Edge Davao 9 Issue 55

VOL. 9 ISSUE 55 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2016

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Serving a seamless society

ERNIE GAWILAN

Photo from Ernie Gawilan’s Facebook account.

DREAMCHASER

2 COVER STORY EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 55 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2016

ERNIE GAWILAN

DREAMCHASER

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

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njb@edgedavao.net

Y any stroke of imagination, Ernie Gawilan is not your idea of a superhero or a super athlete.

To make a twist of comicbook-movie hero Batman’s famous line, “It is not what I am on the outside, but what I do that defines me.”

Ernie walks on his knees and carries with his right hand. Dragging a pair of oversized Crocs sandals to protect his knees, Ernie is kind of slow from point A to point B. Not when he is on the water where his swimming talents have earned for him a ticket to the 2016 Rio Paralympics, the co-equal version of the Olympics for athletes with disabilities.

The 27-year old Ernie’s moving life story is a real-life zero-to-hero, a perfect storyline for a movie script. He was told from an early age that he was presumptively an unwanted baby. Ernie’s mother tried to abort Ernie to conceal her pregnancy from another man. When his father discovered her mother’s pregnancy, he abandoned them. Luckily, Ernie survived the attempted abortion but he later lost his mother to cholera when he was only five months.

He barely survived with his grandfather taking care of him.

“Swimmer na gyud siguro ko katong naa pa ko sa sabakan sa akong mama kay wala man gyud ko nadala pagpa-abort. Nagsalom-salom ra ko (I must be a good swimmer even when I was in the womb of my mother because I survived the abortion. I just swam),” recalled Ernie as he narrated his story to Edge Davao.

But who is Ernie Gawilan and why is the country thrilled

TRIUMPH AGAINST ODDS. Ernie Gawilan pumps his fist after breaking the meet record and earning an Olympic slot.

Singapore Para Games photo

to see this man swim in the quadrennial games where no Filipino has ever won a gold medal?

Ernie’s story is one tailored-fit for an episode on a television tearjerker. But this Manobo native is not one to live in desperation and forever sulk in misery.

He was determined to overcome the challenges that life has thrown on him, pushing himself through a life of desolation and into a journey armed only with sheer determination.

Ernie was born with underdeveloped extremities.

He has short legs and his left arm is incomplete—his deformities presumably brought about by the abortion attempt and lack of pre-natal health care in farflung Marilog.

As if that’s not enough, he grew up without parents and a family to take care of him.

When he was nine years old, the late farmer-businessman Vicente Ferrazzini saw young Ernie on the dragging himself on a fringe of a dusty road in a remote sitio in Buda, Marilog District. He took pity on Ernie and one day talked to his grandfather on the prospects of sending Ernie to a

training center for the handicapped in Davao City. Hardpressed due to poverty, the grandfather was prevailed upon to agree on the idea.

The next thing he knew, he was on his way to the city for the first time and brought to his new home at the Our Lady of Victory Training Center in Sasa ran by Maryknoll sisters of St. Dominic.

The nuns of the center and the other handicapped youth became his family.

A year after in 2000, Ernie was brought to Samal Island to be the housekeeper of a training center set up by the nuns. While living in the island, Ernie had his first romance with the water.

In his free time, Ernie would go to the beach to take a dip. He fell in love with the water.

“Kung naa ko sa tubig, dili Makita akong kapansanan.

Mura kog normal lang (If I am in te wa-

ter my physical disability is covered. I look like a normal person),” Ernie said.

He spent more time in the water even if he doesn’t know how to swim. “Magpalutaw lutaw ra ko sa tubig ug magsalom salom murag iro (I just floated on water and swam like a dog),” he said.

One day, Mark Jude Corpuz, a swimming coach, saw Ernie struggling to swim. He probably saw a potential in Ernie that Corpuz came up and asked if he wanted to learn how to swim properly.

Soon enough, Ernie was swimming like a professional. Corpuz thought Ernie could make it to the PWD (persons with disability) team that he is handling. Corpuz trained Ernie at the Forest Hills resort pool which became his boot camp.

Ernie has transcended from a life of misery to a life of inspiration

In 2008, Ernie competed for the first time in the Philippine Olympic Festival in Cagayan de Oro City where he was pitted against some members of the national team for special athletes. Ernie was almost disqualified after he left his

swimming trunks in Davao.

He begged to compete in his cargo pants and was luckily given the green light by the officials. Swimming in heavily-pocketed cargoes, Ernie finished a strong second in his first ever competition. He narrowly lost to a national athlete from Iligan City who took him to Manila to join the national team.

“Sabi niya isasama daw niya ako sa national team.

Di ako makapaniwala,” Ernie said.

Under the watchful eyes of national coaches, Ernie blossomed as a swimmer. He went on to compete in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, India, Japan, New Zealand and Italy and compiled a total of 15 international medals.

In November 2014, Ernie Gawilan declared that despite his physical disability, he dreams of competing in the Olympics. Ernie is just one of the thousands of PWDs around the country.

Of the 92.1 million household population in the country, 1,443 thousand persons or 1.57 percent had disability, based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing (2010 CPH). The recorded figure of persons with disability (PWD) in the 2000 CPH was 935,551 persons, which was 1.23 percent of the household population.

Of the total PWD in 2010, males accounted for 50.9 percent while females comprised 49.1 percent. These figures resulted in a sex ratio of 104 males with disability for every 100 females with disability.

Last December, the unassuming athlete with disability (AWD), proudly wore the two gold medals and one silver medal that officially made him an Olympian in September in Rio de Jaineiro, Brazil.

For a stretch of one year beginning on No-

vember 2014, Ernie virtually camped himself in like a castaway. He trained under the watchful eyes of national team coaches led by former Asian Gamer Ral Rosario and Tony Ong. Ernie has transcended from a life of misery to a life of inspiration. Motivated by his desire to inspire others to overcome life’s challenges, Ernie’s journey is about to come full circle. In Rio this September, Ernie will try to do what many others failed to do. It is a dream that’s almost impossible. But he is undaunted.

Ernie considers himself as an example to his fellow PWDs. He wanted to tell everyone who has a disability to come out and find their place under the sun. “Daghan man mi ug mabuhat sama sa normal nga mga tawo, pero kailangan sili nila isipon na naa silay depekto (We can do so many things normal people can do but they should not think about their disabilities),” Ernie said.

Now the country’s best hope in the Paralympic Games, Ernie is determined to do his best. “Dugay dugay na sad ko gipalisdan ani na event, akong paningkamutan na makabuhat ug maayo na resulta (It’s been a while that this event gave me difficulties to qualify, now I am determined to come up with the best result),” Ernie said a she took a break from training. On September 7-18, Ernie will have a date with history in Rio de Janeiro.

Ernie is not everyone’s superhero figure. And even if you create a superhero costume for him to hide his abnormalities, it will not make him fly or make him run fast. What is inside him—his fighting heart-- and what he has made of himself is what really matters. That is what makes real-life heroes.

By all indications, Ernie is more than a superhero.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 55 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2016

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4 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

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NOT MISSING. Presumptive president-elect Rodrigo R. Duterte flashes his clenched fist before casting his vote on May 9, the last day before he disappeared from public eye. Duterte’s spokesman Peter Laviña said the mayor is just taking a well-deserved rest and denied the rumors circulating that he is missing or sick. Lean Daval Jr.

Wanted: Devil’s advocates to help in selection of Duterte’s Cabinet

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HE Transition Team of presumptive President-elect Rodrigo R. Duterte wants some “devil’s advocates” in the Search and Selection Cluster who will speak for and against the list of personalities being recommended to head key government posts.

A devil’s advocate expresses opinions contrary to the others’ to ensure an interesting discussion on the issue or a person being deliberated on.

Laviña told a press briefing at the Marco Polo Hotel here Friday that they want to ensure that the best of the lot will be appointed by the Duterte.

The Search and Selection Cluster also wants to make sure that the appointees have a “shared vision, integrity, ability

and personal sacrifice.”

The cluster is composed of Maribojoc Mayor Leoncio “Jun” Evasco, national campaign manager who will head the cluster on Social Services and Development, Duterte’s Exectuive Asisstant Christopher “Bong” Go for Security and Peace and Order, businessman Carlos Dominguez for Economic Development, lawyer Salvador Medialdea for the Judiciary, Duterte Media Team head and spokesperson Peter T. Laviña for Infrastructure Development, and lawyer Loreato C. Ata for government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs).

“Within our group, we have an ongoing discussion on the vetting and selecting.

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Aquino transition team to consolidate reports

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HE Presidential Transition Committee aims to submit and consolidate by end of this month the transition reports of agencies under the Executive branch.

“In its first meeting today, the Presidential Transition Committee (PTC) focused on ensuring that the transition reports of all departments, agencies, bureaus, GOCCs, and other instrumentalities under the Executive Branch are submitted and consolidated by end of May. This will give the incoming administration ample time to review these reports before assumption into

office,” Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement on Friday.

The PTC, created through Administrative Order No. 49 that was signed by President Benigno S. Aquino III on Thursday, met on Friday afternoon.

“As directed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr., the most senior career official will be designated as Agency Focal Person for the whole duration of the transition process leading to the inauguration of the incoming President

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LTO: Using ‘DU30’decorative plates is a ‘major violation’ S

UPPORTERS of presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte who are using decorative plates such as “DU30 El Presidente” instead of the authorized license plates, beware.

