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THE FINAL SONA

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What Dabawenyos expect from the 5th SONA and how they rate the Aquino administration

SPECIAL REPORT

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 20152 EDGEDAVAO

COVER STORYTHE FINAL SONA

PRESIDENT Benigno Aqui-no III is set to deliver his final State of the Nation

Address (SONA) on Monday afternoon with millions of Fili-pinos keenly anticipating what remains to be accomplished by his administration with barely a year left at the helm.

Before the President makes his SONA, Edge Davao asked some Dabawenyos from Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to the academe, to businessmen and to the man on streets to answer two ques-tions and give their rating of the Aquino administration.

We asked the two ques-tions:

First, what do you expect from the SONA of the President?

Second, are you satisfied with his performance of five years and how do you rate his administration?

DAVAO CITY MAYOR RO-DRIGO R. DUTERTE

1. “I have no expectations. I have not talk to the President and I am not privi to his pro-grams in government. I just keep silent and listen. Maybe after the SONA I can say some-thing.”

2. “Do not ask me that. You can answer the question you have.”

REPRESENTATIVE LUZ-VIMINDA ILAGAN, GABRIELA PARTY LIST

1. “That he admits his failed legacy of DaangMatuwid, that corruption was not curbed and that he will do hide best within the remaining short time left to correct his errors. Generally, I want noMore lies!”

2. “No.unemployment in-creased, poverty was not less-ened despite the billions spent on CCT (Conditional Cash Transfer). The DAP (Disburse-ment Acceleration Program) and PDAF(Priority Develop-ment Assistance Fund) are still in the budget while his allies go scot free.

More people leaving the country to work abroad - 3000 daily during GMA, now 6000 durng his time.

Militarization has intensi-fied, more displacement of the poor n urban and rural areas.

Kung Daang Matuwidang-kanyang slogan, sampahanna ng plunder case sngmgakapar-tidonyananvolvdsa corruption. Kaya pa yansaloob ng isangta-on. E-release angmga political prisoners at umpisahannaang inclusive peace talks salahat ng stakeholders. Kaya yan in a year’s time. Itaasangsahod ng mgamangagawa at guro! Isangpirmalangyan! Scrap k-12! Isangpirmalang din! Pero mab-igatangkamayniya. Manhidsa-daing ng mgamahihirap.”

ATTY. ISRAELITO TORRE-ON, Dean, Cor Jesu College of Law

1. “President Aquino will surely highlight his achieve-ments during the SONA, includ-ing but not limited to, the im-provement of the economy and bureaucracy, the protection and defense of the country’s territo-ry, the continued quest towards lasting peace and prosperity for mindanao and others.”

2. “In fairness to the Pres-ident, I honestly feel that he was able to instill some sort of discipline in the government bureaucracy. He should be giv-en credit for it. Government’s credibility, tax collection effi-ciency, economic growth, credit and investment rating in the in-ternational arena all increased during his term. It is easy to criticize him but credit should be given when it is due.”

VICENTE LAO, chairman of the Mindanao Business Council (MinBC)

“I think the best legacy that the Aquino administration has given to the country is its high economic growth that has pro-pelled us to this position now as one of the most vibrant and promising economies of Asia.

My wish list, if we can have 6 more years of growth under the next president. I think the President can still make a differ-ence if he is really seriously bent on fighting corruption in all the bureaucracies of government.”

STEPHEN ANTIG, execu-tive director of Pilipino Ba-nana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA)

“Sincere efforts to intro-duce reforms in the govern-ment and run after corrupt officials and surfacing of anom-alous transactions.

(Wish lists)we should be as strong and competitive as our asean neighbors so as not to be bullied. I believe he still has enough time to work on the list unless he is already thinking about the political exercise next year.”

ANTONIO DELA CRUZ, Davao City Chamber of Com-merce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) presi-dent

“6 to 7 I think. (rat-ing) He’s very hard on corruption.

On being hard on corruption but should have been applied not only to the opposition but also to allies as well as improvement of the world economic rank-ings although not felt by ordinary Filipinos: 2. (wish list)To conclude the peace process, alle-viate poverty, job cre-ations/opportunities; 3. However there are just wish list because the elec-tion fever is on.

What Dabawenyos expect from the 5th SONA and how they rate the Aquino administration

By the EDGE DAVAO StaffEven the business is tell-

ing us that our economy has increase even in the nation-al competitiveness council., ranked 95 out of the 185 econ-omy . The point is have we seen that up to ordinary people. (Dis-tribution of wealth)”

SOFRONIO M. JUCUTAN, DCCCII vice president for agribusiness and past presi-dent

“6 (rating)He was saying that travel-

ling the straight path. “Matu-widnadaan”. But he is travelling for his vested interest.

Corruption. Angcorruption nya is selective para sakaparti-do or kalaban but not so influ-ential to him.

He’s sending well to the business community that he is against corruption . The busi-ness community hindikalaban but with him for development.

A little bit improvement in the economy but the distribu-tion of wealth generated out of this improvement did not trick-le down to the majority of the people it concentrated on even fewer like the Cojuangco, Lopez, Pangilinan.

That’s a continuing failure of the government.

There’s should be radical change. Slow change cannot move mountain it has to be drastic. You need to remove those who are corrupt and per-petuating the imbal-ance distribution of wealth. It has to be a federal system, where we can have our own autonomy per region and we will give the n a -

tional treasury what is due to them and it is enough for them to help the depress region like EasternVisayas, Central Mind-anao.”

RONALD GO, DCCCII vice president for professional & Service Venture, Ecotrans owner, president, helicopter pilot of the Floirendos

“Scale 6 average (rating)I think there’s no really sig-

nificant changes in the transpor-tation industry. It was business as usual to us in the transporta-tion industry. I don’t think I’ve seen probably now hype the intention was good but imple-mentation wise,there’s no sig-nificant changes

(wishlist) Siguro some re-vamps with the gov’t offices that handles especially the franchise, because it is still there yung si-nasabing...”

BONIFACIO T. TAN, DCCCII vice pres-ident for t r a d e and com-m e r c e , p a s t p r e s i -d e n t , r u b -ber ex-porter

“6.5. (rating)He is a blind leader on all

those people whom he appoint-ed in the government. He is a blind leader not a blind . Every-one he trust, he appointed in the government. He hears a lot of things but he does care on what he hears that are not nice.

He should be out. He has a very vested personal interest avoiding cases after he steps down. He is looking for his re-placement who can protect him.

Aquino for the simple he did not spend so much money to win the presidency when he took over the morale was high that he will not corrupt because he did not spend much and there’s no need to be recovered. He will be not corrupt, or less corrupt.

People had high expecta-tion because of what he said that he’s against corruption . In the

first few year. He’s mak-ing good impression

. Gloria Arroyo has done great

in economic reforms and the effect will be im-

mediately felt by the next ad-

ministra-tion. She’s not a total

failure. If the p r e s i -

dential system will not improve it’s time for the government to be fortified constitutional change.”

BELINDA TORRES, DCCCII trustee, vice president of ICT Davao

“For our industry it’s, 7 (rating).

Because he is the one who initiated scholarship programs that increasejobcreation. Un-fortunately, it was PDAF thing it was not continued.

It has become very profit-able in terms of revenue and lo-cators came in. There are more employees in that sector. Job creation was available. In the ICT, yes. But in particular BPO industry. A bright spot

We wanted to have sort of office focus on ICT that its part of DOST . There’s some issues that are not discussed as an institution because it’s always been DOST. Industry hindinapa-pansin non-voice, design, devel-opers hindinapapansin. There’s still limited support when it comes to upscale support in the industry

It seems difficult to come with drastic changes in the re-maining 11 mos.”

MAI, Graphics Artist“As usual, same promises.

I’m not satisfied.”

MERWIN, Laborer“Walang wang-wang gi-

hapon na. Dili ko satisfied. Dismayado ko, way ayo.

Daghang krimen na wala masulbad.”

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015 3EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 20154 EDGEDAVAO

NEWS

DAVAO City Mayor Ro-drigo R. Duterte wants the National Bureau

of Investigation (NBI) or the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate incident at the United Church of Christ of the Philippines – Haran Com-pound in Fr. Selga on Thursday where policemen fought with militant groups and indige-nous peoples (IP) leaders.

The incident hurt at least members of Davao City Police

Office (DCPO) and 10 lumad evacuees who had encamped at the UCCCP compound for weeks now allegedly to es-cape military abuses in Talain-god and Kapalong, Davao del Norte.

The ugly incident erupted when the policemen tried to go inside the compound in an attempt to free more than 700 lumads who were allegedly being held by some IP leaders and the militants against their

will. “Clearly the situation was

mishandled.”Duterte said in an interview Friday night at the Grand Regal Hotel.

Duterte, however, said he could not blame the DCPO’s Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) team members since they were just acting on orders of higher officials.

“I had a standing order for the police to really avoid bloody confrontation,” he said.

DCPO spokesperson Se-nior Inspector MilgraceDriz earlier said the policemen who tried to enter the compound that day were just following orders from the Police Region-al Office (PRO) 11.

Driz said the PRO 11 was requested by North Cotabato Rep. Nancy Catamco, chair of the committee on IP, to assist the Department of Social Wel-fare and Development (DSWD) and National Commission on

Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in rescuing IPs who were alleged-ly want to go home.

She said the cops tried to forcibly enter the compound after the personnel of DSWD and members of DCPO’s Wom-en and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD) were prevented by some members of progres-sive groups to check on the conditions of the women and children IPs.

Duterte said Catamco also

had no personality to act in rescuing the IPs since she is a legislator and not an executive official.

“In the first place, she is just a member of Congress. She should have gone to a body, ei-ther Department of Justice or the Commission on Human Rights to do something,” Dute-rte said.

“She is a legislator she is not supposed to take the law

PROGRESSIVE groups in the city will file charges against Davao City Po-

lice Office (DCPO) for alleged-ly harassing the Indigenous People (IP) evacuees at the UCCP-Haran compound last Thursday.

