in banks, followed by the 47 percent who put their money at home; 11.5 percent in credit or loans and other associations; 10.1 percent in cooperatives; 4.5 percent in “paluwagan” (group savings); and 0.3 percent, others. (PNA)

Mongolians... FROM 3 OFW... FROM 5

Ongachen... FROM 3 The NPAs also claimed that they were able to confiscate illegal drugs from the possession of Ongachen. Gaerlan urged the NPAs to present their evidences if ever they conducted their own investigations on the matter. “Kung may nakuha sila then they should present it. Sila yong nakakuha. Ayon sa kanila may nakuha sila,” the police regional director emphasized, referring to the alleged illegal drugs confiscated from Ongachen. “Sana naman may sistema sila. For us we are government of laws. Kung naaresto ka dapat may ebidensya at may witness.” Gaerlan also assured the public that they will not tolerate their members who are into illegal activities especially illegal drugs. He said if the NPA could prove their allegations and

that they have the evidence and witnesses they the PNP leadership in the region will charge Ongachen administratively. Pursuit operations against the NPAs responsible for the capture of Ongachen are still on-going in the area, Gaerlan said. “We cannot just leave one of our officers just like that,” he asserted but did not elaborate on the matter especially on the outcomes of the pursuit operations. Earlier, the army under the 10th Infantry (Agila) Division had ordered the “no let up” operations in Davao Oriental area after the Governor Generoso attack. The intensified operations had already resulted to a number of armed confrontations between the government troopers and the NPA rebels. ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ

Pangilinan also urged the troops to stay focus in their individual mandate and to remain steadfast in their given work and responsibilities. Pangilinan also recognized the “Kampilan” soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during the past and current

campaigns that the command have undertaken in order to ensure that peace, progress and freedom thrives in Central Mindanao. “Remember our fallen comrades, they offered lives in the name of peace and freedom,” he said. (PNA)

“While we paid Php 1 billion more than what we collected in premium contributions in 2015, we gained about Php 7 billion from investment income, resulting in positive numbers still,” Padilla added. He further said that the PhilHealth reserve funds had been steadily growing from Php 112 billion in 2012 to Php 128 billion in 2015. It can be recalled that PhilHealth paid about Php 34 billion in benefit claims in 2011; Php 44 billion in 2012; Php 55 billion in 2013; Php 77 billion in 2014; and Php 97 billion in 2015. It can also be recalled that clarification was made when news report came out misquoting a PhilHealth Board

director. As a result then, the PhilHealth official made the clarification and inform further the public about PhilHealth conditions to allay fears and assured that the state-owned health insurance corporation can keep up with its mandate, relying to its continued coverage expansion. As a health insurance, PhilHealth continues to improve and expand its health coverage by formulation of updated policies and enhancing the system to serve better its clients in line with the achieving the goals of the Universal HealthCare Program of the government to ensure that every Filipino has access to quality healthcare. (PNA)

Mindanao... FROM 4

PhilHealth... FROM 5

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EDGEDAVAO TRAVEL

This quaint house called

Balay Negrense

Text and Photos by Henrylito D. Tacio

I HAD BEEN TO NEGROS TWICE. The first time was when I joined a group of lifestyle journalists who hopped from one city to another to see the island’s attractions. There were so many places to cover that only a few of them really struck my attention.

But on the second time I came to Negros Occidental, I became interested with Balay Negrense (Hiligaynon for Negrense House) in Silay City. It is touted to be the first museum to be established in the province. So far, the National Historical Institute has identified 31 ancestral houses in the city, which

is where the Bacolod-Silay International Airport is located. Built in 1897, Balay Negrense is a typical “bahay na bato” (literally “house of stone”). However, reflecting American colonial influences, the lower storey is concrete instead of being constructed of stone. Trunks of the balayong tree, a local hardwood,

Trunks of the balayong tree, a local hardwood, were used as foundation posts; the same material was used for floorboards. were used as foundation posts; the same material was used for floorboards. The upper storey is built of wood topped with a roof of galvanized iron instead of tiles.

Like most ancestral houses, it has a four-meter high ceiling and large windows with Spanishstyle ventanillas, those smaller windows beneath the large windows

with sliding panels that can be opened to allow the fresh air to enter. The lower storey itself is elevated from the ground level by a meterhigh crawlspace. The reason for this was to allow the wooden foundations to be aired to prevent dampness from rotting the wood. In those days, the ground floor at the back the house was used as a storage and garage of carriages. A servants’ quarter was also built with a stair going to the second floor where the kitchen was located. It was so hot when we got to the place. Fortunately, there were not too many visitors. In fact, there were only a couple of foreigners who were ahead of us. After paying the entrance fee of P50 per person, a guide came and started explaining the origin of the house. We learned that it was Victor F. Gaston, the first born son of the wealthy Yves Leopold Germain Gaston and Prudencia Fernandez who built the house. The elder Gaston was one of the pioneers of sugarcane plantation in the island. Actually a French citizen, the sugar

BALAY A4

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EVENT

OxyGeneo comes to Gensan

ON JUNE 9, 2016, THE SKIN AND BODY SCIENCE, Gensan’s premier skincare provider, released their latest addition to their specialized skin care machines, the antiaging treatment OxyGeneo. The release of the machine is perfect for the season, as the summer sun is making way for the rainy season, OxyGeneo technology incorporating patented technology has unparalleled skin nourishment & oxygenation properties, where you can instantly see and feel younger looking skin right after your first treatment, and helps bring back your skin to its presummer natural glow. How does OxyGeneo work? “The procedure that capitalizes on the Bohr effect when CO2 concentration increases,

the hemoglobin releases oxygen from within, providing superior antiaging results by treating the skin at a deeper level,” explains Dr. Cathy Balay owner and head dermatologist at The Skin and Body Science.

