Edge Davao 7 Issue 220

P 15.00 • 20 PAGESwww.edgedavao.netVOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 2015

A MAN who allegedly had a mental disorder was killed by

police after he exploded a grenade inside the Sta. Cruz Municipal Police Station in Davao del Sur before noon yesterday.

The explosion killed a retired police officer and wounded four other police officers.

The fatalities were identified as Reynaldo

Salang, 56, a resident of Bato, Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, and retired police officer David Bacon.

Wounded were retired police officer Noeh Casas, Senior Police Officer (PO)3 Rey Navarro, a certain PO3 Pantaleon, and a certain PO2 Taban.

Police said the incident occurred at around 11:55 a.m. yesterday.

According to reports,

Salang was riding a bus from Bato, Santa Cruz going to Zone 4, Poblacion when he was seen by passengers carrying grenades when he alighted.

Salang, whom police said had a mental disorder, was apprehended after a short chase.

Police found four hand grenades, a .45 caliber pistol, and five live bullets in Salang’s possession.

When Salang confessed that he was still hiding two grenades, Bacon, who was a friend of the suspect’s, tried to negotiate with him.

Salang, however, suddenly threw a grenade, killing Bacon instantly and injuring the four others in the resulting explosion.

Police, believing Salang was still reaching for another grenade, shot the suspect

DEADLY BLAST

EDGE Serving a seamless society

DAVAOEDGE Serving a seamless society

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FDEADLY, 14

2 die in Sta. Cruz police station grenade bombing

LOOK MA, NO SAFETY GEAR. A worker climbs atop the metal structure of a building being constructed along R. Castillo Avenue in Davao City without body harness or any other safety gear, a clear violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Lean Daval Jr.

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.and FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

INSIDE EDGE

SMBCLAIMSPH CUP TITLESPORTS page 15

VOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 20152 EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

MENDIOLA REMEMBERED. Members of militant farmers group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and some teenagers stage a protest rally in front of the Department of Agriculture office in Davao City yesterday in commemoration of the 28th anniversary of the Mendiola Massacre. Lean Daval Jr.

THE Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 is awaiting the order

of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on whether or not the election gun ban will be waived after Congress on Wednesday postponed the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) election which was scheduled on

February 21.In an interview,

PRO 11 spokesperson Superintendent Antonio Rivera said his office is waiting for Comelec’s decision although he added that waiving the gun ban would be “automatic” if the SK election is postponed.

“We still have not

received an order from Comelec,” he said.

On Wednesday night, Congress postponed the upcoming SK election to allow for some changes in the youth body.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, however, was quoted as saying the poll body has not yet received

a formal letter or advisory regarding the postponement.

The election was originally scheduled on October 31 but was moved to February 21.

Jimenez was also quoted as saying that Congress decided to postpone the SK election instead of abolishing the youth body entirely.

THE Davao City Veterinarian’s Office (CVO) will set up the

Barangay Rabies Control Coordinating Council to help control and eradicate rabies in the city.

Assistant city veterinarian Dr. Esther Cherrie G. Rayos told reporters in yesterday’s I-Speak Forum that the installation of the council in the barangays aims to tap the barangay officials to help implement the programs and

components of the National Rabies Control and Eradication Program under Republic Act No. 9482 or the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007.

She said the goal is reach the goal of making the Philippines rabies free by 2020.

Rayos said each council would be headed by the barangay captain, who will then choose the members. She added that the CVO

THE Davao Medical E d u c a t i o n Management Service

(DMEMS) has already settled its penalties, the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) said yesterday.

In an interview, CTO local treasury operations officer Catalino V. Bolo Jr. told reporters that the DMEMS, which operates three dormitories for Indian medical students of Davao Medical School Foundation (DMSF), paid its fine of P516,703 last January 20.

“As far as we are

concerned, wala na silay problema (they have no more problem) as far of the payment of taxes is concerned,” Bolo said.

He said DMEMS settled the outstanding balances on its business taxes and the regulatory fees from various offices of the city.

Bolo said that he did not know if DMEMS has an outstanding violation with the Business Bureau because it is not part of the CTO’s mandate.

“Our mandate is only for assessment and collection,” he said.

Earlier, (CTO) sent a notice to DMEMS management on its fines amounting to more than half a million pesos.

The management of the three dormitories was not able to pay taxes from January 2013 to December 2014 and was operating without busi-ness permit.

DMEMS is the local part-ner of India-based Transworld Education Academy, which is the principal partner of DMSF in bringing Indian students to Davao City for education.

Transworld chief operat-ing officer Dr. David Pillai told

Edge Davao earlier that the company is willing to pay its fines and penalties.

Business Bureau offi-cer-in-charge Lawrence Ban-tiding said a DMEMS staff member visited his office last Monday to apply for business permits.

However, he said the bu-reau was not able to issue a business permit to DMEMS because it did not have suffi-cient documents required for the application.

“I think DMEMS lacks lease of contract for the three

AFTER being granted Generalizes Scheme of Preference (GSP)+

status by the European Union (EU), the Philippines is targeting to have a free trade agreement with the EU soon.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo told reporters in an interview yesterday that this is part of the long-term strategy of the country to establish a

steadier trade with European countries.

“The Philippines and the EU are still in negotiation for a possible free trade agreement (FTA) (which would be called) PH-EU FTA,” Rodolfo said.

He said it is important and relevant to have an FTA with Europe because it will be give more edge to Philippine products compared with those produced in other

Comelec’s decisionon gun ban awaitedBy FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

City to tap barangaysin fight against rabiesBy ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

[email protected]

DMEMS settles penalties with CTO Phl targeting to inkfree trade with EU

[email protected]

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

FCITY, 14

FDMEMS, 14 FPHL, 14

VOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 2015 3NEWSEDGEDAVAO

THE number of the violators apprehended last year under the

New Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance in Davao City increased by more than 500 over the 2013 figure and earned for the city a total of P1.715 million from the penalties paid.

Speaking to reporters at the I-Speak Media Forum yesterday at City Hall, Anti-Smoking Task Force (ASTF) co-chair Domilyn C. Villarreiz said the city recorded a total of 4,396 violators in 2014, higher than the 3,883 apprehended in 2013.

Villareiz said based on the records, the Mobile

Patrol Group of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) made the highest number of apprehensions with 1,577, followed by Talomo Police Station with 770.

Next was Sta. Ana Police Station with 535, San Pedro Police Station with 521, Sasa Police Station with 333, Buhangin Police Station with 222, Calinan Police Station with 175, Toril Police Station with 101, Bunawan Police Station with 81, Tugbok Police Station with 42, City Public Safety Battalion with 22, and Baguio Police Station with 17.

Villarreiz said the number of the violators is based on

the number of citation tickets returned to the ASTF.

She attributed the increase to intensified operations, saying the police officers worked hard to implement the ordinance, which was amended in 2012 to imposed higher fines.

Villareiz said in 20014, the city collected a total of P1,715,500 in penalties from the violation tickets based on the records of City Treasurer’s Office (CTO). The amount came from the payments made by 3,431 violators who paid P500 each.

She said most of the remaining 965 violators who have not paid their penalties

are made up of tourists and visitors to the city.

For the 19 months of the implementation of the amended ordinance, the city has collected a total of P2.37 million.

Villareiz said the ASTF has been intensifying its information campaign in schools and workplaces.

In 2014, the task force conducted 12 lectures in schools with a total of 3,888 students, oriented 15 national government offices, and conducted five orientations in the communities.

Ordinance No. 0367-12, Series of 2012, known as The

THE provincial government of Surigao del Norte, through its

Provincial Crisis Management Committee, has sought a 10-day extension of the ceasefire between communist rebels and government troops.

This is to pave way for the negotiations for the safe release of the three abducted police personnel in the province.

Atty. Premolito Plaza, the provincial administrator, has issued a press statement on Monday saying that they have continuously exerted efforts for the immediate and safe release of the three Philippine National Police personnel in Surigao del Norte who are still held captive by the New People’s Army (NPA) for over two months now.

The Provincial Crisis Management Committee, in a resolution, recommended a 10-day extension of the ceasefire at the local level, particularly in the areas of Claver, Gigaquit, Bacuag and Alegria.

“The Provincial Crisis Management Committee (PCMC) has been continuously doing concerted efforts for the immediate release of the abducted police personnel,” he said in a press statement released the other day.

PO1 Jonry M. Amper was taken in Malimono town last Nov. 12 while PO3 Democrito Polvorosa Jr. and PO1 Marichel Unclara Contemplo were seized in Alegria town last Nov. 16.

The ceasefire during

GOVERNMENT forces captured two Abu Sayyaf camps in Basilan

following separate clashes Tuesday that led to the death of two of the group’s members and wounding of six others.

Read Admiral Reynaldo Yoma, Task Force ZamBaSulTa commander, said the first clash broke out around 11 a.m. in Barangay Pamatsaken, Sumisip town. He said the firefight against at least 25 members of the Abu Sayyaf Group led by Juhaibel Alamsirul alias Abu Kik lasted for about 15 minutes that resulted to the death of one of Kik’s followers.

Yoma said Abu Kik, an ASG sub-leader, and his followers fled towards the north.

At 12:55 p.m., Yoma said the troops conducted counter-sniper operations when they

came under fire of an enemy sniper while on clearing maneuver in the boundary of Barangays Baiwas and Pamatsaken.

He said that another firefight broke out at 1:38 p.m. in Baiwas.

Yoma said the number of the ASG members grew to around 50 gunmen as the group of Radzmil Janatul, another ASG sub-leader, joined the group of Abu Kik.

He said another ASG member was killed while six others were wounded during the firefight that lasted about two hours.

Col. Rolando Joselito Bautista, 104th Infantry Brigade commander based in Basilan, said the Abu Sayyaf members fled towards the west after they were pounded

THE city government has tapped geology experts from the University

of the Philippines (UP) for a comprehensive study on the city’s landslide and flood-prone areas.

Mayor Ronnel Rivera said the study will mainly involve an in-depth assessment of the vulnerability to landslide and flooding of key areas traversed by the Makar River, which is one of the city’s major tributaries.

He said the study will take about six months or 180 days and will be conducted by geologists from the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences (UP-NIGS).

“This initiative will further enhance the city’s landslide and flooding susceptibility

information,” he said in a statement.

The mayor said the study will be carried out by the UP-NIGS in coordination with the RD Foundation, General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (GSCCCII) and the local government.

He said GSCCCII will fund the study, which will cost P3 million, while the RD Foundation will handle the accommodation and other logistical needs of the UP-NIGS team.

