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VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 2015

crimes of passion

2 EDGEDAVAO

COVER STORY

THE world is full of stories of “forbidden love,” rela-tionships between men

and women in love which did not have the approval of their parents, their other relatives, or the conservative societies in which they lived.

The story of Romeo and Juliet, the teenage lovers who took their lives when their feuding parents disap-proved of their relationship, is one. Although it was fiction immortalized by William Shakespeare, the story was a representation of what was common during the Medie-val times when parental con-sent to marriage was a must. Of course, another form of forbidden love was the one between King Edward VIII of England and Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who was divorced from her first husband and was pursuing a divorce from her second husband. As it was against England’s law for the mon-arch to marry a divorcee, King Edward VIII, defying conven-tions at the time, officially ab-dicated the throne and mar-ried Mrs. Simpson.

The Philippines has its abundant share of stories of verbotene lieve (German for forbidden love), stories which could be as sensational if not more than those in other parts of the world. Remember the Manila mayor who died

literally on top of a dramatic actress?

Also, the files of Davao City’s Finest, endearing mon-iker of the old Davao City Po-lice Department (DCPD), now officially called the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), are full of accounts of “forbidden love” which turned into tragedies.

(Caveat: We enclose the term in quotation marks to indicate that the “forbidden love” being referred to here is more of an allegation rather than a proven fact. For who are we to judge that the affection between man and woman, no matter what the objectionable circumstances are, is indeed forbidden, to paraphrase Pope Francis’ recent comment about gays. To repeat, forbid-den love here is more an as-signment of term rather than a final verdict on the guilt of the parties involved).

Love in the capitolThere was this male gov-

ernment employee of the old undivided Davao province, then based in Davao City, who fell in love with his supervisor who was a single lady, who returned his affection. It was not known how long the af-fair had been going on, but it ended when one tragic day the man called the Davao City Police Department to report that he had killed the woman he loved.

It appeared that the cou-ple had decided to end their objectionable affair through suicide. So one evening they checked into a motel located in Balusong, Matina. The plan was to kill themselves the fol-lowing morning, with the man shooting the woman first and then turning the gun on him-self.

What happened was that after shooting the woman, the man, perhaps realizing the horrible implications of his ac-tion, developed cold feet and decided to surrender to the police instead.

The failed suicide, a very married man with kids, died of tuberculosis inside the old city jail two years later.

Cop with a dead womanPFC (Patrolman first class)

MG was known to be an amia-ble and gentleman policeman, almost a model cop.

However, one morning, radio listeners were shocked to learn he was inside a hotel with a dead woman!

Radio reporters, including this writer, went to the scene and saw the young lady, about 20 years old, naked from waist up lying in a pool of her own blood. She has been shot in the head.

The policeman admitted that the deadly weapon, a .38 caliber revolver issued by the police department, was his,

but he said the shooting was accidental.

Just the same, he was charged criminally and was tried. However, the case was settled amicably with the girl’s family and the man was freed. He must be in his 70s by now.

Gay policewomanThere was a time in Davao

City’s history when kidnap-ping for ransom and rape of beautiful women were near rampant. There was even an incident when a coed of a sec-tarian college was abducted, raped, and killed.

Well-off parents who feared for their daughters opt-ed to hire security aides for their protection. One wealthy couple requested police es-cort for their daughter who was studying in the same school.

However, Dabawenyos were horrrified one morning to hear their radio sets blaring with the news that the young lady and her gay police escort committed suicide. It was the-orized that it was not really a case of suicide, but of the gay policewoman killing the coed, after which she shot herself. The gory incident devastated the family of the victim.

The goodlooking college dean

By far the more sensation-al story was the one which in-

volved a dean of the college of commerce of a very popular sectarian school.

One day, the dean’s wife disappeared. The search launched by the police, the constabulary, members of the family and concerned cit-izens led to a lonely spot in the Davao City-Cotabato highway. The lifeless body of the miss-ing woman was found under a concrete road gutter with tell-tale marks of strangulation. The family driver who was the last person to be seen with the victim was arrested and inves-tigated for murder. Talks then stated that she strangled with a belt around the neck.

Later, the dean was ac-cused of ordering the killing himself as he allegedly had an affair with the beautiful wife of a very popular hotelier.

The case was heavily cov-ered by Manila-based dailies which sent reporters to Davao to write on the developments of the investigation and the ensuing trial, with some epi-sodes hitting the headlines no less.

A story is told that while the accused family driver was being detained, somebody cut his tongue, obviously to pre-vent him from testifying about what he knew of the crime. An investigation was started who was the guy who cut the sus-pect’s tongue. However, while the investigation was in prog-

ress, somebody with a gun slipped into the detention cell and shot the drive to death.

This crime incident hap-pened more than a half a cen-tury ago. One can hardly find a Dabawenyo who remembers all the details of the story. It was difficult to separate “real facts” from what we now call urban legends.

In the end, the charges against the dean were dis-missed by the Court of First Instance, forerunner of the now Regional Trial Court, for lack of evidence. The case ended without the hotelier’s wife being indicted.

The brilliant defense law-yer who repotedly studied under the great late senator Claro M. Recto was later elect-ed city councilor a number of times and later appointed CFI judge. His son also became city councilor and vice mayor.

After his acquittal, the col-lege dean left the city with his family, never to be heard from again.

The other dramatis personae of this story – the police homicide investigators, the prosecuting fiscals, the judge, the court personnel who assisted in the trial and the reporters who covered the sensational case – are all dead now, relegated to what one famous author said the cata-combs of forgotten memories. AMA

From the police files

By ANTONIO M. AJERO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 2015 3EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 20154 EDGEDAVAO

THE BIG NEWS

ONE BILLION RISING. Bayan Southern Mindanao Region coordinator Sheena Duazo leads a 5-minute flash dance mob participated in by indigenous people (IP) from Paquibato District at the junction of Roxas and C.M. Recto Avenues, part of the kick-off ceremony for the One Billion Rising Revolution 2015 in Davao City on Saturday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.

Davao City still free of MERS-Cov: CHO headDAVAO City Health Of-

fice (CHO) chief Dr. Josephine Villafuerte

said the city is still free from the threat of the deadly Mid-dle East respiratory syn-drome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

This is after Villafuerte confirmed that a Dabawenyo was among the 220 passen-gers of Saudia flight 860 on February 1 which also had on board a 32-year-old Filipina nurse from the Middle East who was positive of MERS-CoV.

“In Davao City, there is no positive (case). May nakasa-bay lang sa eroplano at mi-

nomonitor din naming (sya) at negative naman, (There’s no positive case in Davao City. We were told that there’s one from Davao City who was on the same flight and we moni-tored the person, who turned out negative of the disease,” Villafuerte told reporters in an interview.

Villafuerte did not name the Dabawenyo passenger but said he was quarantined right after the CHO received notice from the Department of Health (DOH).

“We don’t have to wor-ry about it because we’re monitoring him. So far other people on the same plane

are healthy strong and doing well,” she added.

Villafurte said the central DOH office issued a manifest that included the list of pas-sengers seated three rows away from the nurse who contracted MERS-CoV.

She said different health offices in the country are closely monitoring all pas-sengers in the same plane where the first case of patient MERS-CoV in country was re-corded.

Meanwhile, health au-thorities in Cotabato City are closely watching a 20-year-old woman from North Cota-bato after she showed signs

of MERS-CoV.Dr. Helen Yambao, Cota-

bato Regional and Medical Center (CRMC) chief, refused to name the woman who worked in Jordan as domes-tic helper and returned to the country on February 6.

“She has high fever and coughs so she went to the ru-ral health unit in North Cota-bato,” Yambao told reporters. Yambao also refused to name the woman’s hometown.

She was admitted to the CRMC Thursday.

Yambao said health workers have already taken sputum samples and throat swab samples which the

CRMC sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medi-cine (RITM) in Metro Manila.

She said once the results come out and turned out to be positive, health workers will have to find the people she had close contact with like family members and rural health workers of the town she came from.

A 32-year-old Filipina nurse from Laguna was found to be positive with MERS-CoV and people she contacted with, including her husband, have also shown symptoms.

Department of Health OIC Janette Garin announced that 11 of the 56 people who

had close contact with the nurse had to be subjected to a second round of testing.

According to Garin, the 56 people were mostly med-ical workers and staff of the Evangelista Medical Special-ty Hospital in San Pedro, La-guna, where the nurse first sought medical attention on February 2. She arrived in Manila from Saudi Arabia on February 1.

The nurse was among the 220 passengers of Saudi Airlines SV860 who arrived in Manila. So far, only 92 have been located by the govern-ment and have agreed to be tested.

crc@edgedavao.net

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

THE Davao City Gov-ernment is open to the possibility of having a

fair share with the Munici-pal Government of Sta. Cruz, Davao Del Sur in the local business tax (LBT) of Ther-ma South Inc. (TSI)’s coal-fired power plant.

In an interview last Fri-day, city administrator Je-sus Melchor V. Quitiain told

reporters he and other city officials had a meeting on Tuesday afternoon with of-ficials of Sta. Cruz headed by Mayor Joel Ray L. Lopez to discuss the scheme for the sharing of the income that will be generated by the op-eration of TSI.

“We agreed that, so that everything will be equitable, they present to us the build-

ing permits of all the facil-ities in the property of Sta. Cruz and we will also submit our building permits. From there, we will come up with the sharing based on the value of the facility,” Quitain said.

He said he ordered City Engineer’s Office (CEO) head Engineer Roland C. Reyes and City Planning and De-

velopment Office (CPDO) of-ficer-in-charge Marcelino P. Escalada Jr. to fast-track the documents will be presented in the next meeting.

“We are supposed to get these documents, the build-ing permits, and the plans because the building permits will tell us how much the val-ue of these properties is,” he

DAVAO City Water Dis-trict (DCWD) said it opposes Helpmate

Inc.’s project to put up a water service facility in the Second District because it would result in higher water rates in the area.

In a statement, DCWD spokesperson Atty. Ber-nardo D. Delima Jr. said the water utility’s opposition is

anchored on a number of reasons.

“First, Helpmate, Inc. will source water from Davao River. Years ago, DCWD con-ducted studies on river as a potential water source. Riv-ers considered were Lipa-das, Talomo, Tamugan, Pan-igan, Tagulaya, Sibulan and Davao. Results showed that

Davao City open to equal share of coal plant incomeBy ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

abf@edgedavao.net

Why does DCWD oppose Helpmate?

FDAVAO, 12FWHY, 12

VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 2015 5NEWSEDGEDAVAO

MMM… CHEESE… A mall-goer tries out the world-class farm-fresh cheeses of Malagos Cheese during the first day of ’Wine x Cheese x Cholate Fair’ at the atrium of SM Lanang Premier. Lean Daval Jr.

