Edge Davao Issue 36

highlights

THIS ISSUE: P15 20 PAGES e-mail: editorial@edgedavao.net / marketing@edgedavao.net

VOL. 4 NO. 37 November 7-13, 2011

www.edgedavao.net

7

weeks before

The Business PAPER

agritrends p5

Coconut smuggling rampant in Davao

Seaweed farming

figures of the week STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE

Philippine Stock Index As of November 4, 2011

US DOLLAR = philippine peso As of November 4, 2011

As of May 20, 2010

A & A Securities, Inc.

JIFFYCAR Bldg., Ecowest Drive (Beside SM City Davao), Davao City

Tel. Nos.: 299-0199, 297-7233, 303-0555, 297-8090, 0917-7000911, 0922-8831358 Important: The information contained herein is based on sources which we believe are reliable but is not guaranteed by edgedavao and A & A Securities, Inc. This report is provided for information purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the security mentioned herein.

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2

VOL. 4 NO. 36 november 7-13, 2011

On the cover

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Coconut smuggling rampant n Copra traders, coco mills complaining

C

OPRA traders, operators and owners of coconut oil mills are complaining that their business has been adversely affected by the resurgence of smuggling of both fresh young and mature coconuts into China.

This was relayed to Edge Davao by local coconut industry insiders who said that the smuggling activities have resulted in the decrease of supply of raw materials for copra meat for copra exporters and raw materials for the close to a half a dozen coconut oil mills in the area.

The smugglers are reportedly getting their supplies from coconut farmers in the districts of Calinan, Tugbok, Baguio and Marilog.

Middlemen acting on behalf of the smugglers can reportedly lure farmers to

sell their produce to them because they buy coconuts at a much higher price than when they sell the same to the traditional copra traders.

Last May 2, former Bureau of Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez issued a memorandum to all customs district collectors reminding them of the provisions of Customs Memorandum Order No. 116-92 which classifies coconut seedlings and mature coconuts as controlled products which require a certificate of exemption from the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) prior to exportation.

Alvarez was prompted to issue the memorandum after receiving a letter from Department of Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala on the prevalence of illegal exportation of mature coconuts.

In a memorandum to Alcala dated April 13, 2011, PCA administrator Euclides G. Forbes reported that mature coconuts were loaded at the Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Cebu Ports and illegally exported to Hainan, China.

Efforts to contact Davao Customs Collector Martiniano Bangcoy and PCA Region 11 Director Lornito Orillaneda to get their comments on the coconut smuggling failed.

The Philippines is the world’s second largest producer of coconut products, after Indonesia. Coconut products, coconut oil, copra (dried coconut), and desiccated coconut account for approximately 6.7 percent of Philippine exports.

Based on the PCA report, the coconut industry is a dominant sector of Philippine agriculture, with 3.1

F

million hectares devoted to coconut out of the 12 million hectares of farmlands in the country.

The coconut industry is also among the top five net foreign exchange earners with an average of US$760M annually. It is estimated that between 25 percent and 33 percent of the population is at least partly dependent on coconuts for their livelihood.

Coconut is planted in 3.278 million hectares all over the country, dominating the landscape in 86% of all provinces, with 77% of all municipalities regarding it as a major crop.

In addition, more than 60 percent of Philippine copra and coconut oil exports come from Mindanao. Most of the country’s coconut oil mills are also based in Mindanao.

“Four applicants were processed at the Consulate during the first day of registration, the oldest being a 42-year old civil servant and the youngest being a 28year old housewife,” it said.

The Consulate intends to also conduct mobile/ field registration services to reach out to Filipinos residing in far-flung localities in the six German federal states under its jurisdiction.

In Australia, the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney said Filipino engineer Jerry Peñas and his wife Jacqueline were the first to register as OAVs. “Mr. and Mrs. Peñas came to the Consulate together with their three-yearold daughter to apply for an NBI clearance,” it said.

Peñas has been working in Sydney for the past three years as project engineer for the contractor company, Leighton Contractors Pty Limited.

He participated in the first OAV in 2003 while based in Taipei.

The couple had to register again as their names are no longer in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) list of voters, including OAV. The Consulate will continue its information campaign to encourage more members of the Filipino community to register as overseas absentee voters.

In Timor-Leste, the Philippine Embassy in Dili said the first registrant was Fe Singidas Bandrang, a resident of Timor-Leste since 2002.

A total of 17 registrants attended the first day of OAV registration, it said.

“The conduct of the OAV exercise was a onecountry team effort with the Embassy’s attached agency, with the Office of the Defense and Armed Forces Attaché augmenting the Embassy’s lean staff complement,” it said.

he Philippines continue to accumulate dollar reserves with the end-October 2011 level surging by 33 percent yearon-year due to higher inflows of remittances and business process outsourcing (BPO) income among others.

Data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that gross international reserves (GIR) as of last October reached US$ 75.81 billion, way higher from year-ago’s US$ 57.15 billion. Month-onmonth, it grew by .85 percent from last September’s US$ 75.17 billion.

“The appreciable buildup in the reserves level at end-October 2011 resulted mainly from the foreign exchange operations and income from investments abroad of the BSP as well as revaluation gains on the BSP’s gold holdings,” BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said.

The central bank chief, however, said that the inflows were countered partly

climate change,” Paje said.

He acknowledged the continuing effort of leading businesses towards good environmental citizenship as part of their corporate social responsibility programs or an integral part of their business operations. He cited in particular the establishment of the Philippine Business for the Environment in 1992 as a milestone in the long line of efforts of the private sector to become more pro-environment.

However, he admitted that getting the small and medium scale enterprises to comply with environmental standards remain a challenge.

“The challenge that confronts us now is how

to get the rest of the business sector, down to small, medium and micro-scale enterprises, to also become fully compliant with environmental standards,” he stressed.

According to him, the environmental policies that are in force today in the form of laws, rules and regulations, and executive issuances are among the best in the world. However, he said that while some businesses regard complying with these regulations are costly, the “costs of not complying with them are infinitely greater to the society as a whole” especially in light of the global problem on climate change, which he said, also affect the busi-

ness sector by devastating its markets and suppliers.

Relative to this, he stressed that private-public partnership should be highlighted on top of the business sector’s undertakings to comply with environmental laws and regulations to address the pressing issue of climate change.

Citing a report from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Paje said that the number of destructive typhoons that hit the country in the first three years of the 21st century has increased from 6.75 typhoons in 2000 to 2003 to 9.7 typhoons per year from 2004 to 2007.

Further, the climate

by the National Government’s (NG) maturing foreign denominated liabilities.

Tetangco said the dollar reserves at the end of the 10th month this year could cover 11.2 percent months worth of goods and payments of services and income.

He said the current foreign reserves is also equivalent to 10.6 times that country’s short-term foreign liabilities based on original maturity and 6.4 times based on residual maturity, which the central bank defines as the “outstanding external debt with original maturity of one year or less, plus principal payments on medium and long-term loans of the public and private sectors falling due within the next 12 months.”

Relatively, the country’s net international reserves (NIR), which include revaluation of reserve assets, jumped by US$ 0.6 billion to US$ 75.8 billion as of last October from month-ago’s US$ 75.2 billion. [PNA]

pattern in the country has already been drastically altered with prolonged wet season accompanied by heavy rainfall beyond the normal monthly average, inundating low-lying areas, causing damage to farmlands and other agricultural products and landslides.

To address the issues of climate change and to minimize damage to life and property, the government has embarked on massive tree planting activities in various denuded areas to increase forest cover which is currently peg at 7.2 million hectares or 26 percent of the country’s land area of 30 million hectares.

Business leaders urged to help in greening program D

epartment of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje called on the business sector to join the government’s greening program in the recent 37th Philippine Business Conference and Expo held at the Manila Hotel.

“The DENR welcomes and seeks partnerships with the private sector, particularly in the National Greening Program which no less than President Aquino has launched as a priority project not only to reforest the country’s denuded and degraded forest areas but also meant to reduce poverty, promote food security and biodiversity conservation, and mitigate the impacts of

59.1 percent

PERCENTAGE of mothers included in a study who recalled an infant formula advertisement message and one-sixth reported a doctor recommended the use of infant formula. Mothers who recalled an ad message were twice as likely to feed their babies infant formula, while those advised by a doctor were four times as likely to do so.

8th

Pinoys around the world start Foreign reserves up 33% registering for 2013 elections T ilipinos around the world started registering as overseas absentee voters (OAVs) this week for the 2013 midterm elections.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the OAV registration in many areas began last Nov. 2, with overseas-based Filipinos lining up to register.

The OAV registration will continue until Oct. 31, 2012.

In Germany, the first registrant was Melanie Steinmetz, a native of Daanbantayan of Cebu who is married to a German national.

She last registered as a voter in the Philippines in the late 1990s and has been residing in Germany since 2002, according to the DFA. The DFA said she “expressed her joy and excitement at being able to vote abroad and thereby fulfill her civic duty.”

It figures

THE rank of the Philippines among the countries of the world with the least gender gap, where women and men enjoy the same access to education, according to the 2011 Global Gender Gap rankings by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum. The country placed ninth last year among 135 countries with a score of 0.768. The annual survey shows that four Nordic countries—Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden –lead the world in promoting equality of the sexes.

41

NUMBER of countries and territories Filipinos are banned from working in by the Philippine government because these places had failed to provide safeguards to protect them from abuse.

The blacklisted countries are named in a board resolution of the Department of Labor and Employment posted on its website.

21.5

AVERAGE number of hours Filipinos spend on he Internet every week, longer than the time they spend on television, according to the inaugural Nielsen Southeast Digital Consumer Report.

Filipinos are second only to Singaporeans who spend an average of 25 hours online per week. Filipinos spend only 13.3 hours every week watching television; 6.3 hours listening to the radio; and 3.6 hours reading newspapers, magazines and other periodicals.

14 percent

GROWTH in net profit of SM Prime Holdings, the country’s largest shopping mall developer, during the first nine months of the year. The company’s net profit grew to P6.41 billion during the period in review, as tycoon Henry Sy’s executives announced the opening of four other malls in various parts of the country soon. By the end of the year, SM Prime will have 48 malls in the Philippines and in China with an estimated combined gross floor area of 5.9 million sq.m.

253

NUMBER of human immunodefiency virus (HIV) cases recorded lat September, the highest recorded for a month since the country began tracking the disease in 1984. The Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry said the new HIV cases were 49 more than the 204 cases recorded in July, which held the previous record.

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

THE ECONOMY november 7-13, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 36

Davao’s 2nd Int’l Connection

Inflation up 5.2%

Tiger Air launches tri-weekly T Singapore-Davao City flights T

iger Airways’ maiden Airbus 320 direct service from Singapore to Davao arrived 15 minutes earlier than schedule at the Davao International Airport at 6:30 pm on November 1 with 95 passengers on board.

“Our initial SingaporeDavao roundtrip flight this evening recorded a 50% load and we look forward to fast growth in our inbound and outbound markets given our flights three times a week,” said Delza Gochoco, Tiger Airways resident agent in the Philippines.

Gochoco added, “We need to work closely and vigorously with the Davao, Mindanao as well as Singapore communities in order to sustain our effort in providing an alternative con-

nection to Singapore, which is a very successful international hub.”

Meanwhile, Department of Tourism Davao regional director Art Boncato, Jr. expressed confidence that Tiger Airways would greatly help develop tourism between Davao and Singapore.

“This is also in line with the national government’s mission to invigorate secondary international gateways,” he said.

“We are excited to add Davao to our growing portfolio of exciting destinations. Davao is an ideal destination for travelers who are keen on experiencing both the cultural diversity and natural beauty that the Philippines has to offer,” Stewart Adams, managing

ONB pilots micro banking offices T

he Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) last September 13has approved the request of One Network Bank, to establish five MicroBanking Offices or MBOs in Davao City pursuant to BSP Circular No. 694 dated October 14, 2010.

Through the said circular, BSP is allowing rural and thrift banks in the country to establish microbanking offices (MBOs) in cities and municipalities where microfinance-oriented banking services are unavailable and where it is economically unjustifiable to set up largescale bank services.

ONB’s Micro Banking Offices shall be providing services that are suitably intended for the target market such as accept micro-deposits including initial deposit and service withdrawals thereof, accept check deposits of microfinance clients for collection and credit to own deposit accounts, disburse/release proceeds of micro-loans and collect loan amortization payments and related charges, collect payments, sell and market microinsurance products, receive and pay out authorized remittance transactions, act as cash in/out points for electronic money, receive utility payments, collect premiums, and pay out benefits, and purchase foreign currencies up to maximum equivalent of USD300 per client per day for credit to micro-deposit accounts.

ONB’s 6 BSP-approved locations for the MBOs within Davao City are in Brgy.

Catalunan Grande, Brgy.

Cabantian, Brgy. Bunawan, Brgy. Sasa and Piapi (to be replaced by another location in Sandawa).

The average total estimated capital expenditure for each MBOs is P834,000 or a

total CAPEX budget of 4.17 million for the 5 MBOs. This represents cost of leasehold improvements, furniture and equipment on a rented 5 meter x 6 meter commercial stall space. Over the first 3 years of operation, each MBO is projected to contribute an additional average annual operating income of P534,000 or P2.67 M total income for the 5 MBOs over 3 years.

Each MBO will be as high-tech as regular branches with ATM, POS-Debit Bills Payments, Electronic Foreign Remittance, Online Interbranch PeraDala Cash Transfers and Internet Banking.

The only limitation for each MBO is that only micro deposits of not more than P15,000 and only micro loans of not more than 150,000 are allowed by BSP to be serviced

by MBOs. MBOs will allow ONB to expand its banking infrastructure to reach microfinance clients in growth center barangays within Cities that are unserved by banks. Inclusive banking is the general strategy.

ONB also recently inaugurated its 81st Branch in New Corella, Davao del Norte- a product of its recent consolidation with also Mindaoa-based Rural Bank of New Corella adding up one branch and around P22 Million in assets to ONB’s branch network and P12.5Billion in resources.

The new consolidated ONB formally started consolidated operations last Sept.

1, 2011. The Bank now has paid-up common shareholdings of P1.45 Billion after consolidation and remains to be the Philipppines’ widest and most modern rural bank operating with a total of 81 branches and 108 PeraAgad ATMS. – [SUEY ASUNCION]

3

director of Tiger Airways Singapore said in an earlier statement.

As Singapore’s leading low-cost carrier, Tiger Airways is committed to provid-

ing customers the lowest airfares on safe and convenient point-to-point air travel, offering travelers low fares, more savings and more choices,” Adams added.

he country’s inflation rate, based on 2006 prices, rose to 5.2 percent in October this year from 4.8 percent in September due to rising consumer prices after major typhoons hit the country, particularly Luzon, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).

A year ago, inflation was 3.3 percent.

The October inflation was within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas forecast of 4.5 percent to 5.4 percent.

“This was due to higher annual increments in food and non-alcoholic beverages; alcoholic beverages and tobacco; and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels indices,” NSO said.

In the first 10 months, inflation rate average at 4.8 percent, or within the upper range of the government target of between 3 percent and 5 percent this year.

NSO said the annual rate of increment in the heavily weighted food and nonalcoholic beverages index was faster at 5.7 percent in

October from 5 percent in September; alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 6.2 percent from 6.1 percent; and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, 6.5 percent from 5.7 percent.

On the other hand, the annual inflation for transport index decelerated to 6.7 percent from 7.1 percent.

Prices for food alone index at the national level rose to 5.8 percent in October from 5.2 percent in September.

Higher prices were noted in the vegetables index at 19.9 percent in October; corn, 12.7 percent; fish index at 8.5 percent milk; cheese and egg, 2.9 percent; fruits, 7.2 percent and food products not elsewhere classified, 3.2 percent.