You are violating the law and will be fined P5,000, your license and the unauthorized plate confiscated if you continue doing so, Eleanor Calderon, operations chief of the regional Land Transportation Office (LTO) here said.

“That’s a major violation.

Ayaw ni Mayor nyan” (Mayor won’t like that), Calderon told

MindaNews. “Mayor” refers to Duterte, who will step down from his seventh term as Davao City mayor to assume the post of President by noon of June 30.

She said those who are using these decorative plates will be fined P5,000 and their drivers’ license confiscated until payment of the fine, pursuant to Sec. 2E of the Joint Administrative Order 2014-01 of the Department of Transportation and Communication.

Section 2E penalizes “attachment of any unauthorized plate/s or any accessory or de-

vice to and/or around the authorized motor vehicle license plate, or any manner of attachment that impedes in any way the visibility or reflectivity of the authorized motor vehicle license plate and/or the third plate sticker.”

The unauthorized plate will also be removed and confiscated in favor of the government.

At least three violators have been penalized, she said.

Calderon said drivers of these vehicles are told “si Mayor mismo magagalit” (the mayor himself will be angry).

Duterte has repeatedly said in his campaign sorties that in the Philippines, “obedience to the law is optional,” a problem he promised to solve.

In Davao City, which is his “Exhibit A,” traffic laws are strictly enforced.

He added that Duterte is also expected to receive Monday the books from his former professor on Political Thought Jose Maria Sison, founding chair of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Laviña was unsure if these books were authored by Sison himself or gathered from countries around Europe.

“They are talking regularly on Skype,” he said.

He added that another event to thank supporters may be held separately but will be guarded closely for security reasons because “he is no longer the mayor campaigning for the Presidency. He is the presumptive President-elect already.”

Tighter security measures

have already been in place which can be likened to the protocols followed by members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), to ensure the safety of the mayor, he said.

His security team is composed of retired officials from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (PNP), and a medical team will also be around.

An aide has been assigned to the mayor to taste the meals before he eats, Laviña added.

“Naa na as suggested by the campaign security team.

They made the presentations on the security protocols for the presumptive President-elect, which include protocols of the PSG. We created a PSG-like security,” he said.

Supporters are organizing on June 4 a thanksgiving event at the Crocodile Park in the city, which will be attended by thousands of Filipinos coming from different parts of the Philippines, according to Laviña.

“We are not stopping others from organizing their own celebrations,” he said.

On May 7, the last day of the 90-day election campaign, a total of 94,584 people converged at the Crocodile Park to join the historic attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Record for the most people singing the national anthem.

The city failed to break record held current by Bangla-

No exemption Duterte’s daughter Sara, vice mayor from 2007 to 2010, mayor from 2010 to 2013 and now incoming mayor, was flagged down for overspeeding on January 13, 2014. Her driver’s license was confiscat-

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Duterte ends break Sunday; to face public on Monday

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AYOR Rodrigo Duterte, presumptive President-elect who shied away from public view after media interviews on election day, May 9, will make his first public appearance on Monday, May 16, spokesperson Peter Laviña, said.

In a press briefing Friday at the Marco Polo Hotel Davao, Laviña said the mayor will accept well-wishers and meet personalities who supported his candidacy for President at the Matina Enclaves, developed by Escandor Development Corporation (Esdevco).

Esdevco is owned by Duterte’s friend, businessman Glen Escandor.

Laviña said Duterte will welcome media interviews.

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 55 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2016

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6 NEWS

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 55 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2016

DOH strictly monitors Zika virus infections

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POST-POLL CLEANUP. Personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) participate in the clean-up drive to get rid of election campaign posters and other materials from electric post, trees and public walls along R. Magsaysay Avenue in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

HE Palace made an assurance on Saturday that it is strictly monitoring Zika virus in the country following reports of recent infections.

In a radio interview Saturday, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said the Department of Health is on top of the situation.

"Nakikita naman natin Lany na masigasig ang ating Department of Health sa pangunguna ni Secretary Janette Garin sa pagsubaybay at pagtutok sa lahat ng kaso. Kaya’t agad na na-detect at nai-report, na-quarantine, nagamot, na-identify kahit na nangibang-bansa na sila," he told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

The DOH is also coordinating with other centers for dis-

ease prevention in other countries to fight the virus, he said.

There is also a need to understand the nature of Zika virus. Like dengue fever, Zika virus is transmitted through mosquito bite. If the public observe cleanliness, there will be no transmission of Zika virus or other diseases.

"Kaya lahat ng ‘yan dapat ay pagtuunan natin ng pansin at handang-handa naman ang ating pamahalaan, maagap at masipag ang ating Department of Health at ang mga ahensya nito sa pagharap sa mga virus at sa iba pang mga banta sa ating kalusugan," he said.

Coloma also said the public must also support DOH especially after the launched

ILIPINOS must maintain an optimistic mindset as the country transitions from one administration to another after the conduct of presidential election this month, a Palace official said.

In a radio interview Saturday, Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr was asked if the Palace worries about loosing economic momentum as the Aquino administration hands over the leadership to the incoming administration.

As a response, Coloma said that in the last six years, the Aquino government has strived hard to maintain investors' confidence for the Philippines.

"Kaya nga sa nakaraang anim na taon ay masigasig nating itinatag ang matibay na pundasyon, matibay na imprastraktura sa pamamagitan ng good governance o sa mabuting pamamahala," Coloma told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

"Paulit-ulit ngang pinupunto ni Pangulong Aquino: Good governance translates to

good economics. At panatag naman tayo na ang pundasyon na inilatag ay matibay, hindi ito mabubuway dahil lang sa hangin."

Staying positive will be good for the country, he said.

"Mahalaga dito ay ang pagkakaroon ng positibong mindset. Hindi na dapat tayo mag-inject pa ng mga negatibong ideya sa ngayong panahon," according to Coloma.

"Mas importante ang pagiging positibo, ang pagiging optimistiko, at ang pagkakaroon ng matatag na paniniwala natin sa ating sarili na tayo ay mabubuting tao at kaya natin lumikha ng maaliwalas na kinabukasan para sa ating bansa."

With regards to the plan of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to retain some Cabinet members from the Aquino government, Coloma said it is up to the newly elected president to decide.

Duterte must be given a free-hand in choosing the composition of his Cabinet for him

Duterte sets blueprint F against illegal drugs

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Filipinos told: Be positive as new admin assumes

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DP-LABAN party standard bearer and presumptive Philippine president Mayor Rodrigo Duterte plans to launch a twopronged strategy against illegal drugs nationwide.

His ally, former justice undersecretary Jose Calida, said such strategy targeted reducing demand for and supply of illegal drugs in the country.

"Illegal drug's permeation is already horrible - it's almost 100 percent," Calida said, explaining rationale behind the planned strategy.

He's optimistic the strategy will help reduce criminality in the country.

This week, Duterte's camp also bared the economic agenda his government plans pursuing in the next six years.

His camp believes such

agenda will help further move the country forward and better address poverty.

Illegal drugs and poverty are the root causes of crime, Calida noted.

Known as the mayor who improved peace and order in strife-stricken Davao City, Duterte campaigned on a platform prioritizing action against corruption, lawlessness and proliferation of illegal drugs nationwide.

"I'll clean up this country," he assured during his 'miting de avance' last week in Metro Manila.

Calida said government under Duterte would pursue an education campaign aimed at informing people - particularly the youth - about illegal drugs' dangers.

"Knowledge of such dan-

Smartmatic personnel no longer allowed in PICC

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N the midst of the controversial “cosmetic” changes in the transparency server by a Smartmatic official, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday said that personnel of the international company, will not be allowed access at the Philippine International Convention (PICC) unless with specific authority from the poll body.

The Comelec en banc sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) is presently conducting the canvassing of votes in the senatorial and party-list posts at the PICC. Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim, Project Director of the 2016 National and Local Elections (NLE), in an order addressed to Elie Moreno, General Manager of Smartmatic Philippines, and

Marlon Garcia, Project Manager, informed that Smartmatic employees will have to secure authority from the NBOC or the Project Monitoring Office to be able to enter the canvassing area inside PICC. “Henceforth, access to the same shall be subject to strict protocols. Your personnel shall not be allowed access to the same unless with specific prior authority from the NBOC and the Project Monitoring Office,” the one-page order said.

It noted that in case they were allowed access, the service-provider’s employees will be under the supervision by poll body personnel.

“In any case, access to the same shall always be under the direct supervision of a

F SMARTMATIC, 13

gers will help reduce demand for illegal drugs," Calida said.

He also said Duterte's government would mount a nationwide crackdown against suppliers of illegal drugs in the country.

Among the crackdown's interventions would be hunting and arresting drug lords, bringing them to justice and dismantling their illicit laboratories, said Calida.

He cited plans to incarcerate drug lords and other hardened criminals in a high-security island-fortress like the US' former Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.

Separating drug lords from the national penitentiary's general population aims at curbing their influence on prisoners there and reported involvement in illegal drug-re-

lated activities inside prison, he noted.

As a further precaution against proliferation of illegal drugs, Calida said Duterte's government plans to introduce reforms at Bureau of Customs.