What makes OxyGeneo the new super-facial? It gives the exfoliation benefits of microdermabrasion

plus deep facial rejuvenation with the infusion of essential revitalizing nutrients and healing skin

oxygenation from within. OxyGeneo treatments are suitable for all skin types – any ethnicity and pigmentation, sensitive skin, and even for those who keloid (scar) and couldn’t otherwise have abrasion treatments. Refreshments, games, product demos and smooth refreshed faces of the guests filled the night. I for one am at awe on how different my face felt after just one session. Find out for yourself why professionals are call-

ing the OxyGeneo Facial “better than microdermabrasion”. Visit them at Unit 2, F and F bldg. J.Catolico Avenue, General Santos City or call them at 554-6680, for more info about The Skin and Body Science visit their website at theskinandbodyscience.com Follow me on Twitter or Instagram, @ kyriem00n for more adventures in and around my wonderland that is Gensan, Tuna Capital of the Philippines.

UP AND ABOUT

Rocky’s rock dads Book your Japan adventure with gohotels.ph with 20/20 deal on Father’s Day weekend

GO HOTELS IS NOW ACCEPTING ONLINE BOOKINGS FOR KARAKSA HOTELS in Kyoto and Osaka Shinsaibashi, Japan starting May 3, 2016. Karaksa Hotels is a new economy Japanese hotel brand owned and developed by hotel operator Xymax Corporation which Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) recently partnered with. Under the partnership, Xymax will be able to sell its Karaksa Hotels in Japan to the Philippine market through the website of RLC’s Go Hotels, www.gohotels. ph to address the growing demand of Filipino tourists traveling to Japan. Karaksa Hotels is similar to Go Hotels in terms of being a value essential hotel

offering the basic travel necessities with added innovations in room amenities and facilities to adapt to Japanese standards. The Japanese hotel brand offers Southeast Asian comfort, hospitality and convenience by providing accommodations designed and inspired by Japanese tradition. In addition to local Japanese staff, the hotel also employs personnel

who are well-versed in English, Tagalog, and Indonesian. Adding to this culturally-diverse facet, one of the facilities of the hotels is a prayer room for Muslim guests. All guest rooms are non-smoking, equipped with flat screen TV with international channels, universal wall socket with built-in USB charging ports, desk and chair, mini refrigerator, complimentary toiletries, hair dryer, hot

and cold shower, and free high-speed internet service. Aside from Double deck (available only in Osaka Shinsaibashi) and Twin rooms, Karaksa Hotels have connecting rooms that cater to large groups and families travelling together. Guests may also enjoy the large social spaces designated for leisure and relaxation that include vending machines dispensing food and souvenir items. The two branches, Karaksa Hotel Kyoto and Karaksa Hotel Osaka Shinsaibashi, are conveniently located just a few minutes walk from Shijo-Omiya Station and S ak aisuji - H o mmachi Station, respectively. For more information, visit www.gohotels. ph. Book your Japan adventure today!

ROCKY’S BARBERSHOPS WILL BE ROCKING THE FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND—June 18 and 19, Saturday and Sunday— with the 20/20 deal for all dads! As part of the 20th year anniversary of the Davao’s first barbershop in a mall, Rocky’s is treating dads to a 20% off discount on haircut services. M e n ’ s grooming is now a tradition to Rocky’s. Twenty years in service and the trust has been passed from father to son. Bring dad to any of the Rocky’s branch—Abreeza Mall, SM City, SM Lanang Premier, Victoria Plaza or GMall—and he gets 20% discount on his haircut. Here’s a bonus, if dad is a senior citizen his 20% discount will be honored over the discounted/ promotional rate. Get dad on the barber’s seat on June 18 or 19 and avail of the Rocky’s 20/20 deal.

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ENTERTAINMENT

GMA’s Nowell Cuanang, first Filipino moderator at INPUT Con GMA NETWORK CONTINUES TO BRING RECOGNITIONS TO THE PHILIPPINES as GMA Senior Program Manager Nowell M. Cuanang becomes the first Filipino to be invited as Moderator at the International Public Television (INPUT) Conference held in Calgary, Canada last month. Cuanang, a two-time George Foster Peabody Award recipient, is at the helm of award-winning GMA and GMA News TV programs Ilustrado, Katipunan, and Reel Time. INPUT is the world’s biggest and most prestigious public television conference that brings together public television program producers and broadcasters to discuss and challenge the boundaries of public television. The four-day screening event this

year, held from May 8 to 12, showcased 90 selections featuring dramas, documentaries, animation, cross-media platforms, virtual reality, and news and current affairs from 30 countries. For the first time, two programs from the Philippines were screened in INPUT and both of these were from GMA Network: TAPE’s Eat Bulaga and GMA News TV’s Reel Time. The country’s longest running noon time show, Eat Bulaga was presented under the session “Kill Bill: How Can We Adapt Asian Style Entertainment”.

Meanwhile, Reel Time’s “Gagged (Busal)” episode was shown under the “Making Without Faking” session. A discussion followed after every program screening. Prior to this, Cuanang, who was co-sponsored by Goethe Institut Manila, participated in INPUT’s rigorous selection process of hundreds of works from over 80 countries last February in Berlin, Germany. “For us media practitioners, we need to engage in discourses on issues and developments that

affect the broadcast industry. It’s critical that we connect with our colleagues from across the globe to learn from each other and INPUT provides that venue,” shares Cuanang. The INPUT Conference became inspiration to many international television programs such as Survivor. During the 1997 INPUT in Nantes, France, the conference featured Expedition Robinson, a reality show produced by the Swedish Public Broadcasting network. This Swedish program eventually became the seed for Survivor, one of the most successful reality shows in television history. Since 1977, INPUT has traveled the world and was hosted at Milan, Washington, Stockholm, Barcelona, Helsinki, and Tokyo. It was first introduced in the Philippines in 2013 by Goethe Institut Manila through Mini-INPUT, where GMA-7 was one of the co-sponsors.

