WE can bring in as much as he wants.”

This was the final statement of Philippine Develop-

ment Forum (PDF) co-chairperson, Motoo Konishi, World Bank Country Director for the Philippines, pertain-ing to the volume of funds that can be borrowed by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima from the World Bank as aid for the development of the Philip-pines in line with the PDF programs.

Konishi was asked if the World Bank is open to increased aid for this year in line with the PDF programs, during a press conference of the PDF held at The Marco Polo Davao yester-day.

EDGEP 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.netVOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013

Serving a seamless societyDAVAO

FBORROW,11

FCLIMATE CHANGE,11

Page 16Suburbia

Page 13

Page 3

Sports

Follow Us On

Page A1Indulge

All aboardOrbrigado! 2013

New houses forPablo victims

Thunder scorch Mavs 112-91

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Describes Philippines as rising tiger

Borrow as much as you want: WB

Wow!

By EJ Dominic Fernandez

“

TEARFUL. Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte wipes his tears while offering a prayer for his depart-ed mother, Soledad “Nanay Soling” Duterte, during her first death anniversary at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Madapo Hills, Davao City Monday afternoon. Duterte later revealed that the misery he felt for his deceased parents, especially his mother, made him cry. Lean Daval Jr.

AUSTRALIA has partnered with the Climate Change Commission and the United

Nations Development Programme through ‘Project Climate Twin Phoenix’ to assist the provincial governments of Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley to build more accurate risk profiles of their areas and better understanding on their vulnerabilities to natural hazards by providing P12 million assistance to the two provinces so that they will be more resilient to disaster and climate change.

Project Climate Twin Phoenix, first implemented in the cities of

Climate changeAustralia joins UN bodyin helping DavOr, ComValBy Che Palicte

VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013THE BIG NEWS2

FJV Ejercito Estrada, 11

FINT’L, 11

FVILLAR, 11

EDGEDAVAO

QU E E N S B E R R Y Mining and D e v e l o p m e n t

Corporation, the resource development company of Sen. Manny Villar, recently bought an additional 3,750,000 common shares in St. Augustine Gold and Copper Limited (SAGC), a US-based mining company that is currently conducting exploration studies in Barangay King-king, Pantukan, Compostela Valley Province.

This brings Queensberry’s total stake in the King-king project to 28.75 million shares, which is approximately worth US$ 5.6 million. This is excluding Villar’s earlier purchase of 30

million shares with the project’s other local partner, Nationwide D e v e l o p m e n t Corporation (Nadecor).

With this purchase of additional shares in SAGC, Queensberry and Senator Villar are demonstrating their confidence in SAGC to advance the King King Project. Queensberry has not purchased additional shares or provided additional funding to the troubled Nadecor though.

Two factions within the Nadecor board have been battling for control of the company since 2011. And while the Court of Appeals had already ruled in favor of the group of company

Villar buys bigger stake in SAGC

COMMENDED. President Benigno Samuel C. Aquino III graces the Philippine Devel-opment Forum at the Marco Polo Davao yesterday. During his speech, Aquino com-mended the efficient-performing agencies of the government specifically the Depart-

ment of Public Works and Highway, once the ultimate den of corruption, which saved P12 billion as a result of conscientious and honest work. Lean Daval Jr.

MOU. Davao Oriental Gov. Corazon N. Malanyaon (center) and Compostela Valley Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya (2nd from right) representing Gov. Arturo T. Uy show the signed Memorandum of Understanding to seal a partnership on enabling Regions 10 and 11 to cope with climate change with Luiza Carvalho, resident representative of United Nations Development Pro-

gramme (left), Australian Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Bill Tweddell (2nd from left), Sec. Mary Ann Lucille Sering of Climate Change Commission (beside Gov. Malanyaon) and Toshihiro Tanaka, country director of United Nations Devel-opment Programme at the Marco Polo Davao Monday night. Lean Daval Jr.

THE extraordinary performance of Davao City First

District Congressman Karlo B. Nograles in the 15th Congress did not go unnoticed.

Superbrands, a pres-tigious international branding and polling out-fit, has named Nograles as one of the 20 Most Outstanding Congress-men. He is just one of the two elected congress-men from Mindanao who made it to the elite circle. The other Mindanao con-gressman who landed in the Top 20 list is Con-gressman Rufus Rodri-guez of Cagayan de Oro City. Nograles and Rodri-guez are both lawyers.

Also in the Super-brands Congress honor roll are House Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III, House Majority Lead-er Neptali Gonzales and party list representative Arnel Ty.

Nograles and the oth-

er awardees will be for-mally honored in a lun-cheon on February 6 at the Mandarin Oriental Manila Hotel in Makati City.

Superbrands, founded by advertising executive Marcel Knobil in London in 1994, will publish a coffee table book that would feature Nograles and the other outstand-ing congressmen based on an independent poll-ing made. In each coun-try that Superbrands operates in, it elects a Su-perbrands Council usual-ly comprised of industry experts and practitioners that selects the top brands and personalities under various categories.

Only in his first term as congressman, Nograles was elected in the 15th Congress as House assis-tant majority leader. He is the son of former Speak-er Prospero Nograles, the first and only Mindanao

Int’l group names Nograles ‘outstanding congressman’

THAI Ambassador to the Philippines Prasas Prasasvin-

itchai said he will con-vince businessmen and investors back home to locate their business ventures in the Davao Region.

The Thai ambassa-dor made the statement after officials of Davao City, Compostela Val-ley and the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. made presentations on invest-ment potentials during a dinner with the diplomat at the Waterfront Insular Davao Hotel last Sunday night.

The presentations were made by Davao City Investment Promotion Center chief Jason Mag-

naye, Compostela Valley Gov. Arthur Uy, and DC-CCII executive director Anne Abundo.

Ambassador Pra-sas said Thailand has a multi-billion company engaged in waste man-agement technology, but there are other firms that would be interested to get involved in other big ticket investors.

He advised Mindanao to always see to it that there is enough power supply for industries and business establishments who would locate in the region. Power blackouts turn off investors, the diplomat said.

The ambassador also said that the disaster caused by super typhoon Pablo in Compostela

Valley and Davao Orien-tal reminded him of the tremendous loss of lives and damage to property and crops by super cy-clone Nargis in Myanmar when he was assigned there as Ambassador of the Royal Kingdom of Thailand based in Thai capital city of Yangon in 2008. He said 138,000 people died in the disas-ter with damage placed 10 billion US dollars. Cyclone Nargis was the second deadliest named cyclone of all time, the first being typhoon Nina which hit China in 1975 with fatalities reaching 129,000 people.

After viewing the au-dio visual production of the Pablo destruction by Governor Uy, the am-

bassador said he was impressed by the spirit shown by Comvalenyos in their willingness to rebuild their lives. He said he witnessed the same thing happened in Myanmar which is now enjoying a tourism boom after it was rebuilt by the people.

Other Dabawenyos who attended the dinner included DCCCII pres-ident Daniel Lim and other chamber officers Antonio dela Cruz, John Gaisano and Antonio Ajero.

Commissioner Salem Demuna of the Nation-al Muslim Commission who knew the Thai am-bassador for sometime now headed the Philip-pine delegation in the

Thai ambassador to promote Davao to traders back home

SAN Juan Rep. JV Ejercito Estra-da reminded the

Aquino administra-tion that its “economic gains” may be meaning-less if it will not be able to improve the lives of Filipinos and lift mil-lions out of poverty.

Ejercito Estrada said the 6.6-percent eco-nomic growth posted by the Philippines last year will not mean anything

to Juan de la Cruz unless it translates into more jobs, higher pay, and an over-all improvement in the quality of his life.

“If the country’s economy performed ‘beyond expectations,’ why then did we have more unemployed Fil-ipinos last year?” the young lawmaker asked.

The San Juan solon pointed out the results of the October 2012 La-

bor Force Survey which revealed that 2.76 million Filipinos are unemployed. The sur-vey showed that some 120,000 additional Fil-ipino workers joined the ranks of the unem-ployed last year.

The country’s un-employment rate went up despite the fact that prior to the release of the survey, the Philip-

Growth meaninglessif millions still poor

JV Ejercito Estrada:

VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013EDGEDAVAO 3SUBURBIA

THE General Santos City local govern-ment has started

the ground works for its modern hemodialysis center that it planned to open before yearend at the city hospital complex.

Dr. Benjamin Pagarig-an, city hospital chief, said the local government has allocated an initial P10 million for the construc-tion and development of the hemodialysis center, which is supported by the Department of Health (DOH).

He said the construc-tion of the center is part of the city government’s ongoing expansion and upgrading of the city hos-pital’s facilities and ser-vices.

“It will mainly feature the latest hemodialysis equipment and will offer quality and affordable services,” he said.

The official said they are currently finalizing the facility’s adminis-trative and operational systems as well as the proposed rates for its ser-vices.

The local government had initially set a service fee of P700 per hemodi-alysis session but he said

they are still assessing whether such rate would be enough to sustain the facility’s operations.

Jose Orlando Acharon, executive assistant of the city mayor’s office, earlier said the facility will start operating with 15 hemo-dialysis units.

He said the city gov-ernment is planning to op-erate the facility through a public-private partner-ship or PPP scheme.

Based on the proposed dialysis center’s initial plans and specifications approved by the Sanggua-niang Panlungsod in April last year, Acharon said the city government will shoulder the construction of the building, water and power supply as counter-part.

He said the local gov-ernment’s total project counterpart was estimat-ed to cost around P12.3 million, which would be sourced from the city fund and trust fund.

Acharon said the proj-ect’s partner will provide the required personnel, the acquisition of the di-alysis machines and the facility’s maintenance.

Dr. Romulo Busuego, DOH Assistant Secretary

for Mindanao operations, lauded the city govern-ment for embarking on such “challenging facility.”

“This will be the only hemodialysis facility (in Mindanao) that is owned by a local government unit,” he said during its recent launching.

Busuego said the DOH will assist the develop-ment of the hemodialysis center as well as the oth-er expansion plans of the city hospital.

The city hospital, which was adopted by the local government as an economic enterprise, has

been undergoing major improvements in the last two years through a grant from the DOH’s health fa-cilities enhancement pro-gram.

Earlier this year, the city government unveiled the hospital’s newly-com-pleted emergency room

and outpatient depart-ment building.

The city hospital, which was previously known as city district hospital, has recently completed the computer-ization of its entire oper-ations. [Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews]

ROUND-THE-CLOCK. Workers from the local government of Compostela Valley province construct bunkhouses for residents who lost their homes in New Bataan town to typhoon Pablo. [MindaNews/Ruby Thursday More]

Construction of dialysis center in GenSan starts

THE national govern-ment has approved an additional grant

of P93 million to South Cotabato province to fund the energization this year of several remote commu-nities in Lake Sebu town.

South Cotabato (2nd District) Rep. Daisy Avance-Fuentes said she was informed by the De-partment of Budget and Management (DBM) that it has endorsed the fund-ing and implementation this year of the proposed electrification projects in 30 sitios of Barangay Ned in Lake Sebu.

She said the projects would be implemented under the national gov-ernment’s expanded Sitio Electrification Program (SEP).

“This is on top of the P40 million that was ear-

marked for the province this year for sitio electrifi-cation,” Fuentes said.

She said the P93-mil-lion grant for Barangay Ned’s electrification will be sourced from the gov-ernment’s 2012 savings while the P40 million will come from the area’s reg-ular electrification allot-ment for this year.

Fuentes earlier said the project involves the installation of transmis-sion lines that will connect Barangay Ned to the prov-ince’s power grid.

She said it also covers the installation of power lines within the project area and in the identified household-beneficiaries.

The project would be implemented by power distribution utility South Cotabato I Electric Coop-erative, which handles the

province’s electrification projects under the SEP.

The national govern-ment had tapped local electric cooperatives as the main implementers of SEP, with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Electrification Administration (NEA) as supervising agencies.

Last year, NEA allocat-ed a total of P6.27 billion for the implementation of SEP, with P3.7 billion com-ing from its 2012 budget and P2.57 billion from the national government.

Fuentes said they had identified Barangay Ned as priority beneficiary for the SEP to complement with the ongoing imple-mentation of various de-velopment projects in the area.

Barangay Ned is the biggest barangay in the

municipality of Lake Sebu with a total land area of 21,246.27 hectares or ap-proximately 46 percent of the entire town.

The village, which hosts several coal mining projects and agribusiness production areas, has re-mained without electricity due to its inaccessibility and distance to the power transmission lines.

The remote location and inaccessibility of the barangay has hampered the development of infra-structure and delivery of services.