“The difficulty in catching fish species brought about by the inclement weather condition particularly in areas hit by the two typhoons resulted to lower supplies in the market,” NSO said.

Prices in Metro Manila went up to 4.9 percent in October from 4.2 percent in September.

4

The economy

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 4 NO. 36 november 7-13, 2011

as of august 2010

Cebu Pacific Daily 5J961 / 5J962 Zest Air Daily Z2390 / Z2390 Cebu Pacific Daily 5J593 / 5J348 Philippine Airlines Daily PR809 / PR810 Philippine Airlines Daily PR819 / PR820 Cebu Pacific Daily 5J394 / 5J393 Cebu Pacific Daily 5J599 / 5J594 Cebu Pacific Daily 5J347 / 5J596 Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun 5J963 / 5J964 Philippine Airlines Daily PR811 / PR812 Cebu Pacific Daily 5J595 / 5J966 Silk Air Mon/Wed/Sat MI588 / MI588 Cebu Pacific Thu 5J965 / 5J968 Cebu Pacific Tue/Wed//Sat 5J965 / 5J968

STAT WATCH INDICATIOR

LATEST

1. GNP Growth Rate (At Constant 1985 Prices)

1.9 % 2nd Qtr 2011

2. GDP Growth Rate (At Constant 1985 Prices)

3.4 % 2nd Qtr 2011

3. Exports 1/

USD 4,128 million Jun 2011

4. Imports 1/

USD 4,503 million Jun 2011

5. Trade Balance

USD -376 million Jun 2011

6. Balance of Payments 2/

USD 222 million Jun 2011

7. Broad Money Liabilities

P4,423,849 million Jun 2011

8. Interest Rate 4/

4.48% Apr 2011

9. National Government Revenues

P100,139 million Jun 2011

10. National government outstanding debt

P 4,777 billion May 2010

11. Peso per US $ 5/ 12. Stocks Composite Index 6/ 13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

P 42.81 Jul 2011

5:45 Manila-Davao-Manila 5:45 Manila-Davao-Manila 6:00 Cebu-Davao-Iloilo 6:10 Manila-Davao-Manila 7:50 Manila-Davao-Manila 7:50 Zamboanga-Davao-Zamboanga 8:00 Cebu-Davao-Cebu 9:10 Iloilo-Davao-Cebu 9:40 Manila-Davao-Manila 11:30 Manila-Davao-Manila 12:00 Cebu-Davao-Manila 18:55 Davao-Cebu-Singapore 12:55 Manila-Davao-Manila 13:35 Manila-Davao-Manila

6:15 6:25 6:30 7:00 8:50 8:10 8:30 9:40 10:10 12:20 12:30 13:35 13:25 14:05

4.6 Jul 2011

15. Core Inflation Rate 2000=100

3.7 Jul 2011

16. Visitor Arrivals

317,443 Apr 2011

17. Underemployment Rate /7

19.4% Apr 2011

18. Unemployment Rate /7

7.2 % Apr 2011

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2009 - January 2011)

Month Average December November October September August July June May April March

2011

43.37 43.13 43.24 43.52

2010 45.11 43.95 43.49 43.44 44.31 45.18 46.32 46.30 45.60 44.63 45.74

February

43.70

46.31

January

44.17

46.03

2009 47.637 46.421

47.032 46.851 48.139

48.161 48.146 47.905 47.524 48.217

48.458 47.585 47.207

15:20 15:30 16:45 17:05 17:45 18:20 19:10 20:30 21:00 21:00 21:50 22:50

Japanese senior citizens look at Davao City for their retirement O

lder Japanese are knocking at the doors of the Tokyo office of the Department of Tourism (DOT) to inquire about how they could retire in Davao City, according to DOT regional director Art Boncato Jr. “Our tourism office in Tokyo has recorded an increase in inquiries about retiring in the Philippines, particularly in Davao,” Boncato said.

He bared the good news after returning from the DOT-led Philippine Business Mission to East and West Japan and the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) Travel Showcase held recently.

“We are now closely working with the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) office in Davao to entice the increasing number of retirees in Japan to choose Davao as their second home,” he said.

Japan is the second biggest foreign market of Davao with at least 12,000 arrivals in 2010, DOT data show.

Boncato said Davao City has a historical value to the Japanese, thousands of whom worked in Japanese abaca plantations in Davao before World War II.

Japanese on group tours coming to visit Japanese shrines here is an annual routine by relatives who spent time here before the war, he added.

Boncato said Davao sees new windows of growth in the Japanese market from the Department of Tourism (DOT)led Philippine Business Mission to East and West Japan and the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) Travel Showcase last September and October.

Boncato and deluxe property Marco Polo Davao represented the city in a road show in Fukuoka, Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo with promising results.

“We are pleased to know that Philippine Airlines in Nagoya will soon begin promotions for Davao via their direct flights to Manila and in our initial meetings we agreed to focus on the golf market for starters,” he said.

“We are also gearing up through our Philippine Retirement authority office in Davao to entice the increasing number of retirees in Japan to choose Davao as their second home. Our tourism office in Tokyo has recorded an increase in inquiries about

Biz groups join ranks backing PAL

S

ome of the country’s biggest business 4,503.6 groups on Wednesday expressed soliJul 2011 darity with Philippine Airlines (PAL) as they joined calls for swifter and more decisive 126.4 government action to resolve the standoff beJul 2011 tween the embattled flag carrier and its sepa-

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2000=100

Silk Air Thu/Sun MI566 / MI566 18:55 Davao-Singapore Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri 5J507 / 5J598 15:00 Cebu-Davao-Cebu Philippine Airlines August 15:55 Mani2Mani 16:50 Zest Air Daily Z2524 / Z2525 16:05 Cebu-Davao-Cebu Cebu Pacific Daily 5J967 / 5J600 16:35 Manila-Davao-Cebu Philippines Airlines Daily PR813 / PR814 16:55 Manila-Davao-Manila Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat 5J215 / 5J216 18:00 Cagayan de Oro-Davao-Cagayan de Oro Cebu Pacific Daily 5971 / 5J970 18:40 Manila-Davao-Manila Cebu Pacific Tue/Sat/Sun 5J973 / 5J974 20:00 Manila-Davao-Manila Cebu Pacific Daily 5J969 / 5J972 20:30 Manila-Davao-Manila Airphil Express Daily 2P987 / 2P988 20:30 Manila-Davao-Manila Philippine Airlines Daily except Sunday PR821 / PR822 21:20 Manila-Davao-Manila Philippine Airlines Sunday PR821 / PR822 22:20 Manila-Davao-Manila

rated workers.

Federation of Philippine Industries, Inc. (FPI) chairman Jesus Arranza said the current problems plaguing PAL, particularly the recent blocking of one of its trucks by dismissed workers, “is not conducive to business”, as this could discourage investors.

He urged the government, particularly the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), to ensure that the rights of businesses are protected in the same way as it accords protection to workers.

“We’re only asking for fair play. Government shouldn’t allow ‘tyranny of the minority’ which is currently happening at PAL. As Mayor Lim once said, ‘the law should be applied to all, or not at all,” he stressed.

For his part, PCCI president Francis Chua said his group wants an immediate resolution of the dispute between PAL and its former workers, citing that industrial peace is key to success in any business.* “PCCI is definitely supporting business and industry, but we must also look at the interest of the labor sector. Labor is an indispensable element in wealth formation,” he said.

Meanwhile, the FFCCCI appealed to law enforcement agencies to exert all efforts to prevent potential clashes between PAL and its former employees as the conflict is triggering anxiety among local and foreign investors.

“We’re requesting authorities to take a more direct hand in resolving the impasse before things get out of control. The recent turn of events where former PAL workers resorted to harassment and intimidation tactics at their picket line, impeded the airline’s operations,” said FFCCCI president Tan Ching.

The group said businesses recognize workers’ right to air their grievances, but said it hopes employees are also aware that employers have rights, too. The FFCCCI said it wishes the problem would be resolved soon like what the Australian government had done in the case of its flag carrier Qantas Airlines.

retiring in the Philippines,” he added.

Japan is the second biggest foreign market of Davao with at least 12,000 arrivals in 2010 based on 43% of total number of hotels reporting data to the DOT The Philippine Business Mission is an annual marketing program of the DOT that gives updates on Philippine tourism to travel agents and tour operators as well as media in a seminar. A travel mart and an evening reception provided business interaction. This year, DOT Assistant Secretary Benito Bengzon, Jr. led the delegation. Other government and private sector stakeholders came from Manila, Cebu, Bohol and Palawan.

Meanwhile, at the JATA Travel Showcase, Asia’s largest tourism exhibition held in Tokyo, the DOT hosted 29 tourism-related establishments in the Philippine Pavilion branded as Premium Resort Islands Philippines.

A total of around 38,000 travel trade players & press as well as 80,000 consumers visited the showcase from September 30 to October 2.

The Philippine Pavilion featured a Japanese convenience store, Mini-stop that gave away Davao cavendish bananas in a successful campaign for Japanese to visit the Philippine Pavilion. A cavendish banana in Japan is sold at Y100 or around P50 per piece. [PNA]

Local rubber industry facing bright future

M

indanao’s rubber industry is seen to shine with the interest of foreign investors to venture in tire manufacturing in the Philippines.

This projection was raised by Assistant Secretary Felicitas AgoncilloReyes of the Investments Promotion Group, Board of Investments (BOI) of the Department of Trade and Industry in an interview during the recent economic briefing held in Davao City.

Reyes said with the interest displayed by some investors from China and Japan on tire manufacturing, the industry is a potential growth winner in the country.

By identifying industry growth winners, the country’s economy is expected to soar high, she said.

Reyes named SANLI Tire Manufacturing based in China as among the companies which have expressed interest to locate in the Philippines. She said this happened during the state visit of President Benigno S. Aquino in China last August.

Mindanao is also known for its vast rubber plantations.

If the tire manufacturing plans of SANLI and other interested companies in the country push through, Mindanao’s rubber will find its way to these foreign tire manufacturing companies, Reyes said.

She said President Aquino’s visit to China resulted to billions of pesos worth of business commitments, including the proposed tire manufacturing venture. [PNA]

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

Agri trends november 7-13, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 36

5

Seaweed farming may bring peace to Mindanao A

griculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, on Friday, said that seaweed farming has the potential of bringing not only sustainable livelihood to residents but lasting peace to a Mindanao region in the southern part of the country.

During the program “Communication and News Exchange (CNEX)” held at the Philippine Information Agency, Alcala said the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino is keen on expanding the local seaweed production, an estimated P9-billion industry,

in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The DA chief said that he has personally witnessed the steady transformation of the province of TawiTawi into “a more peaceful and developed area in the ARMM” because of its booming seaweed industry.

“Many of the residents of Tawi-Tawi are deeply involved in farming seaweed for their livelihood,” he said.

Relative to this, Alcala said the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is “ag-

gressive” in establishing seaweed laboratories in Sulu and other parts of the country in order to have a steady and disease-resistant source of the highly-priced “vegetable of the sea.”

“We are very aggressive in pursuing seaweed farming in Sulu to prove that an area would be more peaceful if the residents there have a steady source of income,” Alcala said.

Data from the DA reveal that seaweed is among the Top 10 export products of the country. The Philippines is currently the world’s third leading sea-

weed producer next to China and Japan.

Likewise, for the past seven years, the country has remained the world’s top supplier of carageenan--a byproduct of seaweed--with an annual production of around 34,500 metric tons.

Carageenan is a primary ingredient used in manufacturing processed foodstuffs, toothpaste, medicines, beer, and jelly.

Moreover, seaweed farming, which requires a relatively cheap capital, does not require the use of fertilizers and pesticides.

[PIA]

DAR gives P10M as assistance to develop farmers’ enterprises T

he provincial office of the Department of Agrarian Reform in the city has poured in around P10 million worth of assistance to its agrarian reform cooperatives for the improvement of the farmers’ enterprise.

The assistance under DAR’s Sustainable Agribusiness and Rural Enterprise Development (SARED) was provided to five cooperatives mainly benefiting the agrarian reform beneficiaries in the city.

DAR Davao City legal division chief Atty. Glenn Pobre reported that among SARED’s support is to develop the coop’s enterprise and product such as processing of fresh fruits like durian, pineapple, banana and coconut of which by-products are mostly out in the market.

Pobre said the program has provided assistance of P518,479 to the Tawantawan Multi-purpose Cooperative at Barangay Tawantawan, Baguio District for its durian processing business that yields durian yema,

pastillas and jam products.

The coop got the assistance under SARED’s enterprise and product development component with a project title Durian Processing Project – Village Level Processing Center Enhancement Program Batch II. The Davao Agricultural Ventures Corporation ARB Cooperative in Barangay Cawayan, Calinan District obtained a project assistance worth over P1.445 million for the processing of the coop’s pineapple crops into jam, vinegar and juice.

Another support with a project cost of P680,831.54 was provided to the Subasta ARB Agricultural Cooperative at Barangay Subasta, also in Calinan, for the processing of its banana produce into powder feed grade.

The Tungkalan Coconut Farmers Cooperative in Barangay Tungkalan of Toril District, received P300,000 for the processing of coconut crops into coco sugar, polvoron, syrup and other coco delicacies.

The TCFC also ob-

tained a project support worth P275,000 for the production of its bio-organic fertilizer.

Also in Toril, the Progressive Highland Development Cooperative was able to improve its bakery and banana powder feed grade business with the help of the SARED assistance of P350,000 that was allocated for the bakery, and P850,000 for the banana powder.

SARED has extended its program into micro financing that has reached to P5 million and catered to 500 ARBs covering the areas of Tugbok and Calinan Districts in Davao City .

The program was coursed through the MicroAgri Loan Product (MALP) with partner microfinance institution Baba’s Foundation, Inc. which DAR Davao City tapped to handle the project.

DAR provincial agrarian reform officer Ernesto Tan said that the department has continued to provide support to its beneficiaries while completing its

acquisition and distribution (LAD) program under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reforms (CARPER) until 2014.

In a recently-held forum on agrarian reform program in the city, DAR reported an accomplishment of 63 hectares in its LAD component for the period January to September this year. The figure represents 11 percent of the total target of 563 hectares for 2011.

Tan said that aside from the SARED assistance, DAR’s support services also involve a program on Access Facilitation Access Enhancement Services (AFAES) such as farm-to-market roads, potable water system and solar power.

He said the projects have funding from foreignassisted projects, the Solar Power Technology Support to Agrarian Reform Communities, regular CARP fund and the Community-Managed Potable Water Supply Sanitation and Hygiene.

[PIA-11/Carina L. Cayon/ MGM]

Davao City tie-up with CocoaPhil to up cocoa output

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he Cocoa Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. (CocoaPhil) and the Davao City government are set to sign an agreement to implement the Coconut, Cocoa and Palayamanan (CoCoPal) farming system project to boost cocoa production in the Davao Region.

Leonardo R. Avila III, officer-in-charge of the City Agriculturist Office (CAO) here said CocoaPhil aimed to introduce the farming system models towards better yield that could contribute to improvement of the quality of life of farmer-partners through the implementation of the CoCoPal project in Davao City and Davao Oriental.

Avila said the foundation would conduct techni-

cal training on the farming systems to agricultural technologists and farmers. It will also assist the local government unit in the maintenance of plant nursery, postharvest facilities and organic fertilizer production.

At present Davao Region produces 80 percent of the 6,000 tons of cocoa yield in the country per year.

Avila said the plan to sign an agreement between the foundation and the city government was prompted after the city lawmakers recently authorized Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio to sign the proposed pact.