A briefer released by the city government said the study, which will be assisted by personnel from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, will cover a seven-kilometer stretch of

Surigao Norte declaresceasefire for cops’ release

GOING UP. Anti-Smoking Task Force (ASTF) co-chair Domilyn C. Villarreiz comments on the increasing number of persons apprehended for violating the New Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance. Villarreiz was a guest in yesterday’s I-Speak media forum at City Hall. Lean Daval Jr.

Violators of smoking banincreasing: Dr. VillarreizBy ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

[email protected]

WELCOME ADDRESS. Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) commander Lieutenant General Aurelio Baladad delivers his welcome address during the unit’s Media Fellowship Night at Seda Abreeza Hotel in Davao City Wednesday night. Lean Daval Jr.

2 Abu camps capturedin clashes with troops

GenSan’s vulnerability to slides, flooding studied by UP geologists

FSURIGAO, 14

F2 ABU, 14 FVIOLATORS, 14

FGENSAN’S, 14

VOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 20154

With real estate devel-opments currently on the rise, and more projects lined up for the next few years, the city will have its own share of mid- and high-rise commercial and residential buildings, as well as business, tourism, and shopping hubs in the near future.

Such land consump-tion will lead to a dearth of space for sprawling residential develop-ments, pushing housing outwards of the city. For those who desire to be near all the urban ac-tion of a vibrant city that Davao is, the wisest resi-dential option would then be condominiums.

“As Davao progresses, the city becomes dense and land for residential developments will be-come scarce. While some will opt to live in commu-nities outside of city lim-

its, most will want to live in condominium commu-nities like Northpoint to be at the pulse of Davao’s emerging urban lifestyle,” said Marlon Nino B. Es-calicas, Camella Southern Mindanao Cluster Head.

Northpoint is a land-mark condominium de-velopment of Vista Res-idences, sister company of Camella and the verti-cal marketing arm of the country’s largest home-builder, Vista Land. Locat-ed at elevated land at the corner of two major city thoroughfares, Buhangin Road and JP Laurel Ave-nue, Bajada, Northpoint is nestled at the heart of north Davao’s growth area.

Those who call North-point home enjoy being part of the city’s desirable modern lifestyle and all the benefits and conve-niences of city living. But

In booming Davao,a condo home is a must

EDGEDAVAO

PROPERTY

A quick look around the city and it is easy to see Davao’s unprecedented growth in recent years: thriving busi-

ness and commercial activities, a booming property sector, and an upsurge in employ-ment opportunities.

it’s not only its strategic location that is the draw; its luxurious surround-ings and world-class fa-cilities and amenities are in itself a big attraction to homebuyers.

While Northpoint’s condominiums are as modern as the urban de-velopment of the city, this British colonial themed condo community is a green haven that offers a nature-filled respite from all the concrete structures sprouting around town. It is filled with robust trees and shrubs, preserved olden Acacias, grounds blanketed with thick grass, and hundreds of imported Caribbean pine trees that can tower up to a hundred feet.

Northpoint has cur-rently three buildings with the fourth and so far the tallest tower, the 25-storey Liverpool, soon to be built. There are stu-dios and units with one, two, and three bedrooms, ideal for all types of home-buyers, such as newly-weds, small families, stu-dents from out-of-town, successful businesspeo-ple, OFWs, executives, and expats.

“To meet increasing

demand for Northpoint condo units, we will soon open the 5th building which will have studio, two- and three-bedroom units,” said Escalicas.

Owner-investors will find it easy to get tenants for their Northpoint con-do units. The flourishing business and commercial opportunities in the city is a big draw to domes-tic and foreign investors. And when visiting busi-nesspeople flock to Davao for an extended stay, they will want the best home environment that only Northpoint can give.

With Northpoint’s location, exclusive repu-tation, and deluxe ameni-ties, its condo units fetch high rental rates, provid-ing its owner-investors a steady stream of income. The very same qualities allow Northpoint to have a consistently high prop-erty appreciation, ensur-ing substantial capital gain in the future.

Whether they are homeowners or tenants, Northpoint residents will find its luxurious facili-ties and amenities to their liking. The stunning club-house called Wakefield Manor houses a fitness

gym, cabanas, grill pits, and a wellness swimming pool with salinated water.

On the upper level is the multi-purpose hall from whose wide win-dows one can have good view of the majestic Mt. Apo on a clear day. There is a playground, jogging track, pocket gardens, Na-ture Park, and plenty of open spaces.

A shuttle service fer-ries residents from their building to the outer gates where public trans-portation is immediately available. A professional property management team handles homeowner affairs, ensures the overall maintenance of the condo property, and manages round-the-clock security.

As Davao continues to enjoy its growing trade, commerce and industrial environment, Northpoint caters to its growing need for upscale condomini-ums, and amps the city’s overall appeal as one of the most attractive places to live in the country.

For more on North-point, call 226-3100 or visit the Camella offices at Delgar Bldg. at JP Laurel Avenue (fronting North-point), Bajada, Davao City.


“What we’re trying to say is that they (SMEs) should be more ambitious. Look at the bigger market,” Rodolfo said during the DTI’s first leg of information campaign on “Doing Business with the EU using GSP+” at the Apo View Hotel Thursday.

Rodolfo noted that not all exporters used the regular GSP, which was implemented prior to GSP+ which Philippines is also a current beneficiary.

He said that in 2013, Philippine exports to EU under the regular GSP arrangement reached €1,071.25 millio, representing 63.5 percent rate of utilization, and ranked the country 19th among the list of GSP beneficiaries in terms of export values under the scheme.

“At the GSP+, we would to maximize the benefits of the GSP+ not only by exporters

5EDGEDAVAO

ECONOMY

[email protected]

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

SMEs encouraged: Avail of bigopportunity in European marketNOT only existing

exporters in Davao Region, but also small

and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been urged to avail themselves of the huge opportunity in the European market.

Department of Trade and Industry Assistant Secretary for Industry Development and Trade Policy Ceferino S. Rodolfo made the encouragement after the Philippines was granted by the European Union with the trade status General Scheme of Preferences (GSP)+ last December 25.

Rodolfo said that GSP+ “offers more generous scheme of preferences compared to the regular GSP because it has a larger coverage of 6.274 products with zero duty.”

He said the country’s SMEs have this habit of being satisfied with the vibrant domestic market even when there is a bigger opportunity in the European market once they avail the GSP+.

STA. CRUZ, Davao del Sur--The Department of Environment and Natural

Resources XI has earmarked a total of P1.25 million for its project supporting the ecotourism program in Barangay Sibulan, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.

Two infrastructure projects were established in the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2014 to include a Tourist Information Center and Wash Up Area for mountain climbers and six steel signages installed along the trail of Sibulan to Mt. Apo.

The projects were a follow through of what the DENR had started in 2013 as it also provided livelihood support to the Sibulan Porters Community in the form of provision of climbing materials for rent worth P120,000.

All these projects have already been completed and properly turned over to the community.

Aside from generating alternative livelihood opportunity for the host community as envisioned by DENR and the LGU of Sta. Cruz, the projects shall likewise be a platform towards protection of Mt. Apo Natural Park by empowering the community to take charge in ensuring that all policies relative to ecotourism shall be implemented. (CDIO-Sta. Cruz/Julius R. Paner)

DENR puts upecotourism project for Sibulan trail

Department of Trade and Industry Assistant Secretary for Industry Development and Trade Policy Ceferino S. Rodolfo walks participants through the dynamics and background of the Generalized Scheme of

Preference Plus (GSP+) during yesterday’s Doing Business with European Union (EU) using GSP+ information session at Apo View Hotel in Davao City. Lean Daval Jr. FSMEs, 14

VOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 2015EDGEDAVAOTHE ECONOMY6

THE total amount of investments poured into Davao del Norte reached

P11.07billion last year, higher than what the province recorded in 2013 which is less than P1 billion only.

“Last year’s investment is incomparable to the amount of investments that entered the province. This is a milestone for the province of Davao del Norte,” Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Davao del Norte provincial director Romeo Castañaga said in an interview at the Apo View Hotel Thursday.

Among the big ticket projects in Davao del Norte last year was the Hijo

International Port Project to be developed by Hijo International Port Services, Inc (HIPS). The project, which costs P5.72 billion, is a joint business venture between Hijo Resources Corp. and International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI)..

The Hijo Port project will be an expansion of an existing 10.3-hectare port located in Barangay Madaum, Tagum City for the construction of a seaport and a container yearwhich has estimated total cost of P5.72 billion.

Once completed, the port will have a total area of 54 hectares in a Philippine

Economic Zone Autuhority (PEZA) accredited area.

It will have a total capacity of 858 ground slots of containerized cargo and 450,000 20-foot equivalent units per year.

“Once the development is finished by 2015, it will be the largest port and largest container-handling fleet in Mindanao,” Castañaga said.

Another big investment in Davao del Norte was the P2.65-billion development plan for the Davao International Container Terminal (DICT) by San Vicente Terminal and Brokerage Services (SCTBS).

The container terminal, located in San Pedro, Panabo

City, will be managed by SCTBS, a unit of the Floirendo-owned Anflocor Group of Companies once it starts its operation this year.

Castañaga said the containerized terminal will have a capacity of 400,000 FEUs (forty-foot equivalent units) per year and its modern and state-of-the-art facility and terminal operating system (TOS) can cater up to 300 container

DICT already started operations in January 2014. The BOI approved the project on a non-pioneer status.

In an earlier report, DICT is said to be the only port in Mindanao that could cater to

Panamax vessels. It also uses an modern TOS that could ensure faster vessel turn-around time, a problem now being faced in many local ports here.

Another big project that came to Davao del Norte is the P2.7-billion investment by Robinsons Land Corp for the construction of Robinsons Place-Tagum.

The Robinsons was the first investor who was able to avail tax incentive as mandated by the Tagum City Investment Code which was approved last year’s May, according to the DTI officer.

Casatañga added that the investor is targeting to set

up a mall whose commercial operation is projected on December 2015.

“The land development started last December,” he said.

Castañaga also reported that the company of SM acquired a land adjacent to NCCC for the establishment of an SM mall. The land is estimated to be around three hectares, which is presently being prepared.

He, however, did not give details of the project because SM company has not applied for incentives either to the local government unit of Tagum City or Board of Investment (BOI).

DavNor gets P11B in [email protected]

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

AROUND PP350 million worth of projects for the Philippine Rural

Development Program (PRDP) Sub-Projects is being proposed for implementation in Compostela Valley for 2015.

The Composetela Vallley provincial government expressed its commitment to participate in the PRDP and pursue a total of 11 I-BUILD Sub-Projects to be realized in the different municipalities of the province, seeking the support of Department of Agriculture (DA) to provide counterpart funds for the projects.