He noted such reforms were needed since the Philippines was already a transshipment point for illegal drugs as government already scrapped the death penalty.

Unofficial election results from Commission on Elections-accredited poll watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting reported as of 10:45 a.m. Saturday (May 14) that Duterte leading the presidential race with 15.95 million votes.

Liberal Party standard bearer and former interior

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F FILIPINOS, 10

SMALL-TIME BUSINESS DOING GOOD. A beachgoer buys bottled water from a makeshift store inside Sta. Ana wharf in Davao City yesterday while waiting for the passenger vessel that will bring her and other passengers to the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS). Lean Daval Jr.

EDGEDAVAO

7 ECONOMY

VOL. 9 ISSUE 55 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2016

Kabataan partylist rep scores Duterte agenda

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ARTYLIST group Kabataan questioned the initial 8-point economic agenda presented by the camp of presumptive President Rodrigo R. Duterte, saying that the plan set by the next administration is “neither progressive nor groundbreaking.”

“The president-elect has dubbed himself as a ‘socialist’ and proclaimed that he will be the ‘first leftist president.’ Yet the 8-point economic agenda set forward by his transition team speaks of a different story – it weaves a narrative of continuity for failed neoliberal policies that proved to be inimical to the interests of the people for the past years,” Kabataan Party-list first nominee Sarah Elago said in a statement yesterday.

The first among Duterte’s 8-point agenda is to “continue and maintain current macroeconomic policies.”

He said the group had set high expectation to the next administration, not expecting that Duterte will parrot Aquino’s “failed policies.”

“We are alarmed in the manner in which Duterte’s economic team drafted the next administration’s agenda,” she added.

Elago said Duterte’s agenda which” is clearly oriented towards appeasing foreign big business and the country’s elite through the easing of foreign ownership restrictions, and continuation of macroeconomic policies that put premium on the influx of volatile foreign investments rather than building stable national industries.”

Elago said the continuation of Aquino’s macroeconomic policies, as planned by the Duterte administration, is tantamount to continuation of reliance on “labor export, the public-private partnership scheme, the dole-out system for the poor, and tons of other

policies that cater only to the interests of local elites and the foreign market.” “ This is not the change that the Filipino people expect nor deserve,” Elago added.

The youth leader, who is set to represent Kabataan Party-list as a legislator in the 17th Congress, also assailed Duterte’s initial plan for the education sector.

“We are not comfortable at all with the way the Duterte camp put the words ‘education’ and ‘private employers’ in the same slim sentence. Duterte’s plan for education may prove to be unresponsive to the call to end the decades-old regime of commercialization and deregulation, policies that are at the heart of the current education crisis and the soaring rate of matriculation in the country.

“Also, when the Duterte camp talked about strengthening the basic education system, does it mean continuing the Aquino administration’s K-12 program? If that is the case, then how exactly will Duterte prove to be different from his predecessor?” Elago asked.

Kabataan Party-list recognized, however, that the 8-point agenda bared by the Duterte camp is far from being final, and urged the presumptive president to allow greater public participation in the crafting and fine-tuning of the next administration’s platform of governance.

“We call on President Duterte to allow representatives from the public, the common people, to participate in the formulation of the next administration’s platform to ensure that the people’s real agenda will be addressed and not brushed aside, as it always has been,” he said.

Elago said crafting ofthe nation’s economic agenda must not only be relegated to

Lao lauds emphasis of Duterte on agri

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

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crc@edgedavao.net

USINESS leader Vicente T. Lao said the economic programs of presumptive president Rodrigo R. Duterte will advance Mindanao’s agriculture sector. “The agriculture program presented to us by the incoming administration is very good; it is perfect for Mindanao,” said Lao, who is chairman of the Mindanao Business Council.

Mindanao is the food basket of the country, with its produce like banana, pineapple, cacao, and coconut, aside from fast crops like rice and corn. The eight-point economic agenda set forward by the Duterte administration “will pursue a genuine agricultural development strategy by providing support services to

small farmers to increase their productivity.”

Duterte is planning “to focus on the two-thirds of the population who are poor and live in the rural areas aside from promoting tourism in the countryside.

The incoming president also intends to address the bottlenecks in the land administration system, Lao bared.

Duterte plans to improve the coordination between four agencies, specifically Land Registration Administration, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, National Commission on Indigenous People and Department of Agrarian Reform in a bid to stregthen the security of land tenure, as well as harmonize

conflicting land titles issued by them.

Lao said the program of the Duterte administration could address the needs of small farmers who are usually landless. The plan to increase the number of irrigation sysytems will also boost farmers’ productivity, Lao said.

He said the plan of the next administration of enticing more capitalist to invest in agribusiness will boost employment in areas where opportunities are currently limited.

Lao said putting up of more companies engaged in agribusinesses, especially those in areas where raw materials are abundant, can create a multiple ripple ef-

fect in host communities.

He also said the vision of the new administration of bringing more income-generating projects will create livelihood for rural folks living below the poverty line.

This could lead to inclusive growth which was not felt by the majority of the Filipino during the Aquino and other past administrations, he said.

“There has to be efforts of government to create opportunities for common people to allow the benefits of economic growth to trickle down to the majority of the public especially the poorest of the poor,” he added.

Lao hopes that Duterte will be able to put Mindanao in the forefront of development.

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US retail sales in April rise at fastest pace in a year

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S retail sales in April 2016 rose at its fastest pace in a year, indicating that American consumers will step up spending in the second quarter after a slow start in the year, the Commerce Department reported Friday.

Retail sales surged 1.3 percent month-on-month in April to a seasonally adjusted USD 453.4 billion, the Commerce Department said. It was the largest monthly gain since March 2015. Compared with a year earlier, total retail sales rose three percent.

Purchases of motor vehicle and parts advanced 3.2 percent in April, the largest increase since March 2015, while online retail sales climbed 2.1 percent, the biggest gain since June 2014. Excluding the volatile auto sales, total retail sales increased 0.8

percent last month.

April’s improvement in overall retail spending boosts economists’ confidence that the US economy will bounce back in the second quarter after a disappointing start to the year, as consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of economic output.

The US economy grew at an annual rate of 0.5 percent in the first quarter of this year, the weakest reading in two years and lower than the 1.4 percent increase in the previous quarter, the Commerce Department reported last month.

Personal consumption expenditures grew at a 1.9 percent annualized pace in the first three months of this year, following a 2.4-percent gain in the previous quarter, according to the Commerce Department. (PNA/Xinhua)

BRISK BUSINESS. The Marco Polo Davao and other hotels in Davao City are enjoying a sudden increase in occupancy and reservation rates, one of the positive effects to the hospitality sector and the economy of the city after Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte won the recently-concluded election. Lean Daval Jr.

US stocks decline despite upbeat data U

S stocks ended lower Friday as Wall Street digested a batch of generally positive economic reports.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 185.18 points, or 1.05 percent, to 17,535.32. The S&P 500 lost

17.50 points, or 0.85 percent, to 2,046.61. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 19.66 points, or 0.41 percent, to 4,717.68.

The advance estimates of US retail and food services sales for April reached USD 453.4 billion , seasonally ad-

justed, an increase of 1.3 percent from the previous month and beating market consensus of a 0.9-percent gain, according to the Commerce Department Friday.

“The second quarter is off to a solid start, lending credence to the idea this year’s Q1

slump was once again an aberration. While it is certainly too early to know if this is the start of a resurgent consumer, April retail sales give strong support to the idea spending is still on trend from last year,” Jay Morelock, an economist at FTN Financial said. (PNA/Xinhua)

EDGEDAVAO

8 VANTAGE

EDITORIAL

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Media sensitivities

HE social media is not only a viable tool for promoting candidates during the election campaign, it has also become the most accessible platform to air one’s grievance on matters among the working media most especially those covering the election campaign.

Yes, social media is the most convenient place to air one’s gripes. We have heard of media personalities being bashed on social media during the campaign period after being branded as biased, depending on whose camp is saying. Lately, social media posts have also revealed skirmishes among the media the latest involving that of local television reporter John Paul Seniel of GMA and ABS-CBN senior reporter Doris Bigornia. The spat was reportedly caused when Seniel and his cameraman were doing a live stand-upper report and Bigornia’s crew reportedly bumped on Seniel and crew disrupting the report. There was also Bigornia alledgedly saying unfriendly remarks on Seniel’s cameraman.

The election period has brought major media outlets to

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Davao City for the longest time ever and this gave way to the interaction among media, local and national, in one room.

The coverage may be a competition to a certain degree and that is acceptable. But when the behavior becomes rude and to a point discriminating, it puts the media industry in bad light when they cannot even behave civilly and harmoniously. Afterall, these reporters, photographers and cameramen belong to one profession.

The emergence of a leader from Mindanao in President-elect Rodrigo Duterte also gives way for province-based working media to be constantly in this coverage—although time will settle this animosity when media accreditations for those covering the President will be given as entitlements to every media organization based on qualifying standards already installed.

