Edge Davao 5 Issue 21

By Jade C. Zaldivar

DAVAO CITY Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is set to form Task Force Ka-linaw as the official body to oversee

the social integration of rebel returnees here.

The body will be composed of the mayor, local government heads, leaders from the private sector, and a represen-tative from the Officer of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) for the Social Integration Program (SIP).

“By forming Task Force Kalinaw, there

will be a formal body to give assitance to rebel returnees. We will have to convene soon,” Duterte-Carpio said in an interview.

She does not want TFK to have the presumption of ‘being militarized’.

“Gitanggal namo ang AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) as part of the

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Mayor to set upbody for ex-rebs

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Serving a seamless society

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n Task Force Kalinaw’s duty is social integration of returnees

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DAVAO

ANTI-BOTCHA. Boxing champ and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao is shown during the commercial shooting of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) campaign against “botcha” or double-dead meat dubbed as “Knock-out Botcha” held at the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Quezon City last Friday.Pacquiao’s

appearance in the NMIS “Knock-out Botcha” is expected to enhance the agency’s campaign against double-dead meat. The campaign is themed “Kalusugan ay Sigurado sa Karneng Aprubado.” [Johnny Guevara/PNA]

Volunteers ask ‘wang-wang’ ban exemption THE Davao Volunteer Fire Brigade Inc.

(DVFBI) has requested to be exempt-ed from the law prohibiting the use of

sirens in private cars.Through a letter sent to the City Coun-

cil committee on energy, transportation, and communication chaired by Councilor

Pilar Braga, the DVFBI asked for their members to be allowed to use the siren and emergency lights of their private vehicles while responding to emergencies and di-sasters.

“Rest assured that if granted, we will use the privilege in the most responsible

manner,” DVFBI station commander Sev-erino Herrera Jr. wrote.

Herrera said the prohibition of attach-ment and use of sirens in private vehicles is backed by Presidential Decree (PD) No. 96 of January 13, 1973.

PD 96 declares unlawful the use or at-

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 20122 THE BIG NEWS EDGEDAVAO

It figures

NUMBER of male students whose names were removed from the list of grad-uating high school students by the Infant Jesus Academy n Marikina City as penalty for reportedly uploading Facebook pho-tos of themselves kissing each other.

INCREASE in income last year of Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. -- from P378 million in 2010 to P456 million in 2011. It was due largely to the better performance of its energy business, according to Alsons Consolidated chair and president Tomas I. Alcantara.

NUMBER of bids received by theDepartment of Energy for contracts to explore and develop 38 highly pro-spective coal blocks all over the coun-try. The number of bids is considerd an overwhelming number indicative of investors’ unwavering confidence in the Philippines.

NET income posted by Lopez Holdings Corp. in 2011, about a third of the previous year’s when it booked huge one-time gains from the sale of ad-ditional shares in Manila Electric Co. by affiliate First Philippine Holdings Corp.

DROP in the net income of con-glomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) last year –from P20 billion in 2010 to P17.5 billion. It is largely due to the absence of one-time gains.

HIGH school girls barred from at-tending the graduation by the St. There-sa’s College after they posted pictures of themselves in Facebook wearing bikinis. The school defied a Regional Trial Court order to allow the girls to join the gradu-ation rites.

13percent6920 percent6 P3.9billion 2

FDAVAO, 13

FDENR, 13

By Jade C. Zaldivar

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has confirmed she is in

the midst of preparing her statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN).

Duterte-Carpio said she’s now at crunch time as SALN submission is set not later than April 30.

“Wala pa akong SALN pero it’s being prepared,” the city mayor said in an interview.

“Since the submis-sion of the ITR (Income Tax Return) is set for not later than April 15 we’re preparing that also. Halos nagkadungan-dungan ug asikaso,” she added.

The submission of the SALN is in compliance with Civil Service Com-mission (CSC) Resolution No. 1100902 dated July 8, 2011 which schedules the deadline of filing at the end of this month.

The same CSC reso-lution released a new SALN 2011 form, the use of which was deferred through CSC Resolution No. 1200480 of March 15, 2012 following com-

plaints received by the commission from various sectors.

The decision favors Duterte-Carpio who ex-pressed earlier that she found some requirements of the SALN form as ‘un-necessary.’

“There are items there that are not clear to the SALN’s purpose,” the city mayor said.

As CSC Resolution No. 1200480 resolves that the old SALN form will be used, Duterte-Carpio said she would be following this.

The dissimilarity of the 2011 SALN form with the old form is that it has three additional sections of (1) Amount and sourc-es of gross income, (2) Amount of personal and family expenses, and (3) Amount of income taxes paid, which have to be filled out by all public of-ficers and employees.

The CSC deferred the use of the 2011 SALN form after receiving requests for deferment from nu-merous sectors.

The House Commit-tee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation

was also noted to have passed House Resolution No. 2199 which requests the CSC to “study the le-gality of the Revised SALN Form.”

The Senate Commit-tee on Civil Service and Government Reorganiza-tion, headed by Antonio F. Trillanes IV also wrote to the CSC on February 27, 2012 stating that “the Revised SALN Form has possible constitutional in-firmity, illegality, and/or impracticality.”

The Committee also expressed concern “that majority of government workers are ill-quipped with sufficient knowledge on how to accomplish the said form properly.”

Among the sectors which sent requests for deferment from the CSC are the Philippine Gov-ernment Employees As-sociation, Local Govern-ment Mechanical Engi-neer’s Association of the Philippines, Asial Labor Network on International and Financial Institutions – Philippine Chapter, and the National Convention of Government Employees Working Council.

Sara prepares SALN

ANTI-STEREOTYPING OF WOMEN. Patmei Ruivivar of the Mindanao Women Council said on Friday that at the culmination of the Women’s Month it is important that

stereotyping of women be eliminated, saying that ste-reotyping as a behavior is attributed to culture and can be changed. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

By Lorie A. Cascaro

FAITH or “Food Always In The Home” is the advocacy of a group of

natural farmers in Davao City, practicing urban con-tainer gardening (UCG) who are part of the 2,000 Facebook members of UCG in the country.

