EDGE

By Lorie A. Cascaro

THE Environmental Management Bu-reau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources

(DENR) 11 is heightening its water quality monitoring of the Davao River, a water qual-

ity management area (WMQA), to ensure it against deterioration.

This program, which began last year with eight to 10 stations doing samplings every week, has increased the number of stations to 40 as of last week, said Mario Bulacan, EMB 11 head executive assis-tant, in yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at

SM City Davao.The samplings, collected by person-

nel from the DENR, are taken at stations from the Marilog district down to Bucana and delivered to the laboratory within six hours.

These are tested for six parameters, which, according to him, include biologi-

By Jade C. Zaldivar

ALTHOUGH still in plenary discus-sion, City Councilor Pilar Braga is positive that the proposed Com-

prehensive Transport and Traffic Code of Davao City (Traffic Code) will solve the city’s traffic problems.

Braga yesterday said the City Coun-cil will again discuss the provisions of

the Traffic Code in today’s session.“It’s still a work in progress. Of

course it will be of great help to our city as the code will spell out proper traffic rules and regulations,” she said in a text message.

Chair of the committee on energy, communication and transportation, Bra-ga said the code’s approval will be good for the city.

“Included in the code is the creation of a traffic and transport management

P 15.00 • 20 PAGESwww.edgedavao.net

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012

SportsPage 15

City’s Traffic Code up today in Council

SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENTPage 4

Serving a seamless society

FCITY’S, 13

FDAVAO, 13

n Included in the code is the creation of a traffic and trans-port management office that will rationalize sound traffic management.

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DAVAO

Davao River monitoring heightened

Indulge!Page A1

MILITIAS. Members of the Farmers Association of Davao City stage a protest during the weekend to criticize President Aquino for using the military and other paramilitary groups to protect large-scale mining operations. The group accuse these state forces of committing human rights violations. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012

CEBU Pacific airline disclosed that their profit dropped by

15 % in 2011 compared to that of 2010.

Vice president for commercial planning Al-exander Lao of Cebu Pacif-ic in an interview April 18 said the significant drop is attributed to the ‘constant rise of fuel cost.’

“When you look at the number of passengers we have served of course you could see it’s very high, but due to the con-stant rising of fuel cost, it has been very heavy,” Lao said at The Marco Polo Davao following the press conference held earlier in line with the 1st Equator Asia Air Access Forum and Airlines CEO Summit last week.

“Right now, fuel com-poses a huge portion of our operational cost at 50 percent mark so this is re-ally very high,” he added.

As the main discus-sion during the summit was to connect direct

flights from Philippine cities to destinations in member countries of BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Da-russalam, Indonesia, Ma-laysia, Philippines – East Asian Growth Area), the Cebu Pacific official echoed the appeal of the country’s airlines that the government should pro-vide incentives.

“We implement cost-cutting measures, but as what our colleagues from other airlines have also shared, it’ll be very dif-ficult to provide direct flights without support from the government, be it through marketing to providing incentives,” Lao said.

Asked what incen-tives the country’s airlines are hoping from the gov-ernment, Lao said the na-tional government should take from the actions tak-en by other BIMP-EAGA countries.

“For example in Ma-laysia, in support of ef-

forts of airlines to form linkages their government allowed airlines to be ex-empted from: (1) take-off and landing charges dur-ing the first year, (2) aero-nautical charges, and (3) if they grow their number of passengers to a certain level they grant growth or cash incentives,” he said.

Lao said Cebu Pa-cific is supportive of the government’s initiative to promote direct flights within the BIMP-EAGA re-gion but added that ‘with-out government support it will remain very difficult for airlines.’

“We do not want to operate and stop after three months or so. Open-ing international flights for one would take 12 to 18 months before you can earn. We are very inter-ested in forming linkages with the BIMP-EAGA but we want to remain so in the long run,” he said. [JADE C. ZALDIVAR]

2 THE BIG NEWS EDGEDAVAO

n Fuel cost is 50% of operation cost

By Jade C. Zaldivar

SOME 150 human rights advocates composed of the re-

ligious and internally dis-placed persons (IDP) or bakwits from the Visayas and Mindanao got togeth-er for the two-day annual ‘National Conference on Internally Displaced Per-sons at the Jansenn Hall, Christ the King Seminary in Quezon City yesterday and today.

Led by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), Karapatan or the Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights, and the Ecumenical Mission for Peace and Development (EMPD), the gathering is in response to the grow-ing number of internally displaced persons in areas where there are

armed conflicts.At the gathering,

internal refugees have shared stories of their ‘having been forced out of their areas allegedly amid threats and harassment they experienced at the hands of the military.’

Karapatan says there are currently a total of 6,556 victims of forced evacuation due to the counter-insurgency pro-gram of Oplan Bayanihan.

“Violation of the right to domicile is not the only violation experienced by internally displaced persons. When they are forced to leave their homes, they lose their livelihood because they abandon the land they till,” said Cristina Palabay, Karapatan spokesperson and End Impunity Alli-ance convener in a state-ment.

“Schools and places

of religious worship have been converted into mili-tary camps, thereby vio-lating the right to educa-tion and right to freedom of worship,” she added.

Activist group Karapatan said last month, there were 158 families or at least 800 in-dividuals, including chil-dren who were forced to evacuate from the areas of Sitio Zapanta and Man-humapay, in Kitcharao; as well as Stio Lusong, Brgy. Puting Bato, Cabadbaran City, all located in Agusan del Norte where the mili-tary is fighting commu-nist insurgency.

“Majority of those affected come from the Mamanwa tribe, an in-digenous people group in the CARAGA region. Some 345 individuals, mean-while, are still in an evac-uation center in Butuan City,” Palabay said.

150 human rightists gather for conference

EMPLOYMENT. Allan Baban of the Department of Labor and Employment Technical Services Support said that a job fair will be launched on Labor Day to accommodate the new graduates. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Cebu Pacific profit down by 15% due to fuel cost

FVOYAGER, 13

“THE climate is changing, but the connotation that

this is because of air pol-lution is not true. Climate change can be explained astronomically,” said Jonell L. Damuy, vice president for operations of the Voyager Educational and Event Ser-

vices.He said this is based on

the knowledge of the com-pany’s consultant astrono-mer Frederich Gabiana, a professor in the Rizal Tech-nological University, which is the only school in the Philippines offering Bach-elor of Science in Astronomy

degree.The Earth’s movements

include rotation around its axis, revolution around the sun, and inclination.

“The inclination of our planet has been overlooked in most astronomical expla-nations. Kaya umiinit yung isang part ng Earth kasi

Voyager claims Climate Change can be explained astronomically

By Lorie A. Cascaro

IN celebration of Labor Day, the Department of Labor and Employment

(DOLE) 11 will conduct a jobs fair offering some 13,000 jobs on May 1 si-multaneously at the Gaisano Mall of Davao and SM City of Davao.

Allan Baban, head of the Technical Services and Support Division, DOLE 11, said that as of press time the job orders or vacancies registered were 12,424, with 4,878 for local em-ployment and 7,545 over-seas.

There 88 employers and/or agencies who regis-tered, 46 of them local and 42 overseas.

During the fair, one-

stop shops will also be there for those who want to enroll or seek documents from the Social Security System, Philhealth, Nation-al Bureau of Investigation, Department of Foreign Af-fairs, and National Statistics Office.

This will provide conve-nience for job seekers who lack company requirements from these agencies.

Also expected to be present are representatives from regional coordinating councils of the Philippine Regulatory Commission, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Philippine Overseas Employment Ad-ministration, and Technical Education and Skills Devel-opment Authority among others.

Last year’s Labor Day

jobs fair at SM City Davao, in partnership with DOLE, brought together in one place some 75 companies.

In 2010 13,000 job va-cancies were posted, both for local and overseas em-ployment, with some 2,000 registered job applicants.

Meanwhile, Baban mentioned that the DOLE regional office is also ad-dressing the informal sec-tors in terms of livelihood.

The department will be releasing P2 to P3 million for its integrated livelihood program targeting informal sectors which would like to earn income through self-employment.

Meantime, DOLE is in the process of completing the necessary documents before the release of fund-ing.

DOLE offers 13,000 jobs on Labor Day

LOCAL energy distri-bution utility Davao Light and Power

Company (DLPC) has an-nounced 15-minute power interruptions within down-town area this Thursday and Friday.

Rossano Luga, DLPC vice president for corporate communications said yes-terday that the power inter-ruptions will be on April 26 from 10:00 p.m. to 10:15

p.m., and on April 27 from 6:00 a.m. to 6:15 a.m.

Affected by these ser-vice interruptions are pow-er consumers along Magsay-say Avenue going to Quezon Boulevard and those in adja-cent areas downtown.

Also affected are cus-tomers in portions of Juan Luna St., Padre Gomez St., Fatima St., Calle Putol, Guer-rero St., Quezon St. and Zamora St.

Luga said the service interruptions are necessary in order to facilitate the re-placement of rotten poles in the said areas.

“In order to keep the power interruptions with-in the least possible time, loads from those lines will be transferred to substation nearby. This will result to the two 15-minute switch-ing outages,” Luga said. [JADE C. ZALDIVAR]

Power interruptions here set Thursday and Friday

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012 3THE BIG NEWSEDGEDAVAO

TO create and fos-ter lasting peace throughout the

country’s 7,107 islands, Camarines Sur Rep. Dios-dado Macapagal Arroyo has proposed the estab-lishment of the Depart-ment of Peace.

“The decades-old armed conflicts continue to prevent us from achiev-ing our goal of promoting the Philippines as a safe and secure place for both local and international tourists,” Arroyo said.

The Bicol lawmaker, along with Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, are not giving up in push-ing the passage of House Bill 5106 which they filed last August 11, 2011 and which now remains pend-ing with the Committee on Government Reorgani-zation chaired by Rep. Ce-sar Jalosjos (3rd District, Zamboanga del Norte).

The Philippines, the authors said, is consid-ered a tropical paradise due to its vast mountain ranges and forests and remains the home of the Philippine Tarsier, the smallest living mammal alive, the Philippine Eagle, the perfectly shaped cone of Mayon Volcano of Bicol, the Chocolate Hills of Bo-hol, the Tubbataha Reef and the latest wonder of the world, the Under-ground River of Palawan.

“We also have the best beaches in the world and some of the finest delica-cies the world can ever

taste,” the young Arroyo stressed, adding that Fili-pinos have also been con-sidered as one of the most hospitable and warmest people in the world which are most vital to tourism.

But despite all of na-ture’s wonders abound-ing in the country, tour-ism’s great potential continues to be stunted by the continued deep conflict with the enemies of the state namely, the Moro Islamic Front, Moro National Liberation Front, the Abu Sayyaf and the New People’s Army-NDF.

“We should therefore come up with a lasting solution to our age-old problem of deep conflict and ensure the success of the country’s peace pro-cess. One logical move is to create a national agency that will focus on strengthening the build-ing blocks for lasting peace,” Arroyo said.

Under HB 5106, among others, the pro-posed Department shall: (1) formulate, recom-mend and implement advocacies, plans, pro-grams and guidelines that will promote and uphold peaceful non-violent and non-killing principles; (2) initiate, harmonize and coordinate all peace keeping, non-violent and non-killing initiatives of the government and its respective agencies; and (3) strengthen civilian and non-military means of peacemaking.

Department of peace proposed

ASTRONOMY. Customers at SM City Davao take a peek on the telescopes displayed by Voyager Adventures. The company is offering its astronomical educa-tional services for various schools in Mindanao. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Dengue cases drop in SoccsksargenDengue cases in Re-

gion 12 or the Soc-csksargen Region

have dropped by 40 percent in the last three months as the region remained be-low the alert or epidemic threshold of the deadly mosquito-borne disease.

Dr. Marlyn Convo-car, Department of Health (DOH) Region 12 director, said Monday their records as of April 21 showed that dengue cases in the re-gion have reached 452, or around 300 fewer than the confirmed incidence in the same period last year.

Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotaba-to, Sultan Kudarat, Saran-gani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Ki-dapawan and Cotabato.

“There were no clus-tering of cases (in any part of the region) and the con-firmed cases since January were considered under the alert threshold,” Convocar noted in a report released over the weekend by the regional epidemiology and

surveillance unit (RESU).The DOH’s National

Epidemiology Center said a clustering of dengue cases happens when three or more confirmed cases emerge within an affected barangay or community in four consecutive weeks.

But Convocar said they already monitored four confirmed dengue deaths this year compared to only three last year.

This city and nearby Sarangani province report-ed two deaths each from complications caused by dengue shock syndrome, which comprised just one percent of the confirmed dengue cases, she said.

About 43 percent of the cases were plain dengue fever while 56 percent de-veloped into dengue hem-orrhagic fever.

The official said North Cotabato posted the highest dengue incidence with 137, followed by General Santos City with 102, South Cota-bato with 78, Cotabato City with 59, Sarangani with 43 and Sultan Kudarat with 33.

POWER and wealth shar-ing, territory and transi-tional mechanisms and

duration would remain the major bones of contention in the Mindanao peace process that the government wants to end this year, an official said.

Rosalie C. Romero, as-sistant secretary at the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, said last week the government expects to finish the peace negotia-tions with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) within the year.

Speaking at a peace communication summit in Cotabato City before hun-dreds of journalists and members of civil society or-ganizations in behalf of Peace Process Secretary Teresita Q. Deles, Romero appeared optimistic that a final peace accord can be forged not later than 2012.

“From current move-ments, we have basis for con-fidence that a peace agree-ment may be signed within the year,” Romero said in a speech emailed thereafter by

the OPAPP communications group.

“The way ahead will be bumpy but the good thing is that both sides appear com-mitted to engage at the ne-gotiating table and not in the battlefield,” she said.

Romero cited that “nei-ther side seems poised to walk away when the going gets rough.”

Peace talks between the government and the Moro rebels were slated to resume in Kuala Lumpur today (Monday) until Friday, with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) sitting as an observer.

This would be the 27th round of formal exploratory talks and the eighth under the Aquino administration, which resumed amity talks with the MILF in February 2011.

Last month, during the 26th exploratory talks also held in Malaysia, the third party mediator, the peace panels of the government and the MILF approved the request of the OIC’s Office of

the Secretary General to sit as observer.

The 57-member pan-Islamic body brokered the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro National Lib-eration Front (MNLF) that led to the signing of the 1976 Tripoli Agreement and the 1996 Final Peace Agreement (FPA).

The MILF is a breaka-way faction of the MNLF that today is the largest Islamic armed group in the Philip-pines.

With days before the 27th round of exploratory talks, Romero stressed the government realized that the search for a lasting peace in Mindanao cannot just focus on the negotiations between government and the MILF.

She said the peace pro-cess with the MILF faces what is perhaps a unique challenge – the reality that current ne-gotiations involve the same core territory (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mind-anao) and the same people that are already the subject of

a peace agreement with an-other group, the MNLF; and the reality that the FPA with the MNLF has already put in place an ARMM Regional Government, which practi-cally everyone today agrees badly needs to be reformed.

