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P 15.00 • 20 PAGES www.edgedavao.net VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 • FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 2015 DAD NABBED IN PCL SCAM INSIDE EDGE Leyte councilor selling fake docus PH bounces back in SEA Games Sports P16 Rody: Sorry, I’m not running The BIG NEWS P2 Dapecol remains gang-free The BIG NEWS P3 EDGE Serving a seamless society DAVAO LEYTE Councilor Sergio Batistis Jr. Putting the Nissan Navara NP300 to test INdulge A1 By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. [email protected] A MUNICIPAL councilor from Leyte is facing criminal and admin- istrative cases after being arrested for allegedly selling documents of the Philippine Councilors’ League’s (PCL) second Quarterly National Ex- ecutive Officers and National Board (NEO-NB) meeting and the 2nd Series of the 2015 Continuing Local Legislative Education Program (CLLEP) held in Davao City. Councilor Sergio Batis- tis Jr. of Albuera, Leyte was arrested by operatives of Sta Ana Police Station at around 9 a.m. on June 11, 2015 at the SMX Convention Center in La- nang, Davao City. In a statement, the PCL said Batistis was caught in an entrapment operation at around 9 a.m. on Thursday at SMX selling fake PCL Offi- cial Receipts and Certificates of Appearance. Recovered from his pos- session was P103,500 report- edly paid by some councilors he had enticed to pay a reg- istration fee at a discounted rate. Also seized from him FDAD, 10 CLEAN WATER. Central 911 personnel smell -- and taste -- sewage water from a canal along Roxas Avenue treated using a water treatment machine which was demonstrated by Wet Corporation yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

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  • P 15.00 20 PAGESwww.edgedavao.netVOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 2015

    DAD NABBEDIN PCL SCAM

    INSIDE EDGE

    Leyte councilor selling fake docusPH bounces back in SEA

    GamesSports P16

    Rody: Sorry, Im not runningThe BIG NEWS P2

    Dapecol remains gang-freeThe BIG NEWS P3

    EDGE Serving a seamless societyDAVAO

    LEYTE Councilor Sergio Batistis Jr.

    Putting the Nissan Navara NP300 to testINdulge A1

    By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO [email protected] MUNICIPAL councilor from Leyte is facing criminal and admin-istrative cases after being arrested for allegedly selling documents of the Philippine Councilors Leagues (PCL) second Quarterly National Ex-ecutive Officers and National Board (NEO-NB) meeting and the 2nd Series of the 2015 Continuing Local Legislative Education Program (CLLEP) held in Davao City.Councilor Sergio Batis-tis Jr. of Albuera, Leyte was arrested by operatives of Sta Ana Police Station at around 9 a.m. on June 11, 2015 at the SMX Convention Center in La-nang, Davao City.In a statement, the PCL said Batistis was caught in an entrapment operation at around 9 a.m. on Thursday at SMX selling fake PCL Offi-cial Receipts and Certificates of Appearance.Recovered from his pos-session was P103,500 report-edly paid by some councilors he had enticed to pay a reg-istration fee at a discounted rate.Also seized from him FDAD, 10

    CLEAN WATER. Central 911 personnel smell -- and taste -- sewage water from a canal along Roxas Avenue treated using a water treatment machine which was demonstrated by Wet Corporation yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

  • VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 20152 EDGEDAVAONEWS

    CHAT. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte chats with Philippine Councilors League (PCL) national chair Alma Moreno during the Mayors Night and Welcome Dinner at the SMX Convention Center on Wednesday night. Lean Daval Jr.

    PHILIPPINE Councilors League (PCL) national chairman Alma More-nos driver was flagged down by traffic enforcers in Matina, Davao City on Tuesday after-noon for speeding.But Moreno took it in stride and even lauded Davao City for strictly implementing the speed limit.In her speech during PCL Mayors Night last Wednes-day, Moreno said her driver was stopped for speeding af-ter her TV guesting on Tues-day afternoon.She said her driver, who is from Manila, thought he was driving within the 40 ki-lometer per hour limit.But when traffic enforc-ers showed him the speed gun result, it showed he was running at 42 kph.Saludo po kami kaya su-munod kami, she said. Moreno said she saluted Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte for having the political will to im-plement the laws for the ben-efit of his constituents.Mayor Duterte is a good leader who has the courage to implement what is right, she said. EDGE Davao tried to confirm Morenos violation but Davao City Police Office (DCPO) spokesperson Senior Inspector Milgrace Driz said she was still verifying the report since it was Morenos driver who was cited.We have no details on it yet, Driz said.But she said as public officials in their respective localities, councilors must abide by the laws and ordi-nances of the city. This must be their lesson and moral obligation as public officials, Driz said.DAVAO City Mayor Ro-drigo R. Duterte once again dashed the hopes of his supporters and apologized to them, saying he is really not running for President next year.Ayaw lang mo ka kuan nako kay giingnn na tamo daan na dili ko (Do not get mad at me because I told you already before that I do not want to run), Dute-rte said in an interview after the Mayors Night of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) assembly at

    SMX Convention Center in Davao City.He said he does not want to reach the point where there will be confrontation among his supporters since some have already paid for his political advertisements.Kay dili man pud mabadlong ang mga tao ana ko sige himoa na lang para malingaw pud ba (Since the people did not want to be stopped I just told them to go on so they would be hap-py), he said.Duterte said his family

    and close friends have ad-vised him not to run due to his age and health prob-lems.He said his daughter, former Mayor Sara Duter-te-Carpio, told him through a friend that she does not want him to run for Presi-dent.Si Inday (his daughter former Mayor Sara Z. Dute-rte-Carpio) naluooy na nako kay siyempre amahan ko niya. Kita na niya akong la-was na bako na (Inday nat-urally feels for me because I

    am her father. She sees that my back is already slouch-ing), he said.Sara had earlier said her father is already 70 years old and she does not want him to face the huge prob-lems the country has.She said her fa-ther should retire or just continue being mayor.Sara, however, said she would give her 100 per-cent support to her father if he decides to run for Pres-ident. Armando B. Feneq-uito Jr.

    POLICE operatives seized around P1.3-mil-lion worth of suspected methamphetamine hydro-chloride (shabu) and arrest-ed five alleged drug couriers in a raid in Isulan town in Sul-tan Kudarat on Wednesday.Supt. Joefel Siason, Isu-lan police chief, said Thurs-day they recovered the illegal drugs following an entrap-ment operation around noon at the Phildess Pension House in Barangay Kalawag 2 in Isulan.He said they launched the raid after an alleged drug pusher sold a sachet of shabu to one of their personnel who posed as a buyer.Arrested were suspects Joey Taban Udgayagaya, 21; Cyrel Jan Bito Puasan, 20; Mohamad Tuasambutan, 39; Harun Tualuyugan, 18; and Alex Dalgan Mamalu, 19.Udgayagaya and Puasan were listed as residents of Isulan while Tuasambutan and Tualuyugan hails from Dalican, Datu Odin Sin-suat town in Maguindanao. Mamalu is reportedly a res-ident of Sultan sa Barongis town in Maguindanao.We found the illegal drugs in the possession of these suspects, Siason said in a radio interview.Citing their inventory,

    Alma Morenocaught speedingBy ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

    [email protected]

    Duterte to supporters:Sorry, Imnotrunning

    Shabu raid nets5 suspects in SK

    FSHABU, 10

  • VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 2015 3EDGEDAVAO NEWS

    BOARD MEETING. Members of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) National Board gather during the 2nd Quarterly National Board Meeting presided by PCL national chair Alma Moreno at Park Inn by Radisson Hotel yesterday. Lean Daval Jr.

    NEW ID. Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) chief Azucena T. Bajao shows the new electronic senior citizens identification card during yesterdays I-Speak media forum at City Hall. Lean Daval Jr.

    A DAY after the public hearings at the Senate ended, Senator Ferdi-nand Marcos Jr. said he is con-sidering to peg the amount of the funding for the proposed Bangsamoro region on its spe-cific functions.Marcos, chair of the Senate committee on local govern-ment, said he is considering this after government peace negotiator Miriam Coronel Ferrer failed to explain how the proposed Bangsamoro government will spend the money from the block grant and other subsidies.Ferrer appeared during last Tuesdays public hearing on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law at the Senate.What are the functions and powers that the Bangsam-oro is willing to take on? And we will give the commensu-rate funding so that it would be able to carry out those functions properly. Then we will determine what kind of funding is necessary and try to put in the law, Marcos said in a statement.In the June 9 public hear-ing, Senator Ralph Rector said the proposed regional govern-ment should have clear-cut responsibilities on who will build its schools, roads and other infrastructures.Ferrer said these concerns are already covered under Section 35 of the Article 12 in the draft BBL that created an intergovernmental fiscal pol-icy board that addresses re-gional financial needs and its imbalances.