Using used plastic bot-tles, cans, Styrofoam cups, clay pots and other reus-able containers, they plant pechay, celery, cucumber, squash, eggplants, onions, ampalaya, and tomatoes among other vegetables.

Dennis Lainez, who lives in Poly Subdivision, Matina Aplaya, Davao City, transformed the landscape floral garden at the front yard of his 150 square meter lot into a vegetable

garden-in-containers.“If you practice urban

container gardening at your house, 80 percent of your garbage is saved,” he told Edge Davao.

President of a farmers group in the Davao region, Lainez said that since he began UCG, he saved 50 percent of his food budget which used to comprise vegetables and spices.

Sometimes, when his production was beyond his family’s consumption, he sold excess products to his neighbors.

UCG is democratizing agriculture among farm-ers, he said, as they become self-reliant or food-reliant starting in their homes.

Biodegradable wastes such as fish heads, internal organs and tails are fer-

mented to be used as fertil-izer rich in protein.

Oriental Herbal Nutri-ent (OHN), which is made from herbs that help in-crease plant’s robustness, and sterilize and keep plants warm is also ap-plied in urban container gardens.

He cited some OHN such as ginger, garlic and chili that are combined in a mixture used to spray on the plants or applied to the soil to prevent pests.

Many Filipinos are practicing UCG here and abroad. He said some overseas Filipino workers (OFW) joined their Face-book group and practice UCG on their backyards abroad, while their fami-lies here also do it in their homes.

Davao urban containergardeners make waves

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources

in Region 11 (DENR 11) needs to immediately ad-dress threats to marine turtles (pawikan) in the Davao Gulf, says volunteer worker Ernesto T. Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz is a volun-teer researcher on marine turtles who started in El Nido, Palawan in 1986, and has been tagging and monitoring pawikans in the Davao Gulf since 1989.

He is also involved in Task Force Pawikan Davao at Punta Dumalag since 2004.

In response to his in-cident report on sea turtle

exploitation and trade routes in Davao Oriental she submitted to the Pawi-kan Conservation Project – Parks and Wildlife Bu-reau (PCP-PAWB) on April of 2009, a team from PCP-PAWB conducted an inves-tigation on September 7 to 11, 2009.

The PCP-PAWB re-leased its report on the investigation of reported commissions of illegal acts under Republic Act No. 9147 particularly involv-ing sea turtle by-products or derivatives in the prov-ince of Davao Oriental and Davao City on January20, 2010.

While the investiga-

tion confirmed his inci-dent report, Santa Cruz said he is not aware of any action by DENR 11 or PCP-PAWB regional office since the report was released.

Wanting to know where the budget for pawikan conservation in the Davao Gulf goes, he said the laws that protect sea turtles are not effec-tively enforced.

He recently submit-ted a report on sea turtle exploitation incident in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) to Jaime O. Sampulna, regional di-rector of the DENR 11, the PCP-PAWB, and the city government of IGaCoS, but has not received any reply.

DENR asked to act vsthreats to ‘pawikan’

Life in the Davao Gulf:

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 2012 3THE BIG NEWSEDGEDAVAO

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 20124 THE BIG NEWS EDGEDAVAO

‘THIS is a needless provocation not only on the Korean peninsula, but in our entire region.’

--President Aquino on North Korea’s planned rocket launch.BM

Quips

Agencies concerned have considered all inputs possible in

drafting the proposed exec-utive order covering Presi-dent Benigno S. Aquino III’s anticipated mining policy.

Department of Envi-ronment and Natural Re-sources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje gave such as-surance, noting the Chief Executive ordered his de-partment and other agen-cies concerned to be thor-ough in drafting the policy to help ensure this is fair to mining stakeholders, gov-ernment and the public.

“The President told us to take into consideration all possible inputs and to avoid doing haphazard work,” he stressed.

Paje reported that agencies under the govern-ment’s environment and economic clusters already submitted the proposed fi-nal draft to Executive Secre-tary Paquito Ochoa’s office.

Ochoa will submit the draft to President Aquino for action.

Government will first announce parameters de-fining the President’s min-ing policy then release details on the matter after-wards, Paje said.

He reiterated the pro-posed policy seeks to raise government’s revenues from mining.

“We also won’t allow mining activities that are pollutive,” he added.

Paje said the Chief Ex-ecutive is open to consider-ing suggested measures on how to raise government’s revenue haul from mining as long as these are allowed under the law.

“The President can look into anything legal that’ll help increase such haul,” Paje said.

DENR previously pro-posed that mining sites nationwide be declared as mineral reservation areas (MRAs) so government can collect royalties from min-ing companies operating there.

Paje also believes such declaration will help level the playing field among large-scale mining compa-nies in the country since those operating inside MRAs are obligated at pres-ent to pay government two percent excise tax plus five percent royalty.

Mining companies op-erating outside MRAs are required to pay the excise tax only, he noted.

“Those operating inside and outside MRAs extract minerals - such God-given natural wealth belongs to our country so it’s only fair for all concerned to pay royalty to government,” he said.

Paje assures mining policy well-studied

PRESIDENT Aquino should dismantle all state-backed para-

military groups along with private armies ahead of next year’s elections, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said over the week-end.

In a statement, HRW said paramilitary forces in the Philippines have a “long and continuing history of seri-ous human rights violations,” and figured in the November 2009 Ampatuan massacre in Maguindanao province that left 58 people dead.

“Alleged abuses by para-military force members are rarely investigated or pros-ecuted, creating a climate of impunity that encourages further violations,” it added.

“President Aquino’s promise to dismantle ‘private armies’ is a necessary step to end election violence in the Philippines,” Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at HRW said, adding “he should go further and disband the state paramilitary forces that are

frequently as abusive.”Aquino announced on

Wednesday that the Philip-pine National Police had “neutralized” 28 private armed groups, as of June 2011, arresting 106 suspects, and that 86 such groups re-main.HRW said the police should publish the full list of private armies and explain what steps have been taken to address state involvement in these groups.

It noted the bloody nature of Philippine elec-tions and the role played by warring political factions with the support of private armies and state-backed paramilitaries.