The issue of peace in Mindanao was part of the 16-point agenda, articulated as no. 14, in President Benig-no C. Aquino’s “Social Con-tract with the Filipino People” when he filed his candidacy in the 2010 polls.

It has become a national policy of the Aquino admin-istration, through Chapter 9 of the Philippine Develop-ment Plan for 2010-2016 with the title “Peace and Security.”

The Aquino govern-ment’s peace agenda and de-velopment framework bears two major objectives: Track 1, which is the “negotiated polit-ical settlement of armed con-flicts;” and the “Complemen-tary Track, which seeks to address the causes of armed conflict and other issues that affect the peace process.” [BONG S. SARMIENTO / MINDANEWS]

Key issues on Mindanao peace process cited

CALLING it a violation of the ceasefire agree-ment between the gov-

ernment and the Moro Islam-ic Liberation Front (MILF), South Cotabato officials have called for the immediate stoppage of the ongoing es-tablishment by alleged MILF units of two new satellite camps in the province.

South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. said Mon-day the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) has passed a resolution urging the MILF to withdraw its forces that have been alleg-edly setting up a base in Ba-rangays Tudok in T’boli and Sitio Lampakpak, Barangay Lampari in Banga town.

“We can’t allow them

to establish any camp in the province. These have to stop immediately,” the governor said.

Citing a report to the PPOC by the Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion, he said the rebels separately con-verged in the two areas earlier this year and started building encampments.

Pingoy said around 200 MILF rebels spotted re-cently by government forces have been moving towards Barangay Tudok, which is located near the mountain-ous boundaries of T’boli town in South Cotabato and Maasim in Sarangani prov-ince.

Lt. Col. Alexis Noel Bravo, 27IB command-

er, said their monitoring showed that around 40 MILF rebels supposedly under its 107th Base Com-mand initially gathered in Barangay Tudok to establish a camp in the area.

He said the rebels were allegedly led by a certain MILF commander Hams Ottoh Mastura alias Taruc.

“They named the camp as Khalid al Wahid and initially conducted train-ings and assemblies there,” Bravo said.

In Banga town, the of-ficial said an initial 11 MILF rebels reportedly occupied a portion of Sitio Lampa-kpak in Barangay Lampari allegedly to set up another satellite camp.

Pingoy said they were opposing the establish-ment of the MILF camps in the province as it might only create tension and de-rail the local government’s socio-economic initiatives.

“It’s also a violation of the ceasefire agreement and this was supported by mem-bers of the International Monitoring Team who at-tended the PPOC meeting. So I hope they will abide by it,” the governor said.

Pingoy said they will formally submit copies of the resolution this week to the government peace panel through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. [ALLEN V. ESTA-BILLO / MINDANEWS]

SouthCot execs to MILF: ‘Stop putting up camps’

FDENGUE, 13

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012 3THE BIG NEWSEDGEDAVAO

TO create and fos-ter lasting peace throughout the

country’s 7,107 islands, Camarines Sur Rep. Dios-dado Macapagal Arroyo has proposed the estab-lishment of the Depart-ment of Peace.

“The decades-old armed conflicts continue to prevent us from achiev-ing our goal of promoting the Philippines as a safe and secure place for both local and international tourists,” Arroyo said.

The Bicol lawmaker, along with Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, are not giving up in push-ing the passage of House Bill 5106 which they filed last August 11, 2011 and which now remains pend-ing with the Committee on Government Reorgani-zation chaired by Rep. Ce-sar Jalosjos (3rd District, Zamboanga del Norte).

The Philippines, the authors said, is consid-ered a tropical paradise due to its vast mountain ranges and forests and remains the home of the Philippine Tarsier, the smallest living mammal alive, the Philippine Eagle, the perfectly shaped cone of Mayon Volcano of Bicol, the Chocolate Hills of Bo-hol, the Tubbataha Reef and the latest wonder of the world, the Under-ground River of Palawan.

“We also have the best beaches in the world and some of the finest delica-cies the world can ever

taste,” the young Arroyo stressed, adding that Fili-pinos have also been con-sidered as one of the most hospitable and warmest people in the world which are most vital to tourism.

But despite all of na-ture’s wonders abound-ing in the country, tour-ism’s great potential continues to be stunted by the continued deep conflict with the enemies of the state namely, the Moro Islamic Front, Moro National Liberation Front, the Abu Sayyaf and the New People’s Army-NDF.

“We should therefore come up with a lasting solution to our age-old problem of deep conflict and ensure the success of the country’s peace pro-cess. One logical move is to create a national agency that will focus on strengthening the build-ing blocks for lasting peace,” Arroyo said.

Under HB 5106, among others, the pro-posed Department shall: (1) formulate, recom-mend and implement advocacies, plans, pro-grams and guidelines that will promote and uphold peaceful non-violent and non-killing principles; (2) initiate, harmonize and coordinate all peace keeping, non-violent and non-killing initiatives of the government and its respective agencies; and (3) strengthen civilian and non-military means of peacemaking.

Department of peace proposed

ASTRONOMY. Customers at SM City Davao take a peek on the telescopes displayed by Voyager Adventures. The company is offering its astronomical educa-tional services for various schools in Mindanao. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Dengue cases drop in SoccsksargenDengue cases in Re-

gion 12 or the Soc-csksargen Region

have dropped by 40 percent in the last three months as the region remained be-low the alert or epidemic threshold of the deadly mosquito-borne disease.

Dr. Marlyn Convo-car, Department of Health (DOH) Region 12 director, said Monday their records as of April 21 showed that dengue cases in the re-gion have reached 452, or around 300 fewer than the confirmed incidence in the same period last year.

Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotaba-to, Sultan Kudarat, Saran-gani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Ki-dapawan and Cotabato.

“There were no clus-tering of cases (in any part of the region) and the con-firmed cases since January were considered under the alert threshold,” Convocar noted in a report released over the weekend by the regional epidemiology and

surveillance unit (RESU).The DOH’s National

Epidemiology Center said a clustering of dengue cases happens when three or more confirmed cases emerge within an affected barangay or community in four consecutive weeks.

But Convocar said they already monitored four confirmed dengue deaths this year compared to only three last year.

This city and nearby Sarangani province report-ed two deaths each from complications caused by dengue shock syndrome, which comprised just one percent of the confirmed dengue cases, she said.

About 43 percent of the cases were plain dengue fever while 56 percent de-veloped into dengue hem-orrhagic fever.

The official said North Cotabato posted the highest dengue incidence with 137, followed by General Santos City with 102, South Cota-bato with 78, Cotabato City with 59, Sarangani with 43 and Sultan Kudarat with 33.

POWER and wealth shar-ing, territory and transi-tional mechanisms and

duration would remain the major bones of contention in the Mindanao peace process that the government wants to end this year, an official said.

Rosalie C. Romero, as-sistant secretary at the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, said last week the government expects to finish the peace negotia-tions with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) within the year.

Speaking at a peace communication summit in Cotabato City before hun-dreds of journalists and members of civil society or-ganizations in behalf of Peace Process Secretary Teresita Q. Deles, Romero appeared optimistic that a final peace accord can be forged not later than 2012.

“From current move-ments, we have basis for con-fidence that a peace agree-ment may be signed within the year,” Romero said in a speech emailed thereafter by

the OPAPP communications group.

“The way ahead will be bumpy but the good thing is that both sides appear com-mitted to engage at the ne-gotiating table and not in the battlefield,” she said.

Romero cited that “nei-ther side seems poised to walk away when the going gets rough.”

Peace talks between the government and the Moro rebels were slated to resume in Kuala Lumpur today (Monday) until Friday, with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) sitting as an observer.

This would be the 27th round of formal exploratory talks and the eighth under the Aquino administration, which resumed amity talks with the MILF in February 2011.

Last month, during the 26th exploratory talks also held in Malaysia, the third party mediator, the peace panels of the government and the MILF approved the request of the OIC’s Office of

the Secretary General to sit as observer.

The 57-member pan-Islamic body brokered the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro National Lib-eration Front (MNLF) that led to the signing of the 1976 Tripoli Agreement and the 1996 Final Peace Agreement (FPA).

The MILF is a breaka-way faction of the MNLF that today is the largest Islamic armed group in the Philip-pines.

With days before the 27th round of exploratory talks, Romero stressed the government realized that the search for a lasting peace in Mindanao cannot just focus on the negotiations between government and the MILF.

She said the peace pro-cess with the MILF faces what is perhaps a unique challenge – the reality that current ne-gotiations involve the same core territory (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mind-anao) and the same people that are already the subject of

a peace agreement with an-other group, the MNLF; and the reality that the FPA with the MNLF has already put in place an ARMM Regional Government, which practi-cally everyone today agrees badly needs to be reformed.

The issue of peace in Mindanao was part of the 16-point agenda, articulated as no. 14, in President Benig-no C. Aquino’s “Social Con-tract with the Filipino People” when he filed his candidacy in the 2010 polls.

It has become a national policy of the Aquino admin-istration, through Chapter 9 of the Philippine Develop-ment Plan for 2010-2016 with the title “Peace and Security.”

The Aquino govern-ment’s peace agenda and de-velopment framework bears two major objectives: Track 1, which is the “negotiated polit-ical settlement of armed con-flicts;” and the “Complemen-tary Track, which seeks to address the causes of armed conflict and other issues that affect the peace process.” [BONG S. SARMIENTO / MINDANEWS]

Key issues on Mindanao peace process cited

CALLING it a violation of the ceasefire agree-ment between the gov-

ernment and the Moro Islam-ic Liberation Front (MILF), South Cotabato officials have called for the immediate stoppage of the ongoing es-tablishment by alleged MILF units of two new satellite camps in the province.

South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. said Mon-day the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) has passed a resolution urging the MILF to withdraw its forces that have been alleg-edly setting up a base in Ba-rangays Tudok in T’boli and Sitio Lampakpak, Barangay Lampari in Banga town.

“We can’t allow them

to establish any camp in the province. These have to stop immediately,” the governor said.

Citing a report to the PPOC by the Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion, he said the rebels separately con-verged in the two areas earlier this year and started building encampments.

Pingoy said around 200 MILF rebels spotted re-cently by government forces have been moving towards Barangay Tudok, which is located near the mountain-ous boundaries of T’boli town in South Cotabato and Maasim in Sarangani prov-ince.

Lt. Col. Alexis Noel Bravo, 27IB command-

er, said their monitoring showed that around 40 MILF rebels supposedly under its 107th Base Com-mand initially gathered in Barangay Tudok to establish a camp in the area.

He said the rebels were allegedly led by a certain MILF commander Hams Ottoh Mastura alias Taruc.

“They named the camp as Khalid al Wahid and initially conducted train-ings and assemblies there,” Bravo said.

In Banga town, the of-ficial said an initial 11 MILF rebels reportedly occupied a portion of Sitio Lampa-kpak in Barangay Lampari allegedly to set up another satellite camp.

Pingoy said they were opposing the establish-ment of the MILF camps in the province as it might only create tension and de-rail the local government’s socio-economic initiatives.

“It’s also a violation of the ceasefire agreement and this was supported by mem-bers of the International Monitoring Team who at-tended the PPOC meeting. So I hope they will abide by it,” the governor said.

Pingoy said they will formally submit copies of the resolution this week to the government peace panel through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. [ALLEN V. ESTA-BILLO / MINDANEWS]

SouthCot execs to MILF: ‘Stop putting up camps’

FDENGUE, 13

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 20124 EDGEDAVAOSCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT

MANY working moth-ers will attest to this: When a woman does

the laundry and cooking, she gets clean clothes and food on the table. When a man does the housework, he gets a standing ovation. A good mother is natural, a good fa-ther divine.

And so it is that the male seahorse has long viewed with awe, as a kind of sub-marine saint. Not only does he look like a Gothic halluci-nation, with his horse’s head, anteater’s snout and spiraling dragon’s tail; he also behaves fantasy.

As scientists discovered many decades ago, the male seahorse is the one that be-comes pregnant, carries the young in his belly and gives birth. It was Dr. Amanda Vin-cent of Oxford University’s department of zoology in Canada which discovered the unique mating and reproduc-tion process of the seahorse.

According to Dr. Vincent, the reproductive cycle starts when the female seahorse deposits 100 or more eggs into the pouch of the male’s abdomen. The male releases sperm into the pouch, fertil-izing the eggs. The embryos develop within the male’s pouch, nourished by their in-dividual yolk sacs. Incubation may last two to six weeks, de-pending on the seahorse spe-cies. After the embryos have developed, the male gives birth to tiny seahorses about one centimeter long.

Seahorses are generally monogamous, though several species are highly gregarious. In monogamous pairs, the male and female will greet one another with courtship displays in the morning and sometimes in the evening to reinforce their pair bond. They spend the rest of the day separate from each other hunting for food.

Seahorses are small salt-water fish belonging to the Syngnathidae family, which also includes pipefish and sea dragons. The seahorse’s scientific genus name, Hip-pocampusis a Greek word, which means “bent horse.”

Seahorses range in length from about 2 inches to 14 inches. Known for their small compressed body covered with 50 rectangular body plates, they also vary in colors - white, yellow, red, brown, black, gray, spotted or banded. The tail is prehensile, and the tubular mouth sucks in small shellfish, shrimp, larvae and small crustaceans as food. The head and foreparts, usu-ally carried upright, resemble those of a horse. They swim vertically and beat their fins up to 70 times a second.

Seahorse figures promi-nently in some cultures around the world. In Mexico, for instance, there is a leg-end which stated that the seahorse is a person who, to escape his pursuers, fled into the sea, placing his sandals in his waist belt at his back. In Hawaiian culture, the sea-horse has long been a sign of eternal friendship. The Na-tional Society for Epilepsy has a seahorse for its mascot (be-cause a part of the brain that is vulnerable to damage from epileptic seizures resembles

a seahorse in shape). Tatsu-noko Production, the Japa-nese anime company, has a seahorse in its logo.

Seahorses have been as-sociated with mythology. The Chinese believe that seahors-es have magical or medicinal effects. They are used for the treatment of respiratory dis-orders, throat infections, ar-teriosclerosis, kidney disease, goiter, lymph disorders, skin diseases, lethargy, infertility and sexual impotence. It was also reported to be a potent aphrodisiac that has been used by the Chinese and other Orientals, centuries before the controversial Viagra.

In Australia and the sur-rounding countries, seahors-es are used for tourist mer-chandise, such as key chains and souvenirs.

There has also been strong demand for live sea-horses. Unlike in traditional Chinese medicine, where large, smooth-skinned sea-horses are preferred, the live trade is mostly in smaller seahorses, which fit more eas-ily in home aquariums. And since home aquarium enthu-siasts are usually not picky about whether the seahorses are smooth- or spiny-skinned, there is a market for nearly all seahorses, large or small, smooth or spiny.

“While many aquarium hobbyists will keep seahorses as pets, seahorses collected from the wild tend to fare poorly in a home aquarium,” cautions an expert. “They will eat only live foods such as brine shrimp and are prone to stress in an aquarium, which lowers the efficiency of their immune systems and makes them susceptible to disease.”