A number of die-sel-powered generator sets were operating in some parts of the area but they only serve around 100 households and were considered unstable due to the rising cost of fuel.[PNA]

P93M for SC power projects

POLICE officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim

Mindanao (ARMM) has assured that there are ef-forts to prevent any spill over to other areas of the on-going skirmishes be-tween the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Abu Sayyaf (ASG) bandits in the town of Pa-tikul in Sulu.

“The fighting between MNLF and Abu Sayyaf is confined to a hinterland area and far from res-

idential areas,” Senior Supt. Noel delos Reyes, ARMM police regional director, told reporters here.

Quoting a report from Senior Supt. Anto-nio Freyra, Sulu police provincial director, De-los Reyes said at least 20 people from both the MNLF and ASG have been killed following the fight-ing which started Satur-day night.

Acting Regional Gov-ernor Mujiv Hataman

also ordered all mayors in the island province to help prevent the spread of hostilities to other communities.

The hostilities start-ed Saturday, when MNLF members, led by Ustadz Habier Malik, tried to rescue Jordanian TV re-porter Baker Atyani from his Abu Sayyaf captors.

Earlier, Malik and the kidnappers have agreed to turn over the two Fil-ipino TV crews who ac-companied the Jordanian

reporter to the MNLF.Instead, ASG hand-

ed over the two to other groups that angered Ma-lik.

Following the fire-fight, several families have fled to safer grounds for fear the conflict might escalate.

Hataman said Gover-nor Sakur Tan has direct-ed the Department of So-cial Welfare and Develop-ment (DSWD) to attend to the needs of displaced families. [PNA]

Police assures no spill over in ASG-MNLF fighting in Sulu

TWO provinces in Cen-tral Mindanao have been included in the

nationwide “Sikat Saka” program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

In a statement, DA-12 Regional Director Amalia Jayag-Datukan, said Agri-culture Secretary Proceso Alcala has ordered the in-clusion of South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat be-cause the two provinces are among the top 20 rice producing provinces in the country.

The program was first introduced in four pilot areas that included North Cotabato, Nueva Ecija, Iloilo and Isabela.

DA has spent P400 mil-lion for the project in part-nership with the Land Bank of the Philippines.

“Sikat Saka” is an agri-cultural credit assistance program of DA and Land Bank to help small time farmers come up with big-ger production to sustain rice sufficiency in the coun-try.

The inclusion of South Cotabato and Sultan Kuda-rat was a good news for rice farmers who will have additional farm inputs to increase productivity, Di-rector Datukan said.

Under “Sikat Saka” pro-gram, farmers will receive an assistance of P42,000 per hectare per cropping for hybrid rice and P37,000 for inbred rice production.

“Take this opportunity, the Department of Agricul-

ture is generous because it wanted to help farmers,” Datukan told farmers in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.

“Through this loan as-sistance, farmers will be comfortable waiting for harvest season because they have stand by funds to use for more production,” Datukan added.

She explained that “Sikat Saka” is among the initiatives of the govern-ment to attain rice suffi-ciency this year and to be able to export rice to other countries in 2014.

Aside from Land Bank, DA is in partnership with Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), National Food Au-thority (NFA), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), National Agri-Business Corporation (NABCOR), at Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC).

ACPC is responsible for fund releases and program evaluation while NIA en-sures irrigators’ association would become credit con-solidators or conduits.

NFA and NABCOR, on the other hand, will ensure steady market for rice pro-duced by farmers.

ATI is responsible for financial and credit man-agement training for Sikat Saka beneficiaries to en-sure farmers use the loaned money for rice productivity and not for non agricultural related projects. [PNA]

‘Sikat Saka’ DA program expands to 2 more provinces in Region 12

VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013

COCKROACHES groom to improve their sense of smell, scien-

tists say.The insects are known

to manipulate their anten-nae, the protrusions on their head which they use to sense the smells, tem-perature and physical lay-out of their environment.

US researchers found that the cockroaches groom to wipe away secre-tions that would otherwise interfere with their sense of smell.

They also identified the same behaviour in carpen-ter ants and houseflies.

The findings are pub-lished in the journal Pro-ceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“The insect antenna is full of sensory structures, called sensilla, used by in-sects to gather information about their surroundings, which is essential for their survival,” said Dr Katalin Boroczky from the North Carolina State Universi-ty, US, who authored the

study.“Sensory neurons sit-

ting in the sensilla are the receivers of outside sig-nals: humidity, texture of physical surfaces, taste, or smell.”

Dr Boroczky observed that when cockroach-es were prevented from grooming, their anten-nae became coated with a shiny substance.

“The main function of insect grooming is thought to be the removal of foreign material from the body surface,” she explained.

“In particular, it has been shown that insects can remove powdery sub-stances and pathogens via grooming.”

Analysing the sub-stance on the cockroach-es’ antennae, Dr Boroczky and colleagues discovered it was actually made up of cuticular lipids, which they describe as natural waxy secretions that regulate water loss in the insects.

Wax offTo understand the ef-

fects of the grooming be-haviour, they compared groomed and ungroomed antennae.

They found that ung-roomed antennae accu-mulated nearly four times the amount of lipids that

groomed antennae did.Ungroomed antennae

were also found to be less responsive to aromas and sex pheromones.

“A male American cockroach... has thousands of sensilla on each anten-

na, some of which house neurons that detect air-borne compounds, such as the female-produced sex pheromone or odour molecules from the envi-ronment,” she said.

Using an electron

microscope to investi-gate further, Dr Boroczky found that the substance covered the pores on the antennae which connect-ed with these essential smell-receptor cells. [BBC-Nature]

4 EDGEDAVAOSCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

DAVAO del Norte Gov-ernor Rodolfo del Rosario this early

is now hatching up anoth-er strategic direction that would guide him through his last term, taking into consideration the current realities of climate change, disaster risk reduction, and globalization.

Buoyed by the gains of his human-centered devel-opment agenda P.E.O.P.L.E., the governor is bent on facing the daunting task of resuscitating the de-velopment momentum of the province that was marred by the successive onslaught of calamities,

which brought multi-bil-lion loses to crops and in-frastructures.

Del Rosario hinted his final term of office would be dedicated to carefully placing vital mechanisms that would protect the de-velopment strides of the province from the harmful impact of catastrophes.

The second-termer governor, who is running unopposed in the May 2013 elections, earlier re-vealed he is capping his il-lustrious three-decade ca-reer in public service after serving his final mandate.

At the recent 2012 year-end operations re-

view of the provincial gov-ernment, here, the local chief executive paid tribute to the heads of the various offices of the Capitol for de-livering the success of his P.E.O.P.L.E strategy in 2012.

The accomplishments of the province include the triumph of the Davao del Norte Convergence for Peace and Development, which served the frontline services of the Capitol to over 60,000 indigents in 30 depressed barangays, in partnership with the army, police, and other agencies.

Other achievements include the construction of the P243-million Davao

del Norte Sports and Cul-tural Center that now al-lows the province to host local and national sporting events, while promoting the well-being of the .

The province also facil-itated the release of some P239-million worth of rural infrastructure proj-ects to qualified local gov-ernment units under the Mindanao Rural Develop-ment Program (MRDP) in increasing 60.25 kilome-ters of road lengths and 69 linear meters of bridges, as well as, significantly cut-ting production cost by as much as 85 percent. [Noel Baguio]

Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario congratulates the capitol department heads for the success of his P.E.O.P.L.E. agenda, at the recent 2012 year-end operations review of the provincial government in Davao City. [Romulo Tagalo]

Climate change, risk reduction high on RDR’s next agenda

Cockroaches like to keep their antennae clean

Insects groom to improve their sense of smell: study

THE Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) is reviewing

government’s remedia-tion policy to help further promote responsible min-ing nationwide.

“It’s among things we’re looking at following the mine tailings spill in-cident in Padcal last year,” said MGB Dir. Leo Jasare-no.

He noted that the re-view will help generate inputs for policy amend-ments needed to better protect areas affected by mining operations.

“We expect such policy changes within this year,” he said.

Authorities earlier re-ported an estimated 20.69 million tons of mine tail-ings leaked into the envi-ronment from Philex Min-ing Corporation’s copper mining site in Padcal mu-nicipality, Benguet prov-ince.

Tailings are residue materials from the process of separating valuable and non-valuable fractions of ore.

Jasareno assured MGB ‘s preparedness to look into environment-friendly remediation interventions that can help remove con-taminants in mining-affect-ed areas.

“We’re open to technol-ogies for such purpose,” he said.

MGB earlier imposed on Philex a P1.03 billion penalty for the Aug. 1, 2012 Padcal tailings spill incident.

Authorities computed

such penalty based on gov-ernment’s fine of P50 per metric ton of mine tailings found to have discharged into areas outside the ap-proved disposal site for such waste.

“That penalty is intend-ed for payment of claims by private parties for dam-ages incurred from the tail-ings spill,” Jasareno said.

MGB required Philex to pay its penalty by Feb. 19 this year.

Farmers, fisherfolk and other private parties affect-ed by the tailings spill are entitled to file their respec-tive damage claims, Jasare-no continued.

He noted that MGB will assess compensation due and draw the correspond-ing amount from Philex’ penalty payment.

To help boost govern-ment’s bid for responsi-ble mining, Jasareno said MGB already commenced reviewing mining monitor-ing protocols.

“In Philex, for instance, we observed monitoring’s done once a year only - it could be a problem,” he said.

He noted MGB might require Philex to increase frequency of monitoring its operations.

Last month, MGB re-jected Philex’ motion for reconsideration of its pen-alty from the Padcal inci-dent.

Jasareno justified the rejection, noting MGB’s in-vestigation showed negli-gence caused the incident and not ‘force majeur’ as claimed by Philex. [PNA]

Gov’t eyes enhancing mining remediation

VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013 5EDGEDAVAO THE ECONOMY

SEN. Manny Villar yesterday asked the Senate to approve the

committee report on the bill mandating proper la-beling of toys.

Senate Bill 3367 under Committee Report 525 or the Toy and Game Safety Labeling Act requires the proper labeling of toys to protect children against toy-related injuries or even death.

Toys or games not in compliance with the re-quirements of this act will be considered as mis-branded or banned haz-ardous substance and will be withdrawn from the market at the expense of the manufacturer.

Villar, chairman of the Committee on Trade and Commerce, said small components present in some toys, such as mag-nets, screws or buttons, and the ties, styrofoams, and polystyrene beads that new toys come in with, put children in harm’s way.

“Choking and inges-tion are the most common

types of toy-related inju-ries, because children have a habit of putting toys in their mouths,” he added.

He also noted the dan-ger of suffocation posed by toy packaging like plas-tic bags or bubble wraps. Injury or death may also result when a child acci-dentally inhales a whole, or even a fragment of a latex balloon.

“Child safety is large-ly dependent on parents. We hope that through this bill, parents will gain an increased awareness not only about the child-friend-ly features of toys, but toy safety in general,” Villar said.

Villar said 33.4 percent of the population comprise the 0-14 age group, the same group that is inevita-bly exposed to toys.

Under the bill, the use of cautionary warning such as “Warning: Choking Hazard” on the packaging of toys with potentially hazardous contents is re-quired.

Failure to put warning

labels is punishable with three months to two years in prison and a fine of P10,000 to P50,000.

“As government offi-

cials, it is our mandate to safeguard public health. But more than that, it is our absolute and implicit duty as parents to ensure that

our children get the best care and protection against possible health risks. The protection of our children against hazardous and tox-

ic toys is a shared respon-sibility of the government, toy manufacturers, retail-ers, civil society, and the consumers,” Villar said.

Villar sponsors committee report on toys safe labeling

LUCKY CHARMS. A woman chooses “lucky” bracelets from a wide array of Chinese lucky charms on display in one of the malls along J.P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City yesterday. Fil-Chinese communities in Davao City and in other parts of the country are busy preparing for their most anticipated and festive celebration, the Chinese New Year. Lean Daval Jr.

VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 20136 EDGEDAVAOTHE ECONOMY

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2009 - December 2011)

Month 2012 2011 2010

Average 43.31 45.11December 43.64 43.95November 43.27 43.49October 43.45 43.44

September 43.02 44.31August 42.42 45.18

July 42.81 46.32June 43.37 46.30May 42.85 43.13 45.60April 42.70 43.24 44.63

March 42.86 43.52 45.74February 42.66 43.70 46.31January 43.62 44.17 46.03

Stat Watch5.8%

1st Qtr 2012

6.4 %1st Qtr 2012

USD 4,931million

May 2012USD 4,770

millionApr 2012USD -135

millionApr 2012USD -209

millionMar 2012

P 4,580,674 million

Apr 2012

4.1 %May 2012P131,403

millionMay 2012

P 5,075 billion

Apr 2012

P 42.78Jun 2012

5,091.2May 2012

130.1 Jun 2012

2.8 Jun 2012

3.7 Jun 2012

349,779Apr 2012

18.8 %Jan 2012

7.2 %Jan 2012

1. Gross National IncomeGrowth Rate(At Constant 2000 Prices)

2. Gross Domestic ProductGrowth Rate(At Constant 2000 Prices)

3. Exports 1/

4. Imports 1/

5. Trade Balance

6. Balance of Payments 2/

7. Broad Money Liabilities

8. Interest Rates 4/

9. National Government Revenues

10. National government outstanding debt

11. Peso per US $ 5/

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

16. Visitor Arrivals

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

Cebu Pacific Daily 5J961 / 5J962 5:45 Manila-Davao-Manila 6:15Zest Air Daily Z2390 / Z2390 5:45 Manila-Davao-Manila 6:25Cebu Pacific Daily 5J593 / 5J348 6:00 Cebu-Davao-Iloilo 6:30Philippine Airlines Daily PR809 / PR810 6:10 Manila-Davao-Manila 7:00Philippine Airlines Daily PR819 / PR820 7:50 Manila-Davao-Manila 8:50Cebu Pacific Daily 5J394 / 5J393 7:50 Zamboanga-Davao-Zamboanga 8:10Cebu Pacific Daily 5J599 / 5J594 8:00 Cebu-Davao-Cebu 8:30Cebu Pacific Daily 5J347 / 5J596 9:10 Iloilo-Davao-Cebu 9:40Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun 5J963 / 5J964 9:40 Manila-Davao-Manila 10:10Philippine Airlines Daily PR811 / PR812 11:30 Manila-Davao-Manila 12:20Cebu Pacific Daily 5J595 / 5J966 12:00 Cebu-Davao-Manila 12:30Silk Air Mon/Sat MI588 12:55 Davao-Cebu-Singapore 09:05Cebu Pacific Thu 5J965 / 5J968 12:55 Manila-Davao-Manila 13:25Cebu Pacific Tue/Wed//Sat 5J965 / 5J968 13:35 Manila-Davao-Manila 14:05

Silk Air Mon/Sat MI588 / MI588 18:55 Davao-Singapore 13:35 Silk Air Wed/Sun MI566 / MI566 18:55 Davao-Singapore 15:20Silk Air Thurs MI551 / MI551 15:45 Davao-Singapore 12:05Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri 5J507 / 5J598 15:00 Cebu-Davao-Cebu 15:30Philippine Airlines August 15:55 Mani2Mani 16:50Zest Air Daily Z2524 / Z2525 16:05 Cebu-Davao-Cebu 16:45Cebu Pacific Daily 5J967 / 5J600 16:35 Manila-Davao-Cebu 17:05Philippines Airlines Daily PR813 / PR814 16:55 Manila-Davao-Manila 17:45Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat 5J215 / 5J216 18:00 Cagayan de Oro-Davao-Cagayan de Oro 18:20Cebu Pacific Daily 5971 / 5J970 18:40 Manila-Davao-Manila 19:10Cebu Pacific Tue/Sat/Sun 5J973 / 5J974 20:00 Manila-Davao-Manila 20:30Cebu Pacific Daily 5J969 / 5J972 20:30 Manila-Davao-Manila 21:00Airphil Express Daily 2P987 / 2P988 20:30 Manila-Davao-Manila 21:00Philippine Airlines Daily except Sunday PR821 / PR822 21:20 Manila-Davao-Manila 21:50Philippine Airlines Sunday PR821 / PR822 22:20 Manila-Davao-Manila 22:50

as of august 2010

CONSTRUCTION of the Al-cantara-led 210-megawatt coal-fired power plant

near a world-class scuba diving spot is set to go full blast, a com-pany official said.

Last week, at least a thou-sand protesters trooped to nearby Maasim, Sarangani to express their opposition to the $450-million power plant proj-ect, which the proponent, Saran-gani Energy Corp., boasted will ease the supply shortfall in the area.

Oscar Benedict Contreras III, Alsons Power Business Unit manager for communications and stakeholder relations, said Sarangani Energy, a subsidiary of Alsons Consolidated Resourc-es (ACR), will turn over the site Friday to the contractor for the start of construction works.

Last year, South Korean firm Daelim Industrial Co. Ltd was awarded the contract to build the coal-power plant, which is opposed by various local sectors on concerns over human health and the environment.

“Mobilization for civil works has already begun and some heavy equipment is already at the site,” Contreras told MindaN-ews.

He said that they have also started the pre-screening of la-borers from the locality for the site clearing operations, which gained ground last week.

The contractor will make the final selection of 110 initial workers for the site clearing op-erations, Contreras said.

Criticizing the project, Ryan Lariba, spokesperson of the Bayan-Soccsksargen, said in a statement that the project

should be opposed because it will supposedly add to and worsen the changing climate condition in the area.

He also claimed that the power plant project would not bring down electricity rates, contrary to what the company has been saying.

Instead of pushing for coal power plants, Lariba said the government should encour-age investments in environ-ment-friendly power sources like hydro, solar and wind.

Contreras said they respect the views of those opposing the project, adding that they have been engaging “all stakehold-ers” in dialogues.

Sarangani Energy had ac-quired an environmental com-pliance certificate in 2009 from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Last December, Japanese trading firm Toyota Tsusho Corp. acquired 25 percent of Sarangani Energy through an agreement with ACR. Construc-tion of the power plant would be in two phases, with the first involving 105 MW at a cost of $310 million.

Thirty percent of the project cost, which will be spent over the next three years of construc-tion, will come from equity to be infused by ACR and Toyota Tsu-sho on a 75:25 basis, Luis Ymson

Jr., ACR chief financial officer, said in an earlier statement.

The rest would be through bank financing.

In December, Sarangani En-ergy announced that they have obtained a P9.3 billion syndi-cated loan to finance the first phase.

It sealed the loan agreement with a consortium of local banks comprised of BDO Universal Bank (BDO), Asia United Bank (AUB), Rizal Commercial Bank-ing Corp. (RCBC), United Coco-nut Planters Bank, Philippine Business Bank, Planters Devel-opment Bank, and Robinsons Bank. [Bong S. Sarmiento/Min-daNews]

BACK-BREAKING. A market porter is seen carrying a sack of carrots on his back just to earn a couple of bucks at the bagsakan area of Bankerohan

Public Market in Bankerohan, Davao City yesterday. Portering service is a back-breaking task which is a usual sight in Davao City’s public markets.

Alcantara-led coal plant construction in Sarangani Province gains ground

SECURITY Bank Corpora-tion (PSE: SECB) released its unaudited 2012 full year

results which show an all-time high net income of P7.5 billion and a return on equity of 22%.

Customer loans grew by 30% to P119.6 billion while depos-its increased by 19% to P142.4 billion as of yearend 2012. This translated to an 8% increase in net interest income despite the adverse interest rate pressure coming from prevailing low in-terest rate, the monetary easing by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipi-nas, the removal of interest paid on reserve requirements, and sale of securities by the bank. As a result, the net interest margin

in 2012 was 3.94%, slightly low-er than the 4.08% in 2011.

Non-interest income in-creased by 44% mainly due to higher trading gains on securi-ties as well as fee-based income. The cost-to-income ratio was 43.2%, higher than the 36.9% reported in 2011 as the bank embarked on branch expansion.

The bank ended the year with total assets of P259.5 bil-lion for a 21% growth rate on the back of strong macroeco-nomic fundamentals. The return on assets was 3.3%.

Earnings per share increased by 11% to P14.84 while the book value per share increased by 21% to P73.28 as of year-end

2012. Security Bank President and

Chief Executive Officer Mr. Al-berto S. Villarosa said: “We are pleased to achieve our financial and business results amidst in-creased competition even while we are investing to increase our branch network and customer coverage capabilities during this period of economic growth.”

The bank opened 34 new branches and ended 2012 with a network of 208 branches for both Security Bank and Securi-ty Bank Savings (formerly Pre-miere Development Bank which Security Bank acquired in Feb-ruary 2012).

Security Bank Chief Finan-

cial Officer Mr. Joselito E. Mape said: “Our non-performing loan (NPL) ratio remained low at 1% while reserve cover was 213%. Our capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 16.3% and tier 1 CAR of 14.7% reflect the higher loans and short-term treasury portfo-lio as of year-end 2012.”

Prestigious international fi-nancial publication The Banker of the Financial Times of London awarded Security Bank with the “Bank of the Year” of the Philip-pines in 2012 in awards ceremo-nies in November 2012 in Lon-don. In October 2012, The Asian Banker named Security Bank as the “Strongest Bank in the Phil-ippines” in 2012.

Security Bank earns P7.5-billionnet income and 22% return on equity

VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013

WHEN nWay began a trial of its dark, sci-fi combat

game “ChronoBlade” on Facebook last year, the San Francisco-based startup felt sure it had a hit on its hands.

“First of all, what comes is, ‘Wow, I had no idea you could actually do a game of this quality on Facebook,’” said Dave Jones, Chief Cre-ative Officer of nWay, who has worked on “Grand Theft Auto.”

Then came some resis-tance: Jones admits some potential investors and partners questioned how an action-focused game with slick graphics can play to a Facebook audi-ence more accustomed to “Farmville” and other less time-consuming casual games. Others wondered how the game -- which launches this spring -- would gain significant us-ers and revenue on the so-cial network.

But Facebook Inc is bet-ting nWay and a clutch of other developers this year can extend console-style action games beyond Mic-rosoft Corp’s Xbox or Sony Corp’s PlayStation onto the world’s largest social net-work.

Facebook is spear-heading the launch of 10 high-quality games creat-ed by third-party develop-

ers in 2013 that squarely target so-called hardcore gamers, an atypical audi-ence overlooked thus far against the wealth of fam-ily-friendly offerings like Zynga Inc’s “Farmville” that now dominate the social network’s gaming landscape.

The effort, which be-gan late last year but will accelerate in 2013, is part of Facebook’s ongoing ob-jective of making sure its 1 billion-plus users log in and spend more time on the network, which in turn boosts ad revenue. Face-book also takes a cut of its applications’ revenue.

Facebook’s push into action and battle games follows a meeting in Jan-uary between companies that make games like “first-person shooters” and Vice President Joe Biden to look for ways to curb gun violence in the wake of the Connecticut school shootings.

Based on the console gaming industry experi-ence, hardcore gamers -- typically men 18 to 30 years old -- spend more time and effort to master fast-paced games such as first-person shooters (Microsoft’s “Halo”) or real-time strategy games

(Activision Blizzard’s “StarCraft”).

“You’ll see a whole set of games hitting in the next two quarters in par-ticular and throughout the year that really start to re-define what people think of Facebook games,” Sean Ryan, head of game part-nerships at Facebook said in an interview.

Facebook will embrace games from “casual all the way up through first-per-son shooters, massively multiplayer online games, real-time strategy games - all those types of more core player-versus-player games.” [Reuters]

THOUGH yet to be launched in North America, BlackBer-

ry’s new smartphones were already for sale on-line Friday, stirring bidding frenzies.

Sellers claimed they ob-

tained the sleek new hand-sets at launch events in New York, Toronto, Dubai, London and Johannesburg. Journalists and analysts who attended the events were given a BlackBerry Z10, which retails for $599.

On online auction web-site eBay bids soared to $3,000 for two “very rare” white Z10 devices, accord-ing to the British seller. Another from New York was listed at $1,775. Most of them however went for

about $1,100.The Z10 devices be-

gan selling in Britain on Thursday and will launch in Canada on February 5, but won’t be available until mid-March in the key US market. [AFP]

7EDGEDAVAO ICT HUB

The loading screen of the Facebook application on a mobile phone is seen in this photo illustration taken in Lavigny May 16, 2012. [REUTERS]

Coming soon to Facebook:More action, battle games

SAMSUNG announced Monday it was pumping more mon-

ey into research and ven-ture capital funding efforts that will be led by a new hub for the South Korean giant in Silicon Valley.

The electronics gi-ant said it was launching a $100 million “catalyst fund” that will augment its $1 billion Samsung Ven-tures America Fund and “fuel innovative technolo-gies and business models through all stages of busi-ness.”