Under the draft agreement, the city will provide manpower and facilities for the project. [PNA]

These traits, he said, increase the hybrids’ yield potential in the wet season when the varieties are known to be susceptible to pests and diseases.

The PhilRice’s Developing Technologies to Surpass

the Dry Season Irrigated Lowland Rice Plateau also reported that Mestiso 19 and Mestiso 20, hybrid rice varieties released in 2009, had recently registered a yield of 12 tons per hectare (t/ha) in Bohol and 11. 5 t/ha in Davao del Sur, respectively.

Farmer leader urges government Hybrid rice varieties underway to make comprehensive agri plan

A

farmer leader here urged the local government to formulate a comprehensive agricultural plan to ensure food security for the city.

Nick Galope, chair of the Davao City Provincial Agrarian Reform Coordinating Committee, also called on officials not to indiscriminately approve applications for land conversion to protect agricultural land.

Galope raised the challenge to the city government for fear that the city may cease to be food supplier sans the comprehensive agricultural plan, and with the upsurge of land conversions from agricultural lands to housing subdivisions.

“What will be left of our city’s agricultural lands?” he asked in the vernacular, saying that for the last 20 years he has witnessed the rapid

conversions of lands in the city.

He said that production of primary crops such as coconut, corn, banana and rice might decline due to the sprouting of housing villages.

Galope brought up his concern for food security during a recent forum on the accomplishments and plans of the Provincial Agrarian Reform Office of Davao City until 2014.

In the forum, Galope also expressed worries over the state of farmers, particularly the agrarian reform beneficiaries when the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reforms (CARPER) ends in 2014.

“If the time comes when the program ends, would the local govern-

ment take the responsibility of helping the farmers?” he asked, urging local officials present at the forum to continue assisting farmers even without the agrarian reform program.

Galope represents the farm workers sector, which raises major crops, in the PARCCOM whose function is to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the CARP in each province in the country.

Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte urged fellow officials of the local government, the DAR and the Department of Agriculture to continue assisting Davao City-based farmers.

The mayor cited assistance in the form of training and capacity building activities, enhanced access to financial assistance and rehabilitation or creation of more farm-to-market roads.

H

ybrid rice, varieties bred by crossing two rice plants with superior qualities to survive environment stresses during the wet season, is the rice of the future, said a researcher based in the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said.

“In the next two to three years, a new generation of hybrid rice will revolutionize the landscape of rice fields with the use of new tools in breeding and adaptability tests conducted across the country,” Dr. Alex T. Rigor, PhilRice’s hybrid rice breeding team leader, said during the recent field day conducted at Barangay Catuguing, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte.

Rigor said that the types of hybrid rice being developed have thicker and stronger culm, better root system, moderate resistance to prevailing pests and diseases, and more dense panicles.

BizQUIPS

‘THE problem that besets communities is that once the inmates have served their time and are freed, they become a burden to society due to their lack of employable skills. So, to prevent this, we must seek to rehabilitate them through education while they are still in jail.’

--Senator Allan Peter Cayetano

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

AGRI TRENDS 6

VOL. 4 NO. 36 november 7-13, 2011

Balanced consumption of staples urged The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is advocating balanced consumption of staple crops to help improve the people’s nutritional status and to boost government’s bid for rice self-sufficiency by 2013.

“Our ancestors were already consuming root crops and bananas long before they learned to eat rice -this practice still prevails so we’re promoting balanced consumption,” PhilRice Executive Director Eufemio Rasco Jr. said Friday during the Communication and News Exchange (CNEX) Forum in Quezon City.

Among the root crops being produced in the coun-

try are kamote ubi and potatoes.

Latundan, lakatan and saba are some banana varieties grown nationwide.

Bureau of Agricultural Statistics data for 2010 show the country produced in 2009 some nine million metric tons (MTs) of bananas.

Such production volume exceeded banana output in 2008 (8.69 million MTs) and in 2007 (7.48 million MTs).

Philippine staples also include corn which the DA is promoting to help ease the pressure on rice.

Nationwide corn production consistently rose to some seven million MTs in 2009 from 6.9 million MTs

CAMOTE

KAMOTENG KAHOY

UBE

in 2008 and 6.7 million MTs in 2007, the data show.

To help further promote balanced consumption, Rasco also urged consumers to increasingly eat brown rice.

“It’s more nutritious,” he said.

He also said milling recovery is around 10 percent higher for brown rice than for ordinary rice.

Some 75 percent of brown rice can be recovered after milling while recovery is only about 65 percent for ordinary rice, he noted.

Earlier, PhilRice reported the Philippine per capita rice consumption (PCRC) rose 13 percent to 119 kilograms per year during the 2008-2009 period from 106 kilograms per year during the 1999-2000 period.

CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR

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• Knowledgeable in the following: o Building materials, their proper handling and storage o Construction and land development o Interpreting architectural plans and sketching details for instructional purposes o Administration work involving the workplace, contractors and employees as well as the conduct of meetings and preparation of reports o Work job control measures to ensure the quality of construction and their completion within timetable • Fit and willing to work long hours to complete the project.

The contract or employment compensation is negotiable.

For interested applicants you may send your resume at ajsmelocoton@gmail.com, addressed to the HR MANAGER. Feel free to contact Ms. Grace Fadriquela at Tel. No. (082) 234 2994, local 214 for further inquiries.

SABA

PhilRice reported for Central Visayas the biggest PCRC increase rate at 41 percent, noting consumer preference there shifted from white corn to rice.

Central Visayas’ PCRC during the 2008-2009 period jumped to 95 kilograms per year from 67 kilograms during the 1999-2000 period.

For both reference periods, data also show Central Visayas’ PCRC was the lowest among regions nationwide. [PNA]

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

governance november 7-13, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 36

Apsay undaunted by ‘competition’

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By Antonio M. Ajero

HERE are close to 300 members of the House of Representatives -- 285, to be exact-- whose proposed laws of local and national application compete for attention, a situation enough to discourage weak-hearted lawmakers from proposing their pet bills and resolutions.

Not so with Rep. Maria Carmen Zamora-Apsay of the first district of Compostela Valley Province, who’s undaunted by the “competition.” It is no wonder then that in the first 14 months of her first term in the House, the thirty-ish lawmaker had caused 14 of her pet bills to be passed on third and final reading. That’s at the rate of one bill a month, a no mean feat for a first-termer.

Her bills include those which seek the establishment of a Land Transportation Office (LTO) in her province; increasing the bed capacity of the Davao Regional Hospital from 200 to 400; establishing a Registry of Deeds office in the province; requiring mandatory coverage of all barangay health workers, barangay day care workers and barangay nutrition scholars; conferring appropriate civil service eligibility upon members of the Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlungsod and Sangguniang Panlalawigan; amending the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge Law; establishing a Credit Assistance Program for Overseas Filipino Workers; House bills creating two Regional Trial Court branches in ComVal, together with 13 similar bills creating RTC branches in other parts of the country; establishing the Compostela Valley State College; placing the Mt. Tagub-Kampalili Ranges in Maragusan under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) as a protected landscape; an act strengthening consumer protection in the purchase of brand new motor vehicles (Lemon Law Act); Declaring August 1 of every year as a special non-working holiday in yhe municipality of Compostela; establishing the second engineering district in the province; and declaring March 8 of every year a special non-working holiday in the province.

Including those she had co-authored with other House members, 23 bills which Maricar had worked for in the committees have been approved on third and final reading.

“We are focusing on measures which will have great impact on my district,” Apsay said, adding “we will not let up until they are approved in the Senate and signed into law by the President.”

Election fever With the 2013 election just over a year away, what are the chances of these bills being caught up by the election fever?

Even with the mid-term elections only around the corner, Representative Apsay said she is confident that her bills have enough lead time to see their enactment into law even before the Third Regular Session ends.

She is particularly hopeful for the passage of the bills on the LTO provincial office, appropriate eligibility for Sangguniang members, and 2 additional RTC branches “as these bills will directly intervene for frontline services.”

Apsay also anticipates the passage of the Compostela Valley State College bill, the Lemon bill and the one seeking to place Mt. Tagub in Maragusan under NIPAS as a protected landscape before her first term ends.

Civil service eligibility Her bill (HB 4357) seeking civil service eligibility for members of local legislative councils who have served the required aggregate years in office has been ratified by both the House and the Senate after approval on third reading. It has been transmitted to the Office of the President for approval.

Asked about projects she has implemented apart from her proposed laws, Apsay rattled off more than two dozens of livelihood programs and trainings, medical and legal outreach programs, sports and recreational activities, educational projects and teacher trainings on top of the socio-civic undertakings she had been implementing for years such as extending calamity and disaster response and burial, financial and medical assistance.

Hard projects These do not include the “hard projects” or infrastructure development such as construction of barangay halls, stages, bleachers, mini-gymnasiums, school buildings, social halls, health centers, farm-to-market roads, bridges and other concrete facilities.

“We will continue to be very transparent in their implementation in line with the new guidelines of the present administration, and make sure that they are really the priority needs in the respective areas of those we represent,” Apsay said.

Apsay maybe a neophyte in the House, but she is not inexperienced in the tricky business of lawmaking. Only 37, she had been a lawmaker for 19 years, first as representative of the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation in the Davao del Norte provincial board when she was only 18. This was followed by a long stint in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the newly-created ComVal Province.

Maricar is the daughter of former congressman Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, himself a grizzled lawmaker as town councilor and later provincial board member before becoming member of the House.

LGUs ADOPT DSWD DATABASE ON POOR. Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon of Davao Oriental, Vice Governor Victorio R. Suaybaguio Jr. of Davao Del Norte, Governor Douglas Ra. Cagas of Davao Del Sur, and Governor

Arturo T. Uy of Compotela Valley sign the Memorandum of Agreement on the utilization of the database that identifies who and where the poor are.

‘Rural women need empowerment to be able to fight climate change’ S

enator Loren Legarda said over the weekend that rural women must be empowered to respond to climate change not only to protect themselves from the impact of this phenomenon but also to contribute to the overall effort of climate change adaptation.

Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on climate change, said women are more vulnerable to climate change than men and rural women are even at greater risk because they usually lack resources to cope with climate impact.

“Women have distinct nutritional needs that make coping with natural disasters tougher and harsher.

They are also the primary

caregivers in times of disaster and economic stress, and they carry out much of the household workload after a disaster. Moreover, even disaster rescue efforts discriminate against women,” the Senator lamented.

The United Nations noted that women made up 90 per cent of the 140,000 people who died in a 1991 hurricane in Bangladesh.

African-American women made up the majority of those killed and injured by Hurricane Katrina. While in the 2006 tsunami that killed hundreds in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, male survivors outnumbered the female survivors, on a 3 to 1 or 4 to 1 ratio.

The Senator explained that rural women are essen-

tial players in countryside development as they are usually involved in agriculture and in education, livelihood, and health care in rural areas. Thus, enabling them to influence and take initiatives is a critical aspect in building community resilience to disasters.

She noted that even UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, during the observance of the International Day of Rural Women on October 15, said that nations must invest in rural women, provide them equal access to resources, craft policies that are responsive to their needs and make them part in decision-making as they are significant contributors to sustainable development.

“The efforts to combat climate change and mitigate the risks and challenges it poses to communities should be gender sensitive and gender responsive.

This means that policies should come to terms with the fact that women disproportionately shoulder the brunt of shocks and trends of climate and environment change in the face of continued poverty.

The Climate Change Act fully recognizes this as it calls for the integration of a gender-sensitive, pro- children and pro-poor perspective in all climate change plans and programs. This is a significant step to address women’s needs amid climate change impacts,” Legarda concluded.

Bayan Muna:

‘Fast track bill for funeral discounts for the poor!’

B

ayan Muna Reps.

Teddy Casiño and Neri Colmenares are urging the Committee on Poverty Alleviation to fast track the approval of House Bill 4002 granting 50% discount for funeral services for poor families nationwide.

According to the two solons, “In the Philippines, dying has become as costly as living itself. This is because most Filipinos already

live lives of utter poverty and still die poor and indebted till the end. Funeral services generally are expensive, a stark and difficult reality confronting the large majority of impoverished Filipinos,” Death to one’s family member becomes doubly tragic for those who earn a measly P362.00 a day (in the National Capital Region). According to the

P3.7 T to fund infra projects

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he Aquino administration will be spending P3.7 trillion over the next five years to fund priority infrastructure and social projects, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Rolando G. Tungpalan, NEDA’s deputy director-general for Investment Programming said that initial estimated cost for the country’s Medium Term Philippine Investment Plan

for 2011 to 2016 amounted to P4.2 trillion, including the loan assistance to the private sector and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Tungpalan, however, said the government will be spending P3.7 trillion for “hard and soft investments.”

The Aquino administration’s MTPIP is higher than the P2.92 trillion for the year 2006 to 2010 of the previous administration.

2006 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) of the National Statistics Office, 80 percent of Filipino families are struggling to survive on P284.33 ($6.428) a day, with the poorest 10 percent having incomes of only P90.00 ($2.03) a day.

With an average family size of five, these figures translate to 68.2 million Filipinos subsisting on P56.87 ($1.285) a day. This wage

structure and economic data demonstrate that our people can neither sustain their daily needs let alone be able to shoulder the funeral expenses of their departed loved ones.

It is the duty of the State to provide for the welfare and security of its citizens. This measure aims to provide immediate relief to the poor, especially during the loss of their loved ones.

BizQUIPS ‘THE list does not seek any value judgment on any country.

It serves as a crucial benchmark for all government agencies concerned for the betterment of the safety, welfare and conditions of our nationals.’

--Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, asking government to defer banning Filipinos workers from seeking jobs in 41 “blacklisted” countries.

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VANTAGE POINTS

VOL. 4 NO. 36 november 7-13, 2011

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Prospects for progress and profit

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here are only two reasons I can think of why some local governments cannot provide their communities the goods and services they require. One is lack of funds, the other lack of political will.

The lack of funds is real. It is a recognized problem. Lack of political will is something abstract, vague and subjective. Yet, I believe that when there’s political will, there’s also a strong possibility that everything can be done, including the generation of enough development funds.

Political will is not about the absence of any problem; it is how problems and challenges are, and should be, addressed and responded to.

Nowadays, lack of funds – which is real – is hardly an excuse for not being able to provide what

‘

sector. One is political will (again!) on the part of the local government to encourage its development counterpart, the business sector, to partner in the delivery of goods and services. The other reason is the reality and the magnitude of risks in financial investment.

Yet, financial risks, according to the RA, could be addressed. It only takes the partners to recognize them and make resolve to manage them together. While it’s a shared responsibility, much is expected of the concerned local government in ensuring that the risks are mitigated, if not totally eliminated. Then again, that’s political will.

This arrangement traditionally called joint venture and now called public-private partnership - has many variants, namely: build-operate-transfer, build-and-transfer, buildown-operate, buildlease-transfer, build-transfer-operate, contract-addoperate, developoperate-and-transfer, rehabilitate-operate-and-transfer, rehabilitate-ownoperate, management or operation and maintenance contract, lease or affermage, concession, divestiture, and joint venture.

Public-private partnership (PPP) can be applied for most development projects that are otherwise difficult for local governments to provide on their own.

These projects may include water and sanitation, flood control and drainage infrastructure; health services including hospitals and other tertiary hospital services; agriculture, fishery, livestock, and maintenance of irrigation systems; tourism services, including the development and promotion programs; social welfare services; computerization and other information technology; telecommunication services; low cost housing; maintenance and repair of infrastructure projects; community-based forestry projects; and other activities in sectors devolved to the LGUs requiring special and technical managerial skills or know-how.

Given these, there are plenty of prospects, opportunities and possibilities to bring about progress to the community and profit to the willing funding entity.