As candidate for presi-dent in 2010, Aquino promised to revoke Execu-tive Order 546 – signed by President Gloria Macapa-gal-Arroyo in 2006 – that has been used to justify arming Civilian Volunteer Organizations as “force mul-tipliers” in counterinsurgen-cy operations.

But Aquino has so far

taken no steps towards dismantling paramilitary groups. In November 2010, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the president was still studying the proposal to scrap EO 546.

In the same month, Aqui-no also publicly hinted he was not keen on dismantling the Civilian Armed Force Geographical Units and other paramilitary groups under the armed forces, saying the communities needed protection against communist and Moro reb-els.

Late last year, the presi-dent announced the govern-ment would tap paramili-tary groups to help protect mining companies from attacks by rebel groups. His announcement came af-ter the New People’s Army staged a simultaneous raid on three mining firms in Su-rigao del Norte.

The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, marked its 43rd anniversary on Thursday.

Defense officials have as-sured they were taking steps to “professionalize” the Caf-gus and insulate them from politics.

But HRW said efforts to “professionalize” these groups “have lacked trans-parency, in part because sev-eral regulations are treated as internal military docu-ments.”

“Until these groups are fully dismantled, the public should know what para-military forces exist; what weapons they are entitled to carry; and when, where, and how they are recruited and trained,” it added.

In its 2010 report, “They Own the People: The Ampat-uans, State-Backed Militias, and Killings in the Southern Philippines,” Human Rights Watch called on Aquino, among other recommen-dations, to systematically disarm all paramilitary and militia forces, end all private funding of such groups, and carry out a process in stages to reduce and disband them.

Dismantle paramilitary groups, human rights monitor urges

A senior lawmaker said over the week-end that it will be

very unproductive for the country to hold another election following the May 2013 senatorial and local polls next year.

“We cannot afford to hold the Barangay elec-tions five months after the May 2013 polls if we want to really insulate the Barangay elections from the influence of partisan politics,” Iloilo Rep. Jerry Trenas declared.

Trenas, chairman of the Houe Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, is author of HB 6005 which seeks to reset the 2013 Barangay elections to the last Monday of October 2015, instead of the Octo-ber 2013 set by law.

“The spirit of our laws and the practical reali-ties of the higly political and divisive nature of the upcoming May elections dictate that the Barangay polls be postponed to a later date,” Trenas said.

The Barangay is the basic unit of the country’s social structure. It has therefore been decided by the lawmakers of our country to insulate the barangays from the influ-

ence of partisan political, he said.

Unfortunately, Trenas said, the next barangay election is scheduled opn the same year as the na-tionwide national and lo-cal elections in 2013.

“Suffice it to say, the highly polarizing and po-litical nature of the May 2013 elections will great-ly influence the conduct and outcome of the next Barangay election, if such is to take place immedi-ately after the May polls,” Trenas added.

Moreover, he added, it will save the government tens of millions of pesos in scarce public funds which could be used to funds programs in educa-tion, infrastructure devel-opment and other vital development programs.

Furthermore, the postponement will allow the incumbent barangay officials to continue to implement their projects and initiatives.

“In other words, hold-ing the 2013 barangay polls will surely disrupt the continuity of the pro-grams and the imple-mentation of projects in the various barangays all over the country,” Trenas concluded. (30)

Postponement of 2013 barangay polls sought

AMPUTEES can now walk proudly with du-rable and affordable

prostheses made possible by the use of the latest technol-ogy at Davao Jubilee Founda-tion (DJF).

With support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), DJF opened its newly con-structed workshop today as it shifts to state-of-the-art technology. The work-shop is now fully equipped to produce lightweight arti-ficial legs and braces made of polypropylene, instead of heavier fibreglass.

“Polypropylene is rela-tively cheap and easy to process. It is versatile and recyclable, and has a long shelf life. It also requires few other materials in the

manufacturing process,” said Jean-François Gallay, the ICRC’s regional physical rehabilitation project man-ager. “The technology that we use makes it possible to adapt assistive devices more precisely to the needs of each individual patient, which makes the devices more comfortable to use.”

“This new technology will be of significant help to patients as they regain their independence and dignity,” added Gallay.

He said that production time using the new tech-nology will be considerably shorter and that DJF will therefore be able to accom-modate more patients.

The ICRC has been pro-viding DJF with support enabling it to enhance its

Amputees to benefit from latest technology at Davao-based center

prosthetic services, which are one of the main needs of people physically dis-abled by injuries resulting from armed conflict. Last year, the ICRC built a gait training area where pa-tients could practise using their new prostheses.

DJF is a non-profit or-ganization that provides physical rehabilitation ser-vices to amputees and oth-er people with disabilities. It mainly helps people from

Mindanao, a region affected by conflict and insecurity. The ICRC has been sending war-wounded patients to the foundation since 2000.

“It’s about time we made the shift to polypropylene technology. It provides better quality devices and serves the needs of patients at re-duced cost,” said Glorycel Lasquite, a prosthetist-ortho-tist, one of two DJF staff spon-sored by the ICRC for special-ized training in Cambodia.

PALM SUNDAY. Eduardo Villaboza prepares crosses made from palm leaves for today’s Palm Sunday. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 2012 THE ECONOMY 5EDGEDAVAOStat Watch

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2009 - December 2011)

Month 2011 2010 2009

Average 43.31 45.11 47.637December 43.64 43.95 46.421November 43.27 43.49 47.032October 43.45 43.44 46.851

September 43.02 44.31 48.139August 42.42 45.18 48.161

July 42.81 46.32 48.146June 43.37 46.30 47.905May 43.13 45.60 47.524April 43.24 44.63 48.217