Among the projects proposed for the PRDP

include the rehabilitation of farm-to-market road (FMR) in Pangutusan, Nabunturan – New Alegria, Compostela (10,000m) worth PP93 million; San Miguel – Kidawa FMR (2000 m) with bridge worth P36 million; and Nuevo Iloco, Mawab – Panibasan, Maco FMR (5000 m) worth P44.5 million.

In Monkayo, also included is the rehabilitation of Purok 6 – Purok 15, Casoon FMR (6500 m) worth P71 million; Purok 7, Baylo FMR (1300 m) worth P13 million; and the construction of Hagimitan Hanging Bridge (120 ln. m) worth P7 million.

In Pantukan, the

rehabilitation of Purok 7, Baylo FMR (1300 m) worth PP13 million will also be realized along with the Napnapan Proper – Binogsayan Bridge FMR (1100 m) worth P15 million, and the Junction National Highway – SitioKinubkuban, Magnaga FMR (1540 m) worth P11 million.

Also included in the proposed line of projects include the rehabilitation of Poblacion, Maragusan – Magcagong FMR (1540 m) worth P12.5 million and the Andili, mawab – SitioEstabilio FMR (2,638 m) worth P26.5 million.

The implementation

of these projects will be spearheaded by the Philippine Rural Development Propgram – Provincial Program Management and Implementing Unit (PRDP-PPMIU) which was specifically constituted by Gov. Arturo T. Uy through Executive Order No. 033 series of 2014.

The PRDP-PPMIU, composed of different department and section heads led by PPDO chief Romeo Celeste, will spearhead the planning, assessment, coordination, and other preparations for the implementation of the projects. (jameslabrigas/ids comval)

TO answer the need for accommodation in the booming city

of Tagum, a new hotel will open its doors to customers in March.

It’s called The Lucky 9 Budget Inn with 70 rooms.

The new hotel is located along Briz Street is a sister company of Big 8 Corporate Hotel, which is itself a relatively new locatedalong the National Highway in the Visayan Village with had its soft opening a little more than a year ago.

This was learned from Big 8 general manager Roxan M. Obregon wheninterviewed in the sideline ofTagumBiztalk, a media forum held once a month in the hotel with the cooperation and support of the Philippine News Agency, the Davao del Norte provincial government and the Tagum City local government.

Tagumnow has 64 hotels with a total of 1,375 rooms. Lucky 9 will be the 65th.

Currently Big 8 Corporate Hotel is the city’s biggest hotel with 121 hotels. Complete with amenities, including a high-end restaurant and three ballrooms that could house 1,800 people.

Obregon said Big 8 is doing well and this could have encouraged the owners to expand and built another hotel.

Meanwhile, it was learned that the multi-billionaire Tagum Cooperative will build its commercial building construction of which will start within the year. The new building will include a dormitory on the thirdfloor to cater to visiting cooperative leaders and members from other parts of thecountry. The building will house offices on the second floor.

Tagum Cooperative chairperson Norma R. Pereyras said the ground floor will be rented out to business establishments. AMA

Big 8 General Manager Roxan M. Obregon

P350M worth of projects for PRDP proposed

LAPEL DONATION. Compostela Valley Senior Board Member Tryron Uy and Board Member Ramil, together with Comval DepEd Schools Division Superentindent Renante Solitario, turn over 17 lapel microphones with portable speakers to

Mt. Diwata Elementary School and Annex High School in Diwalwal, Monkayo, ComVal on January20. The lapel mics are essential to aid teachers and their pupils and students in having a more comfortable learning experience in class.

New Tagum hotel to open by March

IN a bid to draw more foreign tourists or visitors, the Department

of Tourism (DOT) in Region 12 is planning to organize a tourism promotion and selling mission this year in South Korea.

Nelly Nita Dillera, Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 12 director, said they are currently drawing out the initial plans and strategies for the selling mission, which will be the first-ever international tourism marketing event that will be launched by the region.

She said they have started linking up with tour operators and other tourism players in parts of South Korea to help facilitate the planned selling mission.

Dillera said she personally explored the possibility of holding the selling mission in the East Asian country during a visit there last year.

“We’re mainly looking at increasing our tourist arrivals from South Korea and eventually establish it as our top foreign tourism market,” she said.

Dillera said they considered such move to

capitalize on the growing interest and preference of South Koreans to visit the country.

She said Koreans are currently the country’s top foreign visitor, reaching a total of 958,289 from January to October last year.

A report released by the DOT central office showed that Korea accounted for 28 percent of the international tourism receipts in the same period with P48.622 billion.

In Region 12, Dillera said Koreans only placed second in terms of foreign tourist arrivals in the last two years.

But she said the region has the potentials of becoming a top destination for Koreans due to various world-class attractions in the area.

“We already know what products they want, which are mainly nature and culture. We have all these products in Region 12 so it’s just a matter of bringing them here,” Dillera said.

In 2013, the region recorded a total of 11,858 foreign visitors mostly coming from the United States, Korea, Canada, Australia and Papua New Guinea. (MindaNews)

DOT-12 to do promotions in South Korea

VOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 2015 7

Cutting methane emissions“OBAMA to create first

methane limits for gas drilling.” That’s the title of a

recent news report dispatched by the Associated Press.

Relying on the Clean Air Act, the administration of President Barack Obama “laid out a blueprint for the first regulations to cut down on methane emissions from new natural gas wells, aiming to curb the discharge of a potent greenhouse gas by roughly half.”

According to the report, the White House set a new target for the United States to cut methane emissions by 40 percent to 45 percent by 2025, compared to 2012 levels. “To meet that goal,” wrote Josh Lederman, author of the report, “the Environmental Protection Agency will issue a proposal affecting oil and gas production, while the Interior Department will also update its standards for drilling to reduce leakage from wells on public lands.”

“There are significant, highly cost-effective opportunities for reducing methane emissions from this sector. We’re confident we can do this in a cost-effective way,” Dan Utech, Obama’s climate and energy advisor, was quoted as saying.

Why is there so much ado about methane? In the past, it was not given much prominence in climate change meetings. In fact, it was not mentioned in the early days of the issue.

“Methane has no direct effects on the climate or the biosphere (and) it is considered to be of no importance,” concluded the first survey in 1971 on the possibility of inadvertent human modification of climate. Likewise, the gas was not cited in the index of the major climatology book of the time, H.H. Lamb’s Climate Past, Present and Future.

It wasn’t until 2001, when

the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) submitted its report, that methane was given much attention. “One of the most potent greenhouse gases on Earth,” the report said.

“Methane absorbs heat 21 times more than carbon dioxide and it has 9-15 year life time in the atmosphere over a 100-year period,” says Dr. Constancio Asis, Jr., a recipient of the 2011 Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship Award.

The Journal Science reported that atmospheric concentration of methane has more than doubled during the last 300 years and is increasing at an annual rate of about 1 percent each year.

Another study, which appeared in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, said that methane’s effect on warming the world’s climate may be double what is currently thought. The new interpretations reveal methane emissions may account for a whopping third of the climate warming “from well-mixed greenhouse gases” between the 1750s and today.

Both carbon dioxide and methane are considered greenhouse gases (GHGs), which also include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from air conditioners and refrigerators, and the nitrogen compound, nitrous oxide, from burning fossil fuels and fertilizers. Ground-level ozone, produced by burning fossil fuels, is also considered a greenhouse gas.

“Even if we were able to stop them tomorrow, these greenhouse gases will continue to have an effect for centuries,” Secretary-General Michel Jarraud of the UN World Meteorological Organization said in a statement quoted by the Agence France Presse.

“What has fueled the rapid rise of methane from

an obscure trace gas to a major factor in past, present and future climate change?” wondered Dr. Gavin Schmidt, a research scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University in New York.

First some basics: methane is a very simple molecule (one carbon surrounded by four hydrogen atoms) and is created predominantly by bacteria that feed on organic material. “In dry conditions, there is plenty of atmospheric oxygen, and so aerobic bacteria which produce carbon dioxide are preferred,” explained Dr. Schmidt.

But in wet areas such as swamps, wetlands and in the ocean, there is not enough oxygen, and so complex hydrocarbons get broken down to methane by anaerobic bacteria. “Some of this methane can get trapped (as a gas, as a solid, dissolved or eaten) and some makes its way to the atmosphere where it is gradually broken down to carbon dioxide and water vapor in a series of chemical reactions,” Dr. Schmidt said.

An article written by William F. Ruddiman explores the possibility that methane emissions started to rise as a result of anthropogenic activity 5000 years ago when ancient cultures started to settle and use agriculture, rice irrigation in particular, as a primary food source.

“Rice is a plant that grows best in wet soil, with its roots flooded,” explains L. Hartwell Allen, an American soil scientist at the Crops Genetics and Environmental Research Unit in Gainesville, Florida. “But flooded rice crops emit substantial amounts of methane to the atmosphere.”

In fact, rice fields are one of the major contributors of methane in the atmosphere. “An estimated 19 percent of

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

EDGEDAVAO

SCIENCE

world’s methane production comes from rice paddies,” admits Dr. Alan Teramura, a botany professor at the University of Maryland. “As populations increase in rice-growing areas, more rice – and more methane – are produced.”

Livestock are another major contributor of methane from farming. In 2006, the amount of methane emitted by farm animals alone exceeded that of the iron, steel, and cement industries combined. “Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems,” said Henning Steinfeld, a senior UN official.

National Academy of Sciences president Ralph

Cicerone has indicated the contribution of methane by livestock flatulence and eructation to global warming is a “serious topic.” Cicerone, an atmospheric scientist, said: “Methane is the second-most-important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere now. The population of beef cattle and dairy cattle has grown so much that methane from cows now is big. This is not a trivial issue.”

The digestive system of ruminant animals such as cattle and goats contain anaerobic bacteria and thus produce methane gas. A single cow belches out 100 gallons of methane gas a day.

“Over the last 30 years, methane has gone from being a gas of no importance,

to — in some researchers’ eyes, at least — possibly the most important greenhouse gas both for understanding climate change and as a cost-effective target for future emission reductions,” noted Dr. Schmidt, who works on models of the climate system and their application to problems of past, present and future climate change.

Today is the right time to control methane emissions. “If we control methane, which is viable, then we are likely to soften global warming more than one would have thought, so that’s a very positive outcome,” said Dr. Drew Shindell, a climatologist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Columbia University in New York.

Rice production is one of the sources of methane. (Photo by Henrylito D. Tacio)

Livestock, particularly cattle, are also sources of methane released in the atmosphere (From the net)

Where methane comes from. (From the net)


It was at this period that American-made cars were introduced into the Philippine market and opened the floodgates of the domestic car industry.