YOUNG WIZZES. Elementary students from various Davao City schools who won in the recently-concluded National Science and Math Quest held at Rizal High School in Pasig City pose with their coaches before the start of the Fast Fridays media forum at Archipelago 7107 by Barrio Fiesta at SM Lanang Pre-

mier on Friday They are Colegio de San Ignacio’s Kyle Angelo Dapitan, Davao Christian High School’s Scott Agni Zapanta, Davao City Special School’s Shenn Eunice Kawahara, Ateneo de Davao University’s Andrew Nell Tumulak, Mary Grace Espino, and Karol Josef Fuñe. Lean Daval Jr.

MAGUINDANAO Gov. Esmael “Toto” Man-gudadatu challenged

Friday his fellow Maguind-anaoans to help locate Filipi-no terror suspect Abdul Basit Usman, whom the official claimed was wounded in the January 25 Mamasapano op-eration.

Mangudadatu’s challenge was indirectly addressed to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Free-dom Fighters (BIFF), and pri-vate armed groups, (PAGS), which the authorities be-lieved have knowledge about Usman.

Citing a “reliable source,” the governor said Usman was allegedly wounded in his arms and “was bleeding pro-fusely” while moving from

one place to another in Magu-indanao after the January 25 Mamasapano carnage.

“It has to stop, the agents of terrorism must be stopped, we have to do something to put an end to these terrorist activities. Maguindanao has suffered so much from these terrorist activities,” Mangu-dadatu said.

“For those who have been coddling Usman, now is the time for you to let go of him,” he said. “I am [asking] com-munities in Maguindanao [that] may have information about Usman to please help.”

“We must do it if we want peace in our community,” he said.

The governor said that aside from the fatalities in the Mamasapano debacle, the ci-vilians and the province “also

suffered the most.”“Even the draft Bang-

samoro Basic Law (BBL) has been affected, our legislators appear to be showing luke-warm treatment on the draft law,” he said.

Mangudadatu said he fears violence will return to Maguindanao if the peace process will collapse in the aftermath of the Mamasapa-no incident.

“God forbids that war will erupt and the cycle of violence will again hound us in Maguindanao,” the visibly worried Mangudadatu said.

He admitted the devel-opment of Maguindanao as compared to other provinces in Mindanao has been affect-ed by the cycle of violence.

“The terrorists are mak-ing our life difficult, we

should help to put an end to this, our children have been suffering,” he said.

Addressing the country’s lawmakers, Mangudadatu urged them to push with the peace process.

“Maguindanao is the casualty here, our ordinary people are suffering. From my heart I appeal and beg you to continue discussing the draft BBL,” Mangudadatu said.

Despite the Mamasapano carnage that left 44 elite po-licemen, 18 Moro rebels and four civilians dead, Manguda-datu appeared optimistic and believed that the province should move on.

Malaysian terror suspect Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, was killed during the police

OVER 5,000 individuals attended the 3rd One Billion Rising activi-

ty spearheaded by Gabriela Women’s Party on Saturday afternoon at Rizal Park.

Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said the yearly activity aims to bring awareness to women all over the world that violence against women should be stopped.

Speaking during the activity, Ilagan said this year’s theme, “Revolution,” indicates a new beginning for the women in terms of thinking and action.

“Karon na ang adlaw sa bag-o tungod kay ang kapintas nag padayon lang gihapon, kita nanayaw wala nag pasabot nga nalipay sa pag pangabuso sa mga kababayin-an, nanayaw kita isip pamaagi nga aron ipahibalo sa kalibutan nga ang kababainhan mubarog batok sa kapintas,” Ilagan said.

She said nowadays there

are too many forms of violence against women, including domestic, economical, mental, and political.

Ilagan said her organization has recordeda bigger number of domestic violence cases against women by influential people.

Ding Ilagan, convenor of V-Men which is a group of men who support the rights of women, said his group understands the issues that women are facing right now.

“Ana mi diri, ang V-Men aron mahimong ahente sa mga kababainhan para manawagan og maningil og hustisya sa tanang biktima sa tanang porma sa pag lapas sa katungod sa mga kababainhan,” he said.

Councilor Leah Librado-Yap said it is about time that women step up against all forms of violence against women and their children.

Over 200 countries simultaneously joined the activity.

THE WINNGEST Davao City Chamber of Com-merce and Industry,

Inc. (DCCCII) will turn 47 years old by Monday, Febru-ary 16.

DCCCII president Antonio dela Cruz and chairman John Gaisano Jr. will lead the sim-ple celebration marked by a religious service officiated at by Pastor Roger Delgado. It will also serve as the blessing of the newly renovated interi-ors of the chamber building started during the watch of Daniel Lim as president and Sebastian L. Angliongto as chairman.

DCCCII just won its hall of fame award after being being

adjudged the country’s most outstanding chamber, large category. Earlier, it was cho-sen most outstanding cham-ber of the Pacific, and was a finalist in the search for the world’s best.

The chamber was found-ed by the late Ramon “Monet” A. Tirol, retired ambassador to Brunei and vice president of the country’s 1971 Con-stitutional Convention repre-senting Davao del Norte, to be the voice of the expanding business community. A top business executive, he was the first president of the chamber who was a lawyer. The other lawyers were Wilgefortes

DAVAO City Office of the Building Official (OCBO) assistant head

Joseph Dominic Felizarta blamed the facilitators and en-gineers of developers for the delay in the release of building permits, saying OCBO person-nel work hard to comply with Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s man-date to release the permits within 72 hours.

Felizarta made the state-ment after being asked by reporters about some com-plaints that have reached the office of city administrator Je-sus Melchor V. Quitain.

“We are very careful with the process and we want to re-lease it to the applicants imme-

diately so that we can comply with the 72-hour mandate of the mayor,” he said.

Felizarta said some of the complainants think the per-mits are still in the hands of OCBO when in fact the office had already given them to the engineers and facilitators.

“When we verified it be-cause the applicants keep on complaining, we found out that we had already issued a notice to comply,” he said.

Felizarta said the appli-cants now understand that the permits are automatically being released after 72 hours.

He said there are instanc-es when the permits are not

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

City chamber of commercecelebrates 47th anniversary

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

One Billion Risingattracts 5,000 peopleMangudadatu urges constituents

to help arrest ‘wounded’ Usman

OCBO: Permit delaysnot personnel’s fault

FCHAMBER, 12

FMANGUDADATU, 12

FOCBO, 12

VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 20156 EDGEDAVAO

ECONOMY

THE parallel business to business session during the 2nd Brunei

Darussalam-Indonesia-Malay-sia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and the Indonesia-Malay-sia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Trade Fair and Busi-ness Leaders Conference last year were able to forge a total of P6 billion or US $140 mil-lion worth of business agree-ment.

“These potential invest-ments, when realized, will pro-vide approximately 127,830 possible employment for the people of Mindanao and Pal-awan,” Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) chairman Vi-cente Lao reported during the council’s first general mem-bership meeting at the Seda Hotel.

The event was conduct-ed from October 22 to 26 at

the SMX Lanang Premier last year and was organized by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) in partner-ship with MinBC.

The Business Leaders Conference, one of the main features of the event, was at-tended by 1,574 foreign and local delegates, Lao said.

Meanwhile, the interna-tional trade fair which was participated by 280 traders, processors, producers and other businessmen from the services sectorgenerated more than $103 million or roughly P4.4 billion booked and negotiated sales, Lao add-ed.

He added that there were 15 exhibitors from Brunei Darussalam; 24 from Indo-nesia; 51from Malaysia; 190 from the Philippines; andthree from Thailand.

“SMEs from Mindanao and

Palawan managed to generate an estimated $ 3.7M booked sales and $ 74.5M worth on negotiated transactions,” Lao said.

Aside from business lead-ers conference and trade fair, the event also featured si-multaneous side events that included International Export-ers and Importers Conference, ASEAN Economic Community Information Sessions, ICT Summit, Golf Tournament and ASEAN Food Festival.

Lao said the five-day in-ternational event were able to draw a total of 25,000 local and international visitors.

Laos said that for this year, the council is eyeing to co-host the BIMPEAGA Invest-ment Conference and further strengthen Philippines’ rep-resentation in BIMP-EAGA Business Council as the focal organization ofthe country.

BIMP-EAGA Trade Fair, confabnet P6B in business agreement

crc@edgedavao.net

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

MORE than two years after opening busi-ness in Davao City,

Australian-based Hog’s Breath Café is still trying to find its mark in the cut-throat competition of food service industry.

Located at SM Lanang Premier, Hog’s Breath Café seeks to attract more cus-tomers aside from the A and B market by coming up with promos and adjusting its prices.

“Our first year was ex-perimental for us,” store manager Pompeii Afurong said during the regular Fast Fridays forum last week at SM Lanang Premier’s Archi-pelago 7101 by: Barrio Fies-ta.

“After we first opened, we have adjusted our prices,” he added.

Afurong said since Hog’s Breath Café opened business in December of 2012, they brought down the prices of

their products by 45 percent from their original prices, adding that the restaurant is still trying to establish its place in Davao City.

Hog’s Breath Café boasts of quality products from Australia and New Zealand, and its black angus beef is a best-seller among custom-ers.

Forty five percent of Hog’s Breath customers are foreigners, according to Afu-rong.

Hog’s Breath has 18 branches in Australia and four in the United States. The steakhouse is also present in Singapore, Vietnam and Ma-layiia.

The Davao branch, the first in the Philippines, is the biggest among all Hogs Breath Café stores with a ca-pacity of 192 people.

Soon, Hog’s Breath will open its second branch in the country at Alabang River Park.

Australian-based Davao steakhouse seeking to attract more customers

By CHARLES RAYMOND A. MAXEY

THE Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) will team up with the Na-

tional Commission on Indig-enous People (NCIP) and In-ternational Alert-Philippines for the establishment of an IP desk that will assist investors interested in ancestral domain lands in Mindanao.

MinBC chairman Vicente Lao said the national director of the NCIP has agreed to sign the Memorandum of Agree-ment with the business group on the project.

The IP desk will be set up at the office of MinBC in Bu-hangin, Davao City by May.

“The MinBC found it nec-essary to create a link between the IP, which basically owns the land and assist them on a lot of issues like succession, governance because a lot of negotiation between IPs and the business sector sometime lose power not because they do not like it to succeed but because there are opportunis-

tic people in both camps who tried to get advantage of the ignorance of the two,” Lao said.

Lao also said it is very dif-ficult for the business sector to disregard the reality on the ground, that Certificate of An-cestral Domain already gave the IPs the title and owner-ship of thousands of swaths of lands Mindanao.

“We will really have to live with them. Sad to know a lot of people from the business sector are not aware or does not have the idea of what re-ally they need do to have a harmonious relationship with the IPs who owns the prop-erties,” Lao addedduring the council’s first general mem-bership meeting for 2015 at the Seda-Abreeza Hotel last Thursday.

He said there are a lot of potential in ancestral domain areas of IPs that could be de-veloped for economic and so-cial purposes.

“There’s a wealth of op-

portunity there. You have min-erals, forest products, tourism potential but all of these will be not monetize if will not set in place a process,” Lao said.