Glaiza de Castro meets Mario Maurer and Hodor in ToyCon 2016 KAPUSO ACTRESS GLAIZA DE CASTRO, WHO WILL BE PLAYING THE NEW SANG’GRE PIRENA, was one of the attendees of this year’s ToyCon held in the SMX Convention Center in Pasay CIty. The cast of Encantadia, wearing their costumes were presented to the public for the first time during the event. Glaiza did not also miss the chance to have a photo with Thai heartthrob Mario Maurer and Game of Thrones’s Kristian Nairn, who plays Hodor. Both actors flew to Manila to be part of the Philippines’s toys, hobbies, and collectibles convention. “Gusto ko sana mag-piggy back ride [hehehe],” Glaiza wrote about Hodor on her Instagram account.

Chalk Magazine opens search for Bright Young Manila Campus Hotties 2016 CHALK MAGAZINE IS ONCE AGAIN ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE NEXT BATCH OF BRIGHT YOUNG MANILA CAMPUS HOTTIES as it opens the online applications and nominations from June 1 until June 26, 2016. Coming from the success of the 2015 campaign, Chalk Magazine aims to push Bright Young Manila Campus Hotties further by going bigger, brighter, and better. For its 16th anniversary, the annual rundown of today’s talented college individuals will comprise of more challenges to create more opportunities for college students to bring out their potential and hone their talents. Starting off from the online applications and nominations, the editorial team will select the top 30 individuals for live screening before it selects the top 16 finalists. The chosen 16 individuals will then participate in a weekend bootcamp before their reveal at the Chalk BYM Launch Party to happen in July. The online voting will be launched on the same night. For the past years, Chalk’s Bright Young Manila campaign has become a status symbol

among the youth. With its thrust to support and inspire young Filipinos, the campaign has committed to help individuals realize their talents and pursue their passions. The annual search has since produced the brightest young talents who have begun chasing their dreams in various industries including music, fashion, theater, and entrepreneurship among others.

Bright Young Manila Campus Hotties is Chalk Magazine’s annual search for the metro’s standout students, 18 to 23 years old, who possess the complete package of looks, brains, and guts. One (1) boy and one (1) girl will be chosen as the ultimate #ChalkBYMCampusHotties and will be featured on the false cover of Chalk’s October-November 2016 issue. The BYM campaign aims to be the implementation of Chalk Magazine’s thrust: to look good, love hard, and live young. Since 2006, Chalk has been honoring exceptional college students who conquer campus life and beyond. Think you or someone you know fits the bill? Become one of this year’s batch of #BYMCampusHotties! Simply log on to htttp://chalkmagazine.abscbn.com and fill out the required details to join. Keep up with the online noise by subscribing to Chalk’s social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Get the latest news and updates from the Lifestyle showpage at http:// chalkmagazine.ph and ABS-CBN Lifestyle.

June 9-14, 2016

WARCRAFT Travis Fimmel, Toby Kebbell, Ben Foster R13

12:00 | 2:30 | 5:00 | 7:30 | 10:00 LFS

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2: OUT OF THE SHADOWS Megan Fox, Stephen Amell, Alan Ritchson PG

12:40 | 3:00 | 5:20 | 7:40 | 10:00 LFS

NOW YOU SEE ME 2 Daniel Radcliffe, Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo PG

12:00 | 2:30 | 5:00 | 7:30 | 10:00 LFS

THE CONJURING 2 Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Frances O'Connor R13

11:40 | 2:15 | 4:50 | 7:25 | 10:00 LFS

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TRAVEL

the museum was officially inaugurated. Pursuant to Board Resolution No. 1 (dated March 8, 1994) of the National Historical Institute of the Philippines, it was listed as a heritage house. After a short lecture on history, our guide showed us a big round table with lists of the names of the owner’s descendants. Some of them were familiar names, being celebrities and politicians.

BALAY A1 baron came to the Philippines and met a Filipina from Batangas, where he did some experimentation on sugar production. After getting married, the couple tried their luck in Negros. Victor was still residing with his parents at Hacienda Buen Retiro when his wife died. So, he decided to build his own house. He and his twelve moved to what is now known as Balay Negrense in 1901. He lived there until his death in 1927. Several years later, as children grew up and had their respective families, the house was neglected and the beauty of the mansion faded in no time. In the mid1970s, it was completely abandoned and fell into despair. But one of the heirs, Msgr. Guillermo Ma. Gaston, saw the importance of the house for the people of Negros. It was at this time that the Negros Cultural

Foundation came into existence, of whom Msgr. Gaston was a member. In 1992, he donated the house to the Philippine Tourism Authority (now called Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise

Zone Authority). With donations from prominent individuals and the government, the structure was repaired and furnished with period furniture and fixtures. On October 6, 1990,

GENSAN PARTNER ESTABLISHMENT

DAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENT

But what is interesting about the house is that almost half of the first floor was used as a receiving area. There are several chairs but what caught our attention was a long chair with sort of a cage below it. “That’s where the chickens of the visitors were kept,” our guide explained. From the huge sala, you can help but notice the grand W staircase to the main part of the house. Actually, there are two stairs. “On the right side, that’s where the girls go up while the left side is the boys’ territory,” our guide said. The second floor was absolutely deserted. There were several rooms and each room has different display. Most of the rooms are cordoned off so we didn’t have the opportunity of exploring each. But we contented ourselves by taking photos. You get to see chandeliers hanging, portrait sized mirrors with intricate designs, wooden cabinets and beds, and several rocking chairs. Among the collections scattered all over the place are the charcoal iron, antique kitchen wares and small jars, telephone, phonograph, and some dolls. One scribe wrote: “The Balay Negrense is not only about a family but it denotes the story of the town from its lifestyle, culture and tradition. It reminisces those days gone by.” Balay Negrense is located at Cinco de Noviembre Street of Barangay III.