In an interview on Friday afternoon during their indig-nation rally in front of Camp Domingo Leonor, Bagong Al-yansang Makabayan secretary general Sheena Duazo said his group is set to file charges of trespassing, destruction of private properties, physical abuse harassments and threat and intimidation against the DCPO.

“We consulted our law-yers on other appropriate cases to be filed against the police,” Duazo said.

Duazo said they strongly condemned the ‘brutal acts’ of the members of DCPO which she claimed hurt 10 IPs after they forced to enter the com-pound.

“Usa kini ka paglapastan-gan sa katungod sa mga sibi-lyan na mangita’g peaceful sanctuary dinhi sa dakbayan sa Davao (It is a violation of the rights of the civilians who only seek a peaceful sanctuary in Davao City),” she said.

Duzao added that it is clear that the police have been used by North Cotabato Rep. Nancy Catamco for her own personal interest to cover up the issue of militarization in the hinterlands.

Catamco, Duazo said, forced the evacuees to return

FANCY DRILL. Participants practice their routine before the start of the fancy drill competition which was part of the 50th Founding Anniversary of Boy Scouts of the Philippines-Davao City Council held at Rizal Park on Friday. Lean Daval Jr.

Rody: Probe Haran incidentBy ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

abf@edgedavao.net

CONFRONTATION. Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary general Sheena Duazo tells Senior Inspector Glenn Salubo that ‘brutal acts’ were committed by members of Davao City Police Office (DCPO) during the tension at the UCCP

Haran Compound. Salubo went to the progressive groups to offer bottled water during their indignation rally outside Camp Captain Domingo Leonor on Friday. The protesters declined the offer. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

Progressive groups accuseDavao cops of harassmentDuazo: We will file cases vs DCPO

FRODY, 10

FPROGRESSIVE, 10

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015 5EDGEDAVAO NEWS

THE Mindanao Develop-ment Authority (Min-DA) will implement the

Mindanao Collective Mark by the end of this year in an effort to increase the compet-itiveness of agro-industrial products of the island-region in the global market.

“The Mindanao Collec-tive Mark will stand out as a common trademark to signify good quality and global com-petitiveness,” MinDA consul-tant Engr. Merly T. Cruz said during the first day of the two-day Mindanao Exporter’s Congress 2015 at the SMX La-nang Convention Center.

Among the Mindanao agro-industrial sectors that were targeted to be marked and given premium are ba-nana, coconut, rubber, abaca, oil palm, coffee, cacao, sea-

weed, tuna and livestock and poultry

Cruz said the collective mark, registered last Febru-ary 2015 in the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), “comes as a symbol that embodies four essential factors- scale, quality, delivery and trace-ability.”

“It is a voluntary standard that is seen to strengthen the enterprises and industries of Mindanao by ensuring the compliance with the de-mands of the world market,” she said

A collective mark is a spe-cial form of trademark that distinguishes the product based on its geographical or-igin, material, mode of man-ufacture or other common characteristics of goods and services, according to Cruz.

The Mindanao Collective Mark is “designed to provide a platform for a comprehen-sive program leading to a distinct good quality and in-creased competitiveness of Mindanao’s product.”

“The Mindanao Collective Mark will represent the intent of Mindanao’s industries to thrive in the local and inter-national market,” Cruz said.

The collective mark, she added, will become Mindan-ao’s trademark “worthy of the trust and confidence of the market.”

The guidelines and code of practice are being planned and will be formulated by the Mindanao Collective Mark Core Group composed of MinDA and other different government agencies and in-dustry players.

“The guidelines and code of practice will serve to gov-ern the stakeholders,” Cruz said.

Aside from Minda, the core group will be joined by Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and In-dustry as well as local govern-ment units and private sector organization.

For the capacity build-ing of the members of the group, European Union-fund-ed Trade Related Technical Assistance Project 3 has ap-proved the mobilization of experts and conduct stake-holder’s workshops and trainings in four key cities in Mindanao- Davao City, Cagay-an de Oro City, General Santos City and Zamboanga City in months of August and Sep-tember this year.

DAVAO City Mayor Ro-drigo Duterte wants the City Tourism Op-

erations Office (CTO) to stop putting up his standees all over the metro.

Duterte said that he is not the kind of person who would like his image to be displayed anywhere in the city.

“No! NO! No! I do not want my image being displayed anywhere,” Duterte said.

On Friday, CTO head Li-sette Marques said that they will launch three 3D photo booths during Kadayawan next month, one of which has the image of Duterte.

Marquez said the pho-to booth with the image of Duterte is for the tourist who would like to see the mayor but just don’t have the chance to do so.

“Mayor Duterte is really the main tourist attraction of the city, not just his image but his governance,” Marques said.

The standees and the photo booth are also their way of giving recognition to Duterte for what he has done for Davao City.

The other two photo booths will contain the icons

DAYS before news of the illegal activities of the multi-level net-

working firm One Dream Marketing came out, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ordered the PNP-CIDG 11 to stop the op-eration of a supposed inter-national company engaged in gold selling in the city for allegedly being a pyramiding scam.

“It is a pyramiding thing, I can sense it,” he said. “We will nip it in the bud,” the tough-talking mayor said during an interview with reporters.

The mayor identified the company involved in the alleged illegal activity as Em-goldex, which, according to records, replaced its name to Global InterGold several months ago.

Duterte said that he be-came suspicious of the enti-

ty’s unlawful operation when city hall discovered that Em-goldex never possessed, or even applied for any business permit from the city.

“You are not supposed to be dealing with gold in the first place. In the second place you do not have a per-mit,” the mayor said.

It was also learned that Emgoldex is not registered with the Securities and Ex-change Commission (SEC).

In an interview with ABS-CBN, SEC Spokesman Atty. Gerard Lukban said that if a business is not registered in the Philippines, “…you are not allowed to do business here in the Philippines.”

According to the news report, an inspection of Em-goldex’ website showed that the business entity is an on-

Trademark for Mindanao productscrc@edgedavao.net

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

Duterte to CTOO: Stopputting up my standees

KADAYAWAN 3D BOOTH. Davao City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) head Lisette Marques bares during the Hermes Club media forum the Kadayawan Executive Community will set a 3D booth with the life-size photo of Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte. Marques said Duterte has become one of the city’s tourist attractions. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

Mayor: Go after pyramid scam operators in Davao

FDUTERTE, 10

FMAYOR, 10

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 20156 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

SHE is the one who is irre-sponsible, not me.

This was Davao City Rodrigo R. Duterte’s reaction to accusations by North Co-tabato Rep. Nancy Catamco that he issued an irresponsible statement when he declared that some of the indigenous peoples (IPs) who evacuated to the UCCC-Haran were sym-pathizers of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

“Hindi yan irresponsible. I am teaching her the necessi-ties of life. I am telling her the truth. That is the reality on the ground,” Duterte said.

“Siya ang naging irre-sponsible. Pumasok siya diyan (when) she is only a member of Congress. She has nothing to do with the executive func-tions,” Duterte added.

Catamco earlier called Duterte’s statement that some of the lumads who had en-camped at the UCCC-Haran

to escape military abuses in Talaingod, Davao del Norte as “irresponsible.”

Duterte said Catamco as legislator is not supposed to be at Haran and that she should have referred the prob-lem to a competent buddy.

Duterte also said that Catamco was misled with the distribution of power and messed up with the executive function.

“Yan ang hindi nakuha ni Catamco. Nawala siya sa distribution of power. You do not mess up with the exec-utive power. (The problem is) kulang eh (pointing to his head),” the mayor said.

Duterte explained that it is not the function of Catamco to be in the evacuation area, pull-ing the lumads out to bring them home even if she was the chair of the Indigenous Peo-ple’s Committee in the House of Representatives.

This job, Duterte said, lies with the social workers, human rights and the police officers.

If he has his, Duterte said that he will take things slowly knowing that the issue there is not plainly political but ide-ology.

The mayor added that if it was not because of the ideolo-gy of the lumads or their sup-port to the left organizations, Catamco could have successful brought the lumads with her.

He also added that as a legislator Catamco must not take the law into her own hands.

Duterte said Catamco does not want to listen to rea-sons.

“She is irresponsible. She is the one who does not want to listen to reasons,” he said.

On Wednesday, Catamco said that Duterte will issue a disclaimer on what was writ-

ten on the news paper.Duterte said the disclaim-

er is intended for the sense that the statement was not done purposely to discredit her.

On the other hand, Dute-rte admitted that the lumads also turned him down when he tried to convince them to go back to their villages.

As long as the issue of Ala-mara and the kilitary remains on their places, the lumads will stand on their decision not to return home, according to him.

Duterte plans to visit the evacuation center in the com-ing days.

On Friday, 2 police officers and 10 lumads were hurt af-ter tension broke out in an at-tempt to “rescue” the lumads.

However, the buses in-tended for the lumads’ trans-portation left empty after they refused to go home. FPG

MINDANAO importers may now heave a sigh of relief after the Bureau

of Customs (BOC) announced Thursday it will extend the validity of importers’ licenses from one year to three years.

In an interview during the Mindanao Exporters’ Congress at the SMX Convention Cen-ter Davao, BOC Commissioner Alberto Lina said the bureau decided to extend the validity of the licenses since the prior licenses the importers will have to secure from the Bureau of In-ternal Revenue have a validity of three years.

He said this will make the local players more competitive by the time the Asean Econom-ic Community takes effect by end of this year, a development that will open the country to more investment from its neighbors in the region.

When sought for comment, Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association execu-tive director Stephen Antig said the ew BOC policy will help the industry to some extent, considering that some of the

materials used by banana com-panies are imported.

“I just hope they will be able to implement that,” he said, adding there’s not much that concerns the local banana players when it comes to ex-porting except the tariff rates.

He said what worries lo-cal banana producers is that neighboring countries like Indonesia and Vietnam are ex-porting at zero tariff rates to Japan, the largest market of the Philippines.

Local banana exporters pay 18-percent tariff rates during the winter (December to February) and 8 percent during summer (June to Au-gust).

