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DAVAO CITY

EDGE Serving a seamless society

DAVAO

BOOMS

VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 20162 EDGEDAVAO

COVER STORY

DAVAO City is not only peaceful, it is also booming: in popula-

tion, investments, tourist at-tractions, and more.

In terms of people, Davao City is now home to almost 1.9 million people. The figure is based on the 2015 Census done by the Philippine Statis-tics Authority. That’s 300,000 more people added to the pop-ulation reported in 2010.

And, according to Maria Leah Magracia, PSA senior sta-tistical analyst, it may swell to 2 million as more people from nearby provinces and other parts of the country migrate to the country’s largest city (in terms of land area).

Urbanization – the demo-graphic transition from rural to urban – is associated with shifts from agriculture-based economy to mass industry, technology, and services. With 1.6 million people moving into the cities globally every week, the 21st century will be known in history as the centu-ry of global urbanization.

“This urban expansion will be especially burden-some for developing coun-tries, where 82 percent of the world’s population currently lives,” said Grant Potter, who conducted a research on the impact of urbanization for the Washington-based World-watch Institute.

The Philippines is one of those developing countries that will bear the brunt of ur-banization. Today, about 63 percent of the country’s total population of 96.2 million live in urban areas, according to the world population data sheet released by the Wash-ington-based Population Ref-erence Bureau.

Most of the largest cities – Metro Manila in Luzon, Cebu in the Visayas, and Davao in Mindanao – are considered economic engines of the coun-try. Davao City, for instance, is on the verge of turning into a bustling metropolis and with the influx of foreign and local

business investors, the num-bers are on its side.

The de facto capital of Mindanao, Davao is one of the largest cities in the world with a total land area of 224,000 hectares. Its boundaries en-compass commercial areas as well as beaches, mountains, and forests. Approximately, it is 7.8 times the size of Cebu and three times that of the en-tire Metro Manila.

A few years back, the City Mayors Foundation ranked Davao City the 87th fastest growing city in the world, and it has been listed by the United Kingdom-based Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Magazine as the 10th “Asian City of the Fu-ture” together with two other Philippine cities – Quezon City (ranked 7th) and Cebu City (8th place).

Davao City serves as the regional center for the Davao Region (which is composed of Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, and Davao Occidental). “The increase in population was the result of migration, among others, of people from other regions because Davao City offers many opportuni-ties as a hub of government, business, and industries,” ob-served the National Statistics Office.

In 2006, Davao City host-ed the tourism forum of the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. “Davao is slow compared to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Manila, and Cebu,” wrote Ernie Abella, editor of Madayaw, a maga-zine that was released in con-junction with the event. “But you can get from sea to moun-tain by the time you finish the juice of a fresh coconut.”

Most recent visitors who come here describe Davao as a land of exotic beauty and rich culture. “Davao is probably the least exposed of the country’s urban areas, and the most appealing,” contends Joey Bridgewater, an American who stayed in the city for three

DAVAO CITY BOOMS

months. “It’s a great holiday hideaway, what with its lush greenery and exotic wild flora and fauna that contribute to its picturesque view,” he adds.

There are several other reasons why Davao is now one of the tourist destinations in the country. In a website called toptens.com, people give some reasons on why the city is such a good place to visit:

“With its unique emergen-cy response system, you can call 911 in whatever situation you are in. The city is known for its tight security and strict implementation of the law,” wrote one visitor. “It is also

known to be the ‘fruit basket of the Philippines;’ from the ex-otic durian and mangosteen to one of the most exported prod-uct of the Philippines, banana, you will find all of them here.”

Another one commented: “Davao City is one of the most livable cities in Asia. It has a very low percentage of crime. It is not only typhoon-free but so far has not been visited by a huge typhoon or any great disaster. But one this is sure: Davao City has very delicious and very cold clean water.”

Despite the proliferation of top companies operating in the city, Davao is pictured as one of

the best places in the country where oldies can retire. Zip-porah Antonio, who works as a content writer of Housing Interactive, Inc., wrote:

“Modern meets the old. Indeed, this dynamic prov-ince is a perfect marriage of traditional culture and cos-mopolitan living. It may have the usual hustle and bustle of city life, but it is able to retain that ‘small town’ feel. Signs of Davao’s progress and success are seen through the rise of developments throughout the area. This is mainly to accom-modate the burgeoning num-ber of expat and local commu-nities.”

Antonio further wrote: “Its rich history, picturesque land-scapes, breathtaking islands, exciting water-related activ-ities, and remarkable tourist destinations are few of the main reasons that make the province an interesting place for retirement. Likewise, the cost of living is definitely more affordable than Metro Manila and Cebu.”

If there are good news, there are also bad news. Take the case of sea-level rise, a di-rect result of climate change, which may wreak havoc with-

in the city. The Business Risk As-sessment and the Management of Climate Change Impacts,” published by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), said the most likely to be affected are the city’s seaports.

“Located along the rel-atively shallow channel be-tween the city and Samal Is-land, these port facilities are a nerve center for Davao City’s economy, and serve a variety of ships handling both cargo and passengers,” the risk as-sessment said.

Another problem the city needs to address is wa-ter. “Davao has traditionally tapped surface water from its rivers as its main water source,” the WWF/BPI report said. “It prides itself in the rel-atively high quality of its drink-ing water. However, salt intru-sion has already been reported in city districts to shore, es-pecially in portions of the city where groundwater extraction continues. Sea-level rise may aggravate this situation.”

From being tagged as a “Murder City” in the 1980s, Davao is now of the safest cit-ies in the world. Indeed, it has come a long, long way.

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

Davao City is one of the most livable

cities in Asia. It has a very low percentage

of crime. It is not only typhoon-free but so far has not been visited by a huge typhoon or

any great disaster.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 2016 3EDGEDAVAO

VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 20164 EDGEDAVAO

NEWS

ENVIRONMENT groups in Davao City have asked Mayor Rodrigo R. Duter-

te to veto the amendment of a provision of the Comprehen-sive Land Use Plan (CLUP) of the city.

In a telephone interview with EDGE Davao on Friday afternoon, Interface Devel-opment Interventions (IDIS) executive director Mary Ann Fuertes said various environ-ment groups agreed during a meeting last Thursday to urge Duterte to veto the proposal

that had been approved by the City Council last week.

“We sent a letter to the mayor today (Friday) calling on him to veto the amend-ment,” she said

Fuertes said the City Coun-cil had conducted a hearing on the CLUP amendment without convening the Local Zoning Re-view Committee, a multi-sec-toral group that includes NGO representatives, to review and study proposal.

“Nagpatawag agad sila ng committee hearing na walang

public consultation. Asan yung fairness doon, yung due pro-cess? Wala, hindi siya nasun-od (They called a committee without public consultation. Where is the fairness there, the due process? None, it was not followed),” she said.

Fuertes said that the pro-posal was not even part of the agenda when it was passed on first reading in August 2015 because it was done through a privilege speech of councilor Diosdado Mahipus.

She said a committee hear-

ing by the committee on rules and privileges, laws and ordi-nances was then conducted the following week. “Wala siya sa agenda, siningit lang nila (It was not in the agenda, they just insert it),” she said.

The proposed ordinance amending article 9 of City Ordi-nance no. 0546 of 2013 or the City Land Use Plan 2013-2022 will remove the additional 10 percent green space allocation of the total land area of a sub-division development project.

TALAINGOD, Davao del Norte Mayor Basilio Li-bayao Jr. has asked the

Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) and the nation-al government to dismantle the anti-communist armed group Alamara in his town.

In an interview at the side-line of last Friday’s congressio-nal hearing conducted by the House Committee on Indige-nous People (IP) in Talaingod, Libayao said he made the call to put a stop to the harassment allegedly done by Alamara members on tribe members.

Libayao said around 300 tribal residents evacuated last year to the United Church of Christ in the Philippines

(UCCP) Haran compound in Davao City because of Alamara harassment.

He said a few weeks ago another 172 members of the tribe left for Haran after the killing of a 15-year-old boy al-legedly by the Alamara.

The SOS Network in Southern Mindanao had said in a press release that student Alibando Tingkas was killed in Sitio Laslasakan, Barangay Pal-ma Gil, Talaingod by a member of the Alamara whom commu-nity members identified as Jo-ven Salangani.

Libayao said he had al-ready prepared a budget from the Quick Response Fund to

PHILIPPINE Eagle “Matatag,” a rehabilitat-ed bird released over a

year ago in Mt Apo has moved away from its birth place into forests he has never flown to before.

Currently 13 km north of his release area, Matatag is within unfamiliar grounds. He is also way beyond the territo-rial borders of the Obu Manuvu community in Barangay Car-men, Davao City who for over a year has watched over and kept the eagle safe.

Forty Indigenous forest guards, 26 males and 14 fe-males, took turns tracking the bird as he explored the group’s ancient forests.

Through the elders’ con-sensus and a traditional ritu-al, Matatag was sanctified as the group’s Pusaka prior to his release. Pusaka is the Obu Manuvus practice of declaring inviolable those possessions, living or non-living, that are very valuable to the family. The word loosely translates to an “heirloom” or “heritage”.

As a Pusaka, protecting Matatag therefore became a village duty.

Thereafter, the Powasan (Forest Guards) roamed the forests daily to look after Matatag with the aid of ra-dio-telemetry. The eagle has a radio transmitter on his back,

Locals vow support to big-ticket infra projectLOCALS and barangay of-

ficials of three villages in Caraga town have vowed

their support on the proposed construction of a P59 million PSCG Bridge here, saying this big-ticket project will surely create a huge impact over the lives of their constituents.