The company also said it will be launching its new Samsung Strategy and In-novation Center in Menlo Park, California, with ad-ditional offices in South Korea and Israel. It will be headed by Young Sohn, the company’s president and chief strategy officer of de-vice solutions.

The move by the world’s largest technol-ogy firm by revenue and top smartphone maker comes as it ramps up its battle in the United States against California-based Apple, with the two firms embroiled in bitter legal battles.

Samsung has been ordered to pay Apple $1 billion for patent infringe-ment but is appealing the verdict.

Samsung said the new drive would “create a pow-erful platform for igniting global innovation” and

was part of an effort “to create new businesses and build open ecosystems through research and de-velopment, investments, strategic alliances, and M&A (mergers and acqui-sitions).”

Sohn said the company sees “tremendous oppor-tunities and transforma-tions over the next five years driven by big data centered around mobility, cloud, and the Internet of Things, and Samsung will be a significant part of this revolution.”

He added that the new initiative offers “an ex-citing opportunity for us to engage with entrepre-neurs and innovators and empower them to lever-age Samsung’s technology and global brand presence to bring our collective vi-sions to market.”

The $100 million cata-lyst fund will be launched later in 2013 with a com-petition, SamsungCreate Challenge, offering artists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and others a chance to submit ideas for Sam-sung’s devices.

The contest will award $10 million in seed invest-ments for winners and will offer additional sup-port from Samsung.

With the new venture capital, Samsung is expect-ed to substantially boost its presence and partner-ships in the US markets. [AFP]

Samsung boosts research

New BlackBerry scalped online

New BlackBerry scalped onlineTWITTER said Friday

it was hammered by a “sophisticated” cy-

ber attack similar to those that recently hit major Western news outlets, and that the passwords of about 250,000 users were stolen.

“This attack was not the work of amateurs, and we do not believe it was an isolated incident,” Twitter information se-curity director Bob Lord said in a blog post.

Lord referred to an “uptick in large-scale se-curity attacks aimed at US technology and media companies” as he told of Twitter detecting at-tempts this week to get unauthorized access to data in the firm’s net-work.

The attack coincid-ed with the revelation of several high-profile secu-rity breaches. The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal said this week that they had been hacked, and pointed to attackers from China.

Twitter did not con-firm the source of the in-trusion.

But Lord noted that “the attackers were ex-tremely sophisticated, and we believe other companies and organiza-tions have also been re-cently similarly attacked.”

He said that Twitter shut down a live attack as it was in process.

But cyber attackers may have gotten user-names, email address-es, passwords and other data.

As a precaution, Twit-ter invalidated passwords of accounts at issue and sent people email mes-sages telling them to cre-ate new passwords.

Twitter announced in December that the num-ber of active users of the service had topped 200 million, in a sign of soar-ing growth.

The one-to-many mes-saging platform is a pop-ular tool used by people around the world to share thoughts, views and news in real time, typically from mobile phones and sometimes in the heart of protests or upheaval.

It was unknown whether the cyberattack on San Francisco-based Twitter was related to high-powered hacker as-saults on the Times and the Journal.

The recent series of brazen cyberattacks on America’s most high-pro-file media outlets has revived concerns over Chinese hackers, who an-alysts say are likely linked to the secretive Beijing government. [AFP]

Hackers target Twitter

VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013 EDGEDAVAOFighting for

honor… and blood

EDGEDAVAOProviding solutions to a seamless global village.

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VANTAGE POINTS

BY FRENCIE CARREONTHE PHILSOUTH LINE

EDITORIAL

Whose war?

IN yesterday’s headline sto-ry of Edge Davao, Sr. Supt. Ronald dela Rosa, Davao

City Police Office (DCPO) di-rector, was quoted to have said that the DCPO would wage war against those engaged in the il-legal drugs trade.

Those who saw or listened to him while being interviewed by a television anchorperson, know that the “war” he was talking about was actually a promise he would fulfill if the city’s barangay captains start their own anti-illegal drugs campaign.

Actually , the more ideal set-up is for the city police to be always on war footing against those involved in the illegal trade, the war that Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte had always waged from Day One of his

reign as mayor of this city for two decades.

Dela Rosa would be better off if he wages his own war now without waiting for the baran-gay heads to start their own. This war should, likewise, tar-get barangay captains them-selves who are suspected to have links with drug pushers and syndicates, or are allowing this illegal activity to continue unmolested in their turfs.

In waging the campaign, the DCPO chief will always get the backing of Vice Mayor Rody, the local branch of the Philip-pine Drug Enforcement Agen-cy, incumbent City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio and, of course, Dabawenyos who have always been very supportive of past “wars” against illegal drugs.

How about it, Mr. dela Rosa?

8

IT is a tragic time in some areas in Sulu, among warring groups of the Moro National Liberation Front and the

Abu Sayyaf Group and their families, as the former seek vengeance over the merciless beheading by the ASG of five MNLF fighters and the murder of two others.

At the borders of the municipalities and affected zones, deployed police and military troops can just stand by and be on guard for the defense against civilians within the mountain-ous areas of Patikul.

Sunday seemed a long day—calls for inquiry, veri-fication, confirmation—and the release of the two television crew men of Al-Arabiya TV Southeast Asia Bureau was good news enough, too overwhelming for media to realize that back in the outskirts of Patikul town in Sulu, two groups of heavily armed Tausugs—some very young and able-bodied enough to work for productive living—were fighting against one an-other for honor, and for blood.

For once, I reported on a conflict that could not let me quote a Philippine military or police officer. And some-how, MNLF insiders gave valuable information that also required them to request me to shield their identities. Since Friday morning, com-munity folk have been most helpful in sharing information to this Mindanao journalist who could not even flag an ID card from a distinguished TV net-work or national daily. And after the long wait, patience paid off. Some-where in this armed conflict, the name of Baker Atyani, the Jordanian jour-nalist and bureau chief of Al-Arabiya Southeast Asia who had earlier inter-viewed Al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden, just had to come up.

And it did.MNLF fighters and ASG elements

were, and still are, after each other’s throats over the custody of Atyani, and over the alleged ransom money of ten million pesos, paid for the release of the two media workers.

Somehow, no official in the police and the military could confirm or deny the alleged payment. The police mere-ly picked up the freed victims Ramil Vela and Rolando Letrero, from ANR Hotel in downtown Jolo, following a call by Vela’s wife Nina to the Anti-Kidnap-ping Group on Saturday evening.

MNLF Commander Dr. Sammy Adju, whom I inter-viewed in Patikul, did say that when they organized the MNLF, “Dugo ang puhunan namin. (We invested with our own blood.)” But of course, that was not meant literally but figuratively. Every MNLF warrior is just too ready to give up his life for his desire for reforms, and for the emancipation of his honor, and his people’s honor. So do the followers of MNLF founder Prof. Nurullaji Misuari.

As the conflict rages on as of press time, the Philippine Red Cross and the Integrated Provincial Hospital in Sulu are appealing for blood supply, with several wounded victims needing treatment.

And one wonders, with the ASG no-where to be appeased nor threatened by reportedly huge MNLF numbers, how many more lives must be lost in Patikul, Sulu? [MindaViews is the opinion sec-tion of MindaNews. Frencie Carreon is editor in chief of the PhilSouth Angle in Zamboanga City]

VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013

LACKS THE CRACKLE AND CANDOR OF POLITICAL PLAIN TALK – Next week, February 12 to be precise,

senatorial candidates of the leading con-tending parties – the Liberal Party (LP) or Team PNoy and United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) or Tatak Binay and in-cluding the independent bets make their most overt political pitch yet of the 2013 midterm electoral campaign. So at the start of the campaign every team’s cru-sade will boost its ranks of volunteers and surrogate campaigners. Then they’ll begin buying TV and radio airtime and newspaper space ads that political ad-visers and strategists say will accentu-ate the candidates and start out positive. “They will be unmistakably hitting and pushing hard the political accelerator,” notes a keen political observer.

Though each team doesn’t plan to mention their competition by name, surely they will start drawing clear dis-tinctions between what some political analysts call “different visions of gov-ernment,” but assorted kinds of can-didates. Voters have reasons to know more about the senatorial pretenders because during the pre-campaign period and during TV political talk shows the vigilant electorate already noticed that many of the aspirants are not particu-larly sharp and witty contenders. More-over, the dominant parties LP and UNA “re-enlist” some undesirable and thick-faced old guards as clearly exposed in their annoying and nauseating TV info-mercials.

Much will revolve around choices and decisions to be made at the poll-ing precincts by the electorate. Which

is why the real energy of the voters will be spend proving and scrutiniz-ing that many senatorial can-didates aren’t solid or strong that they are, in fact, decadent and unreliable. Some are proba-bly considered slick speakers but lacks the sizzle and candidness of political plain talk. It would come as no surprise that most if not all will give the same speeches - platitude for platitude, every time during the campaign sorties. Why, the voters might ask, would candidates say something so innocuous? Because they have defined themselves as either Mr. Public Service or Servant of the Peo-ple therefore it implies they are fit for the senatorial posts.

This would seem a matter of inter-est for political analysts and strategists, far more important than whether LP or UNA candidates or the independents are better positioned to occupy Senate seats. In this case, it may be the most import-ant question of the campaign. Ask voters why they like LP or UNA candidates and more often than not perhaps you get a dime-store type of answer: “The LP can match UNA on social services, economic and infrastructure development or UNA can win against LP on neglected issues that have been the subject of popular concern such as rising crime, reform of the police and cronyism.” But these are

forms of pragmatism I suppose. And it’s an accepted fact in politics that the LP is desperate to beat UNA or the other way around in the senatorial race.

It’s not even campaign period yet and the senatorial pretenders are stealthily campaigning at a pace you don’t normal-ly see until after February 12. It is clear these guys are not only pros, but they’re also “silent operators” and they know what they are doing – politically, sighed a thoughtful observer. The political pre-campaign stage of both LP and UNA, in the guise of information drive through deceptive TV commercials had been on their toes too long. They came out too ear-ly but their respective campaign planners and strategists believe that candidates who engage early will win the race. By embarking on a fair and clean campaign, senatorial bets of LP and UNA should be able to improve the voters’ perception of their parties – especially among reluctant and doubtful constituents.

The objective is to ensure voters they would elect upright and desirable mem-bers of the Senate and believe their choic-es should be responsible to the people and committed to achieving the aims of good governance while they are in power. But there may be another more sensitive reason that voters are restraining them-selves. The choice of electing a candidate may be a matter of character, not sub-stance or perhaps choosing one who is not blunt to playing tough, not particular-ly inspiring or compelling, but he or she will be a very tough one. And remember toughness is one of those intangibles that political pundits – amateur or profes-sional, find exceedingly difficult to judge.

( Conclusion)( 1st of two parts)

BY BILL SCHNEIDERANALYSIS

ICT HUBSeeking consensus on

immigration, guns

VANTAGE POINTS

Getting to know the Senate bets

EDGEDAVAO 9

(Today I start my column with a new ti-tle. From HERSTORY, it’s now called MY SCENE, reflecting my take of events, issues, or subjects that I choose to write about. Hope you’ll be part of my scene from now on. - adi_quisido@yahoo.com)

I am a Generation X (born 1966 to 1976). Finding myself between the generation of baby boomers (born 1946-1965)

and Generation Y (1977- 1994), I experi-enced glaring differences between these generations, including mine.

I don’t intend to discuss lengthily the traits and characteristics of each genera-tion; rather, I will share my take of some sad generational differences presented to me in actual experience.

Attending mass in a mall on a recent Sunday, I chanced on an elderly man in his wheelchair listening attentively to the priest. His family could not bring him nearer the altar as the place was already packed, and the back was also filled with people on their feet.

So he settled to listening but not seeing the priest, sitting hunched and looking a little lost in his wheelchair amid the crowd that milled around him and who paid little or no attention to him.

I knew the younger people standing in front of this gentleman knew he was there, for they had seen him when they glanced around them during their restless

moments; you know, those times when people show they are phys-ically present but are mental-ly elsewhere.

This group of Gen Y indi-viduals, in their mid-20’s, could have shown a little consider-ation for this elderly gentleman by moving to the side to give him some air and a bet-ter view of the altar. But no, they chose to ignore him.

Call it old school if you will, but I would be beside myself if I don’t take extra effort to show respect to anyone older than me. It’s not so much what we say to them than how we treat and regard them that mat-ters most. We do hear ‘po’ or ‘ho’ from the younger people, but in many cases, these are only lip service. I’ve seen enough of that to know it when I see it.