“We are pressuring the DA (Department of Agriculture) and DTI (Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to re-ne-gotiate our tariff with PJEPA (Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership (PJEPA),” he said, adding that failure to further lower tariff rates will eventu-ally kill the banana industry in Mindanao.(Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

ABOUT 400 students in Maguindanao complet-ed their skills training

under the Technical Educa-tion and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) under the Autonomous Region in Mus-lim Mindanao (ARMM).

The number of graduates for the first semester of 2015 reflects an increase of more than 100 percent from 2014.

Last Friday, July 24, during the mass graduation rites, a total of 395 technical vocational students graduat-ed at the Regional Manpower Development Center, Baran-gay Rebuken, Sultan Kudarat.

The training program, which expanded from 45 to 55 days, has the support of partner institutions and trade schools accredited by the TESDA.

Schools in Maguindanao province and Cotabato City accredited by TESDA include Technology Institute, Inc.,

Southern Kutawato Empire, CAD-IT, Microspan Software Technology Inc., and Ittiha-dun Nisa Foundation Inc.

“The marketplace in businesses demands em-ployees with greater level of formal education and the vo-cational schools have always responded to the needs of employers for labor,” Shaima Agassor, vice-president of It-tihadun Nisa Foundation Inc. said.

Short-term courses of-fered under the program are computer hardware servic-ing, automotive servicing, consumer electronics servic-ing, electrical installation and maintenance, machining, plumbing, commercial cook-ing, consumer electronics, dressmaking, food and bev-erage and bread and pastry production, and driving.

Dr. Taugan Kikay, team leader of Moro Islamic Lib-

THE Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Phil-Health) on Saturday de-

nies spreading reports and no-tions that it is suspending the payment of reimbursement for all eye cataract surgeries that will be conducted in the country.

“We are not suspending the conduct of eye cataract surgeries. Only the reimburse-ment or payment for the case rates for the two eye centers under investigations are sus-pended,” clarifies PhilHealth president Atty. Alexander Pa-dilla.

“It is not true that they (PhilHealth member needing cataract operation) cannot have eye cataract surgeries anymore. In fact there are plenty of eye centers in the

country to choose from that can perform the procedure (eye cataract surgeries),” Pa-dilla said.

He also said that Phil-health had issued advisories to members that “eye cataract surgeries remain compensa-ble in accredited facilities any-where in the country”.

He said that it was possi-ble that such misinformation had started from the decision of suspending reimbursement payments for the two eye centers, who were still under scrutiny after an internal au-dit of PhilHealth revealed that they had allegedly collected big sums of money for the con-duct of eye surgeries.

Philhealth also found that most of the patients were en-

NEW ARMOR OFFICERS. Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 11 assistant director Dr. Elmer B. Billedo congratulates the newly- inducted officers and Board of Directors of Alliance of Response Miners of Region 11 (ARMOR) during their induction rites at The Marco Polo Davao on Friday evening.

Billedo administered the oath taking of ARMOR 11’s new set of officers led by incoming president lawyer Rodolfo A. Palma (second from left) of Apex Mining Co., Inc. Lean Daval Jr.

Duterte slams CatamcoBy FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA

PROMOTING FEDERALISM. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte shares his advocacy on federalism to barangay officials from Region 6-Western Visayas during a recent gathering at Grand Regal Hotel. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

PhilHealth deniessuspending payment

BOC extends validity ofimporter’s license to 3 years

Ex-MILF fighters among TESDA-ARMM graduates

FPHILHEALTH, 13

FEX-MILF, 10

WE were there for the formal unveiling of Merrell’s newest shoe, the Capra. It was an intimate get-together with the marketing la-dies of Merrell Philippines - Denice Lao and Precy Santos - in SM Lanang Premier where the brand has one of four of its concept stores around Davao City not counting its displays within different department stores.

EDGEDAVAOSTYLEINdulge!

A Fraction of Merrell Traction

Inspired by the moun-tain goat, this lightweight hiking shoe was much awaited in the world of those taken with rocky terrain. In that moment though, I was feeling a

kinship with another four-legged animal along the lines of sheepish. I was not the first person there among the members of the press to admit that I had never worn a pair of

nature-minded pursuits like hiking for leisure was being taken up by more and more people world-wide. Being active now is taking a more holistic turn and no longer only means taking up residence in your neighborhood gym. Strength in numbers is what moves this lead-ing outdoor brand and it makes sure that it is always in touch with those who inspire the team behind it to aim for new heights in footwear and apparel. Their international web-site has portioned their space to include a blog In the Philippines, the brand has partnered with the Department of Tourism in the past to encourage a more nimble explora-tion of the country’s sce-nic treasures. The brand’s influencers are really their bloodline and so are the runners and other ath-letes that make good use of their products. Their Face-book page has really be-come forum where users post comments and give feedback – a true commu-nity effort that blazes trails for more journeying. Although varied ter-rains have always been home to Merrell, they also have shoes that you can stylishly take to the streets. Their campaign especially for women which was launched start-ing 2012 under the slogan Pretty Strong pretty much explains itself. Their san-dals, water-ready outdoor shoes and running shoes all eliminate the question of performance issues as

they are created with the same sturdy encasements as their more specialized cousins. When you pick up their shoes, it will be with the foregone conclusion that what drove the pur-chase will be not be how the woman in the Merrell ad campaign wore them but what she conquered – trails, further distances, and personal fears – while wearing them. A pair of Merrell shoes is definitely a call to action. It is built to act as your portal to seeing more and doing more. I was defi-nitely starting to imagine things along the lines of grassy trails and gravelly paths when I slipped on a pair of their running shoes for the very first time. It had a responsive spring and cushioned my feet without feeling restric-tive. The shoe feels light when held up but is nearly weightless when worn – its tough exterior belying its buoyancy. From the simplest task of walking more to the more extreme aspiration of climbing a mountain, the brand goes the distance of building its line of performance foot-wear so well that you need not think twice about tak-ing the next step. In them, you will feel limitless. Visit Merrell on Face-book via www.facebook.com/MerrellPhilippines and follow them on Twitter and Instagram via @Mer-rell_PH. In Davao City, visit Merrell at Gaisano Mall Davao, Abreeza Mall Davao, SM Ecoland and SM Lanang Premier.

A Pretty Strong Wall. An array of footwear selection for ladies in Merrell’s store in SM Lanang Premier.

Taking a more casual stance but with the same emphasis on footwear tech that the activewear brand is valued for.

Merrell shoes in my life. In contrast, there were those of us whose jour-nalistic pursuits called for the durability of the popular outdoor footwear and enthused that they al-ready owned several pairs. As I slowly came to more familiar terms with Mer-

rell’s specialized leanings and sturdy image, Denice patiently explained that the goal of the brand is to attract those like her and me whose somewhat safe and conventional ideas on who wears Merrell needs to be taken out of their comfort zone. It always loves a challenge. Starting with the nimble and boldly colorful Capra, a rundown of the technol-ogy behind the shoe with its Vibram MegaGrip and Unifly midsole immedi-ately imbibes a sudden desire to be outdoors. This lightweight hiking shoe, we were told, was created because the trend for more

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015

A2 INdulge! EDGEDAVAOART & CULTURE

ART PORTAL DAVAO features Leonilo “Neil” Doloricon in an exhibition entitled Dispossessed. The exhibit consists mostly of works done in print using paper on litho-graph, rubber mat, or woodblock that are visually compelling and thought provoking at the same time.

By Kenneth Irving Ong

Social realism in black and white

Mangunguma

As part of the group of artists in the 1970’s who identify themselves with the social realism approach art-making as social interventions Neil Doloricon produces works that are charged with social commentary. When confronted by his works, one cannot help but observe the weary lines of sufferance im-printed on paper, as seen in the hungry faces of those whom the art move-ment seeks to serve. The range of themes in the exhibit includes ten-ants and the absence of land tenure, construction workers toiling away vis a vis contractual labor,

workers in picket lines, and militarization in ru-ral areas. Other themes include ancestral domains and how external forces encroach upon them. Workers conscripted in the global economy are also presented as a biting social critique on ideas of progress and modernity. The overworked laborer whose meager wages are barely enough for suste-nance have become part of Doloricon’s body of works. The idea of toil is made more complex when at the heart of it is the era-sure of human dignity. Sufferance is even made more legible when the subject involves displaced

families. These recurring images throughout Dolo-ricon’s prolific career shall be seen in his solo exhibi-tion, Dispossessed. Leonilo Doloricon is the first guest artist of Art Portal Davao, a new art space that gallery owner Alfred Garlvez envisions will bring leading contem-porary artists who wish to share their talents utilise

and at the same time im-merse in the place. The Dispossessed exhi-bition opened last July 24 and will run until the 14th of August. The public is invited to meet the artist. Art Portal is located at the 2nd floor of BGP Com-plex II, McArthur High-way, Matina Davao City. For details, contact 0915-1806948.Puwersa Sa Production

Leonilo “Neil” Doloricon

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015

AFTER headlining GMA Network’s compelling and encouraging series Second Chances, Kapuso leading lady Jennylyn Mer-cado graces televi-sion screens once again as she takes on the character of Melanie “Mel” Fer-nandez-dela Paz in the upcoming pri-metime drama My Faithful Husband. Compared to her pre-vious TV roles, Jennylyn plays a totally different character in the series. Mel is a loving, hard-working, strong and ambitious woman. She is married to Emman but after seeing her former

boyfriend again, she suddenly gets confused about her feelings. “Medyo loud yun character ko dito, tapos independent, palaban, for a change hindi na-man ako masyadong mabait. Iba naman kasi diba usually ako yung inaapi. Ako yung nilolo-ko. This time, merong mga pangyayari… kasi merong temptation so makakagawa siya ng medyo hindi maganda sa asawa niya.” Playing her lead-ing man in the series is Drama King Dennis Trillo as Emman. For Jenny-lyn, she said that she is excited to be working with Dennis again. “Ex-cited ako kasi gusto ko

KAPUSO actress and host Camille Prats got the sur-prise of a lifetime as her non-showbiz boyfriend VJ Yam-bao proposed to her in front of fam-ily and friends last Saturday, July 18. Posting a photo of himself kneeling in front of Camille on Instagram, VJ wrote, “Once in a while right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale. Never did I imagine that the day will come that I will kneel down on one knee and ask you to be my wife. I have always dreamed of giving you something you will never forget. With God’s grace and His perfect timing, this

is where we are today. I thank God for all the things that are happen-ing to us right now. To my fiancee, you deserve nothing but goodness and happiness, I love you so much! Thank you to our family and friends who witnessed one of our milestones, thank

you for all your love and support.” Camille happily re-posted the photo of their special moment, saying, “A thousand times over, yes, yes, and YES!” She also shared a pho-to of her with Nathan, her son from her first mar-riage to Anthony Linsan-

gan, who succumbed to nasopharyngeal cancer in 2011. “Today, this little boy and I got engaged,” she wrote. “I thank God for giving you to us ma-hal. Thaaaaank you my love for such a sweet surprise. Di ko to kinaya infairness. I love you my future husband.” The actress, whom Filipino viewers have watched blossom from a promising child star to one of her generation’s most talented person-alities, is currently a host on the lifestyle talk show Mars with Suzi Entrata-Abrera on GMA News TV. In an exclusive inter-view with GMA News, Camille and VJ revealed that their wedding has been set for 2017.

