P 15.00 • 20 PAGESwww.edgedavao.netVOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014

In the light of Ebola scare, Davao acts swiftly vs. the dreaded virus

EDGE Serving a seamless society

DAVAO

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.abf@edgedavao.net

FTHERMAL SCANNER, 10

CITYTO BUYTHERMAL SCANNER

ALL GEARED UP. A staff nurse demonstrates the proper way to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) at Southern Philippines Medi-cal Center’s special isolation ward for emerging and re-emerging in-fections. The Department of Health (DOH) 11 recommended during the consultative conference on Ebola virus at The Marco Polo, Davao on Tuesday evening the procurement of initial 500 sets of PPE as part of the preparation against the deadly disease. Lean Daval Jr.

WITH the growing fear of the dread-ed Ebola virus,

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte puts the city a step ahead of the war by arming the city with a thermal scanner to be installed at the Francisco Bangoy International Air-port.

Duterte prompted the immediate purchase of the scanner during the Ebola Consultative Meet-ing last Tuesday after-noon.

During the caucus, it was revealed that except for the Bangoy Interna-tional Airport, other in-ternational airports in the country have already in-

stalled scanners while the domestic airports have not been equipped yet of scanners. Some flights to Davao City originate from the domestic airport in Manila where no scan-ners are installed.

“I will buy it if there are stocks. Can we order it tomorrow (Wednesday) and I am going to give you the money?” Duterte asked after being told by the Bureau of Quarantine personnel in the airport Dr. Wilson Lim that one scanner could fetch over P1 million.

The Mayor ordered Lim to immediately call the supplier in Manila

and deliver the scanner as soon as possible.

In an interview after the discussion, Duterte said that the budget will be drawn from the peace and order fund of the city.

Duterte said that he will ask the City Treasur-er’s Office to re-lease the funds immediately due to its ur-gency.

“I am in a hur-ry. There is not enough t i m e

VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 20142

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F300, 10

EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duter-te appreciated the

gesture of former Davao del Sur governor Doug-las R. Cagas in submit-ting himself to authori-ties.

Duterte said that Ca-gas, a human rights law-yer during the days of martial law, did the right thing when he did not wait to be arrested by the police.

The city mayor, said

to a distant relative, on the side of the (Senator Alejandro) Almendras clan, said he was sad-dened by the turn of events and the fate of Ca-gas in being accused of masterminding the mur-der of a Digos City-based journalist in 2010.

“I hope he (Cagas) clears himself,” Duterte told reporters last Tues-day.

Earlier, the National Union of Journalists in

the Philippines (NUJP), Davao Chapter, wel-comed the surrender Cagas who will stand trial for murder charges in connection with the murder of journalist, Nestor Bedolido Sr.

In a statement, the NUJP said the move of Cagas is a positive devel-opment in the quest for justice for Bedolido.

Cagas continued to maintain his innocence and insisted on his right

to a day in court to prove that he has nothing to do with the killing.

NUJP said that Cagas’ surrender does not mean he is guilty but the group still vowed to closely monitor developments in the trial to ensure that justice is served.

Cagas surrendered to Davao del Sur Provincial Police Office around 7:15 a.m. on Monday before the court could issue his warrant for arrest.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte urged the scrap-

ping of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) if the country will not get a fair share of the controversial treaty.

Prompted to comment on his stand on VFA after the murder of a trans-sexual in Olongapo City perpetrated by a US Ma-rines, Duterte said, “it is about time that we scrap it. Kung mag-mukha lang man tayong tanga, yung jurisdiction natin is being played upon (If we just become stupid on it be-

cause our jurisdiction is being played)… they are dribbling the situations.”

He said the death of Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude should give the country custody over suspect US Marine Private First Class (Pfc) Joseph Scott Pem-berton because it is clear that the murder has been committed in the country.

“Yan ang problem na-tin (That is our problem), the issue of jurisdiction. But, it is very clear that a murder has been commit-ted there has to be justice there,” Duterte said.

Earlier that day, coun-

cilor Leah A. Librado – Yap passed a resolution expressing sentiment over the death of Laude and urging the Depart-ment of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to assert custody of Pemberton.

In her privilege speech, Librado-Yap said that with the incident last October 11 when Laude was found dead inside a lodge, President Aquino should be asked if he re-ally meant not to revoke the VFA.

Librado said that the government forgets the Philippine Constitution

declaring the sovereign-ty of Filipinos over all its territory and the decla-rations of principles and state policies renounces war and adopts the policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom, cooperation and amity with all nations.

“Thus, the United States should never take custody as to the case and conviction of Private First Class (Pfc) Joseph Scott Pemberton. And this ladies and gentlemen, is not the first time where US soldiers participating in joint exercises under

SMARTING past the oil smuggling controversy just left by his prede-

cessor, the new district col-lector of the Port of Davao assigned by the Bureau of Customs Manila headquar-ters vowed he would lead in a “no take, no tara” policy.

Before BOC Davao’s rank and file employees in last Monday’s flag-raising ceremony, retired General Ricardo Butalid declared: “I’m with you and I will lead you in no-take, no-tara poli-

cy. I will lead you in this ad-vocacy.”

Tara is the street-smart colloquial word circulating in BOC offices nationwide for grease money.

He congratulated the BOC Davao’s men and women for always hitting collections above the tar-gets, urging them to contin-ue performing well as the BOC Manila and Commis-sioner Sevilla “know this”.

He added he would also

A total of 300 people composed of local exporters and for-

eign importers are expect-ed to participate in the In-ternational Exporters and Importers Forum (IEXIM) on Friday, October 24, at the Grand Regal Hotel.

“The forum will be free and it’s open to all,” Do-mingo O. Ang, chairman of the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (Phil-export) in Davao Region, said. However, it will be a first-come-first-serve ba-sis.

IEXIM is one of the side-events of the 2nd Bru-nei Darussalam, Indone-sia, Malaysia and Philip-pines- East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Trade Fair and Business Leaders’ Confer-ence on October 22 to 26

at SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier, Davao City.

According to an entry in the website of the 2nd BIMP-EAGA and IMT-GT Trade Fair and Business Leaders’ Conference, “the forum offers a venue to discuss internation-al trade opportunities among BIMP-EAGA and IMT-GT exporters and im-porters as well as other trading partners in ASE-AN, East Asia, the Middle East, Europe, etc.”

Buyer representatives from Singapore, China, Middle East, and Europe are expected to participate the event.

In an earlier report, Ferdinand Marañon, pres-ident of PhilExport-Davao, said that the forum will provide participants infor-mation and access to trade

PREPARING VS EBOLA. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte gestures while listening to the insights from the people of the city’s health sector on preparations needed against the deadly Ebola virus during the consultative conference at The Marco Polo, Davao on Tuesday evening. Lean Daval Jr.

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.abf@edgedavao.net

Mayor lauds Gov. Cagasfor yielding to authorities

New BOC Davao Port chiefvows ‘no take, no tara’ policy

Duterte wants VFA scrapped

300 exporters, importersexpected at IEXIM Forum

VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 3

FAFP, 10

FP5M, 10

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NEWSEDGEDAVAO

TWO self-confessed members of New People’s Army

(NPA) intercepted in a military checkpoint area in Manay, Davao Oriental last Monday were later on released due to the In-ternational Humanitarian Law, Human Rights and Rule of Law.

The two were identi-fied as Angelita Salientes Migue AKA Lyka, resident of Anibongan Holy Cross, Manay, Davao Oriental and Lovely Jane Made-janon Boyles resident of Purok Madasigon, Mabini, Comval both are mem-bers of Baking Segunda of SDG Platoon of GF 15, SRC 1, SMRC operating in the area.

In a press statement, the commander of the 701st brigade Colonel

Benjamin Madrigal Jr. said that the release of the two self-confessed members of NPA is in adherence and respect to Interna-tional Humanitarian Law, Human Rights and Rule of Law.

On the other hand, the commander of the 10th Infantry Division Major General Eduardo Año said that at the time of the ar-rest of the NPA members, no firearms were taken from them.

“Ang dalawang ito na nahuli and umamin na membro ng NPA, at the time of their arrest wala namang nakuha sa kanila na mga armas at wala naman silang warrant of arrest kaya sinubukang kombinsihin nga grupo na bumalik na sa gobyer-

THE three-day Trade Fair during the 2nd Brunei

Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philip-pines- East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand- Growth Trian-gle (IMT-GT) Trade Fair and Business Leaders’ Conference is expected to draw a total 90,000 local and foreign guests during weekdays and weekends.

The fair is expected to generate 40,000 foreign and local guests during weekdays and anoth-er 50,000 guest during weekends, according to a statement issued by Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

The trade fair is slat-ed on October 24 to 26 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Pre-mier, Davao City.

The trade fair feature products and services

of 300 exhibitors from various parts of the BIMP-EAGA and IMT-GT sub regions.

“The participating companies in the trade fair will display sample products for trade and promotion and genera-tion of book orders from local and international buyers with market ac-cess worldwide,” MinDA stated.

Of the 300 exhibitors, 24 companies will come

from Brunei Darus-salam, another 24 firms from Indonesia, 51 com-panies from Malaysia, 114 companies from the Philippines, and 10 from Thailand.

Among the products that will be displayed are fresh and processed food products, industri-al products, apparel and fashionable wears, arts and crafts, furniture, tourism and investment sites.

The Davao City govern-ment is proposing a P5 million fund from

the Department of Health for the implementation of a program that will augment more health and medical workers in geographically isolated and depressed ar-eas (GIDAs).

Based on the Local Pov-erty Reduction Action Plan, which provides a list of pri-ority projects template for fiscal year 2016, the pro-posal says that the budget will be used for the hiring of doctors, nurses and mid-wives.

Davao City Health Offi-cer Dr. Josephine Villafuerte said that DOH 11 augment-ed only 15 personnel in-cluding doctors, midwives

and nurses this year.“This is not enough to

cover the whole population of our GIDAs,” she said, add-ing that identified GIDAs in the city are in the districts of Paquibato, Marilog, Ba-guio, and periphery of Toril like Sibulan.

The ideal ration should be 1 is to 5,000 for each medical worker. However, due to limited man power, doctors, nurses and mid-wives have to assist larger number of patients in each area.

“For intake, Paquibato District must ideally have 12 doctors, nurses and mid-wives but all GIDAs have only 15 personnel from DOH,” she said.

ENFORCEMENT. A traffic enforcer of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) apprehends a motorist for violating Davao City’s speed limit ordinance along E. Quirino Avenue yesterday. Another road mishap involving a truck and a

public utility vehicle left 17 people injured along Diversion road in Buhangin Tuesday evening. Lean Daval Jr.