One of ancestral domains in Davao Region that were presented to the business sec-tor during the meeting was the ancestral domain of Dib-abawon and Mangguangan tribes which has a total area of 20,087.33 hectares or 19 barangays located in Monte-vista; 4 in Monkayo; and one in Asunsion, davao del Norte.

According to Datu Tuma-tabang Wifredo Lopez of the Dibabawon tribe, there were identified commercial area sin the ancestral domain that can be leased and developed into quarrying for sand and gravel, inland beach resorts.

Lopez added that some areas have potential for ag-ricultural investment, live-stocks, irrigation, potable wa-ter source, tourism spots, and feeds processing plan, among

others.“We need financing to de-

velop this area,” he said.Lao said IPs in the com-

munities will be assisted and will be uplifted from poverty if investors, who vowed to re-spect their cultural heritage and integrity, will be allowed to enter ancestral domains.

“There were already in-terested investors from neigh-boring countries like Malaysia and Indonesia who wanted to invest but are interrupted be-cause of the lack of process,” he said.

By establishing the desk, Lao said these huge areas owned by IPs will be develop for corporate farming, among others.

Aside from assisting in-vestors, the IP desk will ex-tend aid to non-government organizations (NGOs) and civ-il society organizations (CSOs) who want to extend interven-tion to IP communities in Min-danao. CHENEEN R. CAPON

IP desk to assist investors eyed

SOME 100 fisherfolks from the ten coastal areas in the municipality of Mali-

ta, Davao Occidental received Thursday motorized boats from the provincial govern-ment’s livelihood assistance project.

The project dubbed as Banca Loan Program has given each of the fisherfolk-benefi-ciaries in said town the chance to own a motorized boat (small fishing boat) or ban-ca in the vernacular, which is worth P30,000 per unit.

Under this special loan window, a fisherfolk-recipient is required to pay for the unit at least PhP50 pesos a day, and to have it fully paid in 18 months.

Through the Banca Loan Program, the Davao del Sur provincial local government unit is also providing the bene-ficiaries in Malita the opportu-nities to avail of the Philhealth

scholarship program and food processing technology.

The barangay captains and the fisherfolks have com-mitted to take care of the liveli-hood project and abide by the rules and responsibilities giv-en them as project recipients.

On the part of Malita LGU, Mayor Benjamin Bautista, Jr. has also vowed to ensure that the livelihood assistance will be sustained.

Bautista assured that 200 additional motorized banca will soon be awarded to an-other batch of beneficiaries in the municipality.

The Banca Loan Program is part of the provincial LGU’s agriculture and fishery pro-gram, one of Governor Claude Bautista’s major programs, aiming to upgrade the liveli-hood of the farmers and fish-erfolks in Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental. (CDIO-Mal-ita/Alona Estrella/PIA-XI, CLC)

THE province of Compos-tela Valley will be a recip-ient of five road projects

under the TRIP (Tourism Road Infrastructure Project).

The projects will have an allocation of P330 million and will be implemented in 2015, according to Christine Dom-por, Comval’s provincial tour-ism officer.

The TRIP is a convergence project of both the Depart-ment of Tourism- (DOT) and Department of Public Works and Highways and is aimed at connecting hard-to-reach tourism destinations.

Under the TRIP, the DPWH can develop remote road net-works regardless of classifica-

tion. “Even if the road is a pro-

vincial or barangay road, the DPWH can still improve on it thru the TRIP.” Dompor said.

Two road projects are lo-cated in Maragusan, another pair of road projects in New Bataan and one project in Ma-bini.

Most of these roads con-nect to the province’s pictur-esque waterfalls such as Tag-bibinta and Maranging falls in Maragusan and Malumagpak falls in New Bataan. A road project connects White Peak mountain in New Bataan while another TRIP road traverses the beachfront of Mabini Mu-nicipality. (PIA/RG Alama)

Malita fisherfolks getmotorized boats project

Comval to have 5 tourism road projects in 2015

ATTRACTION. Hog’s Breath Café store manager Pompeii Afurong says the Australian-based restaurant is still seeking to attract more customers in the Davao City market by com-

ing up with promos and adjusting its prices. Afurong graced the Fast Fridays media forum held at Archipelago 7107 by Barrio Fiesta at SM Lanang Premier on Friday. Lean Daval Jr.

VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 2015 7

Text and Photos by Henrylito D. Tacio

EDGEDAVAO

CULTURE&ARTS

DUCK production is one of the most profitable livestock industries in the country mainly because of its egg

which can be marketed through different channels. But one disadvantage of duck eggs is that they have a fishy odor and fla-vor which many people don’t like.

This is probably the main reason why most duck eggs are processed into two major Fili-pino delicacies: balut (a fertilized egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell)and salted egg (itlog na maalat).

It might be unacceptable to most foreigners but for Filipinos, balut is one of the country’s most treasured delicacies. Indeed, they enjoy this delicacy popularized by a small town in Pateros, Rizal.

Making balut is native to the Philippines. A similar preparation is known in China as ma-odan (literally “feathered egg”), and Chinese traders and migrants are said to have brought the idea of eating fertilized duck eggs back from the Philippines .

However, the knowledge and craft of balut-making has been localized by the balut-makers (magbabalut). Today, balut pro-duction has not been mechanized in favor of the traditional production by hand.

Named after the Filipino term which means “wrapped,” balut has been touted as aphrodisi-ac as it boosts libido. Studies have shownbalut contains 12.6 grams of protein, 181 calories and good sources of Vitamin B1 and B2, min-erals, niacin, beta carotene and other supple-ments.

Balut is common on street drinking ses-sions and just chatting with friends late nights. Generally, balut is being sold mostly when the street lights are on by vendors in basket cov-ered with thick foams and cloths to keep them warm.

Generally, balut is eaten with a pinch of salt, though some balut-eaters prefer chili and vinegar to complement their egg. The egg is sa-vored for its balance of texture and flavor; the broth surrounding the embryo is sipped from the egg before the shell is peeled and the yolk and young chick inside can be eaten. All of the contents of the egg are consumed.

“This food is the defining factor of all exotic foods in the country,” one foreigner commented. “It has made the Philippines unique from all of the countries in the world. Hopefully, in the future, the world will be ready for it and that the Philippines would make it as an international phenomenon.”

Balut has been the “shocking” topic of some television shows because of its taboo nature in some Western cultures. In two ep-isodes of Survivor: Palau and two episodes of Survivor: China, separate challenges featured attempts to eat this fertilized egg. Similarly, Fear Factor frequently uses balut as a means of disgusting con-testants. The Ultimate Fight-er: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mirfeatured balut eaten by several contestants after

its introduction by a Filipi-no-American fighter Phillipe Nover.

Recently, balut has en-tered higher cuisine in the Philippines by being served as appetizers in restaurants: cooked adobo style, fried in omelettes or even used as filling in baked pastries.

Like balut, salted egg (it-log na maalat) is now well accepted by Filipino consum-ers. In fact, it is a common feature in Filipino dining ta-ble especially during break-fast. It can be eaten along or with steamed rice or mixed in salad style with diced to-matoes and onions.

Salted egg is also used as an ingredient in pastries and toppings on breads and oth-er bakery products, especial-ly bibingka. In China (where it is eaten with congee), the yolk of salted egg is highly

prized as it is used in moon-cakes to symbolize the moon.

Eggs contain nutri-ents essential to our body’s growth and development. Salted egg is packed with nutrients. Compared to fresh egg, balut, or century egg, salted egg is highest in cal-cium (120 milligrams), car-bohydrates (4.4 milligrams), ash (202 milligrams), and thiamin (0.74 milligram).

So popular is salted egg that Filipinos who are now living or working abroad are looking for it. A study con-ducted by Dr. Jovita M. Datu-in, of the Don Mariano Mar-cos State University showed the Philippines is already exporting processed duck products including salted eggs to Kuwait , Arabia, Pen-insula , Bahrain , and even the Trust Territory in the Pa-cific Islands .

From duckscome balut salted eggs&

Photo 1: Salted eggsPhoto 2: BalutPhoto 3: Ready-to-eat balut

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 20158 EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

Biggest solid waste management offendersTHE Philippine is again in the top of an ignominious list. This time on

solid waste management. The country ranked no. 3 in the list of the biggest culprits for

shoddy waste management and littering across the globe from a study involving 192 countries with a coastline.

According to a recent study published in the journal Science, the five worst offenders listed were China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka.

The latest figures on record shows that sloppy waste management and littering added eight million metric tons (17.6 billion pounds) of plastic to the ocean in 2010, posing significant dangers to marine life.

This study measures the amount going in from 192 countries with a coastline in 2010, instead of the amount currently in the ocean, which previous studies have examined.

The method for determining that amount was a mathematical mod-el that was based on the per-person waste generation for 192 countries with a coastline. One percent of the waste was presumed to be plastic, and another one percent was presumed to be mismanaged, meaning litter or waste was dumped on land and not properly contained.

The study said middle income countries with rapidly developing econ-omies tended to be the biggest contributors of plastic trash in the ocean because they were least likely to have developed adequate waste manage-ment systems to keep pace with growth.

This global problem could get worse. With growing populations, in-creasing plastic consumption and increased waste generation – by 2025

the number could be doubled. Darrel Blatchley, the man known as D’Bone Collector in Davao City, has

warned us of this fact. Our waters are polluted with a lot of plastic and it is alarming. Quite a few endangered marine species have died, accounting for Blatchley’s growing bone collection. Given that bone collecting is his hobby, that doesn’t make him happy.

Studies say that it remains unclear what happens to all that plastic in the ocean – though certainly some float, some are suspended in the water, and some fall to the ocean floor – and scientists are concerned about the effect of such pollution of fragile fish and marine life that consume plastic fragments.

The way to reduce this problem is to improve waste management and cut down on plastic consumption.

Since the top 20 countries accounted for 83 percent of mismanaged plastic waste, such efforts should be concentrated on keeping plastic out of the ocean, not trying to clean it up after the fact.

Davao City may have taken the lead in reducing plastic use with mu-nicipal laws in place like the banning of non-biodegradable plastic. How-ever, much of the plastic packaging that we consume are manufactured outside the country and brought down here and in the 7,000 or so islands of the Philippines. And that is worrisome because no amount of efforts from local governments can reverse this situation unless the whole coun-try makes a herculean effort to improve waste management and reduce plastic use.

Drastic times call for drastic measures.

Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. BORBON • MARY ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER M. PEREZ

OLIVIA D. VELASCOGeneral Manager

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EDITORIAL

VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 2015 VANTAGE POINTS 9EDGEDAVAO

AMERICAN contact with Mindanao pre-dates the conquest of Davao by the Spaniards. In 1796, the first Ameri-

can trading ship, Astrea, reached Manila un-der the command of Captain Henry Prince (1764-1846). Two years later, Lady Wash-ington, a 90-ton American merchant sloop, foundered in the Philippines. An 1842 map of Sulu Sea, on the other hand, shows a U.S. expedition led by naval officer Lieutenant Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877), who captained the exploration vessel USS Vincennes and the schooner Flying Fish, visiting the sultanates of Sulu and Mindan-ao at a time when foreign ships entering the Moro kingdoms must seek permission from the rulers in order to be protected while sailing the seas they controlled. It was only in 1865 when the ship Young America sailed from New York to Manila to get her load of hemp.