This kind of arrangement only entails creativity and political will (again?).

Nowadays, lack of funds – which is real – is hardly an excuse for not being able to provide what communities should and must have.

communities should and must have. There are many ways to generate funds for local development as there are a thousand ways to skin a cat. The local government code (circa 1991 yet!) has placed enough powers and authorities in local governments so that they could generate and mobilize financial resources they need. How local officials take these mandates is what I see as an ultimate gauge of their political will in this particular respect.

RA 6957, as amended

by RA 7718, or more commonly known as the BOT Law, provides creative approaches in the delivery of goods and services to the public. It enables the government – national and local – to build facilities or provide services without necessarily draining its coffers. Under this arrangement, the private sector shoulders all the financial burdens, and in the end, it takes its handsome share of the profit that could be generated from the operation of facilities or from the provision of services.

Again, there are two reasons why this kind of arrangement is seemingly not attractive to both local government and the business

’

editorial

Bill against billboard monsters

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T last, a proposed law whose time has come.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, the lady who would be President, and the maverick lawmaker whose brilliance and wit have long regaled the nation, has come up with a bill we all have been waiting for – Senate Bill No. 1967 titled “An Act Prohibiting Public Officers from Claiming Credit through Signage Announcing a Public Works Project.”

In filing the bill, Senator Santiago said that public officials have no business claiming credit for projects funded by taxpayers’ money.

“It is a prevalent practice among public officers, whether elected or appointed, to append their names on public works projects which were either funded or facilitated through their office,” she said.

She said the practice is “unnecessary and highly unethical” and “promotes a culture of political patronage and corruption.”

The Santiago bill imposes a jail term

of between six months and one year on a public official who would have his or her name or image printed on a billboard or signage announcing a proposed or ongoing project.

This is one proposal which will handily get a 100-percent approval in an opinion survey.

Even the thick-faced politician who’s guilty of the practice will probably agree to the proposed law of Santiago, who is our country’s best bet for a judge seat in the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

But this is no time for euphoria yet. Those who now sit in the House and the Senate always have a way of killing a very popular law which they secretly hate. They have done this and continuously do it with the proposals to pass an enabling law to enforce the antipolitical dynasty law. There is no assurance that the grandstanding pols in both Houses will not do the same nasty thing to Santiago’s otherwise timely bill.

vantage POINTS

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

november 7-13, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 36

Fly me to the moon

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even billion, and still counting.

That’s the number of humans – black, white, yellow, brown – that occupy space on Planet Earth today. These humans are spread unevenly in seven continents – Africa, Asia, Antarctica, Europe, North America, South America, Australia.

The United Nations has set October 31, 2011 as the day when the world’s population officially reached the seven billion plateau.

Interesting? Not really. It’s alarming, says the Global Foodprint Network (GFN), which came out last month with the calculation that by the year 2030, man will need a second planet to accommodate an additional one to two billion human beings. No problem. There’s the moon up above.

Wow, what a fantastic scenario! Imagine, a mass exodus of humans in space from Planet Earth to the beautiful moon. This one will definitely dwarf the biblical exodus of the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land.

How accurate, or realistic is the GFN calcula-

tion? Well, note that it’s only a calculation, not an established fact. So, we may take it for what it is – a calculation which, for all we know, would turn out to be a huge miscalculation.

Now, as far as two hundred years ago, Thomas Robert Malthus, an English university professor and political economist, theorized that man’s natural propensity to procreate will outpace his capacity and ability to produce food and create ways and means to sustain his existence and assure his survival.

That theory, which later became and Malthusian Doctrine, was predicated on a pessimistic view (Malthus’s) of the future.

He postulated that overpopulation will ultimately cause mankind’s downfall brought about by mass starvation all over the areas that are over-

populated.

Sans formal or official declaration, Malthus was probably the world’s first advocate of population control. He considered war, famine, plague, late marriage and self-restraint as affective means of curbing population growth.

We rejected birth control.

The Malthusian doctrine asserts that “population increases at a geometrical ratio, and if unchecked, will overtake food supply, which increases arithmetically.”

Controlling population growth was Malthus’s greatest concern as a political economist. He foresaw as early as late 18th century, today’s population woes, which pos very serious multitudinal risks and dangers to man’s life.

The Reproductive Health bill pending in our congress recognizes these dangers. Proponents of the bill should stress the

valid message of the Malthusian Doctrine. There is nothing wrong with population control in the face of massive poverty among the great mass of our people. What is wrong is finding illegal ways to arrest population growth.

Too many people, too little food on the table. That should propel our leaders in government, especially population planners, to devise viable long-terms plans and programs.

Opponents of the RH bill should stop imagining dangers from the passage of the bill like, promiscuity, teenage pregnancies, immorality, etc. The RH bill is a population control bill (never mind the unconvincing denials of its authors). Some churchmen aver that it is a birth control bill. No, it is not. They have a cross-eyed view of it, unfortunately.

Should we control population? What do we gain if we don’t? And what do we lose if we don’t? Let our lawmakers answer these questions. After all, they are paid to think for us, their constituents.

Speak up, Mister / Madame Public Servant!

Not so sotto voce

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AST week one headline of a Manila-based newspaper (a broadsheet), quoted Senator Vicente Sotto III as having said that the state of Texas, can accommodate a population of 14 billion people.

The senator is a staunched opponent of the controversial Reproductive Health Bill pending in Congress. It was Sotto’s way of assuring the proponents of the Bill that the Philippines can well accommodate a much, much bigger population that what it has, today --92 million at last count—so, what’s the beef?

Sotto’s reference to Texas being capable of sustaining such a staggering number of people is simplistic and flawed. Nay, absurd. The inference is that if Texas, with a land area of 69,600,000 hectares, can sustain a population of 14 billion, perhaps the Philippines with a land area of

30,000,000 hectares can likewise sustain a population roughly less than half of 7 billion, say, 6 billion?

Or 5 billion? Preposterous!

We are having trouble feeding 92 million, let alone billions.

Let’s stop sending comedians and other do-nothings to Congress. Look at what we get in return. ### FINALLY, the Philippine military has come to realize that the government had been hoodwinked by the secessionist Moro Islamic

Liberation Front (MILF) into agreeing to the establishment of so-called “areas of temporary stay” (ATS), off-limits to the military. The military has put its foot down on the existence of ATS and will henceforth go where it wants to go in pursuit of its mandate, the term pursuit being literal—and the MILF should get out of the way. The ATS has in the recent past become nothing but sanctuaries for armed, lawless elements who have taken delight in murdering government troopers and even beheading them by way of an exclamation point!

The Philippine government has been too trusting in its dealings with various armed groups. Or haven’t you noticed? American history tells us that one of its presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, who made his mark as head of the famous cavalry group dubbed “Teddy’s Rough Riders” became famous for his motto “Speak softly, but carry a big stick!” Our government has been speaking too softly, and carrying a stick too small to be effective against armed groups—including politicians’ armed groups often referred to in media as “private armies”.

In our own, beloved city, it may be said that the leadership does not speak softly against criminality, but rather loudly and firmly.

And it carries a big stick. The results show it.

Total land area of the Philippines is 300,000 square kilometers. It is comparable in size to Italy.

EDITORIAL The Business Paper

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Not privy to P5 M deal

I

Statement

categorically deny that I was among the proponents of the P5 million fund assistance for the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) as Malacañang claimed.

While I strongly supported the formation of the BLMI and saw the need to train the bangsamoro for future leadership roles in anticipation of a peace agreement and the need to support it, I was not privy at all to that P5 million fund, much less a proponent thereof.

I personally checked today with former chairman General Rodolfo Garcia who was chairman then of the panel while I was presidential adviser for the peace process (PAPP). He recalled that the amount of P5 million needed for the BLMI came out for the first time during the workshop conducted by the Development Academy of the Philippines with the MILF and his panel. It was a follow-up of what was taken up during the chairmanship of Secretary Silvestre “Yong” Afable who replaced me when I resigned as panel chair in 2003.

According to Chair Garcia, he sent a letter requesting for the approval of the amount to Malacañang but it was not approved up to the end of the Arroyo administration.

Former chair Garcia also recalled that there was no mention at all of the P5 million fund assistance in any of the documents covering the exploratory talks that were held, although there was reference to the BLMI that needed support.

Hence, for Malacañang to claim that I was a “proponent” without first ascertaining that I was not even privy to that matter is clearly a ploy to discredit my published criticism of the turnover of the P5 million pesos using government funds and timing it during the initial salvo of the resumption of peace talks with the MILF which I found to be “improper” and lacking in sensitivity.

I said in my regular col-

‘

umn as Publisher of the Mindanao Times, a daily based in Davao City several weeks ago that the turn-over of the P5 million check and the ensuing public uproar about it may even affect the integrity of the peace process. I also volunteered the view that, if the attacks would continue unabated despite the explanations of both the government and the MILF, then it may be good for the MILF to return the check and help clear the air and spare the peace process the public bashing it does not deserve. For those comments, Malacañang accused me of being the “proponent” of something

I guess, Malacañang should also seek some clarifications from its own peace adviser about this instead of falsely accusing me just so they have someone else to blame for its own missteps.

Jesus G. Dureza

ADVOCACY MINDANoW FOUNDATION, INC. 3 November 2011

BizQUIPS ‘THE global economy is interconnected. Emerging market economies can be insulated, but we are not immune.’

--Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., on Asia’s not being spared from the impact of Europe’s debt woes.

’

I criticized. Good spin, I admit.

In the course of my verifications, I was also informed just last night that there was also an earlier support fund given during the time of presidential peace adviser Secretary Ging Deles before she resigned in 2006 with the so-called Hyatt 10.

This was to support the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) of the MILF. However, the amount was not given directly to the MILF, as what was recently done, but quietly done by handing it to the Malaysian facilitator who in turn turned it over to the MILF. I guess, Malacañang should also seek some clarifications from its own peace adviser about this instead of falsely accusing me just so they have someone else to blame for its own missteps.

10 VOL. 4 NO. 36 november 7-13, 2011

competitive edge

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

James Reid at SM Davao’s CEB starts Manila-Hanoi flights Christmas Launch, Nov.12 T P inoy Big Brother 2010 Teen Edition big winner James Reid will join SM Davao’s Christmas launch on Saturday, 5 PM. James Reid entered the Big Brother House in May 2010 and captured the hearts not only of his housemates but of the viewing public as well.

The multi-talented Aussie heartthrob was part of the teen-oriented show Good Vibes and had done a short film On Thin Ice. He

JAMES REID

recently released a digital album under Star Records

and was named by Chalk Magazine as one of the industry’s next big thing.

Begin your Christmas countdown with James Reid at SM City Davao where we all come together!

For inquiries, please call 297.6998 local 126.

Visit www.smcitydavao. blogspot.com or like SM City Davao on Facebook for more event and promo updates.

Driftwood furnitures:Works of nature, harnessed by man I deal for constructing furniture, driftwood is not only durable but also offers a broad spectrum of possibilities to an artist.

Driftwood articles equip a beautiful addition to living spaces as it combines art with function. The natural work of sculpture by the wind, water, waves and tide

produces an aesthetic blend of art and nature. Its beauty lies on its striking rawness and sheer aesthetic impact.

KAHOY Atbp. creates functional artworks from driftwoods, perfect for patios, gardens, and beach houses. Every piece of furniture is a product of nature and man’s creativity.

From coffee tables, garden chairs to room accents, KAHOY offers a wide range of driftwood articles which will surely add a polished rustic feel to your home.

Visit KAHOY Atbp. at the Garden Strip of SM City Davao at the mall’s Parking C.

happy with the positive rating and stressed that such rating means that the department’s efforts on various fronts of environmental protection and natural resources management are being felt and appreciated by the people. This result, according to Paje is a big challenge to the agency to perform even better.

Paje said that even with the positive response of the public, his department will continue to level up its efforts to respond to public expectations. He also gave credit to the advocacy that DENR has embarked in partnership with various sectors of society. “These public-private partnerships

(PPP) provide the catalyst to boost the department’s performance,” Paje added.

In Region 11, PPP led to the successful planting of 2,757 million tree seedlings covering an area of 5,514 hectares under the National Greening Program (NGP) before the 3rd quarter of 2011. NGP is one of the priority programs of the government spelled out in Executive Order (E.O.) No. 26 signed by President Benigno S. Aquino, III on February 24, 2011which aims to reduce poverty, promote food security, environment stability, biodiversity conservation and enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation.

DENR gets positive rating T

he Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is inspired by the positive rating given by the people in as far as the government’s performance on environmental issues are concerned.

This result was revealed in a recent opinion survey conducted by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) to assess the third quarter performance of the President in terms of economy, good governance, social development, justice and security, climate change and environmental protection.

DENR Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje said he is

Every business starts with astrongbusinessplan, it is the foundation and the building block of every company.

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We have more than 30 years experience in business analysis and can provide an excellent businessplan for you at very affordable rates.

Contact RafVlummens at 0920675 2754 or trv-davao@gmail.com trvbusiness consultancy SME Center - Chamber building JP Laurel Ave., Davao City

he Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific, will become the only airline flying from Manila to Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, when it launches its flights on March 17, 2012. It will be a twice weekly service, utilizing one of Asia’s youngest aircraft fleets.

Flights for this route are scheduled to depart Manila at 10:30pm every Tuesday and Saturday, arriving in Hanoi at 12:30am.

Return flights will leave Hanoi at 1am every Wednesday and Sunday, and arrive in Manila at 5am. CEB also operates daily flights between Manila and Ho Chi Minh.

“This announcement is very timely given the visit of Vietnam President Truong Tan Sang to the Philippines last week. He wished then for more direct flights between Manila and Hanoi. Cebu Pacific is more than happy to oblige,

to further promote trade and tourism between our two countries,” CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.

“Guests can experience Hanoi with an introductory P888 seat sale fare. We encourage guests to plan their travels using www.vietnamtourism.com, and visit sites such as the One Pillar Pagoda built in 1049, Hoan Kiem Lake, and traditional professional handicraft villages. In 2010, Hanoi celebrated its 1000 yearold anniversary, making it among the most ancient capitals in the world and a rich source of Vietnamese culture,” she added.

Manila-Hanoi-Manila will be the airline’s 78th route, with Hanoi being CEB’s 17th international destination. CEB operates flights from the Philippines to the most number of capital cities in the ASEAN, and serve the most number of routes. It offers

more than 90 flights per week from the Philippines to 8 ASEAN destinations in 6 countries.

Domestic seats are also up for grabs, for travel from December 1, 2011 to February 29, 2012. This includes P88 seats from Cagayan de Oro to Iloilo, from Cebu to Dumaguete, and from Zamboanga to Tawi-Tawi. P488 seats are also available from Manila to Roxas, Tuguegarao, Calbayog or Catarman; from Cebu to Iloilo, Ozamiz or Puerto Princesa; and from Davao to Iloilo. Lastly, P688 seats are also available from Manila to Ozamiz, Pagadian or Tacloban, and from Cebu to Legazpi.

For bookings and inquiries, guests can go to www. cebupacificair.com, or call the reservation hotlines (02) 7020-888 or (032) 2308888. The latest seat sales and promos can also be found on CEB’s official Twitter and Facebook pages.

Davao Light gives home energy conservation tips S

aving energy means more money in your pocket, but it is also a “green” initiative that we can all practice to save our environment and have a more energy efficient home. An energy efficient home is something we should all strive for.

Hence, here are a few simple energy conservation

BDO net income is P7.6Billion The Sy-led Banco de Oro Unibank (BDO) posted a 19 percent net income expansion in end-September 2011 after it reached P7.6 billion against year-ago’s P6.4 billion.