Officials of the three bene-ficiary villages, namely: Lami-awan, Pichon and San Antonio which will directly benefit from the project, strongly ex-pressed their endorsement on the proposed project during the recently held Stakeholders’ Consultation Meeting here. They say this bridge will not only help in transporting their

HEAR US OUT. House committee on Indigenous People North Cotabato chair second district Rep. Nancy Catamco, Magdalo Party list representative Gary C. Alejano, Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, and other government officials listen to the sentiments of a tribal leader in Talaingod, Davao del Norte on the situation of IPs during a Congressional inquiry in Talaingod on Friday. Armando B. Fenequito Jr.

Envi groups ask Duterteto veto CLUP amendmentBy ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

abf@edgedavao.net

Talaingod mayor wantsAlamara dismantled

Philippine Eagle ‘Matatag’pushes to unfamiliar habitats

The existing footbridge in Barangay Lamiawan, which is only passable on foot or by motorcycle, is the only means residents from the uplands cross the river to bring their

goods to market. Residents here say that the proposed construction of a big-ticket P59 million PSCG Bridge will surely create a huge impact over their lives.

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 20166NEWS EDGEDAVAO

SPRUCING UP. Workers repainting a portion of the Peace Archway along Sta. Ana Avenue in Davao City as part of the preparation for the forthcoming Chinese New Year celebration. Lean Daval Jr.

THE chair of the House committee on Indige-nous People (IP) North

Cotabato second district Rep. Nancy A. Catamco is pushing to institutionalize the Bagani (Tribal Soldiers) within ances-tral domains.

In an interview on Friday during her Congressional in-quiry in Talaingod, Davao del

Norte, Catamco said she will file a resolution in the House to come up with an Implement-ing Rules and Regulation (IRR) to formalize the Bagani as part of the political structure of the tribes.

“The Baganis will only work within ancestral domain. Outside of that, that is the dis-cussion we will make in Con-

gress,” she said.Catamco said with the IRR,

the Bagani will be armed with guns to guard their territory from armed groups.

She said the IRR aims to regulate the Bagani’s carrying of firearms because it might lead to abuse of their co-tribes-men.

“Para katong magdala og

armas, duna pud siya’y tuluba-gon. Para kung naa siya’y ka-lapasan manubag jud siya ana (This is to make the Bagani li-able for their action. If there is a violation, the Bagani should held liable for it),” she said.

Catamco said the Bagani is already stipulated in Republic Act 8371 the Indigenous Peo-ples Rights Act of 1997.

SOUTH Cotabato province is mourning the sudden and unexpected passing

of former governor Hilario de Pedro III.

De Pedro died after re-portedly suffering from a stroke between 3 and 4 p.m. on Friday at his home in Ba-rangay Palkan in Polomolok town. He was 66.

His elder sister Evange-line said he was found uncon-scious by his wife Carmen in-side their room at past 4 p.m.

She said they immediate-ly rushed him to the Howard Hubbard Memorial Hospital in Barangay Cannery Site in Polo-molok but he was declared dead on arrival.

“It was unexpected. He

was quite healthy and active these past days,” she said.

Barangay Palkan chair Avelina Rencio, who rushed to the de Pedro household, said the former governor arrived home at past 2 p.m. after trav-elling from Kidapawan City.

She said de Pedro immedi-ately proceeded to their mas-ter bedroom to rest and even locked the door.

She said at past 4 p.m., de Pedro’s wife knocked on the door to wake him up but did not get any response.

Rencio said family mem-bers later found him slumped and unconscious by the bed-side, and with a blood pres-sure monitor still attached to

ANTI-DRUG operatives arrested an incumbent village chair in Maasim

town in Sarangani for posses-sion of suspected metham-phetamine hydrochloride or shabu in a raid at his house on Friday.

Kath Abad, public informa-tion officer of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Region 12, identi-fied the suspect as Bonie Jalil Sultan, 28, a second termer chair of Barangay Lumatil in Maasim.

Sultan who was arrested at around 4:40 a.m. in his house in Sitio Dampilan, Barangay Lumatil, is the third village offi-cial arrested by PDEA-12 since November for illegal drug-re-lated offenses.

The operation, which was based on a search warrant issued by the Sarangani Re-gional Trial Court, was jointly launched by the PDEA-12, Sa-rangani police’s intelligence branch, Sarangani Provincial Police Safety Company and the Maasim municipal police station.

Abad said the operatives recovered during the raid about a gram of suspected shabu with estimated market value of P7,500, a caliber .45 magazine and shell, a caliber .38 shell, a pouch, and a black leather wallet containing P100 and P500 bills amounting to P90,000.

“He is considered a high value target due to his stature as an elected government of-ficial,” she said in a statement.

Abad said Sultan, who is currently detained at the PDEA-12 lockup here, will be charged for violation of Section 11 or possession of dangerous drugs under Article II of Re-public Act 9165 or the Com-prehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

On November 20, PDEA-12 agents nabbed Datu Pudin Ambalgan, chair of Barangay Upper Sepaka in Surallah, South Cotabato, following the recovery of suspected shabu in a raid of his house in Purok Bago, Barangay Ambalgan in Sto. Nino town.

HARD WORK. Poverty forces children like these to work, collecting plastic and scrap items under the heat of the afternoon sun to sell for a few pesos. Lean Daval Jr.

Rep. Catamco wantsBagani institutionalizedBy ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

abf@edgedavao.net

THE Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representa-

tives on Thursday announced they can no longer pass the law that would have paved the way for the creation of a new autonomous political entity called the Bangsamoro, a day after Deputy Speaker for Min-danao Pangalian Balindong Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Pangalian Balindong declared in a privilege speech that with a “grieving heart,” he was go-ing to “close the book of hope for the passage of the Bang-samoro Basic Law.”

Congress has three more session days left – February 1, 2 and 3 – before it adjourns for the election campaign period.

“I am not optimistic that we will be able to pass the BBL in the Senate,” Senate Presi-dent Franklin Drilon said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, and es-pecially given the political environment that we’ve been operating in with the last few weeks, it is extremely difficult to get this through by Wednes-day next week. As I’ve said, we will keep on pushing but I don’t think we can pass it,” Drilon said.

Speaker Feliciano Belmon-te Jr. was quoted by Journal on-line and Inquirer.net as saying that there is “no question that it (BBL) won’t become a law even if we pass our version, the Senate has not been acting on it.”

The House is still on the period of amendments and some members were still lin-ing up for their turno en contra Wednesday night. The Senate, which is still on the period of interpellation, has not deliber-ated on the proposed law since Congress resumed sessions on January 18. It will adjourn on February 5.

“I think it is dead,” Moha-gher Iqbal, chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panel and the Bangsamoro Transition Com-mission (BTC) that drafted the BBL, told MindaNews Thurs-day night.

He said he already told Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa who “still has some re-maining hopes (the law will be passed) in February.”

“I don’t see it anymore,” Iqbal said.

Government peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said the peace panels “will meet after February 5 to dis-

Former South Cot guvde Pedro passes away

Maasim barangay chairnabbed for illegal drugs

Bangsamoro law won’t pass under PNoy admincuss.”

PNoy-Murad meetingSecretary Teresita Quin-

tos-Deles, Presidential Advis-er on the Peace Process told MindaNews Thursday that

she had just arrived from Jed-dah for the Tripartite Review meeting on the implementa-tion of the GPH-Moro Nation-al Liberation Front’s (MNLF) 1996 Final Peace Agreement.

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ECONOMY

crc@edgedavao.netBy CHENEEN R. CAPON

FOLLOWING the clo-sure of Jacama, a self-styled Davao-originat-

ed multi-level marketing company, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 11 here plans to conduct an advocacy campaign forum against networking and pyr-amiding before the end of the first quarter.

“It will part of our ac-tivities under consumer protection,” DTI-Davao City provincial director Edwin o.

Banquerigo said.Banquerigo said the fo-

rum will be a venue for in-creasing public awareness on the scam-prone pyramid-ing activities.

Despite earlier reports of scams, the public still tend to believe such activities. Banquerigo said the busi-ness name registration cer-tificates issued by the DTI 11 are commonly used by multi-level marketing com-panies to entice investors.

“DTI has no control over that,” he said, adding public awareness is still important to protect consumers.

The business name reg-istration certificate by the recently padlocked Jacama Sales and Marketing Corpo-ration enlisted itself in the DTI as a business more en-gaged in trading rather than investment, according to Banquerigo.

“Jacama has to secure registration from the Securi-

ties and Exchange Commis-sion to have its operation legal,” Banquerigo said.

Jacama was closed this month after it failed to se-cure necessary permits or li-cense from SEC for engaging in public offering and sales of securities in the form of investment of contracts, the SEC Advisory dated January 11, 2016 said.

Jacama became popular in the locality after some of its investors said their in-

vestment grew fast in just a couple of days while some say their investment made them millionaire overnight.

Also, the firm secured a mayor’s permit in 2015 for a different business line, the closure order from the Davao City Business bureau said in its issued closure or-der inked by bureau chief lawyer Lawrence Bantiding.

“Based on our record you have secured 2015 may-ors permit and authorized

for the following business lines only: Retailer of gen-eral merchandise such as grocery items, food supple-ments and other dry goods and wholesaler of applianc-es (booking office),” the or-der read.

Meanwhile, the SEC 11 are now investigating three other companies engaged in multi-level marketing scheme who are also solic-iting investments from their clients.

DTI to hold forum vs pyramiding

Anflo Industrial Estate breaks ground in Panabo

Aerial Shot of the first phase of development of Anflo Industrial Estate

THE Anflo Group formal-ly breaks ground for the Anflo Industrial Estate

(AIE) today. Situated next to the Davao

International Container Termi-nal (DICT), AIE will be a world-class industrial estate located adjacent to a world-class con-tainer terminal. This makes locator’s operations more effi-cient as they are able to save on time and logistics costs.

PEZA Director General Lil-ia de Lima graces the ground-breaking ceremony as the guest of honor, including other key local government and pri-vate organization officials.