Abaca gained worldwide prominence in 1820, when the US Navy discovered that “(its) fiber strands, when twisted into a rope, could be made into excellent marine cordage or rope.” This created a stir, and it was before long that abaca, later known as Manila hemp, became one of the country’s key export prod-ucts to the U.S. This positive note occurred centuries after Spanish authorities found no commercial use for the abaca other than be-ing a fiber source.

As early as 1842, Americans had already found several uses for the abaca, ranging

from cordages and ropes to pulp and paper. During this time two US firms—Sturges & Co. and TN Peale & Co.—monopolized the local abaca trade. In order to stimulate produc-tion, these firms “gave crop loans to farmers and growers. Spanish businessmen attracted by the huge demand for abaca carved large plantations in Bicol. They took the role of agents or middlemen who intervened be-tween the American exporters and the Fili-pino farmers…”

When the Americans arrived in the gulf of Davao in 1899 they hatched the idea of setting up abaca plantations due to the po-tentials they observed during their first weeks. Using benevolent assimilation as an approach, the U.S. forces did not take long to get the trust of the natives, who accepted the

offer to do paid work in abaca plantations. This development opened the floodgates of hemp cultivation within five years of the ar-rival by the new colonizers.

But the enterprising Chinese could not be barred also from entering the lucrative trade. In 1850, unlike the Spaniards, they adopted a more acceptable method in attracting grow-ers. They did not only give crop advances but established stores in exchange for rice and other goods. This allowed them to dislodge their Spanish competitors. Several of the small growers found the barter system ac-ceptable because they did not have money to purchase their needs before the crops were harvested. Estimates show that it would take 18 months and around P1,000 per hectare to develop a new abaca plantation until the fibers are ready for harvest.

The Chinese, moreover, offered better prices for the abaca if the farmers took pay-ments in goods in lieu of cash. The practice also involved the leasing of small plantations already planted with abaca. The merchants waited until the crop was ready for harvest, had the fields stripped of mature produce sold to exporters. For others with abaca plantations, they rented the lands to farm-ers and took a share from the profits. During the abaca boom, the district of Guianga, next only to Lapanday, was the hub of hemp plan-tations; it was where the Japanese popula-tion was dense. It was Mintal that earned the sobriquet of “Little Tokyo” primarily because

this is where most of the Japanese enterpris-es, farmlands, and cottage industries were concentrated.

Michaelangelo Ebro Dakudao, in his The Japanese Immigrants’ Houses And Settlement Patterns In Davao (Ca. 1904-1941), wrote: “Mintal, with Japanese-funded develop-ment, became a self-contained center that was linked with the economic and informa-tion functions of central Davao City. It had the first modern hospital, the Mintal Byoin, owned and managed by the Ohta Develop-ment Company. Likewise, the Japanese town was also provided with the Mintal Japanese School, the second biggest Japanese school to be founded in Davao; the Bago Oshiro Ken-kyujo, an experimental station for the study of abaca, ramie, and others; a 16-kilometer irrigation dam and 360 horsepower hydro-electric station; a 35-kilometer private tele-phone; Mintal Ice Plant; 100 kilometers of private road; the Japanese cemetery; Shinto shrines and temples, and others. Mintal came to be the only place in Davao to be designat-ed in Japanese characters [Mintaru] which… means ‘where people will gather to stay.’… Mintal became a mini-city in its own right, using its ties with the Japanese-controlled plantation areas in the vicinities. Thus, the place became another “people of growth” which attracted a considerable number of Japanese, Mintal was the most Japanized town in Davao, if not in the whole Philip-pines.”

THE Lord God, the Bible tells us, created man “in his own image.” He had given Adam – the first man – the power to

control all His other creations. But God ob-served that Adam was lonely – he was alone.

Genesis 2:21-23 chronicles how the first woman came to be: “So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman’ for she was taken out of man.

The first marriage took place after that. In fact, Genesis 2:24 is perhaps the most-of-ten quoted verse during weddings: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will be-come one flesh.”

The Bible story came into my mind when I heard a little girl who was asked during a Sunday school if she knew the story of Adam and Eve. “Of course, I do,” she replied. “First God made Adam and then looked at him and said, ‘I think I can do better,’ so He created a woman.”

Here’s another version: A small child came home from Sunday school and told her mother: “The teacher told us how God made the first man and the first woman. He made man first, but the man was very lonely with no one to talk to, so God put the man to sleep, and while he was asleep, God took out his brains and made a woman out of them.”

Then, troubles start. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said: “If

you want some-thing said, ask a man; if you want some-thing done, ask a woman.” Jo-seph Conrad contends: “Be-ing a woman is a terribly diffi-cult task since it consists princi-pally in dealing with men.”

With wom-en, there are always two choices. Will Rogers advices: “There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither one works.” Ihre Fre-undin said: “There are two kinds of women in the world: those who take a man’s strength and those who give a man strength.”

Now talking about two types of women, a psychoanalyst shares: “My women patients can be divided into two categories: the ones who work and the ones who stay at home. The former suffer from a guilt complex, the latter from frustration.”

Have you ever wondered why there are few women in combats? Elaynse Boosler ex-plains: “We have women in the military, but they don’t put us in the front lines. They don’t know if we can fight, if we can kill. I think we can. All the general has to do is walk over to the women and say, ‘You see the enemy over there? They say you look fat in those uni-forms.’”

This story contradicts a foremost an-thropologist who supports the idea of coed

conscription, but draws the line at letting the ladies be battleaxes. Her reason: “I do not believe in using women in combat, because females are too fierce.” Military generals, are you listening?

Here are some words of wisdom about women from noted personalities. Oscar Wil-de: “Woman begins by resisting a man’s ad-vances and ends by blocking his retreat.” Ar-istotle Onassis: “If women didn’t exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning.”

In 1966’s The Second Neurotic’s Notebook, Mignon McLaughlin wrote: “Women are nev-er landlocked: they’re always mere minutes away from the briny deep of tears.” In 1933’s ‘Literature in My Time,’ Compton Mackenzie penned: “Women do not find it difficult nowa-days to behave like men, but they often find it extremely difficult to behave like gentlemen.”

Are men and women really different? Elissa Melamed noted: “Men look at them-selves in mirrors. Women look for them-selves.” Oscar Wilde differentiates: “Women are never disarmed by compliments. Men always are. That is the difference between the sexes.”

Will Rogers contends: “Every time a woman leaves off something she looks better, but every time a man leaves off something he looks worse.” Elayne Boosler argues: “When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping. Men invade another country.” Yul Brynner quips: “Women have an unfair ad-vantage over men: if they can’t get what they want by being smart, they can get it by being dumb.”

Here’s another advantage of being a woman. “I’d much rather be a woman than a

man,” Gilda Radner remarks. “Women can cry, they can wear cute clothes, and they are the first to be rescued off of sinking ships.”

If a man is looking for attention, don’t expect it from a woman. David Garnett re-minds: “Women, it is said, do not concentrate. They can attend to the subject in hand, but their attention has not the wholeheartedness of a man’s. If so, it is just possible that since women have been cooking the supper, mend-ing clothes, listening to half a dozen children talking at once, and keeping them good-tem-pered and amused since before the dawn of history, they have learned to be able to attend to several things at a time. A man, on the oth-er hand, focuses his mind.”

British actor Michael Caine has a different tale: “One of the most important things for a woman, I think, is to respect herself. ‘Cause a woman usually gets from men the same amount of respect she has for herself, almost to the ounce. Men have a second sense about women and when they sense that a woman has no respect for herself, they’re very quick to follow in her footsteps.”

As much as possible, never ask a woman how old is she. You’ll never know: “Women have a passion for mathematics. They divide their age in half, double the price of their clothes, and always add at least five years to the age of their best friend,” Marcel Achard points out. Why is this so? “Age to women is like Kryptonite to Superman,” says Kathy Lette.

At one time, a thirty-something woman applied for a job. The receptionist gave her an application form and one of the queries was about age. The woman wrote: “Nuclear.”

…and God created woman

Henrylito D. Taciohenrytacio@gmail.com

THINK ON THESE!

Rise of American plantations

BY THE ARCHIVIST

FAST BACKWARD

VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 2015

FACEBOOK is making it easier to plan for your online afterlife.

The world’s biggest online social network said Thursday that it will now let users pick someone who can manage their account after they die. Previously, the accounts were “memorialized” after death, or locked so that no one could log in.

But Facebook says its users wanted more choice. Beginning in the U.S., Face-book users can pick a “legacy contact” to post on their page after they die, respond to new friend requests and update their profile picture and cov-er photo. Users can also have their accounts deleted after their death, which was not possible before.

If you want someone to manage your account af-ter you die, click on the up-side-down triangle on the top right corner of your page, open “settings” and find “security.” For U.S. users there will be an option to edit your legacy con-tact, who must be a Facebook user. But you don’t have to pick someone else to manage your account. You can also check a box to permanently delete

your account when you die.The person you choose to

manage your account won’t be notified of your choice un-til your Facebook account is memorialized. But you can send them a message before. Facebook will also send you an annual reminder of your pick. This could help if the person dies before you do, for exam-ple, or if your friendship cools as the years pass.

If you give your contact additional permission, they will be able to download and archive your photos, posts and profile information after you die. They will not be able to access your private messages. To log into your account, they will have to use their own Facebook login — they won’t be able to sign in as you.

Facebook accounts are memorialized at the request of loved ones, who must provide proof of the person’s death, such as an obituary. Facebook tries to ensure that the account of the dead user doesn’t show up as a “suggested friend” or in other ways that could upset the person’s loved ones.

Facebook, which has nearly 1.4 billion users, won’t say how many accounts are

XIAOMI, one of China’s hottest companies, is bringing its blend of

cheap yet fashionable tech-nology and crowd-pleasing antics to the U.S.

Although its smart-phones won’t be available here anytime soon, Xiaomi unveiled plans Thursday to test the U.S. market by selling inexpensive head-phones and other accesso-ries online. It plans to hew to the Internet-driven, cus-tomer-friendly model that has helped turn the com-pany into a major player in mobile computing just five years after its founding.

Xiaomi — pronounced schow-mee — has made

a name in China by selling sleek gadgets at relative-ly low prices, using online sales and social media to keep marketing and distri-bution costs low. Some ana-lysts have hailed the compa-ny as the Chinese equivalent of Apple, in part because of its intensely loyal fans.

There are some signif-icant differences between the two companies’ ap-proach, though. While Ap-ple tends to keep its future product plans secret, Xiao-mi has invited customers to nosh on popcorn at compa-ny parties, chat on Xiaomi’s online forums and review or make suggestions for new features, which Xiaomi fre-

quently builds into its week-ly software updates.