    Marcos complained that the intergovernmental fiscal policy board is vague and of-fers no explanations in its fis-cal policies.Meanwhile, advocates for greater protection and control of Lake Lanao, which is the source of water for six hydro-electric power plants along the Agus River situated in the two Lanao provinces, told Marcos that a government agency as-signed to protect the second largest lake in the country is not adequate.This agency is based in Cagayan de Oro City. It meets only once or twice a year. Why not give the duties to protect the lake to the Bangsamoro residents? asked Drieza Liningding, secretary general of the Bangsamoro National

    Movement for Peace and De-velopment.Liningding said powerful interests in Manila have al-ready set in motion to acquire the six power plants along the Agus River from the govern-ment-owned Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Manage-ment Corporation (PSALM) and the National Power Cor-poration.He proposed that rev-enues from the Agus dams, which draw water from Lake Lanao, should be shared equally by the national gov-ernment and the Bangsamoro government.Liningding and his group are batting for higher revenue shares and control of the six Agus hydropower plants and Lake Lanao. Froilan Gallardo

    THE Davao Prison and Penal Farm, popularly known as just DAPECOL (from the old name Davao Pe-nal Colony) remains gang-free and holds on to its zero-escape record as its population shot up to almost 7,000 inmates.We obliterated gang marks (tatoos) during the in-mates committal to DAPECOL. We strictly implement this gang-free policy, and we check and monitor daily on whether inmates are organizing pang-kats (gangs) inside our jails. We neutralize gang organizing the moment it is happening, OIC Prison Superintendent Gerardo Padilla told EDGE Davao.So in effect walang riot nanangyayaridito. May mga incidents nasuntukan lang be-tween inmates and personal grudges ang cause, he said.The last riot in DAPECOL was in the late 80s, Padilla re-called.The zero-escape record since July 2013 when Padilla assumed as OIC prison su-perintendent has been estab-lished and sustained despite the deployment of more than 1,000 inmates earning min-imum wage from the joint venture banana production between DAPECOL and TADE-CO in 5,308 hectares of land surrounding the 118-hectare DAPECOL compound located in BE Dujali town in Davao del Norte.The joint venture has been

    HOUSE Speaker Felicia-no Belmonte Jr. late Wednesday night de-cided not to put into a vote his proposed economic Charter Change (Cha-cha) after failing to get the needed number to pass on third and final reading the controversial measure.In a chance interview right after Belmonte declared the second regular session adjourn sine die, he admitted that his best was not good enough because he failed to muster the needed 119 solid vote in his favor.The law mandates three fourths of the votes of the to-tal 191 regular members, with the magic number being 119. Solons who responded to the roll call on the last day of ses-sion were 267 but a big chunk of them were not supportive of economic Cha-cha.But the lawmaker said it is not yet over until its over because there is still time to pass the measure when they come back on July 27, the start of third regular session.Belmonte refused to elab-

    orate on what decided the numbers as he clarified that Malacaang had nothing to do with it. He also said it also had nothing to do with the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.Walang numbers. We didnt have the numbers. We decided we didnt like to take the risk, he told reporters waiting for any eventuality. Wala naman. Walang phone calls from the President.What I wanted to do was show it could be done, but frankly, given only 21 sena-tors and some of them have... di rin naman sila interesado sa measure, it would have been a gesture on our part.Belmonte indicated some congressmen didnt want to just amend the economic pro-visions. His statement in the evening was a far cry from the optimism earlier in the day.In his sine die speech, Bel-monte said the bill, which was approved on 2nd reading last week, was the farthest any attempted amendment has gone. (PNA)NATIONALIST Peoples Coalition Rep. Win Gatchalian has filed a bill providing protection to elderly people against abuse and ne-glect.House Bill no. 5732, to be known as the Protection for the Elderly Act, seeks to penal-ize abuse, neglect, and exploita-tion of elderly people age 60 and above.Although generally speak-ing, Filipino society cherish-es, respects, and cares for our elders compared to Western societies, we cannot deny the fact that a number of our senior citizens have become victims of physical, emotional, and eco-nomic abuse at the hands of people who are entrusted with their care, the Valenzuela City representative explained in his bill. As the number of older Fil-ipinos grows proportionally in this country, Gatchalians bill seeks to provide special protec-tion for senior citizens through the prevention and deterrence of acts inimical to the security and safety of our senior citi-zens.The maximum period im-posed under the Revised Penal Code shall be meted out to any person found guilty of inflicting or threatening to inflict phys-ical harm against the elderly; physically restraining an elder-ly under inhumane conditions; or causing mental and emo-tional distress upon an elderly through acts such as verbal abuse, intimidation, and public humiliation. The same penalty will also be suffered by anyone who ne-glects to provide the elderly his/her basic needs, medicines, and services despite having the legal responsibility or contrac-

    Marcos mulls peggingBangsamoro funding

    Solon files bill protectingelderly from abuse, neglect

    DAPECOL remains gang-free, maintains zero-escape record

    Belmonte: My bestwasnt good enough

    FDAPECOL, 10

    FSOLON, 10

  • VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 20154 EDGEDAVAOBIGGER PICTURE

    THE Philippine flag evolves in differ-ent designs as the time went on. Since in the Spanish era, some Filipino secret societies already use flags during their rev-olution. Their flags are usually a red rectangular shape with symbols of a sun in it. In 1897, anoth-er flag was born in the design concept of Emilio Aguinaldo. This is now the very basis of the de-sign of the present Phil-ippine National Flag as proclaimed in 1998.The official Philippine Flag is rectangular in form with an aspect ratio of 1:2, meaning the length of the flag is twice longer than its width. It has a horizon-tal band of two colours of equal size, having on top is the royal blue and red at the bottom. The left end (viewers left) of the flag has a white equilater-al triangle (3-sides equal to the width of the flag) which inside has symbols of 3-stars at each corner and a sun having 8-rays is in the center of the tri-angle.The Flag Symbols and MeaningThe blue colour of the Philippine flag is the symbol for peace, truth, and justice. The red is the symbol for patriotism and valour. The white triangle is the symbol for equality and fraternity. It is also

    What you should know about the flag

    WEARING THE FLAG RIGHT. When Fil-Am sprinter Kayla Richardson celebrated her 100-meter

    dash victory in the Southeast Asian Games on Tuesday, ev-eryone could not help but notice the flag on her uniform which

    was placed wrongly. She redeemed herself, however, by carrying the national colors right.

    symbolize the Katipunan, the secret Filipino soci-ety who stands against the Spanish rule. The three golden stars in the corners of the triangle, represent the three ma-jor group of island in the Philippines, namely the Luzon, Visayas and Min-danao. The golden sun at the center of the triangle is the symbol for unity, freedom, peoples democ-racy, and sovereignty. The sun has eight rays around it. Each ray represents

    one of the first eight prov-inces that started the 1896 Philippine revolu-tion against Spanish col-ony. These provinces are Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna and Batan-gas.The Philippine Flag in vertical positionPlacing The FlagThe Philippine Na-tional Flag has its specific orientation and placing it otherwise will create

    a different meaning. The orientation explained here is in reference from the observers view. In horizontal position the blue stripe should be over the red and the white tri-angle to the left end of the flag. In vertical position, the blue stripe should be at the left and the red to the right while the white triangle must be on top. These are the normal ori-entations of the flag in either horizontal or verti-cal position during peace

    time. However, during the state of war, the flag ori-entation will change hav-ing the red stripe to be positioned above the blue stripe. The white triangle however, will always stay the same on its normal orientation.Design LayoutThe Philippine flag is proportioned into 1:2, where 1 stands for the width (shorter side) and 2 stands for the length (longer side). So for ex-

    ample, if the width of the flag is 1.2 meters, the cor-responding length should be 2.4 meters, you can say 1.2 x 2.4 meters. The white triangle is equilat-eral, having three sides equal and also the three angles are equal (all 60 deg.). Each side of this triangle is proportionally equal to the width of the entire Philippine flag. In-side this triangle are the symbols of the 3 stars and the sun. The shape of the star symbol is a pen-tagram, having 5 points connected with a straight line and with an outer di-ameter of 11.11% of the flags width (W). These are located in each cor-ner of the triangle with the distance of 15.5% W from the corner towards the center of the triangle. The stars are oriented in a manner that one of its points is pointing to the nearest corner of the tri-angle. The last symbol is the eight-ray sun. This must be the most compli-cated figure in the Philip-pine flag. It has a solid in-ner circle with a diameter of 20% W. Its eight rays are spaced equally at 45 degrees from each other and spread out from the center solid circle up to the diameter of 42.2% W. The entire symbol of the golden sun is exactly po-sitioned in the center of the white triangle of the Philippine flag.

  • VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 2015 5EDGEDAVAOECONOMY

    THE Davao City Trea-surers Office (CTO) recorded an increase of 10.91 percent in local tax collection for the first four months of this year at P1.511 billion.CTO local treasury oper- ations officer Villa Dureza, speaking in yesterdays reg-ular I-Speak media forum at City Hall, said for the same pe-riod last year they were able to collect only P1.363 billion in local taxes.Dureza said if the CTO will add the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and share from Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), city funds will reach P2.623 billion.She said with the figure, the CTO recorded 45 percent efficiency in its tax collection drive.Based on record, the City Government of Davao received P1.103 billion IRA share and P8 million from Pagcor.If you compare this from last year we have 12.32 per-cent increase, Dureza said.For the same period last year, the city had P2.335 bil-lion total funds, including the IRA and Pagcor shares.Dureza said for 2015, they are targeting to attain its collection efficiency by collecting P5,813, 841, 980 as based in the annual budget of the year.She then urged business-es and real property owners to pay taxes so that the city will hit the target.Citys tax take up by 11 percentBy ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.