A Gen Y had opined to me in the past, “Why should I show respect to those older than me, when they have not earned it.” I shivered when I heard this. Sometimes the cockiness of some young people is so out of line, one wonders what values they grew up with.

I believe the fact that baby boomers (and those that they preceded) have been in this world longer than us, our respect is the least that they deserve. They survived a world war and the strife that came with it. If you ask me, that’s enough said.

In yet another scenario, this time in a supermarket, a young woman was exas-perated at her mother, who looked to be in her late 50s, for not know how to ma-nipulate her android phone. I overheard her telling her mom that she shouldn’t have bothered getting such a gadget if she didn’t know how to use it.

I visualized the mother grabbing a bar of laundry soap and shoving it in her ar-rogant daughter’s mouth. I almost laughed to myself at the thought.

Oh, please young people, technology is not exclusive to your generation. Any-one—whether they are 9 or 79—can learn to use technology if they took the time to learn. For me, it’s a matter of priority. In-stead of spending all those hours tinkering the latest gadgets or exploring new in-ternet technology, especially if there’s no need, I’d rather spend those time with my loved ones.

It pays to ponder on the fact that the knowledge, experience, and skills of the older generation did not come to us through the benefit of technology. Where was it that I read, “Respect your elders; they graduated without Google”? Again, enough said.

Enough said

BUT that kind of anger is hard to sus-tain. Politicians are asking: Who’s going to be there in November 2014,

almost two years from now? They know the gun lobby will be there, ready to punish waverers. Gun control supporters? They can’t be sure.

That’s a big problem for six Democrat-ic senators up for re-election in red states next year: Mark Begich (Alaska), Max Bau-cus (Montana), Mary Landrieu (Louisiana), Mark Pryor (Arkansas), Kay Hagan (North Carolina) and Tim Johnson (South Dako-ta). And maybe for three Democratic sen-ators up in swing states: Mark Warner (Vir-ginia), Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire) and Mark Udall (Colorado). Those sena-tors can depend on retribution from the gun lobby. Can they rely on support from anti-gun activists? That’s what’s freaking those Democrats out.

The nation’s leading gun control advo-cate, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is putting his money where his mouth is. His super PAC is spending millions of dol-lars to defeat lawmakers overly loyal to the gun lobby, like Representative Joe Baca last year, a pro-gun California Democrat. But Baca, running in a redrawn district, lost to another Democrat. It is not clear whether Bloomberg will be seen as a credible threat in more conservative parts of the country.

Supporters of immigration reform have to contend with anti-amnesty forc-es. They’re the voters who consider any path to citizenship for illegal immigrants “amnesty,” even if the process requires payment of a fine and is conditioned on im-proved border security. Anti-illegal immi-gration activists have denounced the new bipartisan Senate proposal for immigration reform as “Amnesty 2.0.”

Lawmakers take those threats serious-ly, but anti-amnesty groups are not as pow-erful or as well-organized as the gun lobby is.

Moreover, a number of forces have come together to build pressure for immi-gration reform. The border is more secure. “Yes, there’s been improvement in border security and, yes, it helps a lot,” Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) said at a press conference. Illegal immigration is down because of the slowdown in the U.S. economy, because of improvements in the Mexican economy and because of a declining Mexican birth rate (58 percent of the undocumented im-migrant population in the U.S. is from Mex-ico, according to the Pew Hispanic Center).

There is also the fact that, as the Pew Center predicts, the Latino electorate is likely to double by 2030. That has Repub-licans terrified. The entire country could become California, where the GOP is barely holding on. In a radio interview last week, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a Tea Party fa-vorite, called immigration “an issue that we do need to evolve on.”

In addition, major organized interests support immigration reform: immigration activists, labor, religious groups, business and farm interests. While gun control could be regarded as the passion of the moment, immigration reform has a denser network of supporters, capable of rewarding and punishing lawmakers.

Republican voters are split on immi-gration reform. In the CBS News poll, 36 percent of Republicans want illegal immi-grants deported, and 35 percent believe they should be allowed to stay and eventu-ally apply for citizenship. Republican voters are not split on guns. By better than 3 to 1 in the Gallup poll, Republicans oppose new gun laws.

Immigration reform will still be a tough fight – particularly in the House of Repre-sentatives, where conservatives oppose any citizenship option. They prefer per-manent legal residence. But the president is holding firm, and Democrats are solidly behind him.

Gun control looks more doubtful. The most advocates may be able to get is a law requiring background checks at gun shows. This is supported by almost 100 percent of voters in Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsyl-vania, according to Quinnipiac polls.

Yet Democrats are still freaking out. Consider that after pushing through new gun laws in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s job approval dropped 15 points, according to Quinnipiac. Among men, it was a 20-point drop. He’s still OK (59 per-cent job approval).

But if the gun issue can damage a Dem-ocrat in New York named Cuomo, no one is safe.

VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013

A Chinese police chief is alleged to have had at least 192

houses and a fake identi-ty card, state media said, the latest in a number of similar cases that have sparked outrage online.

Zhao Haibin, a senior police official in Lufeng in the southern province of Guangdong, was reported by a businessman to have accumulated the proper-ties under his name and his company’s, the Guang-zhou Daily said.

The businessman, Huang Kunyi -- who was involved in a dispute with the officer -- also said Zhao used a fake identity card to record a different name on company doc-uments, the newspaper reported.

Authorities can-celled the false card after Huang’s report in 2011, it added.

An official of the Com-munist Party’s discipline department for Lufeng told AFP Tuesday that

Zhao -- who is also the vice party secretary of a local county -- had been investigated but the in-quiry was over and he re-tained his public offices.

According to the newspaper, Zhao said the properties were owned by his younger brother, a businessman, and that he was only “managing” them for him.

A separate report said Zhao or the company had 192 properties in the city of Huizhou, also in Guang-

dong, and others in the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai.

The case is the latest of a series of reports in-volving officials owning multiple houses with dif-ferent identity cards and residence permits.

Gong Aiai, a vice pres-ident of a bank in the northern province of Shaanxi and a delegate to the local legislature, was reported last month to hold more than 20 hous-es worth nearly one bil-lion yuan ($160 million), using four different resi-dence permits and three identity cards.

She was detained by police Monday on suspi-cion of “forging official documents and stamps”, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The cases have sparked mounting crit-icism in Chinese social media over rampant graft and high home prices that are running out of reach of the average citizen.

“(I) finally realised that in China, properties are forever in the hands of a tiny number of peo-ple,” said a user of China’s Twitter-like Sina Weibo. [AFP]

FILIPINO consumers are apparently the most optimistic in

the whole Southeast Asia, and second most in the world, a study claims.

Nielsen says Philip-pines’ confidence index swelled by one percent in 2012’s fourth quarter, making Filipinos South-east Asia’s most posi-tive-thinking consumers.

“While consumers around the world strug-gled with increasing eco-nomic concerns, consum-ers in Philippines contin-ue to have a positive out-look,” claims Stuart Jamie-son, managing director of Nielsen Philippines.

“This optimism can be attributed to the strong performance of the econ-omy in 2012 which was driven by the real estate, construction, manufac-turing, services, and trade sectors,” he added.

Philippines, whose confidence indexed at 119, was topped only by India in the global rank-ing.

And while a huge number of the Philip-pine population is unem-ployed, Pinoy’s optimism for “local job prospects” is among the world’s high-est--of which 76 percent

of respondents believe work opportunities are bound to be “good” or “ex-cellent” this 2013.

At least 77 percent of Pinoy poll respondents are also confident of their “personal finances”, while at least half of the total poll participants (51 per-cent) claimed 2012’s last quarter had been a “good time to buy things they wanted and needed over the next 12 months.”

“This is an increase of five points from the pre-vious quarter’s result and

the highest confidence registered for 2012,” Niel-sen added.

“Purchase of new technology products in-creased by one point to 35 percent, while purchase of new clothes increased by two points to 34 per-cent. Paying off credit cards and debt declined one point to 27 percent. Spending intentions for holidays/vacations in-creased by one percent-age point to 28 percent, while out-of-home en-tertainment increased

five percentage points to 18 percent,” Nielsen also said.

The number of Filipi-nos eyeing to save “spare cash” was however at 65 percent, a two-percent decline from the third quarter’s poll results.

Nielsen claims the internet-based survey, which “measures con-sumer confidence, major concerns, and spending intentions” was conduct-ed between November 10 and November 27, 2012. [Yahoo!]

10 EDGEDAVAONATION BRIEFS

Non-committal

Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. on Tuesday said

he will let destiny de-cide whether or not he will push through with his presidential bid in 2016.

“I do believe in desti-ny. Kung darating iyan, darating iyan, pero siyempre mahabang preparasyon at kail-angan paghandaan,” Revilla said at a media briefing.

Peace corps

The US Navy may post “peace corps-like” volunteers

to guard the Tubba-taha Reef once the USS Guardian is extracted from it, President Be-nigno Aquino III said Tuesday, adding that the volunteers would not only guard the reef but also help in its re-habilitation and ensure that there will be no sea vessel that will run aground on it.

“They are not just gonna compensate us in terms of paying the necessary fines, but they are also envision-ing how to assist the re-habilitation of Tubba-taha to include posting parang peace corps vol-unteers to the area to accelerate the rehabil-itation of the reef,” the president said Aquino said this was proposed by US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas during a meet-ing.

Challenge

The World Bank said the big num-ber of unem-

ployed and underem-ployed in the Philip-pines was the big chal-lenge for the Aquino administration.

“The need for good jobs-jobs that raise real wages or bring people out of poverty-is an overwhelming chal-lenge,” Motoo Konishi, World Bank country di-rector, told hundreds of local and international delegates to the Philip-pine Development Fo-rum at the Marco Polo Hotel.

Nat’l flower

Does the Philip-pines really need another national

flower? Senators think so as they approved on third and final reading a bill that declares the Waling-waling orchid as a national flower apart from Sampaguita Monday.

Outgoing Senator Edgardo Angara, who sponsored the mea-sure in the Senate said the bill will remind Filipinos about its nat-ural beauty, one that is admired all over the world.

Deficit

Doubts have begun creeping in on whether or not

the Bureau of Customs (BOC) could deliver its revised collection tar-get for this year of P340 billion, as it seemed to have started on the wrong foot with its P2.2-billion deficit in January.

Initial collection records from the BOC showed that it flopped in its collections in the first month of the year P24.454 billion, off its target mark by over P2 billion.

WORLD TODAYDetonate

South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak be-

lieves North Korea could detonate mul-tiple devices when it goes ahead with a nu-clear test expected in the coming weeks or even days.

In an interview published Tuesday in the Chosun Ilbo daily, the outgoing president also ac-knowledged the huge challenge the interna-tional community fac-es in seeking to wean Pyongyang off its nu-clear weapons pro-gramme.

Pressure

Pressure mount-ed Tuesday on Syrian President

Bashar al-Assad to re-spond to a surprise of-fer of talks by his main political opponents aimed at ending war-fare in which tens of thousands of people have died.

Assad himself has yet to comment on the offer from Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, leader of Syria’s opposition National Coalition, but pro-regime Al-Watan newspaper described it as a political “ma-neuver” that comes two years too late.

Radar

A Chinese vessel pointed a type of radar normal-

ly used to help guide missiles at a Japanese navy ship near dis-puted East China Sea islets, prompting the Japanese government to lodge a protest with China, Japanese pub-lic broadcaster NHK said on Tuesday. The incident happened on January 30, the de-fence minister later said.

A long-simmering row over the islands, known as the Senka-ku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China, has in recent months es-calated to the point where both have scrambled fighter jets while patrol ships shadow each other in nearby seas.

Historic

Mahmoud Ah-madinejad ar-rived in Cairo

on Tuesday, marking the first visit to Egypt by an Iranian presi-dent since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, Egyptian television footage showed.

Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed Morsi welcomed Ah-madinejad at Cairo airport as he disem-barked from the plane, the footage showed.

Sentenced

A court in Beijing has sentenced 10 people to up

to two years in jail for illegally detaining petitioners from an-other city, state media reported on Tuesday, in a rare case of the judiciary taking on the shadowy men who operate on the mar-gins of the law.

Petitioning offi-cials has deep roots in China, where courts are seen as beyond the reach of ordinary people. Petitioners often try to take local disputes ranging from land grabs to corrup-tion to higher levels in the capital Beijing.

NATION/WORLD

People can be seen shopping at Divisoria Market in Manila. The Philippines economy will likely grow more than government fore-casts this year and pick up over the next two years, Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said Tuesday. [AFP]

Filipino consumers are S. Asia’s ‘most optimistic’

This photo taken on February 3, 2013 shows paramilitary police marching through the downtown area of Chongqing. A Chinese police chief is alleged to have had at least 192 houses and a fake identity card, state media said, the latest in a number of similar cases that have sparked outrage online.