THE “Funny One” seg-ment of “It’s Showtime” has become one of the most popular fixture of the noontime program, with komikeros Ryan Rems Sarita and Crazy Duo, who were saved from elimination this week, gaining their own following. Ryan, whose expres-sion “rock and roll to the world!” has seeped into social media and per-sonal conversations, said he has found fan pages and accounts on Face-

book that are either ded-icated to him or claim to be run by him. He said on his new-found fame, “It hasn’t sunk in yet. I hope it doesn’t. I’m also wonder-ing why people find me funny. I’ve always been relaxed on stage,” said Ryan. Ryan began perform-ing stand-up in 2008, so he was not immediately comfortable making jokes on TV for “Funny One.” That was not the

case for the father-and-son tandem Crazy Duo. Diego, the father, has worked for more than 20 years in a circus as clown, dog trainer, among oth-ers, to provide for his family. He influenced his two sons, including his Crazy Duo partner Gedent, to make a liv-ing out of entertaining people. ”We use our material in Cebu and translate it to Tagalog. We find the timing of throwing jokes challenging. It was hard

at first, but a comic’s weapon is believing that his jokes are funny,” they said. In “Funny One More Chance” this Saturday, who among Gibis Ale-jandrino, trio No Direc-tion, and Iskobi Duo will be kicked out of the competition? Don’t miss the fun in “Funny One,” the biggest comedy search of “It’s Showtime,” which airs at 12:15PM from Mondays to Fridays and 12NN on Saturdays on ABS-CBN.

INdulge! A3EDGEDAVAOENTERTAINMENT

A different Jennylyn Mercado in GMA Network’s My Faithful Husband

Camille Prats’ second chance at love

Funny One Komikeros Ryan Rems andCrazy Duo on their distinct humor styles

rin namang makita kung anong kakalabasan lalo na pag nagsisimula na talaga kami kasi dun na-tin makikita kung inaa-bangan ba talaga kami, papanoorin ba kami.” Jennylyn also feels blessed to be working with director Joyce Ber-nal. “Excited ako and I feel blessed na nabigy-an ako ng opportunity

na makatrabaho si direk Joyce kasi first time ko siya nakatrabaho and sobrang saya pala sa set, makasama siya, makip-agbiruan, tutok sa mga artists niya, emotion wise and acting wise.” Catch Jennylyn Mer-cado as Mel in My Faith-ful Husband this coming August on GMA Tele-babad.

R13/*R13

PG

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

R-16

ANT-MAN

* Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas

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

CHAIN MAIL / * THE GALLOWS

12:00 | 2:00 | 4:00 | 6:00 | 8:00 | 10:00 LFS

MINIONS

Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin, Sandra Bullock

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

Meg Imperial, Shy Carlos, AJ Muhlach/*Reese Mishler, Pfeifer Brown, Ryan Shoos

PAPER TOWNS

Cara Delevingne, Nat Wolff, Halston Sage

July 24 – 28, 2015

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015

A4 INdulge!EVENT

In tune with Chinatown’s musical gemDAVAO’S Chinatown may go to bed when the clock strikes six in the evening but thanks to the opening of some new establishments that cater to life beyond sunset, it may seem that the Durianburg’s dragon is now looking at some nightlife.

The latest watering hole in the area is the Pinnacle Hotel’s Pandora Piano Bar. Opened in simple ceremonies just last July 18, Pandora is located on the lobby level of the Pin-nacle Hotel is a welcome respite for business travel-lers after working hours. “Before we had Pan-dora, we had guests con-stantly asking us where they can have their happy hour or to just relax and have a beer while enjoy-ing nice music. With Pan-dora, we give our guests a space where they can

visit anytime and just un-wind while drinking their beer.” said Pinnacle Hotel general manager Ralph Vera Servande. More a lounge than a bar, Pandora is intimate yet cozy with one cor-ner occupied by the bar’s small stage and piano, the blue mood lighting casts a relaxing glow to the lounge. Entertainment is courtesy of singers belting

out jazz classics as well as 90’s and even current pop hits all accompanied by the piano. More confident guests (or ones who may have had one too many bottles of Smirnoff Mule) may even request to jam and sing alongside the pianist. “This is what we envi-sion of Pandora, a space where there is music and fun but without the row-

diness and the loud mu-sic.” added Ralph. A big congratulations to the Pinnacle on the ad-dition of a new gem. May it bring more sweet mu-sic to Davao Chinatown’s night scene. Follow me on Instagram or on Twitter at @kenneth-kingong for more travel stories, foodie finds, and happenings in, around, and beyond Durianburg.

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015 7EDGEDAVAO

ECONOMY

A DAVAO business leader engaged in exporta-tion said the newly-ap-

proved Cabotage Law will not help much Filipinos moving their cargo within the coun-try’s inter-island shipping routes.

Bonifacio T. Tan, past pres-ident of the Davao City Cham-ber of Commerce and Industry,

Inc. (DCCCII), said it would not be logical and “crazy” at the same time, if a foreign vessel will do the transportation of empty freezer vessel from Ma-nila to Davao.

Although the demand is forming here because of Davao’s export products like fruits, poultry and livestock, Tan said cannot sustain the de-

mand of international vessel.Tan said the government

should lower the freight cost imposed by domestic shipping vessels instead.

“The signing of the amend-ment in the Cabotage Law does not lower the cost of domestic freight cost,” Tan said.

Exporters here don’t have any problem with the interna-

tional freight cost but with the domestic freight cost because the former is already competi-tive and efficient, he added.

He said the Maritime In-dustry Authority (Marina) should interfere in regulating the freight rate and lower it down as the price of fuel in the world market continues to go down.

Marina should implement rate lowering policy to do-mestic vessels like of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) policies implemented to public utility vehicles like jeepneys and vans when the cost of fuel goes down, according to Tan.

He added that 35 to 35 percent of the operation cost

of vessels are accounted to the usage of bunker fuel.

“When the price of fuel goes down, they should adjust their freight rate as regulated by Marina,” Tan said.

The basis of freight rate now, he said, is based on a computation five years ago when the price of fuel is soar-ing high.

New Cabotage Law downplayedcrc@edgedavao.net

By CHENEEN R. CAPON

SEVEN months since tax stamps were required on all cigarette products,

many stores in Mindanao were found selling cigarette packs still not bearing the proof of tax payment labels in a market survey conducted last week by the Fight Illicit Trade (Fight IT) movement.

The government through the Bureau of Internal Reve-nue (BIR) implemented the Internal Revenue Stamps In-tegrated System (IRSIS) that requires all cigarette manu-facturers to affix tax stamps on each pack of cigarettes beginning Dec. 1 last year. BIR further required that effective March 1, 2015, no manufac-

turer can sell any more pack without tax stamps. The same applies to imported cigarettes effective April 1 this year.

The BIR implemented IR-SIS to address the concerns on illicit cigarette trade in the country, and the use of tax stamps ensures that each pack is legitimate and has paid the excise tax.

The Fight IT movement ran simultaneous market sur-veys in different barangays in the cities of Cagayan De Oro, Davao, General Santos and Zamboanga to check on com-pliance by manufacturers, wholesale and retail stores.

The market survey, ac-cording to Fight IT lead conve-

nor Jesus Arranza, showed that several local brands as well as imported cigarettes believed to be smuggled to the country were openly sold without the tax stamps.

39 wholesale and retail stores in Cagayan De Oro City; 20 retailers in Davao City; nine retailers in General Santos City; and 40 retail and whole-sale outlets in Zamboanga City were openly selling significant quantities of products without tax stamps. The situation in outlying areas could even be more alarming.

The Fight IT movement warned consumers against pa-tronizing the “no tax stamps” cigarette packs as this is not

only illegal without the requi-site tax payment, but its origin and production are not known as well.

In line with the group’s advocacy to fight all forms of illicit trade activities, Fight IT called on the public to be vigi-lant in spotting illegal products and report these to authorities.

“Tobacco products are specifically taxed per pack at increasing rates of excise, precisely because tobacco is harmful and addictive, and the tax is intended to make the product less affordable, there-by encouraging people to quit.

“The national and local au-thorities in Mindanao should

Cigarette packs without tax stamps flood markets in Mindanao cities

TWO of the country’s leaders in microinsur-ance have forged a part-

nership in a bid to continue expanding the number of Fili-pinos covered by insurance.

Cebuana Lhuillier, led by its President and Chief Execu-tive Officer, Jean Henri Lhuilli-er, signed a memorandum of agreement with President and Retail Organization Head for Pioneer Insurance, Lorenzo Chan Jr., naming Pioneer as the underwriter of the Alagang Cebuana program.