PREPARATIONS. A staff nurse of Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) prepares one of the rooms of the special isolation ward for emerg-ing and re-emerging infection. The Department of Health (DOH) 11 rec-ommended during the consultative conference on Ebola virus at The Marco

Polo, Davao on Tuesday evening the acquisition of initial 500 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) as part of the preparation against the deadly disease. Lean Daval Jr.

crc@edgedavao.net

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

AFP releases NPAs nabbed in DavOr

P5M sought for GIDAs300 exhibitors to joinBIMP-EAGA trade fair

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Officials of Tantangan town in

South Cotabato have raised alarm over the alleged massive land grabbing ac-tivities in two of its villages that is reportedly backed by an armed group.

Tantangan Mayor Ben-jamin Figueroa Jr. disclosed the problem on Tuesday as he sought the intervention of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) in resolving the matter, which already forced some res-idents to abandon their lands.

He said the affected ar-eas mainly cover portions of barangays Poblacion and Magon, specifically within the boundary areas of the municipality and those of Mangudadatu town in Ma-guindanao and Lutayan in Sultan Kudarat.

The area is composed

largely of irrigated rice lands that stretch to the banks of Lake Buluan, which is shared by Magu-indanao and Sultan Kuda-rat provinces.

The mayor said the af-fected lands are all private-ly-owned and properly ti-tled, making the claims and their annexation illegal.

“These land grabbers are very aggressive be-cause they are protected by an armed group and they would just immediately claim the lands that they want,” Figueroa said.

He said they confirmed the presence of the armed group last week following verification made by local government personnel.

“They were already within the AOR (area of re-sponsibility) of South Cota-bato,” he said.

The municipal govern-

Massive land grabbing reported in SoCot town

VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 20144 EDGEDAVAO

BIGGER PICTURE

DEATH by hemor-rhage is painful. A person diagnosed

with hemorrhagic fever will experience profuse vomit-ing and diarrhea which can cause dehydration. Once it gets worse, the person’s blood vessels start to leak, causing blood pressure to drop to dangerous lev-els and fluid to build up in the lungs. Usually, death is caused by shock and organ failure.

Such is the case with Ebola hemorrhagic fever, now known as Ebola virus disease (EVD). First re-ported in Guinea in March 23, it spread to other parts of Africa. It will take only a matter of time before it will spread throughout the world.

“I always thought Ebola was really bad when it hap-pens, but that it would kill 100 people in a remote part of Africa, and then it’s over,” commented Dr. Peter Piot, the co-discoverer of Ebola.

He was wrong. “The way Ebola has spread so far, it’s hard to believe it will just die out,” pointed out Dr. Heinz Feldmann, chief of vi-rology at the US National In-stitute of Allergy and Infec-tious Disease (NIAID). “At some point it will, but how long is that going to take and how many people have to die for that to happen?”

It is, indeed, very scary. “The Ebola virus disease is any doctor’s or scien-tist’s nightmare,” wrote Dr. Rafael R. Castillo, the edi-tor-in-chief of “Health and Lifestyle,” a magazine for health professionals. “With no known treatment and only experimental drugs available, it carries a high mortality rate reaching up to 90%.”

Ebola virus has been found in African monkeys, chimps and other nonhu-man primates. A milder strain of Ebola, called Res-ton ebolavirus, has been discovered in monkeys and pigs in the Philippines.

Ebola was first reported in 1976 in two simultane-ous outbreaks, in Nzara, Su-dan, and in Yambuku, Dem-ocratic Republic of Congo. The latter was in a village situated near the Ebola Riv-er, from which the disease takes its name.

But how it returns, no one knows. And now, EVD becomes deadlier. In fact, it is fatal within a week of the first sign of symptoms, and can spread among the living like “forest fire,” to quote the words of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the vi-rus,” says the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO). The incubation pe-

riod (the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms) is 2 to 21 days.

The resurgence of EVD caught the medical science by surprise. To think of, an American Surgeon General told the United States Con-gress in 1969: “The time has come to close the book on infectious diseases.” Because of this, research budgets were slashed and medical students were dis-couraged from specializing in such illnesses.

Dr. Bernard Fields, a Harvard microbiologist who went through Amer-ican medical schools in the 1960s, recalled being told by his mentors: “Don’t bother going into infectious diseases.”

“The perception was that we had conquered almost every infectious disease,” notes Dr. Thomas Beam of the Buffalo, New York, VA Medical Center. The polio virus had been tamed by the Salk and Sa-bin vaccines. The smallpox virus was virtually gone. The parasite that caused malaria was in retreat. Once deadly illnesses, in-cluding diphtheria, pertus-sis (whooping cough) and tetanus, seemed like quaint reminders of a bygone era.

Science was sure the real challenges would like in the conquest of cancer, heart disease, and other chronic ailments. Instead, “medicine’s purported triumph over infectious disease has become an il-lusion,” writes Dr. Sherwin Nuland in his bestselling “How We Die.”

But it seems medicine declared victory and went home too soon. Every dis-ease-causing bacterium now has versions that resist at least one of medicine’s 100-plus antibiotics.

Scientists claim that one of the reasons why new viruses and drug-re-sistant bacteria are revers-ing human victories over infectious diseases is due to the misuse of antibiotics. “Essentially,” Dr. Lee Green, a family practitioner at the University of Michigan, was quoted as saying by “News-week,” “we have a tradition of prescribing antibiotics to anybody who looks sick.”

“In many countries, an-tibiotics are available with-out doctor’s prescription, which lets patients diag-nose and dose themselves, often inappropriately,” “Time” journalist Michael D. Lemonick wrote. “And high-tech farmers have learned that mixing low doses of

antibiotics into cattle feed makes the animals grow larger. Bacteria in the cat-tle become resistant to the drugs, and when people drink milk or eat meat, this immunity may be trans-ferred to human bacteria.”

But even when doc-tors dispense antibiotics properly, there is no guar-antee they’ll be used that way. Several studies have shown that a third of all pa-tients fail to use the drugs as prescribed. In his special report, Lemonick wrote: “Patients frequently stop taking antibiotics when their symptoms go away but before an infection is entirely cleared up. That suppresses susceptible mi-crobes but allows partially resistant ones to flourish.”

Such is the case of tu-berculosis (TB). “The cur-rent TB epidemic is expect-ed to grow worse, especial-ly in developing countries, because of the evolution of MDR (multidrug-resistant) strains and the emergence of AIDS, which comprises human immune system and makes them more sus-ceptible to infectious dis-eases,” Platt noted.

Another reason for the resurgence of infectious diseases: economic. “The New York Times” reports

that the first attempts to develop a vaccine for the EVD began shortly after it first emerged in 1976. However lack of funding from the pharmaceutical industry has long stalled these efforts.

“There are several vac-cines and drug treatments in development and test-ing for Ebola, but none have been approved by regulators,” “The New York Times” pointed out.

Commercializing them is a challenge given that EVD is a rare disease, Dr. Thomas Geisbert, who works on potential Ebola vaccine platforms as a re-searcher at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, was quoted as saying.

“Ebola is very rare -- there is not a financial incentive for large phar-maceutical companies to make vaccines for Ebola,” Dr. Geisbert added. “It’s really going to require government agencies or a foundation.”

Environmental degra-dation in a way has also contributed to the appear-ance of new infectious dis-eases. “Infectious diseases are a basic barometer of the environmental sustain-ability of human activity,”

writes Anne Platt, author of “Infecting Ourselves: How Environmental and Social Disruptions Trigger Disease.”

“One of the clearest ex-amples of how ecosystem disruption affects disease behavior can be seen in the interaction between deforestation and the in-fectious, and particularly vector-borne, diseases that are common through trop-ics and subtropics,” writes Francesca Grifo, director of the Center for Biodiver-sity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History. (A vector is an organism that trans-mits a disease from place to place.)

Lyme disease, which is spread by ticks, was first identified in 1976 in the northeastern part of the United States. “Forest frag-mentation, loss of preda-tors, and the shift of sub-urbia closer to woodlands were all implicated in the appearance of this dis-ease,” said Professor Tony McMichael, of the Austra-lian National University in Canberra.

International travel has something to do with the spread of infectious dis-eases. “When people trav-el to new environments they risk encounters with pathogens to which they have little immunity,” not-ed Prof. Pirages.

Air travel, for instance, allows viruses from Africa to “jump” to other conti-nents in a matter of hours. “Microbes, which can hitch rides on anything from the boots of travelers to the wheel wells of planes, are extending their reach and come in contact with more people,” Platt points out.

One result is that vi-ruses, which previously re-mained hidden in remote rain forests, have sudden-ly access to large human populations. Platt cited the case of the rapid settle-ment of the Amazon basin, which contributed to the spread of malaria-carrying mosquitoes. On the oth-er hand, the paving of the Kinshasa Highway across central Africa gave a fate-ful boost to the outbreak of the dreaded AIDS.

Meanwhile, “the race continues between the growing ability of new and resurgent diseases to spread more rapidly and the ability of an increasing-ly sophisticated network of health officials and lab-oratories worldwide to respond quickly to new disease threats,” declares Dennis Pirages, Harrison professor of International Environmental Politics in the Department of Gov-ernment and Politics at the University of Maryland.

THE RESURGENCE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASESBy HENRYLITO D. TACIO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 5EDGEDAVAO

THE ECONOMY

The National Eco-nomic and Devel-opment Authority

(NEDA) 11 is planning to start the bidding for development and mod-ernization projects of Francisco Bangoy Inter-national Airport and the Davao Sasa Internation-al Port next year with a combined budget worth P59.56 billion.

“We hope that the Public-Private Part-nership (PPP) Center will finish all necessary tender documents this year,” NEDA 11 regional director Maria Lourdes Lim said.

She said that when the documents are fin-ished. Invitation to bid will be published nation-wide to attract possible investors and private sector partner.

Speaking in a press conference during the Davao City Roadshow of the 2014- 2016 Updated Regional Development Plan (URDP) at the Grand Men Seng Hotel, Lim said that the NEDA Board ap-proved an estimated of P40.5 billion for the de-velopment, maintenance

and operation of the F. Bangoy International Airport which will be im-plemented in two phases through a PPP scheme.

“This project involves the operations and main-tenance of the Davao In-ternational Airport. It also provides additional facilities and other nec-essary improvements to enhance safety, security, access, passenger and cargo movement effi-ciency, and operational efficiency at the airport excluding air navigation control, air navigation services, and their as-sociated services,” the Neda said in a state-ment.

The proponent of the project is the Depart-ment of Transportation and Communication (DOTC).