But despite this, the ex-ploitation of seahorses for international trade is very se-rious. Aside from China and Australia, countries that are involved in buying and sell-ing seahorses include Belize, Brazil, Ecuador, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emir-ates, the United States, and Vietnam.

The largest known im-porters are China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. In 1992 alone, China consumed roughly 20 tons of seahorses. Among the largest exporter is the Philippines, where about 70 percent of seahorses disap-peared as a result of massive fishing in the past 10 years.

Trade is not the only problem seahorses are fac-ing. They are also battling the gradual loss of their habitat. The seahorses are found in most coastal areas which have sea grass beds, mangroves, or coral reefs. Most of these habitats are destroyed through the pollu-tion of coastal waters, felling of mangrove forests, dredging and draining of sea grass beds and destruction of reefs by cyanide and dynamite fishing.

According to some stud-ies, the loss of the seahorses from their natural habitat could disrupt the delicately balanced ecosystem. The main meal for the seahorses is shrimp, which they after

gather as the swing by their tails from blades of seagrass-es. Despite their ability to change their color to match their surroundings, seahorses are often meals for penguins and crabs. Their bony exte-rior, however, discourages most fish. The other natural enemy of the seahorse is the weather. Often a storm may cast seahorses adrift and they die of exhaustion.

Dr. Vincent, who is con-sidered the foremost author-ity on international seahorse trafficking, reported the sea-horse population worldwide has likely plummeted 50 per-cent since the beginning of the 1990s.

“The threats are great to seahorses around the world,” deplored Dr. Vincent, who believedthe international sea-horse trade is worth US$40 million. “We need to put the brakes on how, before there’s a catastrophic collapse.”

No one knows how many seahorses exist in the wild, but more than 120 species names have been proposed for seahorses over the past 200 years, although many have turned out to be syn-onyms for the same species.

While nobody knows how many seahorses swim the world’s waters, they have been overfished, forcing the World Conservation Union to list 32 seahorse species as “threatened.” An estimated 20 million seahorses are taken from the wild each year, according to Project Seahorse.

Among the more popu-lated areas for seahorses are southern Australia and Tas-mania, China, and the Philip-pines. “Being archipelagic, the Philippines has one of the most diverse reef fish fauna in the world,” says Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, the former executive director of Philip-pine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Devel-opment. “As such, it provides a rich supply for the marine ornamental or aquarium fish trade including the seahorse which is among the most popular ornamental fishes.”

In the Philippines, sci-entists have found at least eight species of seahorses. In 2004, the ban on taking sea-horses was imposed in the country.

Seahorses galloping into oblivionBy Jims Vincent T. Capuno

Seahorses in aquarium

Seahorses

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012 THE ECONOMY 5EDGEDAVAOStat Watch

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2009 - December 2011)

Month 2011 2010 2009

Average 43.31 45.11 47.637December 43.64 43.95 46.421November 43.27 43.49 47.032October 43.45 43.44 46.851

September 43.02 44.31 48.139August 42.42 45.18 48.161

July 42.81 46.32 48.146June 43.37 46.30 47.905May 43.13 45.60 47.524April 43.24 44.63 48.217

March 43.52 45.74 48.458February 43.70 46.31 47.585January 44.17 46.03 47.207

3.5%4th Qtr 2011

3.7%4th Qtr 2011

USD 3,342Million

Nov 2011USD 4,985

MillionNov 2011

USD -1,643Million

Nov 2011USD -114

MillionDec 2011

P4,442,355Million

Nov 2011

4.71%Oct 2011P128,745

MillionNov 2011

P 4,898Billion

Oct 2011

P 43.65Dec 2011

3,999.7Sept 2011

128.1Jan 2012

3.9Jan 2012

3.4Dec 2011

284,040Sept 2011

19.1%Oct 2011

6.4%Oct 2011

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/Wed/Sat MI588 / MI588 18:55 Davao-Cebu-Singapore 13:35Cebu 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 Thu/Sun MI566 / MI566 18:55 Davao-Singapore 15:20Cebu 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

DISTRICT Metered Ar-eas (DMA) in DECA Homes and Emily

Homes in Cabantian will be established to better moni-tor leaks and reduce non-revenue water (NRW) in said places. These additions were inspired by the observed 12% decrease in NRW in the 14 ar-eas with DMA’s established in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

The most significant de-crease has been recorded in Green Meadows, Mintal where the first DMA was established in January of 2009. In three years time, water loss was reduced by 32% from 41% in 2009 and further down to 9% in 2011. More remarkable de-creases in NRW for 2010 and 2011 were observed in SPDA Subdivision and Wellspring Village 2 & 3 by 19% and in IWHA Road going to Green-land Subd. by 14% .

Other areas with existing DMA’s include: Sitio Felomina in Catalunan Grande; Mintal Relocation; Libby Road going to Carmelo Porras and Cato-tal subdivisions; Rosalina Vil-lage 3 in Dumoy; Lubogan go-ing to Dacoville Subd.; Dacu-dao, Malagos and Riverside in Calinan; and Royal Valley and Central Park subdivisions in Bangkal. All these areas also showed decrease in NRW af-ter establishment of DMA.

DMA is an active means of managing water loss in a par-ticular water system by divid-ing one water supply system into a series of smaller sub-

systems for which NRW is calculated individually. NRW is the water produced but is lost due to leaks, theft, or authorized usage for which no payment is made such as firefighting, flushing of mainline pipes and commu-nal faucets.

“As DCWD’s service con-nections grow annually, pre-venting water loss is also be-coming more of a challenge. However, by sectioning our big water supply systems into more manageable parts, and given the results of the already established DMA’s in the city, there is a big chance to bring down the NRW to 20% which is the standard set by the Local Water Utili-ties Administration for all water districts in the coun-try,” explained acting general manager Edwin V. Regalado.

He also said that aside from targeting NRW reduc-tion activities, the establish-ment of DMA could also iso-late water quality problems; improve and safeguard wa-ter quality; and better man-age overall system pressure to allow 24/7 water supply throughout the network.

“DMA is among the many strategies to manage NRW imparted by Ranhill Utili-ties Berhad of Malaysia with whom we had a twinning agreement. Hopefully, with these new systems, we will be able to bring down the 27% NRW in 2011 to 20% in 2012,” Engr. Regalado added.

AFTER generating over 600 GWh last year from its run-of-river hydro-

power plants in Benguet, Ilo-cos Sur, and Davao, Hedcor at-tests its high reliability when it comes to power generation.

“We are producing power efficiently and reliably for more than 30 years now,” Hedcor Vice President Boy Ja-bonillo said.

“Reliability for us means we deliver to our customers as promised. Making our plants reliable to produce power is a year-round responsibility,” Jabonillo added.

He pointed out three rea-sons why Hedcor hydropower

system is reliable. First, Hed-cor makes sure its plants are readily available to generate power.

Hedcor maintains its plant through constant monitor-ing of equipment and its an-nual preventive maintenance schedule for optimum perfor-mance throughout the year. In fact, the plants are averaging 98 percent reliable.

Second, Hedcor continues to build more run-of-river hy-dropower plants to address the growing demands of pow-er in the regions.

In Mindanao, there are five plants that Hedcor is cur-rently developing, which will

bring 55 MW of additional ca-pacity to Davao City, Davao del Sur and Bukidnon in 2014.

“We have a unique op-erational ability in which we can provide energy regularly to power our customers be-cause water is accessible in our area,” Jabonillo said.

Lastly, Hedcor intensifies its watershed management activities including reforesta-tion, river clean up and river-bank stabilization as the com-pany’s operations is highly dependent on available water.

“A healthy watershed en-sures us water will always be available,” he said.

Hedcor, the AboitizPower

wholly-owned subsidiary, is the largest developer of run-of-river hydropower systems with 19 generating plants in the country.

The five projects are un-der application with the De-partment of Energy as Re-newable Energy (RE) Projects under the Renewable Energy Act.

Once RE Contracts are is-sued, two of the five plants can start constructing while the three can progress to de-tailed design. Without the RE Contract, Hedcor cannot get the other permits to progress the project to construction. (HEDCOR/CLC/PIA)

Hedcor: We are producing reliable and efficient power

DCWD to curb water losses

A total value of US$1.064 billion in freight-on-board (FOB) was noted

for the total regional exports (TRE) of region 10, last year, higher by 14.85 percent compared to US$926.91 mil-lion in FOB in 2010.

FOB is the transport cost of the export commodities was paid for by the country of destination, Director Lin-da O. Boniao of the Depart-ment of Trade and Industry (DTI), region 10 said.

Boniao said on a per province performance, Misa-mis Oriental had the biggest contribution of US$541.40 million or 50.86 percent of the TRE, followed by Lanao del Norte with US$303.25 million or 28.49 percent.

Bukidnon came next with US$114.94 or 10.80 percent, Misamis Occidental with US$104.68 million or 9.83 percent and Camiguin with US$0.24 million or 0.02 per-cent.

In terms of growth of ex-ports, however, only three (3) of region 10’s five (5) provinces posted positive growths: Misamis Orien-tal, 9.86 percent, Lanao del Norte, 23.93 percent and Bukidnon, 97.46 percent.

But the exports of Misa-mis Occidental posted nega-tive or declined by 20.07 percent, and Camiguin by 4.0 percent.

Meanwhile, in terms of exports by sector, coco-nut-based products with a US$683.48 million in FOB value remained on top of the list of exports of the region, contributing a 64.21 percent share to the TRE, in 2011.

The rest of the exports by sector and their contri-

butions to the TRE were as follows: Processed foods, US$110.91 million or 10.42 percent, and sugar and sug-ar-cane products, US$75.10 million or 1,077.12 percent.

Other resource-based, US$ 59.27 million or 5.57 percent, industrial manufac-turing, US$44.82 million or 4.21 percent, wood-based products, US$30.29 million or 2.85 percent, and fresh fruits, US$22.9 million or 2.15 percent.

Rubber products, US$16.33 million or 1.53 per-cent, iron and steel, US$13.87 million or 1.30 percent, spe-cial transactions, US$2.66 million or 0.25 percent, and aquamarine products, US$2.3 million or 0.22 percent.

Mineral-based products, US$1.44 million or 0.14 per-cent, gifts, toys and house wares, US$0.95 million or 0.09 percent and consumer manufactures, US$0.19 mil-lion or 0.02 percent.

Processed products, from US$86.25 million to US$110.91 million or 28.59 percent, rubber products, from US$13.2 million to US$16.33 million or 23.71 percent, and coconut-based products, from US$630.26 million to US$683.48 million or 8.44 percent.

However, negative perfor-mances were noted on the following export commodi-ties: Mineral-based prod-ucts, from US$4.49 million to US$1.44 million or down by 67.93 percent, consumer manufactures, from US$0.5 million to US$0.19 million or down by 62 percent and iron and steel, from US$25.94 mil-lion to 13.87 million or down by 46.53 percent.

Region 10 posts 14% increase in FOB value of exports

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 20126 THE ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

SLEEK and silvery, be-loved because of its mild, sweet flesh, and

its melt-in the-mouth belly fat, bangus or milk fish is a favorite Filipino fish. Not only that, it is considered a national icon as it is part of the country’s national heritage. Today, bangus is making waves in other countries as well. “We export bangus to coun-tries where there are a lot of Filipinos and over-seas foreign workers like the Middle East and the United States,” reports Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, for-mer executive director of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Re-search and Development (PCAMRD).

The Philippines is one of the top bangus produc-ers in the world, along with Indonesia and Tai-wan. “Until recently, the country has contributed around 55 percent share of the world bangus pro-duction,” the PCAMRD claims.

“Bangus has always been the most impor-tant species cultured in the Philippines in terms of area and production,” admits Dr. Guerrero, who also popularized tilapia production and consump-tion in the country.

Bangus (scientific name: Chanos chanos) is most closely related to carps and catfishes. It oc-curs in the Indian Ocean and across the Pacific Ocean, tending to school around coasts and islands with reefs. A warm water species, it prefers water temperatures between 20-33 degrees Centigrade.

Bangus is one of the most studied fish in the world. Scientists have found that they spawn

only in fully saline water. Females spawn up to 7 million eggs, which hatch in about 24 hours. Spawn-ing and fertilization take place at night. The fre-quency of spawning per year is still unknown.

Eggs and larvae are pelagic up to two to three weeks. In nature, the lar-vae seek out clear coastal and estuarine waters warmer than 23°C with 10-32 parts per thousand salinity and abundant phytoplankton. Incubating eggs and newly hatched larvae are transported to the shore by currents where they are gathered by people in brackish wa-ters such as shallow sandy areas, mouths of rivers, and lagoons.

Older larvae migrate onshore and settle in coastal wetlands (man-groves, estuaries) during the juvenile stage, or oc-casionally enter freshwa-ter lakes. Under natural conditions, larvae and fry migrate to tidal pools and settle in them for one month until they become juveniles, then migrate into lagoons, lakes and shallow waters until they reach adolescence before returning to the sea for further grown and sexual maturation.

In the Philippines, ban-gus is one of the most-of-ten cultured fish. The top bangus producing prov-inces are Bulacan, Pangas-inan, Capiz, Iloilo, and Ne-gros Occidental. The most recent report released by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) show that the combined production of these five provinces alone accounts for more than 50 percent of the country’s total production.

For a very long time,

the Philippine aquacul-ture industry was virtually synonymous with bangus culture. The introduc-tion of marine cages has greatly expanded the range of culture systems under which bangus is now being produced: brackishwater ponds, fishpens in freshwa-ter lakes, fishpens in shal-low bays, lake-based cages whether fixed or floating, and sea-based cages. Per-haps no other aquaculture species has wider range of environment and culture systems under which it is being produced.

“The Philippines is still the biggest producer of bangus in the world from brackishwater fishponds and in sea cages,” says Dr. Guerrero. There is also a market for bangus outside the country. The Philip-pines exports bangus in different forms as smoked, dried, marinated, frozen and canned products. In 2005, the United States was the biggest market for Philippine bangus as it bought more than 43 per-cent of the total volume of bangus exports. The other destinations of ban-gus exports were United Kingdom, Guam, Australia, Canada, Korea, and Japan.

Historically, bangus fry abound in the country. In recent years, however, the number collected has been dwindling due to the destruction of natural habitats brought about by the extensive conversion of mangrove areas to fish-ponds, destructive fishing methods (like dynamite fishing) and environmen-tal degradation (deforesta-tion and siltation), among others.

Consequently, with the decrease in seed supply, the cost of fry and finger-

lings has increased signifi-cantly over the years. As a result, the Philippines has to import fry from Indone-sia and Taiwan since both have lower prices com-pared to those sold in the country, according to Dr. Guerrero.

Normally, bangus fry appears in different plac-es and various seasonal peaks. Areas like Southern Leyte, Western Samar, Bo-hol, Negros Oriental and Occidental, Antique, and Iloilo have two peak sea-sons: March to July and Oc-tober to November. Prov-inces like Cotabato and Zamboanga del Sur have fry available year-round.

Livelihood Options for Coastal Communities, pub-lished by the Silang-based International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, says peak gathering days occur during high tides after two or three days following a new moon or a full moon. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) or peak-spawning season of bangus starts in March to June and drops in August to September.