Located in the dynamic and fast-growing Davao Re-gion, which is considered as the food basket of the country, the 63-hectare property is de-signed to be a self-sustaining ecozone which can accommo-date agro-industrial and light manufacturing companies. Having been duly licensed and proclaimed as a Philip-pine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Special Economic Zone by the Office of the President, AIE is the Anflocor Group’s re-sponse to the lack of industrial estates in Mindanao.

“With AIE here in Pana-bo, we believe that it will help develop not only the city but the entire Davao region as a

THE Department of Ag-riculture (DA) 11 is will establish climate-smart

villages in the Davao Region starting this year in a bid to create communities that are resilient to reoccurring ex-treme weather disturbance like the El Niño.

“Part of our future proac-tive plan is to go to the commu-nity-level which is expected to start this year,” DA 11 disaster risk reduction and manage-ment officer Joedel Leliza said in last Friday’s Kapehan sa PIA at Abreeza Mall.

Leliza said intervention should be rooted to the com-munity to ensure that farming villages here will be equipped and resilient to the effect of long drought season and long wet season that cause damag-es to their production areas.

“Farmers from the cli-mate-smart villages will be giv-en with package of technology like multi cropping and other

necessary techniques,” he said.The ongoing El Niño,

which is considered to be one of the strongest since 1900, caused hundred mil-lions-worth of damages in rice and corn sectors.

In fact, damage to these two sector already reached al-ready reached to a combined value of P248 million since January last year.

“A total of 11,963 hectares of corn and rice production areas were damaged by the long drought season that peak-ed during the last quarter of 2015,” Leliza said.

A total of 5,636 hectares of rice production areas were damaged by El Niño from Jan-uary last year up to present. Damage to volume of produc-tion reached to 9,317.30 MT with a value of P140 million.

“Majority or 80 percent (4,121 hectares) of the region’s total damaged rice production

DA 11 eyes to establishclimate-smart villages

NorCot town’s campaign vs rodents gaining headwayMORE and more rats

are being neutralized in a massive anti-ro-

dents campaign spearheaded by the Kabacan disaster risk reduction management offi-cials, Kabacan Mayor Herlo Guzman said Friday.

Guzman said he regularly joins farmers in early morning attacks against rodents which have destroyed more than Php15 million worth of crops in nine villages since early Jan-uary.

The campaign includes giving of 50 kilos or one sack of rice for every 500 rat tails that the farmers could present to disaster officials, Guzman said.

“More and more farmers, fed up by the infestation, have joined the local government campaign,” Guzman told re-porters Friday as he led the distribution of several sacks of rice to farmers who submit rat tails.

Guzman said the Kabacan LGU initiated this reward sys-tem to encourage farmers in the campaign to save the vast

rice fields, corn fields and oth-er high value crops, already on its vegetative stage and due for harvest next month.

In nearby town of Mat-alam, even root vegetables growing in a marshy area were found wilting due to extreme drought.

North Cotabato has been placed under state of calamity due to the dry spell and rat in-festation, damaging more than Php238 million worth of crops.

In his visit last month, Ag-riculture Secretary Proceso Alcala has assured of DA’s con-tingency plants and said funds will be available to drought af-fected farmers.

Among the mitigating measures conducted by DA is cloud seeding operation and dispersal of planting materials to affected farmers, majority of whom declared failure on its products.

North Cotabato agricul-ture officer Engr. Eliseo Mangli-wan said the damages to crops could still increase as reports from other LGUs are yet to be submitted to his office. (PNA)

premier business and invest-ment destination,” said Ricar-do “Cary” Floirendo Lagdam-eo, Vice President for Damosa Land, Inc. (DLI) who is also the head of AIEC.

The estate will offer land and ready built factory build-ings/warehouses for sale and lease in various sizes to suit locators’ needs.

AIE will feature safety measures such as a suitable perimeter fence, CCTV, and 24/7 security. PEZA facilities and a central administration

building with meeting rooms will be constructed within the area to house its service team.

“The project can poten-tially create thousands of jobs, increase trade in the city, and thus boost the local economy,” added Lagdameo.

With the development of infrastructure and the con-tinuing investment from the private sector, the entire Davao Region has certainly shown robust growth throughout the years. It is because of this unprecedented growth that

the Anflo Group of Compa-nies aims to establish itself in key industries in the region, namely real estate (industrial, residential, commercial) and services (port operations).

The Anflo Group, which pioneered the development of leading companies in the re-gion such as Tagum Agricultur-al Development Co. (TADECO), one of the largest banana plan-tations in the world; Davao International Container Termi-nal (DICT), the most modern

ALL HEART. It’s still two weeks before Valentine’s Day but mall goers already can’t resist having their photos taken at the heart-shaped decoration at the Annex of SM City Davao. Lean Daval Jr.

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 20168 EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE

EDITORIAL

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PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTEthe national association of newspapers

Time to changeTHE Philippines has again made it to the global stage, but this time for a

not so flattering reason. A recent study jointly undertaken by the US-based McKinsey Center for Business and Environment and the non-

profit organization Ocean Conservancy has found that five countries in Asia account for about 60 percent of all the plastic found in global waters: China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The report says while these countries have recently benefited from significant increases in GDP, reduced poverty, and improved quality of life, “increasing economic power has also generated exploding demand for consumer products that has not yet been met with a commensurate waste-management infrastructure.” The Philippines, for example, annually generates 2.7 million metric tons of plastic waste, of which half a million metric tons leak into the ocean per year.

The five countries share a few characteristics that placed them on the top spot as global polluters. For one thing, none of the five has a formal recycling system, which means practically all waste plastics are thrown away. This is a problem in the Philippines where the waste collection rate is very low, with some areas registering at less than 10 percent. A lot of the waste plastics actually end up right on the streets from which they “leak” into the rivers, and from there to the sea. But the report says even the waste plastic materials that reach the landfills also leak into the waters for various

reasons. Indeed, 75 percent of plastic leakage comes from waste that has been collected but end up in landfills where they are not treated. Because they just sit there, there is a great tendency for the trash to end up in the water systems, and from there to the sea. The situation is worsened by the fact that our country is an archipelago and waste materials do not need to travel far to reach the water.

There is a need for us Filipinos to take this report seriously and begin changing our behavior when it comes to plastic. As the report indicates, the economic growth in recent years has given rise to a more wasteful pattern as we purchase and later discard items made of or packaged in plastic. We need to be aware that these materials do not biodegrade and, given our dismal garbage collection and treatment facilities, end up where they do the most damage to the environment. Recycling is still a low priority, and even Davao City which is relatively clean does not promote recycling enough. The government and the private sector must work harder together to address this problem and remove our country from the list of the top global ocean polluters. Private individuals must also do their part by lessening the amount of plastics they purchase and then throw away. Simple things like bringing a non-disposable water bottle that can be refilled will certainly go a long way in keeping the plastic leakage to a minimum. It’s all about changing our own bad behavior in order to save the planet.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 2016 VANTAGE POINTS 9EDGEDAVAO

John Triaecisouth@gmail.com

MY TWO CENTS’THE recent announcement of the 2015 economic growth figures were less ex-citing than expected, given that the Aqui-

no government has boasted a 6 percent clip throughout its administration. This remains laudable, given that we still surpass almost all other Asian economies, as only India, China, and Vietnam exceeded the Philippines’ eco-nomic performance among major developing Asian countries last year. Outgoing NEDA Sec-retary General Arsenio Balisacan pointed out that the average 6.2-percent GDP posted in the six years of Aquino was the highest since the late 1970s. Indeed, our economy has per-formed well given the global constraints and weaknesses in major developed economies, which ought to be markets for our products.

A closer look at how this 5.8 percent was achieved, however, leaves some of us a bit wor-ried. In the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s article, National Statistician Lisa Grace S. Bersales re-ported that the services sector led the economy last year as it grew 6.7 percent, higher than the 5.9-percent expansion posted in 2014. This all sounds OK, assuming that other sectors that feed it also grow as well.

While growth in the services sector is a good thing, it matters to look at the slower

growth in the a g r i c u l t u r e which slowed to 1.6 percent and industry, slowing to 0.2 percent, down from 7.9 percent and 6 percent, respectively, in 2014.

Two vital truths can be deduced from the figures and reports. For one, we are better able to internally purchase the goods we pro-duce. While that may not be as apparent now, the trend is that we will be a stronger consum-er of goods in the future. Think of Singapore to-day. It produces no food for itself, yet can afford to buy all the food it wants to eat from every-where in the world. The bad news is that we are not Singapore, as a third of our population can barely eat three daily meals. Even more bad news is that if we start getting used to import-ing cheaper foreign food, the third unable to eat will remain unable to eat, and more important-ly, will miss out on the income opportunity to

produce that food and enable the poor to earn income from it.

Secondly, and related to the above, agricul-ture and industry has to be bolstered to keep with the growth in the service economy. As the services sector is growing, so too must agricul-ture and industry to enable the service workers such as the booming BPO staff to buy the food and other agriculture-based goods, clothing, and even machines like laptops and cars – all outputs of industry. It would be useless to allow agricultural production to continue shrinking, as this may mean less food available, thereby raising prices, while demand will go up. When agriculture is weak, the demand for cheaper food will require food importations, which may sound good in the short term, but will be disas-trous in the long term.

For the growth in services to be beneficial to assure inclusive growth and reduce poverty, we need to make sure that we are able to pro-vide the goods and services that are produced locally, as this creates income and employment opportunities for our citizens. We produce what we consume, and the more we are able to consume and produce, the stronger our econo-my becomes. That makes the 5.8 percent real, and beneficial for all.

INSPIRED by the Europe-

an Union (EU), ASEAN m e m b e r s set a goal to build a p e a c e f u l , integrated and stable communi-ty which can handle regional challenges, increase its bargaining power as a bloc and its role in the international community.