It is not good for the media to be shoving elbows and hitting each other, or uttering invectives. Professionalism should be maintained and not one should conduct himself or herself like a privileged star.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

AGAPITO JOAQUIN JR. Associate Editor

CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY Consultant

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

KENNETH IRVING K. ONG ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. BAI FAUZIAH FATIMA SINSUAT AMBOLODTO CHENEEN R. CAPON MEGHANN STA. INES Reporters NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN FUNNY PEARL GAJUNERA Lifestyle LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. CHA MONFORTE ARLENE D. PASAJE Photography Correspondents Cartoons Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. Columnists: • HENRYLITO D. TACIO • EDCER C.B. ESCUDERO • ATTY. EMILY ZEN CHUA • GREGORIO G. DELIGERO JOHN CARLO TRIA • BORBONCARLOS • MARYMUNDA ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO DAVAL SR., • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO ANGELO•AGUSTIN • EMILY VIDA S. VALVERDE C. LUMBA • HENRY J. SCHUMACHER • VANESSA KATE MADRAZO• JONALLIER Economic Analysts: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG ZENMIA CHUA • CARLOS• FRED MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG M. PEREZ

the national association of newspapers

OLIVIA D. VELASCO D.D. MARATAS RICHARD C. EBONA OLIVIA D. VELASCO JOCELYN S. PANES SOLANI SOLANI MARATAS General Manager Finance Advertising Specialist General Manager Director of Sales Finance RICHARD C. EBONA Marketing Supervisor

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GENERAL SANTOS CITY OFFICE CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING MARKETING OFFICE

LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager EDMUND D. RENDON Unit 6, SouthbankMarketing Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Specialist General Santos City Cagayan de Oro City Mobile: (Smart) 0909-424-7990 Tel: (088) 852-4894

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Mindanawons weigh in on Duterte Presidency (Part 1)

F the rise of “promdi” Rody Duterte to the presidency is phenomenal in itself, what does one call the prospects of a Mindanao economic “rebirth” under his watch? Limitless?

Overwhelming? Inspiring?

If residents and leaders in the island are wont to speak about possibilities in superlatives, one can hardly fault them. After all, their homeland has borne the brunt of official neglect for some time.

For starters, it is common knowledge that Mindanao is naturally rich. But despite this bounty, most of its people are poor. In fact, they aren’t just poor; they are marginalized on the fringes.

For example, with a land area three times the size of South Korea, the island produces 76 percent of the country’s total banana production, while churning out 48 percent of its total coconut output.

Yet noted sources like the Philippine Human Development Report have revealed that provinces like Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, and Sulu are considered even poorer than the Mindanao average and have lower performance rates in education and health.

Mindanao has consistently had the lowest simple functional literacy rate compared to the rest of the country, on top of the fact that its people actually live 12 years shorter than those in Luzon and the Visayas, studies show.

What are people’s expectations for Mindanao as one of their own makes it to the highest office in the land?

Read on: MARRIZ AGBON, founding executive director, Mindanao Business Council: “I anticipate a definite and heightened focus on 1) a homegrown resolution of the age-old conflict, 2) en-

T

VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 9 ISSUE 55 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2016

HREE years ago, a pastor from another city accepted a call to a church in Davao.

A week after he arrived, he decided to roam around the city. He rode a jeepney and gave the driver a crispy twenty-peso bill.

There were so many passengers and it took the driver two minutes before he was able to give the pastor his change.

The pastor counted the change and he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a peso more than what he was to receive. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, “You’d better give the peso back. It would be wrong to keep it.”

Then he thought, “Oh, forget it, it’s only a peso. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the driver gets too much fare; he will never miss it. Accept it as a ‘gift from God’ and keep quiet.”

Then he was almost at his destination, he went near to the driver and handed the peso. “Here, you gave me too much change,” he said.

The driver, with a smile, replied, “Aren’t you the new pastor near our area? I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change.

I’ll see you at church on Sunday.”

This brings us to the subject of honesty.

“Honesty,” says American president Thomas Jefferson, “is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.” Film actress Angelina Jolie agrees.

In an interview, she was quoted as saying, “I’m just honest, I like that I don’t have to wor-

COMMENTARY

BY NIKKI RIVERA GOMEZ couraging capacity-building in collective forms of engagement for small-scale agribusiness and SME development as a form of consolidation of community organizing efforts in the past year, 3) accelerating the establishment of key infrastructure along the value chain for Mindanao’s key commodities, 4) adopting a distributed power development action program for the island and 5) support for children and elderly (peace, collective self-help for inclusive economic growth, value chain infrastructure, distributed power and support for the challenged members of Mindanao society) -- five tracks that can be pursued simultaneously with the end view of a fully-developed Mindanao.

“Mindanao can be organized along agri-economic hubs or communities along established commodity routes for vegetables, coffee, poultry for example supported with technology and market infra.

“Electric coops are assisted to develop their own sources of power embedded within their areas of operation. Support for the elderly like appropriate jobs or continuing physical rehabilitation.”

FEMY CALDERON, founding executive director, Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco): “The Duterte Administration can put together a Policy Agenda categorized into three, namely: for modification, to be retained, and new ones to support poverty alleviation throughout Mindanao. These policies may be operationalized/realized/given life through strategies, programs, projects funded

by the national budget, donor community, private sector (thru corporate social responsibility) and other sources all focused on poverty alleviation.

“It can harness resources/inputs/expertise via a participatory/partnership approach: national/regional/provincial local government units, business sector, civil society/NGOs, Christians, Muslims, IPs working together to address poverty alleviation through the implementation of common programs and projects (ex. education, health, nutrition, peace and order, insurgency, agricultural development, underground economy, etc.) in a common/adopted locale like among the rural areas in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, Misamis Oriental, etc.

“It can also initiate a review/assessment of the current plan for Mindanao to generate a “picture of Mindanao now, where it is headed, opportunities and bottlenecks.”

NEILWIN JOSEPH BRAVO, Managing Editor, Edge Davao: “Mayor Duterte’s deeper understanding of the history, potentials and needs of Mindanao will be the lifeblood of the Mindanao development agenda. The uniqueness of Mindanao needs the wisdom and vision of a leader like Mayor Duterte who has a unifying influence on the diversities of Mindanao’s tri-people. It’s an advantage that Mindanawons listen to him and he listens to Mindanaoans.”

Can a Duterte Presidency benefit Mindan-

GERALDINE V. QUIMOSING-TIU, Ateneo de Davao law professor, TV anchor: “Tremendously. If he succeeds to shift the form of government to federalism, less people will take up arms to fight for their autonomy, Mindanao’s peace and order situation will improve, focus will be on improving the economy.”

GUIDO ALFREDO DELGADO, former president, National Power Corporation; President, G.A.A. Delgado and Associates, Inc.: “The allocation of resources which is normally done through some arbitrary process in Manila can now have a more meaningful process that will benefit Mindanao.”

RICHARD HIRSCH, Chairman, Applied Planning and Infrastructure, Inc.; former senior official, Growth with Equity in Mindanao Program: “Duterte’s election will surely move Mindanao’s development forward. His understanding of the issues, sensitivities and legitimate concerns of all Mindanaoans helped him to successfully navigate the difficult cultural terrain in Davao. No doubt he and his team will now do the same for all of Mindanao.”

MAE FE ANCHETA TEMPLA, social worker, teacher, feminist: “I expect the Duterte administration to respond comprehensively to the issues of neglect and discrimination, a return to the negotiation table with the NDFP on the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms that outlines the concerns of the Moro and Lumad peoples.”

H.P. DE LEON, former Mindanao bureau chief, Businessworld: “For me, as far as the investment pull is concerned, even without the desired budgetary bias of the national government towards Mindanao, access to official development assistance would ease significantly.

And then there’s private investments to boot.

Bottom line, there’ll be investment confidence boost when the President comes from Mindanao.” (To be continued)

author O. Henry pointed out. “The frontiers of one blend with the outside limits of the other, and he who attempts to tread this dangerous ground may be sometimes in one domain and sometimes in the other.”

This reminds me of the story of two women riding a bus. One of them realized she hadn’t paid her fare yet. “I’ll go right up and pay it,” she said. “Why bother?” her companion told her. “You got away with it, so what?”

“I’ve found that honesty always pays,” the other said virtuously, and went up to pay the driver. After that, she went back to her place and told her companion. “See, I told you.

Honesty really pays. I handed the driver 20 pesos and he gave me 40 pesos change.”

These days, people look honesty at different manner. For instance, ethics is very important to successful businessmen. One executive explains it this way; “For example, an old customer paid his account today with five hundred peso bill. As he was leaving, I discovered that he had mistakenly given me two five hundred peso bills stuck together. Immediately, a question of ethics arose: should I tell my partner?”

But honesty still abounds here and abroad. A taxi driver who returns the money that was left in his the vehicle he was driving. A laundry woman who delivered the diamond ring left in the pocket of the pants she was washing to the owner herself. A high school student who failed his final examination because he didn’t want to cheat, unlike his classmates.

“It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them,” Mark Twain said. In the mid-1980’s researchers at Cleveland State University made a startling discovery. They conducted an experiment by creating two fictitious job candidates David and John.

The candidates had identical resumes and letters of reference. The only difference was that John’s letter included the sentence “Sometimes, John can be difficult to get along with.” They showed the resumes to a number of personnel directors.

Which candidate did the personnel directors overwhelmingly prefer? Difficult to get along with, John. The researchers concluded the criticism of John made praise of John more believable. Admitting John’s wart actually helped sell John. Admitting flaws gives a person more credibility.