China police chief accused of having at least 192 houses

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According to Konishi, “The PDF was held on perfect timing because we are finalizing the coun-try-partnership strategy and the volume of lending on the package is based on how much Secretary Purisima will tell us he is willing to borrow or raise.”

“And we can bring in as much as he (Purisima) wants,” Konishi added, followed by a loud “Wow!” from Purisima who, how-ever, made it clear that the PDF is not an avenue for pledging sessions or for planning for new pro-grams, but “merely” to let multilateral and bilateral partners be aware of the direction of the Philip-pine Government so that investors will be able to “better” position them-selves.

“PDF also aims to as-sure partners of the steps being adopted by the country to address con-straints to investment and growth,” Purisima added. “But certainly there are indications that our de-velopment partners can in fact complement and supplement what our government is doing, and that is very important be-cause what will happen now is instead of our de-velopment partners going their own ways without any coordination with na-

tional government, there will now be a more cohe-sive approach to our part-nership and greater focus on development partner-ship for the next three years.” he said.

Konoshi complement-ed this clarification saying that the discussions being done in the PDF are on how the government will be able to create a “level playing field” for inves-tors.

“This way, there will be open competition and the private sector will be interested in putting more money in the coun-try because they know that there is fair compe-tition and they know the kind of returns they will get from their invest-ments,” he added.

Konoshi challenged the government to be very smart on how to structure deals to help the private sectors determine which ones are interesting in-vestments and which ones are not.

“But I think the gov-ernment is doing an excel-lent job in this,” Konoshi said as he pointed to the Department of Pub-lic Works and Highway (DPWH) which had only P300 million in savings in 2011, but now has P12 billion, as an example.

Konoshi also com-mended the nation say-

ing, “The Philippines is no longer the “sick man of East Asia” but the “ris-ing tiger” because there is macroeconomic stability, and the fiscal situation of the government is sound and improving.”

Purisima also pointed out the “very Interesting” framework presented by former National Econom-ic and Development Au-thority (NEDA) Director General Cielito Habito in one of the sessions where he said, “if you want to know if the watermelon is ripe, you have to ‘PiTiK’ it.” PiTiK stands for Pre-syo, Trabaho, Kita, (price, job and profit).

In the presentation, Habito reported that in 2004-2009 there was a 5.8 inflation rate in the country, but with the two years and eight month run of the Aquino Ad-ministration, the inflation went down to 3.8.

Also in the report was that from 2004-2009, there were 766,000 jobs generated, but during the two years and eight month run of the Aqui-no Administration, there 856,000 jobs generated.

While the annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of the Phil-ippines from 2004 – 2009 was 4.9, it increased to 5.9 during the Aquino Ad-ministration.

Cagayan de Oro and Il-igan following the on-slaught of Typhoon Sen-dong in 2011, will now be providing support to the provinces of Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley in Region 11.

Australian Ambassa-dor to the Philippines Bill Tweddell said yes-terday at a press confer-ence at The Marco Polo Davao that the proj-ect will help enhance Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental to take into consideration cli-mate change projec-tions.

“Disaster drives people to poverty and threaten sustainable economic development and the Australian gov-ernment understands that humanitarian as-sistance is not enough and this is why Austra-lia’s aid program in the

Philippines has a strong focus on reducing di-saster risk and enhance preparedness across the country,” Tweddell said.

Secretary Mary Ann Lucille Sering of the Climate Change Com-mission explained that the project will extend technical assistance in enhancing the two pro-vincial governments multi-hazard maps in coordination with the other agencies such as Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), Philip-pine Atmospheric, Geo-physical and Astronom-ical Services Adminis-tration (PAG-ASA) and Project Nationwide Op-erational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) taking into consideration the climate change projec-tions.

“We should pre-pare our communities

against these events by mainstreaming disaster risk management and climate change adapta-tion into relevant plan-ning and decision-mak-ing processes from the national to the city and municipality levels,” Sering added.

The Memorandum of Understanding formal-izing the agreement was signed yesterday by Sec-retary Sering, Vice-Gov-ernor Ramil Gentugaya of Compostela Valley and Governor Corazon Malanyaon of Davao Ori-ental.

Those who witnessed the signing were Am-bassador Bill Tweddell, Luiza Carvalho, resident representative of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Toshihiro Tanaka, Coun-try Director of UNDP in the Philippines.

chairman Conrado T. Calalang, some minority shareholders led by Jose T. Ricafort continue to defy the court order.

This, according to an insider, could be one of the reasons why the Villar group has held off on further investments with Nadecor. “(Queensberry) would obviously want to protect their investment, and until this issue is resolved it is not likely that they would put in additional money with

Nadecor.”For its part, SAGC

President and CEO, Andrew Russell stated, “the company is appreciative of the support Queensberry continues to provide through additional investment in St. Augustine as we continue to move the King-king project forward.”

While the internal issues within Nadecor are being resolved, SAGC continues to actively participate

in community development projects benefiting Pantukan and Compostela Valley.

Most recently SAGC provided rescue and relief assistance to the victims of Typhoon Pablo on four occasions in three different municipalities.

The investment by Queensberry into SAGC will be used for general working capital as the company continues its efforts to develop the King-king project.

congressman who be-came House chief (2008-2010) and House majori-ty leader (2004 to 2007).

In a tribute article, Su-perbrands has noted that the young Nograles au-thored several measures approved on Third Read-ing, such as HB 4512, cre-ating 3 additional branch-es of the Regional Trial Court in Davao City; HB 5977, creating the Phil-ippine Trade Representa-tive Office; and HB 6052, strengthening the Juve-nile Justice System in the

Philippines. He is also one of the co-authors of RA 10168 or the Terrorism Financing and Suppres-sion Act of 2012 and HB 4575, encouraging corpo-rate social responsibility.

Superbrands also said that “as a first term congressman, Karlo has focused on five priori-ty areas of development namely Education, Health, Livelihood, Barangay Electrification and Infra-structure.”

Superbrands also took note that foremost on

this development agenda of Nograles is education. “His program Oplan Kaa-lam currently supports full tuition and fees of 4,538 students enrolled at the state-owned Uni-versity of Southeastern Philippines and 373 stu-dents of the University of the Philippines – Min-danao. It also provides tuition fee assistance to 2,200 students enrolled in various private colleges and universities of Davao City,” the prestigious group wrote.

pines posted a 6.5 per-cent increase in its gross domestic product (GD-P)--the sum of goods and services produced within the country’s borders--in January to September 2012.

“President Aquino and his Cabinet should also ask the 10.9 million Filipino households who considered themselves poor in an SWS survey whether the 6.6 percent economic growth in 2012 had an impact on their lives,” said Ejercito Estrada.

In a survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) in January, an ad-ditional 1.4 million Fil-ipino households rated themselves “mahirap.” The SWS poll, which was conducted on Dec. 8 to 11, indicated that 54 percent of respondents or 10.9 million Filipino households considered themselves poor. This is higher than the 47 per-cent or 9.5 million Fili-pino families recorded in August 2012.

The young lawmaker also noted that while the

salary of minimum wage earners have remained the same, the prices of basic goods and services such as food and utili-ties rise every year.

“Our minimum wage earners practically have no respite from the con-tinuous increase in the price of basic goods and services. So before the Aquino administration flaunts its economic gains, it must first exam-ine whether these have really trickled down to the people.”

THE World Bank is en-couraging the Philip-pine government to

increase its infrastructure spending if it wants to re-alize its goal of achieving inclusive development for the people.

Motoo Konishi, country director of the World Bank and co-chair of the Philip-pine Development Forum in a press briefing Tuesday, said infrastructure spend-ing by government needs to increase from 2.6 percent to 5 percent of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) by 2016.

He said that over many decades, economic growth did not benefit the majority of the population, did not create decent jobs for all and did not lift lagging re-gions out of poverty.

“We believe this is

the reason why inclusive growth is at the core of President Benigno S. Aqui-no’s Social Contract with the Filipino people,” Koni-shi said.

The one and a half day-forum focused on the government’s agenda for inclusive growth.

Konishi said govern-ment spending on infra-structure needs to go up by 5 percent or even higher to help the economy grow faster.

He said the Depart-ment of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Sec-retary Singson has men-tioned that the contracts are out for all the Public investment Program they manage which means con-struction are set to start.

“This will maximize

the amount of spending in infrastructure and will further encourage inclu-sive development. What is needed for more inclusive development is better in-frastructure,” he said.

He said a coherent and efficient intermodal transport roadmap with backbone links to growth areas needs to be adopted through close coordina-tion of line agencies such as DPWH and the De-partment of Transporta-tion and Communication (DOTC).

“For Mindanao there is a need to augment the stimulus funds for infra-structure development of power, roads and ports to reap the dividends of peace stability,” he said. [PIA 11/ Lovely A. Carillo]

WB urges PHL government to increase infra-spending

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VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013 SPORTS 13EDGEDAVAO

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- After two desperation shots

and two overtime thrillers, the Oklahoma City Thunder were done playing close games against the Dallas Mavericks.

Russell Westbrook scored 24 points, Kevin Durant had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Thunder blew out Dallas 112-91 Monday night while avoid-ing a third straight overtime game between the teams.

‘’The last time they came in here, they hit us in the mouth early,’’ Durant said. ‘’And I just told the guys that we’ve got to be the first hitter tonight and we’ve got to come out with a lot of energy, and I think we did that.’’

The Mavericks had tied the first two meetings this season with 3-pointers at the very end, but there was no such drama the third time around.

Oklahoma City led by at least 20 throughout the second half, winning for the 10th time in 11 meet-ings between the teams since Dallas beat the Thun-der in the 2011 Western Conference finals on its way to the NBA champion-ship. That includes a four-game sweep of the Mavs in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

Shawn Marion was the lone bright spot for Dallas, hitting 10 of 14 shots and scoring 23 points. Dirk

Nowitzki had 10 points on 3-for-11 shooting after missing the previous two games with a right adduc-tor strain.

The Mavericks finished a four-game road trip 1-3, and now head home for their next five games - their second-longest stretch at the American Airlines Cen-ter.

‘’We don’t have any ex-cuses. At this point, that would be lame to blame it on that,’’ said coach Rick Carlisle, who was denied in his first chance to earn his 500th career win. ‘’We got two days of rest. We were in Phoenix for a couple days. Supposedly that air makes you feel better.’’

He said the absence of reserve Vince Carter, who was out sick and missed his first game all season, was a factor, but ‘’we’ve got to play better, too.’’

‘’When you put these guys on the open floor with catastrophic turnovers, they’re going to make you look bad. I think that was it more than anything,’’ Carl-isle said.

Kevin Martin chipped in 17 points off the bench for Oklahoma City, which rest-ed its starters in the fourth quarter and got some play-ing time for seldom-used reserves Perry Jones III and Daniel Orton. The Thunder have alternated wins and losses for their past nine games, and have lost two in a row only once this season.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The toughest part of Tyson Chan-

dler’s night was the post-game interview.

The California native and San Francisco 49ers fan, who had just tied a franchise record with his third straight 20-rebound game, was forced to face the media wearing a Ra-vens Super Bowl champi-on hat, payment of a lost bet with Baltimore fan Carmelo Anthony.

‘’That made my day. You just don’t know,’’ said Anthony, who stood across the locker room and watched Chandler’s interview with a smile. ‘’It was a good day for me, it just was a coincidence that he had three games with 20 rebounds. That picture will be everywhere.’’

That’s about all that hasn’t gone Chandler’s way lately.

The veteran center added another highlight to his first All-Star season, Anthony scored 27 points, and the New York Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons 99-85 on Monday night for their fifth consecutive victory.

In a game that was decided early, Chandler played long enough to grab

his 20th rebound midway through the fourth quar-ter. After grabbing 20 in victories on Friday and Saturday night, he became the first Knicks player to have 20 in three straight games since Hall of Famer Willis Reed in December 1969.

‘’That’s what I expect,’’ Knicks coach Mike Wood-son said. ‘’He can’t tease me. He’s done it three straight games, so I’m expecting it the fourth game.’’

Chandler has been on a tear since Woodson bluntly told him that he wasn’t playing the kind of complete basketball that’s expected of a player of his stature.

‘’He called me into his office and he said, ‘You’re an All-Star, you need to start playing like it. The last thing you want is people questioning that,’’ Chandler said. ‘’The next night, I had a different fo-cus about me.’’