“We don’t have custom-ers or users. They prefer to be addressed (as) fans,” said Hugo Barra, who defect-ed from his job overseeing Google’s Android products in 2013 to help plot Xiaomi’s expansion outside China.

Barra was joined Thurs-day by Bin Lin, Xiaomi’s co-founder and president, at the company’s first major press event in the United States.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Barra de-scribed the U.S. website as “an experimental launch” that will help the company raise awareness in the U.S.,

10

Now someone can manageyour FB account after you die

Xiaomi enters US market with accessories

EDGEDAVAO

ICT HUB

AFTERLIFE. A Facebook employee walks past a sign at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. Facebook is giving more options to decide what happens to users’ accounts after they die. The world’s biggest online social network will now let users pick a trusted contact who can manage their account or elect to have the account deleted. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Xiaomi president Bin Lin speaks at a presentation in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015. While stopping short of declaring plans to sell phones in the United States, Xiaomi said Thursday that it will dip its toes in the U.S.

market by selling headphones and other accessories online, through an Internet-based, fan-friendly model that has helped make the company one of the leading smartphone suppliers in China. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

which in turn would help its profile in other countries. He said the company also is hoping to get the kind of feedback and ideas from U.S. consumers that the compa-ny gathers in China.

Xiaomi has emerged as a mobile-computing sen-sation with a line of smart-phones sold in China, India and six other countries where much of the popu-lation still lacks Internet access. The company plans to expand into Brazil later this year. The phones offer a smattering of the sleek technology featured in fan-cier devices made by Apple and Samsung, but they sell at much lower prices, rang-ing from about $95 to $280. In comparison, an iPhone 6 starts at $650 without sub-sidies for signing two-year contracts.

A Xiaomi phone “may not be the best product out there but a product with the best combination: a very affordable price and good quality,” said Bing-Sheng Teng, a corporate strategy expert at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in Beijing.

While the iPhone still dominates the smaller lux-ury segment of China’s mar-ket, Xiaomi’s devices are be-ing snapped up by the mass-es almost as quickly as the company starts accepting online orders. Xiaomi sold about 61 million phones last year, more than tripling

its 2013 volume, Lin said. That established Xiaomi as China’s top seller of smart-phones with a 15 percent market share to edge out Samsung at 14 percent, ac-cording to research firm IHS. But another firm, Canalys, estimates that Apple sold more phones in China than either of those companies in the fourth quarter of 2014, when Apple’s new iPhone 6 models came out.

By concentrating on on-line sales of phones and ac-cessories, Lin said, the com-pany has built the third-larg-est e-commerce site in Chi-na. Besides phones, Xiaomi has an electronics lineup that ranges from a 49-inch flat-panel TV for $550 to a fitness band for about $13. The company also has sold about 2 million stuffed bun-nies that serve as Xiaomi’s mascot.

Xiaomi is just dipping its toes in the U.S. market by selling accessories for now, including headphones for about $80. Barra said it takes “an incredible amount of work” to bring more tech-nologically complicated products, such as a smart-phone, to a new market. He didn’t say when that might happen.

But executives acknowl-edged the company would face big hurdles in the U.S., where most consumers buy smartphones from wireless carriers at subsidized pric-es. That could make Xiao-

mi’s low-margin business model less effective here.

In addition, Xiaomi has been accused of copying — or at least closely imitating — some designs from Apple or other companies. At the San Francisco event Thurs-day, executives stressed an array of software and fea-tures that Xiaomi has de-veloped to run on top of the Android system that Google makes available for other device makers. They range from games and messaging features to services that let users search for a nearby doctor and make an ap-pointment on their phone.

When asked whether a fear of patent lawsuits could deter Xiaomi from selling phones in the United States, Lin implied that it’s not a big factor for the company. But he said, “all companies have had patent litigation.” He said Xiaomi has filed for hundreds of patents in part to beef up its own defenses against such claims.

Xiaomi raised $1.1 bil-lion late last year in an in-vestment that valued the privately held company at $45 billion. The compa-ny’s eight founders include CEO Jun Lei, one of China’s best-known technology en-trepreneurs; Lin, a former engineer at Microsoft and Google; and former Mo-torola executive Guangping Zhou. BRANDON BAILEY and MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writers

memorialized, though Face-book product manager Vanes-sa Callison-Burch said there have been “hundreds of thou-sands” of requests from loved ones to do so.

Other Internet compa-nies also offer ways to post-

humously manage your accounts. On Google, a tool called “inactive account man-ager” lets you choose to have your data deleted after three, six or 12 months of inactivity. Or you can choose someone, such as a parent or a spouse,

to receive the data. The tool covers not just email but also other Google services such as Google Plus, YouTube and Blogger.

Twitter, meanwhile, will deactivate your account if con-tacted by a family member or

a person authorized to act on behalf of your estate, after ver-ifying not only that you died but that the Twitter account is yours, since many people don’t use their full names on the site. BARBARA ORTUTAY, AP Technology Writer

VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 2015 11EDGEDAVAO

SUBURBIA

WORLD eight-di-vision boxing champion and

Sarangani Rep. Manny Pac-quiao gave out on Thurs-day a total of P1 million in educational cash assistance to poor but deserving stu-dents from seven different public schools in this town.

A total of 435 elementa-ry and high school students received P2,000 each from Pacquiao, who personally attended the affair together with his wife, Vice Gover-nor Jinkee Pacquiao.

Pacquiao also gave P5,000 each to some col-lege students in this town who direly need financial support in pursuing their college education.

“Malapatan town was the first to receive. This will be replicated in six other municipalities to help poor yet deserving students in those areas,” Pacquiao said.

The beneficiaries were from public schools in re-mote and destitute villages like Lun Padidu, Libi, Lun Masla, Tuyan, Daan Suyan, and Kinam.

Analy Riquiapo, a grad-uating student at Lun Pa-didu Elementary School,

was profuse with thanks for what she had received from Pacquiao.

“I will use the amount to settle my remaining ac-counts for graduation, Par-ents-Teachers-Community Association and National Achievement Test. This is really a big help for us,” Riquiapo said.

Pacquiao has also been supporting the scholarship of about 2,500 students from Sarangani and Gener-al Santos City.

“I am just sharing to you God’s blessings. This is my way of glorifying and thanking God for what he has done to my life. I am a sinner but despite that, He has showered me with so much blessings,” Pacquiao said.

The boxer-lawmaker said he wants to prove to all and sundry that not all elected officials are cor-rupt.

“I’m a politician with a mission. Politics to me is a vocation. It’s more of a sac-rifice than personal gain. That is why I don’t hesitate to spend my own money just to help people and I find self-fulfillment in do-

THE city govern-ment announced that all is set for the

celebration of the “78th Dia de Zamboanga” (Zam-boanga Day) on February 26.

The celebration marks the 78th anniversary of the installation of the first set of city government of-ficials in 1935.

City Hall information officer Belen Sheila Co-varrubias said Saturday that the main highlight of the celebration will be the grand civic-military parade.

It will be followed by the commemorative program and the confer-ment of awards to Local Achievers on February 27 covering various fields of endeavor.

Covarrubias said among the city govern-ment-sponsored activi-ties and the schedules are as follows: Drum and Lyre competition (secondary level) and the city–wide cheer dance competi-tion at the Mayor Agan

Coliseum, February 20; Zamboanga Film Festival (public screening), short film (live action and ani-mation) and music video (live action and anima-tion) at the Cinamatheque Center, February 23 to 25; awards night at the Cen-tro Latino, Feb. 25; Gran-diosa Venta de Mercado (Grand Market Sales) at the Plaza del Pilar, Feb. 18 to 28; and, Kasalang Bayan at City Hall lobby, Feb. 27.

Covarrubias said also forming part of the city government-sponsored activities is the Juego na Dia de Zamboanga (Zam-boanga Day Sports Fest).

She said various other activities, organized by private groups, are also included in the Dia de Zamboanga calendar of activities.

The Dia de Zamboan-ga marks the day when the first set of city govern-ment officials headed by Mayor Nicasio Valderoza was installed into office in 1935. (PNA)

THE Provincial Gov-ernment of Davao del Norte is launching

this month the Cagangohan Community-Based Integrat-ed Development Program (CCBIDP) which aims to im-

prove the lot of indigent fam-ilies in the coastal barangay of Panabo City.

The program will pool together the resources of various government agen-cies and the private sector

Pacquiao shells out P1M for studentsBy Aquiles Z. Zonioa

Sarangani Province

Integrated program to benefit coastal communities in PanaboDavao del Norte Zamboanga City

in developing a 1.5-hectare lot to be a pilot adaptation project in uplifting the social, economic, and environmen-tal well-being of the shore-line community.

Governor Rodolfo del Rosario said the components of the initiative include or-ganic agriculture, coastal biodiversity conservation, tourism development, grass-roots sports development, and livelihood development.

“We shall involve the mechanism of pooling the resources of the government and the private sector to-gether in providing a better quality of life to the coastal community,” he said.

Del Rosario added the facilities that will be put up in the area include an organic agricul-ture demonstra-tion farm, man-groove nursery, boardwalk, an open-air seawa-ter swimming pool, restaurants, and the likes.

Beneficiaries identified for the project consist of recipients of the government ’s 4Ps program and indigenous com-

munity.They will be given emer-

gency employment while engaged in some livelihood training to become a cohe-sive community with profit-able productive opportuni-ties.

“They will be compensat-ed while they are learning,” the governor said.

The youth in the area will also be trained in the swimming event, capitalizing on their inherent physical strength and endurance in open-water swimming.

Since the area is identi-fied as a tourism site, the resi-dents will also be capacitated in tourism management.

Joining forces with the provincial government are the Department of Environ-ment and Natural Resources, Department of Interior and Local Government, Depart-ment of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment, and the Kasilak Foundation, among others.

The project is anchored under the Ugmad Komuni-dad (UK) program, which was launched by del Rosario over two years ago to help constituents generate reve-nue primarily through sports tourism and livelihood activi-ties. Noel Baguio

SCHOOL AID. Boxer-lawmaker Manny Pacquiao and his wife Sarangani Vice Governor Jinkee hand over P2,000 educational cash assistance each to 435 poor students from different public schools in Malapatan town. The amount came from the Pinoy ring idol’s personal fund. Photo by Aquiles Z. Zonio

ing this,” Pacquiao said. The Pinoy boxing idol

believes God is just using him to help other people.

“Many politicians are enriching themselves to the detriment of public ser-vice and at the expense of

the people. I thank God for giving me this rare oppor-tunity to serve the people. As public official, we should

always bear in mind the 10 Commandments. One of which says, “Thou shall not steal,” he said.