Now, I know a lot of people when they are on the brink of dying, they will be honest to admit and tell the truth, and nothing but the truth. For as Salman Rushdie, author of ‘The Satanic Verses,’ puts it: “With death comes honesty.”

Should you wait for that day to come before you become honest? “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”

For comments, write me at henrytacio@ gmail.com

Are you honest?

ry about what I say. I really THINK ON THESE! don’t have the time or energy to pretend and I don’t want to live that way.”

Dr. Madison Sarratt, who taught mathematics at Vanderbilt University for Henrylito D. Tacio many years, henrytacio@gmail.com before giving a test, would admonish his class something like this: “Today, I am giving two examinations – one in trigonometry and the other in honesty. I hope you will pass them both. If you must fail one, fail trigonometry. There are many people in the world who can’t pass trigonometry, but there is no one who can’t pass the examination of honesty.”

If you are in business, be sure to practice honesty. As Sophocles admonishes, “Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud.” Joseph Sugarman has the same view, “Each time you are honest and conduct yourself with honesty, a success force will drive you toward greater success. Each time you lie, even with a little white lie, there are strong forces pushing you toward failure.”

“There is no well-defined boundary between honesty and dishonesty,” American

ao?

10 NEWS LTO... FROM 4

ed and she was issued a ticket for violating the 40-kilometer per hour speed limit.

BAYAN Muna Partylist Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate was flagged down for overspeeding at 11:25 p.m. on December 8, 2015 and got a ticket, too, for overspeeding.

“While driving my car along McArthur Highway coming from downtown area where I bought some medicines that my elder sister requested me to buy, I was startled when a uniformed police officer suddenly waved at me to stop,” Zarate posted on his Facebook account.

“I was overspeeding in a 40kph speed zone. I immediately handed my license to SPO1 Mallonga, who readily left after issuing me my TOP (Temporary Operator’s Permit) to attend to two other speed limit violators, ” he added.

“Speed limits apply at all times, day and night in our city; no ifs, no buts,” he wrote.

Put them elsewhere Calderon said those who have decorative plates can put them on their windshields, for example, but not on the plate box.

The decorative car plates cost from P180 to P250 in Davao City (plastic or embossed on GI sheet) while those for motorcycles cost 100 pesos. The designs vary: “DU30” or “DU30 El Presidente” or “DU30” with the face of Duterte, “DU30” with the face of Duterte and Philippine Eagle.

The latest post-election

designs are DU30 with Duterte in a suit and the seal of the President of the Philippines behind him and the message “Abante Pilipinas” (Forward Philippines) and an embossed “DU30” with “President” underneath.

Several vehicles using these “DU30” plates have been plying the streets of Davao and other parts of Mindanao.

In Iligan City on Wednesday, in the midst of a rushhour gridlock, a man driving a vehicle with “DU30” plate got off his vehicle to direct the traffic flow.

In Cagayan de Oro, a driver of a vehicle using a similar plate was seen parking improperly and was approached by the police.

“Baka mag-reflect yan kay Mayor Digong... sabihin ng tao: “Ayan na. Wala pa makalingkod gapang-abuso na ang mga grupo ni Digong” (This might reflect on Mayor Digong (Duterte’s other nickname).

The people might say: There.

He hasn’t assumed the post of President and his supporters are already abusing,” said Davao City radio commentator Manuel Cabrera.

The Digong Duterte Supporters (DDS) Facebook page said “ang tunay na pagbabago ay ang hindi paglabag sa batas. Ang suporta natin ay di lamang hanggang sa eleksyon.

Kailangan maging halimbawa tayo sa ating mga kababayan” (real change means do not violate the law. Our support is not just until election. We should be examples to our countrymen). (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

Kaspersky... FROM 11 percentage point increase on Q4, 2015.

Kaspersky Lab solutions protected 459,970 users from cybercriminals’ fraudulent attempts to access online banking services and steal their money. This is a 23 percent decrease compared with the previous quarter.

Cybercriminals continued to use vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player, Internet Explorer and Java to propagate malware. Less frequently, they used exploits for Java – according to our statistics this has decreased by 3.3 percentage points on Q4, 2015 and equals 8% of overall exploit statistics for Q1.

The same statistics registered an increased use of vulnerabilities in Flash (a rise of 1 percentage point which is 6% in total) and Microsoft Office (an increase of 10 percentage points which is 15% in total).

Statistics All the statistics used in this report were obtained using Kaspersky Security Network (KSN), a distributed antivirus network that works with various anti-malware protection components. The data was collected from KSN users who agreed to provide it. Millions of Kaspersky Lab product users from 213 countries and territories worldwide participate in this global exchange of information about malicious activity. This includes users from the Philippines.

10 tips to protect your files from ransomware To avoid dealing with consequences brought by ransomware, here are 10 simple tips to protect your data from this stealthy malware:

Always back up your files.

Make sure that you back up your important files regularly. It is highly recommended that you create two back up copies: one to be stored in the cloud (using services like Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.) and the other recorded to a physical means of storage (portable hard drive, thumb drive, extra laptop, etc.).

Check your back up files. Regularly check that your back up copy is ok. There are times when an accidental failure can inflict damage to your files.

Be keen with attachments. Cybercriminals often distribute fake email messages mimicking email notifications from an online store or a bank, luring a user to click on a malicious link and distribute malware. This method is called phishing. With that in mind, fine-tune your antispam settings and never open attachments sent by an unknown sender.

Trust no one, literally. Malicious links can be sent by your friends on social media, your colleague or online gaming partner whose accounts have been compromised in one way or another.

Enable ‘Show file extensions’ option in the Windows settings.

This will make it much easier to distinguish potentially malicious files. As Trojans are programs, you should be warned to stay away from file extensions like “exe”, “vbs” and “scr”.You need to keep a vigilant eye on this as many familiar file types can also be dangerous. Scammers could use several extensions to masquerade a malicious file as a video, photo, or a document (like hot-chics.avi.exe or doc.scr).

Regularly update your operating system, browser, antivirus, and

EDGEDAVAO

Wanted... FROM 4

VOL. 9 ISSUE 55 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2016

When the name comes up, we try to raise issues for and against. We select the best before we subject them to the approval of the presumptive President,” Laviña said.

He added that they have been receiving applications via e-mail and suggestions of personalities that should take a possible seat in the Duterte Cabinet.

“Some have even submitted full bio-data, presented their curriculum vitae and programs and plans for the incoming administration. We are receiving mails via LBC. We are receiving from everywhere, from ordinary citizens who are suggesting personalities but most of them I am not familiar (with)” he said.

Laviña added that they are giving those suggested personalities a fair shake and will have them checked, validated, and vetted for proper recommendation by the cluster.

He said complete list of cabinet secretaries, undersecretaries, and assistant secretaries for the 17 Cabinet offices will be finalized before June 30, 2016.

June 30 is when Duterte takes his oath as the 16th President of the Republic of the

Philippines and the first Mindanawon to lead the country.

He said they will submit at least three personalities in the shortlist to the presumptive President and it’s up to him who he will he pick up to join his Cabinet.

“But we have to understand that the mayor might have someone in mind already for that position,” he said.

Dominguez said they wanted to make sure that the new administration is fully staffed with qualified personalities.

The Duterte’s search and selection committee is also considering to retain some of the outgoing Cabinet members of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III but “they will be subject to the vetting process,” he said.

He said whoever wins the vice presidency between Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Rep. Leni Robredo is already assured of a Cabinet seat.

“The mayor is very generous and he can work with anyone. Depending on the wish, it will be up to the incoming vice president what will he/she want to head,” he said. (Antonio Colina IV / MindaNews)

chief Mar Roxas II trailed him at second place with 9.70 million votes followed by independent candidate Sen. Grace Poe (8.93 million votes), United Nationalist Alliance bet Vice-President Jejomar Binay (5.31 million votes), People's Reform Party candidate Sen.

Miriam Defensor-Santiago (1.42 million votes) and the late party list representative Roy Seneres (25,145 million votes) who died in February this year. (PNA)

Duterte sets... FROM 6

other programs. Culprits tend to exploit vulnerabilities in software to compromise systems.

Use a robust antivirus program. Choose solutions that prevent viruses from getting into your computer, or, should the virus infiltrate your system after all, protect important files using its special capability.

If you discover a rogue or unknown process on your machine, cut off the Internet connection immediately. If the ransomware did not manage to erase the encryption key from your computer, there’s still a chance you can restore the files.

However, the new strains of this type of malware use a predefined key, so this tip, unfortunately, would not work in that case.

Don’t pay the ransom. If you are unlucky to have your files encrypted, don’t pay the ransom, unless the instant access to some of your files is critical. In fact, each payment fuels this unlawful business which would prosper as long as you pay money.

Know the malware’s name. If you have been infected by ransomware, you should try to find out the name of the malware: maybe it’s an older version and it is relatively simple to restore the files. Ransomware used to be less advanced in the past.Moreover, the police and cybersecurity experts (including those working for Kaspersky Lab) collaborate to detain the adversaries and provide file restoration tools online. Some people have an opportunity to decrypt their files without having to pay the ransom.

To check whether it’s possible, visit kaspersky.com.