On the other hand, NEDA Board, headed by President Aquino, also approved P18.99 billion for the modernization and development of the Davao Sasa Internation-al Airport that will be also implemented under the PPP scheme.

Lim said that the

concession period for the modernization and development project for the port would take 30 to 35 year inclusive of the construction.

“The project is aimed at redeveloping and modernizing facilities, operations and main-tenance of the Davao Sasa Port. This includes the construction of new quay wall and terminal, procurement, installa-tion and operation of 5 Ship-to-Shore gan-try (gooseneck-type) cranes, 14 Rubber Tyred Gantries, 2 reach stack-ers, 30 terminal trac-tors, 35 container trail-ers, 10 empty container handlers, and other aux-iliary equipment,” Lim said.

She also said that the proposal includes the acquisition of a 7- hect-are right of way that will be devoted for the con-struction of the special truck lane as well as ex-pansion of the port facil-ities itself.

“We are pleased that our gateways were in-cluded the PPP scheme,” Lim said.

BACK TO FISHING. A fish trader loads a yellow fin tuna into a container filled with ice at Sta. Ana wharf yester-day. Fishing activities at the Davao Gulf is back to normal

after fisher folk temporarily halted their operations two weeks ago due to strong winds and big waves brought by the monsoon. Lean Daval Jr.

crc@edgedavao.net

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

Bidding for P60-B port, airport upgrade in 2015

VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014

GRABTAXI IT. GrabTaxi assistant general manager Natasha Bautista (3rd from left), together with Drive Experience manager Paolo Ebale (2nd from right), team leader Francis Gamutan (leftmost), operations manager Raymond Dejon (2nd from left), team leader Loyd Lopez (rightmost) and Dabawenyo

Youtube sensation Bogart D’ Explorer, flashes the GrabTaxi app on her mobile phone during its Davao City launch at Saging Repablik yesterday. GrabTaxi is the largest Southeast Asian taxi-booking mobile app that provides passen-gers a safe, secure and fast way of getting to their destination. Lean Daval Jr.

6 THE ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- A top cacao producer is eyeing

Sarangani Province as po-tential expansion area for its thriving contract-grow-ing operations.

Sarangani Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon said top executives of Kennemer Foods International (KFI) Inc. visited the province

recently to explore the pos-sibility of developing cacao plantations as part of the company’s continuing ex-pansions in parts of Mind-anao.

He said company pres-ident Simon Bakker, in a meeting at the provincial capitol in Alabel town, ini-tially acknowledged the province as a viable area

for the production of cacao.“We specifically dis-

cussed the promising ben-efits of growing cacao in Sarangani,” the governor said.

Based on earlier stud-ies made by the local government, Solon said cacao is one of the peren-nial crops with a relatively short gestation period that

is suitable in the province.He said it can be plant-

ed with other crops or intercropped and could provide stable income for farmers with its sure mar-ket.

“We will be taking Bak-ker around the province for an ocular visit of the potential sites,” Solon said. (MindaNews)

A bill that will increase the take-home pay of public and pri-

vate employees is among the measures that will be passed before the year ends, said Senate President Franklin M. Drilon.

"In the meeting we had with the House leadership, we have resolved that the tax exemption limit on 13th month pay and other benefits should have the Congress' approval before the year ends. This bill has already the lawmakers' thumbs up, so it's possi-ble that we can pass it this year,” said Drilon.

Drilon said the Senate Committee on Ways and Means is already finished with its committee report and it will be brought to plenary debates this week.

“Once it is laid on the floor, we will immediately calendar it for debates. I am sure we can come up with the solutions on how to ad-dress the concerns regard-ing its effects on our nation-al coffers,” said Drilon.

“What we are more con-cerned about is how we can help our millions of work-ers who are struggling from day to day to cope with the effects of inflation. The exemplary actions of our workers, for instance, our teachers, cops and soldiers deserve more support from

the government,” stressed Drilon.

The Senate intends to raise the exclusion limit on an individual’s 13th month pay, Christmas bonus, and other work benefits from income taxation from the current imposed limit of P30, 000 to P75,000.

The House version of the proposed measure had already been transmitted to the Senate last Septem-ber.

Meanwhile, Drilon said he expects floor delibera-tions on the 2015 national budget to start by Novem-ber 18. He said the cham-ber remains on-track on the budget and is commit-ted to approve it before the year ends.

The Senate leader also enumerated a number of measures, mostly eco-nomic measures, that will receive urgent legislative action which include the Bangsamoro Basic Law, Fair Competition Act, Ra-tionalization of Fiscal In-centives Law, Customs and Tariff Modernization Act, Rationalization of Mining Revenues Act, the amend-ments to the charter of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Built-Operate-Transfer law, and the establishment of an information and com-munications technology department.

Cacao contract-growingbeing eyed in Sarangani

Senate to up tax exemption limit on Christmas perks

VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 7EDGEDAVAO

HEALTH

A few months ago, a leading television network reported of

the story of Rev. Magnolia Nova Mendoza who was barred from taking her flight due to her psoriasis. The Pasay City Regional Trial Court ordered Cebu Pacific “to pay P2 million in moral and exemplary damages.”

Pasay court Branch 114 Judge Edwin Ram-izo, in a 39-page decision, said the ordained minister and professor at the Sil-liman University Divinity School, was “put in a sit-uation wherein she was being subjected to a rig-id inspection through no fault of her, thus bringing so much embarrassment, humiliation and anxiety on her part…”

Although psoriasis is not a communicable dis-ease, the check-in person-nel reportedly asked her to produce a medical cer-tificate before she could be allowed to board the flight. According to the TV report, she would be allowed to fly from Duma-guete to Manila “as long as she can produce a medical certificate that she is safe for travel.”

Unlike tuberculosis, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and other in-fectious diseases, psoria-sis is, as stated earlier, not a communicable disease. It is a long-lasting, recur-ring disease often mistak-en for leprosy, a chronic infection but not highly contagious.

“Psoriasis occurs when skin cells quickly rise from their origin below the sur-face of the skin and pile up on the surface before they have a chance to ma-ture,” explains the Port-land-based National Pso-riasis Foundation (NPF) in the United States.

The movement, also called turnover, takes about a month, but in psoriasis it may occur in only a few days. “In its typical form, psoriasis re-sults in patched of thick, red skin covered with sil-very scales,” notes NPF. “These patches, which are sometimes referred to as plaques, usually itch or feel sore. They most of-ten occur on the elbows, knees, other parts of the legs, scalp, lower back, face, palms and soles of the feet, but they can oc-cur on skin anywhere on the body.”

The NPF says the dis-ease may also affect the fingernails, the toenails, and the soft tissues of the genitals and inside the mouth.

Several formsThere are several

forms of psoriasis, accord-ing to NPF. Some of these include: plaque psoriasis (skin lesions are red at the base and covered by sil-very scales), guttate pso-riasis (small, drop-shaped lesions appear on the trunk, limbs, and scalps), and pustular psoriasis (blisters of non-infectious pus appear on the skin).

Inverse psoriasis is

smooth, red patches oc-curring in the folds of the skin near the genitals, un-der the breasts, or in the armpits. The symptoms may be worsened by fric-tion and sweating. On the other hand, erythro-dermic psoriasis is wide-spread reddening and scaling of the skin, which may be a reaction to se-vere sunburn or to taking medications. It can also be caused by a prolonged pe-riod of increased activity of psoriasis that is poorly controlled. Then, there’s psoriatic arthritis, a joint inflammation that produc-es symptoms of arthritis in patients who have or will develop psoriasis.

“Although the patch-es do not cause extreme physical discomfort, they are very obvious and often embarrassing to the per-son,” points out The Merck Manual of Medical Infor-mation.

Jude, who was only 15 when he had psoria-sis, could never go swim-ming in the beach or pools with his friends. When he changed clothes, he usu-ally closed the door of his room so that nobody could see him. “I am afraid they would find about it.”

Although it is not life-threatening, the psy-chological distress caused by psoriasis can be severe; it may lead to significant depression and social iso-lation. Many people with psoriasis also have de-formed, thickened, pitted nails.

If there ever was a medical condition that could convince Sherlock Holmes to get out of busi-ness, it’s psoriasis. “When it comes to psoriasis, mod-ern medicine is absolutely inadequate,” deplores Dr. Laurence Miller, an advis-er to the US National Insti-tutes of Health.

Top 20 diseasesGenerally, psoria-

sis starts most often in people aged 10 to 40, al-though people in all age groups are susceptible. “Psoriasis has always been on the list of the top 20 diseases in the coun-try,” bares Dr. Francisca dela Cruz-Roa, who is with the Philippine Der-matology Society. “It often appears in the late teens to adulthood. It rarely oc-curs in children.”

Psoriasis persists throughout life but may come and go. “Symptoms are often diminished during the summer when the skin is exposed to bright sunlight,” says the Merck manual. “Some people may go for years between occurrences. Psoriasis may flare up for no apparent reason, or as a result of a variety of cir-cumstances.”

Speaking of flare-ups, the Merck manual in-forms: “Flare-ups often result from conditions that irritate the skin, such as minor injuries and severe sunburn. Some-times flare-ups follow infections, such as colds and strep throats. Many

drugs, such as antima-larial drugs, lithium and beta-blockers, can also cause psoriasis to flare up.”

CausesThe cause of psoria-

sis is still unknown, but a problem with the immune system is thought to play a leading role. “Psoriasis is a skin disorder driven by the immune system, especially involving a type of white blood cell called a T-cell,” explains NPF. “Normally, T-cells help protect the body against infection and disease. In the case of psoriasis, T-cells are put into action by mistake and become so active that they trigger other immune responses, which lead to inflamma-tion and to rapid turnover of skin cells.”

The disorder often runs in families. “In about one-third of the cases, there is a family history of psoriasis,” the NPF re-ports. “Researchers have studied a large number of families affected by psoriasis and identified genes linked to the dis-ease.” (Genes govern ev-ery bodily function and determine the inherited traits passed from parent to child.)

TreatmentThere is still no cure

for psoriasis. However, there are many drugs available to treat the dis-ease. Most often, a com-bination of drugs, is used, depending on the severity and extent of the person’s

symptoms.Bathing is often a

catch-22 for those with psoriasis. That’s because soaking in warm water helps soften psoriasis plaques, but it sometimes dries skin and worsens itching. “One way to get the benefits of a batch without the dryness is to add a couple of capfuls of vegetable oil to your batch,” says Dr. Glennis McNeal, NPF’s public in-formation director. “The best way to do is to get in the tub first, so your body soaks up the water, and then add the oil.”