However, ASEAN insists the community structure and regulations are different from the EU since ASEAN will adhere to the principles of consensus and non-interference.

Let’s look at some of the consequences of the ASEAN Economic Integration (AEC):

• Doctors, nurses, dentists, engineers, sur-veying professionals, architects, accoun-tants and tourism professionals can work in other ASEAN countries under certain conditions;

• Most industrial products will enjoy zero tariffs, except sensitive goods;

• ASEAN governments can adjust policies to ensure lasting peace and security as well as find ways to deal with both regional and global disputes;

• ASEAN’s single market will bring about the free flow of goods, services and invest-ments;

• ASEAN will have stronger collective bar-gaining power with its trading partners;

• Small-medium enterprises (SMEs) will become more competitive if they adjust to the challenges and opportunities the single market offers;

• People will enjoy better access to basic needs including public health, social wel-fare and education;

• ASEAN governments can work in harmony to cope with challenges – natural disasters, narcotics, human smuggling and transna-tional threats; and

• Community members can collectively nar-row the development gap.

It must be understood that greater public awareness of culture and history of the differ-ent ASEAN member states will be key to the success of integration. All stakeholders, in-cluding the weak and the powerful, the young and the elderly, the able-bodied and those with disabilities, civil society and the private sector, as well as the vulnerable and the marginalized, will have to recognize that they too have a stake and a voice in shaping the community.

Of course, a people-centered communi-ty must be reinforced by the mainstreaming of good governance, anti-corruption, human rights and fundamental freedoms in all of the community’s policies, activities and initiatives.

Additionally, the ASEAN community will have to be competitive and dynamic, while closing development gaps and pursuing sus-tainable policies. The AEC can truly become a single market and production base only when factors of production can flow freely among the member states and non-tariff barriers are iden-tified and eliminated.

The ASEAN Single Window must come into effect soon with supporting legal infrastruc-ture, and necessary legislation at the region-al and national levels. The Community also should not forget the role of SMEs and farmers who are the lifeblood of the ASEAN economy and key to its long-term resilience.

A competitive and dynamic AEC will need to be connected. The ASEAN Community must therefore guard against various cross-border challenges. ASEAN’s strong cross-border facil-itation regime needs to be complemented by an equally robust border management system.

Lastly, ASEAN must continue to work in close partnership with all its partners including its strategic partners. Only then can the ASEAN Community become an effective platform for major powers to come together to peacefully address challenges of our time.

IF the disorder brought by illegal drugs will not end, the country will become a narco state. Such was the warning of the tandem

of presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte and Senator Alan Peter Cayeta-no.

In fact, the country is already showing alarming signs of becoming a narco state, said Duterte in a press statement. “In the national capital region, where the country’s capital is sit-uated, the government admitted that 92 percent of barangays are already infiltrated by illegal drugs,” he pointed out.

Now, if Manila, which is considered the country’s seat of power, is helpless to address this, “what more the other parts of the coun-try where government presence is weak?” the tough-talking mayor asked.

A few years ago, a Manila-based doctor was quoted as saying: “There was a report I heard some years ago that Metro Manila crimes or 70% of these are associated with use of illicit drugs. I have not really seen this report and do not know who made this.”

According to Duterte, international drug syndicates have already penetrated the coun-try. He cited the Sinaloa drug cartel as a case in point; it is “a Mexican-based group considered the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization in the west.”

“This is a clear national security threat,” he declared. “This is an invasion of a new kind. Drug lords, domestic and foreign, have declared a war against our families and children, and the government is helpless about it.”

The Manila-based doctor has this to say: “Ac-knowledge that this is a national security issue. What evidence do we have that the money gen-erated from illicit trade does not fund a narcopo-litical state or terrorist organizations? Another is for hospitals to automatically turn over cases to courts and confine abusers to a proper rehab center (because there are also improper ones). I think taxpayers money should not be used to pay for medical treatment or rehab of abusers, we know we do not have enough resources for all the sick in the country, but should not be wasted.”

Why there is so much ado about illegal drugs? Remember stage and film thespian Phil-ip Seymour Hoffman, who was considered by

many to be one of the finest ac-tors of his gener-ation. At the age of 46, he died of drug overdose.

H o f f m a n , who got a Best Actor Oscar for his tour de force p e r f o r m a n c e in Capote and received three more Oscar nominations for supporting role, was discovered in the bath-room of his Greenwich Village apartment with a syringe in his arm.

He was not the first – nor the last – to die of drugs. In fact, Hollywood has a long list of celeb-rities whose lives were cut short by drugs. Con-sider this array:

Whitney Houston, 48: After a decade of drug abuse rumors, the American pop star final-ly confirmed in 2002: “My business is sex, drugs, rock and roll. You know? My friends, we have a good time. But as you get older and you get wiser – you stop a lot of the kid stuff. Trust me. I partied my tail off. You get to a point where… the party’s over.”

On February 11, 2012, Houston was found dead in her guest room at The Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, California. The official coro-ner’s report showed that she had accidentally drowned in the bathtub, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors.

Jean Seberg, 41: The American-born ac-tress, who starred in French cult new wave film “Breathless”, was found dead in her car in Par-is in 1979. The probe concluded that she had killed herself with an overdose of barbiturates and alcohol.

The American-born actress, who starred in 37 films in Hollywood and in Europe, including the French cult new wave film Breathless, was found dead of a barbiturate overdose in her car in Paris in 1979. Her death was ruled a probable suicide.

Marilyn Monroe, 36: The iconic Holly-wood sex siren was found dead in the bedroom of her Brentwood home by her psychiatrist

Ralph Greenson after he was called by Monroe’s housekeeper Eunice Murray on August 5, 1962. Her death was ruled to be “acute barbiturate poisoning” by Dr. Thomas Noguchi of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office and listed as “probable suicide.”

Cory Monteith, 31: The Canadian actor who starred in the TV musical series “Glee” had a troubled adolescence involving substance abuse from age twelve. On July 13, 2013, he died of a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol in a Vancouver hotel room.

The preliminary autopsy report stated that the actor died from “a mixed drug toxicity” con-sisting of heroin and alcohol, and that his death appeared to have been accidental. The final re-port, released by the B.C. Coroners Service in October 2013, confirmed these findings. It noted that Monteith also had codeine and morphine in his system at the time of his death, and that he was found with drug paraphernalia that includ-ed a spoon with drug residue and a used hypo-dermic needle, as well as two empty bottles of champagne.

John Belushi, 33: The American comedi-an, actor, and musician died on March 5, 1982 at Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont Hotel after overdosing on a mixture of cocaine and heroin (a “speedball”).

Heath Ledger, 28: The Australian-born star of Brokeback Mountain (for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor) was found dead in his Lower Manhattan apartment in 2008. He was reported to have died accidentally of a cocktail of six painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs. “Pills were found in the vicinity of the bed,” New York police spokesman Paul Browne told CNN.

River Phoenix, 23: The American actor’s work encompassed 24 films and television appearances, including the science fiction ad-venture film Explorers, the coming-of-age film Stand by Me, the action sequel Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and the acclaimed Running On Empty (for which he got an Oscar nomination for a supporting role).

On October 31, 1993, Phoenix collapsed and died of drug-induced heart failure on the side-walk outside the West Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room. At the time of his death, Phoenix had been in the middle of filming Dark Blood.

Henrylito D. Taciohenrytacio@gmail.com

THINK ON THESE!

5.8% GDP for 2015: Hurrahs and worries ASEAN bloc readyfor integration

The dangers of illegal drugs

Henry J. Schumacher

EUROPE BIZ

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Philippine... FROM 4

Anflo... FROM 7

Maasim... FROM 6

Globe... FROM 11

Bangsamoro... FROM 6

Locals... FROM 4 Talaingod... FROM 4

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EDGEDAVAO

The 10 percent in the ex-isting ordinance is an addition to the existing requirement of allocating 30 percent open space for leisure and recre-ation area of a subdivision.

In the committee report of councilor Bernard Al-ag, land developers are requesting that the additional 10 percent open space requirement be removed because it is burden-some and expensive for them.

The developers instead proposed that the provision

for green space be implement-ed in the sidewalk strips or back areas of home lots and not a separate area.

This suggestion from the developers was adopted and is now part of the amendment which was approved in the January 26 City Council regu-lar session.

Fuertes had earlier said the additional 10 percent open space can be utilized as green space to address climate change.

products to town but will facili-tate the entry of more develop-ment in the area as well as ease access to social services.

Touted as a high-impact project to be implemented under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), the funding will be sourced out through loan proceeds from the World Bank and counter-part funds from the Depart-ment of Agriculture (DA) and the Provincial Government.

A project strongly pushed by the Provincial Government, the proposed bridge construc-tion is anchored on the Pro-vincial Government’s Devel-opment Agenda that aims to, among others, Defeat Poverty and Improve Infrastructure, Utilities and Services, said Freddie C. Bendulo, Head of the Provincial Project Manage-ment and Implementing Unit (PPMIU).

Bendulo said that although the progression of the propos-al took several years due to a series of ‘uncontrollable’ ob-stacles that hampered its im-plementation, which include the transition of the PRDP from its forerunner Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP), the Provincial Gov-ernment and all its stakehold-ers are positive that the project can now be pushed through.

“Following the new guide-lines and policies of the PRDP, the proposal has undergone several revisions, redesigning and rigid review,” Bendulo said.

Among the revisions is the incorporation of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRRCCA) con-cerns in the plan. Engr. Ruel Dumadag, PPMIU I-Build Unit Head, explained that instead of using the original RCDG Bridge design, the team modi-fied it into PSCG type which is considered to be a more effi-cient design. “A more modern approach was applied in the new design. Among the mod-ifications is the placement of sufficient freeboard to accom-modate high levels of water in times of flooding,” he said.