The full Q1 cyberthreats report is available at Securelist.com.

Aquino... FROM 4

on 30 June 2016,” Coloma said.

“According to ES Ochoa, the PTC is prepared to work with, and meet with the transition team of the incoming President,” he added.

The PTC is chaired by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr. Its members are the director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority, the respective heads of the departments of Budget and Management, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Public Works and Highways, and the Presidential Communications Operations Office.

It is the overall and central coordination committee of all executive departments, agencies, bureaus, government-owned or -controlled corporations, and other instrumentalities as regards the various aspects of the transi-

tion to the new administration.

The committee will also oversee the preparation and implementation of the government agencies’ transition to the new administration, to ensure the continuity and maintain the efficiency of government services.

President Aquino had earlier committed to the “smoothest transition possible.”

“I talked to Mr. Bong Go to relay to Mayor Duterte that an Administrative Order (AO) is being drafted designating the Executive Secretary as head of the transition team. I further offered that the Cabinet stands ready to brief his team on any and all of their concerns. Lastly, we are committed to effecting the smoothest transition possible,” President Aquino said in a statement on Wednesday. (PNA)

to get the best and the brightest, Coloma said.

"At sa aking personal na opinyon, makakatulong din ‘yung mayroong karanasan sa nakaraang administrasyon

kumbaga ay mababawasan ang learning curve, ‘yung paghahanda, ‘yung pagiging maalam dahil meron ng nakaraang karanasan na pagbabatayan," he said. (PNA)

of AIDS hour aimed at raising awareness about the disease.

Part of the government initiative is disseminating information about HIV and AIDS to warn the public about the virus.

"Pagtulungan po na-

tin ‘yan, nag-uumpisa po sa awareness, nag-uumpisa sa kamalayan na kung ano ang dapat gawin, kung isasapuso natin ito ay mas madali nating mapagtutulungan ang pagtugon sa banta ng HIV virus at ng AIDS," Coloma said. (PNA)

Filipinos... FROM 6 DOH... FROM 6

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11 COMPETITIVE EDGE

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 9 ISSUE 55 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, MAY 15 - 16, 2016

Kaspersky Lab detected a 14% rise in new ransomware modifications

R

ANSOMWARE has overtaken news about APT attacks to become the main topic of the quarter. According to Kaspersky Lab’s Q1 malware report, the company’s experts detected 2,900 new malware modifications during the quarter, an increase of 14 percent on the previous quarter.

Kaspersky Lab’s database now includes about 15 thousand ransomware modifications and the number continues to grow.

In the first quarter of 2016, Kaspersky Lab security solutions prevented 372,602 ransomware attacks on users, 17 percent of which targeted the corporate sector. The number of attacked users increased by 30 percent compared to Q4, 2015.

One of the most famous and widespread ransomware in Q1, 2016 was Locky. Kaspersky Lab products detected attempts to infect users with this Trojan in 114 countries, and as of early May 2016 it remains active.

Another ransomware called Petya was interesting from a technical perspective because of its ability not only to encrypt data stored on the computer, but also to overwrite the hard disk drive’s master boot record (MBR), leaving infected computers unable to boot into the operating system.

According to Kaspersky Lab detections the top three ransomware families in Q1 were: Teslacrypt (58.4%), CTB-Locker (23.5%), and Cryptowall (3.4%).

All three propagate mainly through spam emails with malicious attachments or links to infected web pages.

“One of the reasons why ransomware has become so popular lies in the simplicity of the business

model used by cybercriminals. Once the ransomware gets into the users’ system there is almost no chance of getting rid of it without losing personal data. Also, the demand to pay the ransom in bitcoins makes the payment process anonymous and almost untraceable which is very attractive to fraudsters. Another threatening trend is the Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) business model where cybercriminals pay a fee for the propagation of malware or promise a percentage of the ransom paid by an infected user,” says Aleks Gostev, Chief Security Expert in the Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT).

There is a further reason for the rise in ransomware attacks: users believe the threat is unbeatable. Businesses and individuals are not aware of the technology countermeasures that could help to prevent infection and the locking of files or systems; and by ignoring basic IT Security rules they allow cybercriminals and others to profit.

Alongside an overview of the major ransomware outbreaks, Kaspersky Lab has counted the overall level of cyberthreats in Q1 2016 globally.

According to Kaspersky Security Network data, the malware landscape in Q1 2016 was the following: Kaspersky Lab products blocked a total of 228 million malicious attacks on computers and mobile devices.

21.2 percent of Internet users faced web-based attacks at least once, which is 1.5 percentage points lower than in Q4, 2015.

44.5 percent of Kaspersky Lab solutions users faced a malicious threat at least once, which is a 0.8

F KASPERSKY, 10

Dengue awareness campaign held I MPLEMENTATION of Peligro sa Dengue: Ayaw Papildi!

Magpakabana.

Magbantay. Maglikay., a Dengue awareness and prevention campaign was recently held at the Wellspring I covered court, Barangay Catalunan Pequeño, Davao City on May 7, Saturday. This campaign was organized by the 4th year BA Communication Arts students of the University of the Philippines Mindanao in partnership with the Davao City Health Office’s Tropical

Disease Prevention and Control Division.

The campaign was participated by the household heads of Barangay Catalunan Pequeño. During its implementation, the participants were enthusiastic in bringing curtains, pails, and mosquito nets for soaking of insect repellants as part of the prevention practices. Ms. Elizabeth Banzon, Head of CHO – TDPCD gave series of lectures on the different types of mosquitos, identification of dengue

mosquito, dengue mosquito breeding sites, signs and symptoms of dengue victim, dengue medication and treatment, and dengue prevention practices.

Information kits and giveaways including OVI trap were distributed to the participants during the implementation of the campaign. Prior to the implementation of the campaign, the organizers held pre-launching events on May 2 (Monday) and May 6 (Friday) in the same barangay.

The campaign aims to raise awareness on dengue and strengthen the promotion of dengue prevention practices to lessen dengue cases in the city. Tropical Disease and Prevention Unit of the City Health Office is set to disseminate the jingle used for the campaign in their future activities to help educate Davaoeños on dengue and its effects to health.

The campaign was supported by Bombo Radyo Davao DXMF 576 KHz and Manila Bulletin.

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Yuka Saso adds a 72 to her opening 67.

Read more at http://www.spin. ph/golf/news/yuka-saso-ladies-philippine-golf-tour-princess-superal-eagle-ridge#hjPov73qglRukAWu.99

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EDGEDAVAO TRENDS The women behind Which Craft Shop Maan Tiburcio, Arien Ong & Maimai Lim.

Just say

WHICH CRAFT

Photos by Mima Tan of Mimathology

MAKING SOMETHING WITH YOUR OWN TWO HANDS IS UNDENIABLY ONE OF LIFE’S MOST BASIC PLEASURES. Whether it is a hobby or your trade, it is fulfilling to create and tinker with a craft. This is what Mary Ann Roldan Tiburcio or Maan discovered some years ago when she became deeply immersed in the world of crafting.

Having worked in the U.S., her love for all

things handcrafted grew hand in hand with being

True to their tagline.

This is where crafty wishes and dreams are made.

Party planners, calligraphers, artists and paper crafters were her regular patrons and their feedback along with the shop’s membership in the Crafting Hobby Association in the U.S. allowed her to expand the shop along with the happy addition of two partners along the way. exposed and having access to some of the best materials the world over.

When she relocated back to Davao City, she stayed true to her crafter’s ways, constantly sourcing her supplies from abroad and embarking on personal projects often well into the night after tucking her two daughters into bed.

Maan’s passion for crafting alerted her to the fact that materials sold lo-

cally are often overpriced or shoddier in quality as compared to those she was accustomed to using.

Often striking conversations with likeminded people who loved to craft, this drove her to start taking pre-orders and including them when ordering for her own personal supply stash. Soon, she was able to grow her inventory and develop a customer base that enabled her to

stock on-hand items that included everything from die cutting machines and accessories, board punches, paper trimmers and scorers, stencils, stamps, paints and inks, and writing & coloring materials.

And so Which Craft Shop was born online. Party planners, calligraphers, artists and paper crafters were her regular patrons and their feedback along with the shop’s membership in the Crafting Hobby Association in the U.S. allowed her to expand the shop along with the happy addition of two partners along the way.

Maan is positively gleeful as she shows me around the shop and she patiently takes on all my questions. “We try to support as many craft enthusiasts as we can given the varied areas of interest such as paper crafting for cardmaking and invitiations, die cutting, embossing, stamping, scrapbooking and divided journaling, adult coloring

STYLE SCRIBE A4

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UP AND ABOUT

Building trust and integrity TODAY, MORE THAN EVER, the real estate boom is very evident. The city’s population in on a steady rise so does the need for dwelling.

In the vast lands of Davao where lateral development is very much possible, housing projects are sprouting like mushrooms outward to the north and south of downtown Davao.

At the city center, vertical housing is rising. It was unthinkable back in the days with so much space available. But condominium living is already happening.

In real estate, how does one stay ahead of the game?

“Trust and integrity,” said 53year old, Luis Conrado “Toto” de Jesus, the Head for Operations of ALSONS Properties, a company with 50 years of experience in creating well-developed, green and livable communities. It lists projects like Ladislawa Garden Village, Las Terrazas and Woodridge Fernwood and Woodlane Residences as its completed projects and currently building a few more.