Watch what you eat. “Although there are no specific links that have been proven, it appears a diet high in oily fish -- such as tuna, mackerel, sardines, and salmon -- helps reduce the itching and inflammation of pso-riasis,” says Dr. Nicolas J. Lowe, clinical professor of dermatology at the Uni-versity of California.

Those are just some suggestions. “Since there is no cure for psoriasis,” NPF states, “people have to manage their disease during their lifetime. It is a major challenge to find a treatment that works, has a favorable track re-cord for safety and can be easily integrated into a patient’s life. Because of its convenience and ease of administration, it may provide patients with a sense of control over their disease.” By Henrylito D. Tacio

PSORIASIS: WHEN SKIN CELLS RUN AMUCK

VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 20148

To do the right thingsEDITORIAL

A select group of Dabawenyos, mostly coming from vari-ous local and national government offices, with a sprin-kling of concerned personalities from the private sector

and the ubiquitous media, attended a roadshow on the updat-ed Davao Regional Development Plan for 2014-2016.

It was obvious to the discerning that the Regional Develop-ment Council 11, headed by the grizzled Davao del Norte gov-ernor, Rodolfo del Rosario, did a good job of crafting a regional development plan.

One of the impressive presentations was that of Davao City, done by Jose Froilan T. Rigor, an engineer who heads the plans and programs division of the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO). Rigor’s presentation included Davao City’s pro-posals for national government funding in 2016. The latter encompass multi-billion peso infrastructure projects such as the construction of a Davao City bypass road which will pass through all the city’s three congressional districts, feasibility study on another International Airport in the Davao region and massive funding for poverty-reduction projects, among many others.

An important side presentation was an overview of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 done by Ms Marie

Anne J. How, a division chief of the Department of Trade and Industry 11.

After explaining the four pillars of the ASEAN integration (single market and production base, competitive economic region, equitable economic development and integration into global economy), Ms How assured the audience that “the Phil-ippines is now in a strong position for AEC,” as the country’s “economy appears to be in a ‘breakout’ mode”.

The AEC preparation, she said, is pushing the country “to do the right things.” What are these right things, she is referring to? They are: bringing down trade and investment barriers; fostering greater tourism jobs and earnings; improving trade facilitation by improving business cost, improving competi-tiveness of Philippine businesses; and adopting strong compe-tition policy aimed at diffusing market power and monopolis-tic/oligopolistic behavior, leveling the playing fields for small and medium enterprises and achieving more inclusive words. These goals expressed in economic jargons not familiar to all are not as easy as ABC to achieve, borrowing a tired cliché.

Indubitably, for a great idea like economic integration to succeed there is absolute need for a change in the mindset of most people populating the ASEAN region.

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014

BY MANNY VALDEHUESA

THE WORM’S EYEVIEW

John Triaecisouth@gmail.com

MY TWO CENTS’

So much corruption but no loss of confidence!

Savings, the ‘bottom 50,’ and mature growthVANTAGE POINTS 9EDGEDAVAO

GOVERNOR Amado Tetangco of the Bangko Sentral reported that our savings rate has progressively been

going up over the last years. Hard to be-lieve? Unless we understand the scope and context upon which savings are made. Are these the result of greater financial litera-cy? Are we paying less for our credit cards? Who is able to save?

In a speech at the Philppine Pension and Investment Summit in Makati last Oc-tober 20, Tetangco noted that at the end of June, there were 47 million deposit ac-counts held by 38.4 million people. This was up from 40.1 million accounts and 31.1 million depositors in March 2012. This rep-resents significant growth in deposits. The downside, if you will, is that 69.3 percent, of savings can be attributed to 20 percent of families while the bottom 50 percent of Filipino families generate just 6.2 percent of total savings. This means that the bot-tom 50 (the poor) are still generally unable to generate savings.

As such, the ability of the bottom 50 to save and participate in this growth will make or break the growth. Imagine 50 mil-lion more Filipino depositors with at least 5,000 pesos invested in the system? This adds up to 250 billion more pesos available in the local financial system, that, in turn,

can fund local business expan-sion, pay for a higher avail-abliilty of medi-cal services that employ more of our nurses, buy more local food grown by local farmers. This r e i n v e s t m e n t can raise local incomes, em-ploy more and create that multiplier effect to drive more growth to reach more people. The bottom 50 do not spend on holidays in Hongkong or go shopping for imported items at the malls. They reinvest quickly in local prod-ucts and services to meet their needs. They are the steady drivers of a growing econ-omy.

What threatens our ability to save? Among others, the major threat are infla-tionary pressures that raise commodity prices. Whatever savings the poor hold are quickly wiped out with an increase in food prices. Another is the need to ex-pand financial services to those that need them but cannot afford to keep money in

local banks. Many banks require account balances well into the thousands that only the middle class and the more affluent can afford to maintain. This shuts out the bot-tom 50.

Far from proclaiming this increased savings rate as evidence of inclusive growth, Tetangcos announcement opens the door to a deeper discussion on savings and growth, and nonetheless sets a bench-mark toward which better programs and support to drive local savings need to be made.

True, inflation has been kept relatively low in the past few years, hovering at about 3-4% while GDP Growth remains at within the 6-7% range. Perhaps that is to blame for the steady increase in savings. More people are able to keep more money in the banking system, invest in banks and other financial institutions, or reinvest in some form of economic activity. Of course, these pertain to the middle class, as evidenced by Tetangcos own report.

The best way to encourage savings is to keep inflation in check in the long term, or create a deliberate effort to lower food and energy prices to lower inflation a bit further. Lower these costs and you will in-crease the savings by the greater majority of the poor. More banks will be encouraged

to build branches and employ people in the countrysides, and greater access to financial services like credit for start-up business is achieved.

Perhaps legislation to boost local micro-finance is necessary? Perhaps some local governments can enact local policies and programs to capitalize on national laws like the agri-agra law to boost savings among the rural poor, to push the growth of credit cooperatives and genuine rural banking that invests in agriculture? This protects them from loan sharks in the public markets who lend exorbitantly, and breaks the chain of dependence on some who profit needless-ly from their production. This threatens the ability of the bottom 50 to save and access financial services necessary to fuel their own growth as families and communities.

The goal of steady growth is not achieved after a good takeoff alone. If Rostow is to be believed, growth needs to be sustained over the next ten years in a drive to maturity leading to an age of high mass consumption when the local population is economically empowered to sustainably consume goods and service they are able to produce. Only when the bottom 50, the “steady drivers” of growth are empowered to participate in this growth, will our economy mature to and help us achieve the stable growth we need.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- It goes without saying that before rush-ing to judgment on a charge of

wrongdoing it must be proved, evidence presented and passed upon.

But what can one do about wrongdo-ing in a system infested with barefaced scofflaws, expert dissemblers, wily ma-nipulators, and shameless hypocrites?

In our society, corruption in poli-tics and public office is rife, with far too many high and low officials implicat-ed—presidents, senators, congressmen, no less. And, yes, the vice president!

Some say it’s normal in politics, that it’s just perception. But isn’t it so that where there’s smoke, there’s fire! There certainly is a lot of smoke and it’s on all levels of the bureaucracy.

*****But even clear evidence can be

trumped by experts at cover-up, perjury, forgery, bribery, or a gun-for-hire.

In the ideal order, wrongdoing would be inhibited by conscience and sense of propriety or delicadeza—where ethical standards demand not only good con-duct but behavior beyond reproach.

The culture of honesty would dis-courage corruption and even drive wrongdoers to self-retribution or, worse, self-immolation as in Japan where the code of honor demands hara kiri.

But what’s one to do where such refinements and civilized values are bastardized by people that ought to be

society’s role models? Unable to make evidence stick, one is tied down and cul-prits stay free. Besides throwing up your hands in anger and frustration, what to do?

*****Obviously, it’s imperative that we do

something about all the corruption in our system. Like the virulent Ebola vi-rus, corruption threatens our society on a grand scale. And like the Ebola threat, individual and collective action is imper-ative if we are to contain its rampage.

We, someone, or some group, must take the problem to heart, to clean up what can be cleaned up, and draw the line beyond which no one gets away free. But to fight corruption on such scale requires from each of us an assertive brand of sovereignty—citizen power to clean up the system and restock it with the honest, the honorable, and the com-petent.

It must be a bottom up effort, all-in-clusive if possible. The staging point must be in every community, the primal level of the social order, where everyone lives.

There are 42,078 such communities in our republic—the barangays in which all one hundred million of us Filipinos

reside.*****Our society needs good, honest, effi-

cient governance in every one of them. But we seem so lackadaisical and le-nient, tolerant and devil-may-care that we can’t even rid our community of the really bad ones!

We can do it through the power of Recall, if we care and if we dare. And it’s high time we do so. The law not only al-lows us to take back the power we dele-gated, it bids us to do it where warrant-ed. Mere loss of confidence is all.

With thousands of ill-motivated, erring, and downright corrupt baran-gay officials who need to be removed and replaced, the anti-corrupt-official campaign must start now. Our nation-al situation necessitates it; there’s still time. Otherwise there’ll be hell to pay when the 1916 elections roll in.

It’s barangay officials, remember, who lord it over the precincts during the campaign right up to Election Day. Any corrupt, incompetent, cheating, or trapo barangay official still in place by then will be sure to deliver the votes to corrupt and greedy national candi-dates.

*****They should be removed and neu-

tralized now, barangay by barangay. They’re entitled to stay on only if they enjoy the community’s trust and confi-dence. If trust and confidence has been

breached, the community has the right to boot them out.

The Power of Recall is a powerful tool for compelling good, honest, and dedicated governance; but so far, it’s only been potential power, dormant, with no barangay on record as having wielded it.

Imagine all the years and all the instances of corruption and bad gov-ernance that have been crying out for sanctions—and nary an official or set of officials incurred anyone’s loss of confidence! This has emboldened them and countless others to go on with their crooked ways. Violating laws before, during, after, and in-between elections go unpunished.

No wonder things can go haywire in Manila or Makati where the highest of-ficials of the land can be so corrupt or incompetent—but no one gets fired, no one resigns, and no one incurs anyone’s loss of confidence. Like barangay, like nation!

Manny is former UNESCO regional director for Asia-Pacific; secretary-gen-eral, Southeast Asia Publishers Associa-tion; director, development academy of Philippines; member, Philippine Mission to the UN; vice chair, Local Government Academy; member, Cory Govt’s Peace Panel; awardee, PPI-UNICEF outstand-ing columnist. He is president/national convenor, Gising Barangay Movement Inc. valdehuesa@gmail.com

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left if we undergo into bidding process. Our ten-tative target that by No-vember 15 we should be ready,” Duterte said.