When then-Presi-dent Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in 1972, most vehicle man-ufacturers withdrew from the Philippines as the car market suffered a big blow. During the 1973 oil crisis, Marcos advised Filipinos to buy smaller, more efficient vehicles with 4-cylinder engines.

It was in the 1990s af-ter the People Power Rev-olution that ousted Mar-cos in 1986 when the au-tomobile industry slowly came back to life. During the early 1990s, a num-ber of car brands entered or re-entered the Philip-pines. The resurgence, however, was shortlived. At the height of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, car-makers again withdrew

from the Philippine mar-ket and sales drastically declined. When the cri-sis was over, automobile sales once again surged with new models.

This love affair with cars can be described as blow hot and blow cold. That romance began during the 1960s when many Filipinos bought their first automobiles, However, interest went down during that forget-table martial law period.

After the post-EDSA period, interest in cars once again heightened and along with it the au-tomobile media business also thrived with the pub-lication of car magazines and the airing of motoring television shows. There were also regular car shows held.

Through the history of the car industry in the country characterized by on-off weather, there was one dealership which

THE PATRIARCH. Frank N. Liu.

SOUTHERN MOTORS OF DAVAO, INC. (SMDI) AT 65

The country’s oldest [email protected]

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

THE car dealership industry in the Phil-ippines originated as early as 1898 during the American Colonial Period

which lasted until after the war in 1946.

weathered the different climates the domestic car market went through—Southern Motors Incor-porated in Davao.

SMDI President and General Manager Henry T. Liu reiterated that at 65 years old, SMDI could yet be the oldest dealership in the country that has ex-isted through the ups and downs of the Philippine car market.

While a lot of deal-erships have come and gone, SMI has seen the good times and the bad times of the industry.

This is SMI’s history, as told in SMI’s archives.

Originally established as Southern Motors, Inc. in 1949 under the Yutivo and Sons Group of Com-panies, SMI as the compa-ny was referred to based on its acronym managed the network of branch-es handling distribution, parts and service in Vi-sayas and Mindanao. It sold General Motors Cor-poration vehicles such as Chevrolet, Pontiac, Opel, Holden, Vauxhall and Isuzu including genuine parts and provided full

service repair and mainte-nance shops.

By 1953 the late Frank N. Liu, Sr. patriarch of the present day company joined the Davao office as Branch Manager until 1973 when General Mo-tors decided to take more active control of the busi-ness. In that same year as part of GMs new plan they required that the Yutivo Group divide the network of branches into three in-dependent companies, which became Northern Motors in Luzon, Cebu Southern Motors in Vi-sayas and Southern Mo-tors of Davao, Inc. in Min-danao.

In July 2, 1973 under the leadership of the late Frank N. Liu, Sr. South-ern Motors of Davao, Inc. was incorporated and ap-proved by the Securities Exchange Commission with an all Filipino owner-ship. On that day Southern Motors of Davao, Inc. or SMDI as it is also presently known became the exclu-sive franchised dealer of General Motors Pilipinas (GMP) for Southeastern Mindanao and continued to provide the products and services of GM.

When the American car companies slowly withdrew from the Philip-pines in the late 80s SMDI became the exclusive au-thorized dealer of Isuzu Motors Pilipinas Inc. in 1991 and sold all Isuzu brand new vehicles cov-ering the whole of South-eastern Mindanao.

In 1996 Southern Mo-tors of Davao, Inc. became the exclusive franchised dealer of Isuzu Philippines Corporation, distributing brand new Isuzu Vehicles for Southeastern Mindan-ao also operating a Five Star motor vehicle repair shop duly accredited by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) which continues to the present day.

Today, SMDI (Isuzu Davao) is under the helm of its new President & General Manager, Henry T. Liu. Steadily supporting him is his mother, Diana T. Liu, who is now 93 years old.

This year, SMDI cele-brates its 65th year of ex-istence, brandishing the qualities now rare and elusive among car dealer-ships—reliability, stability and strength.

VISION / MISSION As the oldest automotive destination in Mindanao that has served three generations, we aim to be within the Top 3 Isuzu Dealers in the country as we intend to serve the next generations to come.

8 EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 2015 9

Memorial Masses will be offered in the following chapel and churches on January 24, 2015.

SAN PABLO PARISH ....................................................................................................................................... 10:00 AMJuna Subdivision, Matina, Davao City

SAN PEDRO CATHEDRAL .............................................................................................................................. 6:00 PMSan Pedro Street, Davao City

REDEMPTORIST CHURCH ............................................................................................................................ 6:00 AMJ. P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City

STA. ANA PARISH ............................................................................................................................................. 6:00 AMSta. Ana Avenue, Davao City

SACRED HEART PARISH ................................................................................................................................ 6:00 AMN. Torres St., Davao City

ASSUMPTION PARISH .................................................................................................................................... 6:00 AMF. Torres St., Davao City

ASCENSION OF THE LORD PARISH ...................................................................................................... 6:00 AMGSIS Heights, Matina, Davao City

ST. JUDE THADDEUS PARISH ................................................................................................................. 6:00 AMGen. Malvar St., Davao City

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI PARISH .............................................................................................................. 6:00 AMMaa, Davao City

In loving memory from his wife DIANA, children: WALTER & MARIANNE, MILTON & DEBBIE, BECKY & PAUL SHUI, FRANK JR., & CRISENDA, PEARL & RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ, HENRY, JOCKSON & MARIZON & grandchildren: CHLOÉ DIANE ROSE & MATTHEW LOWE, MELLISSA DEBBIE & RAYMOND ONG, FRANCESCA DEBBIE, DIANA DEBBIE, LATIMER, MELANIE, FRANK III, FRANCIS CHRISTOPHER, FREDRICK CARLO, grandchildren CHARLES MATTHEW LOWE, AUSTIN MICHAEL LOWE, THOMAS ALEXANDER ONG and SAMMUEL BENJAMIN ONG.

The family requests for prayer for eternal repose of his soul.

EDGEDAVAO

FRANK N. LIU, SR.Founder and Former Chairman

November 16, 1916 – January 24, 1992SOUTHERN MOTORS OF DAVAO, INC.


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IN our ICT Hub page on Edge Davao issue 219, we reported the recent announcement made by Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

So other than mirroring the thoughts, images, and outlook of people across the world, Facebook has actually scored more than the likes its has generated. Consider these – 4.5 million jobs and $225 billion in economic activity.

Can you beat that? That’s the bigger picture about this social media app.

As the article written by our very own associate editor Jon Joaquin goes, it is not just about selfies, throwback Thursdays, outfits of the day, and other mundane posts. Facebook is big impact.

If you browse around Facebook, you will surely get posts on items on sale from garments, to gadgets, to

shoes, to food, to medicines, and even services. It’s an advertising billboard in motion.

On Facebook, business is swift and easy. Transactions go by in ticks of seconds. Oh, and it’s less the hassles of renting a space, business permits, employing people, and all that. On Facebook, business goes by with just the click on a post and enquiries by the message inbox.

Oh, yes, we didn’t mention the down side. There’s also the danger of meeting some scam too. It’s not all too safe, after all. So let the dictum caveat emptor – buyer beware – be your guiding light.

With Facebook, you don’t need to go to offices or move from one house to another to sell appliances. Given one’s desire, Facebook is an avenue for jobs and business.

As Zuckerberg puts it: “You’re making the word more open and connected.”

WITH Mayor Rodrigo Duterte embarking on a nationwide “listening tour” on federalism, it’s time we

try to understand what this whole thing is. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines federalism as “a political system that binds a group of states into a larger, noncentralized, superior state while allowing them to maintain their own political identities… Certain characteristics and principles are common to all successful federal systems: a written constitution or basic law stipulating the distribution of powers; diffusion of power among the constituent elements, which are substantially self-sustaining; and territorial divisions to ensure neutrality and equality in the representation of various groups and interests.”

-oOo-This is actually not the first time that

federalism is being pushed in the country. In 2008 then-Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. proposed a resolution that sought to adopt a Federal Presidential Bicameral form of government. (At the House of Representatives, Rep. Monico O. Puentevella filed House Concurrent Resolution No. 15 on May 7, 2008 which supported Pimentel’s resolution.) Joint Resolution No. 10, which had the support of 13 senators, would have created 11 autonomous regions and 11 centers of finance and development in the Philippines. Under the proposal, there would be 11 states plus one federal administrative region – Metro Manila – as the seat of the federal government. The other states would be Northern Luzon (with Tuguegarao as capital), Central Luzon

(Tarlac City), S o u t h e r n T a g a l o g ( Ta g a y t a y ) , M i m a r o p a (Mamburao), Bicol (Legazpi), Eastern Visayas (Catbalogan), Central Visayas ( T o l e d o ) , W e s t e r n Visayas (Iloilo City), Northern Mindanao (Cagayan de Oro), Southern Mindanao (Davao City), and Bangsamoro (Marawi).

-oOo-One of the staunchest advocates of

Federalism, former University of the Philippines President Jose Abueva, formed the Citizens’ Movement for a Federal Philippines (CMFP) to campaign for a shift to a federal of government. In a paper titled Some Advantages of Federalism and Parliamentary Government for the Philippines (Revised for June 29, 2005), he listed eight advantages of the federal system:

1. The Federal Republic will build a just and enduring framework for peace through unity in our ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity, especially in relation to Bangsa Moro or Muslim Filipinos and our lumad/indigenous peoples.

2. Decentralization and devolution cannot move further under the old unitary system despite avowed goals expressed

in the 1987 Constitution and the Local Government Code.

3. The Federal Republic will empower our citizens by enabling them to raise their standard of living and enhance their political awareness through their participation and efficacy in elections and the making and carrying out of government decisions at the regional and local levels.

4. The Federal Republic will improve governance by challenging and energizing State and local leaders, entrepreneurs, and citizens around the country to take hold of their destiny. Federalism will release them from the costly, time-consuming, stifling, and demoralizing effects of excessive central government controls and regulation in our traditional Unitary System.

5. The Federal Republic will thus stimulate and hasten the country’s political, economic, social, and cultural development.

6. Federalism, together with parliamentary government, will improve governance by promoting the development of strong, united, disciplined, and program-oriented political parties that are responsible and accountable to the people for their conduct and performance in and out of power.

7. Metro Manila State will have a unified political structure that will integrate its various cities and municipalities under the State Assembly that combines legislative and executive powers and authority. Unlike the State Assemblies of the other States, the mayors in Metro Manila will constitute the Metro Manila State Assembly. The Metro Manila Governor and State Cabinet

will direct and coordinate the various metropolitan functions and services.