This proposed 75-meter bridge will be erected over the river in Barangay Lamiawan and is expected to benefit a population of more than 7,500

residents including those in the nearby villages of Pichon and San Antonio.

Considered highly-agricul-tural lands, the locals in these villages say the bridge will cre-ate a huge effect in their liveli-hood as it would facilitate the ease of transport of their agri-culture products, particularly ‘first-class’ abaca-fiber which is their mainstay crop.

While the villages of La-miawan and Pichon which are being considered as areas hav-ing the highest production of abaca fiber in the municipality, officials say that the potential for increased production could only be maximized with better roads.

According to the villagers, the main problem in their area is the absence of a concrete bridge that will ease the trans-portation of goods and service from one barangay to the next. The existing footbridge is only passable on foot or by motor-cycles. Residents added that due to the difficult and often dangerous terrain, fares are far from being cheap.

“Better transportation infrastructure is really essen-tial, especially in our farming communities. It is important to note that high agricultural productivity is complemented by farmers’ ability to quickly deliver their high value goods to market,” said Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon.

Meanwhile, in addition to agricultural and livelihood benefits, the construction of the bridge is also bent at boosting local tourism. Now being eyed for cultural tour-ism development is the famed Mandaya community in Sitio Sangab in the remote village of Pichon, known for their well-preserved and intact Mandaya culture and tradi-tions.

The governor hopes the Provincial Government will be able to break ground on this project before her term as gov-ernor ends on July this year.

The construction of Lami-awan Bridge, among all other projects implemented under the PRDP, bids to enhance val-ue-chain and competitiveness of agricultural commodities. By Karen Lou Deloso/ Photo by Eden Jhan Licayan

which can be detected by a receiving device (transceiver) even from a few kilometers away.

The guards also cam-paigned in villages and homes close to Matatag’s location so the eagle won’t get shot or killed. Along forest trails, they also remove native traps that might accidentally catch eagles on the ground hunting.

The eagle was also tagged with a miniature GPS satellite transmitter. This gave PEF Bi-ologists means to follow its movements from the Philip-pine Eagle Center via the in-ternet. Satellite-generated lo-cations are then relayed to PEF field staff and forest guards to aid in pinpointing the bird’s exact location.

This two-way eagle mon-itoring system (radio and sat-ellite-based tracking) coupled with personalized information campaigns by Indigenous foot patrollers, kept Matatag out of danger.

As of the latest batch of satellite GPS fixes, Matatag is slowly moving away from the forest core towards the river-ine forests of Marilog. Farms and coconut plantations will meet him further downstream. But if he diverts and pushes northwest, he would reach the forests of North Cotabato.

Called the “dispersal” stage, this point is when eagles independent of parental care fly away from their natal sites and wander. It begins at two years old, and ends when the already sexually mature bird pairs up and defends its own territory.

Researchers know very little about this particular episode in the eagle’s devel-opment. By monitoring and studying eagle Matatag, the PEF is learning more about how a dispersing eagle be-haves and moves across the landscape.

Although studying this part of Matatag’s development is very exciting, it is also giving his guardians anxiety bouts.

With the bird far from its host community, it now becomes vulnerable.

Fortunately, the Unified Obu Manuvu Council of Davao City has a parallel conservation initiative that can also protect Matatag. Consisting of leaders and elders that represent the various villages of the tribe, the council is fast tracking ances-tral domain-wide awareness so that many more Obu Manu-vus north of Barangay Carmen embrace Matatag and all the resident Philippine Eagles as a protected kin.

At least 60 forest guards from various villages will be also trained, equipped and en-gaged, similar to how the Car-men guards were formed and deployed. Doing so does not only protect Matatag, but also the rest of territorial eagles and other wildlife in habitats where Matatag would tempo-rarily settle.

Matatag is currently play-ing an important role being a local ambassador for his wild kind. As he pushes on to new terrains, it seems he would leave a trail (corridor) of ea-gle and biodiversity-friendly villagers who have embraced conservation as a viable way to save biodiversity while also improving community well being.

The monitoring of Phil-ippine Eagle Matatag is pos-sible through the generous support of Boysen Philippines while EGIP Foundation pro-vides livelihood support to the Carmen Obu Manvu Forest Guards. The Peregrine Fund and the Disney Wildlife Con-servation Fund support the eagle satellite tracking project. The USAID through the Phil-Am Fund supports biodiversi-ty conservation by the Unified Obu Manuvu Council of Davao City. The Research and Conser-vation of Philippine Eagles on Mindanao is through a Memo-randum of Agreement with the DENR. Jayson C. Ibanez / Phil-ippine Eagle Foundation/MindaNews

distribute to the community for the purchase of farm tools and seedlings, but this was derailed because of the killing and subsequent evacuation.

Libayao said he was able to convince other tribes not to go to Davao City but majority de-cided to seek refuge.

He also said he believes the evacuees were fetched by some groups that had provid-ed trucks going to Haran. He did not identify the groups, however.

“Murag gisundo na kay asa man silag plete padulong Haran (They were probably fetched by someone. Where would they have gotten their fare going to Haran)?” he said.

Libayao said the Alamara was created some time in 2002 after his father was killed by members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

He said the tribes formed the Alamara but did not kill ci-vilians, only NPA members.

But in a separate inter-view, Eastmincom command-

er Major General Rey Leonar-do Guerrero denied that the Alamara group even exists.

“Probably, this Alamara is a lawless element group that is roaming around the baran-gays,” he said.

House committee on In-digenous People (IP) chair North Cotabato Rep. Nancy A. Catamco also said the Alamara does not exist, adding that the stories about such a group were circulated in Davao del Norte to scare the tribes.

Catamco said the word Alamara means “to cleanse,” and that it is a call made by the community in or-der to address problems. She said she is hoping that an Alamara will not be formed be-cause it would be “bloody.”

“Dili man na siya ginapla-no, dili pud na siya gina-orga-nize, depende lang na sa tawag sa panahon (The forming of the group is not planned, it is not also organized. It depends on the need),” she said. AR-MANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

his arm.A lawyer, de Pedro’s politi-

cal career began in 1986 when he was appointed as acting municipal mayor of Koronadal by President Corazon Aquino.

He served as represen-tative of South Cotabato’s second congressional district from 1988 to 1992 and pro-vincial governor from 1992 to 2001.

De Pedro was a principal co-author of Republic Act (RA) 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 and author of RA 7079 or the Campus Journal-ism Act of 1991.

After several unsuccessful political bids, de Pedro was appointed provincial admin-istrator of South Cotabato in 2012 by then Governor Arthur Pingoy Jr.

In October last year, he

filed his candidacy for provin-cial board member under the slate of incumbent Governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

Board member Vicente de Jesus, the NPC’s vice guberna-torial bet, described de Pedro’s passing as a big loss their slate.

“We lost a great leader. He was huge for us considering his previous experiences as governor and congressman,” he said in a radio interview.

De Jesus said the former governor’s passing was “very unexpected” as he even joined them in several sorties in the province earlier this week.

He said de Pedro appeared very lively during the culmina-tion last Sunday of Tantangan town’s 6th Kulitangtang Festi-val. (MindaNews)

container terminal in Mind-anao; and Damosa Land, Inc., one of the emerging property developers in the region, races to the forefront of Mindanao’s booming economy with AIE. This project will be handled by DLI.

Apart from AIE, the Anflo Group is also working on the development of Anflo City, a mixed-use development proj-ect with residential, tourism and commercial components, which is also located in Panabo City.

On Jan. 22, barangay coun-cilor Jupit Garcia of Lampitak in Tampakan, South Cotaba-to, was also arrested after al-

legedly selling a pack of dried marijuana leaves to a PDEA-12 agent during a buy-bust opera-tion. (MindaNews)

“I can’t make definitive state-ment till I’ve had serious sit down with principals and al-lies,” she said.

On January 12, a week before Congress resumed ses-sions, President Aquino met with MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and Iqbal in Mala-canang for nearly two hours, the President assuring them the BBL can still be passed.

Murad told MindaNews on January 26 that in that meeting, “there has been no change in the President’s com-

mitment” and his “persistent assurance na maipasa ang original BBL.”

On January 14, the Presi-dent met with congressional leaders to push for the passage of the law, even volunteering to personally call on represen-tatives to attend the sessions to ensure a quorum.

At that time, Congress still had nine session days (Mondays to Wednesdays) between January 18 and Feb-ruary 5. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

areas were located in the prov-ince of Davao del Sur,” he said.

Meanwhile, the loss due damaged to the region’s corn sector reached P107 million.

“A total of 6,427 hectares of corn production areas were damaged by the long drought season,” he said adding most of majority of these production areas are located in Davao City and Davao del Sur.

Leliza said the DA 11 shelled-out a total of P34 mil-lion from its regular budget and savings to fund its El Niño interventions and programs.

“We have already dis-tributed 6,546 bags with 40 kilogram (kg) each certified rice seeds, 376 bags of green super rice, and 1,130 bags of registered seeds as well as

open surface pump under the Agri-Pinoy Rice Porgram,” he said.

Affected farmers also re-ceived certified white corn seeds and cassava seed pieces worth P9.2 million under the Agri-Pinoy Corn Porgram.

The DA 11 also distribut-ed drought resistant seeds of mungbean to affected farm-ers worth P400,000 udner the Agri-Pinoy high Value Crops Development Program.

Farmers also received 863water plastic drum as part of the program.

Another intervention of the department to mitigate the effect of the dry season to the region’s agriculture sector is the ongoing activities of cloud seeding. CHENEEN R. CAPON

ICT-related infrastructure is necessary to help the Philip-pines grow its Internet back-bone so that local businesses will remain competitive amid rapid digitization of industries. Specifically, such legislation would expedite the issuance of all the relevant permits for all telecommunications facilities at the local government level. Telecommunication compa-

nies are required to secure a number of permits that could substantially delay deploy-ment of ICT-related infrastruc-ture.