Alagang Cebuana is a mi-croinsurance program that

offers insurance products at a more affordable price.

“We have full trust and confidence in Pioneer Life Insurance, as it is one, if not the strongest microinsurance providers in the country to-day. The well-oiled machinery of Pioneer Insurance will be complemented by our 24/7 service outlets,” Lhuillier said. “This partnership will change how microinsurance is done in the country as insurance claims can now be processed anytime of the day, anywhere in the Philippines. And they get their insurance claim in

cash.”The partnership aims to

cover even more extensively the lower C and D socio-eco-nomic classes.

“Microinsurance is really about giving Filipinos the re-sources they need to continue with their lives even when a loss – of property or of a loved one – throws off their finances. Our partnership with Cebua-na Lhuillier allows us to bring these benefits to more Filipi-nos, especially the ones who need it most,” Chan said.

The country’s microinsur-ance industry has one of the

largest potentials for growth. Industry statistics indicate that there is an estimated 80 million Filipinos categorized as the target market of micro insurance.

“But of the 80 million, only 21 million have been tapped,” said Geric Laude, head for microinsurance of Pioneer. “Distribution is thus key to bringing insurance to more Filipinos.”

Since its inception in 2008, the Alagang Cebuana program has grown exponentially from 50,000 policies in a month to

Cebuana Lhuillier, Pioneer Insurance partner for microinsurance program

THE Industry Develop-ment and Trade Policy Group of the Depart-

ment of Trade and Industry (DTI) is planning to conduct a general review on the trade agreement between the Philip-pines and Japan.

“We’re planning to have the renegotiation of the cur-rent bilateral free trade agree-ment,” assistant secretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo told ex-porters during the Mindanao Exporter’s Congress at the SMX Convention Center.

Signed on September 2006, the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agree-ment (JPEPA) allows the lib-eralization and facilitation of trades in goods and services between Japan and the Philip-pines.

The JPEPA allows the re-duction and elimination of tariff on certain products like banana and services exported by the Philippines to Japan.

Pegged as the largest ex-port market for Philippine banana, Pilipino Banana Grow-

ers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) executive director Stephen A. Antig told report-ers that one of their major concerns in the banana indus-try was the disparity of tariff imposed between Philippine banana and other banana pro-ducing countries.

“We’re pushing the De-partment of Agriculture and DTI to have the renegotiation of the present JPEPA,”Antig said, adding that it will allow local producers and exporters here to continuously enter the Japanese market.

He said there’s urgency for the renegotiation of the trade agreement between Japan and the Philippines because Japa-nese importers are starting to make deals with banana sup-pliers from Indonesia, Mozam-bique, Vietnam and Costa Rica without tariff.

“We’re worried that Indo-nesia and Vietnam are now exporting banana to Japan, our biggest market,” he said.

Banana coming from Indo-

Phl-Japan trade pactto be reviewed-- DTI

THE Department of Pub-lic Works and Highways’ (DPWH) proposed P391

billion budget for next year will support the government’s target to increase infrastruc-ture spending to 5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2016.

Public Works and High-ways Undersecretary for Planning and Public-Private Partnership Maria Catalina E. Cabral said the DPWH budget for 2016 indicates the govern-ment’s thrust to improve the country’s infrastructure.

“By 2016, we shall have submitted a budget propos-al of P391 billion or US$8.7 billion. This will show how serious the government is in increasing infrastructure spending to 5 percent of the GDP by 2016,” said Cabral.

The DPWH’s 2016 bud-get is 43 percent higher than the P273 billion allocation for 2015 and more than double its P190.9 billion budget in 2014.

The department will also

get the second highest alloca-tion from the P3 trillion 2016 national budget, next to the Department of Education and followed by the Department of National Defense.

“These tasks of improving our land transport system, coupled with its major flood control system and other ba-sic social infrastructure all over the country, have led our country to grow by leaps and bounds, as shown in our latest GDP, and sustain high eco-nomic growth and be more globally competitive,” she said.

“We are committed to de-liver networks of roads and bridges that will make our ar-chipelagic country as one, for a safer, faster and more con-venient physical connectivity throughout the Philippine is-lands and be convergent with our neighboring country in the Asia-Pacific region,” she said, adding that this poses a big challenge, not just to the gov-ernment but to the construc-tion industry as well. (PNA/PCOO News Release)

Country on track to hit infra spending by ‘16

DATE UPDATES. Engineer Wilfred T. Teves, vice president for industry of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII), third from right, gives a progress report on the preparations of his committee tasked to stage the Davao Trade Expo (DATE) 2015 slated on Sept. 25-27 at the SMX Lanang Convention Center. Teves who headed successful DATE stagings

in the past said the livestock industry will take center stage in this year’s exposition. Other DCCCII trustees in the meeting were (from right) Belinda L. Torres, Antonio M. Ajero, Bonifacio T. Tan, Daniel T. Lim, President Antonio Dela Cruz, executive director Maan Doromal and Sofronio Jucutan. Not in photo are Annie Veloso and Ronald Go. (Luz Suan)

FPHL-JAPAN, 10

FCIGARETTE, 10

FCEBUANA, 10

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 20158 EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

Going beyond boundsEDITORIAL

REPRESENTATIVE Nancy Catamco of North Cotabato must have strayed into a wrong territory. And with that, she onbvi-ously went out of bounds.

Rep. Catamco stormed here last week and went ballistic about the plight of some members of indigenous groups who have camped in at the UCCP-Haran compound in Davao City with ten buses purpose-ly to pick up the lumads who originated from Talaingod in Davao del Norte.

Catamco’s actions, according to her, was based on her being a member of the indigenous people and being the chair of the IP Com-mittee in the House of Representatives.

Catamco was the same legislator mentioned in a report for hav-ing complained that the IPs stink at evacuation centers. She has ex-plained and denied having said that though. Then she went on telling in a press conference that Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte is irre-sponsible in saying the lumads are in cahoots with the New People’s Army.

As if that was not enough, she stormed into the UCCP-Haran com-pound like Rambo to “rescue” the lumads. If at all she finds that he-

roic, she was entirely wrong. First, Rep. Catamco is a legislator by nature being s member of the

House of Representatives. Her province is not the executive branch but the legislative. In doing an executive function, Rep. Catamco strolled into a different territory. The more prudent thign to do than do a Rambo is to refer to the government agency concerned or the police instead of doing it by herself.

Rep. Catamco may have been overzealous about her function as IP Committee chair in Congress that it practically took over her reason.

As Mayor Duterte puts it, Catamco was misled with the distribu-tion of power and messed up with the executive function. Duterte explained that it is not the function of Catamco to be in the evacu-ation area, pulling the lumads out to bring them home even if she was the chair of the Indigenous People’s Committee in the House of Representatives.

True enough, this is obviously is not Rep. Catamco’s job.As a legislator, Catamco should have made the right coordination

instead of taking the law into her own hands.

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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EDGEDAVAOProviding solutions to a seamless global village.

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Columnists: CARLOS MUNDA • HENRYLITO D. TACIO • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • ATTY. EMILY ZEN CHUA • GREGORIO G. DELIGERO • JOHN CARLO TRIA • Economic Analysts: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015 VANTAGE POINTS 9EDGEDAVAO

MADONNA, the enduring iconic pop rock star is finally coming to the Philippines in 2016. I

expressed my excitement about this. A colleague teasingly made the com-ment, “ Ay, excited ngayon ang mga gu-rang,”(the oldies are excited) or words to that effect. I just looked at him and bluntly and unapologetically replied, “Yes.” Ironically, this came from an edu-cated, potbellied, and hypertensive man who was years my senior. He said it to me, a fit and healthy thirty-something woman who can still turn heads and run a 10k, at least, while he cannot even bend over and reach his toes. Such com-ment may have been made in jest but it deeply showed the damaging “ageist” mentality prevalent in our culture. It seems getting older is an undesirable thing worthy of jokes and ridicule.

Madonna is fifty-six years old. She

broke into the public’s c o n s c i o u s -ness in the 80’s with her then racy music, “Like a Virgin” and “Materi-al Girl”. She has since gone on to break world and music records. Now, she is going on a strenuous world tour for her lat-est bestselling album, Rebel Heart. Yet, one will find unkind comments saying that Madonna is already old and just wears makeup to hide her wrinkles. So what? She has proven herself an endur-ing force to reckon with. Just like wine, she gets better with age. Only an utterly

shallow person will see the ravages of time without recognizing the accompa-nying depth and texture.

I once came across a statement at a photo exhibit that said a woman may only be called truly beautiful starting in her thirties onwards. Life has then given her more character and stronger sense of self that make her radiate. That ex-hibit featured women of style and sub-stance who beautifully shone their life back at the camera. Their ages ranged from thirty-something to eighty-some-thing. My mother is 67 years old and is battling colon cancer so soon after my father’s death. She is still as beautiful as ever with her youthful figure, sun-ny disposition, and prayerful zest for life. We tease her that she might do a Zsa Zsa Padilla and consider having a lover. She is scandalized that we even think of it. (In any case, my brother has

promised to gun down that hypotheti-cal lover).

It is sad how the pejorative “gurang” is flung around to refer to people who have experienced more in life. It is sad-der still how the pejorative “gurang” could be unthinkingly flung around by men to refer to attractive, accom-plished thirty-something women espe-cially if these women could afford the Php 57,700.00 VIP ticket to the upcom-ing Madonna concert. This kneejerk re-action to jeeringly label a rich personal history is indicative of a highly politi-cally incorrect culture prevalent even among the highly educated. It is indic-ative of a thoughtless and unreflective culture that fails to appreciate the his-toried and storied life.

Madonna will be performing her new hit song, Unapologetic Bitch, and I will be singing along with her.

Just like wine

WHILE waiting for a friend in one of the biggest malls in the city recently, I went to a bookstore.

Several books caught my attention but one of those that I really liked was titled Fragile Earth: Views of a changing world.

The 280-page book is hardbound. What makes it fascinating is the fact that it con-tains a lot of photos: before and after.