8. Gradually, the Federal Republic and its Parliamentary Government will broaden and deepen democracy.

-oOo-The CMFP had proposed the holding of a

plebiscite early in 2007 to ratify the Proposed Revision of the 1987 Constitution, so that the election in May 2007 would be for the officers in the 1987 Constitution as Revised. Unfortunately, it was precisely the need for amendments to the Constitution that doomed the proposal. There was massive opposition to Charter Change (Cha-Cha) because most people believed it would open the Constitution to other amendments – specifically the removal of term limits for elected officials, which would benefit then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. She was then already becoming unpopular because of charges of corruption and of cheating in the 2004 Presidential election, and she was widely believed to be positioning herself to be the country’s leader even after her term’s end in 2010.

-oOo-So the question now is, if Duterte pushes

for federalism, won’t the perception that he is gunning for the presidency shoot it down? Sure he has been insisting that he is not even remotely interested in being President, but what matters here is how the people see it. If they suspect that he is using federalism as a platform for a run for the highest position of the land, won’t it compromise the chances of federalism being accepted by the majority? Time will tell.

BEFORE he became the president of the United States, George Washington made a terrible mistake. It happened when he

was on his first military campaign. The American colonies had not yet rebelled

– that was 20 years down the road. At that time, Washington was working for Britain, which was in a “cold war” with France. The two countries were tussling with each other for territory all over the world, including the area near Virginia.

One day, Washington and his troops spotted a party of French camping in their territory, and attacked them, killing ten men and capturing the rest. He shot first and asked questions later. He found out it was a diplomatic party, and one of the men he killed was an important French ambassador.

Washington had made a big mistake. The two major military powers of that time ended their cold war and entered a hot war.

Now, imagine if you were Washington and you made that mistake. What would you tell yourself about it? How would the mistake fit into the overall pattern of your life?

“Mistakes are a part of being human,” author Al Franken wrote in 2002’s ‘Oh, The Things I Know.’ “Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it’s a fatal mistake which, at least, others can learn from.”

“When you make a mistake, don’t look back at it long,” suggests Hugh White. “Take the reason of the thing into your mind and then look forward. Mistakes are lessons of wisdom. The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.”

Here’s another one from Hollywood actress Mary Pickford: “If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for

you.” To which Norman Vincent Peale adds, “No matter what mistakes you may have made – no matter how you’ve messed things up – you still can make a new beginning. The person who fully realizes this suffers less from the shock and pain of failure and sooner gets off to a new beginning.”

At one time, I came across a poster which had these thought-provoking lines: “A doctor’s mistake is buried. A lawyer’s mistake is imprisoned. An accountant’s mistake is jailed. A dentist’s mistake is pulled. A pharmacist’s mistake is dead. A plumber’s mistake is stopped. An electrician’s mistake is shocking. A carpenter’s mistake is sawdust. A teacher’s mistake is failed. A printer’s mistake is redone. And yours?”

Don’t worry about committing mistakes. God has given us the power to make our own choice. After all, as Mahatma Gandhi puts it, “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.”

If you fail in the beginning, that is not the end of the world. Ttry and try again until you succeed. Remember Abraham Lincoln’s road to the White House? He failed in business in 1831 and was defeated for legislature in 1832. His second failure in business took place in 1833. He suffered a nervous breakdown in 1836.

Seven more defeats happened: for Speaker in 1838, for Elector in 1840, for Congress in 1843, for Congress again in 1848, for Senate in 1855, for Vice President in 1856, and for Senate in 1858. He became the 17th president of the United States in 1860. He was reelected in 1864.

Don’t worry about committing errors. Scientist Albert Einstein himself said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” Elbert Hubbard agreed: “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually fear you will make one.”

Once you have committed a mistake, try to correct it. “When you make a mistake, admit it, correct it, and learn from it – immediately,” Stephen R. Covey suggested. Confucius also reminds us, “A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.”

And never cry over spilled milk. Here’s what Jerry Gillies said: “I have made decisions that turned out to be wrong, and went back and did it another way, and still took less time than many who procrastinated over the original decision. Your brain is capable of handling 140, 000 million bits of information in one second, and if you take hours or days or weeks to reach a vital decision, you are short-circuiting your most valuable property.”

This reminds me of the story of Reuben Gonzolas, who was in the final match of his first professional racquetball tournament. As reported in the newspapers, he was playing the perennial champion for his first shot at a victory on the pro circuit. At match point in the fifth and final game, he made a super “kill shot” into the front corner to win the tournament. The referee called it good, and one of the

linemen confirmed the shot was a winner.But after a moment’s hesitation (no,

it didn’t took him several hours or days!), Gonzolas turned and declared that his shot had skipped into the wall, hitting the floor first. As a result, the serve went to his opponent, who went on to win the match. The question is: Was it a mistake for him to admit the “error”?

“To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the biggest mistake of all,” reminded Peter McWilliams. He also said, “Mistakes, obviously, show us what needs improving. Without mistakes, how would we know what we had to work on?”

According to a news report, when Gonzolas walked off the court, everyone was stunned. So much so that the next issue of a leading racquetball magazine featured Gonzolas on its cover. The lead editorial searched and questioned for an explanation for the first ever occurrence on the professional racquetball circuit. “Who could ever imagine it in any sport or endeavor?” it inquired. “Here was a player with everything officially in his favor, with victory in his grasp, who disqualifies himself at match point and loses.”

When asked by news reporters why he did it, Gonzolas replied, “It was the only thing I could do to maintain my integrity.”

We must never overlook the untold benefits that can be derived from mistakes. A person should never hesitate to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying in other words that he is wiser today than he was yesterday, because of his mistake.

What did Nadine Stair say again about committing blunders in life? “If I had my life to live over,” she declared, “I’d dare to make more mistakes next time.”

Learn from your mistakesVOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 2015 VANTAGE POINTS 11EDGEDAVAO

Henrylito D. [email protected]

THINK ON THESE!

What is federalism?

Jon Joaquin

THIRD WORLD

VOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 201512 CLASSIFIED

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Notice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. that CERTIFICATE OF FULL PAYMENT No.(s) 3453 under Loyola Plan Contract No(s). 10160897-5/MRO530003849 issued to PAZ M. DIMALALUANthat PAF (Plan Application Form) No(s). 00235894-235895 and 00235899 issued to SHARON C. PACIENTE

were lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.1/9,16,23

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Business with a

HEART


EDGEDAVAOINdulge! EVENT

IN THIS era of intense corporate rivalries and commercialism, it takes a hard stance and constant pounding on the competition in or-der for an enterprise to stay afloat.

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

With the unpredictable sails, you can never tell if the wind blows in your favor most of the time. You’ve got to be steady navigating. Smart and steel-nerved. Business, like sailing on rough seas, is not for the faint-hearted. However, there’s room for being soft-hearted. And that’s what Davao’s favourite residence -- The Royal Mandaya Hotel -- exudes: a lot of heart. This homegrown ho-tel, now 16 years as one of Davao’s leading luxury hotels, goes by its guiding business principle of “Busi-ness with a heart.” As part of its regular corporate social respon-

sibility (CSR) programs, TRMH led by its president Glenn Y. Escandor and General Manager Benjie Banzon embarked on an-other gift-giving activi-ties at two of its identified charities. TRMH hotel officers and staff visited Balay Pasilungan on Decem-ber 15, 2014 to treat the orphanage’s children to a taste of the popular TRMH cuisine with a buf-fet lunch for 40 kids along with BP’s aides and parent-volunteers. The next activity was at the Kids of Hope, a care center for young cancer patients on December 26, 2014 with a classic treat

of TRMH’s Heavy Buffet Snacks for 30 kids with their guardians and nurs-es. Located right at the pulse of Davao City, The Royal Mandaya Hotel is an ideal place to stay, offering primary access to busi-ness, commercial, and rec-reational centers. A mere 30-minute drive to the Davao International Air-port, the hotel is located within walking distance and easy reach of the city’s business and government centers, recreation and lei-sure destinations. Experience The Royal Mandaya Hotel and share a bit of your heart. Truly, it’s business with a heart.

A2 INdulge!UP AND ABOUT FOOD

VOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 2015EDGEDAVAO

Regular Zumba parties set at SM Lanang Premier

Waterfront Insular Hotel holds Valentine event

BULGOGI BROTHERS CELEBRATES TWO WONDERFUL YEARS IN DAVAO. Bulgogi Brothers SM Lanang Premier will celebrate its 2nd year in the business by thanking all our patrons by giving an exciting treat. Every day, get a free featured Ala Carte dish on the menu for any BBQ purchase from January 19 until the anniversary day on the 24th, 2015. Get Tofu Steak on January 23, and Steamed Herbed Pork for Crisp Chicken Wings on January 24. Visit Bulgogi Brothers now at the second level Fountain Court of SM Lanang Premier. Tokyo Tokyo’s Mango Float.

Prawn Tempura Bento. Try a complete meal.

The secret ingredient is always cheese. Try the Cheese Tonkatsu Bento.

Spicy Beef Maki—an ensemble of beef carefully prepared with a layer of Japanese rice with nori.

Japanese goodnessTOKYO TOKYO

at

TO encourage healthy and fit lifestyles, Davao’s pre-mier shopping and lifestyle destination – SM Lanang Premier - will be hosting free Zumba get-togethers for the public. Starting Fri-day, January 23, a Zumba Party will be regularly held at the 2nd Level of The Fountain Court (near Archipelago 7107 by Barrio Fiesta) from 6pm-7pm. Featuring top Zumba instruc-tors like Zin Lei and other known local Zins, it will also take place on February 6, March 6 and 20. Zumba enthusiasts can now lose those extra pounds gained over the holidays with this fitness ac-tivity organized by SM Lanang Premier, Dance Station Studio and Zin Zumba Instructor Network. Registration is fee. For more queries, contact 285-0943. To get the latest event updates, check out SM Lanang Premier on Facebook, Twitter and Insta-gram. Watch out also for exciting events and great dis-counts on selected items mallwide at the Great 3-Day Sale on January 30, 31 and February 1, 2015.

BLACK is the new red as the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao throws a Valentine Gala. Enjoy a night of elegance, so-phistication and euphoric ex-travagance at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao. Indulge in a lavish culinary spread and be mesmerised with broadway excepts performed by Songspell Philip-pines for only Php 1,350 nett per person on February 14 at the Grand Agila Ballroom. Avail of our exclusive Valentine Package at Php5,500 nett inclusive of a sumptuous Valentine Dinner Buf-fet for two and a Gift Certificate for an overnight stay with breakfast which can be availed from February 1 to 28, 2015. For reservations, please call the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao at +63.82.300.8881.