March 43.52 45.74 48.458February 43.70 46.31 47.585January 44.17 46.03 47.207

3.5%4th Qtr 2011

3.7%4th Qtr 2011

USD 3,342Million

Nov 2011USD 4,985

MillionNov 2011

USD -1,643Million

Nov 2011USD -114

MillionDec 2011

P4,442,355Million

Nov 2011

4.71%Oct 2011P128,745

MillionNov 2011

P 4,898Billion

Oct 2011

P 43.65Dec 2011

3,999.7Sept 2011

128.1Jan 2012

3.9Jan 2012

3.4Dec 2011

284,040Sept 2011

19.1%Oct 2011

6.4%Oct 2011

1. Gross National IncomeGrowth Rate(At Constant 2000 Prices)

2. Gross Domestic ProductGrowth Rate(At Constant 2000 Prices)

3. Exports 1/

4. Imports 1/

5. Trade Balance

6. Balance of Payments 2/

7. Broad Money Liabilities

8. Interest Rates 4/

9. National Government Revenues

10. National government outstanding debt

11. Peso per US $ 5/

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

16. Visitor Arrivals

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

Cebu Pacific Daily 5J961 / 5J962 5:45 Manila-Davao-Manila 6:15Zest Air Daily Z2390 / Z2390 5:45 Manila-Davao-Manila 6:25Cebu Pacific Daily 5J593 / 5J348 6:00 Cebu-Davao-Iloilo 6:30Philippine Airlines Daily PR809 / PR810 6:10 Manila-Davao-Manila 7:00Philippine Airlines Daily PR819 / PR820 7:50 Manila-Davao-Manila 8:50Cebu Pacific Daily 5J394 / 5J393 7:50 Zamboanga-Davao-Zamboanga 8:10Cebu Pacific Daily 5J599 / 5J594 8:00 Cebu-Davao-Cebu 8:30Cebu Pacific Daily 5J347 / 5J596 9:10 Iloilo-Davao-Cebu 9:40Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun 5J963 / 5J964 9:40 Manila-Davao-Manila 10:10Philippine Airlines Daily PR811 / PR812 11:30 Manila-Davao-Manila 12:20Cebu Pacific Daily 5J595 / 5J966 12:00 Cebu-Davao-Manila 12:30Silk Air Mon/Wed/Sat MI588 / MI588 18:55 Davao-Cebu-Singapore 13:35Cebu Pacific Thu 5J965 / 5J968 12:55 Manila-Davao-Manila 13:25Cebu Pacific Tue/Wed//Sat 5J965 / 5J968 13:35 Manila-Davao-Manila 14:05

Silk Air Thu/Sun MI566 / MI566 18:55 Davao-Singapore 15:20Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri 5J507 / 5J598 15:00 Cebu-Davao-Cebu 15:30Philippine Airlines August 15:55 Mani2Mani 16:50Zest Air Daily Z2524 / Z2525 16:05 Cebu-Davao-Cebu 16:45Cebu Pacific Daily 5J967 / 5J600 16:35 Manila-Davao-Cebu 17:05Philippines Airlines Daily PR813 / PR814 16:55 Manila-Davao-Manila 17:45Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat 5J215 / 5J216 18:00 Cagayan de Oro-Davao-Cagayan de Oro 18:20Cebu Pacific Daily 5971 / 5J970 18:40 Manila-Davao-Manila 19:10Cebu Pacific Tue/Sat/Sun 5J973 / 5J974 20:00 Manila-Davao-Manila 20:30Cebu Pacific Daily 5J969 / 5J972 20:30 Manila-Davao-Manila 21:00Airphil Express Daily 2P987 / 2P988 20:30 Manila-Davao-Manila 21:00Philippine Airlines Daily except Sunday PR821 / PR822 21:20 Manila-Davao-Manila 21:50Philippine Airlines Sunday PR821 / PR822 22:20 Manila-Davao-Manila 22:50

as of august 2010

CONCERNED over the shortage of power sup-ply and the increasing

frequency of blackouts in Min-danao, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is calling on govern-ment to come up with inte-grated short- and long-term strategies to address the prob-lem, ensure the growth poten-tial and continued operation of enterprises and industries in the island and, avert serious unemployment and “lay offs”’

The PCCI, since 2008 and as late as 2011, has been ringing the alarm bell over this matter.

With the crisis now being felt island-wide, PCCI said it is critical that the situation be immediately addressed with a blend of strategies uniquely crafted for the island in order to draw and move larger eco-nomic activities in that part of the country.

Noting that Mindanao is designed to be a lower-power cost area, PCCI stressed that solution to the current crisis should not be focused only on the supply side, which would cause disastrous results to con-sumers in terms of power cost, as is now being experienced in Luzon and the off-grid areas. A coherent solution must be complemented with sustaining lower power cost.

PCCI President, Miguel Va-

rela pointed out “As strategi-cally and correctly planned years before, lower power cost was the key driver in making businesses locate and thrive in Mindanao and would be the a strong platform in achieving peace in the area.”

PCCI noted that to sustain this strategy, hydro plants should be Mindanao’s core en-ergy source; that hydro-based plants should be enhanced and complemented with diesel-based reserve power facilities. Jose Alejandro, Energy Vice President explained, “As part of the hydro strategy, diesel plants and barges should re-main to be in government hands as dispatchable reserve or standby power.”

He cited as example the Agus hydro-plant, which can produce power at about P3.00 kWh. With dredging, rehabili-tation and expansion, Agus can produce up to 800 MW of pow-er for about nine (9) months (instead of 6 months only) of the year, and a potential year-round dependable capacity of up to 350 MW.

Agus’ supply capacity can be complemented with 450 MW of slow speed diesel ca-pacity. With 200 MW standby generation sets reported to be privately-owned, only 250 MW diesel-based will be needed to complement Agus.

This example of hydro-die-sel strategy will bring an in-cremental cost of about P1.00 kWh in spread-out fixed costs, or total cost of P4.00 kWh. Ale-jandro added, “Mindanao con-sumers will only pay for the diesel fuel when they run dur-ing the summer.”

PCCI acknowledges that while coal plays an important role in the generation mix, the high power cost will over-whelm Mindanao consum-ers. Hence, the development of other baseload generation plants with coal at the fore-front, must be done only after fully developing all the poten-tial hydro-electric power sites in the islands.