For instance, there was a picture taken somewhere in Singapore and dated 1962. Below it was this caption: “When this photograph of Singapore was taken, the multi-storey Asian Insurance building was the tallest in the city and the harbour was used by traditional sampans and rowing boats.”

That was on the left side. On the right side was another picture, in the same place, taken in 1999. “Although the Asia Insurance building still exists, it is no longer the tall-est in the city,” the caption said. “It is now dwarfed by many multi-storey commercial buildings which have sprung up in the last forty years in the central area of the city as Singapore has expanded as a major com-mercial center.”

Yes, it’s a changing world. And the book highlighted dramatic changes that have happened to the world. There is indeed no forever. “The only permanent thing in this world,” as one sage puts it, “is change.”

Sir Ranulph Fiennes, an English ad-venturer, wrote the foreword to Fragile Earth. “Back in 1982, with Charles Burton, I became the first person to reach both the north and south poles by surface travel. On the day we reached the North Pole, it seemed like another world which would be untouched by man forever. As we are all in-

creasingly be-coming aware, this not the case,” he wrote.

The book has nine chap-ters and each chapter tells us why the world is ever chang-ing. In the first chapter, “Rest-less Earth,” we get a glimpse of how earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and landslides and avalanches shape the world.

In the second chapter, “Extreme Storms,” we are only familiar with tropical storms. After all, three super typhoons hit the country in succession: Sendong in 2011, Pablo in 2012, and Yolanda in 2013. Thou-sands of people died and millions were left homeless.

The three others -- tornadoes, dust storms, and snow -- are unfamiliar to most Filipinos. However, in the fourth chapter, “Damaged World,” we know them by heart: deforestation, conflict, and pollution.

The third chapter, “Man-made World,” talked about creating land, controlling wa-ter, expanding cities, and travel and trans-portation. The fifth chapter, “Big Thaw,” is very much in the news as it highlighted polar ice, shrinking glaciers, and rising sea level -- all caused by climate change.

With the recent El Niño problem that hit the country recently, the sixth chapter, “Parched Earth,” is a good read: advancing desert, drought and fire, shrinking lakes, and drying rivers.

The seventh chapter, “Water’s Power,” gave some reminders on how water can change coastlines and how powerful riv-ers are during floods. “Climate change has a direct impact on the coast by driving up global sea levels,” it said. “River floods can be hugely destructive to life and property, but they play an essential role too.”

In the eighth chapter, “Future View,” some prominent people shared as how they see the future of our planet.

“For the first time ever in human his-tory, we have the capacity today to ac-curately predict the future,” wrote Mark Lynas, a regular writer for The Guardian, The Observer, The Independent, and New Statesman. “In the past, soothsayers con-sulted oracles, made sacrifices or read tea leaves. Today, scientists construct complex computer models which are driven by hun-dreds of equations representing the real laws of physics in action.”

Fred Pearce, leading contributor to New Scientist and author of When the Rivers Run Dry, wrote something about the future of water. “Water will define our world in the twenty-first century. We humans have al-ways built our homes near water, beside rivers and oases. But today, we are drying up the great rivers, draining underground water reserves and changing the very cli-mate that brings the rain.”

Guy Dauncey, author of Stormy Weath-er: 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change, believed the Age of Fossil Fuels will come to an end. “We may already be at the peak of the world’s oil supply, and as what’s left becomes scarce, the price will rise, causing people to seek other sources of energy. The coal will last longer, but until the hope of

clean coal with zero carbon emissions is re-alized, the public pressure to cease burning coal will continue.”

Tim Flannery, an internationally ac-claimed scientist, explore and conserva-tionist, zeroed in on change. “Some parts of the Earth change more quickly than others,” he wrote. But “what happens to liv-ing things when change becomes too fast? Common sense tells us that large, fast-mov-ing things can be dangerous. And so it is with changes in climate and topography.”

“In addition to warming and expanding, the oceans will become more acidic. The seas absorb much of the carbon dioxide which we emit from our cars and power plants, and this dissolved carbon dioxide forms an acid which alters the chemical properties of the water,” noted Elizabeth Kolbert, who used to be a report for The New York Times.

The ninth chapter is entitled “Observ-ing Change.” It is about looking at our plan-et, and monitoring environmental changes by means of photographs and satellite im-ages.

“The Earth is a dynamic and fragile place, and our awareness of the need to protect it is steadily increasing,” the book said. “In order to direct our efforts, we need to observe and monitor change. We there-fore need to gather information on as wide a scale, in as much detail, and as regularly as possible.”

At the back of the book, American pres-ident John F. Kennedy as saying: “The su-preme reality of our time is the vulnerabil-ity of our planet.”

Kennedy may said those words in 1963 but it is still timely until now.

Fragile Earth

Henrylito D. Taciohenrytacio@gmail.com

THINK ON THESE!

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 201510 NEWS10 NEWSRody... FROM 4Progressive... FROM 4

Duterte... FROM 5

Phl-Japan... FROM 7

Ex-MILF... FROM 6

Cebuana... FROM 7

Cigarette... FROM 7

Mayor... FROM 5

EDGEDAVAO

be alarmed at this flagrant circumvention of the law that is not only denying revenues, but undermining important public health objectives.

“Let us work together to combat this menace. We can-not allow manufacturers and store owners to be scot-free in selling illegal products without paying tax. Do we let them go when we tax-paying citizens are duty-bound to help the government?” Arranza asked.

The Fight IT is a broad-based, multi-sectoral move-ment intended to protect consumers, safeguard gov-ernment revenues and shield legitimate industries from the ill-effects of smuggling. It was launched earlier this month under the umbrella of the Federation of Philippine In-dustries (FPI). Arranza is the

chairman of FPI. Fight IT carries the cam-

paign slogan “Stop smuggling, Protect the consumers.”

The alliance brings togeth-er major players from indus-tries with some of the most commonly smuggled goods or products such as rice, sugar, corn, palm oil, tobacco, steel, cement, ceramic tiles among others.

The group will provide to enforcement authorities for their appropriate action the list of outlets found to be sell-ing without tax stamps.

The BIR has warned against the serious conse-quences of non-use and use of counterfeit stamps. Penal-ty ranges from a fine of up to P50,000 and imprisonment of not less than four years but not more than eight years.

as much as 1.7 million for the same period. In 2014 alone, the program issued 16.7 million certificates that cover about 5 million Filipinos.

“The Philippines has one of the highest micro insurance coverages in the world at 21 percent of its population,” said Jonathan Batangan, general manager for Cebuana Lhuilli-er Insurance Solutions (CLIS). “However, many Filipinos are still deprived of social protec-tion and economic inclusion. The Alagang Cebuana pro-gram, which is backed by two industry experts, will bridge that gap.”

Cebuana Lhuillier has en-rolled more than 5 million Fil-ipinos through its microinsur-ance programs and has settled

more than P120 million claims in collaboration with insur-ance partners. Through CLIS, the company has commenced offering sachet insurance as early as 1998, long before the microinsurance sector was formalized in the country.

Pioneer started offering microinsurance policies in 2008 with an initial 28,760 en-rollments. By the end of 2014, the company had well over 1.6 million enrollments in its mi-croinsurance programs.

The two companies aim to cover more Filipinos under the Alagang Cebuana Plus Pro-gram, which for P25 will cover an individual up to P20,000 in personal accident coverage and P5,000 fire insurance for a maximum of four months.

into her hands,” he added.Duterte said the IP evac-

uees have reasons to stay in Haran because of the harass-ments perpetrated by Ala-mara, a group of IPs formed by the soldiers for anti-commu-nism campaign.

But, the local chief execu-tive also said that some of the IP evacuees are members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Catamco, Duterte said,

should accept the reality that some of the evacuees have been influenced by the NPAs and that she must talk to the rebels first.

He said he already warned Catamco that the IPs are real-ly hard to convince because of their ideology.

Duterte, however, said that he still provide vehicles to Cat-amco if there are IPs who want to go home. ABF

home even if she did not re-solve the root cause of the evacuation which is military harassments.

She also denied reports that there were four IPs who committed suicide because they were prevented from go-ing home.

“It was already proved by Vice Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte, that there were no dead bod-ies found,” Duazo said.

Meanwhile, the Police Re-gional Office (PRO) 11 insist-ed the militant groups remain deaf to the plight of lumads for freedom.

These lumads, the PRO 11 added, were forced to leave their homes only to be detained and suffer in stench, filthy and makeshift shelters.

PRO 11 spokesperson Sr. Supt. Antonio Rivera said the IPs are in a very helpless situ-ation.

“These progressive groups are putting them (IP’s) in extreme duress and their promise of refuge is nothing but a deceit to use these peo-ple for their own personal in-terest”, Rivera said in a state-ment.

The continuous desis-tance of militant groups such as Karapatan, Gabriela and Bayan Muna to release the IP’s only prolongs the agony of the lumads, according to Rivera.

“All they want is to go back home and not to be detained inside a compound that seems to be a pigsty. What is due for

these people are utmost re-spect and decent treatment,” he said.

Rivera also disclosed that they received reports from employees inside Haran who also experienced intimidation from members of progressive groups adding that they were not allowed to go out during the conduct of the rescue.

If these groups are really concerned with the welfare of the IP’s, he said, they should show remorse and release them immediately to be sent home. He also said that more and more people inside the compound are suffering vari-ous illnesses and trauma.

“The compound is not a conducive area to shelter around 700 people. Worse, many are now sick especially the elderly and children,” Ri-vera said.

“These people need our help and it is urgent. The com-pound is not home to them and taking them away from their community is already a gross violation of their human rights,” he added.

The vulnerable conditions of lumads are being used as leverage to malign the public and fabricate lies against the efforts of local government agencies, according to the po-lice officer.

He added that the police are always ready to give assis-tance to rescue and send the lumads home. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

eration Front (MILF)-Project Management Team, said the skills training is an educa-tional component also of the Sajahatra Bangsamoro, which is a socio-economic initiative for Moro communi-ties that avails wider access to opportunities in alleviat-ing poverty.