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Marco Polo appoints new executive chef

ARCO Polo Davao announces the appointment and promotion of Alex Destriza as the hotel’s new Executive Chef. Chef Alex, as he is fondly called, has served as the hotel’s Executive Sous-Chef for almost a year; after a 10-year stint in The Peninsula Manila as Senior Sous Chef de Tournant. Shortly after his homecoming to Davao, he started to make a name in the city’s local culinary scene. He won the Elite Chef Challenge held last September 2015 at the Davao Convention Center; organized by the Chefmanship Academy by Unilever Food Solutions. He was also chosen by the US

Potato Board to be featured during The Great US Potato Safari. Earlier this year, Chef Alex returned to Manila to showcase the best of Mindanao cuisine and Marco Polo Davao in the world renowned Madrid Fusion Manila. Days before the MFM, he and his culinary team gave a glimpse of his culinary creations at the city’s SM Lanang Premier’s event, entitled Flavor Fusion: Davao on a plate. “We believe that Chef Alex has made significant contributions in improving the hotel’s culinary standards. We expect him to continue his commitment in offering the best dishes in all our dining outlets”,

says Dottie Würgler-Cronin, General Manager of Marco Polo Davao.

About Marco Polo Davao Marco Polo Davao is strategically located at the heart of the city. It is Mindanao’s first and only premier hotel with 245 well-appointed rooms and suites. For the past sixteen (17) years, the hotel still lives up to its luxurious elegance and rare brand of hospitality. The hotel also has newly-refurbished Superior rooms, Premier rooms, Continental Club rooms and the Presidential Suite. The Cabana room located at the fourth level has its own patio, which has a remarkable view of The

About Global Hotel Alliance Founded in 2004, and based on the airline alliance model, Global Hotel Alliance (“GHA”) is today the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands. GHA uses a shared technology platform to drive incremental revenues and create cost savings for its member brands, and operates a multi-brand loyalty programme, DISCOVERY, which has over six million members. GHA currently includes 32 brands, encompassing over 550 upscale and luxury hotels with 110,000 rooms across 76 different countries. For more information visit gha.com

LASKA Milk Corporation will mark another grand chapter in the country’s celebration of World Milk Day” last June 11. Since its inception four years ago, the celebration of Alaska Milk Day has come a long way from a single location family run to a new campaign that promises to be an exciting and bigger event nationwide for all Filipinos, young and old. This year’s celebration was definitely a greater fete versus last year with increase of participants from Metro Manila, Davao, Cebu and the newest venue, Naga. The activity involve individual (3km and 5km) race categories in the provincial areas. While in Metro Manila, there were individual (3km and 5km), 3 km

family run race categories and a 1km Disney’s Frozen and Marvel themed fun run event for children ages 4-7 years old encouraging children to live a healthy and active lifestyle while still having fun. To make the gathering more exciting, a Zumba event was also be conducted in all areas encouraging more individuals and families to start a morning health and fitness regimen. A nationwide Milk Toast at 6:00, coined as the Alaska Milk Hour, culminated the celebration, where all participants simultaneously drank milk and made a pledge to a healthy and active lifestyle. These concerted efforts are Alaska’s way of helping the government address the increasing number of obese chil-

dren and adults in the country through the combination of exercise and proper nutrition. The 8th National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute reveals that 2 out of 10 children among 0-5 years old were underweight and 5 out of 100 children among 0-5 years old were overweight. Also, 3 in every 10 adults are overweight and obese. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among the 0-5 year-old is increasing at an average of 0.17%-points per year for the past 24 years. With this alarming rate, Alaska Milk is committed to support the yearly celebration of World Milk Day through Alaska Milk Day with the goal to help reverse this prevailing nutritional prob-

lem. Supporting Alaska Milk Corporation in this endeavor are Rhea Generics, Babyflo, Systema, Hana Shampoo and Champion. The beneficiary of the Alaska Milk Day Family Run is Children’s Hour. Alaska Milk Corporation will donate the same quantity of milk bags as the participants to their chosen recipient. Thousands have joined in spreading the milk drinking habit and active lifestyle. People are becoming part of Alaska’s “Nutrition. Action. Champion” program for a chance to become a real life health advocate! For more information, log on to www.alaskaworldmilkday.com and like www.facebook.com/WorldMilkDayPH.

Deck.

Alex Destriza

Thousands joined Alaska Milk Day, June 11 ‘Rag recyclers’of Davao W A

CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION. Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro (leftmost) together with the other DepEd officials hands over the Certificate of Appreciation to Davao Light and Power Co. Community Relations Manager Fermin Edillon (2nd from left) during DepEd’s Workshop and Appreciation of Stakeholders last June 10, 2016 at Meralco Multipurpose Hall in Pasig City.

Davao Light was given a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition for its valuable contribution and continued support to DepEd in promoting quality education. Some of Davao Light projects implemented supporting education are the e.Lab or Electrical Laboratory, Science Exploration Center and Brigada Eskwela.