To shore up the situation, PCCI proposed five immediate measures leading to a mid-term and forward-looking de-velopment. First is for the gov-ernment to implement formal rolling blackout/load shedding program with special and clear concern for areas where in-dustries and major economic activities are located to avoid major lay-offs. Second is to ne-gotiate with the Aboitiz Power to bring in Therma Marine as baseload and at baseload rate for 24 months or as needed, which should be substantially lower than its asking “peak-ing” rate of P14 kWh. Be sure, however, that the Bislig trans-

mission line is reliable. Third is for government to facilitate an international bidding for the following: a) Repair-Operate-Maintain-Transfer (ROMT) of the Agus-Pulangui Hydro Plants which should release some additional 150 MW in less than 15 months, b) Relo-cate-Repair-Operate-Maintain-Transfer (RROMT) for Power Barges 101, 102, 103 and 104 which should result in 120 MW supply in less than 15 months at cost lower than current similar source, c) ROMT of the 100 MW diesel plant in Iligan. Fourth is to closely support the development and construction of the 200 MW coal-fired plant of Alsons in General Santos, which should be on line in 2 to 3 years. And fifth is for govern-ment to support the 300 MW coal-fired plant of the consor-tium of 21 coops, which should be on line in 3 to 4 years … this should produce reasonably lower price power since it is co-owned by the coops.

Varela emphasized that PCCI supports a clear and pre-dictable roadmap that would give immediate, short term and mid to long term response to the Mindanao power crisis effectively addressing the de-sired power supply and lower power cost. This, he said, also supports the call of the Presi-dent to alleviate the crisis.

Power situation is already critical: Philippine chamber

A test sampling to determine the presence of mercury in the rivers and creeks in

Parang-parang watershed were conducted yesterday in prepa-ration for the creation of a Mi-nahang Bayan or People’s Small Scale Mining Area.

Surigao del Norte Governor Sol F. Matugas has requested the Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Envi-ronmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) regional office to conduct water and soil analysis in line with her proposal to put up a Minahang Bayan near the watershed.

Matugas earlier said having the Minahan Ng Bayan will help contain mining wastes if rules and regulations are followed.

The proposed 20-hectare mining site lies adjacent to the Parang-parang watershed. If granted, it will legalize the min-ing activities of Nagkahiusang Gagmayng Minero (NAGAMI) near the city’s only source of po-table water for local residents.

Nagami chair Ignacio M. Are-valo said the group has 1,003 in-dividual members.

Mining engineer Noli N. Arre-za, chair of the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board said they took soil and water samples at Kan-mahat Creek, Tagbasingan Creek, Hubasan River and Pinaypayan River, all located below Parang-parang watershed.

He said these samples will be sent to a chemical laboratory in Davao City for testing, and the re-sults will be known in two weeks.

Arreza was accompanied by personnel from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Environ-ment Management Bureau, Su-rigao Metropolitan Water Dis-trict (SMWD), Provincial Envi-ronment and Natural Resources Office, City Environment and Natural Resources and Provincial Environment and Management Office (PEMO).

Ivonnie B. Dumadag of PEMO confirmed that the sampling is part of the preparation for the creation of the Minahang Bayan.

She said the results of the sampling yesterday may jibe with the findings earlier released by SMWD.

Arreza admitted that the use of mercury and other hazardous chemicals was rampant dur-ing the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s but that the small-scale miners have stopped using these chemicals.

He said that based on their observation and on the state-ments of the miners themselves mercury and cyanide were no longer used.

But early this month, the SMWD released a copy of a wa-ter laboratory test result show-ing the presence of mercury in water and soil in Sitios Pile and Hubasan in Barangay Mat-i.

In a letter dated 6 March 2012 sent by Benjamin R. Enso-mo, general manager of SMWD said results of the analysis con-ducted at the University of San Carlos-Water Laboratory in Cebu City on 17 February 2012 show that mercury content in the sub-mitted soil samples far exceeds

the acceptable level.Soil samples taken upstream

of Sitio Pile contained 992-micro-gram hydrargyrum per kilogram, and those taken downstream 476-microgram hydrargyrum per kilogram. Samples taken in Sitio Hubasan had 2633-micro-gram hydrargyrum per kilogram.

Hydrargyrum is Latin for mercury (chemical symbol Hg).

“Based on the above test result, the level of mercury per kilogram of soil sample is sig-nificantly high compared to the Philippine National Standard of Drinking Water (PNSDW),” Dr. Danilo T. Jaque, a hydrologist, said.

“When these soil samples will be agitated and re-suspend-ed on the flowing water during runoff, it is very likely that it will contaminate the water supply system,” he added.

Jaque recommended the adoption of measures that will protect the water supply system from dispersion of such contami-nants in its sources. [MINDANEWS]

Prelude to legalizing mining: Mercury test done in Surigao City’s only watershed

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 2012 THE ECONOMY 5EDGEDAVAOStat Watch

MONTHLY AVERAGE EXCHANGE RATE (January 2009 - December 2011)

Month 2011 2010 2009

Average 43.31 45.11 47.637December 43.64 43.95 46.421November 43.27 43.49 47.032October 43.45 43.44 46.851

September 43.02 44.31 48.139August 42.42 45.18 48.161

July 42.81 46.32 48.146June 43.37 46.30 47.905May 43.13 45.60 47.524April 43.24 44.63 48.217