FIRST established in 1985, the Philippines’ number one Japanese fast food restaurant Tokyo Tokyo is now serving Japanese good-ness at SM City Davao.

For the past years, Tokyo Tokyo has be-come synonymous with quality and affordable meals. It has also be-come a household name with over 60 branches in Metro Manila and highly urbanized out-side Luzon. Sink your teeth in their bestsellers – Pork Tonkatsu, Shrimp tem-pura, Beef Misono, and enjoy their signature Red Iced Tea. Tokyo To-kyo’s Sumo Meals and Sumo Remix Meals are

big enough for shar-ing at very reasonable prices. Experience a Japanese gastronomic treat with their ya-kisoba, Japanese style potato balls, miso soup, and kani corn soup. The restaurant also offers different types of sushi. Other favorites include beef teriyaki, squid ika fry, and prawn tempura. Visit Tokyo Tokyo at the Ground Floor of SM City Davao Main Mall and at the third floor of SM Lanang Premier.

JOIN vets Doc Ferds Re-cio and Doc Nielsen Do-nato as they continue their expedition in Thai-land and the Maldives this Sunday on GMA7’s award-winning environ-mental program Born to be Wild. In Lopburi, Thailand, a temple is home to hun-dreds of monkeys. Local residents are tolerant of the monkeys’ mischief because the animals have been living here for several decades. But sometimes, the monkeys go wild. Some leave the temple and ransack es-

tablishments to get food. Doc Nielsen and his team document the monkeys’ behavior in their visit to

the monkey temple. In the Maldives, Doc Ferds helps treat a res-cued sea turtle. There is

no veterinarian on the is-land, and Doc Ferds does all he can to help these animals during his stay. All species of sea turtles are endangered all over the world. This is why Seamarc, an organiza-tion of marine biologists based in the Maldives, began a project for the marine turtles. One of these projects involves a coral reef propagation effort to help save the home of the sea turtles. Don’t miss this week’s special episode of Born to Be Wild this Sunday right after AHA! on GMA7.

THE characters of showbiz royal-ties Julia Barretto and Iñigo Pas-cual find their way back to each other’s arms this Sunday (January 25) in the continuation of their “Wansapanataym” special “Wish Upon A Lusis.” Despite his father’s objection, JP (Iñigo) is ready to do everything to find Joy (Julia), the girl who has cap-tured his heart. How will JP’s feelings for Joy change when he finds out about her real identity? What will he do when he discovers the “magic lu-sis” that Joy used to bring them closer together? Also part of “Wansapana-taym Presents Wish Upon A Lusis” are Susan Africa, Susan Africa, Perla Bau-tista, Bobby Andrews, Miguel Verga-ra, Eunice Lagusad, Kazumi Porquez, Daisy Reyes, and Ana Roces. It is writ-

ten by Joel Mercado and directed by Manny Palo and Rahyan Carlos. The original story book for Filipino kids “Wansapanataym” is under the pro-duction of Dreamscape Entertain-ment Television, the group that cre-ated top-rating TV masterpieces such as “Walang Hanggan,” “Ina, Kapatid, Anak,” “Juan dela Cruz,” and “Ikaw Lamang.” Don’t miss the continuation of Julia and Iñigo’s “Wansapanataym” special this Sunday, 6:45PM, after “Goin’ Bulilit” on ABS-CBN. For more updates, log on to www.abs-cbn.com or follow @abscbndot-com on Twitter. Meanwhile, viewers may also catch up on full episodes and past episodes of “Wansapana-taym” through ABS-CBNmobile. For more information, please go to www.abscbnmobile.com.

INdulge! A3

PG 13

R 13/ *R 13

R 1311:40 | 2:15 | 4:50 | 7:25 | 10:00 LFS

R-16

AMERICAN SNIPER

Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller

PG 13 12:40 | 3:00 | 5:20 | 7:40 | 10:00 LFS

ANNIE

12:00 | 2:20 LFS / * 4:40 | 7:20 | 10:00 LFS

MORTDECAI/ *BLACKHAT

Johnny Depp / *Chris Hemsworth

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

Quvenzhane Wallis, Jamie Foxx,

Cameron Diaz

TAKEN 3

Liam Neeson

January 23-27, 2015


Born To Be Wild’s Thailand and Maldives expeditions continue this Sunday

Iñigo falls in love with Julia in “Wansapanataym”

at SM City Davao this Jan 25AC T O R-M U S IC I A N Xian Lim shares his music to Davao audience at SM City Davao on January 25, 6PM. Lim, who began as a model and an actor released his first album “So It’s You” in 2012. The album quickly earned platinum award, having sold at least 20,000 copies. Xian Lim also recorded theme songs and soundtracks for My Binondo Girl in 2011 as well for Aryana and Ina, Kapatid, Anak in 2012. In 2014, Xian released his sec-

ond album under the same music outfit, Star Records. The latest al-bum XL2 consists original tracks and renditions such as “Alay Ko Sayo,” “Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo,” “Di Bale,” “Iibi-gin,” “Ikaw Na,” “Keep In Mind (K.I.M.),” “Kung ‘Di Sa Iyo,” “Pag May Time,” and “Si Aida Si Lor-na O Si Fe.” A p a r t from mak-ing waves in the mu-sic industry, the chinito-

charmer has also earned his spot in the movies with blockbuster films “Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo?” and “Bride for Rent” under his belt. Catch crooner Xian Lim live at the Annex Event Center of SM City Davao, 6PM on Sunday, Jan-uary 25. Admission is free.

Xian Lim XL2Album Tour

ENTERTAINMENT

Manhattan.

A4 INdulge!TRAVEL

“START spreading the news, I’m leaving today…” That was what I was humming as our plane was about to fly from the Senator Ninoy Aquino International Airport to the United States. I was bound for New York. For tourists, New York gener-ally does not disappoint, even if it frustrates. There are only few places in the United States that can be considered inherently as entertaining as New York. It is hard to remain bored for long in a place where there is something (okay, a hundred things) going on every second of the day. A global power city, the city exerts a significant im-pact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and en-tertainment. As home of the United Nations Headquarters, it is an important center for in-ternational diplomacy. It has also been described as the cul-tural and financial capital of the world. New York has five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Brooklyn is the most populous, and Brooklyn and Queens each have more residents than Man-hattan. New Yorkers tend to refer to Manhattan as “the city,” even as they identify the other boroughs by name. For ad-dresses, “New York, New York” means Manhattan. Ask film di-rector Woody Allen for that. Having been in New York twice, what are the things you should see? There are thousands of them, but first timers may set-tle for the following: Statue of Liberty: Located in Liberty Island, it is the most rec-ognized icon of New York City, perhaps of the United States. Designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor and dedicated on October 28, 1886, the statue was a gift to the United

Text and Photos by Henrylito D. Tacio

Part 1 of 2States from the people of France. The statue, which took ten years to make, is of a robed fe-male figure representing Lib-ertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Decla-ration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue is an icon of free-dom and of the United States: a welcoming signal to immigrants arriving from abroad. Ellis Island: It is a memorial to all foreigners who have made United States as their adopted home. Museum exhibits occupy three floors of the main build-ing. The exhibits document

immigrants’ experience at Ellis Island, as well as the history of immigration in the US. Among the notable person-alities who made it through El-lis Island were actors Claudette Colbert, Bob Hope, and Edward G. Robinson, composer Irving Berlin (yes the man who com-posed “Heaven Watch the Phil-ippines”), the Von Trapp family of “The Sound of Music” fame, and poet Khalil Gibran. Rockefeller Center: Declared a National Historic Landmarks in 1987, it is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 89,000 square meters between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Located in the center of Midtown Man-hattan, it spans the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. Some 200 flagpoles line the plaza at street level. Flagpoles around the plaza display flags of United Nations member coun-tries (be sure to find the Philip-pine flag), the U.S. states and territories, or decorative and seasonal motifs. It has been said that during US holidays, every pole carries the Flag of the Unit-ed States. Prometheus statue: It is the fourth-most familiar statue in the United States, behind the Lincoln Memorial, Mount Rushmore, and the Statue of Liberty. It is a highly recogniz-able bronze gilded statue of the Greek legend of the Titan Pro-metheus recumbent, bringing fire to mankind. The inscrip-tion, a paraphrase from Aeschy-lus, on the granite wall behind, reads: “Prometheus, teacher in every art, brought the fire that hath proved to mortals a means to mighty ends.”

Done by Paul Manship, the statue is located in the sunken plaza at the front of 30 Rockefell-er Plaza. According to some re-ports, the model for Prometheus was a certain Leonardo (Leon) Nole. Empire State Building: On top of one of the Rockefeller’s buildings, you can see the tall-est building of them all – the Empire State Building. It is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper whose name is derived from the nickname for the state of New York. The building has been named by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the

Seven Wonders of the Modern World. In 1986, it was designat-ed as a National Historic Land-mark. Its towering height is 1,414 feet or 431 miles. Currently, it the fourth-tallest completed skyscraper in the United States (after the One World Trade Center, the Wil-lis Tower and Trump Interna-tional Hotel and Tower, both in Chicago). It is the 25th-tallest in the world (the tallest now is Burj Khalifa, located in Dubai) and the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the Americas.

(to be continued on Monday)

The Statue of Liberty up close.

Taken at one of the Rockefeller buildings.

NEW YORK,NEW YORK!

VOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 2015EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 2015 13EDGEDAVAOEDGEDAVAO

ICT HUB

MICROSOFT on Wednesday took the wraps off a new

version of Windows — and a new wearable 3D gadget it calls the HoloLens.

The company showed the new headset, which lets users view and interact with three-dimensional images, at an event where it also revealed new features coming to the company’s flagship operating software.

Executives said Windows 10 is designed to embrace the way people use computers today — offering a familiar experience as they switch back and forth from personal computers to tablets, smartphones and other gadgets such as gaming consoles or even holographic projectors.

While it’s designed to let apps work in similar fashion on all those devices, Windows 10 will also come with a new Web browser that will be closely integrated with Cortana, the company’s voice-activated answer to Siri. Microsoft is expanding Cortana to serve as a search engine and personal assistant, capable of answering questions and responding to commands such as “Play music” on desktop and laptop computers, as well as mobile devices.

And in a break from

past practice, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 will be released later this year as a free upgrade for anyone owning a computer or gadget that’s currently running Windows 8.1 or 7, the two previous versions of the software.