For the emergency transport vehicle of the positive Ebola patient, the Mayor will lend one of the ambulances from Central 911. He said that he will also provide the driver and the Department of Health (DOH) will pro-vide the trainings.

Duterte said that he will support mea-sures geared towards virus prevention of the dreaded virus which has gripped terror around

the world.He said that if the case

will come to worst, he will find a ship where the patients will be isolated.

“If we get about 30-40 infections that becomes a national security prob-lem,” Duterte said.

Duterte said that he told DOH-11 regional di-rector Abdullah Dumama that he will just extend monetary assistance to their needs.

In the presentation, Davao Regional Hospital in Tagum City and the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City have been

identified as core referral hospitals since both have total six isolation rooms, ambulance, trained hos-pital staff. However, the DOH 11 said there is a need of additional P5 million additional funds for enhancement and ad-ditional isolation rooms

Dumama is also stressed the need for the Procurement of initial 500 sets Personal Protec-tive Equipment (PPE), Information Education Communication (IEC) materials production, stand-by support med-icines and Emergency Quick release funds.

and investment in the two sub-regions and the Euro-pean Union.

Ang, an exporter of tuna, on top of being a top restaurateur (he owns the famous Marina Tuna), said that it is a high time to de-velop the export industry of Mindanao because of the opportunity posed by the 2015 Asean Integra-tion.

“Small farmers will benefit most,” Ang said, adding that big bulk of the exported products of the Philippines are from the agriculture sector of Min-danao.

He said that Mindanao has a big potential in the export market because of its vast land area that can be utilized as plantations of different agriculture products.

“Only 40 percent of Mindanao’s land area is utilized. I hope that more foreign investors and

banking institutions will come in Mindanao to as-sist local businessmen and small farmers,” Ang added.

On the other hand, the forum will be comprised of three parts namely Ase-an Trade and Investments, European Trade and In-vestments, and a fellow-ship night.

Topics to be discussed under the Asean Trade and Investments include; Overview of the Asean Economic Community and Philippine Business; Asean Framework Agree-ment on Services (AFAS) and Asean Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA); key elements and benefits; case studies on the agri-manufactur-ing and service sector; Government Initiatives Towards Industry Com-petitiveness; Industry Development - Plans and Programs; and Inclusive Growth and Encouraging

Small and Medium Enter-prises (SME) to Expand.

For the second part, topics will include; Ex-port Business in Europe: Tariffs and Trade Re-quirements; Accessing the European Market; and Market Opportunities through the European Chamber of Commerce in Philippines.

The last part of the event will be a fellowship night that will provide participants business matching opportunities, Marañon said.

“Local SMEs are en-couraged to attend the event as it will provide the needed information they need if they want to begin exporting their products to the Asean or in Europe,” Marie Anne Haw, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 11 chief for small and me-dium enterprise develop-ment division, said. CRC

lead them in reaffirming with the Bureau’s mission and objectives, chiefly for increase collection, trade facilitation and border pro-tection.

He reminded BOC Davao’s organic manpower of the BOC’s hierarchy who should be followed, saying: “Always remember that we have higher authorities above, authorities who will oversee us. Their concern is also our concern.”

The statement was ap-parently a tab to the report that dismissed district col-lector Ernesto Aradanas allegedly tried to cling to his post following allega-tion that he resisted direc-tives of BOC Commissioner John Sevilla to immediately issue a writ of seizure and detention (WSD) to the smuggled oil shipment of 260,000 liters of premi-um gasoline apprehended in the sub-port of General Santos by the Manila cus-toms intelligence agents with Philippine Coast Guard elements last Sept. 6.

During Aradanas’ al-leged dilly-dallying in issu-ing his WSD the smuggled shipment was pilfered of 163,000 liters. Aradanas issued his WSD on Sept. 23.

Report also said that Sevilla asked Aradanas to immediately resign days after the incident but the latter reportedly clung to his post until he received

the termination order of Dept. of Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima.

The order terminat-ing his services as project manager was signed by Purisima Oct. 1. Aradanas only left the post Oct. 13, the other Monday.

Aradanas vehemently denied making wrongdo-ing even as he thoroughly explained his actions as proper and legal that led to his late issuance of WSD.

In press statement when Aradanas left post Oct. 13, he stressed he did not resign and called for impartial probe citing lack of due process in the termi-nation order.

Aradanas, a retired brigadier general, was hired as project manager 3 of the Office of Revenue Modernization under the Dept. of Finance. Being that, he was deployed to BOC and subsequently was assigned as district collec-tor for BOC Davao last Feb. 3, 2014. BOC is under the DoF.

Butalid is reportedly a protege of BOC Deputy Commissioner for Intelli-gence Jesse Dellosa.

It was Dellosa’s Intel-ligence Group (IG) that uncovered the so-called oil smuggling “pipeline” between Malaysia and the Philippines starting from Sabah and ending up at various ports in Mindanao.

A report said that smug-

gling has become rampant in Mindanao through the so-called “Malaysia-Philip-pine smuggling pipeline.”

Butalid was the former chief at J6 (Communica-tions, Electronics and In-formation System Service) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) before his retirement in 2011.

He ran for congress-man in the first district of Masbate last May 2013 polls but lost. Late last month he joined the BOC IG per backing of Dellosa. Cha Monforte, Correspon-dent

the VFA were involved in heinous crimes such as rape and murder,” Libra-do said.

She said that the present conditions called for the abolish-ment of the Enhanced

Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) which is the updated version of VFA.

“The death of Laude puts up to fore ques-tion not only on sover-eignty but of justice and

equality. Granting the declared constitutional-ity of the VFA by the Su-preme Court, nowhere in the promulgated de-cision did the SC state that where VFA is in ef-fect,” Librado said. ABF

no kaya lang may grupo gaya ng KARAPATAN na pinilit silang irelease kaya dinocument nalang sila,� Año said.

“Sa pag papatupad naman ng batas ay pan-tay-pantay. Kaya yung mga NPA na gustong mag surrender Malaya silang mag surrender kung wala silang warrant of arrest hindi sila kakasohan kung ayaw naman nila hindi natin sila pipilitin,” he

added.Año also said that

the NPAs can assure that the military will contin-ue to respect their rights and hopes that they will change their minds and go back to the side of the government.

Migue and Boyles were flagged down in a checkpoint in Manay af-ter the Military received reports of the presence of the NPA members trav-

eling down from Sitio Maglahos, Barangay So-brecarey, Caraga, to Po-blacion, Manay on board of two motorcycles.

The troops convinced them to surrender and were brought to the Hap-py Home where former rebels stay.

Later on allegedly members of KARAPA-TAN went to the area and asked for the release of Migue and Boyles.

Villafuerte attributed the high number of mater-nal mortality rate (MMR) in these areas due to lack of doctors and midwives.

Earlier, DOH 11 region-al director Abdullah Du-mama Jr. confirmed that the current MMR is still high, at 97 per 100,000 live births.

This is still far to the target under Millennium Development Goal (MDG), the global sets of targets for reducing poverty, the Philippines must lower the maternal mortality rate to 52 per 100,000 live births by 2015.

Dumama said that for this year, the region is “lucky” to have five doc-tors detailed to the barrios to attend to communities deprived of primary med-ical services.

The doctors are

hired to provide health services in the region’s poorest and most re-mote barrios and villages. The five doctors to the barrios are distributed in the whole region: one in Saranggani Island, Davao del Sur, one in Diwalwal, Monkayo , one for Davao Oriental, and two for Com-postella Valley province.

Ideally, each doctor should cater to 20,000 patients but Dumama said that it is impossible to attain the ideal num-ber because not all re-mote areas are visited in a span of two years. To help address the issues related to maternal health, Dumama said the DOH is training more midwives and nurses to assist preg-nant women and provid-ing affordable medicine and establish health facil-

ities in the barangays.He also lamented that

the poor health services specially in geographical-ly isolated and depressed areas (GIDA) is one of the reasons that causes death.

Dumama said that it is not just the lack of medi-cal personnel in far flung communities but also the lack of medical facilities. “Pinipilit nilang sa bahay muna as they realized that the nearest hospital or blood center is 10 km away,” he added.

He said that most women die of heavy bleed-ing during delivery.

City Administrator Atty. Melchor Quitain, meanwhile, lauded the move of the City Govern-ment of prioritizing pro-grams that will improve health services in the hin-terlands of Davao City. CRC

ment, in coordination with the local police personnel, is currently establishing the identities of the mem-bers of the armed group and their possible affilia-tions, he said.

“We have to resolve this as soon as possible and before the situation in the area would worsen,” the mayor said.

South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes, who chairs the PPOC,

advised the municipal government to assist res-idents who were affected by the land grabbing activ-ities to file the necessary charges against the perpe-trators.

“This problem actual-ly started in the ’90s and has not been resolved up to now because nobody was filing charges against these land-grabbers,” she said.

She acknowledged the

need to pursue law en-forcement activities in the area but noted that such action needs legal basis through the formal filing of charges.

As to the reported presence of an armed group in the area, she di-rected police personnel in Tantangan to coordinate with the South Cotabato Provincial Police Office so they could properly act on the matter. (MindaNews)

VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 11

“IT is life for me,” ex-plained Elsie C. Pad-ernal on why she

loves teaching her culture.Padernal is an elemen-

tary school teacher. And she is a proud member of the Panay Bukidnon Indig-enous People group.

She came to Davao City recently to receive the rec-ognition as one of the five “Faces of the Teachers,” an annual search initiated by the Bato Balani Foun-dation. Since its birth in 2002, the quest has been presenting stories of in-spiration “in the hope of uplifting the stature of teaching in the country.”

Being part of the in-digenous peoples (IPs) is no hindrance to her suc-cess. “Discrimination is still a sad reality Filipino IPs face,” Bato Balani said in a statement. “As a re-sult, the IPs feel inferior to lowlanders. Some resort to just hiding their ethnic roots.

“But that is not for Pad-ernal. A member of the Cabellero clan of the Pan-ay Bukidnon tribe, who are the remaining mas-ters of their culture, she is persistent in learning about her culture as well as passing her knowledge to her students and other people interested about their culture,” the state-ment added.

“Pinepreserve n’ya ang culture nila,” observed Dr. Consejo Sboretejo. “She gives honor also to our district because she is a local and international speaker about IP.” Harold Quimbo, a co-teacher, said, “Sinisikap n’ya talaga na buhayin ang kultura nila.”

In her tribe, “lamin-gan” means “mirror of the youth.” And that’s how she is known. “She has been incorporating their culture in her lessons. She has included local em-broidery in their art class, traditional dance in their physical education and us-ing bamboo instruments in their music class,” notes

the Bato Balani Founda-tion, Inc, which named her as one of “The Many Faces of Teacher 2014.”