HEN 99 Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries completed the skills training on Rag Recycling Cum Production in 2014, there was no stopping them. They not only became producers but skills trainers as well as they eagerly transferred the technology to fellow Pantawid recipients in the city. These active families in barangays Agdao Proper, Kapitan Tomas Monteverde and Paciano Bangoy, Sr of Agdao District here started off with a few kilograms of slightly used clothing from ukay-ukay as primary production material, a few homemade sets of wooden frames and some pairs of scissors. Recycling is the process of converting scraps or discarded materials into something useful and beautiful. This practice has been used since the 1930’s when families had very little economic or material resources. Recycling doesn’t mean breaking the stuff but rather refashioning it. What is old is new again, but with a twist. One of the values of recycling is its positive impact on the environment. Items destined for the dump are rescued and recreated into something functional. For crafting such useful and attractive rags by-products like pot holders, door mats, foot rugs, pillow cases, clutch bags, purse, table runners, among others, the rag recyclers became popular and their number of customers rose. They then started receiving orders from the neighborhood, schools, stores and offices. Orders of a few pieces ballooned to volumes. Group member Arlene Espina said the unexpected and favorable outcome prompted them to organize and secure a registration and accreditation with Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

“Responding to our need, Cecil Dayhon of DOLE then provided the orientation.” From then on, the group of Pantawid Pamilya grantees became Pantawid Workers Association of Rag Recyclers of Agdao (PWARAGDAO) with Espina serving as president. Still with the continuing technical assistance of Project Development Officer of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Marissa C. Vaid, the group collaborated with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through Provincial Director Edwin Banquerigo and Livelihood Department’s Ivy Uy who imparted product enhancement trainings to select members. For their part, members who trained promised to share their skills competency with co-members.

Becoming entreps The group availed the DTI package of assistance through its Small and Medium Enterprise Roving Academy (SMERA) Program. The collaboration provided them opportunity for venturing into new product designs and size variation of wooden frames; product critiquing; showcasing of products in the Mindanao Trade Expo at Abreeza Mall; and trainings on Advanced Rags Recycling and Product Costing and Pricing. Meanwhile, PDO Vaid facilitated another skills training on Fashion Components Making cum Production. Using the goup’s DOLE accreditation, Vaid also helped them access 19 units of sewing machines for their business, increasing their production and enhancing product quality. Since then, the ‘rag recyclers’ never failed to participate in any exhibit, bazaar or trade fair organized by DSWD or other agencies, Vaid said. She said their products

F RAG, 13

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EDGEDAVAO

EDGEDAVAO PARTNER ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

EDGEDAVAO GENSAN PARTNERS Serving a seamless society

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Rag... FROM 11

are also displayed at Tanoy’s, a popular local craft shop in the city. “As we showcase our produce, we also receive more orders. We have become like small scale entrepreneurs. The demand for our products is high here as these are very functional and inexpensive. Our partnership with DSWD and with other agencies enabled us to augment our income and improve our economic standing. We are overwhelmed with the trust they have endowed us. We are very ecstatic of this change which is definitely for the better,” Espina happily shared. According to Vaid, there

are enough institutions that can provide support in terms of financial or capability building. “We just need to be resourceful and assertive as we connect and establish links with local resources. The possibilities are endless, we just have to seize them now. For its part, DSWD will continue to build up the group and access them to the right resources through our Sustainable Livelihood Program.” Presently, some group members have diversified into Rag Dyeing while the rest of the members continue creating stunning serviceable stuffs out of rags for their burgeoning market, Vaid added. (DSWD)

NEWS 13

General leads Independence Day rites to honor country’s leaders

AJOR General Eduardo Pangilinan on Sunday urged soldiers of the 6th Infantry “Kampilan” Division to remember fallen comrades who offered their lives for the pursuit of peace in Mindanao as the Army division honors Philippine heroes for shedding blood in the name of Philippine Independence. Speaking during the 6th ID Independence Day celebration at Camp Singco in Maguindanao Sunday, Pangilinan said the Filipino should not forget the blood

offered by Filipino great leaders. “Sa ating pagdiriwang na ito, naway gamitin nating inspirasyon ang mga sakripisyo ng ating mga ninuno na nagdulot at nagbigay sa atin ng tinatamasang kapayapaan at katiwasayan sa ngayon (As we celebrate independence, we Filipinos should not forget the sacrifices offered by our ancestors, and be inspired by them because that sacrifices led to the freedom that we enjoy now),” the 6ID commander said.

INDEPENDENCE DAY. In celebration of the 118th Philippine Independence Day, Davao del Norte District 2 Congressional Office staff and DOLE-GIP Interns, headed by Sr. Political Officer Mando Navale, joins Carmen Municipal

At 7:30 a.m., Pangilinan led the flag raising ceremony attended by the officers and men of the 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division, Philippine Army. During the ceremony, Pangilinan read the message of the acting Chief of Staff Gen. Glorioso Miranda. He then delivered his own message to 6th ID troopers. Pangilinan also urged the troops to stay focus in their individual mandate and to remain steadfast in their given work and responsibilities. Pangilinan also recog-

nized the “Kampilan” soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during the past and current campaigns that the command have undertaken in order to ensure that peace, progress and freedom thrives in Central Mindanao. “Remember our fallen comrades, they offered lives in the name of peace and freedom,” he said. The activity is annually conducted in order to give recognition to the efforts of the Filipino heroes who were responsible for the country’s freedom today. (PNA)

Administrator Tabot Valle in the Congressional Office-initiated free giving of Philippine flags. Hundreds of flaglets were distributed to motorists and constituents in towns of Sto.Tomas and Carmen. (edwinlagumbay)

14 MOTORING EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 76 • TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2016