In a statement, the bank said the rise in its net income was achieved “despite the difficult operating environment here and overseas.”

“BDO will continue to maintain cautious stance due to the current economic developments in Europe and in the U.S.,” it said.

In the first nine months this year, the bank’s total loans grew by 24 percent to P620.8 billion while total deposits rose by 15 percent to P820.6 billion “buoyed by low-cost deposits generated from an expanded branch network.”

tips to help you cut down on your consumption and lower your monthly electric bill while enjoying your home appliances: Maintain refrigerator at 2 4 degrees C and freezer at -15 degrees C For cooking small meals, use toaster ovens or microwaves When washing clothes, use the appropriate water level, cold water if possible, and be sure to run full loads.

Set your home thermostat to a temperature as low as comfortable (65 - 68 degrees F is suggested) when the house is occupied.

Turn off lights, televisions, computers, stereos and other electronic equipment when not in

use.

Replace aging major appliances, TVs and VCRs when needed, with energy efficient models Act as an energy saving model for your children.

They learn quickly and will follow your example.

These timeless practical energy-saving tips (from various sources) are just some of the tips that can be easily done at home. Remember that not only these small steps be taken to lighten the “footprints” we leave behind for future generations, but these can really save a bunch of money on your utility bills.

For more energy conservation tips, please visit the company’s website at www.davaolight.com.

BizQUIPS ‘IN our bid to provide our overseas workers with information regarding destination countries, let us make sure that longstanding friendships with certain countries would not be harmed.’

--Susan Ople, president of the Blas F. Ople Center, on the government’s move to ban OFWs from seeking jobs in 41 “blacklisted” countries.

competitive edge

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

november 7-13, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 36

PLDT net income down to P30.6 B T he Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said its net income fell by 4 percent to P30.62 billion in the first nine months of the year from P31.99 billion in the same period last year.

Partly owned by Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd. and Japan’s NTT group, PLDT said consolidated net income fell by 10 percent to P9.32 billion in July to September from P10.31 billion in the same period last year.

Its core profit, which excludes foreign exchange gains or losses and other nonrecurring income, also fell by 6 percent to P9.58 billion in the third quarter from P10.19 billion in the same period last year.

The January to September core net income also was down by 3 percent to P30.60

billion.

The country’s leading telecommunications company said consolidated service revenues went down by 2 percent to P34.24 billion in July to September from P35.07 billion in the same period last year.

In the first nine months, PLDT’s consolidated service revenues amounted to P105.03 billion from P108.27 billion last year.

Napoleon L. Nazareno, PLDT president and chief executive blamed the decline in net profit to the strong peso and the popularity of social networking sites that cut yields of text and voice call messaging.

At end-September, the peso average at 43.26 to the dollar, up 5 percent compared to the 45.60 in the same period last year.

MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE. As part of its commitment to improve productivity and efficiency in its cargo business, leading shipping company Negros Navigation-ATS shared expertise with industry practitioners, the government, and the academe in the recently held Supply Chain Management of the Philippines (SCMAP) Annual Conference at EDSA

Maersk Line launches new Digitel posts P131.34 Million service in PHL

net loss for higher expenses

D

igital Telecommunications Phils. Inc. (Digitel) on Friday said it posted a net loss in the third quarter of the year because of higher operating expenses.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Digitel posted a net loss of P131.34 million in July to September from a net profit of P705.43 million in the same period last year.

In the first nine months, Digitel posted a net income of P15.68 million, lower than the P850.83 million in the same period last year.

Digitel blamed the losses during the period to the higher operating expenses, which grew by 12 percent as against the same period of last year owing to extensive network rollouts that Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) earlier secured an approval

from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to acquire 51.55 percent of Digitel for P69.2 billion from JG Summit Holdings Inc. The company’s consolidated service revenues amounted to P4.69 billion in the third quarter of the year, up 14.6 percent in the same period last year.

“This was driven mainly by the 22.2 percent increase in the wireless business brought about by an aggressive drive to increase market share through subscribers acquisition efforts and regionalized product offerings,” Digitel said.

Digitel’s wireless communication services posted a 22.2 percent growth in operating revenues to P11.65 billion million in the first nine months from P9.53 billion during the same periodlast year.

EDGEDAVAO The Business PAPER

is looking for:

Account Executive

M

aersk Line, one of the world’s largest container carriers, announced the launching of its “Daily Maersk Absolute Reliability” system in the Philippines in October.

The latter is a daily service between Asia and North Europe with promised ontime delivery in transporting cargoes.

Maersk said 70 out of its 550 strong container fleet will be utilized in the service.

Maersk sales director for Asia Ulf Kreutzfeldt said ports covered in ‘Daily Maersk’ are Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian and Tanjung Pelepas in Asia and Felixtowe, Bremerhaven and Rotterdam in North Europe.

He said the new service’s scope covers the westbound direction between these ports. [PNA]

Interested applicants submit your resume with recent 2x2 ID pictures to: Human Resource Department Zion Accuprint Publishing, Inc 14 Alcrej Bldg. Quirino Ave. Davao City Tel. No. (082) 221-3601

Shangri-La. The conference serves as a venue for sharing ideas in the effective distribution of products and materials. Photo shows Negros Navigation-ATS Executive Vice President for Freight Business Jose Manuel Mapa (extreme right) together with SCMAP officials headed by its president Dennis Llovido.

Expansion hikes SM Prime 3Q earnings to P6.4Bil ion R

etail giant SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) said its third quarter earnings reached P6.4 billion, up by 14 percent from the same period last year attributed to the opening of new malls throughout the country “The notable results delivered by SM Prime so far this year give us greater confidence in attaining our full-year target for both the Philippines and China, especially since we are moving towards the holiday season. We will continue to offer good value products and services to our customers, and improve on areas that will give an even more enhanced shopping and entertainment experience to them.”

SM Prime president Hans T. Sy said.

The rise in earnings is credited to its last year’s further expansion, which added 289,000 square meters (sqm) in net leasable space.

SM opened four new SM malls last year -- SM City Calamba, SM City Novaliches, SM City Tarlac, and SM City San Pablo. For the first nine months of 2011, SM Prime’s consolidated rental revenues contributed 85 percent to the total, and grew by 15 percent to P16.45 billion.

The increase came from both new space and same store rental growth. Cinema ticket sales amounted to P2.07 billion, compared to P2.04 billion during the same period last year. Same-store rentals grew 7 percent during the period.

Operating expenses

during the first nine months of 2011 rose 12 percent to P9.12 billion from P8.14 billion last year and income from operations increased to P10.14 billion, up 14 percent from P8.89 billion in 2010.

SMPH also said that the consolidated revenues also grew to P19.27 billion, up 13 percent from P17.03 billion from January to September 2010.

EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) for the period rose 13 percent to P13.02 billion, for an EBITDA margin of 68 percent. Similarly, SM Prime posted a 15 percent increase in net income to P2.14 billion for the third quarter of 2011, from P1.86 billion during the same period last year.

from 6am until 2 am, here one can get a taste of this famous French pastry partnered with their choice of coffee from morning ‘till night.

The newest happening place in Davao, this café is operated and managed by Fides Castaneda- Bernabe or more

popularly known as “DITDIT”.

Ditdit and her family are entrepreneurial at heart, they own up and coming businesses in Davao like the Pressure Points Spa, Smile Center dental clinic, and other businesses in construction and agriculture.

Keeping in touch despite a busy schedule has been a breeze thanks to Sun Cellular. “I need to be constantly in touch with all of my suppliers. I’m so glad lahat sila halos naka-SUN and pag hindi siya naka-Sun sinasabi ko talaga mag SUN ka na lang!” Ditdit mused

Managing a business could be very expensive, and one of its essentials is to have a reliable communications plan.

“I’m out of town a lot of times and I still have to check on my staff in the café during these instances. To ensure that I can talk to them anytime, I gave all of them mobile phones with Sun prepaid SIM cards. All I have to do is load them with Sun Text Unlimited 200 and my staff can text me anytime for one whole month.

Unlimited eh! That way I can monitor my business without worries.” Ditdit shared.

Sun rises at New Orleans Café D

abawenyos can now have their benignet and caffeine fix and enjoy bonding moments with family and friends.

Thanks to the newly opened New Orleans Café, the most recent addition to the buzzing life of Davao City. Open

Qualifications: 25-35 years old Male or Female College Graduate Pleasing Personality Good Moral Character Can work with less supervision

11

weekly winners October 28 Elaine Edd Lyza G. Buniel Maridel M. Rigonan Jane C. Pontillano Antoinette O. Uy

October 30 Conrado G. Gempesaw Katherine Jane Azuelo Anna Gaile G. De Mesa Jennifer Wong

October 29 Jehan Harun Josephine Bernardo Vincent E. Dumajel Daniel J. Limbago

October 31 Purita C. Martinez Gabrielle Sade Amizo Ann Roxane C. Oropa Dianne Rose S. Torino

BizQUIPS

‘THE detachment should be transferred away from the school and residential areas especially for the safety of the children.’

--Davao City Councilor Karlo S. Bello, chair of the Davao City Council committee on civil, political and human rights, after hearing a clamor of some people to pull out the Philippine Army detachment from Paradise Embac.

12 VOL. 4 NO. 36 november 7-13, 2011

COMMUNITY SENSE

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Del Rosario lauds Uy for giving armchairs to schools G

overnor Rodolfo P. del Rosario commended Mayor Rey Uy for distributing armchairs, desks, and kiddie chairs to various schools in Davao del Norte, saying the latter’s project complements the education program of the province.

As it intensifies its corporate social responsibility program, the City Government of Tagum is set to distribute for free 15,000 units of school furniture, which were produced out of illegally-cut logs confiscated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Gov. del Rosario said that Tagum City’s undertaking complements the Provincial Government’s P44-million school building program, pursuant to his people-centered human development strategy.

As a gesture of support, the governor accompanied the mayor in distributing 40 kiddie chairs, 100 armchairs and 54 desks to Sto. Nino Elementary School, as well as, 20 kiddie chairs, 60 armchairs and 29 desks to Palma Gil Elementary School, both in the tribal Municipality of Talaingod.

An aura of excitement and bliss was written all over the faces of the teachers, pupils and some parents, as the two officials joined hands in turning over the furnitures.

Many school children immediately tried out the furnitures, as they hoped to have one of the fixtures assigned to them.

Mrs. Donabel Marimon, Cluster head of Palma Gil Elementary School was so grateful for the new school fixtures, which she

said would really benefit the poor pupils of the school.

She bared her wards were just content in using the dilapidated armchairs and desks discard from Sto. Nino Elementary School, which were repaired by concerned parents so as to render them still useful.

Gov. del Rosario stressed Tagum City should be recognized for implementing the program.

He said the city is in a better position to provide the service since the city has the facility to convert the confiscated logs into useful school fixtures.

DONATION. Pupils of Palma Gil Elementary School in Talaingod town haul the armchairs, desks and kiddie chairs, which were given free by the Tagum City government out of confiscated hot logs. Noel Baguio/DavNor PIO buildING houses. Shown in photo are members of Road Rehab Workers of the Pantukan Gold & Copper Project (PGCP) building team during a Gawad Kalinga house construction at the GK Village in Barangay Kingking, Pantukan, Compostela Valley province.

PGCP has donated a total of P480,000 for six houses at P80,000 per unit for the GK program in the province. Also taking part in the activity are Pantukan mayor Celso “Tok” Sarenas, representatives from Gawad Kalinga, barangay leaders, Council of Women officials, members of the Pantukan Chamber of Commerce, residents and volunteer builders. PGCP is being developed under a technical services agreement between U.S.-based St. Augustine Gold & Copper Ltd. and Nationwide Development Corporation (NADECOR) of the Philippines and is currently studying the feasibility of mining the Kingking gold and copper deposit in Compostela, for which they are conducting extensive environmental research, community consultations, exploratory drillings and other related activities within the area.

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF Davao City EJF-REM CASE NO. 12,975-11 BANCO DE ORO UNIBANK, INC. Mortgagee -versusRITCHEL P. LANABAN signing for herself And as Atty-in-Fact of DENNIS M. LANABAN, Mortgagors NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended filed by the above-mentioned mortgagee against RITCHEL P. LANABAN, signing for herself and as Atty-in-Fact of Dennis M. Lanaban with postal address at 3rd Floor Unit 15 SJRDC Building,Insular Village, Lanang, Davao City c/o G&G Logistics, Inc. and Block 32 Lot 13, Phase 1 Ciudad De Esperanza, Cabantian , Buhangin , Davao City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of September 21, 2011 the total amount of the outstanding obligation/indebtedness of the mortgagors in favor of the mortgagee has amounted to Philippines Pesos: TWO MILLION SIX HUNDRED TEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED FORTY THREE AND 78/100 (Php 2,610,843.78), inclusive of interest, penalties and other charges, plus other legal expenses incident of the foreclosure and sale the undersigned Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court, Davao City, will sell at public auction on November 24, 2011 at 10: A. M.; or soon thereafter , at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland, Davao City, to the highest bidder for CASH or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property mentioned and described below together with all the improvements found thereon, to wit; TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-433647 “ A parcel of land xxx( Lot 12, Block 18 of the consolidation-subdivision plan Pcs-11-003740, xxx), situated in the Barangay Cabantian, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao. xxx containing an area of ONE HUNDRED THIRTY (130) SQUARE METERS, more or less.”

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE No. T-433648 “ A parcel of land xxx (Lot 14, Block 18 of the subdivision plan Pcs11003740,xxx), situated in the Barangay Cabantian, City of Davao, island of Mindanao.xxx containing an area of ONE HUNDRED THIRTY (130) SQUARE METERS, more or less.”

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the abovestated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on DECEMBER 15, 2011, without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the herein-above described real property and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, October 19, 2011 FOR THE EX-OFFICIO PROV’L SHERIFF: (Sgd) JOSEPH T. CASTRO, JR. SHERIFF IV NOTED BY: ATTY: EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court & Ex- Officio Provincial sheriff Copy furnished: THE MORTGAGEE : BANCO DE ORO UNIVERSAL BANK. THE MORTGAGORS:RITCHEL P. LANABAN and as Atty-in-fact DENNIS M. LANABAN THE PUBLISHER: EDGE DAVAO POSTING : 3 Conspicous places (Edge 10/31,11/O7, 14)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF DAVAO CITY BALIKATAN HOUSING FINANCE, INC., Mortgagee/Assignee,

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11TH Judicial Region Branch 16 Davao City

EJF-REM CASE NO. 12933-11

SPS. CRISTITA L. CARIDO AND DIEGO S. CARIDO, Mortgagor/s. x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE Upon extra-judicial petition for foreclosure and sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by Balikatan Housing Finance, Inc., with postal address at the 24th Floor, BPI Buendia Center, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, against CRISTITA L. CARIDO AND DIEGO S. CARIDO, with postal addresses at Doña Milagros Village, Bajada, Davao City and Lot 22, Blk. 55, Ostrich St., CABANTIAN COUNTRY HOMES, BO. CABANTIAN, DAVAO CITY, DAVAO DEL SUR, the mortgagor/s, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of February 18, 2010 amounts to Two Hundred Thirty Thirty Four Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Pesos (234,250.00), Philippine Currency,inclusive/ exclusive of interest, penalties and charges, plus attorney’s fees equivalent to 25% of the total indebtedness plus other legal expenses incident of foreclosure and sale; the undersigned will sell at public auction on December 08, 2011 at 10:00 A.M.., or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland, Davao City to the highest bidder for Cash or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property together with all the improvements thereon, to wit: Transfer Certificate/s of Title No/s. T-214783 “ A parcel of land of land of the consolidation-subdivision survey (Lot 22, Blk.55, of the consolidation-subdivision plan Pcs-112402-001696, being a portion of lots 1411 & 1439, davao cadastre & lots A, B, C,D &, Psd-112402-035098), situated in the Barangay of Cabantian; City of Davao, Island of Mindanao. xxx containing an area of NINETY SEVEN AND 58/100 (97.58) SQUARE METERS, more or less. xxx” All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on January 05, 2012 without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the titles herein described real property/ies and the encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, October 19, 2011.