During the breed-ing season, the rising GSI value coincides with ris-ing seawater temperature. Spawning regularly occurs among five- to seven-year-old sabalo in the wild. Fer-tility is about 300,000 to one million eggs per kilo-gram weight of sabalo.

Several bangus fry col-lection methods are prac-ticed in the Philippines. This includes fry barriers or fences, seine nets and “bulldozer” nets.

The collected bangus fry are placed in well-ven-tilated containers, prefer-ably wooden vats or big earthen jars filled with clean brackishwater. The containers are kept on cool areas. Overexposure to sunlight is avoided or the fry die. Also, the fry must be brought to the conces-sionaires’ buying stations without delay.

The lack of fry is just one of the many problems that beset bangus produc-tion in the country. Dr. Guerrero cites two more: low productivity in ponds and high cost of feeds for culture in cages. In dealing with these three problems, the former PCAMRD head suggests: “These can be solved by putting up more hatcheries, stepping up extension services to farm-ers, and development of low-cost feeds.”

Bangus brings in high returnsBy Jims Vincent T. Capuno

ONCE again, Sultan Kudarat province’s Department of

Trade and Industry will gather micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) in Soccsksargen Region to help boost local enterprises.

This time though, pre-ferred participants to the SME Caravan 2012 at the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Gymnasium in Isulan town on April 25 to 26 are those who have existing enter-prises and are looking for means to improve their businesses.

Sultan Kudarat Trade & Industry Provincial Direc-tor Nelly Dillera said the SME Caravan 2012 aims to provide the local entrepre-neurs with first hand infor-mation on entrepreneur-ship – from improvement of product to capacitating entrepreneurs.

“This year’s SME Cara-van in Region 12 would help the growing number of entrepreneurs learn how to manage their busi-nesses, access funds, main-tain high level of product quality for food and en-hance their awareness on sensing the right and legiti-mate local and internation-al market opportunities,” Dillera said.

“There shall also be a topic on Tourism Product Identification and Devel-opment to aid the tourism officers and even landown-ers in identifying potential area for tourism develop-ment.”

Among the resource persons invited for the breakout sessions include Roberto Castañeda and Eu-clid Cezar.

Castañeda, who will share his knowledge on de-veloping an entrepreneur-ial mindset and surviving pitfalls of small businesses, is the founder of the Don Roberto’s Winery, pro-ducer of the world’s first mango wine. Besides, its green mango and sweet mango wines, his company also produces brewed cof-fee wine.

Cezar, a professor of

San Beda College – Manila, is a well-known business coach and host of “Super Entrepinoy” program. He is the owner of Ink More which sells ready-to-use ink cartridges.

“We want to bench-mark what these entrepre-neurs have done to be able to inspire our ‘kababayans’ to aspire to attain what these entrepreneurs have achieved,” Dillera said in an interview with a local radio station.

Other resource persons include Engr. Menandro Ortego, OIC Testing and Inspection Division of the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC), who will discuss food safety assur-ance system; and Dennis Monong, assistant vice president for Mindanao operations of People’s Credit and Finance Cor-poration (PCFC) who will teach MSMEs how to find best financing for their businesses.

Side events such as trade fair of Region 12’s best products, market matching, product evalua-tion, design exhibit, online business name registra-tion, and plant visit and assessment for the acquisi-tion of Food and Drug Li-cense to Operate.

Dillera said preferred participants are entrepre-neurs involved in the re-gion’s priority industries like processors of coffee, muscovado, banana, coco-nut, bangus/fishery, crafts, bamboo, pangasius, rub-ber, palm oil, mango, ICT-BPO.

Dillera reported that number of new businesses in Sultan Kudarat has in-creased 84 percent, from 959 newly registered busi-nesses in 2010 to 1,770 in 2011. Last year, 121 new entrepreneurs were cre-ated, which is 74 percent higher than the 107 new entrepreneurs in 2010.

This is a two-day ac-tivity for free but reserva-tions must be made for pre-screening. Contact the nearest DTI office for de-tails and reservations.

DTI 12 SME caravan reaches Sultan Kudarat

BANGUS

ENTERPRISES may now enjoy the extended zero percent duty on any

importation of capital equip-ment, spare parts and acces-sories by Board of Investment (BOI) - registered new and ex-panding enterprises located within the economic zones and freeports for five more years.

This is after President Aquino signed Executive Or-der No. 70 last March 29 fol-lowing the expiry of the five-year effectivity of EO 528 that imposed zero duty on such equipment back in 2006.

Importation of capital equipment was reported to be one of the major cost bur-dens of micro, small and me-dium enterprises (MSMEs) in their start-up operations.

In EO 70, the zero per-cent duty is granted provided importations of machinery, equipment, spare parts and accessories shall not be used to manufacture domestically in sufficient quantity, of com-parable quality and at reason-able prices. The policy also re-quires that such importations should be reasonably needed and will be used exclusively by the enterprise in its reg-istered activity, unless prior approval of the BOI is secured.

The order further read that “allowing the zero per-cent duty importation will make the country more competitive in attracting in-vestments in the face of an in-creasingly competitive Asian market for foreign direct in-vestments.”

Zero-duty on capital imports extended for five years

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012 7PROPERTYEDGEDAVAO

WHILE Camella Tagum’s develop-ment continues

its steadfast pace, it is al-ready making plans to wel-come summer with fun ac-tivities for homebuyers and homeowners.

With almost a quarter of its land development com-pleted, this Italian-Mediter-ranean themed subdivision will open its gates to host games that allow families to bond, such as Frisbee and kite-flying on its vast grounds.

“Summer is here and we want our homeowners and homebuyers to experi-ence summer fun in their future Camella home,” said Shielamae Lara, Camella Tagum Marketing Head.

Lara added that their homeowners will not have to wait too long for their new homes, as house con-struction will soon start in June.

“Had it not been for the rains, we would have started building earlier. But at least 14 homes are set to rise in June, to reach 90 homes within the year,” Lara said.

Parallel to building the houses is the construction of the perimeter fence that starts this quarter. Also in the pipeline is a well-ap-

pointed clubhouse where homeowners can hold spe-cial occasions and events, featuring a good sized swimming pool that can be enjoyed anytime of the year.

For the little ones, a chil-dren’s playground will give them the space and facility for playtime, while those into sports can play ball at the multi-purpose courts.

Homeowners can walk and take in the natural am-biance of the subdivision’s sculpted lawns, tree-line avenues, and pocket parks, or huff it along the jogging paths for exercise.

A grand entrance gate will welcome residents into the community that will be kept secure 24/7 by secu-rity guards. For those who wish to just hop on from their houses and hop off to their destination within the city, a shuttle service will be available for the conve-nience of the residents.

Like with all Camella communities, Camella Tagum shall enjoy the privi-lege of being managed by a professional property management group, en-suring the subdivision will be properly managed and maintained to allow home-owners to fully live the good life, and keep their property value on the rise.

Camella Tagum welcomes summer amidst development

Camella Tagum wel-comes all inquiries at Unit 12 Gaisano Grand Arcade, Lapu-Lapu Extension, Apokon Road in Tagum City, with contact num-bers 09175639617 and 09237399671.

THE Social Security System (SSS) has cut down its interest

rates and raised the maxi-mum amount of its hous-ing loans to help members gain wider access to decent shelter at affordable terms, a top official said.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emilio de Quiros, Jr. said members can now borrow up to P2 million, which is double the amount offered in the past, while annual interest rates were reduced by as much as five percent.

“The revised guidelines aim to align SSS housing loan programs to current industry practices. Our longer payment terms and fixed interest rates also make SSS loans competi-

tive to lending facilities of-fered by other institutions such as banks,” he said.

The new interest rates for individual members are pegged at eight per-cent per annum for loan grants of up to P400,000; nine percent for up to P1 million; ten percent for up to P1.5 million; and 11 percent for up to P2 million. Interest rates are fixed for a period of 15 years.

Employees, self-em-ployed individuals and overseas Filipino workers with at least 36 contribu-tions, including 24 months of continuous payment of premiums, and have no re-tirement or total disability claims can borrow. They and their spouse must

have no delinquent SSS loans.

“We also increased the P300,000 limit on House Repair and Improvement loans to P1 million. Among those who will benefit are members whose homes were damaged by natural calamities and families who want to expand or renovate their house,» de Quiros said.

SSS lowered its 14 percent interest rate to 11 percent for entrepre-neurs and developers of subdivisions, condomini-ums and other residential properties. To be eligible, employers must have cur-rent contribution and loan payments and a record of profitability for the last three years.

SSS cuts down on loan interest rates

SOME 50 masons in the province have con-structed a two-class-

room building at Magsay-say National High School- Annex in Brgy. Magsaysay, Nabunturan as part of their 10-day production train-ing.

The training, facilitated by the provincial govern-ment and partner-spon-soring agencies, was done April 10-19 this year.

The school construc-tion is a project under the Kalinga sa Kabataan, Baya-nihan sa Paaralan, a pro-gram initiated by Governor Arturo T. Uy in support to the Department of Educa-tion (DepEd).

Included in the train-

ing was a three-day per-formance assessment be-fore the trainees received their respective National Certificates (level II & III) from Technical Education & Skills Development Au-thority (TESDA) during the graduation.

Half of the participants took the assessment NC II and the other half for the NC III.

The training was jointly sponsored by the Associa-tion of Construction & In-formal Workers (ACIW), TESDA, PGO, HOLCIM Philippines, municipal and barangay LGUs, and the DepEd.

The trainees were each provided with ten sacks of

cement, working equip-ment and tools, safety shoes, and hard hots cour-tesy of HOLCIM.

With his advocacy and commitment to produce more skilled Comvalenyos, Gov. Uy is fully supporting the conduct of different skills training programs in partnership with other agencies.

Bob Mirasol, the Pro-vincial Community Train-ing & Employment coor-dinator, said these masons who started from NC I level of eligibility and under-went series of skills train-ing are currently employed at the provincial govern-ment and the local govern-ment units.

Masons put their skills to test

• Turn off lights and appliances when not in use.

• Actively manage in-door temperatures by open-ing and closing windows and window coverings (e.g., open windows to take advantage of cool evening breezes, close blinds or curtains against di-rect sunlight in the summer to reduce heat gain, open blinds or curtains to capture heat gain from sunlight dur-ing the winter, close blinds or curtains in the winter to

reduce heat loss).• Ensure heating

registers and vents are not blocked by furniture or win-dow coverings.

• Use cold water in your clothes washing machines and run only full loads.

• Use a clothesline.• Use the “air dry”

cycle on your dishwasher and run only full loads.

• Clean refrigerator coils and seals and defrost

freezer units. Set the refrig-erator temperature to 35°F and the freezer temperature to 0°F.

• Reduce the use of heat-producing appliances (e.g., ovens, ranges, clothes dryers) on hot days.

• Unplug or get rid of spare refrigerators and freezers, particularly if they are not ENERGY STAR appli-ances.

• Use the stairs in-stead of an elevator.

10 ways you can cut down your energy cost

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 20128 VANTAGE POINTS

OUR national government must stand fast in its standoff with China on the issue of who owns Scarborough

Shoal.The Shoal is much, much nearer to the

Philippines -- 220 kilometers from Zam-bales – than it is to the nearest coast of Chi-na, Hainan (840 kilometers).

If China insists it owns Scarborough Shoal, why does the Chinese government refuse to submit the problem for arbitration before the United Nations-backed Interna-tional Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (Itlos) to which it is a signatory?

Instead, China prefers to thresh out the is-sue one-on-one with the Philippines to the exclusion of other claimants to portions of the Spratlys. In a face-to-face confrontation, neither side is expected to give in. Not the Philippines, which has a historical and legal ground to back up its claim to the Shoal.

If it is true that China had suggested that the two countries instead embark on a joint exploration and exploitation of the area in

dispute, is that not a sign of weakness of its claim? Why would China settle for such a joint enterprise if it truly believes it owns the Shoal and can prove it before the Inter-national Tribunal on the Law of the Sea?

Furthermore, the fact that China has sent armed ships to the area is an act of ha-rassment by a big military power boasting of an army of two million men currently under arms along with a fast-growing na-val might, a sure sign that China’s claim to Scarborough Shoal has no leg to stand on, but its military posturing might do the trick—scare tiny Philippines (population 94 million) into surrendering its claim on the Shoal to China (population over a bil-lion).

It has been said that the Spratlys could eventually be the flashpoint of World War III unless the United Nations nip the prob-lem in the bud by stepping into the dispute sooner than later. But for now, the Philip-pines must not show any sign of weakness, but stand fast in the standoff with China.

Scarborough standoff:Scare tactics by China

EDITORIAL

EDGEDAVAOProviding solutions to a seamless global village.

ANTONIO M. AJEROEditor in Chief

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LORIE ANN A. CASCARO • JADE C. ZALDIVAR • MOSES C. BILLACURAStaff Writers

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EDGEDAVAO

The business of being physically fit

CA N D I D SHOTS – If people make

no effort to under-stand the policies and decisions of the government, do not have an in-telligent position, and do not make their positions known, they ob-viously surrender all the power to those who really appreciate it.

You can be sure that official decisions and policies being made will be rarely dam-aging to those who make them or to the peo-ple they represent. I firmly believe this can be considered an appropriate statement of what our mission as members of the Fourth Estate is all about.

oooOoooEXPRESSIVE BUSINESS ATTITUDE

– Over the years, health concerns meant a thing to many people. However, a lot of people nowadays still indulge in fat-loaded food, excessive drinking and smoking. The result? They become bloated-stuff – gain extra weight and unbearable amount of fat.

Sometimes things get even serious. People with “unhealthy lifestyle” start to see health patterns that they don’t want to see when they’re still alive – stage of obesity. The object of the prevailing situation, to the extent that it has one critical problem, is to start a serious diet and fitness routine.

A lot of innovative entrepreneurs many years back discovered a new way to entice the “unhealthy lifestyle” crowd. At the time, the idea was not readily apparent to many people, particularly those with health and weight problems. Despite the odds, they opened fitness gyms and physical condition-ing facilities to cater to the growing number of people with unhealthy lifestyles.

And why shouldn’t they? Fitness cen-ters and physical training amenities might be exactly what they need: a virtual outfit where they can squeeze out their sweaty and fatty domain though proper physical conditioning. As a result, the fitness and physical training business proliferated fast, far and wide.

Expectedly, it earned big income for the health-minded capitalists. Their investment and efforts have paid off. Today, the profit-able business reigns as one of the best ways to prevent obesity and other illnesses, such as heart problems, diabetes and hyperten-sion. Not a few have done so successfully in venturing into this kind of business en-deavor. And because of the trend, Davao City has become a host to hundreds of fitness and physical conditioning clubs.

For many people, Dabawenyos in par-ticular, learning to lead a happy and healthy lifestyle hasn’t been easy. But they’re trying hard – spending more time riding their bicy-cles, playing basketball or volleyball, engag-ing in extreme sports, but most importantly doing weightlifting, the treadmill, skipping rope, push-ups, bending and other forms of physical exercise being offered by their nearest fitness center. So far, it’s quite effec-tive and working according to some of my friends who like me are kind of supportive health buffs.