Globe is also clamoring for the equitable distribution of the 700 MHz frequency spectrum to sufficiently pro-vide for rapidly increasing data traffic amid growing smart-phone use in the country.

TRAVEL

EDGEDAVAOINdulge!

SAGADA A4

WHEN I WAS INVITED TO GO TO BAGUIO RECENTLY, I was hesitant at first. I know that it is the country’s summer capital but there’s nothing more that fascinates me. Just when I was about to answer in the negative, I was told that there would be a side trip to Sagada.

A quick trip to

SAGADA It changed everything. After all, I had just seen the monster hit, That Thing Called Tadhana, and some parts of the movie were shot in Saga-da, touted to be “Moun-tain Province’s Pride.” While watching the film, I said that I wanted to visit the place. Now, I had that chance! Just a few days before our trip, I read with keen interest what travel writ-er Alvin Bulaong Cruz wrote about the place in an article which appeared in a national publication: “Whether on a walking tour along the narrow pathways through the pine trees, or a hiking trip to the hidden waterfalls and underground caves,

you’ll discover that Saga-da is literally a walk in the clouds, and that wherever you are in Sagada, you’ll never lose its sweet lovin’ feeling.” Enough said; I was go-ing. The day finally came. But the trip to Baguio was so tiring due to the long and winding roads. It was already late afternoon when we arrived. We im-mediately checked in and in just a matter of half an hour, we were already touring Baguio. We slept late at night -- so tired but feeling accomplished. The fol-lowing day, we woke up early as we had to travel to Sagada. Sagada is two hundred seventy-five kilometers

away from Manila. The town -- with hundreds of limestone mountains -- is situated approximately 5,000 feet above sea level. If you hate cold, don’t go there during the month of February as the aver-age temperature report-edly drops to 12 degrees Celsius. In fact, it was last May when we visited the place and it was still cold. We had to wear our jackets while trekking the places we went to. Arguably the best known attraction of Sagada is the Sumagu-ing Cave. There are other caves but this one is the most visited due to its big chambers and notable rock formations. Unfor-tunately, we were not able

to go inside as it was al-ready 5 in the afternoon when we arrived at the place. What we did was just our photos take at the mouth of the cave. Although we failed to get inside the cave, a big

consolation was the sce-nic rice terraces you get to see on your way to the Sumaguing Cave. Since it was too far to go to the Banaue to see the real thing, we contented our-selves of taking photos of

the rice terraces in this place. On our way back, we dropped by at the 2000-year-old Lumiang Cave, which has been the resting place for Igorot

By Henrylito D. Tacio

Sagada’s rice terraces.

Sagada’s famous Hanging coffins.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 2016

AS PART OF AIRASIA’S Corporate Social Responsi-bility initiatives, the airline group today simultaneously conducted a 24-hour cli-mate awareness movement to educate and promote cli-mate action in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singa-pore, Myanmar, Cambodia, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. To kick-off the #Green24 cam-paign, the AirAsia Group changed their iconic red logo in their social media pages for 24 hours from 29 to 39 January into a vibrant green. The airline also released a special invi-tation video by Group CEO, Tony Fernandes inviting the public to be proactive in protecting the environ-ment and the earth. In the video, which is available for viewing on AirAsia’s YouTube Channel and also posted in https://www.facebook.com/AirAsiaPhilip-pines/, Tony Fernandes said, “On our side of the world, not many people know about the issues that climate change poses, and we feel that the best thing for us to do is to inform people. Many of us don’t re-ally see the problems coming, but at AirAsia we have seen the effects

of climate change such as Typhoon Haiyan that struck Tacloban in the Philippines, the floods that hap-pened around the region and mas-sive climatic changes over the past two to three years.” “We always look after our own mothers, and we always put our mothers first in many things. But now, it’s time we put Mother Earth first as well. It’s time we let the world know that we need to take better care of the planet we live in,” Tony Fernandes further emphasized. Among the activities of #GREEN24 that will be carried out from 29th to 30th January 2016

throughout all the countries which the AirAsia Group serves are recy-cling drive, forest and beach clean-ups and climate change awareness engagements in Malaysia and Thai-land, reusable bags were distributed for free in leading malls and in select AirAsia flights in Indonesia to dis-courage the use of plastics, informa-tion awareness about climate change are conducted in different venues in Myanmar and Cambodia, AirAsia offices in Singapore, China, Hong-kong, Korea and Macau also spent 24 hours sorting recyclable papers, segregating garbage and collecting old batteries and used clothes.

THERE ARE TWO THINGS that I look forward to whenever I go to the cinema to watch a movie. First is the movie itself, and second are the snacks that I munch on while enjoy-ing the flick. Movie snacks are an inte-gral part of the mov-ie-going experience. Realising that one can-not be without the other, Ayala Malls Cinemas introduced The Mov-ieSnackbar last year, and just last week they opened their seventh branch (the first in VisMin) at the third level of the Abreeza Mall. Geared towards satis-fying the discerning taste of its patrons, The Mov-ieSnackbar offers a wide-range selection of afford-able, fun, quality-tasting snacks that can be enjoyed

anytime especially dur-ing the movies. From the ultimate favorite snack at the cinemas, popcorn, it also has hotdogs, nachos, fries, mozzarella sticks, sandwiches, sodas, juices, chips, chocolates, candies

and more. “This is in-line with Ayala Malls’ philosophy of giving our mall-goes a complete experience,” said Luigi Escano, Abreeza Mall’s operations man-ager. “The Moviesnackbar has snacks and drinks that are affordable and give good value.” In February, branches in Ayala Center Cebu and Centrio Mall in Cagayan de Oro will be opened. Expect The MovieSnack-bar to be present in all Ayala Malls Cinemas as it rolls out to excite and en-tice more movie patrons.

A2 INdulge! EDGEDAVAOEVENT

Philippines AirAsia goes #GREEN24

MovieSnackbar:Completing the Ayala Cinema movie experience

AirAsia Group leads #Green24 climate change awareness movement

IT’S PYJAMA SALE AT THE SM STORE! Get as much as 50% off from vast selections of fun and comfortable pajamas at the Children’s and Infants’ Wear Departments from February 1 to 29, 2016. Your kids will surely love to go to bed with their new pair of PJs.

AirAsia team in the Philippines collected over 1000 empty plastic bottles and planted them with air purifier plants and herbs that were placed around Philippines AirAsia’s office

building in Pasay City to promote urban gardening. For more information about #Green24, please visit: http://www.aira-sia.com/my/en/about-us/what-is-green24.page

VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 2016

KAPUSO FANS in the Middle East could not contain their delight as Alden Richards took the stage in two solo concerts in Dubai and Doha held recently. Arriving in droves at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Garhoud, Dubai last January 7, AlDub Nation from all over the United Arab Emirates warmly welcomed the Pambansang Bae at his concert titled “Alden Live in Dubai,” presented by MJP Marketing and Events FZ LLE. The trip also proved to be an exciting one for the sought-after actor as he was able to take time off to see the city’s popular attractions including Ski Dubai, the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East, and the Desert Safari, a premier site for various activities such as dune bashing and desert skiing. Likewise, Alden’s supporters in Qatar trooped to the Qatar National Convention Centre in Gharafat al Rayyan, Doha, where the Kapuso star headlined the concert “Yaya’s Bae Goes to Qatar,” produced by Multichannel Marketing Services last January 8. Humble as ever, Alden remained grateful for his continued success as he profusely thanked the crowds in Dubai and Doha for their support. The

audiences, in turn, expressed their love for their idol with loud cheers, most especially during his performance of the hit single, “Wish I May” from his similarly-titled, certified double platinum album under GMA Records. Each concert also featured local performers who warmed up the crowd with entertaining song and dance numbers, as well as games. Moreover, fans were able to see Alden’s bedimpled smile up close as he set out to meet and greet his fellow Filipinos who came to see his shows. Continuously keeping Filipinos abroad connected to their home country, GMA’s three

international channels – GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV and GMA News TV International – served as media sponsors of both concerts. GMA’s three international channels are available in the Middle East through the carriers du (call-in number: 4 390 5555; website: www.du.ae), eLife (call-in number: 800-101; website: www.etisalat.ae), MyHD (call-in number: +971 4 435 4844; website: www.my-hd.tv), and Ooredoo (call-in number: 111; website: www.ooredoo.qa). For more information on GMA shows, artists and international events, visit the website, www.gmapinoytv.com

INdulge! A3EDGEDAVAOENTERTAINMENT

Alden Richards in “Alden live in Dubai” held at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.

Alden takes a selfie with the huge turnout in Doha, Qatar.

Will love prevail over revenge in ‘Pasion De Amor’ finale?PRIMETIME TELEVISION’S HOTTEST SERIES “Pasion De Amor” serves up its last four weeks packed with unpredictable twists, intense emotions, and passion-filled romance beginning next week. It seems that Gabriela is on her way to getting redemption as she subtly and gradually admits to her sins. This prompts Elizondo sisters Norma (Arci Munoz), Sari (Ellen Adarna), and Jamie (Coleen Garcia) to convince their mother to surrender herself to authorities. Will Gabriela agree to this? Will

she finally let go of the anger she feels and choose to regain the trust and love of her daughters? With everything that has happened, the Elizondos and the Samontes--- Juan (Jake Cuenca), Oscar (Ejay Falcon), and Franco (Joseph Marco)--- will not only strengthen their bonds, but will also let their hearts grow even closer and make them more certain of their feelings for each other. Just as when things are falling

into place, however, Gabriel (Wendell Ramos) manages to escape jail, which will put their lives in danger once more. Will love prevail over revenge in the end? Don’t miss the last few weeks of “Pasion De Amor” weeknights on ABS-CBN’s Primetime Bida. For updates, like www.facebook.com/pasiondeamor.tv on Facebook, follow @pasiondeamor_TV on Twitter or follow @pasiondeamor.abscbn on Instagram.