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF: (SGD.) CONRADO P. MACUTAY, JR. Sheriff IV

Noted by: (SGD) ATTY. EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Provincial Sheriff

Copy furnished: The Mortgagee- Balikatan Housing Finance, Inc. The Mortgagor- SPS. CRISTITA L. CARIDO AND DIEGO S. CARIDO PUBLISHER – EDGE DAVAO POSTING – 3 conspicuous places ( Edge- 10/31,11/7,14)

SP PROC.11,575-11 IN THE MATTER OF THE INTESTATE ESTATE OF THE LATE SPOUSES HECTOR S. QUIAMBAO and EVANGELINA A. QUIAMBAO LORNA MAY QUIAMBAO MARRS, Petitioner, X--------------------------------------X NOTICE TO: -Mary Eileen Quiambao-Canson-Doña Mercedes Subd., Km. 10, Sasa, D.C. -Gilmar A. Quiambao – 3904 Tara Drive, Colleyville Texas 76034, USA -Marylene Quiambao Permut -32 Beethoven Drive,Greenville, Delaware 19807 USA -Ruby Quiambao Puntenney – 15129 Susita St. San Diego California 92129 USA -Eleanore Quiambao Wilson – 1003 Oakleaf Way, McCordsville,Indiana 46055, USA -Nanette Quiambao Hayes - 10075-5 Windstream Drive Columbia, Maryland 21004, U.S.A Pursuant to Sec. 3 of Rule 79, the petition for Issuance of Letters of Administration filed by Lorna May Quiambao Marrs is set for hearing on December 6, 2011 at 8:30 A.M. All other heirs and creditors of the decedent Spouses Hector S. Quiambao and Evangelina A. Quiambao and to any other persons believed to have interest in the estate, may appear and show cause if any, why said petition should not be granted.

Let a copy of this order be published three (3) weeks successively, previous to the time appointed in a newspaper of general circulation at petitioner’s expense.

SO ORDERED.

Davao City, Philippines, October 10,2011

Serve on: Atty. Francis Arnold Q. de Vera Office of the Clerk of Court, RTC,.D.C.

SGD EMMANUEL C. CARPIO Presiding Judge

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

SUB URBIA

november 7-13, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 36

Mati mayor looks to Davao City investors for business growth S

eeing the need to keep up with the growth of its neighboring cities, Mati City mayor Michelle Rabat is eyeing bolder steps to entice big investors from Davao City to do business in her city.

Rabat invited business leaders from Davao City to a business and investment forum dubbed Asenso at Negosyo sa Turismo held recently as a highlight of Mati’s annual Sambuokan Festival and its 108th Foundation Anniversary.

“We are targeting Davaobased business to expand or look into business potentials in our city. We know our strengths and weaknesses so for now we focus on businesses from Davao,” she said in an interview with Davao media.

Some of the resource persons who tackled tourism, investment prospects and op-

RABAT portunities were Department of Tourism regional director Arturo Boncato, Davao Crocodile Park president Philipp Dizon, and Quezon Province 4th District representative Lorenzo Tanada III. The tourism and investment forum was aimed at getting a share of the Davao business market by showing the tourism and business po-

tentials of the city and how supportive the city government would be to welcome and accommodate investors from Davao.

Rabat announced the plans of the Shangrila Group and the Lhuilliers to develop a portion of the white sand Dahican Beach. Local investors have started resort development, however, the city government is eyeing huge investments to be poured into the tourist site.

Visitors frequent Dahican for its huge blue waves, dolphins, turtles, and its all around relaxing ambiance.

Major banks like RCBC, Bank of Philippine Islands, and Metrobank are set to open their branches in the city. Rabat takes this development as a big start for other investors to consider this city as the next big thing in the region.

particularly concerned with the city LGU’s concern to establishing environmentally-sound techniques of waste recovery, utilization, and disposal.

The TWG consists of two committees, namely: conceptual design and IEC resource mobilization.

Conceptual design committee will be concerned with planning and designing the SLF and providing technical assistance in the establishment of an SLF management plan.

It shall also supervise the implementation of the SLF, including the design and construction of the facility and manage the review and evaluation of its outputs.

On the other hand, the IEC resource mobilization committee will take care of the implementation of information, education, and communication campaign to ensure that the residents living in the vicinity of the SLF will be properly educated of the city’s project.

Koronadal City creates TWG on establishment of sanitary landfill

T

he city government of Koronadal has created a technical working group (TWG) to conduct a thorough study on the city’s plan to establish its own sanitary landfill (SLF).

Koronadal City Mayor Peter B. Miguel said, the primary objective of the TWG is to study and plan the city’s SLF in accordance to Republic Act 9003 otherwise known as “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.”

Members of the TWG are

13

OVERALL CHAMP.PSC Commissioner Jose Luis Gomez awards the gold to Angelie Madulin from Davao del Norte for placing overall champion at the table tennis event during the recent Batang Pinoy Mindanao leg in Zamboanga City. [Noel Baguio/DavNor PIO]

DavNor glitters with 19 golds

D

avao del Norte’s lean delegation of 22 athletes played the games well, hauling 19 gold, five silver and eight bronze medals in the recently concluded Batang Pinoy Mindanao regional qualifying finals in Zamboanga City.

The athletics team led the gold harvest, with Carlo Caong of Sto. Tomas and Kimberly Dangli of Tagum City hitting a perfect score of six golds in all throwing events, to include the shot put, discus throw and javelin throw events for boys and girls, respectively.

The taekwondo team also ruled the game, as James Garcia crushed his foe in the middleweight division; Rey Titus Nagar - finweight; Ga-

by Noel Baguio

varaelle Estoque – featherweight; Daniel Carlo Perez– welterweight; and, Czarish Angel Tamayo– middleweight girls, all of Tagum City.

Nikko Paulo Manila also rallied the arnis team by clinching two gold medals each in the anyo and full contact, while Angel Francis Marhl Espinosa further ruled the full contact arnis girls.

Power netters Rosvel Ane Binondo and Princess Aiko Miyata, both of Sto. Tomas town, further bagged the gold medals in both the tennis girls’ team event and doubles match.

Celso Cubio and Angelie Madulin also dominated the table tennis boys and girls, respectively, while Madulin and

Judel Jay Tabsing pulled off the gold in the mix doubles.

The other medalists include: Angela Villas Taping, silver medal in the full contact arnis girls event; Rofel Angelo Pendon – silver, arnis anyo doble baston, bronze, arnis full contact; Kristopher Patrick Dela Cruz and Jericho Painagan – silver, team event tennis boys; Espinosa – bronze, arnis anyo doble baston; Xyra Genea Gutierrez – bronze, taekwondo bantamweight division; Cristy Buna – bronze, chess girls.

The boxing teams from Panabo City and the Island Garden City of Samal further reaped three gold, three silver and four bronze medals during the Batang Pinoy Mindanao leg.

ICT HUB

14 VOL. 4 NO. 36 november 7-13, 2011

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Stuxnet-like virus hides Kodak’s fate hinges on selling patents in Microsoft Word files I M icrosoft said Thursday it is working to fix a Windows software vulnerability that lets a Stuxnet-like Duqu virus sneak into computers by hiding in Word document files.

Duqu infections have been reported in a dozen countries including Iran, France, Britain and India, according to US computer security firm Symantec.

“Microsoft is collaborating with our partners to provide protections for a vulnerability used in targeted attempts to infect computers with the Duqu malware,” said Microsoft trustworthy computer group manager Jerry

Bryant.

“We are working diligently to address this issue and will release a security update for customers through our security bulletin process,” he added in an email response to an AFP inquiry.

Symantec said the Duqu threat is growing and that slipping into machines through Word files is “one of many forms of attacks that cyber criminals can use to infect computers.”

Similarities between Duqu and a malicious Stuxnet worm have prompted speculation that the same culprits might be involved, though no links have been proven.

Globe Telecom welcomes divestment order on PLDT

G

lobe Telecom lauds Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, Deputy Commissioners Delilah Deles and Carlo Jose Martinez of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) for issuing the decision involving the PLDT-Digitel merger.

Globe head of corporate legal services group Atty.

Froilan Castelo said, “The approval of the joint application with condition to divest PLDT’s 10Mhz 3G frequency is a progressive step for the NTC in promoting consumer welfare and fair competition. Given the length of time this deal has been discussed by several authorities in the government, the media, and private sector, the decision of

the regulatory body upholds its support to the industry, ensuring equal opportunities among players to compete, and allowing consumers to enjoy quality services from their chosen service provider.”

Globe Telecom also notes the proactive approach of the NTC to effect local interconnection between Globe and Innove in provincial areas which benefits subscribers by lowering the cost of landline domestic calls. Globe expects the NTC to come out with a similar pro-consumer position on internet peering to help expand market opportunities in providing internet services in the country.

Microsoft-led group readies Yahoo! offer

U

S software giant Microsoft and private investors are assembling a multibillion-dollar offer to purchase Yahoo!, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Microsoft has teamed up with private equity firm Silver Lake Partners and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board for the offer, but has not yet decided whether to go through with it, the Journal said, citing unnamed sources.

The newspaper said at least nine private equity firms are eyeing Yahoo! and its global audience of 700 million monthly visitors to the company’s various websites, including Yahoo!

News, Yahoo! Finance and

Yahoo! Sports. It added that under the Microsoft deal, the buyers would spin off Yahoo!’s Asia assets after a takeover.

Yahoo! shares surged more than 10 percent earlier this month on speculation that Microsoft would lodge a new bid for the web giant more than three years after being spurned.

Microsoft was publicly humiliated in 2008 when Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang rejected a generous bid for the company at $33 a share, a valuation of more than $47 billion.

At the time a frustrated Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer emphatically said he was through with Yahoo! acquisition talks.

Openwave Systems, Microsoft in patent licensing agreement

O

penwave Systems Inc. said Thursday that it reached a patent licensing deal — its first thus far — with Microsoft Corp. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Openwave shares jumped 48 cents, or 31 percent, to $2.05 in after-hours trading after the deal was

announced. The stock had finished regular trading up 2 cent at $1.57.

Openwave offers software that helps communication services companies send data over wireless networks.

Its portfolio includes 200 patents related to smart device and cloud technologies and other technologies as well.

conic US camera maker Kodak Eastman on revealed Thursday that surviving another year could hinge on selling patents or borrowing money.

The warning was filed with US regulators on the same day that Kodak reported it lost $222 million in the quarter ending September 30 despite an encouraging 44 percent increase in its inkjet printer business.

Overall revenue in the quarter sank 17 percent to $1.462 billion when compared to the same period a year earlier.

The New York State company said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that the ability to continue operations in the coming 12 months depended on an infusion of cash from selling patents or taking on debt.

The 131-year-old com-

pany said it could seek as much as $500 million in financing. Kodak noted in the filing that it can not assure either method of raising cash will work.

Kodak chief executive Antonio Perez said during an earnings conference call that he was pleased with the interest expressed in a batch of patents the company targeted for the auction block about four months ago.

“These required statements shouldn’t be misunderstood in any way as a dampening of my optimism in our ability to complete the sale of our digital-imaging patent portfolio, which is very high,” Perez said.

The company, which has hired a law firm for advice on a possible restructuring, said in late July that “exploring strategic alternatives” for its patents for digital imaging.

Kodak lowered its revenue forecast for the year and raised its expected operating loss to somewhere between $400 and $600 million.

The company’s stock price slid more than six percent to $1.12 per share in after hours trading that followed the release of the earnings report.

ers to enter words by sliding a finger or stylus from letter to letter, lifting only between words.

The device will be available to customers worldwide for 699 U.S. dollars later this month, according to HP. Slate 500, Slate 2’s previous generation running Windows, was introduced last October and sold exclusively to businesses for 800 dollars upon launch.

HP said in a statement that the Slate 2 tablet pro-

vides instant deployment for business and vertical markets such as education, healthcare, government and retail, where jobs frequently take users away from a traditional desk.

The company on Thursday also announced HP 3115m, a new notebook PC targeting business, education and government customers.

The notebook will be available in the Americas only next Friday with prices staring at 429 dollars.

HP’s consumer-oriented tablet TouchPad was killed off in August before former chief executive officer Leo Apotheker resigned. A dropped price from 499 to 99.99 dollars has made the unpopular device sold out in stores across the U.S. and Canada in days.

Last Thursday, HP announced it will keep its PC business, saying it will build tablets running Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 system in 2012. [PNA/Xinhua]

Google fellow Amit Singhal said in a blog post.

“Even if you don’t specify it in your search, you probably want search results that are relevant and recent.”

The change to Google’s results-ranking algorithm was expected to change outcomes of about 35 percent of search-

es, giving higher ranking to current information.

Types of searches affected included hunts for hot news topics such as the Occupy Wall Street movement and topics along the lines of frequently updated consumer gadget reviews.

“Different searches have

different freshness needs,” Singhal said.

“This algorithmic improvement is designed to better understand how to differentiate between these kinds of searches and the level of freshness you need, and make sure you get the most up-to-the-minute answers.”

ist Cisco, Mariott hotels and McDonald’s restaurants.

Top among European companies were British drinks group Diageo at 11, Liechtenstein-based building equipment manufacturer Hilti at 15, and Spanish telecoms operator Telefonica at 17.

No Asian companies made the list. “Asia is still a relatively new area for us,” Tolovi told AFP by email.

“We expect that Asia-based multinationals will show up on future Great Place to Work world’s best lists.”

American Express, at 12, was the only financial institution to make the grade, at a time when big banks are coming under fire from the Occupy Wall

Street movement and its global offshoots.

The rankings were based on opinion surveys of employees in 45 countries about their workplace culture and on questionnaires to human resources departments about their policies and practices.

“These companies are very good examples of

profitable businesses built in conjunction with their employees and not in spite of them,” said Tovoli, who is global chief executive of Great Place to Work.

While Great Place to Work advises corporations on how to become better workplaces, Tovoli said its rankings are not limited to those that are its clients.

HP unveils Slate 2 tablet for business

H

ewlett-Packard Co. (HP) on Thursday introduced its Slate 2 Tablet PC, a business-targeted tablet computer running Windows operating system.

Looking like the previous version, Slate 2, featuring an 8.9- inch screen, is upgraded with Intel Atom Z670 processor to deliver faster boot times and improved battery life up to six hours, said HP. It also has a Bluetooth keyboard dock and Swype keyboard which allows us-

Google introduces new features G

oogle announced Thursday a major adjustment to its search engine to bake more freshness into results.

“Search results, like warm cookies right out of the oven or cool refreshing fruit on a hot summer’s day, are best when they’re fresh,”

US tech firms top list of world’s best multinational workplaces U

S technology companies, led by Microsoft, topped a league table of the world’s 25 best multinational workplaces released by a New Yorkbased human resources consultancy.

“Microsoft is at the top of the list because it believes that spreading a trust-based culture is the right way to do business, independent of size, national culture or industry,” said Jose Tolovi of Great Place to Work.

Software developer SAS, network storage provider NetApp and search engine Google held down second, third and fourth place, followed by courier FedEx, networking special-

BizQUIPS

‘IF something is so dependent on one individual, then I think it’s imprudent. If that person suddenly becomes ill, is unavailable, etc.., everything collapses.’

--President Aquino, stressing that it is a must for Cabinet members to train successors.