Nevertheless, medical experts warn that if some people can’t keep their weight under control, they’d likely end up doing the regimens of re-activating strict diet and los-ing weight control program. Remember that activities inside a fitness club don’t instantly register as a“ healthy regimen” – in fact, at first blush it sounds suspiciously similar to “forced labor.”

The fitness and physical conditioning business lies in exactly what should have made it a successful enterprise. To a greater extent than the original purpose, fitness clubs actually have built-in group activities to encourage health-conscious people to get together and socialize. A health buff’s ac-tivities won’t be complete if it’s not working, sweating out and hanging out with fellow health enthusiasts.

The physical conditioning trend has become an expressive attitude of entrepre-neurs which they can use in setting up a suc-cessful business like coffeeshop, electronic accessories outlet or a sport pub. Logically, if people, health enthusiasts in particular, like your business, you’ll make more money and more friends.

As fitness clubs and physical training facilities get bigger and more modern, top-of-the-line and sophisticated equipment readily available, it will be interesting to see the “unhealthy lifestyle” crowd double if not triple in number, and entrepreneurs should likewise come up with something new – pour in huge capital outlay and let the fit-ness and physical training business grow by knowing exactly what the clients want.

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012 9VANTAGE POINTS

Monkey Business

EDGEDAVAO

No big fuss

Ceboom, Ceboom!

The lost chamber Ma n n y P a c -quiao

watchers are puzzled over the early de-parture of c o n d i t i o n i n g coach Alex Ariza from the c h a m p i o n ’ s Baguio camp.

There is no cause for alarm, how-ever, as the coach and student will again hook up in the US when Pac-quiao wraps up his Baguio leg of training and flies to the US in the first or second week of May.

Baguio has become the second training home for the eight-division world boxing champion. It is where he builds up his stamina by running the high altitude and through thin air. Besides, there is nothing in what Ariza has been doing that cannot be done by Pacquiao’s Filipino trainers.

In addition, I personally saw how the Bible-quoting champion looked very trim and already fit after just a week of hitting the gym in Gener-al Santos City (more on this chance encounter later). Pacquiao probably weighed no more than 154 pounds two days before he left for Manila en route to his Baguio camp.

Ariza of course has always been very vocal about Pacquiao’s penchant at throwing a monkey’s wrench on the conditioning regimen he has been preparing for the boxing champion by allowing so many distractions.

The recent presidential snub, no matter how Pacquiao downplayed it, will be more than just an annoy-ing episode. But Manny being Manny could also be fired up by it. Pac-quiao has mastered the art of rein-ing over the organized chaos around him, some even caused by him. He thrives under pressure and cherishes the underdog image. No, Pacquiao is not the underdog against American Timothy Bradley. He is heavily fa-vored to defend his World Boxing Or-ganization welterweight title – per-haps by an early knockout.

He is up against the tenant at the Presidential Palace as a budding poli-tician. And it is still a long way be-fore 2016, when Pacquiao could try his political fortunes in a national-ly-elected position. But next year’s mid-term election could be another curtain raiser for his second day job because, like it nor not, Manny still spends more of his working time in boxing rather than in Philippine Con-gress where he is a member of the House of Representatives.

Now back at that Waterfront Insu-lar Hotel episode in Davao City where Pacquiao and I stood side by side in-side the rest room. It was purely an unexpected incident.

As many have already known it, Pacquiao said he filed a libel com-plaint against me for that story about his friend who was placed under surveillance for the latter’s alleged involvement in carjacking activities.

His libel complaint was reported all over the paper and available mass media.

Up to this writing, however, I have not received a copy of his complaint although a member of the city pros-ecution team confirmed that it in-deed had been filed. Why it was not served to me, I honestly do not know.

So when we two almost liter-ally ‘bumped into each other’ one would expect high drama. Instead, we greeted each other as if nothing ever happened. More than anything else, Pacquiao did not expect to see me 147 kilometers away from our homes. His initial reaction upon see-ing me was at first a brief disbelief. By my own reckoning, it was not after almost three seconds when he slowly grinned and greeted me, “O, naa man diay ang akong amigo dire.” (To the non-Visayan, pardon me but I will not provide you a translation)

After saying he is leaving for Ba-guio the following Monday in reply to my question, he went out of the rest room just the way we were before the libel complaint. We were never re-ally close. We are not enemies either. Being a continuing subject, I always maintained a safe distance from him.

Sorry for those who expected the unexpected from our brief exchange of cordial and civil greetings, if you will call them as such. Like you, me and Manny obviously wanted to ex-change ideas under different circum-stances. Bitin, ano? [MindaNews]

I love Cebu. I love its paro-chial charm,

its religious fer-vor, and its cul-tural gradeur.

The first time I laid eyes on Cebu, I was par-ticularly attract-ed and greatly amused, by the quaint, short, narrow thoroughfares. But I found its main avenue – Jones St. – imperial, which may be likened to the grand street of Paris minus the Arc de Triomphe.

Of course, I was moved by the cen-turies-old Cross of Magellan Shrine, Cebu’s major religious attraction and historical pride.

Then there is Colon St., Cebu’s eternal landmark. It is t Cebu what Es-colta is to Manila, or Kennon Road is to Baguio.

Cebu may no longer be the parochi-al city of yesteryears, but it still retains its baroque character emphasized by the spectacular Sinulog festival which to Cebuanos is the greatest show on earth.

But more than being the cradle of Christianity in the country, and a cul-tural jewel, Cebu is an economic rev-elation, nay, a miracle engineered by its homegrown captains of industry and powered by visionary politi-cal leaders who think of Cebu be-yond today.

Today, Cebu is a wonderland, a magical city of endless marvel and engaging charm – highly urbanized, thor-oughly modern, s o p h i s t i c a t e d and very metro-politan.

All the signs of authentic prog-ress are evident everywhere – tower-ing condominiums, majestic edifices, luxuries residential communities that offer grand resort, leisure-style ameni-ties, five star hotels, plush restaurants, high-end malls, world –class BPO com-panies, busy international airport,

great infrastructure, and every con-ceivable high-tech living facilities.

You want the good and the high life, la dulce vita? Cebu has it all – haute dining, world-class entertainment,

comfortable living, unlimited recre-ation, shopping ga-lore, the works.

Cebuanos are u n e q u i v o c a l l y proud of their city. They sing praises to its glorious past; they marvel at its dynamic present; and they exude un-restraint optimism at its robust future.

They feel so great that they even

coined a new world to dramatize such pride – Ceboom, which connotes a booming economy and improved stan-dard of living.

So, all together now…one, two, three… Ceboom, Ceboom, tralalalalala-lalalalala Ceboom!

‘Cebuanos are unequivocally proud of their city. They sing

praises to its glorious past; they marvel at its dynamic

present; and they exude unrestraint optimism at its

robust future.’

NO B O D Y can say with fi-

nality if the Fili-pino voters in the pre-Martial Law years were any better than the voters today. However, since elections in this country then and now have had taken place under similar social conditions, there may be discernible patterns in how they would behave.

For example, a tenant would find it convenient to vote for a candidate who happens to be his landlord even if he thinks that the opponent is more qualified. These are constants im-posed by economic and power rela-tions, realities that make so-called voter education campaigns virtually useless among people enslaved by this situation.

But in the past the voters were at least discerning in choosing members to the Senate. Ask your grandparents, and they would say they have missed the likes of Senators Lorenzo Tanada, Jose Diokno, Claro M. Recto, Benigno Aquino Jr. and Jovito Salonga. Not only were they eloquent, they served as ef-fective counterforce to the machina-tions of whoever sat in the Palace.

Those were the times that the chief executive would shudder at the mere thought of being put un-der the prying eyes and unrestrained yet brilliant criticisms of senators cum orators. The Senate did live up its name as a guardian of national in-terest, and was served by people who knew the nature of their task and pos-sessed the intelligence, skills and in-tegrity to do it.

Recto would have become a great president. But the Catholic church launched a smear campaign against him, reportedly going to the extent of distributing condoms that bore his name. Of course, the closest to Mala-canang was Aquino Jr. but Martial Law cut short his march to the Palace.

During the first senatorial election after the 1986 Edsa uprising that top-pled Marcos a few political luminaries managed to win. Names like Salonga as well as newcomer Wigberto Tana-da, son of Lorenzo Tanada who was as erudite and independent-minded as his father as a lawmaker, gave some glimmer of hope to a Senate that was about to fall into ignominy.

Salonga and Tanada are assured of a place in history for leading the Sen-ate into rejecting the renewal of the Military Bases Agreement. The defeat of the MBA proved to be the Senate’s finest moment, although that episode has been eclipsed by the Visiting Forc-es Agreement that allows US troops to return to the country in the guise of training and humanitarian interven-tion.

The Senate has since relapsed into decadence as an institution with the entry of members who presume that the chamber is an extension of the silver screen or the hard court. We did have a popular cager who simply warmed the political equiva-lent of a bench. We reelected actors who badly need a script whenever – and if ever – they take the floor.

Mediocrity borne by misplaced am-bitions continues to plague the Senate like an ancient curse. And somebody thinks he can exorcise the malevolent spirits inside it with Biblical verses quoted at random. [MindaNews/H. Marcos C. Mordeno writes mainly on the environment, human rights and politics. He can be reached at hmcmor-deno@gmail.com]

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 201210 SUBURBIA EDGEDAVAO

MOST schools in the country to-day are on an

official hiatus: school children and teachers go on summer break, leav-ing the halls and cor-ridors of schools silent and empty.

But for the team of Tagum City Mayor Rey T. Uy, this is just a per-fect time to boost his “Care for School Chairs” Program thereby giv-ing far-flung schools in Davao Region “new tools of hope” long be-fore classes officially open in June.

As large volumes of confiscated logs arrive in Tagum City’s Motor-pool in Tipaz, Baran-

gay East every now and then, the local chief ex-ecutive is also busy go-ing to schools to distrib-ute new school chairs fabricated by the Local Government of Tagum thru the initiatives of Mayor Uy.

On April 17, 2012, his team went to the Municipality of New Corella where chairs are indeed badly needed. Dark classrooms now come alive in El Salva-dor Elementary School and Patrocenio Elemen-tary School with their 60 pieces of yellow arm-chairs, respectively. Sta. Fe Elementary School received 90 armchairs while 50 pieces of the

same were also given to its annex high school.

In Municipality of Maco, Province of Com-postela Valley, two schools benefited in the distribution of chairs last April 18, 2012. They are, Concepcion Elementary School re-ceived 130 armchairs and 50 kiddie chairs, 25 of which will be given to the Barangay Day Center. Dumlan El-ementary School also received 130 pieces of armchairs, 30 kiddie chairs for the school’s kindergarten class and 10 for the barangay day care center.

Requests from school’s authorities

come at a little ex-pense, with Mayor Uy only a text away. It usu-ally takes two to three weeks for the chairs fabricated from confis-cated logs to be deliv-ered personally by the local chief executive.

To date, a total of 36,512 school furni-ture (armchairs, desks, kiddie chairs, teacher tables, computer and working table), were already distributed by LGU Tagum to differ-ent schools as part of Tagum’s ‘Social Respon-sibility’ to its neighbor-ing Cities and Munici-palities in Davao Region since August 2011. [LOUIE

LAPAT OF CIO TAGUM]

Maco, New Corella schools get new chairs as RTU boosts ‘Care for School Chairs Program’

ELEMENTARY STUDENTS CARRYING CHAIRS - Students of El Salvador Elementary in New Corella, Davao del Norte are seen here carrying new chairs (which they received 60 pieces of yellow armchairs) given by the Local Government of Tagum (thru the initiatives of Mayor Rey T. Uy) for free last April 17, 2012. These chairs are fabricated by the Tagum through the Care for School Chairs Program.

Local folks helped in carrying new school chairs fabri-cated by the local government of Tagum. A total of 60 pieces of yellow armchairs were given by the Local Gov-ernment of Tagum (thru the initiatives of Mayor Rey T.

Uy) for free last April 17, 2012 to El Salvador Elementary School in New Corella, Davao del Norte. These chairs are fabricated by the Tagum through the Care for School Chairs Program.

Local officials in Patrocenio Elementary School in New Corella, Davao del Norte pose with City of Tagum Mayor Rey T. Uy upon the distribution of 60 armchairs to their

school last April 17, 2012 courtesy of the Local Govern-ment of Tagum’s “Care for School Chairs Program,” which is a brainchild project of Mayor Uy.

A total of 90 pieces of armchairs were given for free last April 17, 2012 to Sta. Fe Elementary School in New

Corella, Davao del Norte. These chairs are fabricated by the Tagum through the Care for School Chairs Program.

Workers arrange the 50 pieces of armchairs which will be given to Sta. Fe High School in New Corella, Davao del Norte. . These chairs are fabricated by the Tagum through the Care for School Chairs Program.

Local officials in Maco, Compostela Valley help in facilitating the distribution of 180 school furniture to Concepcion Elementary in Maco, Compostela Valley last April 18, 2012.

Kids also take part in carrying kiddie chairs in Concepcion Elementary School in Maco, Compostela Valley last April 18, 2012.

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012 11COMMUNITY SENSEEDGEDAVAO

     

   

 

 

For  Inquiries:  Please  Call   :   PRYCE  CORPORATION  c/o  SONNY  MOLE  Contact  No.   :   0922-­‐879-­‐0036  /  (082)  224-­‐2686  Email  ADD   :   sonitomole1223@yahoo.com  

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Davao  City  17,940   P2,500  

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41,408   P800  

Indangan,  Davao  City  

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27,411   P1,000  

LOCATION   AREA  (sq.m.)   PRICE/sq.m.  Villa  Josefina  Resort  Village,  Dumoy  Toril,  Davao  City  

Minimum  of  240  sq.m.  

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LOCATION   Lot  Area   Flr.  Area   PRICE  Blk.  4,  Lot  10    

Villa  Josefina  Resort  Village  Dumoy,  Toril,  Davao  City  

240  sq.m.   177.31  sq.m   P4.8  M  

Philippine Ports Authority Port Management Of-

fice (PPA PMO) - Davao marked its coral anniver-sary on April 1, 2012, cel-ebrating more than three decades of sustained public service.

“We are very blessed to have reached this far in terms of years of ex-perience in our role as port administrator, regu-lator and an enabler of maritime businesses related to trade, trans-port and tourism,” PPA PMO-Davao and Concur-rent Port Manager Atty. Christian V. Santillan ex-pressed.

Series of activities kicked off in a bloodlet-ting ceremony which was facilitated by the Philip-pine National Red Cross (PRC) – Davao City Chap-ter on March 31, three days before the actual date. Such was partici-pated in by employees, dock workers and other willing donors.

PMO-Davao has been an active supporter of the PNRC as part of its corpo-rate social responsibility projects and advocacies for maintaining healthy lifestyle in the port com-munities for three de-cades now.

March 31 likewise coincided with the berth-ing of MV Danae, a luxury cruise liner which sailed from Marseille, France for a four-month tour around the world.