“After school, she spends time documenting her culture,” it adds. “She is writing a Sugidanon dictionary which trans-lates the archaic language to Kinaray-a to Tagalog to English. She also keeps other record books where she documents other fac-ets of their culture like constellation, months, wind and trees.”

Padernal came from a poor family. His father wanted her to become a teacher. “I am the daugh-ter of a very poor farmer, but I am fortunate to have a very rich culture and tradition,” she said after accepting the recognition. “My ancestors, both on my mother and father sides, are experts in epic chant-ing, oration, music, bi-nanog dance, embroidery, handicrafts, weapon-mak-ing and settling disputes between tribes.”

Her grandmother is a “binukot,” a well-kept maiden who has memo-rized the Panay-Bukidnon epics, the longest epic in Asia. “These epics, togeth-er with her talents and skills, were passed down to the younger genera-tions in our community including myself,” Pader-nal said.

Her father is the first School of Living Tradition teacher in the Visayas. In 2004, he named the Most Outstanding Indige-nous Peoples’ Leadership Awardee. A decade later, he was recognized as the Most Outstanding Cultur-al Master. “My mother works very hard under the heat of the sun just to help my father in sending us to school,” she said.

Yes, she went through a tough ordeal when she was still studying. While taking her basic educa-tion, “I had to walk 10 ki-lometers from my home in the mountain to school in

the morning and another 10 kilometers in the af-ternoon to get home,” she recalled. “Both the heat of the sun nor the rain did not stop me because I be-lieve that only education can break the chain of poverty in our family, and that inspired me to strive harder and succeed.”

After graduating from college, she worked for a year as a tutor and then served in a private school. But what she really want-ed was to become a pub-lic school teacher. It was fulfilled when she was assigned at the Hillwan Primary School, which is located at the farthest ba-rangay of Calinog, Iloilo. It was tough for her; travel time alone took almost a day and it was not riding in a motorcycle but plain walking.

But after a year, she was transferred to Binulu-san Pequeno Elementary School, where she started documenting her culture. But it was here that she experienced discrimina-tion. In one occasion, she was asked to perform a local dance. One teacher, also an IP, told her after her performance: “Di ka nahiya? Kinakalimutan na’yan, pinapakita mo pa.” To which, she replied: “Bakit ko naman ikakahiya ang pagiging IP ko? Pa-rang ikinahiya ko na rin ang pamilya ko.”

After Binulusan, she taught at Intapian Ele-mentary Schook, where she started mastering tra-ditional musical instru-ments and embroidery under her grandmother, who is a mater in both arts. Intapian is located in Garangan, a mountain community where the Ca-balleros live. It was here that they established the first School of Living Tra-dition.

When a typhoon hit the province, the road leading to Garangan was damaged. So, for health reasons, she was trans-

ferred to Malag-it Prima-ry School, which is nearer to her home. Now, aside from teaching, she is also the IP coordinator as she is the only teacher in her district who has a mastery of their culture.

Outside the classroom, Padernal is a performer, resource speaker, trainer, writer and composer of Panay- Bukidnon chants

and dances. She is also President and founder of the Panay IP Profession-als Organization (PIPPO), which encourages profes-sionals who are members of their tribe to learn about their culture.

Padernal is also spear-heading a project that will train an IP teacher in the 13 mountains barangay and 7 lowland barangays plus 8

in national high schools the integration of IP curricu-lum to regular curriculum.

“Now, as a teacher, I want my pupils to learn something from me; I’d like to share with them the val-ue of education, and mold them to become morally upright individuals,” Pad-ernal concluded.(Photos courtesy of Bato Balani Foundation, Inc.)

PORTRAIT OF A TEACHER AS CULTURAL CURATORBy HENRYLITO D. TACIO

EDGEDAVAO

CULTURE & ARTS

VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 201412 CLASSIFIED

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INdulge! VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014

EDGEDAVAOFOOD

EVERY DAY, we go about our daily lives doing our daily chores and go-ing about our daily lives. But once the weekend comes near, I am quite

sure many urbanites are more than willing to let their hair down and party their Satur-day nights away.

There are some eve-nings though that de-serve much more than just a ordinary good byes and that is why Cafe Marco of the Mar-co Polo Davao Hotel introduced their unique Sunday brunch buffet. Fusing together both breakfast and lunch,

Sunday brunch offers the best of both worlds featuring breakfast fa-vourites such as tapa, fried danggit, crispy bacon and pork tocino together with more tra-ditionally lunch fare such as sushi, steak, and

other premium items. “We wanted to offer everything our diners love for breakfast and fuse them together with lunch in a more relaxed dining experience.” says Executive Sous Chef Victor Barangan

while serving three variations of the famous Eggs Benedict. The one served with smoked salmon and capers was my favourite with the original version of Eggs taking a close second on my palate.

Executive Sous Chef Victor Barangan

Eggs Benedict three ways.

Drink all you can Mimosa and Champagne is served.

Another highlight of Cafe Marco’s Sunday Brunch is the fact that the Php888 price is all inclusive and also fea-tures bottomless serv-ings of champagne and orange Mimosas which is sure to wake even the most tired of partyphile . I loved the scrump-tiously sweet and tart mimosa with its tangy and refreshing flavour which is a great counter balance to the rich dish-es being served Delicious seafood as well as various local fruits are also available during brunch. Sunday brunches at the Cafe Marco also fea-ture a live band belting out classic and funky music which adds to the dining ambience of the Cafe Marco. Follow me @kenneth-kingong on Instagram or of Twitter for more trav-el stories, foodie finds, and happenings in and around Durianburg.

Sunday over easy

IN CELEBRATION of World Post Day, PHL-POST and SM Supermalls celebrate the Na-tional Letter Writing Day on October 9, 2014 with a simultaneous letter-writing activity participated by three hundred students.

The Sulat Mulat postal awareness campaign aims to develop the writing skills of the students and help them hone their composition skills and foster the enjoyment of sending and receiving letter through the postal office. With the support from the Department of Educa-tion, and Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, Sulat Mulat also aims to reintroduce the art of letter writing to students and encourage them more to use letters as means of communication in today’s digital age. In SM City General Santos, the program was par-ticipated by Irineo L. Santiago National High School and Notre Dame of Dadiangas University IBED, at-tended by Post Masters from Koronadal City and General Santos City, staff from General Santos Post Office and teachers from DepEd. The National Letter Writing Day is PHLPost’s an-nual event and hopes to secure a presidential proc-lamation to institutionalize the occasion. For event updates and inquiries, check-out SM City General Santos (Official) on Facebook, or call (083) 878-0667.

A2 INdulge! VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014EDGEDAVAOUP AND ABOUT

PHLPOST holds simultaneous letter-writing in SM Gensan

TALK ‘N TEXT (TNT), the value brand of Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) recently livened up Mindanao festivals by mounting its trademark fiesta show, ‘Panalo Ka, Pilipinas!, bringing a lot of fun and prizes to loyal subscribers in Zamboanga and Tawi Tawi. TNT joined the Hermo-sa Festival in Zamboanga, a month-long celebration in honor of the miracu-lous image of Our Lady of the Pillar, the patroness of Zamboanga City. With the theme, “Rise with strength and faith; March with joy, devotion and unity,” this year’s festival featured concerts, food events and trade fairs, along with the much anticipated regatta and street dance competi-tion. TNT brought more fun in the festival with its ‘Pan-alo Ka, Pilipinas’ show on Governor Camins Avenue, headlined by TNT brand ambassador and ‘Sample King’ Jhong Hilario, who

rocked the stage with his intense dance moves, to the delight of thousands of fans. Pinoy rock band and TNT endorser Itchyworms also swept thousands off their feet with their line-up of hits songs, such as ‘Beer,’ ‘Ayokong Tumanda,’ ‘Akin ka na lang,’ and ‘Araw-araw Panalo.’ Prior to the concert, subscribers also enjoyed their panalo moments in

games such as ‘Susi ng Panalo,’‘Piso O Panalo,’ ‘Panalo Kung Price is Right,’ ‘Shoot Mo Pana-lo,’ and ‘Gulong ng Ka-palaran,’ where they got a shot at winning TNT premium items and cash prizes. TNT also joined this year’s Kamahardikaan Fes-tival, a colorful celebration of the 41st founding an-niversary of the Tawi Tawi province, which featured

week-long activi-ties that included a fluvial parade, street dance, beauty pageant, trade fair and ex-hibits, which all highlighted the rich culture of Tawi Tawi. To celebrate with thousands of loyal subscrib-ers, TNT mount-

ed its “Panalo Ka,

Pilipinas!” show at Capi-tol Hill, featuring games and the live performance of homegrown band Ba-honsa, among others. TNT also brought exciting priz-es for the winners of this year’s Budjang Tawi Tawi, a local beauty pageant and the much-awaited fluvial parade competition. “With these ‘Panalo Ka, Pilipinas!’ shows, TNT is able to add more fun in our cultural celebrations and give our Mindanao sub-scribers more ‘panalo mo-ments’ to share with their friends and loved ones,” said Carlo Endaya, TNT Vice President and Mar-keting Head. For more information on the latest TNT events, pro-mos and services, visit www.talkntext.com.ph and fol-low TNT’s official accounts on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalkNText) and Twitter (@TalkNText).

Talk ‘N Text brand ambassador Jhong Hilario gives his jacket to a lucky subscriber at the TNT Panalo Ka, Pilipinas show in Zamboanga City.

Thousands gather at the Talk ‘N Text Panalo Ka, Pilipinas show on Governor Camins Avenue.

Talk ‘N Text livens up Mindanao festivals

Ireneo High School and Notre Dame IBED Students with General Santos Post Master at SM City General Santos Event Center.

The Letter Writing aims to give students the experience of writing letters and preserve the art of writing as well.

General Santos Post Master Mr. Domingo Pagaran explaining the Mechanics on Letter Writing.

Itchyworms lead vocalist Jugs Jugueta performs before thousands of fans at the Talk ‘N Text Panalo Ka, Pilipinas show in celebration of Hermosa Festival in Zamboanga City.