    [email protected]

    INEFFECTIVE and count-er-productive laws and regulations must be re-pealed to boost the countrys competitiveness and encour-age investments, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).Existing regulations that are not responsive to-wards improving the ease of doing business in the coun-try should be reviewed and amended. Likewise, proposed laws and regulations that im-pede trade, investment, and economic efficiency should be eliminated, said Econom-ic Planning Secretary Arsen-io M. Balisacan in a position paper submitted in response to Senate Resolution No. 170 and No. 696 by Senators Mir-iam Defensor-Santiago and Grace L. Poe, respectively.Senate Resolution 170 di-rects the conduct of a Senate inquiry on strengthening the Philippines capabilities in doing business according to the standard set by the World Bank (WB) and the Interna-tional Finance Corporation (IFC).Meanwhile, Senate Res-olution 696 proposes the re-view of existing laws to con-sider the repeal of duplicate, irrelevant, and unnecessary regulations to streamline procedures, ease the cost of doing business and sustain

    NEDA wants repealof `ineffective laws

    INCREASE. Local treasury operations officer Villa Dureza of the City Treasurers Office says as of April 2015 the city has a 10.91 percent increase in local taxes. Dureza and Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) chief Azucena T. Bajao (right) graced yesterdays I-Speak media forum at City Hall. Lean Daval Jr.FNEDA, 10

  • VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 20156 THE ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

    THE City Agriculture Office (CAO) will dis-tribute a total of 400 bags of rice and corn seeds to farmers in the city who were affected by El Nio.City Agriculturist Rocelio Tabay said the Department of Agriculture (DA) 11 will augment 200 bags of corn seeds good for 200 hectares and another 200 bags of hy-brid rice seeds for another 200 hectares of rice planta-tion areas.The bags of seeds from DA11 will arrive this month, Tabay said.Tabay said they have identified an irrigator associ-ation and cooperative where the bags of rice seeds as well as bags of fertilizer will be distributed.He said cooperatives will purchase seed bags of hybrid rice variety from DA that will serve as a seed bank and sell it to its member.CAO is prioritizing irri-

    gator association as well as farmers of rain-fed fields af-fected by the El Nio in the past five months.CAO has identified a total of 200 hectares that will be planted with the seeds of the hybrid rice.Majority or 100 hect-ares of the total 200 hectares for rice seedlings are located in Calinan District, Tabay said.Other areas are located in Tugbok District with 40

    hectares, Marilog District with 20 hectares, Barangay Callawa in Buhangin District with 20 hectars and another 20 hectares in Baguio Dis-trict.Meanwhile, CAO will be prioritizing corn farmers whose crops were damaged in January and February and for them to be able to recov-er their losses immediately.Farmers who will re-ceive the seeds are expected to start the planting season

    on the last week of July, Tabay said, adding that the start of the rainy season is a good signal for affected farmers of the long drought season.These farmers, he added, will also avail the free crop insurance plan under a pilot crop insurance program by the United Nations Develop-ment Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Philip-pine Crop Insurance Corpo-ration (PCIC) of the Depart-

    ment of Agriculture (DA).PCIC regional manager Bonifacio Pales earlier said that farmers listed in the Registry for System of Basic Agriculture (RSBA) will be able to receive an insurance of P20,000 per hectare of rice and P30,000 per hectare of corn area.Tabay said this will be a huge help to corn and rice farmers whose crops are easily damaged by calami-ties.

    Farmers to get rice, corn [email protected]

    By CHENEEN R. CAPON

    THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) 11 has part-nered with the local govern-ment units of different coastal communities in Davao Region in the implementation of its boat registration (BoatR) pro-gram.Under the program, BFAR 11 will deploy 40 computer tablets in the LGUs. Among the MOA signatories of the BoatR program are the may-ors of the municipalities of Caraga, Taragona, San Isidro, Governor Generoso and Ban-aybanay.Regional BoatR point person Raul C. Millana said the tablets will be used for the electronic registration of municipal fishing vessels operating in different coastal communities.He said the tablet will be deployed in partner coast-al LGUs in Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley and Davao City.The program aims to reg-ister the boats of fisherfolks who are already included in BFARs ongoing registration, Millana said in an interview during the regional launching of BoatR and training of per-sonnel at the Royal Mandaya on Thursday.The BoatR aims to assist local government units to fast-track, enhance and complete the municipal registration

    of municipal fishing vessels three gross tons and the fish-ing gears as required under the Executive Order No. 305 series of 2004 and section 19 of the Fisheries Code of 1998.Millansa said the BoatR represented the second level of technical support to LGUs following the year-long com-pletion of Municipal Fisher-folk registration program or FishR in December 2014. In Davao, the program registered more than 40,000 fishermen. BFAR 11 will work with municipalities and cities to complete the registration using a simplified, standard form and BoatR database system. The system will be

    maintained by BFAR through its Fisheries Information and Management Center (FIMC).Millana said the registra-tion information provided by LGUs in the BoatR will be used by BFAR as basis for providing technical, livelihood and other assistance programs to fisher-folk communities and in im-plementing ecosystem-based approach to fisheries manage-ment.The registration of boats and fishing gears will start as soon as possible, he said, adding that the training has already started.Technical personnel in each LGU will receive P50 per boat that will be registered. Cheneen R. Capon

    BFAR partners with LGUs to register fishing boats THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) de-mands for lower prices of flour and bread after prices of wheat in the world market have gone down significantly.DTI Consumer Protection Group Undersecretary Victo-rio Mario A. Dimagiba said in a briefing on Thursday that pric-es of wheat in the internation-al market declined by 28.83 percent from January to April 2015 from the same period in the previous year.Despite the decline in wheat prices, prices of flour and bread [in the local market] remained stagnant, Dimagiba noted.He added that from Jan-uary to April this year, prices of 25-kilogram bag of premi-um floor range from Php910 to Php920; Class 1 flour from Php760 to Php910; and Class 2 flour from Php803 to Php880.He mentioned that with the 28.83-percent drop in wheat prices, selling prices should gone down to Php800 to Php845 for premium flour; Php715 to Php839 for Class 1 flour; and Php732 to Php825 for Class 2 flour.This should also translate to lower prices of bread, the

    DTI demands for lowerprices of flour, bread

    FDTI, 10

  • VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 2015

    EDGEDAVAOUP AND ABOUT

    Four brand new Nis-san Navara NP300s were already lined up early morning at Valencia City in Bukidnon when the entourage of Media from Davao arrived at the meet up point.

    The Nissan Navara NP300 is the latest edi-tion of the popular truck known for its beasty speed.

    Nissan Philippines, Inc. (NPI) brought to Mindanao the NP300 Navara for a long test drive for 15 straight days beginning on June 8 to June 22.

    Nissan Davao (Davao Unicar Corporation) gen-eral manager Maybelle Joyce T. Cua said the test drive and ride event will give drivers the chance to drive the new Navara and experience its tougher

    core and smarter features.Cua said the test

    drive also gave drivers a glimpse of the scenic view from Bukidnon all the way to Davao City, Tagum City in north and Mati City in the southern end of the Davao Region using NP300 Navara.

    The drive proceed to Seagull Resort for lunch before the test drivers put the NP300 to a severe rough road test.

    Putting the Nissan Navara NP300 to test

    The Nissan

    Navara NP300 is

    the latest edition

    of the popular

    truck known for

    its beasty speed

    Photos and text by LEAN DAVAL JR.

    INdulge!

  • LAUDED by critics for outstanding perfor-mances by Alessan-dra De Rossi, Cesar Montano, and young breakthrough star Buboy Villar, Kid Ku-lafu definitely stands at the top of the films about the Philippines Pambansang Kamao. Having graced the-aters around the world just before Manny Pacquiaos match with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Kid Kulafu astounded viewers with compel-ling portrayals by its stars, superb cinema-tography, and gut-wrenching screenplay. Set in Pacquiaos youth, we watch him as he began the journey to boxing fame and glory. The film is unique among existing biopics due to its focus on Pacquiaos first boxing persona Kid Kulafu. Named after the bottles of wine he used to collect for his uncle Sardo, it served as his monicker for the fights before he rose to stardom. In this film, long-time fans will learn of Pacquiaos harsh past, and how his relation-ship with his mother, fam-ily, and friends molded the champion we know and love today. Those who missed out on this cinematic gem now have a chance to watch it only on SKY Pay-Per-View. From the 15th of June to the 14th of July 2015, SKYcable and Des-tiny Cable digital subscribers can catch the biopic about Manny Pacquiaos younger years in high definition

    all in the comfort of their homes. Dont miss out on Paul Sorianos magnum opus making its TV premiere ex-clusively on SKY. Enjoy un-limited viewing of this inspi-rational film for only P199 commercial-free via SKY PAY-PER-VIEW. SKYcable sub-scribers can watch together with their family and friends via the following channels: Ch. 701 (High Definition) and Ch. 21 (Standard Definition). Only SKYcable provides quality home entertainment

    A2 INdulge! VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 2015EDGEDAVAOUP AND ABOUT

    Kid Kulafus exclusive TV premiere on SKY Pay-Per-View

    M&S holds Indie Day promotion

    Why is Benjamin Alves happy to work with Christopher de Leon and Dina Bonnevie?

    IT is going to be an eventful 117th Philip-pine Independence Day as Mindanaos pre-mier shopping and lifestyle destination SM Lanang Premier mounts activities that cel-ebrate the Filipino spirit and national pride.

    MARKS & SPENCER joins the nation in celebrating our 117th Independence Day with a special offer on Full-priced Menswear and Womenswear! Express your freedom through your wardrobe! Buy 2 and Get the lower-priced item at 50% off from June 12 -15, 2015.

    ENTERTAINMENT

    SM Lanang Premiers dining deals, fun sale and Miguel Antonio on Independence Day

    Get up to 50% discount on great finds at the SM Store from June 12 to 14! Enjoy 10% discount on a minimum P2,000 single receipt purchase on regular priced items with SM Advantage, Prestige, BDO Rewards, MOM card and PRIMO on JUNE 12 ONLY at The SM Store Davao.