Said cruise ship brought 371 passengers (both crew and visitors) which all hailed from countries in the Euro-pean Union. About 90 percent of the guests on board have been accom-

panied by local tourism operators aboard buses and coaches for sightsee-ing and shopping around Davao City.

PPA PMO-Davao se-lected officers and staff took the limited window to go onboard and greet the foreign visitors and explore the vessel’s sev-en-story deck features. The visit is the first of its kind in Davao City.

Since April 1 fell on a Sunday, official celebra-tion was moved to the day after, April 2 (Monday), giving way for employees and guests to join in vari-ous sports events and programs prepared for by the office and enjoy the day-long observance on a semi-holiday mode.

On April 2, events slated in the morning were Flag Raising and Pinoy Games played be-tween teams divided by color followed by the Awarding of Winners and a simple Lunch Treat for the employees and invit-ed guest-judges.

To cap the milestone year, a 70s retro-inspired party was held on the evening of April 2 which featured the following: Rigodon de Honor (danc-ing in pairs), Citations for Top 10 Performers, Loy-alty and Special Awards for PMO-Davao Pioneers and Retirees, the Retro Look Award which was won by Administrative Services Chief Ms. Nativi-dad P. Amorillo who came in a psychedelic muumuu paired with trademark gypsy headband and the Ceremonial Toast by the youngest employee, Mi-chael A. Esquivel.

The program com-mittee also prepared and

played a special Music Television (MTV) presen-tation of the song “Sala-mat”, an Original Pilipino Music (OPM) by The Dawn Band laden with wacky video footages with banners/greetings for the 35th anniversary of the PMO workers as well as that of the Termi-nal Management Office – Mati staff.

This year’s anniver-sary theme, “Maunlad na Pantalan, Maunlad na Bayan, Noon, Ngayon, Magpakailanman Tungo sa Ikabubuti ng Sambay-anan” (Progressive Ports, Progressive Community, Then, Now and Beyond Towards the Betterment of the Country) is aptly mounted as PPA shift-ed its corporate vision which was earlier pegged on the year 2010 and bent on meeting interna-tional standards in port facilities and services.

PPA’s new vision now reads, “By 2030, customers doing busi-ness in our ports shall experience full and sus-tained productivity, ef-ficiency, comfort, con-nectivity, safety and se-curity.”

In his closing speech, Santillan con-veyed grateful recogni-tion to the God Almighty along with the PPA pio-neers who are also his contemporaries when PPA started in 1975 and the current manpower complement of 70 warm bodies for being vital contributors in carv-ing a corporate history imbued with courage, vision and professional-ism, especially in making the Port of Davao a lead-ing international hub.

Davao Port ticks off 35th

Davao Port Hosts (L) Bloodletting, Gives Special Performance Awards (C) and Honors Pioneers (R) on 35th Year -30-

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 201212 NATION/WORLD EDGEDAVAO

NATION BRIEFS WORLD TODAYInfidelity

A House of Representa-tives committee has approved a bill that

would impose stiff penal-ties on married citizens en-gaging in sexual intercourse with an individual other than his or her legal spouse.

The House Commit-tee on Women and Gender Equality has endorsed for plenary action on House Bill 5734 which also elimi-nates gender bias in laws penalizing the crimes of adultery and concubinage.

New species

FOUR new species of freshwater crab, bright purple in co-

lour, have been discovered in the biologically diverse but ecologically-threatened Philippines, the man who found them said Saturday.

The tiny crustaceans burrow under boulders and roots in streams, feeding on dead plants, fruits, carrion and small animals in the water at night, said Hendrik Freitag of Germany’s Senck-enberg Museum of Zoology.

Charges

INVESTIGATORS of the Office of the Ombuds-man have recommend-

ed the filing of criminal charges against Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco Jr. and sev-eral former and incumbent officials of the Technical Education and Skills Devel-opment Authority (TESDA).

The Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office (FIO) made the recommenda-tion. The charges stemmed from alleged financial ir-regularities involving Syju-co when he was TESDA director general during the Arroyo administration.

Cyber attacks

WHILE it main-tained the gov-ernment will con-

tinue to pursue the diplo-matic track on the matter, Malacañang called Sunday for an end to cyber-attacks on Philippine and Chinese websites stemming from the ongoing standoff in the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said cyber-attacks that seek to heighten tension will not help resolve the is-sue. “It will not (bode) well for anyone from both sides to increase tension on the issue,” she said on govern-ment-run dzRB radio.

Disapproved

THE founder of the Maoist party in the Philippines disap-

proves of what he calls Chi-na’s imperialist and capi-talist designs in the West Philippine Sea including the Panatag Shoal, where Chinese poachers trig-gered a standoff between Philippine and Chinese au-thorities.

Jose Maria Sison, found-er of the Communist Party of the Philippines, said China’s historical claims over what it calls the South China Sea amount to an ab-surdity, “as this would be like Italy claiming ... all ar-eas previously occupied by the Roman Empire.”

Probe

BAHRAIN said Mon-day it is probing a deported British TV

crew’s allegations their driver was assaulted as the journalists covered protests surrounding the kingdom’s Formula One race at the weekend.

In a message posted on micro-blogging website Twitter, the interior min-istry said: “investigation launched into allegations by deportedUK journal-ists about attack on driv-er”.

Dispute

MYANMAR’S parlia-ment convened without Aung San

Suu Kyi and newly-elected members of her party on Monday, according to an AFP photographer, amid a dispute over the swearing-in oath.

Suu Kyi has vowed not to swear to protect a constitution created by the former junta, in the first sign of tension with the government since a landmark by-election this month saw the democracy icon win a parliamentary seat.

Cancer

VE N E Z U E L A N President Hugo Chavez has been

keeping an atypically low profile as he under-goes cancer treatment in Cuba, prompting his min-isters to speak out to quell rumors his health had worsened.

Since arriving in Ha-vana last week for a final round of radiation thera-py, the 57-year-old Chavez -- usually onmipresent in state media -- has only communicated via Twitter and written statements, with no TV appearances.

Contender

FEW men could be more different than Nicolas Sarkozy and

Francois Hollande, the So-cialist who on Sunday beat the French leader in the first round of their presi-dential battle.

Bespectacled and mild-mannered, Hollande vowed to be a consensus-builder, a “normal presi-dent” in contrast to the hy-peractive and aggressive Sarkozy, who he will now face in a May 6 run-off for the top job in France.

Defended

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard Monday de-fended her appoint-

ment ofPeter Slipper as Australia’s speaker as court documents alleged he used his position to pursue sexual relations with male employees.

The married Slip-per, 62, stood aside from his role on Sunday after claims he harassed former aide James Ashby, 33, with explicit text messages, unwanted advances and inappropriate comments between January and March this year.

A senior US com-mander in the Pa-cific reaffirmed

the United States’ mutual defense treaty with the Philippines Sunday amid increased tensions be-tween the archipelago and China.

In the strongest com-ments yet from an Ameri-can official on the South China Sea dispute, Com-mander of the US Ma-rines in the Pacific Lieu-tenant General Duane Thiessen said the Philip-pines and US were bound by a military agreement.

“The United States and the Philippines have a mutual defense treaty which guarantees that we get involved in each other’s defense and that is self explanatory,” he told reporters in Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan.

Thiessen was re-sponding to a question about whether the US would provide assis-tance if Chinese armed forces attacked Philip-pine units over conflicting claims to the Scarborough Shoal which have flared up in recent weeks.

The US commander did not elaborate on what kind of assistance would be provided.

He also stressed that US-Philippine military exercises that began last week were not directed at China and not linked to territorial tensions.

“There is no direct

REAFFIRMED. US Marine Lieutenant General Duane Theissen (L), commanding general marine forces pa-cific speaks during a press conference at a military base in Puerto Princesa, Palawan island. The senior US

commander in the Pacific reaffirmed the United States’ mutual defence treaty with the Philippines Sunday amid increased tensions between the archipelago and China.

US commander reaffirms Philippines defense treaty

linkage. There is no tie be-tween Scarborough Shoal and US movement in the Pacific,” he said.

His remarks came af-ter Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Ro-sario issued a statement calling on other countries to take a stand on China’s alleged aggressiveness in the region.

“Since the freedom of navigation and unim-peded commerce in the (South China Sea) are of great import to many na-tions, all should consider what China is endeavour-ing to do in the Scarbor-ough Shoal,” del Rosario said.

“All, not just the Phil-ippines will be ultimately negatively affected if we do not take a stand,” he said in an SMS message sent to reporters.

Chinese and Philip-pine ships began a stand-off in Scarborough Shoal on April 8, giving in-creased attention to the annual joint military ex-ercise this year.

A Philippine coast guard ship and two Chi-nese vessels are still fac-ing off over the two coun-tries’ conflicting claims to the shoal, about 230 kilometres (140 miles) from the main Philippine island of Luzon.

A Chinese military pa-per recently warned that the latest US-Philippine exercise increased the threat of an armed con-frontation in the region.

China claims all of the South China Sea, even up to the coasts of other countries including the Philippines, directly con-flicting with the claims of many of its neighbors.

While the Philippines concedes it cannot stand up to China’s military might, officials have also cited its 1951 mutual de-fense treaty which calls on the United States to come to the country’s aid in case of external attack.

“ONE Day on Earth” -- tout-ed as the first

film with footage from every country taken on the same day -- was to be screened for the first time Sunday around the world, including at the UN.

Organizers say the documentary, to be shown at the United Na-tions General Assem-bly and in more than 160 countries, addresses is-sues such as cultural di-versity, environmental waste, extreme poverty and the status of women.

The 105-minute film includes content from both novice andprofes-sional filmmakers, ac-cording to producers of The One Day on Earth Project.

The movie, gener-ated from more than 3,000 hours of footage shot on October 10, 2010 (10/10/10), set out to cre-ate a sort of “time capsule”

EARTH DAY. Indonesian environmental activists parade during a protest to mark Earth Day in Malang. “One Day on Earth” -- touted as the first film with footage from ev-

ery country taken on the same day -- was to be screened for the first time Sunday around the world, including at the UN.

Film shot worldwide debutsOne day, many cameras:

of life on earth, they said.A staggering 19,000

filmmakers generated input from around the world, even from coun-tries with limited access such as North Korea and Libya.

Among the project’s supporting partners were the United Na-tionsand dozens of non-profit organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Ford Foun-dation.

International Earth Day, now in its 42nd year, was celebrated by envi-ronmentalists Sunday seeking to raise awareness about climate change and pollution, and highlight ways to save energy.

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012 13FFROM 1 FFROM 1

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EDGEDAVAO

City’s... Davao...

Voyager...

Football...

Dengue...

office that will rational-ize sound traffic manage-ment,” she said, adding that the fines and fees generated from traffic violations will add to the income of the city.”

The Traffic Code’s preliminary draft points out the road safety issues and concerns cur-rently faced by the city.

Examples are the concerns on drivers who lack education on traf-fic laws; vehicles which have outlived their road worthiness and lack of safety gadgets; the traf-fic environment involving erring pedestrian; illegal vendors; illegal parking; lack of knowledge of the enforcer regarding traffic laws, and others.

The highlights of the proposed Traffic Code are:

- It supplements and expands Repub-

lic Act 4136 other-wise known as the ‘Land Transportation and Traffic Code’ by adding provisions regarding: traffic sig-nals; general driving rules; designation of public-pay parking zones; operation of motorized tricycles for-hire; operation of non-motorized ve-hicles; and introduc-ing the ‘No contact apprehension’.

- It integrates water transport sys-tem by registration of motorized fishing vessels 3-tonnage and below; registra-tion of non-motor-ized vessels; and provisions on motor-ized vessels used for commerce, including pleasure boats.

- Enumeration of pedestrian rights and obligations.

- It provides for the creation of a ra-tionalized and uni-fied City Transport and Traffic Manage-ment Office (CTT-MO).

- It allows for city-paid traffic en-forcers, other than the Police, to be hired by the City Govern-ment of Davao, and for the issuance of city traffic citation tickets apart from the LTO-issued TOP (Temporary Opera-tor’s Permit).

- It provides for the creation of Traf-fic Management Trust Fund which will be sourced from registration fees, penalties, etc. for use in traffic improve-ment projects.

- It institutional-izes traffic impact as-sessment as require-ment for selected establishments.

- It adheres to highway safety de-sign standards of the DPWH on road signs and pavement mark-ings on all in the county.

- It provides for miscellaneous pro-visions to address special concerns to address special con-cerns of the city such as ‘bora-bora’ and ‘uso-uso’.

- It institution-alizes adjudication process in settling complaints in order to minimize court proceedings.

- It enshrines the policy that the urban road space is scarce resource whose us-age must be allo-cation judiciously through sound traf-fic management, and that maximizing pas-senger throughput on the roads is the objective rather than moving motor vehi-cles per se.

cal oxygen demand (BCO), dissolved oxygen, temper-ature, color, acidity, total suspended solids.

Also at the Kapehan, RufinoBandialan,headofthe EMB 11 environmen-tal impact assessment division, said the bureau also sends samplings to the Department of Health (DOH).

“As of now, okay pa gihapon ang sapa kay diha gihapon naga kuha ang mangingisda og pagkaon,

apan kailangan preventive action ta, unahan nato,” Bulacan said.

This program is sup-ported by the City Envi-ronment and Natural Re-sourcesOffice,DOH, localgovernment units, Baran-gays, and other govern-ment agencies.

The EMB also moni-tors industries, like pig-geries, along the Davao River in line with its cam-paign to preserve its wa-ter.

Last year, the Davao River was proposed as a WQMA by the EMB-DENR 11 under Republic Act (RA) No. 9275 or the Clean Water Act of 2004, one way to protect the water of water from pollution.

RA 9275 mandates the DENR through the EMB to designate areas as WQMA using appropri-ate physiographic units such as watershed, river basins or water resources regions.

nagrevolve ang Earth at the same time nag-iincline din siya,” Damuy said.

Therefore, he said, it is the sun’s position that causes the increase in heat on Earth.

Noting that the ozone layer is affected by green house effect, he added that this is but only part of atmo-spheric reactions to the posi-tion of the sun relative to the Earth.

Voyager believes that the rising temperature on Earth will be altered in the next five to10,000yearsasthis is the frequency of the Earth’s inclination.

The first home-grownMindanao-based company interested in astronomy, the

Voyageristhefirsttohaveadigital mobile planetarium, which is currently installed at Annex building of SM City Davao in celebration of Glob-al Astronomy month.

The company with a to-tal of four digital telescopes for educational viewing of the universe will conduct a viewing of Venus transit, when planet Venus passes in between the sun and the Earthineitherfirstorsecondweek of June.

Since its establishment last year, the Voyager has served 50 to 80 schools in Mindanao, and is working on establishing astronomical societies among colleges in Mindanao.

Dedicated to educating the people on astronomy, the Voyager will also venture on marine reef theater dome, called Marine Enchanted that will be presented digital-ly like the Planetarium, and this will be in June.

“Most people think that the universe is out there in the space away from the Earth,” Damuy said, “But, we all need to know that each one of us is a universe.”