Microsoft is making a big bet that Windows 10 will help it regain ground the company has lost to the mobile computing boom. Windows has long been the dominating operating software for desktop and laptop computers, but that business has suffered as more people have begun using smartphones and tablets. Microsoft tried to reach those users by emphasizing touch-screen features in its last update, Windows 8, but many traditional PC users found it jarring and difficult to navigate.

Hoping to win back a larger audience, Microsoft is promising Windows 10 will provide a familiar experience to users on across devices, and a common platform for software developers to create apps that work on all of them.

“Windows 10 is built for a world in which there are going to be more devices on the planet than people,” CEO Satya Nadella told reporters and industry analysts at

Microsoft shows off Windows 10, ‘HoloLens’

Microsoft’s headquarters. He said Microsoft wants to “enable that seamless cross-over, across devices as you move around at home and at work.”

Rivals including Apple and Google have also been working toward that goal, by making apps that, for example, save files or photos created on a PC and let the user retrieve them on a smartphone. But analysts say new features in Windows 10 could give Microsoft an edge.

For example, Microsoft executives showed new versions of the company’s Word app, its Outlook email service and a photo-storage app that look and act similarly on different screen sizes. They also promise to synchronize files so that changes made on one device would appear when the app is opened on another gadget.

Windows 10 will be used in Microsoft’s Xbox gaming systems as well. A new Xbox app for computers running

Windows 10 will give gamers one place to find messages, video clips and games they have played on multiple devices. Microsoft gaming executive Phil Spencer also suggested programmers may eventually use Windows 10 to create other apps for TVs tied to an Xbox console.

As for the company’s new hologram device, executives did not say when it will be available for sale. But they talked about using it for games as well as more

serious purposes, such as helping a surgeon visualize a new operating technique or showing someone how to perform plumbing repairs. Nadella said it will be priced to appeal to both consumers and businesses.

And there won’t be a Windows 9. Microsoft has skipped ahead in naming the next version, from Windows 8 to Windows 10, as though to put more distance between them. BRANDON BAILEY, AP Technology Writer

LATEST GADGET. Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore (left) smiles as he tries on a “Hololens” device with colleagues Alex Kipman (right) and Terry Myerson following an event

demonstrating new features of Windows 10 at the company’s headquarters on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2015, in Redmond, Wash. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

VOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 201514 NEWS

SMEs...

Surigao...

2 Abu...

Violators...

GenSan’s...

Phl...

FFROM 5

Deadly...FFROM 1

City...FFROM 2

DMEMS...FFROM 2

FFROM 3

FFROM 3

FFROM 3

FFROM 3

FFROM 2

ANTI-RABIES PLAN. Assistant city veterinarian Dr. Esther Cherrie G. Rayos tells reporters of the Davao City Veterinarian’s Office (CVO)’s plan to install the Barangay Rabies Control Coordinating Council to help in controlling and eradicating rabies in the city. Rayos graced yesterday’s I-Speak media forum at City Hall. Lean Daval Jr.

EDGEDAVAO

but also by SMEs,” Rodolfo said.

He, however, said that it would be a big challenge for SMEs to penetrate the European market because of strict compliance to consumer and government standard on their imported products as well as documentary requirements by the Philippine government.

“First of all, SMEs should consider the packaging of their products before they can export it to Europe,” Rodolfo said.

Exporters and SMEs, he said, should secure a copy of certificate of origin from the Bureau of Customs in order to start exporting to Europe using the GSP+ scheme.

Despite the challenges, he added that different

government agencies like DTI, Department of Science and Technology, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, among others are developing programs for the capacity building of SMEs.

For instance, he said that DTI is implementing the Shared Service Facilities (SSF), SME Roving Academy, among others. These programs train and capacitate SMEs not just to improve their lives but also move up in the value chain.

The European market s a multi-million dollar market in which people have higher spending capacity.

He said among the countries in EU that have big markets are Germany, United Kingdom and France.

dead.The wounded were

immediately brought to Digos Doctors Hospital and Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital for treatment.

Casas, who was heavily

wounded, was transferred to Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).

Police said the case will go under investigation to see if lapses were committed during the operation.

will recommend also some persons to be part of the council.

Rayos said the installation of rabies control councils in every local government unit is stipulated in the law.

She said based on CVO data, 57 suspected rabies carrying dogs were placed in the city pound in 2014 but only 11 were positive.

In 2013, the CVO recorded 48 suspected cases, of which 14 were positive.

The City Health Office

(CHO) rabies program recorded five deaths from animal bites in 2014 -- two from Tugbok and one each from Bunawan, Calinan, and Paquibato.

In the first to third quarter last year, the CVO recorded a total of 3,776 dog and cat bite cases, lower than the 6,995 cases recorded during the same period in 2013.

Rayos said the decrease can be attributed to the different satellite centers that offer rabies vaccines.

dorms,” he said. The three dormitories are located in Bajada, Jacinto Street, and near Bankerohan.

Batinding said DMEMS will also pay surcharges if it is not able to secure its per-mit before the end of the renewal period, which was

scheduled yesterday.He also said DMEMS

will pay 25 percent sur-charge for 2014 and 2015 if it is not able to have its mayor’s permit. By Arman-do B. Fenequito Jr. (With reports from CHENEEN R. CAPON)

ASEAN countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia which are already noted for their high contribution in terms of volume of some products exported to European countries.

Rodolfo said only two-thirds of products with tariff line lose can enter EU countries tariff-free under the GSP+ status, and the preferential scheme is temporary and good for only 10 years.

But once a free trade agreement is formed between the Philippines and EU, 90 percent of products in the tariff line will automatically have a zero duty.

“If they (Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam) will have an FTA before us, some of our products will be put at a disadvantage because of the larger product coverage that will have a zero tariff duty,” he added.

GSP+ offers zero duty to 6,274 products, mostly foodstuffs, garments, textile products, live animals, and animal products and footwear, headwear and umbrellas.

“GSP + is not here forever. There is a graduation process in the GSP +,” Rodolfo said.

He also said the Philippines is targeting to graduate from GSP+ as soon

as possible because this would mean the country has attained a certain level of growth based on the criteria of the World Bank.

“Graduating from GSP + means you have moved on from being lower middle income country to a higher middle income country,” he added.

Rodolfo said the benchmark of WB is $4,000 per capita GDP (gross domestic product) and the Philippines is close to $3,000.

Per capita GDP is a measure of the total output of a country that takes the gross domestic product (GDP) and divides it by the number of people in the country.

Rodolfo said the Philippines does not need to wait for 10 years before it can move to a higher scheme. As long as Philippines breaches the lower middle income category, it will automatically graduate.

Rodolfo said only Thailand was able to graduate from being a higher middle income country last December.

“If you will remember in 1980, Thailand and Philippines were almost on the same level, but now we’re behind Thailand,” he said.

Rodolfo said after the PH-EU FTA, DTI is also targeting to have a free trade agreement with non-European countries.

the holidays announced by Malacañang has already expired at the midnight of January 19.

The captive cops were supposed to be freed by the custodial forces of the NPA before Christmas but the NPA backed out because military presence in the hinterlands continued despite the pronouncement of Suspension of Military Operations, according to Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, spokesperson of CPP-NPA-NDF-Mindanao,

The communist rebels also asked the government for another ceasefire from January 6 to 19 to pave way for the release but Madlos claimed military presence persisted over Gigaquit, thus the release was cancelled.

The communists have yet issue their response on the 10-day extension.

Senior Supt. Julito Diray, police provincial director, said he hopes this would result in

the release of the kidnapped PNP personnel.

“That’s the consensus of all committees and we have to support it,” Diray said in a text message.

Lt. Col. Arsenio Sadural, commanding officer of 30th Infantry Battalion based in Bad-as, Placer town, said he supported the PCMC’s resolution.

He said he signed the PCMC resolution as a member, but it is subject to the decision of his commanders.

Families and relatives of the captive cops have been longing to see their loved ones.

“It’s been more than two months now. I hope the military would pull out their troops this time,” Mary Jane Longos, sister-in-law of PO1 Democrito Polvorosa, said of the NPA’s demand for the military to clear the way.

Longos said she can’t bear the suffering of her sister and the policeman’s parents.

with artillery followed by helicopter gunships.

Bautista said no one among the troops were either killed or wounded in the separate clashes.

Yoma said the two captured ASG camps can accommodate 100 people.

He said an improvised bomb was recovered in one of the camps.

Bautista said the Abu Sayyaf bandits who figured in Tuesday’s firefights were involved in the ambush-slay of six soldiers, including a junior officer, on November 2, 2014 in Barangay Libug, Sumisip.

The troops from the Army’s 64th Infantry Battalion were providing security to a government project when they were ambushed.

New Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance, was passed in 2012 by the 16th City Council which repealed inconsistent provisions of original comprehensive anti-smoking ordinance.

The new ordinance prohibits smoking of any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, shishas, and the

like, in all accommodation and entertainment establishments, workplaces, enclosed public places, partially enclosed public places, public buildings, public outdoor spaces, and all public conveyances, government-owned vehicles, and other means of public transport within the city.the Makar River, starting from

its estuary.Based on a memorandum

of agreement signed last November by the city government and UP-NIGS, the latter will bring in specialists who will conduct hydro-geologic and hydrographic studies on the Makar River to determine its vulnerability to flooding.

UP-NIGS experts will also evaluate the city’s vulnerability to landslides and other related hazards.

It said the study will give particular emphasis on the possible effects of these natural phenomena to the city and its development plans with the integration of various climate change scenarios.

Profiles on Makar River’s average depth, sediment thickness and flow rate, which are key factors for flooding, will be provided by the study.

The UP-NIGS experts will

also conduct an inventory of local flooding events as well as morphometry, geomorphic evolution and bathymetry studies.

The mayor said they pushed for the conduct of the study to strengthen the local government’s efforts to develop the city as a disaster-resilient locality.

He said the initiative is expected to updated and augment flood susceptibility data on Makar River released by the Department of Environment of Natural Resources’ Mines and Geoscience Bureau in 2005.

“We are very aware of the changes that Makar River has gone through in the past decade as caused by natural and man-made factors and other detriments. We expect that this study will guide the city as to what to do to protect our constituents living beside the river,” Rivera added.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 220 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 - 24, 2015 15SPORTSEDGEDAVAO

ONE of the most abused phrases in sports is sports development.

Two words that mean deeply but is interpreted shallowly.

Make that also executed lousily.

Add another word to that. Say, grassroots. Oh, that’s an-other abused word in sport. Whenever one wanted to sound knowledgeable in sports, grassroots is the most convenient word to speak.

Grassroots sports devel-opment, therefore, is a most misunderstood phrase.