BOARDWALK. Perspective of the boardwalk leading to the open-air seawater swimming pool, a component of the  Cagangohan Community-Based Integrated Development Program in Panabo City. PEO

INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT. Aerial perspective of the proposed Cagangohan Community-Based Integrated Development Program in Panabo City, which consists of organic agriculture, coastal biodiversity conservation, tourism development, grassroots sports development, and livelihood development. PEO

All set for 78th Dia de Zamboanga

VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 201512Davao River water was high-ly turbid due to chemical use in agricultural cultivation. Effluents from residential houses along the riverbanks also raised the e-coli bacte-ria count to unconscionable levels, thus rendering the water highly contaminated,” he said.

For its part, DCWD will tap Tamugan River for its surface water development project based on study made by experts that its quality is the same as that of Dumoy groundwater. The project is targeted to be completed by year 2019.

“Once operational, it will supply and deliver by grav-ity 300 million liters per day of treated bulk water to DCWD off-take points. This will sustain water supply to the consumers in Davao City’s three districts. This shall address the inade-quate supply experienced in entire Davao City including the Second District for at least 30 years,” Delima said.

DCWD will likewise construct additional stor-age reservoirs in its water systems of Dumoy, in the First District, Tugbok, Ta-landang and Calinan in the Third District and Panacan, Cabantian, Indangan and Mandug in the Second Dis-trict. Lot purchases for these reservoirs and surveys for the water distribution lines have been accomplished. Mainline replacements and improvements will be done to improve water pressure.

Delima said the second reason for DCWD’s oppo-sition to Helpmate is “not because the latter becomes a competitor of DCWD but because of its staunch com-mitment of providing quali-ty and affordable water to all the people of Davao City.”

“With Helpmate, Inc. tapping of the contaminated Davao River water comes the high cost of water treat-ment that may translate to higher water rates which the Second District consum-ers will bear,” he said.

“It is thus noteworthy to emphasize the Tamugan Surface Water Develop-ment Project which DCWD has started and which will solve water shortage in the Second District as it sustains adequate water supply in the service areas of Dumoy Water Supply System,” Deli-

ma said.“In addition, the water

treatment facility in Caban-tian Water Supply System is expected to be completed within this year and if found to be successful, it will be replicated in the Panacan Water Supply System to ad-dress water quality issues,” he added.

Delima said thirdly, the water rate structure of DCWD does not include an item for “margin of profit” as it does not have investors or owners unlike a private water service provider. “All incomes realized by DCWD is plowed back to the con-sumers through expansion of water service,” he said.

Based on the report of the City Council’s committee on energy headed by coun-cilor Louie John Bonguyan, Helpmate was given favor-able endorsement with the condition that it will comply with the requirements of the Davao River Water Qual-ity Management Area.

The requirements are an approved Water Safety Plan based on Philippine Nation-al Standards for Drinking Water 2007 and submission of treatment facility plan to address water pollution.

The report stated that barangay captains in Bu-hangin District sent a letter to Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte telling him of their willing-ness to accept and accom-modate any water service provider to serve in every barangay considering that their areas were not reached by the services of DCWD.

“Representatives of ba-rangays Cabantian, Hizon and Sasa have expressed their support for the proj-ect of Helpmate consider-ing that as per experience, DCWD cannot amply supply the water needs of their re-spective barangays,” the re-port said.

The report said the wa-ter supply of DCWD is not sufficient and “can no lon-ger provide good service to the public.”

During the commit-tee hearing last February 7, 2014, lawyer Richard Tumanda, representing DCWD, confirmed that there is no exclusivity with regards to franchises grant-ed to entities. With a report from of Armando B. Feneq-uito Jr.

Why...

Davao...

Chamber...

Mangudadatu...

OCBO...

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said.The next meeting is yet

to be set since both parties are still gathering the docu-ments needed.

Quitain said during the meeting, Lopez said Sta. Cruz wants an equal share of the remaining 70 percent of the LBT since Davao City will automatically receive 30 per-cent of the tax since the main office of TSI is in Davao City.

In October 2014, the Davao City Council deferred the passage for second read-ing the “Letter Request of Benjamin Cariaso, Jr., Pres-ident and Chief Operating Officer of TSI and Manuel M. Orig. First Vice President for Mindanao Affairs, Aboitiz-Power Corporation Request-ing for the Passage of an Or-dinance (1) Specifying the Sharing of Local Business Taxes of Industries and En-tities Situated at TSI, and (2) Granting Local Legislative Authority for the City Mayor to Sign the Memorandum of Agreement, for Appropriate Action of the Body. “

Until now, the item is

still pending before the City Council.

Quitain said councilor Danilo C. Dayanghirang, pro-ponent of the item, was pres-ent during the meeting.

“I understand that the City Council has not yet made a stand on the matter because they are also wait-ing for development after the conferences,” he said.

During thee discussion of this item last year, coun-cilor Victorio Advincula said there is a need for another committee hearing on the matter to accommodate the Sta. Cruz government.

Based on the committee report read by Dayanghi-rang, TSI proposed that the remaining 70 percent of the LBT be shared by the two lo-cal government units (LGUs).

The proposition was based on a similar case of the San Roque Power Corpora-tion (SRPC) in Pangasinan in which the sharing of LBT was decided by the Bureau of Local Government Fi-nance (BLGF) under the De-partment of Finance (DOF).

The TSI said the BLGF “held that in the instance where the facilities located in another municipality are integral and indispensable part of the hydroelectric plant and no electric power will be produced without the other, the 70 percent sharing shall be shared between the two municipalities. Under these circumstances, SRPC’s integrated hydroelectric plant is a single unified plant that is physically located in two municipalities within the contemplation of the LGC (Local Government Code).”

Quitain said in the report that the city should have the biggest share and therefore he was not in favor of equal-ly sharing the remaining 70 percent.

TSI legal counsel Raul Nadela Jr. informed the Sta. Cruz LGU about Davao City’s proposal but said TSI did not agree and instead pushed for a 50-50 share.

The report said based on the inquiries made with TSI personnel, the part of

the project being construct-ed in the area of Sta. Cruz is the Coal Dome which will be used as coal storage since it is close to the port.

Quitain said if that is the case, then the part where the Coal Dome located is not in-tegral and indispensable be-cause this can be relocated in Davao City.

City treasurer Rodrigo Riola said the city should have a bigger share of the LBT since the city got the higher percentage of equip-ment of the coal plant com-pared with Sta. Cruz.

Riola also said the Coal Dome located in Sta. Cruz is “dispensable” and can be re-located in Davao City.

Orig told reporters that TSI will abide by what the two LGUs will agree on re-garding the tax sharing. He said 80 percent of the land area of the power plant is on Davao City while 20 percent lies in Sta. Cruz.

As for the equipment of TSI, 60 percent are in Davao City while 40 percent are in Sta. Cruz.

“Willie” Escudero, Jose Sevil-la, Manuel “Nonoy” M. Garcia, Martin Suelto, Gerardo Yap II and Bienvenido Cariaga.

The bankers were Anto-nio Lim, Delia Mercado Lad-ao, Pedro Durano, and Gai-sano Jr., also a retailer of the Gaisano clan.

The certified public ac-countant were Adolfo Arguna, Protacio “Cocoy” Tacandong, and Emilio Piansay, while the civil engineers were Vicente Albay and Robert Quinto.

The agriculturists Romeo

Serra and Angliongto who at 37, was the youngest ever elected as president.

The others were business executives and entrepreneurs like Simeon Marfori, Jose B. Custodio, Bonifacio Tan, Sof-ronio M. Jucutan, Domingo Duerme, Edmundo Madrazo, and Alberto “Bobby” Soriano. Daniel Lim is the lone archi-tect, while Dr. Ma. Lourdes G. Monteverde is the only physician. Dr Monteverde is the third lady to have served as president following Delia

Ladao and Joji Bian. Angliongto proudly relat-

ed that during his first term, the chamber was able to con-vince Banco Davao and Bank of the Philippine Islands to restructure its outstanding loan of more than P300,000 rather than foreclosing the chamber. He said they talk-ed to the late congressman Lorenzo Sarmiento, own-er of Banco Davao, and BPI President Larry Reyes to be lenient to the chamber. Many of the members also agreed

to pay their corporate con-tributions in advance to raise the money.

One of the biggest achievement of the chamber then as the champion of small and medium enterprises was to succeed in having an or-dinance on Percentage Tax repealed as it tantamounted to double taxation. After a se-ries of action, the Davao City Council then agreed to repeal the controversial ordinance. The chamber also figured in other successful advocacies.

operation.To prove peace is still

possible, the provincial gov-ernment pushed with the Sagayan Festival, a week-long celebration which was pre-ceded by the Mamasapano incident.

“Amid all these violence, our celebration must contin-ue,” he said, adding that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is coming up with a resolu-tion urging Congress to push through with the passage of the draft Bangsamoro law.

Mangudadatu said he and

the local government execu-tives of 36 municipalities are one in saying that the BBL “is the answer to all these peace and order problems hound-ing Maguindanao.”

On Valentine’s Day, Magu-indanao will host the Army’s “Bangsamoro Bike for Love” or BBL to be participated by thousands of peace ad-vocates, soldiers, police and MILF members.

The “Bangsamoro Bike for Love” aims to drum up support for the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro law.

released after 72 hours due to lack of documentary require-ments on the part of the appli-cants.

Felizarta said the comput-

erized application system will help not only the office but also the applicants because they will able to know whether the permit was already released or

is still in the hand of the facil-itators.

In an interview last Friday, Quitain said his office did not receive any complaints over

delayed release of permits of OCBO in the past few days.

“So far, I did not received any complaints anymore,” he said.

CHINESE NEW YEAR. Davao City Chinatown Development Council (DC-CDC) spokesperson Jasper Huang (right) and Popee Manapat promote the activities of the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration on February 18.

Huang and Manapat were guests of the Fast Fridays media forum held at Archipelago 7107 by Barrio Fiesta at SM Lanang Premier on Friday. Lean Daval Jr.

NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 2015

EDGEDAVAOINdulge! EVENT

EVER SINCE I could remem-ber, the Aldevinco Shopping Center has been the go-to place when one wants to shop for Davao souvenirs. I could remember exploring its maze of corridors looking for local crafts, batik items, and an-tique trinkets to buy and bring to Ma-nila as p a s a l u -bong for friends.

ALDEVINCO A4

Inaugurated on January 2, 1965, the Aldevinco Shopping Center was the first shopping centre in Davao City. A brainchild of Conrado Al-cantara and his wife, Ladislawa. It quickly became a landmark of the city’s bustling downtown area which Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez would describe as a “landmark, heri-tage center and an active tourism exchange in Davao City that brings together under one roof local and foreign visitors, and the beautiful products of Mindanao.” Last January 24 saw the Aldevinco Shopping Center enter its 50th anni-versary with a Golden Anniversary Celebration held at the SMX Con-vention Center Davao.

ALDEVINCO turns golden

Alcantara Group Chairman Tomas I. Alcantara during his closing remarks.

Alsons Dev Executive Vice President Rosie A. Dominguez during her Welcome Remarks.