The company is ventur-ing a nationwide campaign to bring awareness among Filipinos on astronomy, and will soon conquer Cebu and Manila this year. [LORIE A. CAS-CARO]

Republic of the PhilippinesDepartment of Transportation and Com-

municationsLAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND

REGULATORY BOARDRegional Office No. XI

Davao city

Petition for Renewal of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ DUAL

Ordinary Regular Service.

NELSON RYAN C. ALVAREZ, Petitioner Case No.2002-XI-00072

x- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -xNOTICE HEARING

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case autho-rizing the operation of a PUJ-DUAL Ordinary Regular service on the route: MANAMBULAN (Toril) ROUTE and for cargoes as dual service from said route to any point in Region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which certificate will expire on April 2, 2012. In the petition filed on February 23, 2012, petitioner request author-ity to extend the validity of said certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition

will be heard by this Board on MAY 2, 2012 at 09:20 a. m. at this office at the above address.

At least, FIVE (5) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao

Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition sup-ported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

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

WITNESS the Honorable BENJAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Director, this 23rd day of February 2012 at Davao City.

TERESITA DELA PEÑA-YÑIGUEZChief Transport Development Officer

/hocCopy furnished:Petitioner, Nelson Ryan C. Alvarez, Macleod, Toril, Davao City Counsel, Atty. Marvin G. Camino, Rm 202, New Borgaily Bldg., San Pedro St., Davao CityNOTE: Affidavit of Publication and newspaper where notice was published must be submitted three (3) days before the scheduled hearing.

time they create the Tagum FA and I think that deserves support as far as the PFF is concerned,” Dofitas told Edge Davao in an exclusive interview.

Mayor Uy said he be-lieves that the city needs to

develop good facilities for football, especially a sta-dium. “I think that before we can really develop the sport, we need to develop our venues,” Uy said dur-ing the press conference

The RESU report showed that Cotabato City’s dengue incidence in-creased by 7 percent or 55 to 59 cases when compared with last year’s records. This city and Sarangani posted a drop of 12 and 26 percent, respectively, but the confirmed dengue deaths in both areas in-creased by a case each.

Dr. Edgardo Sandig, City Integrated Health Ser-vices Office (CIHSO) chief, earlier said the city has re-mained on alert against possible dengue outbreaks due to the erratic weather condition in the area.

The CIHSO has been closely watching Barangays City Heights, Labangal,

Apopong and San Isidro here due to the rising cases of the deadly viral disease.

The four villages, which host several housing subdivisions and crowded residential communities, have registered significant cases of dengue in the last several years based on the CIHSO’s records. Sandig said their intensified cam-paign against dengue with-in the city’s 26 barangays is currently ongoing as set by the DOH’s 4-S strategy.

The 4-S strategy stands for search and destroy, self-protection measures, seek early consultation and say no to indiscriminate fogging. [ALLEN V. ESTABILLO / MINDANEWS]

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 201214 SPORTS EDGEDAVAO

ALEX Ariza out. In Marvin Somodio.

The exit of Man-ny Pacquiao’s long-time conditioning coach has opened a window of op-portunity for a Filipino to emerge as a world-class calibre boxing trainer.

Ariza left for the US on Saturday to be with Mexi-can middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., some-

thing that did not augur well with Roach and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

Roach said it was wrong for Ariza to leave in the middle of Pacquiao’s training camp.

Ariza said he had an understanding with Pac-quiao over his decision to be with Chavez Jr. and that they’ll see each other

again at the Wild Card in Los Angeles.

Arum said Ariza acted unprofessionally and his move to be with Chavez “is unfair to Pacquiao and (British fighter) Amir Khan,” who are both here working with Roach.

In place of Ariza dur-ing last Saturday’s ses-sion was local trainer So-modio, who Roach would

like to bring to the US to help him train fighters at the Wild Card.

Members of Team Pac-quiao were actually glad that Ariza had to leave.

Buboy Fernandez, Pacquiao’s long-time friend and training assis-tant, said the local crew can get the job done in helping Pacquiao attain peak form.

Filipino trainer replaces Ariza at Pacquiao camp

LIVING WITHOUT ARIZA. Manny Pacquiao will have one man missing in his entourage in his Timothy Bradley fight after conditioning coach Alex Ariza left camp. However, Ariza’s place was ably filled by Filipino home-grown trainer Marvin Somodio (right).

AZKAL PRIDE. Phoenix-Air Force’s Ian Araneta (left photo) and Army’s Roel Gener (right photo) show their wares for their respective UFL teams. The two Azkals mainstays were in Tagum City on Sunday to grace the opening of the Suzuki U23 National Cup.

PHIL Younghusband scored the mar-ginal goal to lead

the Loyola Meralco Sparks past Green Archers United, while Kaya FC continued its fine form with a vic-tory over defending cham-pion Philippine Air Force Phoenix in United Football League action Saturday at University of Makati.

Younghusband, the league’s leading scorer, booted in a goal at the 81st minute to give the Sparks the 3-2 result over the Ar-chers.

The Younghusband

goal quashed a spirited rally by United, which came back from an early 2-0 deficit to tie the match.

Byeong Yeol Jeong opened the scoring for the Sparks after hooking up with James Younghusband at the 23rd minute. Loyola looked to put the game away early in the second half, with Mark Hartmann scoring after dazzling de-fenders with his dribbling skills at the 47th minute.

But the Green Archers’ reply was fast and furious, courtesy of the speedy Tating Pasilan, who broke

through for his team’s first goal at the 49th minute. He once again broke down the Loyola defense to tie the game at the 65th min-ute, setting up Phil’s hero-ics.

In the first match, Kaya won its second straight game after the departure of former coach Juan Cutil-las, defeating Air Force, 3-1, in a heated match.

Azkals Chieffy Calig-dong opened the scoring for Air Force, scoring at the 10th minute. But Kaya grabbed the upper hand before the break as Eric

Dagroh and Lexton Moy got on board at the 21st and 33rd minute, respec-tively.

Things got heated late in stoppage time, with Dagroh getting into a scuffle with Air Force de-fender Herbert Bayona. Dagroh was sent off after receiving his second yel-low card, while Bayona was docked with a yellow.

But despite being a man down, Kaya had the last laugh, as Nicolas Bal-zico scored at the 94th minute to set the final score.

Phil rescues Loyola, AF-Phoenix bow to Kaya

WHEN a window closes, expect a door to open. I be-

lieve that. Like this story of a Baguio kid who is now all of a sudden thrust with the gargantuan task of mold-ing Manny Pacquiao to tip top condition for his fight against Timothy Bradley.

Let us get to know who Marvin Somodio is.

Here is his story. Marvin Somodio was

in the corner of the ill-fated Karlo Maquinto when the fighter fell.

For a trainer, it was a very difficult moment. To see your boxer fall and lapse into coma in the hos-pital after fighting just a few minutes earlier, is an ago-nizing moment that will last beyond the moment your prized pug breathes his last.

Marvin was there with Maquinto every single day in the hospital.

Somodio did not want to hold the mitts from then on.

To put the tragedy to rest, Somodio and his fel-low trainer Jeff Linay from the Shape-Up Boxing Gym in Baguio City had to go through counseling ses-sions to help them put the sad fate behind them.

It was like the world fell on Somodio. The second time in his boxing career that he felt boxing was sim-ply too cruel.

When he was an aspir-ing professional, his trainer made him hate boxing. The diminutive Somodio was made to run for four hours, do 12 rounds on the mitts, 12 rounds on the jumping rope, speedbag and punch-ing bag. When he com-plained that his knuckles were swelling, he was made to do push ups with his bare knuckles to keep the swell-ing down.

Having had enough of the cruelty, he left boxing only to come back later to correct the mistakes of his trainer.

He offered his services for free at the Shape-Up Gym.

It was not easy though. His first stint as a trainer saw him handling a fighter who went up the ring and ignored his instructions. He was frustrated so much he decided he would box

professionally. He was lin-ing himself up for a fight with a new coach handling him when the opportunity knocked.

Manny Pacquiao an-nounced his training camp in Baguio and chose Shape Up Gym for his workout. This means, he gets to watch the best trainer in the world—Freddie Roach.

Roach took Somodio like he treated Pacquiao.

The American trainer showed him the regimen of the champions, schooled him like an understudy, and embraced him like a son.

Soon after, Somodio and Roach developed a bond.

Roach now trusts So-modio to wrap the hands of his second most prized pu-pil—former British world champion Amir Khan.

With Alex Ariza gone, things are shaping up for the Filipino trainer. Roach plans to bring Somodio to the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. Roach says Somo-dio learns really fast and follows instructions very well.

Somodio’s appoint-ment as Pacquiao’s new strength and conditioning trainer has in fact lifted the spirits of the Pacquiao training team, including Buboy Fernandez.

All of a sudden, the di-minutive trainer from Ba-guio has two of the world’s best fighters under his training regimen—Pac-quiao and Khan, who is deep in preparations for his rematch against Lamont Peterson. Khan has been working out with Somodio even before Roach arrived in Baguio.

Now, Somodio is having the time of his life holding the mitts again.

This time, the boy who would have hated boxing is now boxing’s beloved son.

Who is Marvin Somodio?

With its quaint streets and charming hotels, Siem Reap is where you will find Angkor Archaeological Park , one of the most important archeo-logical sites in the world and recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Stretch-ing over some 400 sqkm, including forested areas, the park contains the magnifi-cent remains of the different

capitals of the Khmer Em-pire, from the 9th to the 15th century. They include the famous Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decora-tions. I can honestly say that it was a surreal feeling to actu-ally be able to see with my own eyes and touch with my

hands, the structures that stood the test of time and the weathering of nature. To actually be standing on Angkor Wat and stepping on stones where kings, priests, warriors, and elephants once walked and to actually see what life was like on the many carved walls on the Bayon Temple was a truly breathtaking experience. After going back thou-sands of years, one can re-turn to French colonial times while exploring the many streets and parks in down-town Siem Reap. From sim-ple private abodes to elegant resorts and hotels, the archi-tecture of Siem Reap never fails to amaze and delight. I also loved the way the city has a rustic and laid-back feel to it, with bikes, scooters,

and tuktuks plying the roads and avenues. I just wish I had more time to explore this charming gem of a city, but alas work beck-ons. It is a good thing though that Cebu Pacific flies direct from Manila to Siem Reap three times a week, which means it is now definitely easier to travel back in time. Follow me on twitter @kennethkingong to catch me on my future adventures, food trips and everything under the sun.

IF there ever is a place in the world where one can turn back time and have a glimpse and even experience the past, that place would undoubt-edly be Siem Reap, Cambodia.

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012

EDGEDAVAOTRAVEL

French colonial architecture at Siem Reap’s French Quarter.

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort.

A tuktuk enters the Bayon Temple. A woman delivers her harvest of lemongrass.

Apanas past and present.

Exploring Pre Rup Temple.

God statues on the side of Angkor Thom’s Naga Bridge.

Sunrise over Angkor Wat

Time travellingSiem Reap

INdulge!

I entered Fully Booked figuring out how to kick off my summer reading. Although reading is any-

thing but a seasonal hobby for me, I sometimes experi-ence long lulls brought on by choosing the wrong book for my current state of mind. However, when I chance upon a great book, it is just the right catalyst I need to bring along another chain of unbroken reading that is just the way I like it. Just as I was about to dive into the Fiction section like I usually do, Blow by Blow: The Story of Isabella Blow caught my eye. It was hard not to pick up the rela-tively slim book with its pristine white cover and the image of Isabella Blow’s deep-set eyes peeking beneath her feathered hat at dead center. It seemed that I would finally get to know a little more about one of British fashion’s fa-bled personalities, as told through the perspective of her husband Detmar Blow and Tom Sykes. Hers is a name you often hear whispered in the same thread of notoriety and genius as her discoveries, the most famous being Alexander McQueen. It is also a refer-ence often made when eccentric but mind-blowing style is being discussed. The promise of intrigue laced with delicious fact set against the explosive world of art and fashion in the ‘70s and ‘80s was too important to ignore, and Issie – as Isabella was purportedly known to close family and friends – whose life conspired to connect with that era’s most notable icons and be-came one herself seemed like the per-fect person to follow. Isabella Blow was born into one of England’s aristocratic families, the Delves Broughtons. The death of her younger brother Johnny when she was just five years old would forever dam-age her relationship with her parents and give way to a lifetime of insecuri-ties but one that also saw her continue to go after her dreams. The people she was drawn to were of the artistic and eccentric sort that were likeminded in brilliance but also in volatility. Theirs was an existence of radical anecdotes, from Issie’s penchant for flashing her bosoms at parties to her dear friend Andy Warhol’s voyeurism.

T h e w o r l d started to lit-e r a l l y o p e n up to Is-sie and realize her for the in-dividual

she was when she moved to New York. She fit right in that “seething cauldron of creativity” as Detmar Blow writes, and as she made her way from coat check girl at an Ian Schrager Club to the coveted job as Anna Wintour’s as-sistant at US Vogue, it was exactly the place she needed to be to shape her fashion career. Issie started bringing to the fore the type of avant-garde dress-ing and designers she favored right at the Vogue offices. While her col-leagues were garbed to the conserva-tive tastes of the status quo, she was all feathers and flamboyance. Her eye for the different would earn her the right to style for the revered magazine and the freedom to commission and use new artists and designers in her fash-ion shoots. Her unique taste and eye for spot-ting up and coming talent would be a recurring story in her life but one that also brought her much pain and heart-ache. She had numerous triumphs that were her gifts to the world, such as models Stella Tenant and Sophie Dahl, milliner Philip Treacy whose first high-profile stint would be creating Issie’s ala Joan of Arc headpiece for her wed-

ding and the deceased wonderboy of British fashion, Alexander McQueen. However, as her recommendation and fostering would win her discover-ies their fame and fortune, she would be often left out of the loop with the credit but none of the financial success that supposedly came with it. The latter part of her life would be marked with many such disappoint-ments and only added to the inner de-mons that constantly plagued her. The couple was also not blessed with chil-dren, which added to her dream for a stable family life that was long held but never realized. As Issie always felt things deeply and in a very consum-ing way, her happiness was very fragile to the constant worry of her husband and close friends. It was fortunate that she found a truly faithful partner in Detmar Blow and he was her staunch-est champion and guardian. However much he loved her though, his was the voice of honesty that she needed and this patient and gentle straightforward perspective is the same one he uses in his writing. As one navigates through Isabella Blow’s life as I did in just two days, you realize that you are in the presence of someone extraordinary. She met a tragic end, finally managing to com-mit suicide last May 2007 by drinking poison after six unsuccessful attempts in just two years. Although her manic depression marred her, the imprint she left the world is one that will last ten lifetimes. As was always her way, Isabella left the world exactly as she tread through it – in truly unforget-table fashion.