With half a century of delivering quality suburban havens, the company’s developments are sought-after in Davao. One project after another, Toto takes the forefront on the progress, “My job requires me to be on the field to oversee construction and engineering works,” he said.

But his line of work goes beyond fieldwork, “I deal with business partners and clients as well,” he shared.

Thus, he finds it important to be well groomed all the time.

“Good grooming is looking decent and presentable all the time.”

For his grooming needs he trusts Rocky’s Barbershop.

“It’s been too long to remember,” he said when asked when his first visit was. In fact, he was one of the first clients of Rocky’s when the first branch in Victoria Plaza opened in 1996.

What he remembers after his first visit was he liked the barbershop’s accessibility, professional service and good facilities. He was delighted to finally have a mall-based barbershop. Rocky’s is conveniently located, safe and secure.

Knowing that Rocky’s barbers are properly trained and provide quality service, he took his 1-year old son, Timmy, for his first haircut in 2003 at Rocky’s SM City mall. “He was moving too much but the barber managed well,” Toto said.

Since then visiting Rocky’s Barbershops was a father and son thing for Toto and Timmy.

Once a month they have haircuts

together at any of the Rocky’s branches. The son may have suki barber, Fernan, who knows what his young client wants and listens to his requests, but Timmy doesn’t mind having the barbers trim his hair.

What made them loyal to Rocky’s?

“My son and I are happy with the high quality of service at Rocky’s. Our suki barbers al-

ready know our preferred haircut. If there’s one person you need to trust, it’s your barber! At Rocky’s, all the barbers are properly trained, skilled at their craft, and courteous. The shops are conveniently located in the malls and have good facilities. We wouldn’t want it any other way,” replied Toto.

“Rocky’s has become a regular habit for us through the years.

The shops get renovated once in a while and facilities keep improving. Having a haircut at Rocky’s is a pleasant experience every time and it is something we look forward to,” he added.

Just like Toto’s place of work, Rocky’s Barbershop values trust and integrity. At 20 years old, Rocky’s has become an institution, a trusted name in the men’s grooming industry. A steadily

growing number of branches and long list of loyal clientele are its validations. Grooming is a Rocky’s family tradition passed from generation to the next.

“In our family, we teach our son Timmy these same values of trust and integrity by showing him that he can always rely on the family to be on his side and that we always wish the best for each other, ” shared Toto, and Rocky’s embrace the same values.

On the 20th year anniversary of Rocky’s, Toto says, “I wish to congratulate Rocky’s for being Davao’s No. 1 chain of barbershops all these years and may Rocky’s continue to serve many, many more happy customers in the years to come!”

Rocky’s Barbershop is the first barbershop to open in a mall in Davao City in 1986. All its five branches today are conveniently located in malls- Victoria Plaza, Abreeza Mall, GMall, SM City & SM Lanang Premier, with its newest branch in Centrio Mall in Cagayan de Oro City. 2016 marks its 20th year in the business.

Toto and Timmy de Jesus are the featured Father and Son personalities in the 2016 Traditions calendar of Rocky’s. (Contributed article)

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ENTERTAINMENT

Mikee Quintos is ready for her acting debut MIKEE QUINTOS WAS OFFICIALLY WELCOMED TO GMA ARTIST CENTER LAST MAY 12 during the GMA Artist Center Socials.

The 18-year-old has been sharing her talent in music ever since she was seven, but this year she is ready to unleash her acting skills.

Mikee shared in an interview with GMANetwork.com that as a daughter of politicians, she is used to performing

in front a large crowd.

“I’ve been singing ever since I was seven-yearsold, [since] my parents are politicians I sing for them during their campaigns every year,” she said.

She mentioned that when she was 16, she even tried to join a singing contest but she didn’t make it through the first round. She admitted that because of that experience she was able to try and explore acting.

“I learned from the [singing contest] and I looked at it na baka sign

yan na I’m supposed to do something else. Actually, I started to do acting din from that point,” Mikee shared.

The Kapuso star also shared that she is ready for new experiences and that she is excited for her acting debut this year in the Encantadia remake as the new Lira.

“Game ako sa lahat. Para lang may experiences na bago, [I want to] try new things kasi ito yung age na dapat nag-eexplore ka kung saan ka fit diba,” she said.

Gabbi Garcia busy with her debut preparations WHENEVER GABBI GARCIA IS NOT BUSY TRAINING AND TAPING FOR ENCANTADIA, she puts her focus on yet another big project—her 18th birthday.

In an earlier interview with GMANetwork.com, Gabbi revealed that, like a lot of girls, it has always been her dream to celebrate her debut.

Eight months before her special day, Gabbi’s already figuring out the things she wants to happen.

According to Gabbi, “I’m preparing for my debut by having meetings with my managers from GMA.” Aside from meetings, she already has a date set for the event, “’My actual birthday is on December 2, a Friday.

[We moved’ the debut to December 3 para maraming makarating.”

As for the inspirations for her debut, Gabbi said that she doesn’t

have a specific peg.

“Basta I want everyone to be in gowns, I want it to be classy,” she said.

And out of all the ceremonies usual debuts have, Gabbi is only planning to have the 18 candles and 18 roses.

“Dalawa lang kasi I don’t want the guests to be bored. There’s going to be a mix of traditional and nontraditional elements.”

Born to be Wild’s ‘The Born Expeditions’ returns THIS SUNDAY, BORN TO BE WILD GOES BACK TO THE BABUYAN ISLANDS to get a glimpse once again of one of the most majestic sights on the face of the planet: the humpback whale.

The size of a bus, this sole humpback whale swims across what looks like an endless blue ocean. This awe-inspiring vision of one of the most massive, and yet threatened, species on Earth is what brings the Born to be Wild team back to the island for a sixth consecutive summer.

This year, Born to be Wild is armed with new technology and even more cameras. But more importantly, the team brings

with them more experience and tenacity to be able to film the

whales like never before. Doc Nielsen Donato and his team dream of capturing the closest footage of the humpback whale as it does its signature “breach”— lifting its entire body above water before plummeting back into the ocean. And this summer, they succeed in doing exactly that.

Join Born to be Wild in their annual journey to bring Philippine viewers a wildlife experience that is sure to inspire awe in this big blue planet we call home. The first part of “The Born Expeditions 2016” premieres this Sunday, 9 a.m. on GMA-7.

May 11 – 17, 2016

JUST THE 3 OF US John Lloyd Cruz, Jennylyn Mercado R13

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

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Chris Evans , Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson PG

1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 10:00 LFS

THE ANGRY BIRDS Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson PG

12:00 | 2:00 | 4:00 | 6:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

THIS TIME / * PRECIOUS CARGO James Reid, Nadine Lustre/ *Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Bruce Willis G/ *R16

12:05 | 2:10 | 4:15 LFS / *6:20 | 8:10 | 10:00 LFS

EDGEDAVAO

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TRENDS

Pen markers, like these from Sharpie, abound in their colorful splendor.

STYLE SCRIBE A1 and the current most popular trends, planner journaling and calligraphy,” Maan shares. The world of crafting truly encompasses so much and they are always looking to broaden their involvement, with even the annual convention in the U.S. in their sights. Some of the popular brands the shop carries and have a partnership to retail include Silhouette America, Cricut by Provocraft, Sizzix, We are Memory Keepers, American Crafts, Martha Stewart Crafts, Heidi Swapp, Mommy Lhey Designs, Technique Tuesday, Sharpie and Spellbinders to name a few.

It was really a natural progression that a line for children and events was born because how can a very dedicated mom like Maan not want to create an outlet that would foster in children the curiosity to create, play and appreciate thoughtfully designed surroundings? She couldn’t have found more fitting partners for

the endeavor than in Maimai Lim and Arien Ong. Maan met the former some years ago when their kids attended the same preschool. A mutual love and strong belief in the hands-on rearing of their kids lead to the birth of Smartypants by Which Craft Shop. Maan, who is an occupational therapist by profession, and Maimai who is the epitome of a dedicated homemaker have handpicked a range of toys that they feel fill in the void in today’s market for learning materials that are reasonably priced yet are superior in quality that what is frequently available. These are moms that really do their homework as they took time to explain to me at length how each game or toy worked and what skills they can teach the child. This is something they made sure their staff at the store can do as well for the entire product range which is specialized and which they feel is uniquely special in

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The elements of a dainty or artsy party is within arms reach here. their own ways.

They two close friends met Arien at the dance and fitness studio where they all attended pole dancing classes together.

Soon after, Arien came onboard as the head for the events styling arm of the shop. One party they all remember fondly is the seventh birthday of Maan’s eldest daughter Gabee which was dubbed an art party. The event, which they prepared and styled to the hilt, was a smorgasbord of custom-crafted party materials and stations with different activities. It was really an affair to remember for all of them, as the simple making of masks and other crafts that afternoon became something truly enjoyable for the kids and the supervising adults alike. This is not really something you can often say about parties nowadays, which involve more spectacle that fun interaction.

It is not hard to imagine the

possibilities of how you can make your life and world a little more playful and imaginative when you enter the Which Craft Shop. Going a little gaga for the colorful markers, plethora of party supplies and stacks of adult coloring books is an easy given.