    On June 12, 9am, join the Flag-Raising activity at Open Parking C. Officials from various government agencies, LGUs, armed forces, and organizations are expected to attend the event. As an Independence Day treat, enjoy the Pinoy Fun Sale and get up to 70% off on selected items at participating stores Guess, Clarks, Pois Belly and Kids, Prestige, MAGS, Cotton On, Cotton On

    Kids, LOptique, JB Music, The Brow Studio, Kyocera, Juego Sports, Oryspa and Quinque Skin Doctors. Feast on your favorite Pinoy dishes and grab ex-clusive deals or treats from now until June 14 at Bistro Selera, Bhajia Grilled Piz-za, Vikings, Dayaw Cof-fee and Tea, Hogs Breath Caf, Maxs Restaurant, Munchtown Diner, Hu-kad, Archipelago, Marina Tuna and Mesa. On the same day at

    6 pm, be captivated by young Singapore-based Filipino crooner Miguel Antonio as he performs live at the Atrium. Hailed as the next big thing by Yahoo! Singapore, 14-year-old Antonio has wowed audiences with his angelic voice and perfor-mances abroad, the most

    notable of which was in 2011 when he performed with renowned songwrit-er David Foster during the David Foster and Friends concert in Singapore. Witness as well the Fili-piniana Gown Exhibit on-going at the Atrium until Friday featuring the em-bellished pieces of Fashion

    Institute of Design and Arts mentors. Be part of the Indepen-dence Day celebration at SM Lanang Premier. For inquiries, contact 285-0943 loc. 136-138. Visit SM Lanang Premier on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for event and promo updates.

  • KAPUSO STAR Ben-jamin Alves says bagging a role in the upcoming prime-time series Beautiful Strangers as Law-rence Castillo, the son of well-lauded actors Christopher de Leon and Dina Bonnevie, is a dream come true. In an interview with Benjamin during his re-cent contract signing with GMA Network, he reveals that this is some-thing he wished would happen. Ive seen these guys act and I look up to

    these guys since I was young. Its clich but when youre a kid you want to work with them and then you are [work-ing with them]. Still, Benjamin admits feeling overwhelmed whenever he films scenes with Christopher and Dina. When Im working with Tito Boyet and Miss D, the hard-est part is to just stay relaxed. You know you just do diligence naman, memorizing the lines and everything, but its just to not be in awe, because youre working

    with these people, he says. Benjamin also shares what Christopher once told him in the set. He pointed it out to me that hes already worked with my uncle (Piolo Pascual), as a son. Sabi niya, Im working with you now, I hope I see something different. Thats where the challenge is, I think, to make sure that he sees something differ-ent; and also because I want to make sure ev-erybody sees something different from me here, as far as acting.

    all in the comfort of their homes. Dont miss out on Paul Sorianos magnum opus making its TV premiere ex-clusively on SKY. Enjoy un-limited viewing of this inspi-rational film for only P199 commercial-free via SKY PAY-PER-VIEW. SKYcable sub-scribers can watch together with their family and friends via the following channels: Ch. 701 (High Definition) and Ch. 21 (Standard Definition). Only SKYcable provides quality home entertainment

    with the widest-range of standard and high definition digital channels; with over 190 channels, and other top-of-the-line services such as flexible subscription options via SELECT; iRECORD that re-cords, pauses, and rewinds live TV; as well as real-time coverage of live concerts and sporting events via FREE VIEW and PAY-PER-VIEW. To subscribe and to know more about SKYcable, log on to www.mysky.com.ph, or call the 24-hour customer service hotline 305-5456.

    THE most t a l k e d about con-cert in the country is now also the most talked about con-cert on mo-bile. The Vice Gandang Gan-da Sa Sarili sa Araneta: E Di Wow! con-cert can now be viewed on smar tphones equipped with A BS - CB N m o -bile SIMs for only P99. A subscriber just needs to load P99 to his ABS-CBNmobile number. Then he has to text VICE99 to 2131 to get the PIN, which can be used to watch the concert. Visit vice.iwantv.com.ph for details. The subscriber can watch the concert either via 3G or WiFi. Standard internet charges apply. Witness the firsts in Vice Gandas concert. It was the first time for the stage to be located in the mid-dle so the audience can see Vice from all sides. It was also the first time that a Trojan Horse a la Katy Perrys Prismatic concert got to romp around the stage. It was the first time, too, for Vice to use a har-ness for his grand entrance. It was a first for the Vice Pogi segment. And it was the first concert there to be rated R-13. Get your ABS-CBNmobile now and watch Vice in his most talked-about concert again and again until June 25. ABS-CBNmobile is the first mobile phone service to offer exclusive content never before seen on TV or anywhere else. These include Team Gonzaga, I Do mobisodes, Dear MOR, and Invasion of Privacy, to name a few. It was also a pioneer in offering live streaming of ABS-CBN shows as well as a vast library of past episodes of these shows for subscribers to watch using their smartphones. For more info, please visit www.abscbnmobile.com.

    INdulge! A3VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 2015 EDGEDAVAO

    Kid Kulafus exclusive TV premiere on SKY Pay-Per-View

    Vice Ganda fans can now watch his latest concert on mobile

    Why is Benjamin Alves happy to work with Christopher de Leon and Dina Bonnevie?

    ENTERTAINMENT

    In Beautiful Strang-ers, Benjamin describes his character Lawrence as a son who constantly fights with his dad sim-ply because he doesnt like him. There are rea-sons naman, and Im very much like my dad in the sense na pareho kaming babaero. Hes

    not bad naman but hes not clean. Hes more on the dirtier side or the rougher side. Under the direction of Albert Langitan, Beauti-ful Strangers which also stars Heart Evangelista, Lovi Poe, and Rocco Nacino, will soon air on GMA Telebabad.

    PG

    PG

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

    R-16

    JURASSIC WORLDChris Pratt, Judy Greer

    PG 12:30 | 3:20 | 6:10 | 9:00 LFS

    INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 3

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

    SAN ANDREASAlexandra Daddario, Dwayne Johnson

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

    Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott

    JURASSIC WORLD 3DChris Pratt, Judy Greer

    June 10 16, 2015

  • A4 INdulge!STYLE

    SUMMER is not yet over as Plains & Prints rolls out their Cape Cod Col-lection. Inspired by the summer destination of the rich and famous, Cape Cod. The pieces come in vibrant hues of yellow, purple and blue with hits of blush and white that add a luxurious glow to the collection that is perfect for an afternoon sipping coffee at the mall or with friends out on a summer cruise. The Cape Cod Collection is available at Plains & Prints out-lets at Abreeza Mall, SM City Davao, Chimes Sales and Felcris Centrale.

    Cruise controlBy Kenneth Irving Ong

    VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 2015EDGEDAVAO

  • VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 2015 7EDGEDAVAO

    AGRITRENDSYes, broiler chickens can be raised organically

    Chicken production was the major source of growth for the poultry sector, growing consistently for the last five years (from 2010 to 2014), wrote Rita T. Dela Cruz in a special report for Marid Agri-business.With a marginal decrease in broiler production during the third quarter of 2014, broiler, layers and native chick-en have sustained its growth throughout the succeeding se-mesters, the report added.Yes, Filipinos eat a lot of chicken. Just go into the food courts of malls, viands made from chicken abound. Not to mention the fried chicken you can have at McDonalds, Ken-tucky Fried Chicken, and Jol-libee.Most of the chicken served at these fast-food establish-ments and restaurants are broilers or those chickens reared for meat. They origi-nate from the jungle fowl of the Indian Subcontinent. Due to consumer demand for af-fordable poultry meat, the broiler industry has grown by leaps and bounds. Breeding for particular traits and improved nutrition have been used to increase the weight of the breast-muscle.Commercial broiler chick-ens are bred to be very fast growing in order to gain weight quickly. For the uninformed, the life of chickens destined for meat production consists of two distinct phases. They are born in a hatchery and moved to a growing farm at 1 day-old. They remain there until they are heavy enough to be slaugh-tered.But in recent years, more Filipinos are becoming health conscious. That is why native chickens are getting popular because they believe these types of chickens are not given antibiotics, commercial feeds and other things unlike those broilers being raised in cages.Experts call these native chickens as organic. But can broiler chickens also be raised organically?

    Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

    Yes, it is possible, replied Elric Ayop, who conducts a regular seminar on organic broiler production in baran-gay Astorga in Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur. Instead of the usual 45 days before a broiler chicken can be butchered, an organic broiler chicken can be ready for harvest after a month or so.We -- Ian Ogatis, the train-ing chief of the Mindanao Bap-tist Rural Life Center, and I -- had an opportunity of attend-ing the seminar Ayop conduct-ed recently. The seminar was done in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the agency that has been tasked to do the Pantawid Pamilyang Pil-ipino Program (4Ps).The 4Ps (formerly Ahon Pamilyang Pilipino) is a con-ditional cash transfer program

    of the government which aims to eradicate extreme poverty in the country by investing in health and education. It is pat-terned on programs in other developing countries like Bra-zil (Bolsa Familia) and Mexico (Oportunidades).We want to help our ben-eficiaries to become self-reli-ant, said Luis L. Seras, Project Development Officer II of the citys DSWD office. The sem-inar is the first step in order for them to get to know some livelihood opportunities which they can do in their homes.In his blog, Frances Flow-er gives some information on what makes a chicken organic: They must be fed certified or-ganic feed for their entire lives. Organic feed cannot contain animal by-products, antibiot-ics or genetically engineered grains and cannot be grown

    using persistent pesticides or chemical fertilizers. It is pro-hibited to give drugs, antibiot-ics and hormones to organic birds.Ayop agreed with Flowers contention. Organic broiler chickens are reared under sim-ilar conditions to free-range broilers. But there are restric-tions on the routine use of in-feed or in-water medications, other food additives and syn-thetic amino acids, he pointed out.However, Ayop clarified that organic broiler chicken is only 99% organic. The reason is that we still buy those broil-er chicks from the market, he explained. We suggest that raisers should buy those first class chicks: alert and healthy.He suggested that raisers start with 50 broiler chicks. But before buying broiler chicks,

    they must build a cage first. The dimension of the cage is 3 meters by one meter, which is divided into two compart-ments. The first compartment, measured one meter by one meter, is where the 50 chicks are placed. Once they become bigger -- or on their 16th day -- they are transferred to the sec-ond compartment which has a measurement of two meter by one meter.A screen wire serves as the wall of the cage. To help the chicks fight the cold, a bulb is provided inside the cage. A waterer should also be placed inside, so the chicks can drink water at all times.From day one to day 15, the chicks can be given syn-thetic mash and booster feeds. In order for them to defy diseases that usually attack chicks, synthetic antibiotic

    may be mixed with water, which they can drink 24 hours a day.Before they are trans-ferred, the ground of the sec-ond compartment must be covered with rice hulls and thrown with salt. For every sack of rice hulls, about a handful of salt is scattered.For the next 15 days, the broiler chickens are given or-ganic feeds and the water is mixed with organic prepara-tion. Be sure the water you use in mixing doesnt have chlorine, Ayop warned.He also reminded that the cage must be clean at all times so the chickens will be free from attacks of any disease.But how profitable is this kind of project?For the chicken cage, a raiser has to spend about P1,505. For the 50 chicks, at P25 each, the cost is P1,250. For 15 days, you need to feed them with half sack of mash booster feeds at P700 and two sachets of synthetic antibiotics (P40).On the 16th day until har-vesting time, the raiser has to spend about P2,100 for the organic feeds and drinks with organic preparations.For those who want to start with this kind of busi-ness, the starting capital is almost P4,000. But once this amount is deducted from the total gross income for the dressed chicken, the return is about P2,800.But aside from the eco-nomic benefits, you can have a chicken anytime you want. By raising your own broiler chick-ens, you can put meat on your table quicker and with less ef-fort than raising pig or cattle, Ayop said.

    16-day old broiler chickens

    The participants of the seminar

    Elric Ayop doing a lecture During the farm tour.

  • VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 20158 EDGEDAVAOVANTAGE

    Continue the fight for freedomEDITORIALTHE Philippines has gone through several upheavals in its quest for freedom over the centuries. As a relative-ly young country, it seems we have had more than our share of struggle just to break free from the shackles of coloni-zation, oppression, dictatorship, and corruption. What we cel-ebrate today, June 12, stands as our official Independence Day, but in truth we have had more than one day that we can com-memorate as our entry into freedom. June 12, 1898 saw our forefathers declaring independence from 333 years of Spanish rule after gallantly fighting a David-and-Goliath battle with a veritable superpower. That victory, however, was short-lived as the Americans quickly took over and held on to the Philip-pines for the next 48 years. Indeed, even that period was punc-tuated by four years of Japanese occupation during World War

    II. It is, as the song sorrowfully expressed, as if the Philippines attracts more than its fair share of foreign oppression. But even independence from the Americans in 1946 could not assure Filipinos freedom, for less than three decades lat-er they would be plunged into the horrors of dictatorship. In many ways it was far more harrowing than being under for-eign rule because the despot was a fellow Filipino, and his re-gime carried out its atrocities right under the noses of a conde-scending international community that chose to look the other way while the people suffered. It took two decades before the masses could get organized enough to oust Marcos, and unlike previous struggles, this one was virtually bloodless. People Power was born, and it was the Filipino peoples moment to shine.

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

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  • MY feature on homeschooling last week (EDGE Davaos June 7 and 8 issue) drew a lot of attention from parents who are interested in teach-ing their own children. One of the most common concerns was the legal basis for homeschooling, and I realize that this is one detail I had left out. The Department of Education (DepEd) itself lays down the legal foundation: The 1987 Philippine Constitution provides for the recognition and promotion of other forms of educa-tion other than formal education. Article XIV, Section 2, Paragraph (1) declares that the State shall establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society; and paragraph (4) concisely encourag-es non-formal, informal and indigenous learning systems as well as self-learning, independent and out-of-school study pro-grams particularly those that respond to community needs.The Masters Academy (TMA) Home-school, one of the homeschooling institu-tions I cited in my feature, also cites Sec-tion 1(2) which states that the country will establish and maintain a system of free public education in the elementa-

    ry and high school lev-els. Without limiting the natural right of parents to rear their c h i l d r e n TMA says the phrase with-out limiting the natural right of par-ents to rear their children means fam-ilies, along with religious groups and mission boards, can branch off from pub-lic education to create their own private education.TMA also cites Article 209 Chapter 1, General Provisions of the Family Code of the Philippines which states: Pursuant to the natural right and duty of the parents over the person and property of their un-emancipated children, parental author-ity and responsibility shall include the caring for and rearing them for civic consciousness and efficiency and the development of their moral, mental and efficiency and the development of their moral, mental, and physical character

    and well-being.There are advantages to enrolling in homeschool academies like TMA and a number of others (you can find them in the Homeschool Association of the Phil-ippine Islands (HAPI) website (hapiho-meschooler.com), one of which is that they provide records and transcripts to its students, in compliance with DepEd accreditation requirements. It enables children to have a smooth transition into the conventional school system when their parents choose to do so, TMA says. This is because the Constitution also pro-vides under Section 4 (1) that the State recognizes the complementary roles of public and private institutions in the education system and shall exercise rea-sonable supervision and regulation of all education institutions. Also, the DepEd Memo no. 216 s. 1997 (Home Education Program) states that if a homeschooled student wants to transfer into a conven-tional school, he or she must first be ac-credited by the DepEd.But what about families like Alex Hao and her kids (whom I wrote about in my feature) who practice independent ho-meschooling? Fear not, DepEd has them covered through the Alternative Learn-

    ing System (ALS), which provides the ac-creditation and equivalency (ALS A&E) test, a paper and pencil test designed to measure the competencies of those who have neither attended nor finished ele-mentary or secondary education in the formal school system.The DepEd says passers of the A&E Test are given a certificate/diploma bearing the Department of Education (DepEd) seal and the signature of the Secretary, certifying their competencies as comparable graduates of the formal school system. Passers are qualified to enroll in secondary and post-secondary schools. This is the same test that celeb-rities like boxing champ Manny Pacquiao and actress Heart Evangelista took and passed, and they are now certified high school graduates. Alexs oldest daughter Amber who did virtually all her learn-ing out of school has taken the ALS A&E test and is now an incoming college freshman. I must say that she is one of the smartest and most well-rounded young women I have ever met, and credit cer-tainly belongs to her parents who taught her very well. You can read an article she wrote on her homeschooling experience on page 7 in this issue of EDGE Davao.

    VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 2015 VANTAGE POINTS 9EDGEDAVAO

    Jon Joaquin

    THIRD WORLD

    Henrylito D. [email protected]

    THINK ON THESE!

    Alternative learning

    Cry freedom!THIS story happened when slav-ery was still the norm. The heart-breaking sobs of a black slave girl who was about to step up to auction block to be sold caught the attention of a wealthy plantation owner. Moved by an impulse of compassion, he bought her for a very high price and then disap-peared into the crowd.When the auction was finally over, the clerk came over to the sobbing girl and handed her the bill of sale, telling her who her owner now was. To her as-tonishment, the unknown wealthy plan-tation owner had written the word FREE across the paper that should have deliv-ered her to him. She stood speechless as, one by one, the slaves were claimed by their owners and dragged away.Freedom, according to Egypts Moshe Dayan, is the oxygen of the soul. Rabin-dranath Tagore shares this illustration: I have on my table a violin string. It is free. I twist one end of it and it responds. It is free. But it is not free to do what a vio-lin string is supposed to do to produce music. So I take it, fix it in my violin, and tighten it until it is taut. Only then is it free to be a violin string.Joseph Sizoo further explains, Free-dom is like a coin. It has the word privi-lege on one side and responsibility on the other. It does not have privilege on both sides. There are too many today who want everything involved in privilege

    but refuse to accept any-thing that ap-proaches the sense of re-sponsibility.F r e e d o m is a very broad concept that has been giv-en numerous different in-terpretations by different philosophies and schools of thought. The protection of interperson-al freedom can be the object of a social and political investigation, while the metaphysical foundation of inner free-dom is a philosophical and psychological question. Both forms of freedom come together in each individual as the inter-nal and external values mesh together in a dynamic compromise and power struggle; the society fighting for power in defining the values of individuals and the individual fighting for societal accep-tance and respect in establishing ones own values in it.In philosophy, freedom often ties in with the question of free will. Libertarian philosophers have argued that all human beings are always free. Jean-Paul Sartre, for instance, famously claimed that hu-mans are condemned to be free.The philosopher Isaiah Berlin drew