How safe is your car? T

HERE’S always a burning question: which is the safer vehicle? Given that safety is now fast becoming an important consideration for Filipino families, it’s good to get the results straight from the experts. In this case, it’s the ASEAN NCAP. The ASEAN NCAP or New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asia is the newest addition to the NCAP family and is targeted to elevate vehicle safety standards particularly in the ASEAN area. It’s a response to the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety which started in 2011 and runs until 2020. The ASEAN NCAP is a collaborative effort between the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) and Global NCAP. In their assessments, there are two rating schemes based on Adult Occupant Protection (AOP) which is given by a star-rating and a Child Occupant Protection (COP) which is given in a percentage-based rating. Take note: for a vehicle to be awarded a full 5-star rating, it must be equipped with Electronic Stability Control or ESC. Otherwise, the rating is dropped to just a maximum of 4 stars. Also, ASEAN NCAP notes that larger vehicles and smaller vehicles cannot be compared apples-to-apples. The test simulates crashing a vehicle against something similar to its own mass (+/- 150 kilograms). Currently, the ASEAN NCAP hasn’t tested all models available in the market, so the results below represent those already tested by the organization. Since the list is long, it’s been reduced to models/variants which are similar (not all models are the same) to what is sold in the Philippine market. This list will be updated regularly so you can bookmark this page for your reference. Chevrolet Colorado Model Tested: Crew Cab (2 airbags, ABS, and Stability Control) Adult Occupancy Protection: 5 stars (14.19 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 63 percent Chevrolet Sonic Model Tested: 1.4L (2 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (12.19 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 78 percent Ford Everest Model Tested: 3.2 Trend (7 airbags, ABS, and Stability Control) Adult Occupancy Protection: 5 Stars (15.38 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 81 percent

Subaru XV Model Tested: 1.6i (3 airbags, ABS, and Stability Control) Adult Occupancy Protection: 5 stars (14.31 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 67 percent

Ford Ranger Model Tested: 2.2 4WD (2 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (15.45 / 16.00) Child Occupancy Protection: 63 percent Ford Ranger Model Tested: 2.2 4WD (2 airbags, ABS, and Stability Control) Adult Occupancy Protection: 5 stars (15.45 / 16.00) Child Occupancy Protection: 63 percent Honda City Model Tested: 1.5 (2 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (15.80 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 83 percent Honda City Model Tested: 1.5 (6 airbags, ABS, and Stability Control) Adult Occupancy Protection: 5 stars (15.80 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 83 percent

Honda CR-V Model Tested: 2.0 V (2 Airbags, ABS, and Stability Control) Adult Occupancy Protection: 5 Stars (15.46 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 86 percent Honda HR-V Model Tested: 1.8 E (2 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 5 Stars (15.21 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 73 percent Honda Jazz Model Tested: SV (2 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (15.58 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 71 percent Honda Jazz Model Tested: (6 airbags, ABS, and Stability Control) Adult Occupancy Protection: 5 stars (15.58 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 71 percent Hyundai EON Model Tested: GL M/T (No airbags) Adult Occupancy Protection: 0 stars (0.00 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 27 percent

Hyundai i10 Model Tested 1.1 (2 airbags) Adult Occupancy Protection: 1 star (4.40 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 79 percent Isuzu D-Max Model Tested: Crew Cab 4x4 (2 airbags, ABS, and Stability Control) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (11.87 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 71 percent Kia Picanto Model Tested: 1.2 STD (No airbags) Adult Occupancy Protection: 0 stars (0.40 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 29 percent Mitsubishi Mirage Model Tested: 1.3 GLS (2 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (13.07 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 43 percent Mitsubishi Strada Model Tested: Double Cab (2 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (13.56 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 48 percent Nissan Almera Model Tested: 1.2 (1 airbag) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (12.74 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 52 percent Nissan Altima Model Tested: 2.0 XL (6 airbags, ABS, and Stability Control) Adult Occupancy Protection: 5 stars (16.00 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 88 percent Nissan NP300 Navara Model Tested: 2.5 Double Cab (2 airbags, ABS, and Stability Control) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (12.34 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 37 percent Nissan X-Trail Model Tested: 2.0 2WD (2 airbags, ABS, and Stability Control) Adult Occupancy Protection: 5 Stars (15.10 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 72 percent

Suzuki Ciaz Model Tested: 1.4L (2 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (14.56 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 37 percent Suzuki Ertiga Model Tested: 1.4L (2 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (12.39 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 33 percent Suzuki Swift Model Tested: 1.4L GLX (2 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (13.32 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 77 percent Tata Vista Model Tested: 1.4 GZX (2 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 3 stars (9.24 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 53 percent Toyota Avanza Model Tested: 1.3 M/T (2 airbags) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (12.98 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 38 percent

Toyota Corolla Altis Model Tested: 1.8 E (2 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (13.35 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 78 percent

Toyota Corolla Altis Model Tested: 2.0 V (7 airbags, ABS, and Stability Control) Adult Occupancy Protection: 5 stars (14.88 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 78 percent Toyota Hilux Model Tested: 2.8 D A/T (3 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (14.53 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 71 percent Toyota Innova Model Tested: 2.0S M/T (3 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (14.10 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 76 percent Toyota Innova Model Tested: 2.0S M/T (5 airbags, ABS, and Stability Control)

AFTER SALES SUPPORT

Mahindra PHL services PNP Patrol vehicles

N KEEPING with its commitment to provide prompt, adequate and professional after-sales support to its customers, Columbian Autocar Corporation–Mahindra (Mahindra Philippines), authorized distributor of Mahindra vehicles in the Philippines, has recently completed the training of more than 50 police officers, mechanics and staff – Enforcer end-users all from the Philippine National Police Regions 2 and 5 command. The end-user training came at the heels of a successfully conducted seminar for Region 8 held at the PNP Regional Office in Camp Kangleon in Palo, Leyte, where more than 231 police officers and staff from the Philippine National Police Region 8 command became better acquainted with the operations and maintenance of the Enforcer patrol jeeps that are now a part of their posts’ daily conveyance. The training for Region 2 was held at the Batanes Police Provincial Office in Kayhuvokan, Basco Batanes, and at Camp Simeon A. Ola for the Police Regional Office 5. The seminar involved PNP end-users from seven Police City Stations in Region 5 and at least seven participants from the Batanes provincial force. “We subscribe to the idea that a strong customer base is a by-product of prompt and adequate after-sales service,” says Felix J. Mabilog, Jr., president of Mahindra Philippines. “We are fully committed to train all Enforcer end-users, especially within the PNP system, and this is why we are doing this on a continuing basis,” he added. The Enforcer patrol jeeps, now the conscripted workhorses of the municipalities of PNP Region 5 and the Batanes provincial police force, comprise part of the govern-