Another key component is focused on health services, including the issuance of PhilHealth cards. The Saja-hatra is aimed at accelerating the transition of conflict-af-

fected communities into pro-ductive areas.

“The program caters also to the MILF rebel-returnees and their dependents for key employment and job genera-tion,” said Kikay.

Most of the graduates are MILF members and residents of ARMM and Cotabato City.

They received certifi-cates and tool kits to start their respective trade. The kits are based on the voca-tional courses they have fin-ished. (PNA)

in the city and will be put up in different places in the met-ro.

A standee of Duterte can also be seen at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport.

Marques said the increas-ing popularity of Duterte is the reason behind the influx of tourist arrival in the city.

She said they are expect-ing more visitors for this year’s Kadayawan compared to last year.

Marques, however, said that she can only give the fig-ures once the tourism office has consolidated all data from the different hotels in the city. FPG

line store which buys or sells gold bars. But aside from this, the website also features an instructional video via you-tube showing how prospec-tive clients can earn as much as Php360,000 by investing a mere Php36,500 and by recruiting two other inves-tors willing to pay the same amount.

“Maari pong nangya-yari dito ay yung payout na binibigay sa inyo yung ki-nukuha po nung nasa baba. Eventually magco-collapse yan kung wala naman po ta-lagang produktong ibineben-ta na pwedeng pagkakitaan. Eventually mauubos po yung ipinapasok na pera dyan pag wala na pong ma-recruit,” Lukban said during the inter-view.

Meanwhile, Mayor Dute-rte added that before a com-

pany can transact with and procure gold, the applicable permit from the Bangko Sen-tral ng Pilipinas (BSP) need to be obtained.

Investigation by the May-or’s Office revealed that Em-goldex-Massachussets has has likewise been banned in Finland, Colombia, Estonia and Panama.

As this developed, Luk-ban repeated his stern warn-ing to the public, “Kapag ang offer ng returns ay too good to be true kung sasabihin po natin sa ingles ay medyo mag ingat po sila. Kaya po natin iparirehistro ang mga kump-anyang ganito para makita natin, unang una kung sino po yung mga taong behind them. Kung hindi po natin yan makita sa ating data base medyo mahihirapan po tay-ong habulin.”

nesia and Vietnam enters the Japanese market at zero tariff duty, compared to the Philip-pines bananas.

“We are paying a maxi-mum of 18 percent tariff to Japan during winter and eight percent during summer, but Vietnam and Indonesia can export banana to Japan at zero tariff,” he said.

Antig added that the Phil-

ippines might lose it biggest market since Japan would resort importing its banana requirement to countries with zero tariff because it would bring down cost.

The first two months of the year recorded a 10 to 15 percent decrease in the expor-tation of Philippine banana to Japan, according to him. CHE-NEEN R. CAPON

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015 11

Seda Abreeza receives grant from Canada, ADB, DOT

EDGEDAVAO

COMMUNITY SENSEPilmico’s program benefits Davao farmers

PROGRAM BENEFITS. Philimico Foods Corporation Inc. marketing manager John Paul Pangilinan explains to the Mintal residents the benefits of their company’s Mahalin Pagkaing Atin program during the Mindanao launch Friday. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

THE Pilmico Foods Cor-poration, a subsidiary of Aboitiz Equity Ven-

tures, Inc, kicked off the Mind-anao campaign for its Mahalin Pagkaing Atin program in Mintal, Davao City last Friday.

Officials from Pilmico do-nated eight egg machines and 20 piglets to the farmer-bene-ficiaries in the city at the Mint-al gym as part of the program.

The company said these donations will allow the farm-ers to sustain their livelihood through an easy-to-manage business with a quick re-turn of investment amid the threats of poverty and con-flict.

The campaign aims for sustainable entrepreneur-ship providing livelihood to deserving beneficiaries in the city.

“As partners for growth, we are pleased to be able to extend assistance to the farmers of Davao through our egg machines and piglets. We

hope that through Mahalin-PagkaingAtin, we will be able to provide the means for our farmer friends to uplift their lives and sustain an adequate livelihood,” said Sabin M. Aboitiz, Pilmicopresident and chief executive officer (CEO).

The campaign, which was introduced in mid-2014, aims to encourage sustain-able entrepreneurship and preference for homegrown produce.

The company has already donated a total of 646 piglets, 191 egg machines, and 14 agriculture areas where ben-eficiaries receive feedbags as restart-up capital. Around 304 families nationwide are benefitting from the program as of this day.

A Producers Forum was also conducted last July 23 atThe Ritz Hotel at Garden Oases which aimed to link lo-cal backyard raisers with local buyers and purchasers.

Pilmico, guided by its

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

SEDA Abreeza is among the five organizations in Davao City to receive the

training grants implemented by the Department of Tourism, administered by the Asian De-velopment Bank and funded by the Government of Cana-da. The said grant is a part of DOT’s “Philippine Improving Competitiveness in Tourism” or PICTourism project which started in 2013.

The urban lifestyle hotel is among the 22 institutions in the program’s 2nd phase ben-eficiaries, alongside establish-ments located in other parts of the country as Cebu, Bohol, and Palawan. The project is worth US$7.1 million and is focused on skills set enhancement and creating career opportunities in the tourism industry.

Last July 3, after he graced the MSME Development Week in Davao City, Canadian Am-bassador Neil Reeder, H.E. had a meeting with the hotel associates of Seda Abreeza to personally inform the team regarding the training grant received by the hotel.

According to Ambassador Reeder, there is a huge po-tential for employment in the tourism sector of the coun-try. “Our development pro-

grams, we try to link it to the development priorities of the Philippines. Obviously your government sees tourism as a very important part of the economy.”

The 2nd phase of the proj-ect aims to train about 3,500 employees all over Philippines. “You want visitors to have good experience, leave with a positive impression, and to come back. Tourism won’t be sustainable if people don’t come back. It is very important that the skills be upgraded and ensure that people have good experience,” added by Ambas-sador Reeder upon emphasiz-ing the essence of doing qual-ity trainings for tourism boost.

To date, Canada is the 7th largest source of tourists in the country, getting about 140,000 tourists per year. Ambassador Reeder then ended his mes-sage with well wishes for the staff who shall benefit with the trainings, and in high hopes that the project will further put Seda’s service and operations into a higher scale.

The trainings shall focus on the Hazard Analysis & Crit-ical Control Points (HACCP), F&B Service, and Housekeep-ing skill sets and shall begin this August 2015.

promise to be partners for growth, has been providing customers with high-quality

wheat flour and related prod-ucts since 1962. It also excels in swine production and ani-

mal feeds. With its consistent excel-

lence and top-notch products,

Pilmico ensures market com-petitiveness by increasing customer satisfaction.

Awarding Ceremony at Fairmont Makati. L-R: Emmanuel San Luis, Seda Hotels Asst. Director of HR; Billy Tan, Seda Hotels Director of HR; Andrea Mastellone, Seda Hotels Group General Manager; His Excellency Neil Reeder, Ambassador, Embassy of Canada; Honorable Ramon R. Jimenez, Secretary DOT; Kelly Bird, Director ADB; Kennedy Kapulong, Seda Abreeza Hotel Manager; Natasha Villanueva, Seda Abreeza Asst.HR Manager His Excellency Neil Reeder

Team Seda Abreeza with Ambassador Reeder and CanCham National President Julian PayneAmbasssdor Reeder delivers speech to the Seda Abreeza team

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 201512 CLASSIFIED EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015

ticed to seek cataract eye con-sultations but were surprised that the procedure done to them were eye surgeries in-stead.

It was also alleged that one of the victims had lost his eye sight due to the procedure and there was not 24 hour fol-low-up conducted thereafter to monitor his health condi-tion.

The investigation was called upon by the Senate af-ter the assessment revealed that eye cataract surgeries reimbursement of PhilHealth ranks 4th in terms of number of claims.

Topping the list was Pneu-monia (1st), followed by dial-

ysis(2nd), maternity package (3rd) followed by Eye Cataract Surgeries (4th) and so forth.

The data was based on the internal audit report conduct-ed by PhilHealth and present-ed to the Senate hearings.

PhilHealth provides health insurance to its mem-bers by paying or reimburs-ing the cost of hospitalization (doctor’s professional fees, procedures, room and medi-cines for a particular case rate) of its member.

The different case rates and their corresponding amounts Philhealth pays for can all be viewed at PhilHealth website –www.gov.philhealth.gov.ph). (PNA)

EDGEDAVAO 13NEWSNOTICE OF LOSS

Notice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. that CERTIFICATE OF FULL PAYMENT No.(s)

1030672 / 1704 / 21089648 under Loyola Plan Contract No(s). 10161370-5 / 10158608-9 / 193939-6 issued to MA.ESTELA B. CABANGAL21002028 under Loyola Plan Contract No(s). 136001-2 issued to NIMFA A. ALBARICO21045497 under Loyola Plan Contract No(s). 191324-6 / UUU130004718 issued to VIRGINIA C. RAYRAY

were lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.7/2,8/3,10

PLACEMENT of subtitles during television broadcast is one of the features of a bill

filed in the House of Representa-tives seeking to provide Filipinos with hearing impairment an ac-cess to all forms of communica-tions in government and private sectors.

Rep. Leah S. Paquiz (Party List, ANG NARS), author of House Bill 5673, said television stations will be required to place subtitles or signed communication for the deaf and hard of hearing during their broadcast.

Paquiz said the National Tele-communications Commission

PhilHealth... FROM 6 Bill urges TV networksto place subtitles

(NTC) shall require closed cap-tioning and interpreter insets in news and public affairs programs.

According to Paquiz, com-munication accessibility is a le-gal right of people with hearing impairment to equal access to goods, services and facilities in the community, schools, public transactions in health systems, Courts, Quasi-Judicial Agencies and other Tribunals, broadcast media and workplaces.