Blow by Blow

A2 INdulge! VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012EDGEDAVAOSTYLE

A3INdulge! VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012EDGEDAVAOENTERTAINMENT

C’est la vie, Pippa!The royal-in law gets wild and frisky in the city of lights.PHILIPPA Charlotte Middleton, you’ve got some serious explaining to do. Starting with just how exactly she managed to inherit all of the family’s fun-loving, party-hopping genes leaving big (serious) sis Kate Middleton with the burden of propriety. Clearly securing her legacy as the Harry to Kate’s Wills, Pippa Middle-ton made quite the media splash this week when she took Paris by storm, attending a spectacu-larly, well, spectacle-filled costume party, riding shotgun during the now infamous (fake) weapon brandishing, had her honor defended by nobil-ity, and, if the tabloids are to be believed, got hot ‘n’ heavy with a French so-cialite. Ooh la la! We may not know how she managed to do it all, but we do know what she managed to do—herewith, the five things you really need to know about Pippa’s deca-dent stay in gay Paris: 1. Fight for Your Right to Party: Believe it or not, the point of Pippa’s trip to France wasn’t to cause an international incident, but simply to attend the 30th birthday party of French fashion entrepreneur the Viscount (or Vicomte, if you’d rather) Arthur de Soultrait. Leave it to the girl in charge of a magazine ti-tled Party Pieces to know how to do it up right. And she did just that with the fashionisto—whose Vi-comte A. clothing label is, incidentally, providing the ties for this year’s French Olympic team—attend-ing the costume party at the Theatre St. Germain decked out in her best 1800s finery alongside the most fiery of French society (some of whom saw fit to wear dog collars and burlesque outfits to the bash) and, of course, some hired dwarves. Uh, vive le celebration? 2. What a Schmuck: Paris is for lovers. Even alleged ones. Accord-ing to the always reliable British tabloids (ahem), Pippa made herself quite a comely friend while at-tending the party, and was reportedly spotted getting very cozy in a corner of the nightclub with Antoine de Tavern-

ost. According to some anonymous but adamant observers, the duo was spotted getting kissy not long after meeting for the first time that night, and indeed were caught hold-ing hands while exiting the soiree later that night morning. From there, they went to the nearby Le Schmuck restaurant, which is co-owned by Tavernost—himself the son of the chairman of one of France’s biggest TV networks—and even lat-er, the duo turned up to-gether at Regine, another of the city’s nightclubs. 3. Getting Gun-Shy: The trip may not have started with a bang, but it certainly threatened to end with one. The follow-ing day, just hours after attending the much-pho-tographed bash, Pippa enjoyed a day out with Arthur de Soultrait, his dashing brother Marcy de Soultrait and a French lawyer by the name of Romain Robillard. While cruising around the city in Robillard’s convertible Audi, the Gallic crew ap-parently got tired of the pursuant paparazzi and, in a now infamous attempt to scare the shutterbugs off, the driver whipped out an uncannily realistic-looking pistol, pointed it directly at the cameras and, well, the rest is tab-loid history. 4. To Oui or Not to Oui: That, actually, isn’t the

question. The question is what on Earth were they thinking? If nothing else, Pippa’s inability to contain her smiling visage is a les-son in improper etiquette, to say nothing of her ra-dio silence on the mat-ter, even as critics called for her to be questioned, fined and even arrested for sitting idly by as her co-hort—a lawyer who, ironi-cally enough, serves as an advisor to Heckler & Koch, one of the world’s leading small-arms manufactur-ers—pulled the weapon. That it ultimately turned out to be a toy gun seems to be neither here nor there and while the vis-count has since come out apologizing for his friend’s behavior and doing his best to distance the royal sister from blame in the incident, some damage was already done by his brother Marcy the night before, when he spoke to the Daily Mail and said that Pippa “thought it was funny” and believed the gun-brandishing to be “all a joke.” 5. We Are Not Amused: London calling isn’t just a rallying cry—it’s a har-binger of a particularly brutal tongue-lashing. While Buckingham Pal-ace is staying as silent as the Middleton family and refusing to comment on the royal scandal—Pippa, after all, is not technically a member of the clan—the gossip columns have

once again nobly stepped up to fill in any gaps in the scandalous narrative. Ac-cording to the Chicago Sun-Times, of all places, both Kate and the queen were “horrified” over the gun stunt—with Kate supposedly delivering an earful to Pippa over

the ringer—but the royal in-law reportedly got some solace from none other than Prince Harry. Harry reportedly phoned Pippa straight away and offered some advice on how to deflect the wave of bad press: being pho-tographed at charity

events in the immediate future was apparently his biggest piece of advice. Seeing as how we don’t think paparazzi are going to stray from the Pippa beat for quite some time now, it shouldn’t be long before we learn whether she’s taken him up on it.

FRENCH manufac-turer Delsey will soon bring to Davao its ex-pertise in top-of-the-line luggage, with its first ever free standing store which will open at the Ground floor of SM City Davao’s Annex on April 26. Since 1946, Delsey has been setting the industry standard, not just with fash-ionable creations true to the brandís French heritage, but also with the durability and innovation of their products. Delsey has introduced the Zip Securi Tech system which is a one-of-a-kind invention featuring a tamper-free zip-per. No other luggage brand carries the same kind of tech-nology. Delsey luggage prod-ucts all have an unmatchable and superb anti-theft system ñ and despite a thiefís best efforts, these bags will go unopened and safe during transport and travel. Coinciding with the open-ing of the first Delsey store in the Philippines is the first peek of the Delsey 2012 lug-gage collections, which will be first made available in limited quantities exclusively at the Delsey boutique. Two collections which will be in-troduced are the U-lite and Helium lines, which will be known as the lightest lug-gage on earth ñ with the carry-on bag weighing just 2.3 kilograms. Just like oth-er Delsey items, the U-lite and Helium collections also feature the Zip Securi Tech system. Pre-orders for these limited-quantity collections will be made available to in-terested shoppers. Delsey was first made available in Metro Manila in 2009, with products available in The Travel Club, Duty Free Philippines, SM, Robinsons, Landmark and other lead-ing department stores. Soon, Delsey will have its very own home in SM Davao. About Delsey Delsey, Started in 1946,

French brand, Delsey, con-sistently strives to innovate to make sure we get to travel more efficiently and effortlessly each time. If you thought that you had to com-promise your tastes in order to find durable luggage, think again. Delsey luggage and its latest specialty collec-tions are a sure fit for any life-style.In todayís day and age,

people are always on the go. Whether it is for work or vacation, many of us are packing our bags with the essentials and jetting off to the next location. Often times, we stress over how to pack, what to leave be-hind, and fearfully, what we might lose along the way, instead of the ac-tual joy of going on va-cation.Thanks to Delsey, there is absolutely no reason to compromise our need for comfort and security anymore with its luggage and latest Zip Securi Tech technology. Securi Tech

is a patented and unique new double zipper designed to prevent luggage being forced open or breaking when heavy loaded making your journey trouble-free. Delsey Premium French Luggage is available at all The Travel Club stores, SM, Rustans, Robinsons, Land-mark and other department stores nationwide.

A4 INdulge! VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012EDGEDAVAOUP AND ABOUT

Top French luggage brand comes to Davao

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 2012

VIENNA, Austria - Ger-man Bundesliga squad Bayern Munich, who

has Filipino-Austrian David Alaba as a defensive gem, kept their impeccable re-cord of having never lost at home to Spanish giants Real Madrid after a dramatic 2-1 win in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night.

“It’s great that he can perform like this as such a young player,” Heynckes told reporters. “He has devel-oped greatly as a player this season and he can achieve more. He is very ambitious, he is very self critical and he lives for football, this is a great bonus.” Bayern Mu-nich coach Jupp Heynckes

praised the teen defender Alaba.

Alaba was unfazed de-fending against Angel di Ma-ria in the first half and Cris-tiano Ronaldo in the second after the two Real players switched sides.

Herbert Prohaska, a football legend in Austria, said Alaba was impressive.

“Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid struggled to stamp his authority on the game more generally - not least thanks to a teenage Austrian player, David Ala-ba,” one sports commenta-tor said.

“Proud na proud ako kay David Alaba - he did a lot of assists sa mga laro nila during the past months. At sa Champions League nila

against Real Madrid, makita mo talaga ang maganda nilang samahan ni Ribery,” Rudi Custodio, a Pinoy sport fan told ABS-CBN News.

15EDGEDAVAO SPORTS

THE Philippine na-tional men’s rugby union team raced to

a big first half lead before turning back a furious ral-ly by Sri Lanka to pull out an exciting 28-18 victory in the Asian Five Nations Division I tournament over the weekend at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

With the win, the Vol-canoes won the tourna-ment and gained promo-tion to the Top 5 division of Asian Five Nations.

The Filipinos had an explosive start, taking a 23-3 lead by the break.

But Sri Lanka came roar-ing back in the second half, scoring 15 points to close the gap to a single try.

Sri Lanka looked poised to equalize, but the Volcanoes pounced with a counter-attack capped by a try conversion by Justin Coveney at the 77th min-ute to put the game away.

British-Filipino cen-ter Oliver Saunders, the hero of the Volcanoes’ first tournament win against Singapore, was again named man of the match.

“I can’t describe the feeling, I’m at a loss for words,” he said.

Volcanoes coach Expo Mejia was all praises for his squad after their vic-tory.

“I’ve never coached a team like this,” he said. “They’re very proud of their Filipino heritage, and they did this for the people.”

“We’re hoping the Filipino people can get be-hind the sport.”

The win not only gave the Philippines a ticket to the elite division of the sport in Asia, but it kept their hopes alive for a spot in the Rugby World Cup set in 2015.

RUGBY BOYS. Members of the Philippine Men’s Rugby team, the Volcanoes, celebrate after winning the 5-Nations Rugby recently at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. The Volcanoes have reached the top 5 in Asia with their recent win.

Viva Volcanoes!

MADRID — Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed his 54th goal of the sea-

son as Real Madrid moved closer to a 32nd La Liga title with a 2-1 win at Barcelona for whom Lionel Messi was reduced to a bit-part role.

“It was an important goal but the win for the team is more important, we have four matches left and with the sev-en-point gap (over Barcelona) we are in a comfortable posi-tion,” said Ronaldo.

The Portuguese star later tweeted: “Mission accom-plished”.

Ronaldo finished a Mesut Ozil pass from a tight angle on 73 minutes after rounding Vic-tor Valdes in the Barca goal.

Sami Khedira had put Ma-drid ahead before substitute Alexis Sanchez levelled for Barca to give the Nou Camp faithful — who had seen their champions crush their bitter rivals 5-1 in the same fixture last year — a degree of hope.

The goal also means Ronaldo moves one ahead of Messi on 42 league goals in the battle to be ‘pichichi’, La Liga’s top goal-scorer.

On the night, Ronaldo was far more dangerous than Mes-si, with six attempts at goal to Messi’s one, a statistic which illustrated the Argentine’s mis-erable evening.

“I am very happy,” added Ronaldo. “I have scored now in the last three games here at Camp Nou, but the most im-portant thing is the team and I congratulate my colleagues on their performance.”

Madrid’s two goals almost meant it was 109 for the sea-son making them the highest-scoring team in a single season in Spanish football history,

beating the record of 107 pre-viously held by the Madrid side of the 1989-90 season.

“We are very happy to win in the Nou Camp and beat the goals record. Now we have to look to the Bayern game (on Wednesday in Champions League) in front of our own fans and we’re very keen to get a good result,” added Ronaldo.

Madrid trail 2-1 to the Ger-mans in their semi-final ahead of the second leg.

Ronaldo’s winner gave Madrid their first league win over Barcelona in four years and, barring a major stumble, ensured the title will return to the Santiago Bernabeu for the first time since 2008.

It will also end Barcelona’s three-year grip on the title.

For coach Jose Mourinho, it was his first win at Camp Nou with Madrid and only his second triumph in 11 at-tempts against the Catalans.

Afterwards he contin-ued his policy of not speak-ing to the press about league games but his assistant Aitor Karanka insisted there was still work to do.

“This match was not de-cisive in the league title race,” said Karanka.

“There are still games and points to play for. Mourinho and the players are all happy, but we are also thinking now of the Champions League.

“Ronaldo has given us lots of fantastic moments. For me, he is the best player in the world.”

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola hailed Real Madrid as the new champions.

“I congratulate Real Ma-drid for their victory and also for their league title which I have no doubt they have

clinched tonight,” said Guar-diola.

“We played a good match, but it wasn’t good enough. We played the kind of game that we needed to play but we just couldn’t do it.”

Guardiola also defended his decision to start the game with Gerard Pique and Cesc Fabregas on the bench.

“I selected the team which I thought had the best chance to defeat Madrid and, anyway, the losers are always wrong,” he said. “Now we have to look to the future.”

That was a reference to Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final against Chelsea when the Spanish giants will attempt to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first game at Stamford Bridge last week.

“Tonight, the players are sad, they are tired, but in their careers they have all faced similar situations and over-come them.”

Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso refused to believe that the title race was over.

“It’s a very important re-sult, but it hasn’t decided any-thing,” said Alonso.

“It is a big step towards the title. We need to finish it off. We controlled the match tonight and the result was fantastic.

“The key moment was Ronaldo’s goal, it was the quick response to their equal-iser.”

Barcelona’s Sergio Bus-quets admitted the game was almost up for his team.

“We are not in our best form at the moment, but we stayed true to our style of play,” he said.

“We will keep battling but it’ll be difficult.”

Mission accomplishedReal Madrid defeats Barcelona in ‘El Clasico’ showdown, nears La Liga title

Ana Ivanovic of Serbia reacts during the recent International Tennis Federation Fed Cup semi-final match against Russia’s Svet-lana Kuznetsova in Moscow. Kuznetsova won 2-1 but Serbia later clinched the tie with Je-lena Jankovic winning against Kuznetsova in the reverse singles.

Boy with Pinoy rootsshuts down Ronaldo

Alaba

VOL.5 ISSUE 35 • APRIL 24, 201216 EDGEDAVAOSPORTS

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THIS early, the North side of the Davao Region composed of

the Compostela Vally and Davao del Norte provinces and Tagum City are think-ing forward to the football boom and are making their moves to capitalize on the sport’s virus-like outbreak.

Compostela Valley

Governor Arturo Uy, his Mayor-brother Rey Uy of Tagum City and Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario brandished confidence of the North’s emergence as football cor-ridor as they prepare to upgrade existing facilities while launching its own grassroots development

program.Partnering with the

Philippine Football Fed-eration (PFF) and Suzuki Philippines, the three areas launched over the weekend the PFF’s grassroots devel-opment for full implemen-tation by the Compostela Valley and Davao del Norte football associations (FAs).

Tagum City will also be a likely new FA soon after PFF National Com-petition chairman Cyril Dofitas challenged Tagum City local government and football officials to create its own FA. If that happens, Tagum City will be the 18th FA in Mindanao.

“I told them it’s high

Football boomSUZUKI CUP. Suzuki Philippines president Satoshi Uchida (5th from left) leads the press conference opening the Suzuki U23 National Cup elimina-tions in Tagum City’s Energy Park. With him are (l-r) Giovanni Gulanes (rep-resenting Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario)of the Province of Davao del Norte, DNFA

president Rene Cosmod, Compstela Valley Governor Arturo Uy, Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy, Suzuki Philippines General Manager Shuzo Hoshikura, Azkals mainstay Ian Araneta and Roel Gener. (NJB)

Davao Norte, Comval, Tagum eye better venues

FFOOTBALL , 13