Back-to-back excitement with Alden Richards in the Middle East

VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 2016

R13

R13

PG/ *R1311:50 | 1:45 | 3:40 LFS / *5:40 | 7:50 | 10:00 LFS

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF ALADDIN /

*FATHERS & DAUGHTERS

Kev Adams, Jean-Paul Rouve / *Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried

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

13 HOURS

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

THE BOY

Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans, James Russell

1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 10:00 LFS

James Badge Dale, John Krasinski

EVERYTHING ABOUT HER

Vilma Santos, Angel Locsin, Xian Lim

January 29 – February 2, 2016

A4 INdulge!TRAVEL

SAGADA A1tribal leaders. The coffins are smaller than usual be-cause, according to tradi-tion, they had to be bur-ied in the fetal position. Although many locals are now burying their dead in a different cemetery, the coffins are still intact in the cave protected by today’s generation as a re-minder of the tribe’s rich culture. But what Sagada is fa-mous for is its hanging coffins, made of hollowed logs, where dead bodies are placed inside, and left hanging in the cliffs. It may be a bizarre tradition to some but it is their way to put their loved ones closer to heaven. To see those hang-ing coffins, you have to

pass first Sagada’s iconic landmark, the St. Mary’s Church. It’s the first Anglican church estab-lished in the town and the church adds a Western touch to the otherwise exotic landscape. If you wonder why it has stone walls and stained-glass windows, it’s because the church was founded by American missionaries in 1904. A walk further from the church is a cemetery, where the natives don’t light candles for the dead. What they do, instead, is to set up small bonfires. So much so that during All Saints’ Day, the cem-etery looked like it’s on fire from a distance. Once you get to the

cemetery, you are only half-way. If you walk fur-ther, you get to the place which they call as Echo Valley. Standing in the edge, you get a glimpse of the town and when you look down, it is easier for you to see the hanging coffins. To get to see the coffins up close, you have to go down, following a steep trail. Once you are down, be sure to follow your guide as you might get lost. It is a forested area and there are lots of pathways. Stay

as close as possible to your companions -- or you may wander through the woods. The hanging coffins are made of hollowed logs. The dead bodies are placed inside, and left hanging in the cliffs. It may be a bizarre tradition to some but it is their way to put their loved ones closer to heaven. We left Sagada at 10 in the morning the fol-lowing day. We were all exhausted with all the walking, climbing, and catching our breaths. But

it was more fun than we thought. We bade good-bye and we were on our way to Baguio and then to Manila. As we travelled, I looked back at the place we had just visited. The words of Alvin Bulaong Cruz came to mind: “To set foot on Sagada is like entering a sacred place, and every step is part of a silent ritual, a pilgrim-age in which you have to make a sacred offering of yourself to experience it beyond the physical and the superficial.”

Inside St Mary’s Church.

Limestone mountains.

EDGEDAVAO VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 2016

VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 2016 11EDGEDAVAO

COMPETITIVE EDGE

VOL. 8 ISSUE 219 • SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2016 9DROUGHT... FROM 1

T’boli... FROM 4

NEWSEDGEDAVAO

Education Development Center (EDC) a leading non-profit research and development firm is implementing the 5 year (2013-2018) Mindanao Youth for Development (MYDev) Program funded by USAID. In partnership with TESDA, DepEd and civil society, MYDev will provide direct technical assistance to support LGUs to develop and lead civic engagement, youth education (through Alternative Learning Systems) and technical skills training programs (through TESDA and other service providers) in their respective communities for at least 19,000 out-of-school youth (OSY) in Mindanao.

REQUIREMENTSOperations Manager based in Davao City.The job holder will be responsible for managing the project’s administrative operation from its main office in Davao City and overseeing the field offices operation. The work shall cover facilities management, logistics, procurement of goods and services, contracts administration, human resources management and safety and security coordination. The job holder shall also assist the Chief of Party in ensuring project staff’s compliance with EDC policies and procedures, and donor rules and regulations. He or she will work closely with the technical unit in anticipating and planning for required administrative support to technical programs, forecasting cash requirements and implementation. He or she will directly supervise the administrative officer in Davao Office and field offices, and coordinate the work of outsourced personnel.At least 5 year experience in a similar position is required; as well as a university degree in management, psychology or related field. Advance studies and thorough familiarity with USAID rules and regulations under a Cooperative Agreement will be an advantage.

Administrative and Logistics Officer.The job holder will be responsible for procurement of commodities, inventory, travel logistics, coordinate safety and security and front desk management. He or she will provide administrative support to the Chief of Party and Deputy Chief of Party and coordinate logistics for USAID visits. Will also assist Finance Department and will supervise the office driver and utility person.Candidate must hold a university degree in Management or administration, psychology, human resource management or equivalent background. He or she must have at least 4 years of relevant working experience in an international donor assisted project. Knowledge of USAID procurement regulations and practices will be an advantage.

Candidates for the above positions must be proactive, organized and able to multi-task. They must be effective team members and be culturally sensitive. Must also possess strong oral and written English communications skills, sound judgement and a high degree of accountability.

Submission of job application. Interested and qualified candidate should send an updated CV to mydevhr@edc.org with a one page expression of

interest . You can also browse this ad at www.facebook.com/usaidmydev

anao that are experiencing drought are South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kuda-rat, Basilan, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi.

The provinces of Zambo-anga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Bukidnon, Misamis Occiden-tal, Davao del Sur, and Saran-gani are experiencing dry spell this month.

For the month of Feburu-ary, the provinces of Zambo-ang del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Misamis Occi-dental, South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, Basilan, Maguindan-

ao, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi are ex-pected to experience drought.

By the end of the first quarter, the provinces of Zam-boanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Soth Cotabato, North Cotabato, Saranggani, Sultan Kudarat, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Magu-indanao, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi will experience drought.

By April, the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zam-boanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis

Occidental, Misamis Orien-tal, Compostela Valley, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Soth Cotabato, North Cotabato, Saranggani, Sultan Kudarat, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Ta-wi-tawi will likely experience drought.

In May and June, the prov-inces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zambo-anga Sibugay, Camiguin, La-nao del Norte, and Misamis Occidental will be badly hit by drought.

PAGASA expects the weather to normalize in July.

Lamcade in Barangay Datal’ Dlanag.

Simangan said they up-rooted in the area some 50 hills of fully-grown marijuana with an estimated value of PHP22,000.

But he said the plantation was already abandoned when they arrived and they have yet to identify those behind the il-legal activity.

“We’re determined to put a stop to this illegal activity and eventually eradicate all marijuana plantations here in T’boli,” Simangan said.

He added that the local government of T’boli led by Mayor Dibu Tuan is fully sup-porting their campaign and has initially offered financial incentives to operatives and informants. (PNA)

Globe spending on networkinfra one of highest in Asia

ROUTES Asia and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) are bringing to-

gether industry leaders from Boeing, Amadeus IT Pacific and Digital Jungle to discuss how Asia Pacific tourism will benefit from a thriving avia-tion industry over the next 20 years.

The annual Routes Asia meeting forum is for airlines, airports, tourism authori-ties and other travel-related organisations planning new air services. Over 60 airlines including Qatar Airways, Ma-laysia Airlines, China Airlines, Hainan Airlines and British Airways have already reg-istered for the 2016 event, which takes place in Manila on 6-8 March.

The aviation industry

GLOBE Telecom post-ed one of the highest capex-to-revenue ratio

in the last two years, show-ing how aggressive the tele-communications provider has been in upgrading and enhancing its network infra-structure.

Globe has a capex-to-reve-nue ratio of 28 percent in 2015 and 27 percent in 2014 while the local telecommunications industry averaged 23 per-cent in both 2015 and 2014. By comparison, only China’s capex-to-revenue ratio of 36 percent in 2015 and 33 per-cent in 2014 exceeded those of Globe Telecom based on

the published financial state-ments online of publicly-list-ed telcos in the region which were compiled and computed per country.

Other Asian economies registered lower ratios in 2015 and 2014 with Singapore at 26 percent and 22 percent, respectively; Indonesia with 24 percent and 26 percent, respectively; Thailand with 23 percent and 21 percent, re-spectively; India with 17 per-cent and 16 percent, respec-tively; Taiwan with 14 percent and 16 percent, respectively; Hong Kong with 13 percent and 14 percent, respectively and Malaysia with 13 percent

Explore impact of aviationboom on Asia-Pacific tourism

is crucial to the economic development of Asia Pacif-ic. Currently worth around US$500 billion, it is set to expand rapidly over the next twenty years. International Air Transport Association (IATA) figures show that Asia Pacific will have overtaken North America and Europe in terms of passenger num-bers by 2030 and that nearly half of all air travel (2.9 billion journeys) will touch the Asia Pacific region by 2034.

Routes Asia will explore how the tourist industry can benefit from Asia Pacific’s aviation growth through the ‘Global Insights Impacting Tourism and Aviation’ panel discussion. News presenter Rico Hizon from BBC World News will chair the debate which will feature high profile speakers from a mix of rele-vant backgrounds.

Boeing’s Managing Direc-tor of Marketing Asia Pacific and India, John Schubert, will talk about how the demand for increased air travel in Asia Pacific will be met, including the need to build 13,460 new aircraft by 2033.

Albert Villadolid, General Manager of Amadeus Philip-pines, will imagine the world in 2030 when travellers are defined by their behaviour rather than their demograph-ic location, asking how we can create bespoke ‘purchasing experiences’ that cater to an individual’s needs.