Oh well, some people speak too fast too soon and blabber the phrase for the sake of passing off a lousy idea that’s oft repeated and oft ill-executed. We are taken for a ride by some geniuses pass-ing off as grassroots sports development an existing idea

from elsewhere or a brand-ing that’s already existing or a template owned by another.

In short, we fall often to doing something we never really owned and is not really designed to work in our envi-ronment. That is why when it comes to the execution side, you’d be surprised what is made supposedly in the draw-ing board is not the same in the execution phase.

The bottomline here is that we draw a lot of energy and resources from conceptu-alizing a supposed plan that’s supposed to fit whose agen-da? Is it the bigger picture or the personal agenda of each player in the poker room?

I wonder.So when we hear again

of a program (branded and existing) and call it a part of our very own is another futile

exercise and waste of resourc-es. It’s not our own. It’s a tem-plate designed for a universal base.

What we wanted to see from the gods that be are sports development concepts designed for our environ-ment.

I remember talking to coach Ronel Leuterio, the for-mer Davao Eagles coach in the

MBA, erstwhile coach of The Royal Mandaya Hotel-CMO who is based in Chicago, a few months back and his idea of Pinoy-style basketball.

Coach Ronel said we are too influenced with the NBA brand of basketball and that does not win us games in the international competition. Then we shifted to European type basketball in the recent international competitions and we encountered the Eu-ropeans at the FIBA World Cup.

Bottomline again, we can-not beat them in their own game.

What coach Ronel thought is for us to train our kids the concept of Pinoy style basketball—fast, few dribbles, few passes, more running. I cannot graphical-ly explain it but listening to

coach Ronel, I knew he had a point. That idea according to coach Ronel was even asked from him by coach Aboy Cas-tro of the Smart Gilas coach-ing staff when he got wind of the concept.

The point is, everyone should be educated to the concept on how we should play our brand of basketball. From grassroots to collegiate to professionals.

I also heard of the same formula followed by Thailand in their football program. When coach Kiatesak Sen-amuang, a former national player known as Thailand’s version of the legendary Zico, assumed the post with the national squad, he introduced Thailand style football which is a spinoff of Barcelona’s “ti-ki-taka.” He calls it tick-tock where the ball goes like a pin-

ball around players.That system is now being

taught from grassroots to age group to youth to the seniors in Thailand’s football nation.

The point is to develop your own system and make it work.

Some years back, the City of Manila embarked on a sports development program that culminates with the an-nual Manila Youth Games. You got to have a start and a direction. Not too many in-sertions in between that will draw stress on your finances.

Sports governance is never an easy task. It takes a visionary, and it takes a lot of sacrifice. No drifting else-where. Focus. Selfless.

As Albert Einstein puts it: “It is not that I’m so smart. But I stay with the questions much longer.”

Understanding sports development

Neil Bravo

LET’S GET IT ON

SO far, so good for Poblacion B.

Relying on its inside game anew, Poblacion B turned back Tugbok, 94-89, and cruised to its fourth straight victory in the 2015 Duterte Basketball League (DBL) Inter-Poilitical District Basketball Tournament Thursday morning at the Davao City Recreation Center Almendras Gym.

Bitoy Cabantug and Bingbong Yap combined for

46 points, almost half of the team output, to spearhead the Poblacion B onslaught and put to waste Roy Bancas’ game-high 50-point performance.

Cabantug finished with 24 points and Yap added 22 as Poblacion B survived a late rally by Tugbok in the final five minutes and remained undefeated in the event organized by the City Government of Davao thru the Sports Development Division-City Mayor’s Office

(SDD-CMO).The Poblacion B dribblers

led 49-43 at the half and were up at 70-65 entering the final period.

After erecting 10-point lead at 88-78, Poblacion B went awful at the free throw line by missing six straight, allowing Tugbok to trim the deficit at 91-88.

The rally fell short, however, for Tugbok and Poblacion B booked another win to lead the team standings

at 4-0. The defeat dropped Tugbok to 2-1.

Poblacion B still has seven games left, but 32-D barangay captain Rolando Bantayan believes there’s no stopping the team from reaching the semifinals as their remaining opponents are light ones.

No less than Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte opened the 14th edition of the DBL basketball tournament Friday last week, saying the sports activity is needed

to promote camaraderie and unity among barangay officials.

The champion team in the tournament will receive P40,000 while the second placer will pocket P30,000. The third finisher is assured of P20,000 and fourth P10,000. All the top four finishers will also receive trophies.

There will also be cash prizes for individual awards like the Most Valuable Player

and members of the Mythical Five

The 2015 DBL Inter-Political District basketball event is one of the major sports activities being held regularly under the administration of Mayor Duterte.

Also seeing action in the tournament are Buhangin, Agdao, Paquibato, Poblacion A, Talomo, Toril, Calinan, Marilog, Baguio and Bunawan. (SDD-CMO)

AFTER squandering a 23-point lead, the San Miguel Beermen

completed a magnificent comeback against Alaska to hack out an 80-78 win and take their first PBA Philippine Cup title in 14 seasons.

Just like in their previous games, the Beermen built an early lead only to lose it to the Aces in the payoff period.

But Arwind Santos’ triple started San Miguel’s final push in the end game. The Beermen eventually

outlasted the surging Aces to claim Game 7 in their long-drawn finals series.

Santos, who waged a bruising hardcourt battle against fellow Kapampangan Calvin Abueva throughout the series, finished the game with 22 points and 11 rebounds to go with his four blocks. He was later named as the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Best Player of the Conference June Mar Fajardo himself also had an excellent game with 21 points and 25

boards.San Miguel’s victory

concluded a highly physical finals matchup between the two squads that saw several near scuffles in seven games.

The title win also allowed coach Leo Austria to net a PBA title in his coaching debut with the Beermen. He also joined the elite roster of PBA personalities who were able to win league titles as players and later on as coaches.

“Both of us deserved

to win the championship, but unfortunately we won,” Austria said, referring to their highly competitive rivalry with the Aces. “This is unbelievable. Before I was just a kid watching the PBA in the province, I’m watching Crispa-Toyota.”

He also thanked the over 22,000 fans who watched the game live at the Araneta Coliseum. “What’s important is sinuportahan kami ng crowd. Nabuong muli ang maraming fans,” he said.

ARWIND Santos was named as the PBA Philippine Cup Finals

Most Valuable Player for leading San Miguel Beer to its first all-Filipino title finish in 14 seasons.

Santos was among the most consistent among the Beermen, garnering 18.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game during their thrilling seven-game title encounter with the Alaska Aces.

In the winner-take-all Game 7, it was Santos who nailed the game-changing triple that turned the tide

against a surging Alaska squad in the final 43 seconds.

“’Yung tira ko po na ‘yon, kamay po ng Diyos ‘yon, kaya po kami nanalo,” said Santos in the post-game interview. “Wala po akong masabi, sobrang saya ko po talaga.”

The former FEU standout, who was also the 2013 season MVP, concluded the game with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks.

San Miguel engaged Alaska in a tightly fought best-of-seven finals.

MANNY Pacquiao’s movie-documentary “Manny,” which told

the story of his rise from poverty to global fame, enjoyed a star-studded premier at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Tuesday night.

Among those who attended the event were boxing legend “Sugar” Ray Leonard, former UFC fighter Chuck Liddell, Octagon girl Arianne Celeste and basketball prospect Kobe Paras.

Leonard and Liddell even spoke about their admiration for Pacquiao.

“I’m pretty sure there’s many facets of Manny Pacquiao that the public is not

privy to and I look at him as a philanthropist, fighter, in and outside the ring, a guy who gives from the heart, fights from the heart. He’s one of a kind,” said Leonard.

The documentary narrated by Liam Neeson and co-directed by Oscar-winner Leon Gast and Ryan Moore, tells the story of the Filipino boxing sensation and how he fought against the odds to become one of the most respected athletes of all times and a politician who works tirelessly to help people in his home country.

“Manny” opens in select theaters in the US and VOD on January 23.

Poblacion B cruises to 4th win

SMB claims PH Cup titleSan Miguel Beermen celebrate after winning the Game 7 against the Alaska Aces during the PBA Philippine Cup Finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. (Czeasar Dacel/NPPA Images)

Celebrities attend Hollywood premiere of Pacquiao docu

Santos names Finals MVP


MARCHING ON16 EDGEDAVAOSports

TOP-RANKED Serena Wil-liams fended off three set points before going

on a 10-game roll to beat Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-0 and move into the third round of the Aus-tralian Open.

Men’s No. 1 Novak Djokov-ic had an easier run, spending a minute less than Williams on Rod Laver Arena in his 84-min-ute, 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 win over No. 88-ranked Andrey Kuznetsov on Thursday. Defending cham-pion Stan Wawrinka, who ended four-time champion Djokovic’s 25-match winning streak at Mel-bourne Park in the quarterfinals

last year, advanced to the third round for the seventh consecu-tive year with a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over No. 194-ranked qualifier Marius Copil.

Williams, seeking a sixth Australian and 19th Grand Slam title, saved three set points in the ninth game before holding to swing the momentum of her match against Zvonareva, a two-time Grand Slam finalist who played only five tournaments in 2014.

She said Zvonareva, start-ed out really aggressively “and I was a little too passive.”

That’s when she told her-

self: “’You know S e re n a , y o u ’ v e d o n e so well h e r e , you have n o t h - ing to lose’ — and I started p l a y - ing a little b e t - ter.”

A f t e r breaking Wil-liams’ serve twice in the first set,

Zvonareva only won eight points in the sec-

ond set and didn’t get close to another break-point chance.

Venus Williams had a 6-2,

6-3 win against fellow American Lauren Davis. The elder of the Williams sisters, a seven-time major winner, hasn’t been be-yond the third round at a major since reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon on 2011.

Sixth-seeded Agnieszka Rad-wanska needed only 44 minutes to race through her 6-0, 6-1 win over Johanna Larsson, continu-ing her run of reaching the third round or better at every Austra-lian Open since 2010.

No. 24 Garbine Muguruza beat veteran Daniela Hantucho-va 6-1, 1-6, 6-0.

On the men’s side, U.S. Open

finalist Kei Ni-shikori beat Ivan Dodig 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (0), getting a cru-cial service break in the 10th game of the fourth set when Dodig was serving for the set and then dominating in the tiebreaker.

No. 12 Feliciano Lopez was leading 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 4-0 when Adrian Mannarino retired from their second-round match and No. 19 John Isner beat An-dreas Haider-Maurer 6-4, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-4.

Steve Johnson beat No. 30 Santiago Giraldo 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Serena Williams overcame aslow start to beat Vera Zvonaverain the second

round.

Djokovic, Wawrinka join Williams in 3rd round of Australia Open

Edge Davao 7 Issue 220

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