March 43.52 45.74 48.458February 43.70 46.31 47.585January 44.17 46.03 47.207

3.5%4th Qtr 2011

3.7%4th Qtr 2011

USD 3,342Million

Nov 2011USD 4,985

MillionNov 2011

USD -1,643Million

Nov 2011USD -114

MillionDec 2011

P4,442,355Million

Nov 2011

4.71%Oct 2011P128,745

MillionNov 2011

P 4,898Billion

Oct 2011

P 43.65Dec 2011

3,999.7Sept 2011

128.1Jan 2012

3.9Jan 2012

3.4Dec 2011

284,040Sept 2011

19.1%Oct 2011

6.4%Oct 2011

1. Gross National IncomeGrowth Rate(At Constant 2000 Prices)

2. Gross Domestic ProductGrowth Rate(At Constant 2000 Prices)

3. Exports 1/

4. Imports 1/

5. Trade Balance

6. Balance of Payments 2/

7. Broad Money Liabilities

8. Interest Rates 4/

9. National Government Revenues

10. National government outstanding debt

11. Peso per US $ 5/

12. Stocks Composite Index 6/

13. Consumer Price Index 2006=100

14. Headline Inflation Rate 2006=100

15. Core Inflation Rate 2006=100

16. Visitor Arrivals

17. Underemployment Rate 7/

18. Unemployment Rate 7/

Cebu Pacific Daily 5J961 / 5J962 5:45 Manila-Davao-Manila 6:15Zest Air Daily Z2390 / Z2390 5:45 Manila-Davao-Manila 6:25Cebu Pacific Daily 5J593 / 5J348 6:00 Cebu-Davao-Iloilo 6:30Philippine Airlines Daily PR809 / PR810 6:10 Manila-Davao-Manila 7:00Philippine Airlines Daily PR819 / PR820 7:50 Manila-Davao-Manila 8:50Cebu Pacific Daily 5J394 / 5J393 7:50 Zamboanga-Davao-Zamboanga 8:10Cebu Pacific Daily 5J599 / 5J594 8:00 Cebu-Davao-Cebu 8:30Cebu Pacific Daily 5J347 / 5J596 9:10 Iloilo-Davao-Cebu 9:40Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun 5J963 / 5J964 9:40 Manila-Davao-Manila 10:10Philippine Airlines Daily PR811 / PR812 11:30 Manila-Davao-Manila 12:20Cebu Pacific Daily 5J595 / 5J966 12:00 Cebu-Davao-Manila 12:30Silk Air Mon/Wed/Sat MI588 / MI588 18:55 Davao-Cebu-Singapore 13:35Cebu Pacific Thu 5J965 / 5J968 12:55 Manila-Davao-Manila 13:25Cebu Pacific Tue/Wed//Sat 5J965 / 5J968 13:35 Manila-Davao-Manila 14:05

Silk Air Thu/Sun MI566 / MI566 18:55 Davao-Singapore 15:20Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri 5J507 / 5J598 15:00 Cebu-Davao-Cebu 15:30Philippine Airlines August 15:55 Mani2Mani 16:50Zest Air Daily Z2524 / Z2525 16:05 Cebu-Davao-Cebu 16:45Cebu Pacific Daily 5J967 / 5J600 16:35 Manila-Davao-Cebu 17:05Philippines Airlines Daily PR813 / PR814 16:55 Manila-Davao-Manila 17:45Cebu Pacific Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat 5J215 / 5J216 18:00 Cagayan de Oro-Davao-Cagayan de Oro 18:20Cebu Pacific Daily 5971 / 5J970 18:40 Manila-Davao-Manila 19:10Cebu Pacific Tue/Sat/Sun 5J973 / 5J974 20:00 Manila-Davao-Manila 20:30Cebu Pacific Daily 5J969 / 5J972 20:30 Manila-Davao-Manila 21:00Airphil Express Daily 2P987 / 2P988 20:30 Manila-Davao-Manila 21:00Philippine Airlines Daily except Sunday PR821 / PR822 21:20 Manila-Davao-Manila 21:50Philippine Airlines Sunday PR821 / PR822 22:20 Manila-Davao-Manila 22:50

as of august 2010

CONCERNED over the shortage of power sup-ply and the increasing

frequency of blackouts in Min-danao, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is calling on govern-ment to come up with inte-grated short- and long-term strategies to address the prob-lem, ensure the growth poten-tial and continued operation of enterprises and industries in the island and, avert serious unemployment and “lay offs”’

The PCCI, since 2008 and as late as 2011, has been ringing the alarm bell over this matter.

With the crisis now being felt island-wide, PCCI said it is critical that the situation be immediately addressed with a blend of strategies uniquely crafted for the island in order to draw and move larger eco-nomic activities in that part of the country.

Noting that Mindanao is designed to be a lower-power cost area, PCCI stressed that solution to the current crisis should not be focused only on the supply side, which would cause disastrous results to con-sumers in terms of power cost, as is now being experienced in Luzon and the off-grid areas. A coherent solution must be complemented with sustaining lower power cost.

PCCI President, Miguel Va-

rela pointed out “As strategi-cally and correctly planned years before, lower power cost was the key driver in making businesses locate and thrive in Mindanao and would be the a strong platform in achieving peace in the area.”

PCCI noted that to sustain this strategy, hydro plants should be Mindanao’s core en-ergy source; that hydro-based plants should be enhanced and complemented with diesel-based reserve power facilities. Jose Alejandro, Energy Vice President explained, “As part of the hydro strategy, diesel plants and barges should re-main to be in government hands as dispatchable reserve or standby power.”

He cited as example the Agus hydro-plant, which can produce power at about P3.00 kWh. With dredging, rehabili-tation and expansion, Agus can produce up to 800 MW of pow-er for about nine (9) months (instead of 6 months only) of the year, and a potential year-round dependable capacity of up to 350 MW.

Agus’ supply capacity can be complemented with 450 MW of slow speed diesel ca-pacity. With 200 MW standby generation sets reported to be privately-owned, only 250 MW diesel-based will be needed to complement Agus.

This example of hydro-die-sel strategy will bring an in-cremental cost of about P1.00 kWh in spread-out fixed costs, or total cost of P4.00 kWh. Ale-jandro added, “Mindanao con-sumers will only pay for the diesel fuel when they run dur-ing the summer.”

PCCI acknowledges that while coal plays an important role in the generation mix, the high power cost will over-whelm Mindanao consum-ers. Hence, the development of other baseload generation plants with coal at the fore-front, must be done only after fully developing all the poten-tial hydro-electric power sites in the islands.