Two nights after be-ing held to nine points, snapping his franchise single-season record of 31 games in a row with 20 or more, Anthony matched that total in the first quar-ter and shot 10 of 17 from the field.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - FEBRUARY 4: Russell Westbrook (0) of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots a layup againsy Shawn Marion (0) of the Dallas Mavericks at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Thunder scorch Mavs 112-91

Knicks rout Pistons

VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 201314 EDGEDAVAOSPORTS

A youth-laden Philip-pines side tries to hit two birds with

one stone when it takes on Myanmar in Yangon in its first friendly of the year tonight.

The Azkals and White Angels collide at 6:30 p.m. (Manila time) in a du-al-purpose match intend-ed for the preparations of both the senior squad’s Asian Football Confedera-tion Challenge Cup qualifi-ers campaign next month and the 23-and-under team’s stint in the South-east Asian Games in De-cember.

It will be the first match between the Philip-pines and Myanmar since the Asean Football Fed-eration Suzuki Cup group stage in Thailand last No-vember.

OJ Porteria, Jeff Chris-tiaens, Jason de Jong, Mar-win and Marvin Angeles, and Matt Uy are expected to compose the core of the 23-and-under team for the biennial meet late this year.

The two other play-ers eligible for the SEA

Games squad are Europe-an-based standouts Neil Etheridge and Manny Ott.

Etheridge, who plays for Fulham in the English Premier League, is expect-ed to be the man between the posts, while Germa-ny-based Ott is slated to start at midfield.

Phil and James Youn-ghusband, Chieffy Calig-dong, Rob Gier, Patrick Re-ichelt, are expected to join them in the starting XI.

The Azkals, whose 2-0 win over Myanmar at the Supachalasai Stadium last November secured their second-straight entry to the Suzuki Cup semi-finals, will be without one of that game’s goal scorers in Angel Guirado. Also out of the lineup are Denis Wolf, Paul Mulders, Dennis Cagara, and Ray Jonsson.

Ed Sacapaño, Chris Greatwich, Ian Araneta, Ref Cuaresma, Roel Ge-ner, and Boogie Margarse complete the 19-man Az-kals lineup against Myan-mar, which will be miss-ing the services of start right winger Kyi Lin.

THE country’s grass-roots football pro-gram will now be

under the watch of a new foreign coach.

Philippine Football Federation president Mari-ano Araneta said that the German government and the German Football As-sociation (DFB) will fund the stint of football coach Thomas Roy in the Philip-pines. The German nation-al will assist in identifying local football talents na-tionwide and establishing a youth football system.

“That’s a big plus for us because the German youth system is probably the best in the world,” Araneta said. “This guy is one of the ar-chitects of the program.”

Roy’s contract will last for two years and could be extended for another two years, Araneta said.

Roy has had coaching stints in various clubs and youth programs in Germa-ny after retiring from his playing career as a goal-keeper in 2002. He cur-rently serves as the goal-keeping coach of the Ba-varian Football Association and the DFB base coordi-nator for West Bavaria .

The PFF hopes for the arrival of Roy this March for him to start his stint early, Araneta said.

Araneta said that Roy’s hiring is only the first step toward developing grass-roots football in the coun-try, which started last year through KASIBULAN pro-gram. Aside from having a new coach at the youth level, the PFF is also plan-ning to establish centers of football excellence across the country to further hone the skills of select players.

SUDDENLY, Juan Man-uel Marquez is sing-ing a different tune.

The 39-year-old Mexi-can came out and said he is no longer interested in making a fifth fight with longtime rival Manny Pac-quiao.

Quoted by Box-ingScene writer Miguel Rivera, the Mexican said, “I think for me, there is no point (in a fifth fight). We already achieved the de-sired result. Then why do it.”

Marquez is coming off a stunning sixth-round knockout of Pacquiao in their welterweight fight two months ago, one which saw the Philippine boxing pride get hit by a vicious counter right and falling face-first into the canvas.

In the aftermath of the fight, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum didn’t discount the possibility of the two rivals meeting again in a fifth bout, which he guar-antees would certainly be the biggest as far as the careers of both fighters is concerned.

Pacquiao is likewise amenable to fighting Mar-quez anew, with Septem-ber being eyed as the like-ly date.

For a while, Marquez contemplated about fi-nally hanging his gloves following the remarkable victory. But he has since changed his mind, and appeared ready to fight at least another match.

Unfortunately, Pac-quiao lo longer seemed part of his plan.

“I also asked several people, several friends that I have around me, and they told me not to do it, that there is no point in a fifth fight,” said the Mexi-can, who has a ring record of 55-6-1, with 40 KOs.

In his first three meet-ings with the `Pacman,’ Marquez drew once and lost twice by decision – a split and majority -- with both losses contested as not a few believed the Mexican won over his Fil-ipino rival.

Marquez has vowed before their fourth meet-ing that he’ll no longer leave his fate in the hands of the judges, guaran-teeing he’s going for a clear knockout against Pacquiao which he did in style.

“I said before the fourth fight that no mat-ter how this fight ends, there can not be a fifth,” he said.

Jason De Jong will be suiting up for the Azkals tonight.

Azkals regular keeper Neil Etheridge is high on the list of prospects for the Philippines Under-23 squad.

German coach Thomas Roy will be handling the grassroots program of the PFF.

Azkals play Myanmar tonight

German coach to handle Phl grassroots football

Marquez: No more 5th fight

Dubbed as Obrigado - which is Thank You in Portuguese, the lan-guage used in Brazil – is MMC’s annual thanks-giving event for their media partners. “The nautical theme stands for a new jour-ney that will take us to the next 10, 20, or 50 more colorful and styl-ish years,” said MMC Managing Director and event host, Margarita Nograles. “This time, we are focused on im-proving our retail stores, the focal point of every Havaianatico’s brand experience. We aim to make every customer’s visit a happier and re-warding shopping expe-rience.” The success story of Havaianas has inspired

many in the fashion and business sectors. Their flip flop designs are inspired by the Japa-nese sandal (zori) and the sunny and relaxed Hawaiian culture. This twist in design proved to be a genius move as the products stood out and revolutionized the “poor man’s shoes” to becom-ing a wardrobe staple even for the rich and fa-

MARTISH MARKETING CO. (MMC), the exclusive sub-dis-tributor of Havaianas in South East Mindanao, opens the year with a nautical themed get together.

VOL.5 ISSUE 240• WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013

EDGEDAVAOSTYLE

All aboard Orbrigado! 2013

mous. From its humble beginnings in Brazil, the Havaianas brand grew to become the world’s most loved flip-flops. In 2005, two young entrepreneurs in Davao, cousins Marga Nograles and Tisha Domin-guez, got the exclusive sub-distributorship of Havaianas in South East Mindanao under their own joint business venture, Martish Mar-keting Company. Since then, the influence and following of the brand extended significantly even in cities outside of Davao region. Marga shares, “We have been blessed abun-dantly these last 7 years. As we enter our 8th year in this business, we re-member the devastation in Compostella Valley and Davao Oriental. As our way of giving back, we are donating a percentage of all our

From its humble beginnings in Brazil, the Havaianas brand grew to become the world’s most loved flip-flops.

first quarter Havaianas sales to relief operations aimed at community re-habilitation, health, san-itation, and education. We continue to count our blessings and work together for a better South East Mindanao.”

INdulge!

LAST January 23, through SM Foundation Inc., SM affiliates Ace Hardware and SM Store extended assistance to the victims of typhoon Pablo in Compostela, Compostela Valley. Ace Hardware turned over construction tools and building materials to Barangay San Miguel in Compos-tela. The donation which consisted of paint, claw bars, hammers, wood saws, heavy duty pliers, chisels, water containers and crowbars was received by Barangay Captain Harry Cabiling. Residents of the barangay may borrow the tools from the office of the barangay cap-tain. “These materials from SM and Ace Hardware will definitely help our barangay rebuild our community. We are very grateful for all the help SM has extended to Compostela,” Cabiling said. A total of 141 families in the same barangay also re-ceived water jugs from SM Foundation and Ace. On the same day, the SM Store distributed 500 packs of mats, blankets and mosquito nets at Barangay Ngan. “Daghang salamat sa SM! Makatabang gyud ni, labaw na sige og ulan karong simana (Thank you, SM! This will help a lot especially that it has been raining again this week),” a resident of Barangay Ngan expressed her grat-itude to the donors. In December 2012, SM Foundation, also headed by assistant vice president for Livelihood and Outreach Cristie Angeles deployed 6500 “kalinga” relief packs in Compostela, New Bataan, Monkayo and Montevista. The recent distribution was made possible with the assistance of the Department of Social Welfare and De-velopment XI, the Naval Force of Eastern Mindanao and SM Supermalls.

SM Affiliates- Ace Hardware and SM Store extend assistance to Pablo victims

AT BISTRO, we do everything with Passion – in the the dishes we create, in the concepts we bring in and designing the perfect am-biance at our restaurants, and giving only the best service. We love what we do, and we want our guests to feel this same pas-sion in every Bistro Group restaurant they visit. This is why we invite you to TASTE THE LOVE your-selves, and enjoy 50% OFF at ALL your favourite Bistro Group restaurants with your Citibank credit card. Dine for a minimum of P2,500 at Friday’s, Italianni’s, Krazy Garlic and Bulgogi Brothers and get half of your bill OFF. This promo is valid from February 4 to 7, 2013, Mon-day to Thurs-days. So visit your nearest Bistro Group Restaurant today to taste the love.

A2 INdulge! VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013EDGEDAVAO

Taste the Love and get 50% off at all Bistro Group restaurants

6 ways to stay motivated to quit smoking

Dangers of sleep deprivation

HEALTHUP AND ABOUT

IF YOU quit smok-ing recently, you probably knew exact-ly what your reason was at the time. May-be you wanted to get serious about your health, set a good ex-ample for the kids, or save all the money you’ve been spend-ing on cigarettes. But now that some time has passed, you might be ready for a fresh infusion of mo-tivation. That’s when these quit-smoking tips come in handy. Below are six surpris-ingly effective ways to re-new your commitment to giving up smoking. Some may not apply to you, but others might help you stay tobacco-free for good. Focus on Fido or Fluffy Secondhand smoke can be as harmful for pets as it is for nonsmoking hu-man friends. According to the American Legacy Foundation, exposure to smoke has been linked to nasal cancer and lung can-cer in dogs and lymphoma in cats, among other ef-fects. In one survey, 28%

of smokers said knowing that their habit was hurting their pets would spur them to quit. Create a long-term budget In a study published last year in the journal Addic-tion, smokers whose sav-ing and spending plans stretched ahead more than a few months were more likely to quit smoking than those whose plans reached only into the next week. The reason? Long-term budgeters were more fo-cused on the future, which may have helped them think about the health con-sequences of continuing to smoke. Think of your future kids While you’re focusing on tomorrow, consider this: Whether you’re male or female, smoking may jeopardize future children even before conception. In women, smoking in-creases the risk of infertil-ity, accelerates reproduc-tive aging, and makes eggs more prone to genetic ab-normalities, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine

(ASRM). In men, the ASRM says that smoking reduces sperm count and motility and increases sperm ab-normalities. Plus, a study published last year in the FASEB Journal showed that men who smoke can damage the genetic infor-mation they pass along. These genetic changes could increase the risk for childhood cancer and other diseases in their off-spring. Stay physically active Regular exercise is of-ten recommended to help manage stress or prevent weight gain after quitting smoking. But those aren’t the only ways it helps. A recent analysis of the com-bined results of several studies showed that mod-erate-intensity exercise, such as walking or cycling, also helps tame nicotine cravings. Maybe that’s why physical activity decreases the risk of having a smok-ing relapse. Eat your fruits and veg-gies In a recent study, re-searchers from the Univer-sity at Buffalo found that

eating more fruits and veg-etables helps people who are trying to quit smoking stay tobacco-free. One pos-sible explanation: The fiber in these foods makes peo-ple feel full. Because many people confuse hunger with a craving to smoke, that might lead to less de-sire for a cigarette. Practice mindfulness Mindfulness involves fully focusing your atten-tion on here-and-now ex-perience, noticing and ac-cepting it without judging it. In a study from Yale Uni-versity School of Medicine, 88 volunteers who wanted to quit smoking were ran-domly assigned to eight sessions of either a mind-fulness class or a standard quit-smoking program. Four months later, 31% of those in the mindfulness group were still tobacco-free, compared to only 6% in the standard program. It seemed that mindful-ness helped people notice and accept nicotine crav-ings without reacting to them. Each time people successfully rode out a craving, the intense urge to smoke grew a little weaker.