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER november 7-13, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 36

15

E-mail: edgedavao_editorial@yahoo.com.ph

LIVING

A circus for a cause T

Cabaret girls.

This is why clowns are scary.

Meet Chuckie and his bride.

he Leather and Lace Ball in cooperation with Ultimat Vodka and Moods condoms brought in the circus to spice-up Davao’s pre-Halloween weekend. Now on it’s second year, the city’s craziest and most fashionable costume ball aims to bring awareness to HIV transmission and prevention and to raise money for the programs of the Davao City Health Office.

Why throw a party you ask?

Well, Davao City has one of the highest incidences of HIV transmittal the past few years, and the Leather and Lace Ball aims to pull HIV of the closet and provide a platform where people will finally be aware that HIV/AIDS is real and that we do not have to be afraid to talk about it.

The Legaspi Suites compound was transformed into a small circus tent complete with sideshows, carnival booths and even a fortune teller. Given that Davao’s notorious liquor

Me and my Ultimat Vodka.

The

ban is at two in the morning, guests came in early decked out in some of the sexiest, zaniest, and creepiest costumes, ready to support a good cause and have a good time.

And a good time they did have, many thanks to the crazy antics of Davao’s Drag Artist Divas, kinky parlor games, and masterful ministrations of Davao’s one and only DJ Gary.

As one of the organizers of the event, I would like to personally thank Ultimat Vodka, and Moods condom, and Philip Morris’ Patricia Joven who were there to support the event and also Legaspi Suites, Kamagoo, Osvaldo’s Cakes and Selera for the venue, and everyone who came to support the event, without you the Leather and Lace Ball would not have been possible.

Ciao for now, and see you at next year’s ball!

Business

PAPER

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Bogz Sangkola and the evening’s best in costume, PowerBUFF Girls.

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HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS decisions.

Is that Hugh Hefner? Ask Philip Morris’ Patricia Joven.

Pretty, sexy, cool costumes.

The funny and crazy Drag Artist Divas.

UP AND ABOUT

16

VOL. 4 NO. 36 November 7-13, 2011

PRIVADO Luxury Sale on at SM Davao SM Department Store Davao brings you this season’s biggest luxury sale event, PRIVADO. PRIVADO is a fourday luxury sale of branded eyewear, watches and jewelry featuring items from over 60 hot brands like Escada, CK, Ferrari, Timex, Esprit, Police, Tommy Hilfiger, Citizen, F&C Jewelry and a lot more!

Get up to 50% off on these great brands plus an additional 20% discount with your SM Advantage, SM Prestige, or BDO Rewards card. Go for 0% interest of up to six months on a minimum 3,000 purchase with major credit cards!

Catch the PRIVADO four-day luxury sale this November 17 to 20, 2011 at SM Department Store Davao.

YOUTH TRENDS

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

I killed Halloween

I Benmore Scotch Whisky Bar Tour with Borgy Manotoc

Look who’s coming to town!

Benmore Four Casks Scotch Whisky, along with their brand ambassador, Borgy Manotoc, will be partying in Starr DinePartyShine on November 19, 2011!

As the name implies, BenMore Four Casks Scotch Whisky has been aged in four types of oak casks to give the drink its depth and complexity which whisky drinkers crave for. Produced and distilled in Scotland, this blended scotch which has been matured in Sherry cask (richness), Bourbon cask (woodiness), Charred cask ( smoothness) and Refill cask (complexity), is definitely a must try!

BenMore is made by DIAGEO, a leader in the liquor industry introducing the popular brands such as Johnnie Walker, J&B and Jose Cuervo. It alcohol content is only 40% volume and both bottle and box of BenMore Scotch Whisky are embossed with the iconic stag that symbolizes leadership, superiority and masculinity.

Christmas at SunCity Suites With Christmas just around the corner. SunCity Suites, General Santos City’s premier business hotel, invites you to celebrate your corporate Christmas Party or family gathering here at SunCity Suites.

Get rid of the hassle of throwing a party as our Christmas Party Package includes a light and sound system, two-hour photo booth session, balloons, five cases of beer and one roast pig.

For inquiries and reservation, call the Suncity Suites at (6383)552-3333, 5543333, or 303-3333.

Free Ecobags at SM Foodcourt Starting November seven, SM Foodcourt customers may avail of free 3rd edition SM Ecobags for a minimum meal purchase of Php 150 single receipt, inclusive of 16oz. del Monte drink. Customer needs to present the official receipt at the Beer Station to claim the SM Ecobag. Promo runs until November 30.

Dine with your family and friends at or takeout your favourite dishes from SM Foodcourt. With a wide array of choices– Loring’s Lechon, Island Grill, Wokman, Kamay Kainan, Sizzling Chef, Smokin’ Toppings and Fiesta Dabaw, everyone is sure to find a dish to fill a hungry stomach and a treat for rather picky taste buds. Adding to the choices are the Beer Station, Cool Black Pearl, Nutwater Halo-halo and Salad Creations.

Open from 10 AM to 9 PM, SM Foodcourt is located at the second floor of SM City Davao.

For inquiries, please call 297.6998. Visit www.smcitydavao.blogspot.com or like SM City Davao on Facebook for promo updates.

f you have been following this newspaper column for quite some time now, you would realize that I am not one to go with the grain, stick with the norm, or follow the popular decision. This is especially true when it comes to my events. Again, if you have been following this newspaper column for quite some time now, you would realize that I am not one to throw events to celebrate just about every popular occasion. This year, for example, I threw a Twitter party, my annual anniversary party, and the Black Out or Get Out Party (which celebrates getting drunk).

Obviously, I am not the kind of organizer to throw parties to celebrate common Holidays like Valentines, Christmas, New Year, World Youth Whatever, National Heroes Blah Blah Blah, and all of those other Holidays I don’t really know about. This is why I had no real intention of throwing a Halloween party this year.

Why? Because everybody does it. Too many events organizers throw Halloween parties and I feel like saturating the market even more would not be helpful for everybody else, and for the party-going crowd.

So why did I throw my firstever Halloween party? Because my friends and the people who frequent my parties were asking for me to do so. More importantly, I’m going on vacation and I need the money. And we all know that when comes to the decision between the state of the party-market and the partygoing crowd versus the state of my pocket, I always choose my pocket. So the decision was out: I was throwing a Halloween party.

Now, I had to figure a theme out; something that would set my Halloween party apart from all the rest. And then it came to me: the biggest problem for the com-

Eagle’s Bar was decorated in faux Spider’s Web to cleebrate Halloween’s death

Braeden Yu, the winner of the Best in Costume A mix of scary, odd, pretty, and strange Halloween costume choices made the party even more interesting award with the Columnist

mon partyphile when it came to Halloween parties is Halloween party hopping.

The problem is, different Halloween parties have different themes. Thus, different Halloween parties would require different costumes, making it impossible for people to Halloween party-hop. Obviously that is exactly why events organizers throw parties with specific themes: to prevent people from leaving their party. However, I don’t believe in suppressing one’s right to party-hop. I just find it silly and stupid. So, for my Halloween event, I did not require for people to come in costumes.

Why? Because all my guests really expect from my parties is bottomless cocktails and getting really drunk. Do they need to be in costume for that? No. Plus, if they get tired of my party, they can always go to some place else.

But of course, I threw my Halloween party on a Friday. Why? Because every other events organizer decided to throw their Halloween party on a Saturday.

What does that mean? A smaller, divided, market for my own party. Usually, I would not mind; but again, I needed the money.

So Friday was the day, October 28 to be exact. The event was set: Eagles Bar, Marco Polo Davao.

And the bottomless cocktails had been pre-mixed. Now all I needed was a title. I thought about the concept, about not requiring costumes, about not giving away any tricks or treats, and about not doing anything Halloweenrelated, and so I decided on the name: I Killed Halloween (which I will probably use again next year and the year after that). And so the party was named, booked, and scheduled. Here is what went down: Even though I did not require my guests to come in costume, a lot of people actually dressed up in some Halloween inspired garb. Some donned a simple hat, or those devil horns that light up. I truly appreciated that the partyphile crowd I had in my party was fun enough to really dress up for the occasion. Of course, I was giving away a brand new Jansport bag for the person who came in the best costume, and that was definitely a good motivation. But it isn’t a Confessions of a Partyphile party without Confessions of a Partyphile games. Since it was a Halloween party, I stayed away from drinking games and instead played more jovial ones. We played the Name Game, Halloween Laugh (I asked the contestants to give out the most Halloween-inspired

Partyphiles came in as popular TV-Movie Partyphiles got crazy for DJ Gary’s mix of hot beats characters- Kato, Rogue, and Jason.

laugh), and the oldest game in the book: Bring Me! For the winners of these games I gave away gorgeous Janpsort USBs (which looked like actual Jansport bags.

I swear I wanted to keep them for myself), Jansport Planners/ Notebooks, and Gift Certificates from Mary Pauline Salon (the Davao Branch of Mary Pauline Manila). And again, the person who won Best-in-Costume, Braeden Yu who came as a zombie school girl won a gorgeous Jansport bag in grey animal prints (I know! Even the bag is appropriate for Partyphiles!).

So what happened the rest of the night? I don’t really know as I was getting really drunk myself. But I remember DJ Gary spinning the hottest and latest House tracks while everybody was getting drunk and out of control. Of course, some of the specifics are better left unsaid on print. All I know is that I am really glad that I veered away from my usual thing and actually threw a party to celebrate a Holiday that was made for the fun-loving partyphile. I realized Halloween is not all about dressing up; it is simply about having the license to become somebody other than yourself. It is about veering away from the norm, and maybe realizing that it is pretty good to be someone else even just for a night. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I am leaving for Manila tomorrow with some pocket money. Thank you very much. Until the next event, partyphile reader!

Catch Confessions of a Partyphile on the radio on 105.9 Mix FM every Wednesday evenings from 6 to 9 PM. For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile, log on to http:// party.i.ph or tweet the columnist at twitter.com/zhaun. You could also add our facebook page at facebook. com/confessionsofapartyphile

EDGEDAVAO HEALTH THE BUSINESS PAPER

Vitality lifestyle

V

itality is indeed important for everyone nowadays!

There are so many things to do in a day and I realized that 24 hours is not even enough to do work and chores. There are times that I wish that I didn’t need to sleep anymore. Yes! Didn’t you ever feel that way too? I go screaming “Lord, I need more time and energy!”

Now I’ve been talking to a lot of people, gaining new friends in the process. This group of people told me about the Vitality Lifestyle that they have adopted and are practicing. Their group is known as Qplus, the pioneering proponent of the Vitality Lifestyle that advocates a life filled with energy and vigor, not just in the physical sense, but also mentally and emotionally. To help people achieve this goal, Qplus has designed the practical Vitality System of Screening, Supplementation and Support. Let me share with you their health and vitality philosophy.

These are three crucial factors that help bring about genuine, gradual and sustainable lifestyle transformation, ensuring that all systems in our body—both physiological and otherwise—are running well, thus allowing us to live life to the fullest.

Screening In Qplus, the first step towards living the Vitality Lifestyle is to do a thorough “systems check”—finding

But achieving the Vitality Lifestyle is just the beginning.

For the concept to work on a long-term basis, you need to maintain the Vitality Lifestyle. out exactly how healthy (or unhealthy) you are; without this, any health-restoration regimen you try to adopt will essentially be a hit-or-miss affair. Keeping this in mind, the founders of Qplus, in partnership with some of the country’s premier experts in both conventional and non-traditional medicine, employ a series of cutting-edge diagnostic techniques designed to identify the state of your health to as far an extent as the cellular level.

These are utilized in the Qplus wellness facility known as the Vital Life Center—where the power of information is used to give you the power of prevention. The tests that they conduct in the center are amazing! Strictly state-of-the-art!

These tests include: Live Blood Analysis, Chinese Meridian Testing, Body Terrain Analysis and Bio-Resonance Hair Analysis. But they have also employed tested traditional methods such as the Traditional Chinese Cupping to address specific body problems.

By knowing the condition of your individual body cells, the experts at Qplus can cus-

tomize your ideal lifestyle parameters—such as the right diet plan, a suitable exercise program, the best stress management techniques, and the proper sleep schedule, among others.

Supplementation Once your health has been accurately assessed, the Vitality Lifestyle encourages a change from the common unhealthy diet, to one that is rich in A.P.P.L.E. (Antioxidants, Probiotics, Phytonutrients, and Live Enzymes). And this goes far beyond just eating fruits and vegetables—especially since research has shown that today’s so-called fresh produce (which are, in fact, products of artificial and chemicalbased processes) contain only a fraction of their supposed nutritional content, compared to 50 years ago—when food production followed a more natural process. To address this, Qplus advocates dietary supplementation with Vital Code™, the unique raw foodcreated supplement which provides essential nutrition in its raw, uncooked, untreated and unadulterated form—just the

LIVING Making the adventure real:

The North Face Great Camp Out “The North Face Great Camp Out is a campaign to promote a rediscovery of the outdoors through a parent child bonding activity” explains Jundel Llagas, Division Manager of The North Face Philippines. “We encouraged participants to escape their digital world, to leave their psps, cell phones and ipads at home and instead make the adventure real with nature as their playing field.”

The event was designed to be a 2 day program, day 1 was dedicated to learning skills while day 2 featured a friendly adventure race type competition that tested retained knowledge and fortified the parentchild bond. With the superb Camp Management of Everest Outdoors, and no other than Mt. Everest summiteer Pastour Emata teaching the Basics of outdoor living, 33 parentchild teams learned backpacking fundamentals, tent pitching , cooking food outdoors, reading the

compass, and most importantly got to know the golden rule of the outdoors: the ‘LNTP’ or Leave No Trace Principle.

The experience was as authentic as possible, venue partner Mt.Apo Highland Resorts, owned and managed by eco-tourism advocate Sonny Dizon, showcased a welcome tribal dance by Indigenous People of the area, and provided horseback riding services around the foothills of Mt.Apo. Local folk legend Popong Landero also made an appearance, his music wafting through the cool

night time breeze warmed by the friendly glow of camp lights and

way nature intended. Vegetarian-friendly, this multivitamin and mineral formulation also contains 100% live enzymes, probiotics and other co-factors found in food.

Support But achieving the Vitality Lifestyle is just the beginning.

For the concept to work on a long-term basis, you need to maintain the Vitality Lifestyle.

For this purpose, Qplus offers an ongoing support program designed to keep you on the right track. The program includes free health and wellness trainings provided by licensed physicians who discuss common health concerns such as lifestyle stressors, and how to deal with them.

Health is wealth In many ways, this is the same principle that should move us to stop our frantic, even desperate search for material wealth, at the expense of our health and our relationships. If we focus instead on building the foundations of long-term health in body, mind and spirit, then we will be in a better position to create and accumulate the financial wealth we desire.

After all, the true wealth we really want, deep inside, is the kind that cannot be stolen from us, the kind whose value will not fluctuate according to economic conditions: the energy to fully realize our Godgiven potentials, and the vitality and enthusiasm to nourish the relationships we have with people who matter the most to us.

Keep healthy folks! A healthy lifestyle is a vitality lifestyle! Prevention is key in living a healthy and well-bal-

contented smiles.

As the frenzy of the day 2 adventure race settled, two families emerged as winners: the Leuenbergers and the Angs, they will join the winner of GCO’s Luzon leg in the Great Camp Out culminating event on February 2012: an all expense paid camping trip to Mt.Pulag, Luzon’s highest peak! Everyone came out as winners nonetheless as they were treated to a generous boodle lunch starring local delicacies‘tinolang native manok’, a full sized tuna and everyone’s favorite lechon baboy among others.