    an important distinction between free-dom from (negative freedom) and free-dom to (positive freedom). For example, freedom from oppression and freedom to develop ones potential. Both these types of freedom are in fact reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.Freedom as the absence of restraint means unwilling to subjugate, lacking submission, or without forceful inequali-ty. Natural laws restrict this form of free-dom; for instance, no one is free to fly (though you may or may not be free to at-tempt to do so). There are two freedoms - the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought, said Charles Kingsley.Freedom has often been used a rally-ing cry for revolution or rebellion. For in-stance, the Bible records the story of Mo-ses leading his people out of Egypt and its oppression (slavery), and into free-dom to worship God. In the Philippines, Filipinos rallied for Corazon C. Aquino forming the so-called People Power to free them from the dictatorship of then President Ferdinand E. Marcos.When I was a child, President (Man-uel L.) Quezon called upon my fathers generation to fight for freedom, said Dr. Augusto Bobby Syjuco in a speech delivered before the participants of the National Consultation on Philippine Ed-ucation and Progress Report of the Pres-

    idential Task Force on Education some years back. It was the beginning of a great journey, a time of struggle for inde-pendence.As a nation, we believed then that we could liberate our people. And we did, Dr. Syjuco continued. But the fight is not finished. The journey is not complete; the march is not over; the promise of freedom is not perfected.In the truest sense, freedom can-not be bestowed; it must be achieved, said American President Franklin Del-ano Roosevelt in a speech delivered on September 22, 1936. Abraham Lincoln stated rightly: Freedom is the last, best hope of earth,Gerard K. ONeill recommends, Here is my advice as we begin the century that will lead to 2081. First, guard the free-dom of ideas at all costs. Be alert that dic-tators have always played on the natural human tendency to blame others and to oversimplify. And dont regard yourself as a guardian of freedom unless you re-spect and preserve the rights of people you disagree with to free, public, unham-pered expression.Let freedom never per-ish in your hands, warns Joseph Ad-dison. Freedom is not worth hav-ing if it does not connote free-dom to err, declares Mahatma Gand-hi. Without freedom, no one real-ly has a name, points out Milton Acorda.

  • VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 201510 NEWSDAD... FROM 1

    Shabu... FROM 2

    NEDA... FROM 5

    DAPECOL... FROM 3

    Solon... FROM 3

    DTI... FROM 6

    EDGEDAVAO

    were four marked P1,000 bills and two fake certificate of appearance.Also found in his pos-session was a backpack con-taining 28 more certificates of appearance and 22 official receipts.PCL executive director Dr. Wilson Paclibar said Ba-tistis irregular activities had already been reported in pre-vious PCL events.The entrapment opera-tion was planned out a few days ago to stop Batistis ac-tivities.Paclibar and PCL National Board member Oliver Owen

    Garcia asked General Santos City councilor Dominador Lagare III to act as poseur buyer.PCL national chair Alma Moreno and PCL national president Maybelyn Fernan-dez said the entrapment of Batistis will send a strong signal to all PCL members nationwide that the PCL lead-ership is serious in cleansing its ranks and protect its im-age and promote good gover-nance. Batistis is now in the cus-tody of Sta Ana Police Station. Police said he will be sued for swindling.

    economic growth.Balisacan said it is high time that government con-ducts detailed and system-atic appraisal of laws and other regulations to elimi-nate obstacles to the coun-trys competitiveness and growth.Regulatory Impact As-sessments (RIA) and other such tools and mechanisms are important for determin-ing whether a law or regu-lation is effective in achiev-ing its stated objectives, he said.The Cabinet official not-ed that countries that have used RIA, such as Malaysia and Mexico, have proven that the method is effective in improving regulations and in addressing issues of competitiveness and eco-nomic performance. Coun-tries that have applied RIA have consistently fared well in ease of doing business rankings, he said. Many laws are well-in-tentioned but turn out to be counter-productive or unenforceable. Some have already become irrelevant or outdated. Through regu-latory impact assessments, we can ensure that laws and regulations are respon-sive to our needs and do not impose unnecessary costs. This is why we support the institutionalization of this procedure in the govern-ment, he said.Currently, the NEDA, De-partment of Tourism, and the Department of Labor and Employment are under-going capacity development activities on RIA, including the drafting of a RIA Manual through the technical assis-tance program of the Asian Development Bank on In-creasing Competitiveness for Inclusive Growth.Aside from the inclusion of Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs) and rel-evant Department Orders or Memorandum Circulars in the review of existing laws, the NEDA also pro-

    posed the inclusion of a mandatory review clause in proposed laws, regulations or other issuances to allow for timely review of these instruments applicability and effectivity and consid-eration of their continua-tion, amendment, or aboli-tion, as necessary.Complementing these is Senate Resolution 697 which moves for the con-duct of a review and an omnibus study to eventual-ly update Republic Act No. 7042 or the Foreign Invest-ments Act of 1991.NEDA supports the re-view and updating of the Foreign Investments Act, particularly the feasibil-ity of adopting a general policy of openness, which includes the lowering of tariffs and other barriers to trade, and expansions of areas opened for foreign investment, said Balisacan.He added that although microenterprises and small and medium-sized domes-tic market enterprises or SMEs account for a large share of firms and employ-ment in the country, their performance is affected by barriers to entry and non-competitive behaviors in the market.We suggest revisiting restrictions on foreign par-ticipation in SMEs under Section 8 of the Foreign In-vestments Act, which effec-tively reserves SMEs to Fil-ipino nationals, with some exceptions, said Balisacan.He reiterated that it should be a priority to re-move all investment barri-ers starting with our out-dated laws and regulations.If we want investments to come to our country, we must continue pursuing the undertakings mentioned in the resolutions as a venue to expand the institution-alization of RIA which will likely lead to good regula-tory practice in the entire government, said Balisa-can.

    DTI Undersecretary stressed.According to Dimag-iba, for 600-gram of loaf bread using premium flour, there should be a rollback of Php1.25 to Php1.83; for Class 1 flour-based bread, Php0.75 to Php1.18; and for Class 2 flour-based bread, Php0.92 to Php1.18.For 400-gram loaf bread, prices should decline by Php0.94 to Php1.38 for pre-mium flour user; Php0.56 to Php0.89 for Class 1 flour user; and P0.69 to Php0.89 for Class 2 flour user.

    Prices per piece of pan de sal should also decrease from Php0.04 to Php0.06 for pre-mium flour base while from Php0.03 to Php0.04 for Class 1 and Class 2 flour base.On May 15, 2015, DTI wrote separate letters to 11 flour millers and three baking industry associations request-ing them to reflect the price de-cline of wheat to prices of flour and bread, said Dimagiba.In addition, DTI issued a second letter to 16 local flour millers and 12 bakers on June 1, 2015 requesting them to

    review their prices and adjust accordingly, he added.However, only one miller -- Atlantic Grains Corp. -- assured that it will comply to DTIs re-quest. Gardenia Bakeries Phils, Inc., on the other note, has submitted sales invoice to DTI, however, for the period of Au-gust to September 2014 and May 2015 only. The DTI will issue anew a letter on Monday (June 15) and will give five days to mill-ers and bakers to submit data to the department. (PNA)

    he said the suspects yielded a total of 20 big sachets of shabu weighing about 100 grams.The seized shabu have an estimated market value of around P1.3 million, Siason said.Aside from the illegal drugs, Siason said they recov-ered documents and ledgers contained code names of alleged drug pushers based in Koronadal City and the municipalities of Sto Nio, Tantangan and Polomolok in

    South Cotabato.It also included names of their alleged buyers based in Davao City, he said.Siason said the shabu was sourced from a supplier based in Maguindanao. It appears that theyre using Isulan as dropoff point, the police chief said.Siason said they imme-diately sent the recovered items to the Police Regional Office 12 crime laboratory here for evaluation.He said they are current-operating since 1969. Dapecol was founded on January 21, 1932.As of Tuesday, DAPECOL housed a total of 6,897 in-mates serving a sentence of three years and one day and above and committed from city and municipal jails from north-to-southeastern side of Mindanao (Regions 9, 10, 11, and 12). The rest of Mindanao

    inmates of that category go to San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm located in Zamboanga City.DAPECOL has 1,594 male inmates on maximum se-curity status (those serving sentence above 20 years) and 116 female inmates of this cat-egory, 3,694 male inmates on medium security status (with sentence 20 years below) and

    140 female inmates of this category, 1,124 male inmates on minimum security status (with half of sentence already served) and 9 female inmates of this category, and 159 male inmates and 9 female inmates who are newly committed and processed yet at the Reception Diagnostic Center, superinten-dent Padilla said. Cha Mon-forte, Correspondent

    ly preparing the filing of mul-tiple charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act against the five suspects.The official said they are also looking into the extent of the groups operations and their other possible cohorts in the area. MindaNews

    tual obligation to do so; con-trols an elderlys assets via de-ceit with the goal of depriving the elderly of its ownership and benefit; and prevents an elderly from engaging in any occupa-tion or business in the absence of any harm or threat of abuse on the elderly.This Act likewise provides them with legal remedies for immediate protection such as protections orders that victims may avail of. The State must help our senior citizens claim their rights so they can lead dignified and secure lives, said Gatchalian.Gatchalian cited a case study by the University of the Philippines-National College

    of Public Administration and Governance in which the chil-dren of elders are found to rank highest in terms of perpetrating abuse against them, followed by spouses and grandchildren.The occurrence of elderly abuse often goes unpublicized in our society, especially when the perpetrators belong to their family, Gatchalian said quoting the UP-NCPAG study.Under Gatchalians pro-posed measure, an aggrieved elderly or concern citizen may craft a written report to the ba-rangay over any perceived vio-lation of the proposed law.The concerned barangay will be required to probe into the allegations made by the el-

    derly or concerned citizen, and upon finding enough reason to believe there was indeed a vio-lation, the barangay will order the immediate temporary nec-essary relief to safeguard the victim from further harm.A Barangay Protection Or-der, effective for 15 days from issuance, will be issued to pre-vent perpetrators from violat-ing the measures provisions.The Department of Social Welfare and Development will be in-charge of taking custody of the elderly, providing half-way shelters, counselling, and giving psycho-social services, and implementing rehabilita-tion programs, according to Gatchalians bill.