“It’s Showtime” hosts Karylle and Kuya Kim Atienza put on a show that com-bined music, experiments, and a call for environmental awareness that they capped off with two surprises – an appearance from Mommy Dionisia Pacquaio and the announcement of a mobile app. On Monday (Oct 20), the two hosts kicked off the program’s much-antici-pated Magpasikat Week. Karylle sang a medley of hit songs, while Kuya Kim acted like a scientist testing out differ-ent chemicals. They later revealed that they have released a mobile app that provides in-structions for the do-it-yourself science tricks they did in the performance, in-cluding the recycled dresses Karylle wore. But clearly, they saved the most

surprising bit for last when Mommy D burst out of the background and belt-ed out “Wrecking Ball ,” which greatly astounded judges Cherry Gil, Jim Pare-des, and Pops Fernandez. Following Karylle and Kuya Kim, teammates Vhong Navarro and Jhong Hilario will go onstage on Tuesday, Anne Curtis and Coleen Garcia on Wednesday, Vice Ganda and Ryan

Bang on Thursday, and Billy Crawford and Jugs and Teddy on Friday. Meanwhile, waiter Nikko Seagal Natividad was named the “Gandang Lalake” grand winner last Saturday (October 18). A crowd favorite, Nikko impressed the madlang people with his dancing skills and answer in the question and answer portion, where he was asked to compare his job to an animal. He said, “Kailangan maamo ka sa mga tao kaya parang waiter po, may makitang pumasok na tao, kahit hindi namin kakilala ‘yan, obligado kaming maging maamo sa kanila.”Don’t miss the fun and celebration in Magpasikat Week as “It’s Showtime’s” celebrates its fifth anniversary this Oc-tober, 12:15PM from Mondays to Fri-days and 12NN on Saturdays on ABS-CBN.

KAPUSO actress-host Heart Evan-gelista, Philippines’ Pop Diva Kuh Ledes-ma and internation-ally recognized art-ist Nemesio “Nemi” Miranda, lent their time and creative know-how while serving as the panel of judges in GMA Network’s Art Gap Open 2014: GMA through the De-cades. Fostering the spirit of Kapuso creativity and in-novation, GMA Art Gap Open is an annual art competition for Network employees to explore and express their artistic abilities outside the work-place through various media such as paintings, sculpture and photogra-phy. This year’s contest fea-tured a group painting competition highlighting the colorful history of the Kapuso Network with the theme, “GMA through the Decades.” Each group was given a decade to in-terpret, beginning from the 1950s, when GMA was founded, until the present time. Further adding pres-tige to the event was the participation of se-lect Angono artists who served as mentors for each group. Angono, Rizal, widely recognized as the art capital of the Philippines, is home to prominent figures such as Carlos “Botong” Fran-cisco, National Artist for the visual arts and Lucio

INdulge! A3ENTERTAINMENT

VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 EDGEDAVAO

Heart Evangelista, Kuh Ledesma and Nemi Miranda witness GMA through the decades

Karylle and Kuya Kim ‘experiment’with Mommy Dionisia in ‘It’s Showtime’

San Pedro, National Artist for music. After two successful solo art exhibits this year, Kapuso star and budding artist Heart Evangelista is no stranger to exploring her creative side. Ventur-ing outside the realm of show business, Heart was encouraged to rediscover her passion for painting which had bloomed in her early years. On judg-ing the competition, the Startalk host says, “It is great that GMA encour-ages their employees to develop their creativ-ity. These contestants are very gifted people and it

is an honor to be asked to judge this competition.” As an art enthusiast and painter, Kapuso actress and recording artist Kuh Ledesma was likewise pleased to be chosen as a judge for the competi-tion. “The skill displayed by the artists in this con-test was very impressive. It was also interesting to see their interpretations of GMA’s history,” says Kuh, who was recently seen in the romantic drama My Destiny and is featured as one of the celebrity guest judges on GMA’s newest reality talent search, Bet

Ng Bayan. For renowned painter, sculptor, and muralist Nemi Miranda, the art-works showed promise, saying that it was “a good start.” Known for his “imaginative figurism” art philosophy which entails the recreation of reality from memory as opposed to having a model, Mi-randa’s works include the EDSA Shrine mural and the mural relief sculpture on the parade grounds of Fort Bonifacio. The winners of the Art Gap Open 2014 compe-tition were announced

during GMA Network’s General Assembly last October 16 with GMA Network Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon leading the awarding cer-emony. First place went to the Post Production Depart-ment for their painting on the 70s while the Program Support Department won second place for their in-terpretation of the 80s. Another group from the

Program Support depart-ment also garnered third place for their rendition of the years spanning 2011-2014, while the People’s Choice Award, tabulated from votes sent in by Ka-puso employees, was conferred upon the art-ists from the Engineering Group who depicted the 50s. The winning groups were each awarded with a cash prize and a certifi-cate.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Kapuso star Heart Evangelista describes the contestants as gifted people on her Instagram page. Multi-talented Kapuso artist Kuh Ledesma examines the details on one of the murals on display. Renowned artist Nemi Miranda studies the artworks painted by GMA employees.

R 16

R 13 /* R13

PG131:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 10:00 LFS

R-16

THE JUDGE

Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall

PG 1312:40 | 3:00 | 5:20 | 7:40 | 10:00 LFS

FURY

James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan

12:30 | 3:00 LFS / * 6:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

THE TRIAL/ *DRACULA UNTOLD

John Lloyd Cruz, Jessy Mendiola/

*Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper

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

Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman

THE BEST OF ME

A4 INdulge! VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014EDGEDAVAOFOOD

My coffee partnersI love coffee – and tea and everything I see inside a coffee shop. With the many shops spread all around the metro, it really is hard to have favorites. This time, as I eat and remi-nisce on certain favorites, I came up with a partial list of some of the most famous coffee partners we have.DISCLAIMER:  These are just some of my personal favorites that I have shared with my friends.

StarbucksBelgian WaffleAnything made of batter and cooked like a pancake is already awesome for me. Their belgian waffle with just caramel syrup (no cream please!) is my refuge for a night of talking with friends. I love how dense yet packed this is and also, even without sweet syrup, it still tastes delicious.

French ToastWhen I want something, I crave and crave until I have it. Their French Toast is so flavorful, I can have them without the honey and jam. Perfect for a cup of hot caramel macchiato, I love how big their sev-ing is and its melt in your mouth characteristic.

Krispy KremeOriginal Glaze Doughnut

All time favorite, can be paired with either a hot or cold drink. Even if eaten cold, straight from the ref, it still melts in your mouth with every bite.

Vanila French Toast DoughnutOf the many sweet filled delights they have, I love how smooth and vanilla-ey this is.  I can have this anytime of the day – wish it won’t be ‘phased out’ like their other delicious cre-

ations!

Honey and Cam-embert BreadThis is one bread I’d be happy to eat all day long. The honey-on-a-vial is also a sight to behold. It is soft with just the right hint of cheese that blends well with honey and chopped walnuts (yes, I am allergic but I still eat them!).

BreadTalkBerries and Cream BunI have am not a strawberry fan but this one is an ex-ception. I love the balance of sweetness and tart ex-plosion in the palate as you bite into it. Depsite our love for hot breads, I love mine cold and straight from the ref.

Coffee Bean and Tea LeafEnsaymadaThis big fluffy cheesy and

buttery sweet bread is an all time favorite amongst us. I prefer mine not so hot. Love this paired with a simple brewed coffee or even an espresson.

Chicago Cheese-cakeWithout the blueberry or any other topping, you can actually taste the smooth cheesecake awaiting your fork to dive in. It’s packed and easy on the palate. I lovet his with a cup of ca-puccino.

Lemon SquaresIts playful lemony flavor blends with just about anything. Nonetheless, I prefer this with a hot tea with a squeeze of lemon and teaspoon of honey.

Green CoffeeBlueberry Ensay-madaWas munching on these babies since I can remem-ber. A favorite whenever we were studying for an exan or just a late night chat with friends.

Cafe FranceMadelineThis cute buttery goodness is best whether hot or cold. I love munching on them with a brewed coffee on the side. Love their choco-late flavored madeline too.

Make #TheRoyalChef your Thursday habit! Email me at leebay457@yahoo.com (subject: Roy-alChef) or tag me on ins-tagram (@herroyalheiress) for your delicious pics and food finds!

With the many shops spread all around the metro, it really is hard to have favorites. This time, as I eat and reminisce on certain favorites, I came up with a partial list of some of the most famous coffee

Starbucks Belgian Waffle .

CBTL Chicago Cheesecake.

BreadTalk Berries and Cream Bun.

Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 13ZION ACCUPRINT

PUBLISHING, INC.

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 201414 EDGEDAVAOSPORTS

INDIANAPOLIS --- The biggest story com-ing into the 2014-15

NBA season is definitely LeBron James’ return to Cleveland, which coupled by the arrival of Kevin Love via trade from Min-nesota, has many think-ing championship for the Cavaliers.

Naturally, any team with James in its lineup is automatically considered a threat, but with two le-gitimate All-Stars beside him just as he did in his tenure in South Beach, can the Cavaliers make a similar run the Miami Heat did in the last four years?

The Cavs are going with “All for one; One for all” for their slogan this season, an obvious refer-ence to their own version of The Three Musketeers in James, Love and Kyrie Irving. But as talented as their newly-formed tri-umvirate is, there are a lot of questions and holes with the supporting cast that make me wonder where they have enough behind their “Big Three” to go all the way, or even get out of the much com-petitive East this season.

Add the oft-injured Anderson Varejao and the mercurial and trig-ger-happy Deion Waiters and you got the Cavaliers’ projected starting line-up. In his prime, Varejao would’ve been a great workhorse combo for Love in the paint, but at this stage of his career,

the Cavs would be fortu-nate to get 50 games from him this season with his history of ankle, knee and shoulder injuries. Varejao has played an average of 36 games a year in the last four seasons.

Waiters, on the other hand, can either blossom this year or simply lose his value. He’s the Cavs’ ver-sion of J.R. Smith, a player who can either light it up or be a total distraction and hurt the team with his propensity to look for his own shots. His ef-fort on the defensive end leaves much to be desired as well. As far as old Cavs teammates go for James, I see a little bit of Ricky Davis in Waiters, which didn’t really work out at the time. It’ll be interest-ing to see how Waiters handles his new role with the Cavs this year and how new head coach David Blatt utilizes him.

Looking at their depth chart, you got fourth-year forward/center Tristan Thompson, veterans Shawn Marion, Mike Mill-er, Brendan Haywood and James Jones and Austra-lian backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova rounding up the rotation. On paper, this unit surely won’t strike fear on oppos-ing teams, and it’s hard to picture how it’ll hold up in a deep playoff run.

Against the Indiana Pacers in their presea-son game earlier this week, I witnessed how the Cavaliers’ bench were

manhandled in the paint and allowed the Pac-ers’ bench to come back from a 20-point lead in the third quarter. Other than Thompson, the Cavs don’t have much to throw in the paint in the event that Love gets into foul trouble or if Varejao goes down with an injury. I can see how teams with solid frontcourts like the Bulls and Wizards can wear down and have their way with them in the playoffs.