The event drew to a close, each family enriched with the experience, finding adventure and solace in the beauty of the outdoors, knowing that they can always make the adventure real when they get active, when they get outside and when they Never Stop Exploring.

The North Face Great Camp Out was made possible through the support of: R.O.X. (Recreational Outdoor eXchange), Mt.Apo Highland Resort, Everest Outdoors, Bord Werkx Productions and the Primer Group of Companies.

november 7-13, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 36

17

EVENTS The Business PAPER

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Tel No. (083)- 553-2211

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS decisions.

THE BUSINESS PAPER EDGEDAVAO

Development is in full swing

at Northcrest Phase Two

T

he recent inauguration of the Northcrest Main Entrance in Buhangin and a groundbreaking ceremony for the Northcrest Phase Two Amenity Area mark important milestones for Alsons Properties’ nature friendly subdivision project. Present at the landmark events were Alsons Chairman Tomas I. Alcantara and the members of the Board of Directors of Alsons Development & Investment Corp. (AlsonsDev).

Started in 2006, Northcrest Phase I provides living spaces surrounded by natural beauty. Tree-lined streets, landscaped parks, and children’s playgrounds sit on the green, rolling terrain of Cabantian, Buhangin District.

Urbane amenities include a social hall, sports facilities and swimming pools.

Northcrest Phase II continues to build on the successful themes of natural space and comfortable living. This clear basic design direction helped guide the commissioned Architect for the Phase Two Amenity Area.

Arch. Orly Mateo of MANA Architecture says this of the design concept: “The practical spaces generated together with traditional forms and building materials are given a contemporary touch. And this is done with an immense attention to detail.

This results in a harmony of man-made structures that complement the beauty of nature.”

More specific design cues show a tropical Asian influence, a distinctive feature of Alsons Properties developments. The Clubhouse features a prominently sloped roof to help shed rainwater, wide overhanging eaves to shade a lanai and veranda.

Large doors and windows will admit natural light, allow ample ventilation and provide a view of the pan-

Alejandro I. Alcantara, Chairman of the Board Tomas Amadine Alcantara (foreground), I. Alcantara, President Edith I. Alcantara, Paul G. Antonio Miguel Alcantara, Patricia Anne Dominguez & Nicasio I. Alcantara Alcantara, and Anna Maria Alcantara

The Alcantara Family.

Northcrest Phase 2 amenity area perspective.

The 3rd generation. Conrado Rafael Alcantara, Miguel Rene The 4th generation of the Alcantara Family. Siblings Alejandro & Amadine Dominguez, Marco Angelo Alcantara & Gabby Alcantara Alcantara, children of Conrado Rafael & Kaye Ann Alcantara

oramic postcard views of the surroundings.

Given the steady pace of Alsons Properties developments, it will not be long

until Northcrest Phase II and its amenities are completed and ready for new homebuilders.

For more information about

Northcrest, please call the ALSONS Properties Main Office at telephone numbers (63) 222-3281, (63) 227-2152 locals 203, 206 & 207.

EDGEDAVAO THE BUSINESS PAPER

Moralde, Dojo top Merco Run Marlon Moralde and Clarem Dojo crossed the finish line first to top the 12 years old and below 3-K category of the Merco 65th Anniversary Fun Run, recently, at the Rizal Park.

Kecir Abrigon and Therese Reyes finished second in the boys and girls divisions, respectively while Bogs Penaranda and Kyra Paronda landed at third.

Joxander Mohammand and Jocelyn Abrigon followed at fourth while Erll Garcia and Fionabelle Marie Cabe came in fifth in the developmental category of the race sponsored by Selecta Ice Cream and Orient Glass.

Emerging also champions in other categories of the event that benefitted the Maharlika Charity Foundation Inc. were Sonny Nagdos and Meezel Cabreros in 5-K and Brian Lupo and Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. XI Davao city Case No.2002-XI-02030 Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUB Ordinary Regular Service DAVAO METRO SHUTTLE, INC. Petitioner. x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- x NOTICE HEARING Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of PUB Ordinary Regular Service on the route: DAVAO CITY-NEW BATAAN,COMPOSTELA VALLEY PRO0VINCE via Tagum City, Nabunturan, Montevista, Compostela and vice versa with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate will expire on October 9, 2012.In the petition filed on October 17, 2011, petitioner requests authority to extend the validity of said certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on December 06, 2011 at 9:10 a.m. at this office at the above address.

At least, TEN (10) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

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

WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, this 17th day of October 2011 at Davao City.

Criselyn Jaro in 10-K. Joining the top 10 in the 5-K event were 2nd placers Juanito Mahinay and Beth Loise Moralde, 3rd placers Gasper Dominador and Langie May Meder, 4th placers Jerald Lamatan and Marie Cris Caintic, 5th placers Kim Corbeta and Mary Grace Lomigo, 6th placers Klent Reymon Panerio and Fredierose de Guzman, 7th placers Engelbert Moralde and Judith Flores, 8th placers John Vincent Moralde and April Joy Manantan, 9th placers Jay-ar Palada and Jeralyn Dadios, 10th placers Mark Gonzales and Nini Adrianne Mariscal.

Prizes were awarded

by Merco president Johnny Ferrazzini and son Anton, the company›s general manager.[MPB]

games november 7-13, 2011 VOL. 4 NO. 36

GOLFER OF THE WEEK

C

Christel Boeljon

hristel Boeljon is a professional golfer from The Netherlands, currently playing on the Ladies European Tour and the U.S.-based LPGA Tour.

Boeljon was born in Beverwijk on July 30, 1987. One day she joined her parents for a visit to the Golfclub Spaarnwoude, and two years later she gave up field hockey and concentrated on golf.

In 2005 she continued her studies in the United States and accepted a golf scholarship to Purdue University in Indiana. In her first 25 tournaments she played 24 rounds under par.

Boeljon turned professional in 2009, when she returned from Purdue. She went to the Ladies European Tour’s qualifying school in 2008, won the first stage and finished 4th at the final stage in 2009.

She began well, she made the cut at the ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia and finished 41st.

In April, she won the European Ladies Golf Cup together with Marjet van der Graaff. In June she again won the National Stroke Play. She made the cut at the 2009 Women’s British Open and finished 57th.

In 2011 she played her first major in the United States, the Kraft Nabisco Championship and finished 15th. A few weeks later she won the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open in Belek, then finished 2nd at the Ladies Slovak Open, which was good enough to become the leader of the Ladies European Tour money list.

Ateneo squads rule Sweet sports shorts Spot Kids Football Festival

A

teneo de Davao University pocketed two titles to rule the first ever Sweet Spot Ice Cream Kids Football Festival before a big holiday crowd at the Davao Crocodile Park Field.

Ateneo prevailed in the Players 8 and Boys 10 divisions while most of its players, representing club teams, also carried their teams to the championship in the higher categories of this tournament organized

by Bravetower Events Promotions and sponsored by Davao-made Sweet Spot Ice Cream.

The Players 8 division finals saw an all-Ateneo finals as the Matina-based Blue Knights went on a 1-2 finish. Southpoint wound up third. In the Boys 10, Ateneo beat SWAT for the title while South took third place.

Ateneo could have made it three in a row but Sakya FC prevented an Ateneo triple with a win in the Boys 12 division over

the Blue Knights. Kyutskals finished third.

In the nightcap, fancied IRBU bucked an earlier loss to pocket the Boys 14 title at the expense of AVM in an exciting finish played under lights. Black Knights finished 3rd.

In the Girls 14, Solido FC took home the unique ice cream shaped trophy designed by local artists.

Sweet Spot Ice Cream owners Dino and Bianca Dizon promised more kids tournaments in the future with the successful staging of the festival.

“We’re happy to see a big crowd like this and we sure will continue to bring football festivals here,” said Dino Dizon, the football-playing co-owner of Sweet Spot Ice Cream.

Supporting the tournament are El Gato Restaurant, Maxima Aqua Fun Resort, Mindanao Travel Channel, Davao Football Community and the Davao Football Association. [pr]

One million in total cash prizes are at stake in the Oyo Basketball Cup on November 13 to 20 in Tagum City.

During the weekly DSA Forum at the Tower Inn, tournament commissioner Van Halen Parmis announced that the champion will win P400,000, P250,000 for the second placer, P150,000 for the third placer, P100,000 for the fourth placer and P50,000 for the fifth and sixth placers.

Goldstar Hardware, MLKP Cebu, Sarangani Manny Pacquaio, ATU ComVal, Tinuy-an Falls Bislig and Holycrafmen Manila are entered. *** The 9th Mayor Sara-Vice Mayor Rody Duterte/AFP-PNP Basketball Tournament reels off on November 13, 5 p.m., at the Davao City Recreation Center.

Tournament commissioner and SBP asst.city commissioner Rico Jhone Biliran announced during the DSA Forum Thursday that prizes are up for grabs for the top four placers in the 12-team competition sanctioned by SBP regional director Regino “Boy” Cua. *** German football expert Eckhard Krautzun has identified 17 young Davao football players who have the potential to become top-caliber national players during a grassroots assessment program workshop in Davao City.

TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZ Chief Transport Development Officer /hoc Copy furnished: Petitioner, Davao Metro Shuttle, Inc. Ecoland, Matina, Davao City Counsel, Atty. Joseph P. Climaco, Darecor Bldg II, Dakila Drive, Magallanes St., Davao City NOTE: Affidavit of Publication and newspaper where notice was published must be submitted three (3) days before the scheduled hearing.

19

The young Ateneans and coach Ewee de Leon (with cap) wear victory smiles during the awarding ceremony of Sweet Spot Ice Cream Kids Football Festival at the Davao Crocodile Park field. Joining them is organizer Neil Bravo (extreme left). [BRAVETOWER PROMOTIONS]

SKYcable; about Dr. Dacudao

A

Controversial DCAA boy’s cagel finals

basketball insider could not help but write a report about the recent boy’s basketball championship round of the Davao City Athletic Association (DCAA) Meet.

This corner finds the report deserving of space which I hope will teach young basketball coaches to always respect their opponents.

We are taught to always be true to the Oath of Sportsmanship but unfortunately, new mentors these days sometimes forget it.

Here’s the report: Last October 28, the Unit VII secondary boys basketball team composed of 11 students from Holy Child School of Davao and one from Davao Central School thwarted the dream of Unit VI coaches to have their team represent the Davao City Athletic Association (DCAA) in the Davao Regional Athletic Association (DAVRAA) Meet and, possibly, in the Palarong Pambansa 2012. The boys of Unit VII armed with a never-say-die attitude and strong will to win gave their bigger and older opponents a hard lesson in basketball. Height and heft coupled with coaches’ bravado do not win a game. Hard work and that indomitable spirit to hurdle all odds do.

Parents, teachers, DepEd officials, and students from competing schools witnessed how the Unit VII high school boys basketball team hurdled the first game of the championship showdown with Unit VI team enjoying a twice to beat advantage going into the finals. It is said, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. This was exactly what the boys did. Led by sweet-shooting guard Cris Gavia, the boys of Unit VII went to work right away after toss-up and employed a searing run and gun game. Never looking back and not relinquishing the lead at any point of the game, they successfully snatched the opponent’s twice to beat advantage, winning by five points at 56-51.

Having trounced the Unit VII boys in the elimination round, it was easy to assume that the other camp predicted the first game to be lopsided in their favor. The Unit VII team was composed of one freshman, two sophomores, three juniors and the rest were seniors while Unit VI was upper class if not all senior students of Assumption School of Davao, Stella Maris Academy and Ateneo de Davao High School. The statistics were stacked up in favor of Unit VI team. No wonder, as rumors had it, coaches of Unit VI had already promised prior to the DCAA games, the top two players of Unit VII team slots to their team line up.

Allegedly, they were told just to play it lousy as they were already a virtual shoo-in to their team that would represent DAVRAA in the Palarong Pambansa 2012. But the boys, sensing that something was essentially wrong with that less than decent proposal, rebuffed them by playing their hearts out.

There was no easy way.

games 20

VOL. 4 NO. 36 November 7-13, 2011

The Business PAPER

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Public high school students get new imported shoes from Milo

A

bout 500 students from Davao City’s public high schools received on Friday new imported shoes as they had signed up to join the rest of the 12,450 runners from Davao City and other Mindanao areas who will participate in the 35th National Milo Marathon Davao leg to be held in out-and-back course along Roxas Avenue, this city, on Sunday.

Milo AVP and sports

events executive Pat GocOng said athletes and selected students of Leon Garcia National High School, Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School, Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School, Davao City National High School and Magallanes Elementary School are the beneficiaries of imported shoes.

Goc-ong said a total of 10,000 shoes nationwide are out this year in celebration of Nestle’s 100 years.

Davao leg coordinator Kenneth Sai of Vantage Sports Promotions said 3K has 1,100 registrants, 5K with 10,500, 10K with 350 and 21K 520 runners.

Anthony Nerza and Brian Lupio are among the top contenders for the men’s 21K title, he said.

Sai said Brokenshine College’s Cynthia Jaro, third placer in the Summit Camarines Sur women’s 42K, is the heavy favorite in the

distaff side.

He also said noted runners from Butuan, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro will give Davao’s homegrown bets a stiff contest for cash prizes and trophies at stake in the footrace.

The 21K male and female runners who meet the qualifying time will advance to an all-expense paid trip to the national finals on December 11, Sai said. [PNA]

SEAGames is Ababa seeks 4th straight win 26th live in TV networks at BDO Cangolf Invitational F A

baba seeks 4th straight win at BDO Cangolf Invitational Jhonnel Ababa has already tucked golf victories in the last three legs on the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.

For sure, Ababa will go for one more title and a possible shot at the Order of Merit crown when the P1 million BDO Canlubang Golf Invitational Presented

by ICTSI is fires off on November 9 at the north course of Laguna’s Canlubang Golf and Country Club.

Ababa’s six-shot romp over Tony Lascuna and Mhark Fernando at ICTSI Calatagan last week was his third victory after scoring his maiden win at ICTSI Iloilo and ruling the ICTSI Riviera leg.

With that, the Davaoeno shotmaker to rose to No. 3 in the OOM ranking for a crack at the coveted OOM crown with two legs left in the 16-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. With P976,956 in earnings, the 24-year-old Ababa still stood P500,000 behind frontrunning Juvic Pagunsan, who remained on top despite being out of the last six tournaments due to suspension.

Pagunsan has amassed a total winnings of P1,474,604 on four leg wins and two runner-up finishes.

Elmer Salvador, winner of the OOM crown when the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. revived the pro circuit in 2009, is at

No. 2 with P1,012,019. But focus will be on Ababa, who will not only be carrying the momentum of his big win at Calatagan but will also be playing on a course he is so familiar with.

Aside from the Batangas layout, Cangolf has also been home not only to Ababa but to the other former members of the national team, including Lascuna, Fernando, Jay Bayron, Richard Sinfuego, Jerson Balasabas and Rey Pagunsan.

That could set the stage for a wide-open battle for the top P200,000 prize in the P1 million event although Ababa will still be the marked man owing to his form and confidence.

ilipinos can watch the exploits of their countrymen competing in the coming 26th Southeast Asian Games right in their living rooms from the three cities in Indonesia.

The extensive coverage involving two networks, a first in the Philippine participation in the biennial meet since 1977, will be provided by TV-5 and ABS-CBN, it was announced by representatives of both networks during Friday’s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura in Ermita, Manila. Vince Rodriguez, head of the News and Programming of Studio 2, a subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corp., and Vito Lazatin, sports manager of TV-5, disclosed during the forum, sponsored by Coca-Cola Export, FILA, TV-5 and UNTV, that their respective networks will be devoting time slots the whole day to cover the sports the Filipino athletes are participating in.