    OUR BET. Councilor Jimmy Dureza and Elizabeth Zimmerman, mother of Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, gamely pose with an image of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Dutertes at the entrance of SMX Convention Center on Wednesday. Lean Daval Jr. Republic of the PhilippinesDepartment of Transportation and Communication

    LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND

    REGULATORY BOARDRegional Office No. XIDavao CityPetition for Approval of Sale and Transfer of a Certificate of Public Conveniencewith Equipment with Dropping and SubstitutionOf Unit to operate an AIRCON-DITIONED TAXI service.

    Case No.2015-XI-00441(2003-XI-02197)

    MAUREEN ELLA S. MILAN, Petitioner-VendorVERONICA M. ARAB, Petitioner-Vendeex- - - - - - - - - - - - - - --x

    NOTICE OF HEARINGPetitioners request authority for the Approval of Sale and Trans-fer executed by MUAREEN ELLA S. MILAN in favor of VERONICA M. ARAB of a Certificate of Public Convenience with Equipment is-sued in this case authorizing the operation of an AIRCONDITIONED TAXI service on the route WITHIN DAVAO CITY to any point in Region XI with the use of TWO (2) units, which Certificate is still valid and subsisting up to December 31, 2017.In the same petition filed on May 27, 2015, petitioners likewise request to DROP the authorized units and to SUBSTITUTE the same with another units bearing Chassis Nos. KNADM411AEF6542566 and KNADM411AF6542567 to operate along the same route.NOTICE, is hereby given that

    this petition will be heard by this Board on JUNE 24, 2015 at 09:30 a.m. at this office at the above ad-dress.At least, TEN (10) days prior to the above date petitioner shall pub-lish this Notice once in a one (1) dai-ly newspaper of general circulation in MindanaoParties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documen-tary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence.WITNESS the Honorable BEN-JAMIN A. GO, CESO V, Regional Di-rector, this 27th day of May 2015 at Davao City.

    TERESITA DELA PEA-YIGUEZ Chief Transportation Develop-ment Officer

  • VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 2015 11

    Openness By AMBER MORRIS HAOIN our house, we have a lot of books. We always need paper. The voice of the lec-turer from the math program we use is a familiar sound. The whole house has the atmo-sphere of a work in progress. And like the laid-back and flexible life we live, our educa-tion continues to evolve. At the start of my academ-ic life, my parents struggled to find a school for me. The traditional school made me cranky and loud and I couldnt sit down to tests in the small-er school. I dont remember disliking either of those envi-ronments, but when my par-ents told me that they were planning to homeschool me I was excited. They said that by homeschooling me, we would be able to travel and my eight-year old brain ran away with itself; in my imagination, we would be living on the road. There was one thing in particular that was common with my expectation and re-ality :freedom. Not freedom in the sense that evokes re-bellion, but openness. Flexi-bility. Mom would read me a history book we bought from a homeschooling provider while lying in my bed. I could pick whatever book I wanted to read first. We memorized what countries belonged to what continents by singing along to Geography Song in the car. Sometimes, we didnt want to listen to Geography Song and that was OK, too. My parents let us learn only what we were interested in. Except math. There was always math. I was so bad at it that I used to cry when I couldnt understand some-thing. Eventually we found the right program and now I can say that I am a compe-tent arithmetician. We rarely had Filipino and not because

    we werent interested in it, there were just no materials to choose from. I value that my educa-tion was focused on making memories, but by the time I was eleven, I started worrying about being delayed in terms of academics. This was fed by my not being able to fit in with the few people my age I was acquainted with. Despite being very free I was very concerned about everybody else, so with my parents sug-gestion, I decided to go back to school. I already knew some people from that school and I was able to reconnect with them and weave strong friendships. My questions and doubts were solved and silenced and I gained confi-dence. When I returned to ho-meschooling after a year in school, my study habits im-proved. I learned how to retain

    information by taking notes and practicing, how to review and prepare for tests, and I learned what exactly people were learning in school which helped me prepare for college entrance exams. Also part of my preparation was find-ing the best ways for me to learn something. This meant doing some research on pro-grams and trying new things. It might have cost some time and money but once I knew what worked for me, I think it was worth it. The year I left school I was able to travel to the UK with my dad and sister. The purpose of our visit was for my sisters scoliosis therapy, and while she attended her sessions, I took classes in act-ing and dancing, visited mu-seums, and watched musicals and plays; experiences that advanced my growing inter-ests in literature and theatre.

    When I came home, I had a clearer picture of what I want-ed to do, and started prepar-ing for college. To get a high school di-ploma, I attended the Alter-native Learning Systems, a program by DepEd for Out of School Youth. To my high school classmates I am inde-pendent, straightforward, and strong-willed, but to my ALS classmates I was quiet, shy, and even mabait. I couldnt speak Bisaya very well (the mode of instruction), I had lit-tle in common with my class-mates, and I was afraid my Bi-saya would be made fun of, but it was all for the best. My shyness helped me concen-trate on my work and attract friends who would otherwise have judged me as maldita. I was both humbled and outraged by the impover-ished materials and provi-sional teaching methods. The

    teacher in charge of our ALS learning center, Ms. Georly Mae Dabalos, was a caring and persevering educator. She focused on preparing us for the essay portion, the hard-est part of the exam, which could literally make or break ones test scores. Sometimes, Ms. Mae would just sit with us and talk, encouraging us to pour ourselves on to our es-says using lessons and stories from her students lives and her own to inspire us to keep trying. She fostered in me a deeper interest in writing. I am happy with the ed-ucation I received. It was not about the caliber of the meth-ods we chose but about my needs. I think my parents con-structed the best childhood they could for me. This Au-gust, Ill be moving away for college. I will miss my home and family, but I think its time for me to go.

    Street icons of Davao CityUNDIVIDED DAVAO

    By ANTONIO FIGUEROA

    (1st of a Series)WITH the transforma-tion of Davao City into a cosmopolitan hub, so much of its history, especially names of streets that reflect its colonial past, has been destroyed through political impertinence. Roads named after Spaniards and Americans, for some flimsy reasons and self-serving mo-tives, have been changed, ir-retrievably ruining the citys sense of history.Over a 10-year period (1963-72), for want of pos-terity and lack of interest in historiography, local legisla-tors, most of them related by blood and marriage, took upon themselves to hide the past by voting to replace street names in favor of personalities whose contributions to local history can be considered obscure and politically incorrect.Davaos Hispanic heritage, for a century and a quarter (1848-1962) was largely ap-preciated through preserva-tion. Even under the American rule, this legacy was never vio-lated, and it existed alongside the landmarks that carried Western nomenclatures. That would change, though, when local lawmakers started to put above history the memory of their loved ones who, it is said, had also contributed to the growth of the old pueblo.In 1963 alone, three key streets named after colonial figures were amended: Nar-ciso Claveria, author of the Spanish decree requiring Filipinos to use Hispanic sur-names, was renamed Claro M.

    Recto; Jose Oyanguren, con-queror of Davao, was changed to Ramon Magsaysay, third post-war president; and Frank Carpenter, an American gover-nor-general, was rechristened to Leon Ma. Garcia Sr. Even the short road at Barrio Obre-ro named Ramon Magsaysay was changed to Alzate, after a Davao pioneer.In 1964, the City Council shortened Padre (Federico)Faura, SJ, founder of the Manila Observatory, to accommodate Santiago Artiaga, the first city mayor of Davao. Four years later, apparently as a show of idiocy, the old Tomas Claudio Street, named after the first Filipino to die in World War I in Chateau Thierry, France, was renamed Elpidio Quirino, the second post-war president,

    wrongly accused of buying a golden arinola (chamber pot). That same year, the stretch that links Legaspi street to Jose Camus street was changed to Gaudencio Antonino, a senator who died in a helicopter crash.In 1971, the local lawmak-ing body passed resolutions changing three more street names. Fernando Magallanes, Portuguese navigator who re-discovered the country, was changed to Antonio Pichon Sr. while Simon de Anda, Basque governor in the Philippines, was renamed Feliciano Iigo, after a landed Davao gentry. Mi-guel Lopez de Legazpi, founder of Cebu and Manila and first Spanish governor-general, meanwhile, was renamed Pan-taleon Pelayo Sr., a 1935 Con-

    stitutional Convention delegate and judge who was later appointed city mayor of Davao.Finally, in 1972, the street linking Ponce street to the in-tersection of Damaso Suazo, a former Davao municipal presi-dent (1900-01) and lawmaker (1925-28), and Artiaga street was named Pag-asa, and Padre Faura (or whatever is left of it) was renamed Fatima, after a parish named in honor of a place in Portugal where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three children in 1916.The need to revisit the old

    s t r e e t names of Davao is significant in reviving interest in local his-tory and helps us appreciate the roles the figures played in shaping the citys historiog-raphy. Different people have different lenses to view in un-derstanding our colonial past.In an effort to know and appreciate the profiles of the city street-names, the next col-umns will be devoted towards this end. Perhaps by reliving history and by restoring the old names, we will be able to place history in right perspec-tive.

    EDGEDAVAO

    CULTURE & ARTS

    I value that my education was focused on making memories.