“Communication and infor-mation accessibility of the deaf and people hard of hearing must be protected in order for them to exercise their right to choose the mode and form of communica-tion that will best suit them and serve them both in their formal learning and professional ad-vancement,” Paquiz said.

The bill mandates the De-partment of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Early Childhood and Development Council (ECDC) and all other national and local government agencies involved to develop systems of communica-tion that meet the needs and po-tentials of Filipino deaf and hard of hearing.

All educational institutions shall provide augmentative and alternative communication like computer-aided transcription services, telephone handset amplifiers, assistive listening devices, hearing aids, open and closed captioning, video text dis-plays, properly trained and qual-ified oral and signed interpreters. (PNA)

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015 VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015 3EDGEDAVAOVOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 201514 EDGEDAVAOSports

STRONG FINISHElla scores best round, winds up 4th in first US stint

ALESSANDRA Chris-tine Nagayo attacked the Brookside course

with the aggressiveness of an undaunted challenger on the last day of the tourna-ment only to succumb to her feared hole no. 17 but still finish a strong fourth in the 2015 Veritas World Junior Golf Championships in Pasa-dena, California.

The 11-year old daugh-ter of Councilor Rachel Zozobrado-Nagayo, deter-mined to make an impact on her first stint in the world stage, was well on her way to a near flawless round when she struggled anew on her approach to the final three holes, inluding the dreaded no. 17 of the E.O. Nay Course No. 2 of the Brookside Golf and Country Club.

Her short game aban-doning her in the crucial holes on the backside, Nagayo managed to score her best round ever in the 54-hole muti-nation tourna-

ment with a nine over par 79.

“Ella fin-ished fourth. Her weakness re-ally is pitching and putting. But we are hap-py kasi this is her very first US Tournament and she had a relatively great showing. Her scores improved day to day. She started a wobbly 86 on the first round, followed it with an 81 in the second round ad finished with a 79 on the third round,” her mother Rachel told Edge Davao.

Nagayo, a standout of the Apo Golf and Country Club junior golf program, also struggled in the 17th hole in the second round where she scored a nine over par 81.

“In both the second and third day, she had great scores going to the 16th hole... weak link nya parati ang holes no. 16, 17 and 18... lalo na ang 17. But all in all,

s h e d i d h e r

b e s t ,” c u n c i l -

or Nagayo added.Holes 16

to 18 are all par 4 holes measuring 304,

301 and 231 yards, respec-tively. She failed to score par or better in no. 17 for three days and went 3 over (7), four over (8) and double bo-gey (6) on the dreaded hole.

Bunched at no. 3 at the start of the final round, Ella started the day with back to back bogeys before set-tling down and matching par in the next five holes from the par-5 3rd to the par-4 7th. She dropped to double bogey 6 on no. 8 be-fore capping her yout of the frontnine with a saving par for a 4-over 40. Heading to the backside, Ella dropped two bogeys through no. 15 before coming face to face

with the dreaded final three. She had a bogey 5 on no. 16 and a double bogey 6 on no. 17 before finishing off with a par for a 39 coming home.

In sum, Ella had a pair of birdies whuich she scored on nos. 1 and 2 in Day 2, 22 pars and 25 bogeys. She is plus seven on all par 3s, plus 29 on all par 4s and even on all par 5s.

Compatriot Annyka Chanel Cayabyab fired the Girls 11 division’s only sub-par round with a two under 68 on final day anchored on five birdies, a bogey and a double bogey which she scored also on the killer no. 17. Cayabyab had a three-day total of 219 (76-75-78) to ran away with the title over Americans Athena Nguyen 244 and Madison Starke 245.

Nagayo will next see ac-tion in the US Kids World Championships on July 29-August 2 in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

MAKING WAVES. Ella Nagayo made waves in her first stint in the US.

njb@edgedavao.net

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

Sig2 SideA Process Cyan 07/25/2015 20:12:20

Sig2 SideA Process Magenta 07/25/2015 20:12:20

Sig2 SideA Process Yellow 07/25/2015 20:12:20

Sig2 SideA Process Black 07/25/2015 20:12:20

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015

REED-THIN Eduard Clar-eta sank a baby hook with 0.9 seconds left

as Ford Academy of the Arts played killjoy to tournament leader Ateneo de Davao Uni-versity, 60-58, on Saturday morning to salvage some amount of pride in the 2015 Matina Enclaves Inter-School Basketball Tournament at the Davao City recreation Center.

The six-foot-three Clarete capped a game-long brilliance when he grabbed the rebound off a miss by teammate Julius Caesar Requillo as the re-maining seconds ticked away from the clock. He spun to his right with the ball high up for a baby hook which went down straight to the hoop for the dagger shot that all but left Ateneo with a catch-and-shoot play in the final 0.9 sec-onds.

A f te r the Blue K n i g h t s sued for time to map out their final play, Vande Goor Alagao hurriedly took an off-balanced jumpshot that missed as time expired giving Ford the win that did not matter anyway in their cause to advance to the semifinals of the tournament organized by the Escandor Development Corporation (Esdevco), devel-oper of Matina Enclaves.

“Pinlano ko talaga na ihook shot kasi malalaki din

DAGGERFord stops Ateneo in trhiller, 60-56

RACAL Motors has filed a letter of intent to become an expansion

ballclub in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), reiterating that it has the ca-pacity and all the intention to form a competitive team in the pro league.

The Racal Group of Com-panies filed the letter of intent on Thursday as a follow-up to the first letter it submitted to the PBA Commissioner’s Of-fice last year when the league accepted KIA (now Mahan-dra Enforcers) and Blackwa-ter as expansion teams prior to the 2015 season.

“Nag-submit kami ng follow-up letter last week. Panibagong letter of intent kasi bago na commissioner eh,,” said Nick Caparida, team manager of PBA D-League side KeraMix which is also under the Racal umbrella.

This letter is addressed to incoming commissioner Chito Narvasa and comes just a week after the PBA board of governors tackled the appli-

cation of Hapee Toothpaste.Unlike Hapee, Caparida

said the Racal group will not be seeking any concessions from the board and is willing to accept whatever terms the board will give them.

“Hindi kami hihingi ng concession. Basta ang amin lang gusto naming makapa-sok sa PBA. Yung letter of in-tent namin purely signifying our interest lang to join. Kung ano concession ibibigay nila, okay kami,” he said.

Caparida bared the multi-million company sub-mitted its first letter of intent last November.

“Gusto talaga naming mag-PBA so sana this time, mapansin na nila application namin. Willing naman ka-ming suportahan ang team namin,” he said, insisting that they don’t intend to be a fly-by-night ballclub.

“They can double check naman our company,” Capar-ida said.

Racal Motors Company is the maker of low-cost motor-

cycles and automobiles wide-ly used as passenger vehicles.

But Caparida insisted there are 11 other companies under the Racal umbrella involved in motor assembly, motor sales, hardware, ce-ramics manufacturing and even shipping lines.

Though he cannot ful-ly reveal the assets of the company, the longtime Ra-cal Motors executive bared owner Quinito Racal also has existing partnerships with multi-billion Chinese e-com-merce firm Alibaba.com, a major rival of Ebay.com and Amazon.com.

“I think they will help. Kasi partner ni boss yun (Alibaba) eh. He has direct communications there kasi part ng Alibaba.com ang mga products namin,” he said.

In the just-concluded PBA D-League Foundation Cup, Racal paraded a Keramix Mixers side spearheaded by Gilas cadet Giovanni Jalalon, Luis Sinco, Jeff Viernes and Keith Agovida.

MAKING HER MOVE. Samantha Dawson of Army prepares to make her move

against Accel Quantum Plus Perpetual during the Philippine

SuperLiga Beach Volleyball at the MOA Sands by the Bay.

FADEAWAY. Dom Cane of Ateneo takes a fadeaway jumper against Julius Caesar Requillo of Ford Academy during the two teams’ match up in the Matina Enclaves Inter-School basketball tournament last Saturday at the DCRC. Lean Daval Jr.

njb@edgedavao.net

By NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO

ang depensa. Masaya ako na naiconvert ko ang winning shot,” said Clarete who im-posed his intimidating pres-ence in side the paint all game long.

Ateneo trailed Ford after the first half 42-44 but spritely guard Jethro Taculin opened the third period with a triple, dished off to Dom Cane and then scored another boom-ing trey to put Ateneo on top 51-45. After forward Francis Gabriel Escandor split his free throws for a 52-48 lead, Ford went on a scoring

rampage mainly on transi-

tion plays to narrow the gap to a single point 56-55.

After a split by Ford’s Buhian, John Kevin Amora hit a booming triple with 2:25 left to shove Ford to the driver’s seat 58-56. Ateneo had the chance to go up but Taculin hurried his triple attempt and Escandor also missed an open three with under 2 minutes left in the match. The Blue Knights managed to tie the ballgame with Alagao scoring on a jumper with 19.2 seconds

left.Ford sued for time

for the final play but Ateneo’s swarming de-fense forced Requillo to a well-covered shot

that bounced off the cylinder

paving the way for a re-bound by Clar-ete and the game-winner.

A m o r a led all scor-ers with 17 points, 12

coming from beyond the arc. Taculin led Ateneo with 14 bacstopped

by Came with 11.

The Blue K n i g h t s

p l a y e d without

team cap-

t a i n Dariel Man- l i g u e z who was attending a school seminar.

ONE ON ONE. 6-3 Ford slotman Eduard Clarete (left) tries to atop burly Ateneo forward Francis Gabriel Escandor. Lean Daval Jr.

Racal knocks on PBA doors

15EDGEDAVAO SPORTS

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015

P 15.00 • 20 PAGESwww.edgedavao.netVOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 2015

EDGE Serving a seamless society

DAVAO

THE FINAL SONA

Ella makes strong finishing kick, winds up 4th in World Jungolf tilt

Page 14

EDGEDAVAOSports

What Dabawenyos expect from the 5th SONA and how they rate the Aquino administration

SPECIAL REPORT

VOL. 8 ISSUE 82 • SUNDAY - MONDAY, JULY 26 - 27, 201516 EDGEDAVAO

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