To shore up the situation, PCCI proposed five immediate measures leading to a mid-term and forward-looking de-velopment. First is for the gov-ernment to implement formal rolling blackout/load shedding program with special and clear concern for areas where in-dustries and major economic activities are located to avoid major lay-offs. Second is to ne-gotiate with the Aboitiz Power to bring in Therma Marine as baseload and at baseload rate for 24 months or as needed, which should be substantially lower than its asking “peak-ing” rate of P14 kWh. Be sure, however, that the Bislig trans-

mission line is reliable. Third is for government to facilitate an international bidding for the following: a) Repair-Operate-Maintain-Transfer (ROMT) of the Agus-Pulangui Hydro Plants which should release some additional 150 MW in less than 15 months, b) Relo-cate-Repair-Operate-Maintain-Transfer (RROMT) for Power Barges 101, 102, 103 and 104 which should result in 120 MW supply in less than 15 months at cost lower than current similar source, c) ROMT of the 100 MW diesel plant in Iligan. Fourth is to closely support the development and construction of the 200 MW coal-fired plant of Alsons in General Santos, which should be on line in 2 to 3 years. And fifth is for govern-ment to support the 300 MW coal-fired plant of the consor-tium of 21 coops, which should be on line in 3 to 4 years … this should produce reasonably lower price power since it is co-owned by the coops.

Varela emphasized that PCCI supports a clear and pre-dictable roadmap that would give immediate, short term and mid to long term response to the Mindanao power crisis effectively addressing the de-sired power supply and lower power cost. This, he said, also supports the call of the Presi-dent to alleviate the crisis.

Power situation is already critical: Philippine chamber

A test sampling to determine the presence of mercury in the rivers and creeks in

Parang-parang watershed were conducted yesterday in prepa-ration for the creation of a Mi-nahang Bayan or People’s Small Scale Mining Area.

Surigao del Norte Governor Sol F. Matugas has requested the Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Envi-ronmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) regional office to conduct water and soil analysis in line with her proposal to put up a Minahang Bayan near the watershed.

Matugas earlier said having the Minahan Ng Bayan will help contain mining wastes if rules and regulations are followed.

The proposed 20-hectare mining site lies adjacent to the Parang-parang watershed. If granted, it will legalize the min-ing activities of Nagkahiusang Gagmayng Minero (NAGAMI) near the city’s only source of po-table water for local residents.

Nagami chair Ignacio M. Are-valo said the group has 1,003 in-dividual members.

Mining engineer Noli N. Arre-za, chair of the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board said they took soil and water samples at Kan-mahat Creek, Tagbasingan Creek, Hubasan River and Pinaypayan River, all located below Parang-parang watershed.

He said these samples will be sent to a chemical laboratory in Davao City for testing, and the re-sults will be known in two weeks.

Arreza was accompanied by personnel from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Environ-ment Management Bureau, Su-rigao Metropolitan Water Dis-trict (SMWD), Provincial Envi-ronment and Natural Resources Office, City Environment and Natural Resources and Provincial Environment and Management Office (PEMO).

Ivonnie B. Dumadag of PEMO confirmed that the sampling is part of the preparation for the creation of the Minahang Bayan.

She said the results of the sampling yesterday may jibe with the findings earlier released by SMWD.

Arreza admitted that the use of mercury and other hazardous chemicals was rampant dur-ing the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s but that the small-scale miners have stopped using these chemicals.

He said that based on their observation and on the state-ments of the miners themselves mercury and cyanide were no longer used.

But early this month, the SMWD released a copy of a wa-ter laboratory test result show-ing the presence of mercury in water and soil in Sitios Pile and Hubasan in Barangay Mat-i.

In a letter dated 6 March 2012 sent by Benjamin R. Enso-mo, general manager of SMWD said results of the analysis con-ducted at the University of San Carlos-Water Laboratory in Cebu City on 17 February 2012 show that mercury content in the sub-mitted soil samples far exceeds

the acceptable level.Soil samples taken upstream

of Sitio Pile contained 992-micro-gram hydrargyrum per kilogram, and those taken downstream 476-microgram hydrargyrum per kilogram. Samples taken in Sitio Hubasan had 2633-micro-gram hydrargyrum per kilogram.

Hydrargyrum is Latin for mercury (chemical symbol Hg).

“Based on the above test result, the level of mercury per kilogram of soil sample is sig-nificantly high compared to the Philippine National Standard of Drinking Water (PNSDW),” Dr. Danilo T. Jaque, a hydrologist, said.

“When these soil samples will be agitated and re-suspend-ed on the flowing water during runoff, it is very likely that it will contaminate the water supply system,” he added.

Jaque recommended the adoption of measures that will protect the water supply system from dispersion of such contami-nants in its sources. [MINDANEWS]

Prelude to legalizing mining: Mercury test done in Surigao City’s only watershed

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 20126 THE ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

LUNCH BREAK. A group of construction workers along Roxas Avenue takes a break at the uppermost part of the structure that they are building, which is partly shaded by a tree. As the Labor Month is fast approaching, the Kilusang Mayo Uno is drumbeating its call for a P125 across the board wage increase nationwide. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

A lawmaker from Met-ro Manila has formal-ized his proposal to

exempt the sale or importa-tion of petroleum products from the value added tax (VAT) through the filing of House Bill 6014 that aims to ease the burden of the people from the oil price hikes.

San Juan City Rep. Jo-seph Victor “JV” Ejercito said instead of having an-other dole-out program such as the “Pantawid Pas-ada Program,” it is high time to provide an immediate relief for the people from the increasing cost of oil by classifying the petroleum product as a VAT-exempt transaction.

Ejercito, chairman of the House committee on Metro Manila Develop-ment, stressed that every increase in the price of gasoline, diesel, kerosene and other petroleum-based products has a domino ef-fect on the price of prime commodities.

“This situation, if not abated, will certainly retard our economic growth tar-gets and create widespread poverty among our people,” he said.

Although removing the VAT from the sale and importation of petroleum products would reduce government revenues, Ejer-cito said it is imperative to consider the incomes and revenues derived from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), and the Malampaya gas project.

“These revenues should be included from the an-nual drafting of the national budget instead of being treated as off-budget items subject to the full control

of the Office of the Presi-dent. The funds from these sources are sufficient to re-plenish the lost revenues,” he said.

The San Juan City solon cited the projected gross in-come of Pagcor for FY 2012 is P45 billion while those of the PCSO and Malampaya are P31 billion and P43 bil-lion, respectively.