It’s still preseason though, and things are bound to change. If anything, James’ l e a d e r s h i p and Blatt’s abilities as a coach will truly be put to the test if these Cavs do intend to go deep in the play-offs. It’s for good reason why James has pumped his breaks as opposed to vowing he would win “not one, not two, not three, not four, not five….” rings as he did when he initially joined the Heat, this Cavs team has their work cut out for them. Irving and Love ha-ven’t even won a playoff series yet in their entire career, and with the com-bination of inexperience and fragility, I’m not all too confident with this supporting cast myself to even declare this current team as a favorite to win the title.

WBO light fly-weight champi-on Donnie Niet-

es is in superb condition for his voluntary title defense against Mexico’s Carlos Velarde at the Wa-terfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu on November 15.

Strength and condi-tioning coach Nick Curson told the Philboxing.com that Nietes was “much better than his last fight”

when he dropped man-datory challenger Moises Fuentes three times in the 9th round and knocked him out.

Curson attributed Ni-etes’ better condition to the fact that they “had a longer time to train” for the Velarde fight com-pared to the few weeks they worked together for the Fuentes bout.

However, Curson who

said Nietes “has serious power and hits like a 120 pounder” cautioned against overconfidence, underscoring the fact that Mexicans, like Velarde, are tough ring warriors.

Nietes is expected to move up to flyweight af-ter his showdown with Velarde and headline a “Pinoy Pride” fight card in Dubai sometime in March.

WA S H I N G T O N — The Associ-ated Press will

periodically look at the changing landscape of the NBA during the upcoming season from three per-spectives: A player’s view-point, from the bench, and from the front office. An interview with veteran forward Paul Pierce of the Washington Wizards tips off the series:

___When Paul Pierce

watched the Washington Wizards in last season’s playoffs, he saw plenty of talent and potential.

He also saw some mis-takes.

The Wizards needed something. Weeks later, he decided they needed ... him.

There have been more than 500 transactions in-volving NBA players since the San Antonio Spurs ended last season hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Most of those transactions were barely noticed, hard-ly creating a ripple in the league’s power structure. But others — like Pierce signing with the Wizards in July — figure to have a significant impact on the 2014-15 season.

“That’s the beauty of

our game,” Pierce said. “Any moment, one play-er can change the whole landscape of your fran-chise.”

NBA offseasons at-tract perhaps more at-tention now than some teams get in the regular season. This summer, LeBron James went home to Cleveland, Kevin Love got traded there to join him, Lance Stephenson moved to Charlotte, Chan-dler Parsons headed to Dallas, Chris Bosh stayed put in Miami, and Carme-lo Anthony remained in New York. Already, there’s a buzz about what the blockbuster-in-waiting summer free-agent period of 2016 will look like.

Players hold more power now than ever. In Pierce’s eyes, that’s what sets the NBA apart from other major U.S. pro leagues — that one player can change a team’s for-tunes.

And, thanks in large part to moves like the one he made, the NBA has a different look on the court entering this season than it did when confetti came down in San Antonio four months ago.

“People don’t love the same teams winning

all the time,” Pierce said. “They want to see other teams that weren’t in the spotlight before get into the spotlight. When you have constant landscape change, it brings great in-terest to the league.”

These days, it might as well be called the LeBron Rule.

James left Cleveland for Miami in 2010, the Heat went to four straight NBA Finals, and the Cavaliers became bottom-feeders overnight. He left Miami and returned to Cleveland this summer, and the Cav-aliers are instantly the big favorites to win an NBA championship.

Pierce isn’t conceding anything to Cleveland. He’s in Washington look-ing for a second ring.

He was part of a star-studded group that went to Brooklyn with eyes on a title, but the Nets lost center Brook Lopez early in the year and nev-er realized their potential. Afterward, Pierce weighed his options — stay in Brooklyn? Move to his Los Angeles hometown to join the Clippers? — before deciding he could be the missing piece to Washing-ton’s championship puz-zle. (AP)

LOOKING UP. Lebron James’ return to Cleveland could be big if he wins the title.

CAVS BIG THREE. Kyrie Irving, Lebron James and Kevin Love.

Do the Cavs have enough to win it all?

Nietes is in better shape

Pierce and his new perspective

VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 15SPORTSEDGEDAVAO

The 4th Dr. Elias P. Da-cudao Cup tennis tournament gets

going tomorrow at the Ecoland 1 Tennis Center in Davao City.

“This biggest event for junior tennis players is in honor of the late Dr. Elias P. Dacudao, the fa-ther of tennis in Davao,” said tournament director Marivic Salvador of the organizing Davao Asso-ciation of Tennis Clubs Inc. (Datec) at the SCOOP Session of The Royal Man-daya Hotel Tuesday.

The netfest is spon-sored by the Dacudao family with Technifibre as the official ball.

“This event is also one of the programs of Philta

Region XI-B president Engr. Carol Angel,” said Salvador.

Expected to see ac-tion are the best players of Davao, General Santos City, Kidapawan, Koro-nadal, Mati, Digos, Pana-bo, Tagum, Midsayap, M’lang, Isulan, Sta. Cruz, Malita, Kabacan, Sto. To-mas and other clubs of Davao City.

Among them are UAAP champion John Jeric Ac-cion of National Univer-sity Bulldogs from Manila and Shaira Hope Rivera of Sta. Ana National High School.

“Accion is coming home to play since its se-mester break,” Salvador said.

Terrence Romeo led GlobalPort Batang Pier with 33 points

while adding four as-sists, two rebounds, and two steals. GlobalPort fell short against the NLEX Road Warriors but Romeo’s performance proved to be a silver lin-ing.

The high scoring guard credits his lighter frame for his good perfor-mance.

“Nagbawas talaga ako ng kain,” Romeo admit-ted. “Sobrang lakas ko tal-aga kumain before e. As in every meal, tatlong rice. Ngayon one and a half na lang.”

Romeo still shot a lot

from the field as he took 26 shots in the contest, making 14. He looked a lot slimmer from last sea-son and it showed it the final quarter as he was able to maintain the same energy.

“Dinagdagan ko rin yung disiplina sa sarili ko. Inagahan kong rin matu-log,” Romeo added. “Ram-dam ko agad yung differ-ence. Mas matagal ako mapagod at nagagawa ko yung gusto ko.”

His effort fell short as he missed a crucial triple down the stretch which Nino Canaleta converted into a triple on the other end. GlobalPort had one more shot at tying the

game but Alex Cabagnot committed a crucial turn-over.

“ M i s c o m m u n i c a -tion lang. Di kami naka-pag-communicate nang maayos nung end-game. Yun pa yung kailangan naming i-improve,” ad-mitted Romeo.

GlobalPort relied mostly on the efforts of their guards as Romeo, Cabagnot, and rookie Stanley Pringle conspired for 70 of Batang Pier’s 96 points. However, their lack of ceiling cost them in the end as Asi Taulava dominated the paint and the NLEX forwards shot well from the outside.

“Depende na kay

coach kung palagi kaming three-guard,” Romeo said. “Pero ako wala akong problemang maglaro kasama sila kuya Alex at Stanley. Si Stanley as long as nakakatulong siya sa team, as long as nagaga-wa niya yung part niya, yun yung gusto niya. Pero alam kong mas marami pang papakita si Stan-ley sa susunod na laro namin.”

Asked whether he could sustain his high scoring throughout the Philippine Cup, Romeo answered, “Hindi naman importante sa akin kung gaano karami yung points ko basta manalo yung kami.”

SINGAPORE - Caro-line Wozniacki put a huge dent in Maria

Sharapova’s bid to finish the season as world num-ber one by overcoming some distracting bright lights to outlast the Rus-sian 7-6(4) 6-7(5) 6-2 in their marathon opening group match at the WTA Finals on Tuesday.

Following the tense three hour 13 minute affair, Poland’s Agniesz-ka Radwanska went into Wednesday to claim a 6-2 6-3 win over Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova to join Wozniacki at the top of the White Group standings.

The Dane had taken advantage of Li Na’s re-tirement to grab the fi-nal qualifying spot in the eight-woman field but it was world number two Sharapova who looked

the outsider on Singa-pore’s purple hardcourt, as some stunning win-ners were lost in a wave of 76 unforced errors.

The third game of a gripping match encapsu-lated the night for French Open champion Sharapo-va -- three perfect fore-hand winners to go 0-40 up on Wozniacki’s serve, before she blasted balls wide or long to let the Dane off the hook and hold for a 3-0 lead.

Sharapova, whose previous match was a victory over Kvitova in the final of the Beijing Open earlier this month, found her feet and range and fought back to lead, before she creaked under the pressure with two more double faults and was broken when serv-ing for the set at 5-4. (Re-uters)

FORE THE BOYS. The men behind the 1st FTB Open golf tournament pose after the awarding rites at the DCGC: Ernesto Damaso, Chito Bugayong, Pao Angeles, Apo Luna, Bate Buluicer and Andrew Bautista. Boy Lim

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI. Big win in Singapore.

IN FORM. Terrence Romeo of Global Port tries to shake off Mac Cardona of NLEX. Nuki Sabio

Wozniacki upsets Sharapova

The new Romeo ‘Light’

4th Dr. Elias P. Dacudao Cup Oct. 24-28

VOL. 7 ISSUE 158 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 201416 EDGEDAVAOSports

CITY Hall Executive bucked the absence of Christopher

“Bong “ Go to overwhelm the Association of Baran-gay Captains (ABC), 77-68, in Game 1 of the 6th conference best of seven series on Tuesday night at the Davao City Recreation Center (Almendras Gym).

Jaime Cruz led the charge with 22 points for the Executives who missed the services of Go who had to attend to his functions at City Hall.

Glenn Escandor also had a big night firing 18 points while Michael Peloton chipped 13.

Rolando Bantayan, Baredo, Guevarra paced the village chiefs with 12 baskets apiece.

Box scores:Executives - 77 - Cruz

22, Escandor 18, Piloton 13, Felizarta 12, Reyes 6, Poliquit 4, Ong 2, Escaril-la 0

ABC - 68 - Bantayan 12, Baredo 12, Guevarra 12, Maquiling 11, Laurel 8, Culaste G 2, Torrejas 2, Belarmino 2, Jostol 2, Cu-laste J 2

Go-less Execs take Game 1

OUTSPRINTING. Jeff Chan of ROS tries to get past Arwind San-tos of San Miguel Beer in the PBA Philippine Cup at SMART Ara-neta Coliseum on Tuesday night. Nuki Sabio