    With a fisherman and his cormorants, Guilin, China, 2014 With ALS classmates 2013

  • VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 2015EDGEDAVAO

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

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

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

    GO BOLD GO COLOUR All text

    Telephone Number (bigger point size)

    Bold Header

    Background Text

    Price: 100.00 Price: 175.00 Price: 230.00

    ADD-ON

    Pictures/Logos Graphic Elements

    12 CLASSIFIED

  • VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 2015 EDGEDAVAO 13Mangrove rehab projects in PH lack science: expert

    NEWS

    NOTICE OF LOSSNotice is hereby given by LOYOLA PLANS CONSOLIDATED INC. That CERTIFICATE OF FULL PAYMENT No.(s) 21014842 under LOYOLA PLAN Contract No.(s) 10162268-1 issued to TADURAN, MARY MAGDALENE A.

    Reinstatement papers: 2401-52391, 2401-54421, 2401-68120, 2401-72907, 2401-73051-52, 2401-73063, 2401-95522, 2401-101193, 2401-106459, 2401-106462, 2401-106464 issued to TERESITA F.ERAMIS were lost. Any transaction entered into shall be null and void.6/12/19/26

    WRONG practices have caused many man-grove rehabilitation projects in the Philippines to fail, an expert said Tuesday.Dr. Jurgenne Honcula-da-Primavera, a scientist known for his contribution to mangrove conservation, said such projects were being im-plemented without the sup-port of science-based guide-lines.In a presentation to mem-bers of the Philippine Ecosys-tem Alliance, Primavera noted that in most cases the planting of mangroves did not observe proper site selection.She said that in many areas species of mangroves known as bakhaw such as Rhizophora stylosa and Rhizophora epicu-lata were planted on seafronts causing high mortality.Bakhaw is suited for planting along riverbanks, tid-al creeks and other sheltered sites, she said.

    Mangrove species called pagatpat (Sonneratia alba) and bongalon or apiapi (Avicennia alba and Avicennia marina) should serve as front liner, she added.Primavera, a native of Butuan City who now works as chief mangrove scientific advisor to the Zoological Soci-ety of London, attributed the problem to poor site selection.Site selection should be done during neap tide a major paradigm shift from the past protocol selecting ex-posed sites during spring tide which turn out to be flooded when the neap tides follow, resulting in mortality of seed-lings.Areas exposed during neap tide will remain above water even during spring tide, a prerequisite for mangrove survival, as mangroves cannot stand flooding more than 30 percent of the time, she ex-plained.probably 100-200 hectares only in 13 municipalities plus one city suffered total mor-tality and therefore need new planting, in addition to en-richment planting of gaps in partially damaged areas, she added.On Tuesday, Primavera reiterated her objection to the release of the P1 billion through the Department of Environment and Natural Re-sources almost completely for mangrove planting through cash-for-work for local com-munities.She said this is risky be-cause the local people would cut or uproot recovering but

    inconspicuous mangrove stands and replace them with seedlings just to show some work done and avail of the cash incentive.She said the government withheld the budget last year, but in March this year released P400 million of the P1-billion allocation.I dont want to demonize DENR. There are good people in DENR but their national office always has the last say. Were dealing with structures, she clarified.Primavera also recom-mended that abandoned fish ponds should be reverted to mangrove forests that can

    serve as greenbelts along coastal areas.She, however, said many of these abandoned ponds have either been titled or blocked by resorts and other struc-tures.The Philippine Ecosystem Alliance is holding a four-day workshop that started on Monday to produce a climate change adaptation plan for re-silient ecosystems.The group is currently lob-bying for the enactment of a Peoples Survival Fund to help local communities cope with the impact of climate change. (H. Marcos C. Mordeno/Min-daNews)

    She further noted that survival along the seafront is higher for nursery-raised seedlings (versus propagules) because their woody stems and developed roots and big-ger sizes can better withstand barnacle infestation and wave action.Primavera also noted that in some cases the planting of mangroves was done in sea grass areas, the habitat of du-gong (sea cow), seahorses and other species.Last year, Primavera had voiced her opposition to the plan of government to allocate some P1 billion almost exclu-sively for planting to rehabili-tate mangrove forests in Leyte and Samar damaged by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).She said the plan could result in more damage owing to lack of science-based guide-lines.She said a four-month as-sessment she made with other scientists showed the man-groves only sustained minimal damage or none at all and are recovering contrary to re-ports of massive destruction.She observed that shoots had grown out of defoliated branches and trunks aside from seeds and saplings hence there is no need for new plant-ing, only protection.After all they are bioshields and dam-age-cum-recovery is par for their course, she said.Our survey revealed that

    WARNING. Dr. Jurgenne Honculada-Primavera addresses the Philippine Ecosystem Alliance in Cebu Cityon Tuesday. She has warned that wrong practices have caused many mangrove rehabilitation projects in the Philippines to fail. H. Marcos C. Mordeno

  • VOL. 8 ISSUE 51 FRIDAY - SATURDAY, JUNE 12 - 13, 201514 EDGEDAVAO

    COMMUNITY SENSETHE activity may be a side event of the biggest annual cockfighting derby in the country but for sure, it was one major high-light of this years Thunder-bird Davao Challenge.For the fourth year in a row, Thunderbird Cares reached out to community beneficiaries of its charity works this time in Davao City--host of the 5-cock twin derby event.Thunderbird Cares visited the House of Hope last Friday to conduct feeding activities as well as provide entertainment through a Jollibee party with the facilitys children cancer patients. Thunderbird Cares is a regular feature of the annual derby organized by Thunder-bird, leading gamefowl feed brand in the country.Dr. Mae Concepcion Do-lendo, chief of the House of Hope and oncologist at the Southern Phillippines Medical Center, thanked Thunderbird Cares for bringing joy to the patients at House of Hope.This years Thunderbird Davao Challenge also includ-ed several medical missions dubbed as Thunderbird Cares, in cooperation with Mr. Jun Bacolod in Panabo, in Bgy. Mattina Aplaya, Davao City and in Bgy.Makato, Makilala, North Cotabato. The much-anticipated 6th Annual Thunderbird Challenge went on a four-

    day swing for the first time in Davao City in what was re-puted to be the biggest annual cockfighting event in the Phil-ippines.National endorsers of leading gamefowl feeds brand Thunderbird were welcomed by officials from the organiz-ing Univet Nutrition and An-imal Healthcare Company at the world-class Pearl Farm Beach Resort across the Island Garden City of Samal and at the Marco Polo Hotel.The cocking greats who took part in the Thunderbird National All-Star 5-cock Der-by include Engr. Sonny Lagon, Nene Abello, Lanceydela Torre, Pol Estrellado, Rey Briones, Nestor Vendivil, Mayor Bob-by Clemente, Cong. Lawrence Wacnang, Joey Sy, PaoMalvar, Mayor JesryPalmares, Bebot Monsanto, Bernie Tacoy, Win-nie Codilla, Mayor Baba Yap, former Gov. BahamMitra, Joe Laureno, Engr. Sonnie Magti-bay, Tol Mariano, Lino Maria-no, Jun, Bobot and Bong Tan, BugskyNgsuy, BentoySy, Man-ny Dalipe and Bebot Uy.Not to be outdone, the Thunderbird Mindanao All-Star 5-Cock Derby also parad-ed the most prolific and suc-cessful gamefowl breeders of Mindanao such as Gov. Eddie-bong Plaza, Gov. Claude Baus-tista, Alex Macariola, Dorie Du, Balong Espinosa, Tata Sala, Kap. Romeo Baquirel, Mario Bantilan, Christian Saldivar,

    THUNDERBIRD DAVAO CHALLENGE. Delegartes arrive at Pearl Farm Resort (top) for the four-day Thunderbird Davao Challenge. They were met by Albert Uy of Univet, makers of Thunderbird and two lovely Mutya ng Davao winners Nisreen Khurshid and Minette Macaraeg.

    Thunderbird Cares in Davao communities

    Lyndon Tabuada, Bryan Blan-co, Herman Cantuba, Maning Eva, James Fuentes, Jojie Tiu, Jun Bacolod, Isidoro B1 Uy, Larry Rubinos/Greg de Carlos, Boy Oncada, Sammy Uy, May-or RoelParas, Juanito Nasser, Manny Ibanez, Dr. Alfonso Bitoy, Jr., Marny Fuentes, Boy Digal, and Jun Lao.First staged in 2010, the Thunderbird Challenge is an

    annual 4-cock derby among Thunderbird Power Feeds & Thunderbird Powervets elite endorserswhich aims to pro-mote cockfighting and local tourism, thus it has been held in the countrys most popular travel destinations :Boracay in 2010, Palawan in 2011, Da-kak, Dapitan in 2012, Bohol in 2013 and Ilocos Region in 2014.

    to schoolchildren in the hinterlands who have no school materials up to now.It will depend on the donors what school materi-als they will put inside the box. (It can be) any school materials like pencils, ball pens, notebooks, erasers, and others. They may put slippers or shoes, Zuniega said.He said donors can also give school bags since there are children in the remote areas who do not have them. They can place the school materials inside the school bags, he said.Zuniega said he present-ed the project to the Davao China Town Development Council last Tuesday to gain donors from the Filipi-no-Chinese community.He he was told that the council will donate school supplies for children in far-flung areas in the city such as Paquibato District and Marilog District.The 10th ID launched Project Shoe Box last Mon-day at the headquarters of

    Task Force Davao at Sta. Ana Wharf, Davao City.10th ID commander Major General Eduardo M Ao said the project aims to provide school materials for school children in depressed areas.Ao said the pro-gram has already donat-ed 36,088 school kits so far.Ao said it also provides the school children the en-couragement to study and develop their dreams. The project does not just provide but inspires them that men in uniform and different stakeholders of the country give priority to their right to educat