MANY people face sleep deprivation ev-ery day. In fact, 30 percent of employed adults in the United States are chronically sleep-deprived, says the Examiner. Whether it’s due to a hec-tic work and school sched-ule, medical problems or a busy social life, lack of rest has a detrimental effect on one’s health. According to an article on the ABCNews website, “In a 2010 study published in the journal Sleep, re-searchers at the West Vir-ginia University School of Medicine reviewed data from 30,397 people who had participated in the 2005 National Health Interview Study. They discovered that those sleeping fewer than

7 hours a night were at in-creased risk of heart dis-ease. In particular, women under 60 who sleep 5 hours or fewer a night have twice the risk for developing heart disease.” In addition to cardiac disease, stroke risks are higher for those who don’t get an adequate amount of sleep as well. The USA Today website published a study which found that the risk for stroke in those who get less than six hours of sleep is four times higher than in those who sleep the recom-mended eight hours a night. A different article on the ABCNews site about the topic says, “Sporadic and irregular sleep can raise blood sugar levels and slow the body’s metabolism, in-

creasing the risk of obesity and diabetes, according to an April 2012 study pub-lished in Science Transla-tional Medicine.” In addition, tired people are more likely to make bad choices in regards to food, because they more often crave sugary and high calo-rie foods. Besides feeling drowsy or unable to focus, mental health is also impacted by inadequate sleep. Depression is more com-mon in people who don’t sleep enough, because the emotional functioning is impacted when a person doesn’t rest enough. ABCNews quotes An-drea Goldstein, a study author at the University of California at Berkeley as saying, “Our results suggest

that just one night of sleep loss significantly alters the optimal functioning of this essential brain process, es-pecially among anxious in-dividuals.” This impacts an indi-vidual’s personal and pro-fessional relationships and ability to function in either setting. Sleep deprivation often starts early on in life but it is important to manage it as much as possible. Creating a sleep sched-ule with a set bedtime can help increase the amount of hours a person sleeps. The most important thing to remember is that if you are having sleep issues, or have concerns about your sleep habits, seek the help of a professional who can assist you further.

Valentine’s is just around the corner and love is already in the air! SM Accessories offers 50% off, and freebies on selected items from Brilliant Gems, Italina, Karisma, Karutora, Klad with Gold and Silver, and Trends. Promo period is from February 1 to February 28, at ground floor, SM Accessories. Hurry and treat your special someone with glamorous jewelry!

INdulge! A3VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013EDGEDAVAOENTERTAINMENT

2013 Oscars: Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman & more gather for nominees luncheon

Robert De Niro immortalized in cement at iconic Chinese Theatre in Hollywood

THE Academy Awards annual Nominees Lun-cheon today has made us hungrier than ever for this year’s Oscars. Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Law-rence, Steven Spielberg, Naomi Watts, Robert De Niro, Jessica Chastain are just a smidgen of the nominees who gathered this afternoon for the yearly soiree at the Bev-erly Hilton Hotel. So what down at the invite-only event? First, the nominated actors, directors, produc-ers, costume designers and so on walked the red carpet to take solo pics before heading to answer questions from the media press conference style. Then it was time to drink and eat in the ball-room. Servers handed out glasses of red drinks in champagne and martini glasses. Producer Frank Mar-shall served as guest DJ. After the salad course, this year’s Academy Awards producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron

outlined some of the rules for the show. In short, winners need to do it fast and keep it short! “We need your help,” Zadan said. “Honestly, we need your help to keep the pacing of the show energized. Please get to the stage quickly. You will have 45 seconds to speak. That begins the moment you hit the microphone.” Zadan also asked that nominees prepare. “You’re talking to over a billion people in over 225 coun-tries,” he said. Yikes! After the second course (pistachio-crusted sea bass with veggies!), each nominee in attendance was called one-by-one (and and in no particular order) to riser at the front of the ballroom. Lincoln producer and new Lucasfilm boss Kath-leen Kennedy was the first to be called. Sally Field laughed with a man next to her that she couldn’t see over the head of the man in front of her. Jackman extended a hand to Chastain as she carefully stepped onto

the riser. Joaquin Phoenix let out a little “boo” as his name was called. Tommy Lee Jones re-ceived some of the big-gest applause, as did Beasts of the Southern Wild best actress nomi-nee Quvenzhané Wallis, who gave a high-five to Academy president Hawk Koch. Steven Spielberg was the last to be called. He squeezed in next to Helen Hunt. After the almost 30-minute roll call, the annual “class picture” was taken. About five shots were snapped from a remote camera hanging from the ceiling before waiters marched in with trays of champagne and desserts (cheesecake pops, orange tarts, tuxedo strawberries and macaroons!). After some more schmoozing, nominees made their way to a sepa-rate area to pick up their official Certificate of Nom-ination and an Oscars sweatshirt. See you at the 85th an-nual Academy Awards!

FORGET “You talk-ing to me?” The bet-ter question here is, “What took so long?” Robert De Niro was fi-nally immortalized at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood when the leg-endary actor placed his hands, feet and signature in cement on Monday. “You know, Joe Pesci al-ways said I’d end up with my feet in cement,” De Niro told the crowd fol-lowing some kind words spoken by Billy Crystal and Silver Linings Play-book director David O. Russell. “I don’t think this is what he had in mind.”

The honor comes in the wake of the two-time Os-car winner’s most recent Academy Award nomi-nation for his supporting work in Playbook. Not to mention on the, er, heels of an extensive career that includes such films as Mean Streets, The Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Raging Bull, Goodfellas and Casino. Just to name a few, of course. Following the ceremo-ny, 69-year-old De Niro told E! News: “It was fun, it was great.” Not to mention, well deserved.

A4 INdulge! VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013EDGEDAVAOSTYLE

WITH Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day on the horizon, we will literally be seeing red in a lot of fashion choices. Red, after all, was the IT shade that stood out in every fall collection in the fashion capitals of the world. Giam-battista Valli’s scarlet, Lanvin and Calvin Klein’s tomato red, Marc Jacob’s multi red combinations, and Jil Sander’s cherry red ruled the runways; while crimson, ruby, and oxblood red numbers stole the scene at show after show. SM brings runway red to the racks with its latest La-dies Collection with pieces that celebrate everything that is sexy, strong, and radiant. Paint the town red with this exciting crimson mix - from sleek, tailored numbers to figure-flaunting, sensual pieces that evoke drama, glam-our, and elegance. SM Ladies Fashion’s Red Collection is available at the SM Store. Available at the SM Store. Photography by Raymond Celestino of Edge of Light

Red Alert. Tailored jacket worn with slim cut cropped pants.

Of Wine and Roses. Lace overlay dress.

Seeing Red. Mini jersey dress.

Very Cherry. Maxi dress with overlap bodice.Crimson Tide. Shapely v-back dress with embellished neckline.

Drama in Ruby. One-shoulder sequinned top worn with cropped pants.

Scarlet Fever. ¾ sleeved button-down shirt and lace skirt.

The red report at SM

VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2013 SPORTS 15EDGEDAVAO

Baltimore Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones (97) kisses the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francis-co 49ers 34-31 in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game.

Celebrity singer Beyonce performs the halftime show.

NEW ORLEANS – It shaped up as a one-sided game,

threatened to become a farce once the lights went out and eventually turned into a Super Bowl that was proclaimed as the greatest of them all.

Even in the middle of the wild celebrations en-joyed by the Baltimore Ravens, there was a sense that this extraordinary team of battlers buoyed by the spirit of the departing Ray Lewis, had taken part in something that will go down in NFL folklore.

Terrell Suggs would be the first to admit he is not a man known for del-icate speech, but as his colleagues hugged and danced and the celebra-tory cigars were handed out, the 10-year veteran linebacker gave some mea-sured thoughts on why this game was one for the ages.

It was the greatest [Super Bowl] ever,” Suggs told Yahoo! Sports. “It was everything you could ask for. If you are the champi-on, you’re going to think it is the greatest no matter what.

“But look at what you had. You had a great story. You had our team just go-ing out there and taking it. You had touchdowns. You had great plays. You

had crazy stuff going on. You had touchdowns. You had defense. You had tack-les. And you had the right winner. This is what we worked for and this is what we got.”

Suggs’ tone was very different from his outburst following Baltimore’s road victory over the New En-gland Patriots in the AFC championship game, loud-ly telling the Patriots to “enjoy the Pro Bowl” and mocking their “arrogance.”

The Ravens’ early scor-ing burst and Jacoby Jones’ kickoff return to start the second half opened up a 28-6 lead for Baltimore, which looked to have iced the contest. However, Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick started to find his rhythm in the third quarter, and back-to-back touchdowns set up a thrill-ing final quarter.

This was the high-est-scoring Super Bowl since the Tampa Bay Bucca-neers’ 48-21 defeat of the Oakland Raiders in 2003 and provided yet another exhilarating conclusion to the NFL season. Records also were set: Jones’ 108-yard kickoff return was the longest ever in a Super Bowl; his 290 total yards were the most ever in a Su-per Bowl; and this was the longest Super Bowl ever at

4 hours, 14 minutes. “Was it great?” Ravens

owner Steve Bisciotti said. “Well, it is hard to see how it could be greater. Winning the Super Bowl is what it is all about. You can’t pick and choose how you want to win it.

“But to win it against a great team and a great coach – that is just about as good as it gets.”

For Baltimore, nothing could have been sweeter than sending off Lewis into retirement with a Super Bowl ring adorning his fin-ger.

Yet even the Niners could not deny that they taken part in an outstand-ing game of football.

“It was one heck of a game,” Niners coach Jim Harbaugh said. “We battled back right to the brink of winning. Our guys battled, they competed, we got a spark, and we weren’t going to look back from there.”

However, Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco ad-mitted he would have hap-pily accepted a one-sided victory rather than having to nervously endure the 49ers’ spirited revival.

“It is unbelievable,” Flacco said. “We don’t make it easy. That is the way the city of Baltimore is, and that’s the way we are.”

Greatest Super Bowl ever?

VOL.5 ISSUE 240 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 201316 EDGEDAVAOSPORTS

THE 2nd DFA Un-der-16 Girls Foot-ball Tournament

gets going on February 9 at Faith Academy Football Field.

DFA Women’s Com-mittee chair Ching delos Reyes said the tourna-ment, open to school var-sity and club teams, will run from February 9 until March 16.

The tournament is

open to girls born January 1, 1996 and younger, with each team are allowed to field five 1994-born play-ers but only three 1994 reinforcements can play at the same time in every game.

Each team can register a maximum of 22 players and 3 officials.

All teams are required to submit their official line-up and their players’

photocopy of NSO birth certificate or passport. Deadline of submission will be on or before Febru-ary 9, 2013. Registration fee is P3,000 per team.

Teams will play 11-a-side games in a sin-gle round robin format. After the elimination, the top 2 teams will play the championships while 3rd and 4th rank teams will play for 3rd place. A team

needs nine players to play a game prior and during a match. Flying substitution will be implemented.

The DFA Women’s Committee is composed of Atty. Janice Celestial, Krishna Hernandez-Bala-ga, Reynalyn Ranada-Ra-vanes, Kharlla Sol Cruz, Keith Shelly Canton, Su-san Palad, Alex Adolfo, Michael Co, and Buboy Arrieta.

2nd DFA U16 Girls bootfest setBy Neil Bravo

MU LT I -T I T L E D Solido FC swept its Matchday 1

doubleheader to take

the early lead in the DFC League Tournament over the weekend at the Davao Crocodile Park field.

Solido was joined at the top by Instatech Dragons with two wins in as many outings in the

opening day of the sea-son-opening tournament of the Davao Football Community. Solido and Instatech are on top of the 12-team field with six points.

Davao Crocodile Park and KMMPC are bunched in second place with 4 points each after winning one match and drawing another. De Boerderij and Tough D are tied with 3 points apiece with a 1-win 1-loss record.

Intangibles and M7 United both drew their opening day assignments to notch 2 points each while Belisario FC and Fil-Chi Amoc each had 1 point to show after a 1-draw 1-loss showing.

Real Davao and Davao Agila FC brought up the rear with 2 losses.

The league resumes this Sunday with 12 matches on tap. [NEIL BRAVO]

Solido FC, Instatech sweep doubleheader

JR. NBA. Young players perform the drills in the Jr. NBA Clinic on Sunday at the Ateneo de Davao University Gym. The camp is presented by Alaska and hosted in Davao by Phoenix Petroleum. (Phoenix)