For experienced hands at crafting and even just people who like to feast their eyes and hands on beautiful items that celebrate making tangible memories from a stylishly penned word to a collage of pictures lovingly put together in an album, looking around and learning more about what they sell can really encourage one to discover more about what one can create. That is something the three partners dearly hope for, that more people

realize that the beauty of art and crafting is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. The process of creating should come first and finding that joy when you are creating something. The physical store, which was a dream realized just last year, houses some of the city’s finest art and crafting materials. Let a step in be a step out of your creative comfort zone and try to pick up something to create with.

Visit Which Craft Shop at the 3rd Floor Abiva Building, MacArthur Highway, Davao City (across NCCC Mall). Operating Hours: 3:00-8:00PM. Online inquiries and orders are handled through the Facebook page of Which Craft Shop or through mobile number 0917-7002629.

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EDGEDAVAO

NEWS 13

Duterte... FROM 4 desh with 264,000 last year.

The crowd caused traffic congestion along Diversion Road and supporters from

the poor and the elite could be seen walking to and from the park. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

duly designated Comelec personnel,” the order added.

The poll body official explained that the order was issued to reiterate that the facility is under the control of the poll body.

“As a precautionary measure in the midst of numerous concerns and speculations as to the integrity of the Canvassing and Consolidated System (CCS) being used for the 2016 National and Local Elections, please be reminded that the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) has sole and absolute control over the CCS workstation located at the Philippine International Convention Centre (PICC),” it stressed.

On the other hand, the order said that as for equipment or system that Smartmatic needs to check, they have to

secure the permission from the senior poll body official.

“Furthermore, kindly be reminded that as to any other equipment or system you (Smartmatic) may need to examine, please secure consent of the undersigned prior doing any action,” it said.

The Comelec added, “Finally, in the spirit of utmost transparency, follow the protocol of announcing any action to all parties present before undertaking the same.”

Meanwhile, the NBOC has counted a total of 147 Certificate of Canvass (COCs) since the en banc reconvened last Tuesday (May 10).

There are a total of 165 COCs that will be canvassed for the senatorial and party-list positions in the recently concluded polls. (PNA)

longtime peddlers of neoliberal economics.

President Duterte, we believe you can break away from the system of greed and the reign of capital, if you would only allow the marginalized and the oppressed to put forward their concerns,” Elago said.

The youth leader also challenged Duterte to serious-

ly look into plans to invest on national industries, implement genuine agrarian reform, and pursue free public education at all levels.

“The people have given you their overwhelming support, President Duterte. It’s time that you support their calls for genuine progressive change, too,” Elago ended.

CHENEEN R. CAPON

Smartmatic... FROM 6

Kabataan... FROM 7

14 CLASSIFIEDS

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KORONADAL PARTNER EDGEDAVAO ESTABLISHMENTS Serving a seamless society

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BRING ‘EM ON

PHL boxers Suarez, Ladon ready to face pros in Rio D

ABAWENYO Olympian Charly Suarez and Roger Ladon believe amateur boxers still have an advantage over professional counterparts should the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allow pros in the Olympics.

The International Boxing Association (Aiba) is serious in its bid to bring in professional boxers to the Rio Games this year, as boxing is one of only a few sports that

doesn’t allow pros in Olympic competitions.

It’s a move that even has Manny Pacquiao curious, as he also expressed interest i n

competing in the Olympics for the Philippines following a decorated professional career.

Despite the possibility of pros boxing in the Olympics, Ladon and Suarez are unperturbed by the chance that they might face professionals in Rio,

even saying amateur boxers like them have unique advantages.

Ladon said the amateur boxers’ speed is what gives them a clear edge.

“Medyo mahihirapan din sila sa amin kasi gamit namin ‘yung bilis namin.

Hindi namin gamit ‘yung lakas,” said the light flyweight fighter.

Suarez, who is already competing in Aiba Pro Boxing events, agreed with Ladon’s assessment, and noted the amateur boxers’ year-round training as another key advantage.

“Marami na rin ako naka-sparring na professional.

‘Yung bilis ng amateur tapos dagdagan mo pa ‘yung training na mahaba, parang mahirap din talun-

in kapag amateur,” Suarez said.

National head coach Nolito Velasco, however, pointed out that the intimidation of facing a pro boxer remains a factor for an amateur fighter.

“Kahit sabihin mo na tatalunin ko si Manny Pacquiao, siyempre parang ayaw mo rin sumuntok,” said Velasco. “Pero mahihirapan din ang mga pro kasi three rounds lang eh. Baka warmup pa lang sa professional ‘yun.”

Regardless of whether Pacquiao competes in the Olympics or not, Velasco said the Filipino boxing superstar has accomplished a lot in the pro ranks that it wouldn’t be a disservice for the country if he is not allowed to compete in Rio. “’Yung eight times na champion siya, sobra pa sa Olympics ‘yun,” said Velasco.

UNFAZED. Charly Suarez (left), shown here in file photo, is not afraid of the possible entry of professionals in boxing in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Curry expects strong Miami survives Raptors, forces Game 7 OKC in West Finals T S TEPHEN Curry surprised coach Steve Kerr with how quickly he found his groove the past two games after returning from a right knee injury, even with a few more misses than usual for the MVP. Now, Curry and the Golden State Warriors push into the Western Conference finals against Oklahoma City counting on their superstar to be fully healthy for an entire round for the first time this postseason.

There’s no way he won’t be making as big an impact as he possibly can as the defending champions move closer to their goal of a repeat title.

“Hopefully, it will be close to 100 percent by Monday night,” Curry said after Friday’s practice (Saturday, Manila time).

Fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson, who carried the load on both ends of the floor during Curry’s absence for much of the first two rounds, is counting on it.

So far, Curry’s return has been seamless — even more so than Kerr had foreseen.

The Coach of the Year figured there might be a transition period as everybody got comfortable again.

“It has (been smooth),” Thompson said. “Anyone can see that. He hasn’t missed a beat.”

Draymond Green practiced after injuring his left

ankle during Wednesday’s series clincher against Portland, while 7-foot center Andrew Bogut sat out Friday’s workout with a strained muscle in his right leg.

The hope is that Bogut will return to practice Saturday and be ready for Monday night’s Game One of the bestof-seven series against the Thunder at Oracle Arena. An MRI wasn’t in the plans for Bogut’s injury, Kerr said.

After a whirlwind week that included becoming the NBA’s first unanimous MVP on Tuesday, Curry looked forward to taking some much-needed downtime between now and the next round to rest his body and mind.

“You go from missing three weeks, two and a half weeks to playing significant minutes in 48 hours, especially with what the day in between was like, it kind of shocks your body,” Curry said. “So you’ve got to take advantage of these three days we have off to get refreshed and rejuvenated mentally and physically, and get ready to play.”

Curry came off the bench and overcame a slow start to score 40 points in a 132-125 Game Four overtime win at Portland on Monday night, including an NBA-record 17 in overtime. He then started and scored 29 in Wednesday’s clincher against the Trail Blazers.

HE Miami Heat went small, and came up big.

With that, another Game Seven awaits.

Goran Dragic scored a postseason career-high 30 points, Dwyane Wade added 22 and the Heat rode a small lineup to a 103-91 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night (Saturday, Manila time), tying their Eastern Conference semifinal series, 3-3.

“Last year at this time we were all on vacation,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “So often in this business people tend to want to search for the easy route. There’s usually not an easy way in a seven-game series, certainly not with a second and third seed going against each other.

This is the path ... and now we’ve pushed it to a Game Seven.”

It comes Sunday in Toronto.

The winner will head to Cleveland for Game One of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night. Both the Heat and the Raptors won a Game Seven in the first round.

Kyle Lowry scored 36 points for Toronto, on 12-for-27 shooting. DeMar DeRozan added 23 for the Raptors, but their teammates combined to shoot 14 of 34 from the floor and manage 32 points.

“We came here to try to win the game,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “We didn’t come here with a seven-game series in mind. It’s been a great series, they’re a championship-caliber

team, well-coached team, but we came in here to try to win the game. We didn’t come in here wanting a Game 7.”

Joe Johnson had 13 points, Justise Winslow added 12, and Josh McRoberts scored 10 for the Heat. But now they need a win on the road, or else the season ends Sunday.

“We played all year to get 56 wins and be the No. 2 seed in the East and get home court in this type of situation,” Lowry said.

“It’s going to be fun. Game Seven, two versus three, get an opportunity to play on one of the biggest stages there is.”

Dragic shot 12 of 21, Wade blocked a game-high three shots and the Heat — despite some serious size deficiencies with in-

jured starting center Hassan Whiteside still out — only lost the rebounding battle 43-41.

“I knew this guy to my left was going to have an amazing performance tonight,” Wade said, sitting alongside Dragic postgame. “You could tell he was on the brink of one.”

Neither team divulged its starting lineup until warmups were under way. The Heat had reason for subterfuge, after choosing a super-small starting five of Dragic, Wade, Johnson, Luol Deng and Winslow.

Desperation? Maybe.

The results? Splendid.

The Heat used eight players — the tallest being McRoberts, at 6-foot-10. The average height of the others was just under 6-6.

NO STOPPING CURRY. Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors are pushing into the Western Conference finals against Oklahoma City.

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