Dr Mathew McDougall, CEO of Digital Jungle - an agency in Beijing that mar-kets Western products and services to Chinese consum-ers - will explain how social media can be used to create data sets for marketing pur-poses

Katie Bland, Director of Routes, said: “Aviation’s growth will create many op-portunities for tourism and travel professionals seeking new air routes for their des-tinations. This event is part of our strategic aim to increase their involvement in our fo-rums while sharing the ben-efits of being involved in the route development process.”

Mario Hardy, CEO of PATA, said: “We have already seen how low cost carriers have greatly impacted travel and tourism within the Asia Pacif-ic region and the continuing growth of aviation will only add to the rapid growth in the region. The insights provid-ed from this session will be valuable for all stakeholders wishing to benefit from this growing trend.”

and 12 percent respectively. “Over the past several

years, we have invested in our network to enable our cus-tomers to enjoy their digital lifestyle and empower busi-nesses with digital capabili-ties, enhance their productivi-ty and make globally compet-itive,” Globe President & CEO Ernest Cu said. “We are moving to enhance the internet experi-ence of the Filipino people and position ICT as a major de-velopment contributor in the Philippines,” Cu added.

In 2011, Globe embarked on a $700 million network modernization program that provided among others the adoption of latest telecom-munication technologies for seamless customer experience and increased data capacities. The modernization initiative, completed in 2014, delivered the most advanced network infrastructure in the country, putting in a brand new access, transport, and core network nationwide. As part of the ini-tiative, the company also com-pleted a nationwide rollout of 4G network, using the HSPA+ technology. Since 2011, Globe has invested over $2.2 billion in its network and IT infra-

structure to enhance the tele-communication provider’s data network capacities.

In November 2015, Globe signed a five-year partnership deal with Huawei Technolo-gies in a bid to further enhance and expand the provider’s mobile network. The part-nership involves planning and design of a mobile broadband network utilizing latest state of the art technology trends. The project also involves the creation of a “mobile innova-tion center” to yield innovative products and solutions that would ensure Globe maintains its competitive edge and lead-ership in the intensely compet-itive local telecommunications industry.

To effectively roll-out its network capacity building pro-gram, Globe is seeking Open Access legislation for the tele-communications industry to help mitigate bureaucratic red tape and other political hur-dles that stand in the way in the deployment of telecommu-nication and broadband infra-structure.

Cu emphasized that ra-tionalization of permitting processes in deploying of

FGLOBE, 10

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 2016 13NEWSEDGEDAVAO

EXTORTION was behind the foiled bombing of a bus terminal in Shar-

iff Aguak, Maguindanao last Thursday.

A group identifying itself as ISM and headed by a cer-tain Abu Sabbab demanded P2 million from Husky Bus Company, the lone bus com-pany operating along the Co-tabato-General Santos City highway, Carlo Manalo, head of the bus company’s termi-nal, said.

Manalo said he received a text message threatening to bomb one of their units two hours after a foiled bomb-ing in the terminal in Shariff Aguak town.

Shariff Aguak is an hour’s drive from the main terminal here.

Manalo said the bomb carrier who left the bag in the terminal was a young pas-senger who decided to get off upon arrival at the terminal.

Concerned citizens alert-ed authorities about the abandoned bag, which, when checked by the Army’s Ex-plovies Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, contained explo-sives.

The EOD team respond-ed immediately to defuse the bomb.

Col. Lito Sobejana, com-mander of the 601st Brigade

said the EOD team found a 60mm mortar high explo-sives, one MK-2 type of hand grenade, 250 milligrams of gasoline, two blasting caps, a 9-volts battery and a cell-phone.

“Our EOD experts were surprised to notice the cell-phone connected to the ex-plosives and blasting cap had several missed calls, which indicated there was indeed an attempt to explode it,” Sobeja-na said.

He said there may have been a failure in the connec-tion or maybe it was assem-bled by amateurs.

He thanked those who alerted authorities about the bag, for averting a disaster.

Manalo said the bus com-pany has been receiving ex-tortion letters which they im-mediately report to the police for blotter.

He said the threats in-clude planting bombs in their terminals.

According to Manalo, he will “just pray for those peo-ple who send intimidating messages.”

The bus company is now implementing stricter securi-ty measures and will soon in-stall CCTV cameras in strategic areas of the newly-construct-ed terminal. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera / MindaNews)

Extortion behind foiledbus terminal bombing

VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 201614CLASSIFIEDS

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Tel No. 082.221.3601/224.1413Email: edgedavao@gmail.com marketing@edgedavao.net

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VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 2016 15EDGEDAVAOSports

ANDY Murray went through paroxysms of frustration but seized

another opportunity to break his Australian Open jinx with a four-hour, five-set semi-final victory over Milos Raonic on Friday night.

Four times the British world number two has ad-vanced to the final at Mel-bourne Park and four times he has been vanquished, three times at the hands of Novak Djokovic.

The Serbian will again stand in his path on Sunday as the Scot seeks to add another grand slam title to his 2012 U.S. Open and 2013 Wimbledon crowns.

“Five finals is a great achievement,” said Murray. “You can’t take that away from me.

Five finals is a great achievement. You can’t take that away from me.

British tennis player Andy Murray

“I should be happy about that. There’s very few players that will have made five Austra-lian Open finals, so I have to be proud of that achievement.”

Raonic, meanwhile, was left heartbroken after suffering a thigh injury that hampered him from the middle of the third set of the 4-6 ,7-5, 6-7 (7/4), 6-4, 6-2 defeat.

Winning tennis matches never looks like a walk in the park for Murray but for much of the contest against the Canadi-

an, he at least had some justifi-cation for the tortured grimaces and explosions of anger that fol-lowed every setback.

The 13th seed has been on fire this year and his big serve and huge forehands had one of the best returners in the game on the ropes, while his new-found net game helped him to a healthy 72 winners.

Murray said earlier this week that he would waste no more energy on the histrionics but the match was just minutes

old when he returned to his chair muttering curses having been broken to love in his first service game.

That was to be Raonic’s only break of the match but it was enough to win the first set and, after Murray had pounced to even up the contest, he ramped up his 230 kilome-tre-per-hour serve to clinch the third on tie-break.

“It was tough,” said Murray. “It was frustrating ... he didn’t miss a first serve in the break-

er and I had played some good tennis in that set.”

The 25-year-old Raonic, hoping to become the first Ca-nadian man to reach a grand slam final, was feeling the injury in the fourth set but Murray had also crucially got a better fix on his serve and broke for 4-3.

Raonic almost claimed it back in the next game but Mur-ray saved two break points, falling to one knee and roaring “Yes! Yes!” as he pumped his fist at the ground.

Andy Murray qualified for his fifth Australian Open final with a five-set win over Milos Raonic. Getty Images/Quinn Rooney

NATIONAL team coach Tab Baldwin is relieved to see that June Mar Fa-

jardo has returned to action for San Miguel in the PBA Philip-pine Cup Finals against Alaska.

He said that this means Fajardo is recovering well from the injury he sustained in the semifinals and is on track to full recovery before the FIBA Olym-pic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) this July.

Baldwin even noted that the Beermen’s coaching staff is also taking precautions against possibly re-injuring Fajardo’s knee by limiting the player’s minutes.

“I don’t think June Mar is gonna be impeded by a knee injury, I think he will recover to a hundred percent. San Miguel is obviously taking a very cau-tious [approach] with his knee and that’s good for June Mar,” said Baldwin in Snow Badua’s report to Spin.ph.

Baldwin is counting on Fajardo to suit up for Gilas Pil-ipinas in the coming Olympic qualifier, where they will be facing France and New Zealand.

The nationals missed the Cebuano big man when they

Murray reaches Aussie Open final

Baldwin expects Fajardo to be 100% for Olympic QTcompeted in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship, which guaranteed an Olympic seat to the winner. Fajardo wasn’t available then due to a plantar fasciitis injury in his feet.

Fajardo’s absence was one of the reasons the nationals bowed to China in the Finals.

Baldwin said Fajardo’s temporary rest from the PBA also allowed the player to rest his feet.

“I guess one of the offshoot positives will be that the plan-tar fascia issues in his feet will have time to rest now as well,” said the Gilas coach.

Baldwin said a healthy and more experienced Fajardo will be a big help to the country’s Olympic hopes.

“He’s been a great perform-er in the PBA for the last couple of years and we expect that to be a positive development to Gilas when that time comes.”

June Mar Fajardo

Mimosa getting ready for PAL Interclub

MIMOSA Golf and Country Club in Clark, Angeles, has

promised to put its best foot forward when it plays host to the men’s regular and senior events of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub golf tournament beginning Feb. 25.

Following the last-min-ute pullout of Fontana Ko-rea Golf Club, Mimosa has made it 36-hole course available for the more than 1,000 players competing in two events spread over 10 days.

“We’re currently spruc-ing up the course in time for the competition,” said Mimosa course consultant Jelly Palmes. “We’re expect-ing the greens to be faster than what they are now.”

The Mountainview is the harder of two 18-hole courses that will be used. From the championship tee, it measures 7,303 yards.

It features narrow fair-ways, rolling terrains and an island green.

“It’s a ball striker’s course,” said Jobim Carlos, one of the top players of the returning Canlubang squad. “It has a challenging layout.”

The Acacia and Lakev-iew plays much shorter at 6,546 yards, although its opening hole -- a mon-strous 445-yard, par-4 – will immediately test one’s readiness.

The seniors’ event will kick off action on Feb. 25 with Canlubang and Luisi-ta expected to renew their storied rivalry.

After a two-day break, the 69th edition of the reg-ular event begins on March 2.

Manila Southwoods is the men’s defending cham-pion but is expected to en-counter rough sailing with the return of multi-titled Canlubang and Luisita.

VOL. 8 ISSUE 220 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 1, 201616 EDGEDAVAO