The 23 Loyal Partners of Aldevinco Shopping Center in 50 years. Special Awards were given to 23 storeowners who have remained in the Aldevinco Shopping Center from 35 years to 50 years.

Aldevinco Shopping Center shop owners in their colorful Ethnic and Filipiniana attire.

Mr. Nestor Quizon thanks Alsons Dev management for 50 years of partnership.

Ms. Mildred Aguila reminiscing how she began 50 years ago at Aldevinco Shopping Center.

Alsons Dev Senior Managers (L-R): Rey Benedict Aquiatan, Jessa Mae Sisi, Amado C. Bernardino, Luis Conrado de Jesus, Rosie Dominguez, Eric de la Costa, Maricor Roque, Ma. Theresa Dalhug, Jolla Soriaga, Juan Claudio Tinga.

Opening number by Kalumon Performing Ensemble.

Store until March 31, 2016. Share your Extras was recently launched at SM Marikina highlighting the campaign’s first ben-eficiaries from nearby ba-rangays in Marikina that are covered by the gov-ernment’s 4Ps- Pantawid

Pamilyang Pilipino Pro-gram.  SM Store President Ms. Cielo Monasterio, SVP-Operations Mr. Joey Sin-gian, SM Foundation Inc. Executive Director Ms. Connie Angeles together with Social Welfare Offi-

cer IV Ms. Karen Bullecer took part in the heart-warming ceremony happi-ly handing shoes, clothes, and undergarments from the SM store to the de-lighted kids.  Many more less fortu-nate communities from

DSWD accredited ben-eficiaries nationwide will receive clothes and slip-pers from the SM Store through the Share Your Extras campaign. Join SM in making a difference with the Share Your Extras campaign.  

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI! Park Inn by Radisson Davao ushers in the Year of the Sheep with a week-long celebration of Oriental cu-linary delights at the RBG. Discover the flavors from the great “wok” of China as you feast in a Chinese set meal, good for a family of 6 to 8 persons. “Inspired by the concept of our Supersize meal, which an all-time crowd fa-vorite, our kitchen team have once again donned their creative hats and came up with a choices for a Chinese set meal, which we’re of-fering for lunch and dinner start-ing on the evening of February 15th until the 20th,” shares Mr. Pavan Kakar, the hotel’s General Manager. “We’re talking about variety and value that’s big in size, big on taste. For only Php1,888.00 net per set meal, you get to indulge in a feast of Chinese dishes, com-plete from starter to dessert. We also offer you a lineup of delecta-ble choices for soup, main course,

dim-sum, rice and drink, on top of our serving of lettuce wraps, Chow Mein and buns and plat-ter of assorted desserts and fruits. This medley is sure to satisfy ev-eryone in your group.” The selection for soup features Crab and Corn, Hot and Sour, and Garlic Asparagus. For the entrée, guests get to choose from Steamed Whole Red Snapper in Soya Sauce, Kung Pao Shrimps,

Roasted Whole Chicken glazed with Schezuan Sauce, and Hoisin Braised Pork Belly. The vegetable dishes in the menu are Bok Choy, Shitake and Carrots with Oyster Sauce; Stir Fried Spinach, Red Capsicum, Grilled Young Corn and Bamboo Shoot; and, lastly, Young Corn, Shitake & Tofu with Rice Wine. Guests may opt to have their dumplings with vegetable shrimp,

chicken or pork, and cooked ei-ther steamed or fried. Complementing your hot dish-es are rice choices from Plain Rice, Yang Chow and Tofu Fried Rice with Beansprout. Among the assorted desserts served at the end of the meal are the Tapioca, Egg Custard, Buchi, Nian Gao, and Crispy Wonton Crepe with Chocolate and Berry Fillings. “We also offer one whole Pe-king Duck for a la carte orders at only Php988.00 net. This is one delicacy you can enjoy and add together with your set meal,” adds Mr. Kakar. “The annual Chinese New Year festivity is all about families gath-ering to welcome and celebrate new beginnings. We invite ev-eryone to try our limited dining offer for this season. All families are also free to come over to join us witness the Dragon Dance on February 18, starting at 6:00 PM.” Call and book your table through 272 7600.

A2 INdulge!UP AND ABOUT

VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 2015EDGEDAVAOENTERTAINMENT

WITH only a few days left until the loveliest day of the year, it’s defi-nitely hard not to feel that love is in the air! By this time, couples, fami-lies, friends, and even those who are happily single are now plan-ning on what to do, where to eat, and what to give their loved ones on Valentine’s Day. From an extravagant cruise ride, to a romantic candlelight dinner by the beach, to just a simple yet intimate date at home, some Kapuso stars share how they would like to spend their ideal Valentine’s Day. Read on as they also reveal their most memorable Valen-tine’s date ever, as well as give a few practical tips on how one can express love to others this season of hearts. Camille PratsQ: Describe the best Valen-tine’s Day you’ve ever had.A: February 14 is my brother’s birthday, so usually Valen-tine’s Day is a family gathering for us.

Q: List ways that you could show your affection to your loved ones on Valentine’s Day.A: You have to make her feel special. Kung ano ‘yung mga normally hindi mo ginagawa dati, gawin mo sa Valentine’s Day. Flowers are very impor-tant. I think every girl would really appreciate that. Hindi naman kailangang extrava-gant, basta do something you’ve never done before, maa-appreciate niya ‘yun.

Jeric GonzalesQ: Describe the best Valen-tine’s Day you’ve ever had.A: Best Valentine’s Day para sa akin nung pinag-prepare ko ‘yung ex-girlfriend ko ng very romantic date. That time, magkaaway kami and me-dyo parang maghihiwalay na, pero dahil love ko siya at hindi ko kayang magkahiwa-lay kami, I surprised her. And sobrang na-surprise naman siya sa ginawa ko. Q: Imagine a perfect Valen-tine’s Day. Who would you be with? Where would you go? What would you do? How would you feel? De-scribe it.A: Perfect ang Valentine’s Day if makakasama ko ‘yung someone who is very special to me. Then gusto ko pupunta kami somewhere na kami lang

ang tao kung saan pwede ka-ming makapag-kwentuhan at pwede ko siyang haranahin.

Suzi Entrata-Abrera Q: Describe the best Valen-tine’s Day you’ve ever had.A: My husband and I kasi try not to go out on Valentine’s Day kasi nagutom na kami once. We tried to go out and we didn’t have any reserva-tion so nagutom talaga kami. Kamuntik na kaming mag drive-thru. So after that, we make sure that we have res-ervation or cook at home. But one time, my kids were a bit grownups na kasi and we have a gazebo at the back of our house, so I cooked food, and then our three girls, they served as our waitresses. And we have a bell pa, because we were a bit far from the house, so they, our waitresses, will get water for us and they were so excited na mautusan namin sila for something. And it was really beautiful. Q: Imagine a perfect Valen-tine’s Day. Who would you be with? Where would you go? What would you do? How would you feel? De-scribe it.A: Obviously, my husband would be my perfect Valen-tine. We usually, like I said, spend it at home. Pwede rin na we will go out of the coun-try, to a place na hindi masya-dong big deal ang Valentine’s Day katulad ng Japan. That would be very special.

Kapuso stars share their dream Valentine’s date

A week-long Chinese feastat Park Inn by Radisson Davao

Together in the spirit of giving, SM Store President Ms. Cielo Monasterio with SVP-Operations Mr. Joey Singian, SM Foundation Inc. Executive Director Ms. Connie Angeles, DSWD representatives with the first beneficiaries covered by the government’s 4Ps- Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program at the Share Your Extras launch.

Share your extras at SMSM invites its shoppers clean their closets and Share Your Extras with the less fortunate in this store based campaign. A joint project of The SM Store in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and De-velopment and SM Foun-dation, Share your Extras booths have been set up at all SM Stores where shop-pers can donate their extra clothes or new pair of slip-pers until March 31. All donors will be en-titled to a P50 coupon to be redeemed with a mini-mum P500 single receipt purchase of regular priced ladies’, men’s and chil-dren’s apparel at The SM

INdulge! A3VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 2015 EDGEDAVAOENTERTAINMENT

Catch the latest issue of M (Life & Living in Mindanao) Magazine featuring Dabawenya model Karina Cabiling. A model who is now making waves in Canada’s fashion scene, Karina graces the cover of latest issue. M Magazine is now available in more than 200 outlets nationwide.

ang tao kung saan pwede ka-ming makapag-kwentuhan at pwede ko siyang haranahin.

Suzi Entrata-Abrera Q: Describe the best Valen-tine’s Day you’ve ever had.A: My husband and I kasi try not to go out on Valentine’s Day kasi nagutom na kami once. We tried to go out and we didn’t have any reserva-tion so nagutom talaga kami. Kamuntik na kaming mag drive-thru. So after that, we make sure that we have res-ervation or cook at home. But one time, my kids were a bit grownups na kasi and we have a gazebo at the back of our house, so I cooked food, and then our three girls, they served as our waitresses. And we have a bell pa, because we were a bit far from the house, so they, our waitresses, will get water for us and they were so excited na mautusan namin sila for something. And it was really beautiful. Q: Imagine a perfect Valen-tine’s Day. Who would you be with? Where would you go? What would you do? How would you feel? De-scribe it.A: Obviously, my husband would be my perfect Valen-tine. We usually, like I said, spend it at home. Pwede rin na we will go out of the coun-try, to a place na hindi masya-dong big deal ang Valentine’s Day katulad ng Japan. That would be very special.

Aicelle SantosQ: Imagine a perfect Valen-tine’s Day. Who would you be with? Where would you go? What would you do? How would you feel? De-scribe it.A: Siyempre ‘yung perfect Val-entine’s Day would be with the man you really love ‘di ba? ‘Yung taong mahal mo ta-pos siya rin in love sa’yo. Pero wala pa siya ngayon, baka na-traffic. Where would we go? Sana sa hindi mataong lugar. Hindi ko alam kung saan ‘yun. Pwede ring candlelight dinner by the shore. And kung itutu-loy natin ‘yung pagka-cheesy ng moment, dapat may string quartet doon.

Joanna Marie TanQ: Describe the best Valen-tine’s Day you’ve ever had.A: Siguro ‘yung time na nag-

Kapuso stars share their dream Valentine’s date

outing kami ng barkada ko. At least, hindi ako alone ‘di ba? Kasi ako, laging nasasakto yata na kapag Valentine’s Day, wala akong boyfriend. Kung hindi family ang kasama ko, friends, group lagi kami. Q: Imagine a perfect Valen-tine’s Day. Who would you be with? Where would you go? What would you do? How would you feel? De-scribe it.A: Gusto kong mag-cruise para romantic. Parang “Titanic” pero huwag lang magkaka-ac-cident. Then may dinner date with someone special. Dapat gwapo! Magpapakaambisyo-sa na ako, siguro mga Adam Levine or Zac Efron ganyan. (laughs!) Ipu-push ko na ‘yung mga ganung level. Tapos ako, ganda-gandahan lang dahil sa dinamirami ng nagkaka-gusto sa kanila at gusto silang

makasama, ako ang nagwagi. Q: List ways that you could show your affection to your loved ones on Valentine’s Day.A: Simple ways lang. Pinakaim-portante ‘yung sasabihan mo siya ng “I love you” nang bukal sa puso mo. Syempre, hindi lang naman siguro para sa mga girlfriend or boyfriend ‘yun, pwede rin sa family. And siguro, iti-treat ko sila ng din-ner, mage-effort talaga ako. Julia LeeQ: Imagine a perfect Valen-tine’s Day. Who would you be with? Where would you go? What would you do? How would you feel? De-scribe it.A: Gusto ko whole family na-man ang makakasama ko this time. Kasi usually, kami ng boyfriend ko ang magkasama.