Adult Occupancy Protection: 5 stars (14.10 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 76 percent Toyota Vios Model Tested: 1.5 J M/T (2 airbags, ABS) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (13.61 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 48 percent Toyota Wigo

ment’s modernization program by having Mahindra Enforcer vehicles commissioned in early 2015, to equip the local national police with a reliable and dependable vehicle for their daily operations. The training focused on basic product knowledge, proper care of the vehicle, warranty coverage, technical highlights (power train, engine specs, fuel consumption, etc.), dismounting and replacing spare tire, proper driving tips, turbo charger (knowledge and how to’s), periodic inspection and maintenance, (packages and pricing). The objective of the training is to orient the end-users on the proper operation and care of the patrol jeeps. Derick Lendio, Mahindra Philippines training officer, led the orientation and training course. The PNP patrol jeep is a Mahindra Enforcer unit that has been customized to adequately and satisfactorily meet the police agency’s requirement not just to help secure peace and order in the local communities, but also to support in disaster and relief operations. During floods, fire, earthquake or other natural calamities, the Enforcer had been tested to successfully wade through high waters, navigate rough and treacherous terrain, and carry heavy loads of people and cargo. This is part of the daily routine the local police vehicles are subjected to. The Enforcer is currently the No. 1 light commercial vehicle in India. It is also the vehicle of choice not only of the Indian military and security forces but also of other country’s military forces in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Australia, which have found the toughness, ruggedness and dependability of the Enforcer to be best suited to secure their borders and maintain homeland peace and order.

Model Tested: 1.0 E (2 airbags) Adult Occupancy Protection: 4 stars (12.84 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 82 percent Volkswagen Polo Sedan (Tested as Vento) Model Tested: 1.6 (4 airbags, ABS, Stability Control) Adult Occupancy Protection: 5 stars (14.51 / 16.00) Child Occupant Protection: 85 percent

VOL. 9 ISSUE 76 • TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2016

EDGEDAVAO

Go hits dagger as N CMO edges Everball

SPORTS 15

STEPH IN STEP

Curry defends shoes, says it’s cool

HRISTOPHER “Bong” Go made the go ahead basket down the stretch to propel the City Mayors Office to a 116 - 113 victory over Everball on Sunday at the Davao City Recreation Center. Go nailed a tough step

back trey that gave CMO the upperhand in the winiding seconds of the game en route to victory. The sweet-shooting incoming special assistant to president-elect Rodrigo Duterte tallied 23 points in a re-

markable display of clutch and run thwarting shot-making skills. Jan Lumugda and Mending paced with 15 points apiece for the Everball. CMO was playing well distributing the ball efficient-

ly that enabled to strike more balance attack. With Go providing the clutch shots, Castro topscored for the CMO. Cardel also chipped in 14 while Romero and Cloribel had 13 and 10 respectively.

trate fully with the thought of his eye condition in the back of his mind,” said ABAP executive director Ed Picson. “Although it is not life-threatening nor a serious condition, this is boxing and the cause of the condition was trauma so we didn’t want to take the risk. We would rather he continue with the tests and treatment the doctors have lined up for him and hopefully he can fully recover and fight another day,” he added. Fernandez first complained of double vision while training in Baguio last week. He was immediately brought to PLDT Medical Baguio which referred him to an oph-

thalmologist who discovered the cataracts on his left eye. A second opinion by another ophthalmologist in Manila Friday revealed the same result. Informed of Fernandez’s condition, ABAP president Ricky Vargas gave assurance the boxer’s medical needs will be taken care of, Picson said. With Fernandez skipping the last Olympic qualifying tournament, the ABAP team will leave on Tuesday for Azerbaijan with only two hopefuls – flyweight Ian Clark Bautista and welterweight Eumir Felix Marcial. Bautista and Marcial are hoping to join light flyweight

Rogen Ladon and lightweight Charly Suarez who already qualified in the Olympic Games slated in August 5-21 this year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Bautista, a native of Bukidnon, garnered a bronze medal last April in Qian’An, China in the Asian/Oceanian Olympic qualifier where Ladon and Suarez booked their tickets. Unfortunately, there were only three slots available for the Olympics in his weight class and he ended up as No. 4. Marcial was put in a similar situation, hoping the Baku qualifier would have been their redemption. (PNA)

Phl boxing’s bid for Olympic slot in Rio suffers major blow

HE Philippines’ bid for more slots in the forthcoming 2016 Rio Olympic Games suffered a big blow after two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Mario Fernandez skipped the Azerbaijan qualifying tournament due to health reasons. According to the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP), bantamweight Fernandez has been diagnosed with cataract in his left eye, prompting the local boxing body to send only two boxers in the final qualifying tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan slated from June 14 to 26. “It was Mario himself who decided he could not concen-

BA MVP Stephen Curry finally broke out in the NBA Finals on Friday with 38 points in the Golden State Warriors’ highly impressive Game 4 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yet going up 3-1 in the series and putting himself in decent position to claim his first Finals MVP trophy did not allow Curry to transcend the sharpest criticism that came his way last week. That’s because Under Armour’s Curry 2 Low “Chef Curry,” the latest incarnation of Steph’s signature sneakers, still exist. The basketball and comedy internets combined prior to Game 4 to lambast the mostly white, entirely boring sneakers with seemingly end-

less jokes labeling them as better suited for an out-of-touch dad or hard-working registered nurse. No 38-point game can end that talk. This kind of mockery lasts forever. Nevertheless, Curry is doing his best to convince the world that his shoes are totally cool even for those who do not require them to serve an orthopedic function. He said in his post-game press conference that he would have worn them for Game 4 if he’d had them on hand, and it seemed likely that he would don them for Monday’s Game 5 in an effort to, as he put it, show us “how fire they are.” Curry wore the “Chef Curry” during Sunday’s practice in keeping with that expectation.