Gusto kong ma-experi-ence na kumpleto kami, although I know mahirap ‘yun kasi malayo kami sa isa’t isa. For me, kahit sim-ple dinner, lunch, or what-ever lang yan basta ma-kumpleto ulit ‘yung family ko. Pwede siguro kaming pumunta either sa brother ko sa Canada or sa sister ko sa Panama. Sobrang iba kasi ‘yung love na nabibig-ay ng family. It’s something na hindi ko na-experience, I think for 7 years. So, in that sense, hindi siya ‘yung girlfriend-boyfriend thing.

Q: List ways that you could show your affec-tion to your loved ones on Valentine’s Day.A: For my mom, flowers, da-hil mahilig siya sa bulaklak. To my special someone, usually kung ano ‘yung gusto niya, pag umiikot kayo, you should take note kung ano ‘yung nagpapa-saya sa kanya. Para sa akin, ang Valentine’s Day parang birthday. It happens just once a year. Valentine’s is another date to appreciate someone.

PG13/

*R16

R13

PG13/

*PG13 12:30 | 3:00 | 5:30 LFS / *8:00 | 10:00 LFS

R-16

JUPITER ASCENDING/ *THAT THING CALLEDTADHANA

Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum/* Angelica Panganiban, JM De Guzman

R18 11:40 | 2:15 | 4:50 | 7:25 | 10:00 LFS

PADDINGTON / *EVERLY

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

THE WEDDING RINGER

Kevin Hart, Josh Gad

12:25 | 2:20 | 4:15 LFS / *6:10 | 8:05 | 10:00 LFS

Hugh Bonnevilles, Xian Lim (Voice of Paddington) / * Salma Hayek

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan

February 16-17, 2015

A4 INdulge!EVENT

The 3 generations of the family of the Founders of the Aldevinco Shopping Center. (Present at the event from L to R) Marco, Anton, Rose & Alex, Patricia with daughter Natasha, Tommy, Nick , Rosie, Edith, Tisha & Miguel Dominguez with daughters Mariana & Sofia, Paul Dominguez.

The Alsons Properties Associates enjoying the festivities.

Shop owners of Aldevinco Shopping Center together with Mrs. Rosie Dominguez.

ALDEVINCO A1

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property project of Conrado Alcantara, founder of the Alcan-tara Group. Over the past 50 years, we have seen the landscape around the shopping center evolve in sync with Davao City’s growth and devel-opment,” Alcantara said. And with the evolving landscape on C. M. Recto Ave., where the Aldevinco Shopping Center stands, it was also time for the shopping center to change as well. “Davao has a changing landscape and we are going to adjust to it. There are studies being under-taken now as to how

will we continue to be at pace with the growth of the city and be able to meet its changing demands,” Alcantara added. The improvement and evolution of Al-devinco will include office spaces and con-dominium units. “We will be building (the project) vertically.” Although the planned redevelop-ment of Aldevinco will change the land-scape of downtown forever, there is an assurance that the character of the shop-ping centre shall re-main the same as the premier place to shop and experience Min-danao and its colour-ful wares.

No expense was spared as Officials of the Alcantara Group, family friends, tenants, and partners were treated to a lavish Mindanaoan-themed party with entertainment courtesy of Mitch Valdez, Isabella Gonzales, and crooner Richard Poon. The biggest news of the evening however is the announcement coming from the chair of the Alcantara GroupTomas I. Alcan-tara. “Aldevinco Shopping Center was the flagship

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NOTICE OF LOSSNotice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS

CONSOLIDATED INC. That CERTIFICATE OF FULL PAYMENT No.(s) 25905 under LOYOLA PLAN Contract No.(s) 390847-2 issued to Anita M. Zamora was lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.

2/02,09,16

13SPORTSEDGEDAVAO

LEBRON James is about to play a new power po-sition - vice president.

The Cavaliers star was unanimously elected first vice president of the Nation-al Basketball Players Asso-ciation on Friday, giving the game’s top player a leader-ship role within a union set to square off in the future with the league’s owners over rev-enue.

James was elected during the union’s annual meeting as part of All-Star weekend at a hotel near Times Square. A person familiar with James’ election said Clippers All-Star guard Chris Paul, the union’s president, had urged the four-time MVP to accept a promi-nent role within the union. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity be-fore union executive director Michele Roberts announced the election, said James want-ed to be deeply involved in future collective bargaining with the league.

Roberts could hardly wait to announce James’ addition.

‘’We have a new vice pres-ident who was elected unan-imously. His name is LeBron James,’’ she said, saying it slowly for emphasis. ‘’I can not tell you how delighted I am because it simply con-firms that our union is sup-ported by players all across the spectrum. LeBron’s addi-tion to our executive commit-tee is evidence of that. This is a great day for our union.’’

James, who considered running for president before

BOXING legend Aaron Pryor said he wants to see Manny Pacquiao and

Floyd Mayweather Jr. finally get it on in the squared circle.

“The Hawk,” who is known for his monumental battles against fellow legend Alexis Arguello in the early 80’s, said the Filipino southpaw is well-loved because of his all-out fighting style.

“I like PacMan. Because he throws a lot of punches and he’s giving it his all,” Pryor said in Mark Malinowski’s report to the Ring Observer.

Pryor also said Mayweath-er has proven himself in over 40 fights, but he wants the undefeated American to prove himself once again by fighting Pacquiao.

“For me to be on his side he gotta beat the best. And Pac Man is one of the best. Then I’ll say, ‘Yay.’”

But Pryor, who was among

the best junior welterweights of his era, thinks Mayweather, despite his defensive acumen, will have a hard time handling a left-handed volume puncher like Pacquiao.

“I think PacMan throws a lot of punches and I don’t think that Pretty Boy Floyd May-weather… I don’t think May-weather is gonna be equipped to handle it. That’s just how I feel,” he said.

But Pryor said this doesn’t means is already counting “Money” Mayweather out.

“He’s proved himself so many times… that’s what the fight game is about – every time you fight – prove yourself. I had eleven world title fights. Each time I fought one of those title fights it was about proving myself.”

Fans are still waiting for the fight to happen despite repeated negotiations for the past five years.

James voted VP of NBPA

Paul was elected, has been outspoken on several play-er-related issues already. But he’ll now have a formal seat alongside Paul at the bargain-ing table, giving the union a formidable executive branch at an important time.

Players or owners can opt out of the current CBA follow-ing the 2016-17 season, and the sides appear to be headed

toward a showdown over rev-enue, which will grow expo-nentially with a new, $24 bil-lion television deal set to kick in after the 2015-16 season.

One of the main reasons James signed only a one-year contract with a player option in Cleveland last summer was to ensure he would be a free agent in 2016 and maximize his earnings.

Roberts said James serv-ing as an executive gives the union obvious clout.

‘’LeBron has been a force to be reckoned with among our players since the man has hit the court,’’ she said. ‘’We have always wanted to have players of influence included in our executive committee. It gets your (media) attention. It gets all of your attention.’’

Pryor believes Floyd won’t beat Manny LeBron James

VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 201514 CLASSIFIED EDGEDAVAO

GENERAL SANTOS CITY MARKETING OFFICEEDMUND P. RENDONMarketing SpecialistGeneral Santos CityMobile: (Sun) 0925-357-3460 (Smart) 0907-202-3844

DAVAO CITY MAIN OFFICEJOCELYN S. PANESDirector of SalesDoor 14 ALCREJ Bldg.,Quirino Ave., Davao CityTel: (082) 224-1413Telefax: (082) 221-3601

MANILA MARKETINGOFFICEANGELICA R. GARCIA Marketing Manager97-1 Bayanbayanan Ave.,Marikina Heights, Marikina City Tel: (02) 654-3509

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VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 201516 EDGEDAVAOSports

For the first time since 2011 a world champi-onship in 10 Ball will be

held. This is a chance for the Philippines to finally claim a men’s world title in the game regarded as the most popular among the world’s top pool pros.

The 2015 MP Cup World 10 Ball Championship lags tomorrow in General Santos City, South Cotabato, with the single elimination race-to-seven stage one qualifiers that

will produce sixteen players for the second stage starting Tuesday in SM City Gen San.

Stage two will begin with 128 players in a race-to-nine double elimination phase that will halve the field to 64 shooters. Then the tourna-ment shifts to single elimina-tion, race-to-eleven matches all the way until the last blue-and-white ball drops in the fi-nal on Saturday, February 21. All matches will use alternate breaks.

The event is being orga-nized by boxer and congress-man Manny Pacquiao, who held a couple of 10 ball events in his hometown last year. The total prize purse is one of the biggest in the pocket billiards world, US$200,000, with $40,000 going to the champi-on. Official sponsors Aramith will supply the balls while fellow Belgian brand Simonis provide the cloth.

The World Pool-Billiard Association, the governing

body of the sport of pock-et billiards, has granted the tournament its sanction, and the WPA’s president, Ian An-derson, will be on hand.

There have been three previous editions of the world 10 ball championship for men, all taking place in Manila, but none featuring a Pinoy winner. Rubilen Amit has been the only Philippine citizen to win a world 10 ball crown, in the women’s cate-gory.

In the inaugural event in 2008, England’s Darren Appleton claimed the victo-ry in the Philippine Interna-tional Convention Center by outplaying Wu Chia Ching of Chinese Taipei, 13-11 in the final. A year later, another Eu-ropean, Mika Immonen, lifted the trophy by disappointing the home crowd in the World Trade Center with a fine 11-6 conquest over Lee Vann Cor-teza in the title match.

After a hiatus in 2010 the

event returned to the Philip-pines in 2011, with the Neth-erlands’ Huidji See prevailing over China’s Fu Jian Bo 11-8 in the last match to grab the title in SM Megamall.

In every running of the competition, there has been at least one Filipino semi-finalist, with Demosthenes “Plong-plong” Pulpul reach-ing the last four in 2008 and Carlo Biado repeating the feat in 2011. Antonio Lining also made the final four in 2009.

Lee Vann Corteza leads a contingent of Mindanao-bred players who would love to win the first-ever men’s 10 Ball world title for the Philippines.

GUNNING FOR THE CROWNPinoy billiards masters aim for first-ever men’s 10 Ball title

VOL. 7 ISSUE 236 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 - 16, 2015