WHAT’S WITH THE SHOE? Steph Curry wears the low cut allwhite Under Armour Curry 2s.

‘Heartbroken’Bolt ready to return medal

MEDALISTS. Precious International School of Davao (PISD) karatedo standouts Jam Ramorez, John Paul Poce and Christian Tarnate, who won silver medal for team kata in the 17th Milo Malaysia Open Karatedo Championships pose with the school’s Human Resources head Miko Kwan. The troika played for the AAK Davao team of coach Rommel Tan.

Suspended Green pushing to watch Game 5 inside arena

OURS after a sanctioned suspension from the NBA, Draymond Green sat inside the locker room inside the Golden State Warriors’ practice facility, working the phones. The fearlessness and swagger of Green drives these Warriors, but his retaliation to LeBron James late Friday in Game 4, while the Warriors had a double-digit lead, has placed his franchise in a most precarious position. Golden State will try to close out the NBA Finals on Monday without the most versatile two-way player on its roster. The NBA announced the

decision on Sunday to hit Green with a flagrant-1 – his fourth flagrant foul point – after he struck James in the groin late in the Warriors’ 108-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4. Green is strongly pushing to attend Game 5 of the Finals and watch the game inside Oracle Arena despite the suspension barring him from entering the arena, sources told The Vertical. He would likely face a substantial fine from the league if he were to attend the game. Green wants to find a route into the arena, and his reps are discussing the logistics of at-

tending with the league and the players’ union. For the Warriors, who have a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, they remain in control with two of the final three games at home. Privately, several players shook their heads on Sunday afternoon, acknowledging the bait job out of James on the court and then in the public eye. Some, including Klay Thompson, went direct: LeBron took the altercation with Green overly personal. “I guess his feelings got hurt,” Thompson said of James. James, in turn, laughed when asked about Thompson’s

comments and claimed Green’s play was intentional. Green’s swipe toward James’ groin occurred with the Warriors leading the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-86 with 2:48 remaining – a basically meaningless altercation. As Warriors players heard from friends and family, there is a plan: Just let it go. For any one else, this applies. Not for Draymond Green, a self-made superstar, a second-round draft choice who found success through edginess and sharp basketball instincts. This is Draymond, teammates said Sunday. You live with all of him; no in between.

ORLD and Olympic sprint king Usain Bolt says he is “heartbroken” but prepared to give up his 4x100m relay gold from the 2008 Beijing Games after team-mate Nesta Carter reportedly tested positive for a banned stimulant. “It’s heartbreaking, for years you’ve worked hard to accumulate gold medals and you work hard to be a champion, so it’s heartbreaking but it’s one of those things,” Bolt told local The Gleaner newspaper on Sunday. “Things happen in life, if it’s confirmed or whatever and I need to give back my gold medal, it’s not a problem to me.” A retest of Carter’s “A” sample from Beijing found traces of Methylhexaneamine, the newspaper said pre-

viously, placing one of Bolt’s six gold medals in jeopardy. The result of retests of Carter’s “B” sample is not yet officially known. If Carter is subjected to doping sanctions, it could mean Bolt stands to lose his relay gold. Carter, 30, ran the first leg for Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team in Beijing, which also included Michael Frater, Asafa Powell and superstar Bolt. The team took gold in what was then a new world record of 37.10 seconds, ahead of Trinidad and Tobago and Japan. Bolt, who will be eyeing more Olympic glory in Rio in August, said he had sympathy for Carter. “It must be hard, I can’t tell what he’s going through but it must be hard and frustrating,” Bolt said.

16 EDGEDAVAO Sports

LASSITER CLEARED But it’s way too late for him to catch up with Gilas

S IT a case of too late the hero for Marcio Lassiter to join Gilas Pilipinas? It appeared so. On Sunday, doctors finally gave the Fil-Am gunner of San Miguel the go-signal to start doing light exercises as he continues to recover from a bad case of broncopneumonia. As per estimate, he needs at least a week to fully regain about 90 percent of his strength. Unfortunately, it’s also during that stretch when the national team will be in the midst of its on-court training from its European camp in the mountains of Karpenisi, Greece, where it is currently based as it prepares for the coming Manila leg of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. “We have informed (team manager) Mr. Butch Antonio about the timeline, but it does not fit with the Gilas schedule,” said Marvin Espiritu, who rep-

resents the 29-year-old wingman. Espiritu approximates Lassiter could probably be ready to go at least for about a week or on June 20, by which time, the national team is done with its Greece training and will be bound for Istanbul to play a tune-up match with the Turkey national squad. “I think yung Greece training, malabo na yun,” stressed Espiritu, adding he’s been in constant communication with Antonio since Gilas left for Europe last Friday. “By Monday pa lang siya magsisimula talaga ng training on his own. And mahirap pumunta sa training camp ng Gilas with him only at half strength because intense na ang training ng team. Mahirap din namang mapuwersa dahil baka mabinat din naman siya.” So is Lassiter officially out of Gilas?

“I think Mr. Antonio will be in the better position to say that,” Espiritu noted. “As far as Marcio is concerned, he’s not pulled himself out of Gilas. It just so happened t h a t circumstances would not allow him to join the team.” The young players agent said Lassiter is obviously disappointed over what happened, not so much on him not being able to join Gilas, but more on

the c i r c u m stances surrounding it. “It’s something that he didn’t foresee kaya he’s very frustrated right from the start,” said Espiritu of Lassiter, who also yet to attend the daily practices of his mother ballclub San Miguel.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 76 • TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2016

CLEARED BUT LATE. Marcio Lassiter of San Miguel Beer has been cleared by doctors but it appears time has ran out on him for the national duty.