When the Expanded VAT or Republic Act 9337 was enacted by Congress in 2004, its purpose was to ad-dress the prevailing loom-ing crisis brought about by an unprecedented increase in national debt, he said.

“The economic situ-ation then was (that) the country’s debt-to-gross do-mestic product ratio was at record high of 78.2 percent. Debt payments then were equivalent to 86.1 percent of government revenues which was unparalleled since 1986. However, in 2012, the country’s debt-to-gross domestic product ratio fell to 55.4 percent, a large improvement from the 2004 level,” Ejercito said.

He said the economic team of President Benigno S. Aquino III is committed to cutting the debt-to-gross domestic product ratio to 46 percent when his term ends.

Furthermore, he said even the known financial and economic analysts forecast that the peso will strengthen and the Philip-pine economy will rebound this year.

In HB 6014, Ejercito sought the amendment of Section 109 (1), Chapter 1, Title IV, Value Added Tax of R.A. 8424, otherwise known as the “Tax Reform Act of 1997,” as amended by R.A. 9337 so that the following transactions shall also be

VAT-exempt: Sale or impor-tation of petroleum prod-ucts (except lubricating oil, processed gas, grease wax, petrolatum, and coal and natural gas in what-ever form or state) sub-ject to excise tax imposed under Title VI; and Sale or importation of raw materi-als to be used by the buyer or importer himself in the manufacture of petroleum products subject to excise tax, except lubricating oil, processed gas, grease, wax and petrolatum.

VAT exemption for oil sought

SEN. Manny Villar has filed a bill in the Sen-ate that will help fresh

graduates look for a job without the additional bur-den of paying fees for docu-mentary requirements.

Senate Bill No. 2968 or the Fresh Graduates Pre-Employment Assistance Act seeks to aid new gradu-ates by waiving govern-ment fees and charges col-lected in connection with requirements for employ-ment.

“Finding a job is very difficult with the limited opportunities out there. In effect, we are making it more difficult by impos-ing fees for clearances, IDs, certifications, among oth-ers,” Villar said.

“By waiving these fees, we are also giving the fam-

ily a break after paying for the costly tertiary educa-tion,” the former Senate president said.

Under the bill, all gov-ernment agencies, includ-ing Government-Owned and Controlled Corpora-tions and local govern-ment units, are prevented from collecting fees from a person applying for li-cense, proof of identifica-tion, clearance, certificate, or other document within one year after graduating from high school, college or any vocational or tech-nical course.

To avail of the waiver, a citizen must submit to the agency concerned a copy of his or her diploma, certi-fication or communication from the academic, voca-tional or technical institu-

tion attesting that such person has indeed success-fully completed the course required.

The fees to be waived do not include those col-lected in connection with the granting of a pro-fessional license by the Professional Regulation Commission and with the granting of a Philippine passport.

Villar said the waiver of government fees is a sim-ple measure that intends not only to provide relief but also to show the state’s commitment to promote the interest of the youth.

“The waiver of these fees must be taken not as a loss of revenue for the gov-ernment, but as an invest-ment in its emerging labor force,” he said.

Villar wants fresh graduatesexempted from employment fees

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 2012 7MOTORINGEDGEDAVAO

TOYS FOR THE BIG BOYS. Davao City Classic and Sports Car Club’s “Summer Car Craze” at the Abreeza Mall featured the best of Davao’s automobile collec-tion. (photos by DCSCC and Roy Geonzon)

IF this was a beauty pageant, it must be a pageant for all ages. The beauties repre-

sent their generations and for boys growing up getting fascinated with cars, this is like a nostal-gia trip. Oh, well not just for the boys. For the la-dies too.

For three days, Abree-za Mall’s exhibit area was transformed into a veri-table carpark of flashy cars from the classics to the sporty. You don’t see an assembly of the best cars of their generation on any given day. Not even in any showroom. The Davao Classic and Sportscar Club made it happen.

“We were invited by the management of Abreeza Ayala Mall to do a car show here and we are glad to have this op-portunity to showcase our members’ cars,” said Willie Torres of the DC-SCC.

The Summer Car Craze event was held from March 28-30 with sporty cars like Chevro-let Corvettes from past to present, Porsches from the 60s to the present and the Maserati.

“This is a rare event because there has never been car show which dis-played the entire Porsche

911 turbo and Corvettes generations in one show and venue in Davao City,” Torres added.

“We hope there will be more of this in the fu-ture, umpisa pa lang ito,” said Bong Gonzaga.

Among the cars on display are Porsche 911 Turbo from 1990-2011 models, Corvette C4 4th generation series (84-96), Corvette C5 5th

gen series (97-04), Cor-vette ZR-1 (05-present), 2005 Maserati, a clas-sic Porsche 356a from 1955-59, Porsche 356c from 1960-1964, and Posche 911 series Twin Turbo 964, 993, 996 and 997.

For a car freak who has ogled at these cars only on car magazines, it was indeed a virtual tour of the evolution of cars.

All the pretty ladiesA bevy of ‘beauties’ line up for the Summer Car Craze for guys, and even girls, to ogle atBy Neil Bravo

CORVETTES. A pack of Corvettes and a bunch of Porsches.

Willie Torres

A young boy will most likely grow up with his dream car in mind. I

was in high school when I fell in love with a car and dreamed of driving it for a girl I wanted to date.

This car was the concept car in the movie “Back to the Future” which featured Mi-cheal J. Fox. I love it when it opens its doors like you are opening a freezer. The closest thing to that was the Lambo-rghini Countach (which literal-ly means an exclamation in the Piedmontese language usually used by men when seeing an extremely beautiful woman).

With this in mind, we will venture into the dream cars of our automobile freaks. Be-ginning this week, we feature personalities in the motoring community to speak about

their dream car. Let’s start with the man which personifies driving in stryle—whether on the fast lane or simply cruising along the autobahn highway.

WILLIE TORRES, CEO, race car driver, automobile connoisseur

“The ‘66 mustang was my dream car.

When I saw a red mus-tang fastback passed through our car at the intersection of Buendia and Ayala Avenue in Makati, I fell in love with the car and wished I could have one. I was only 11 years old that time and was in grade 6 at Don Bosco Makati. After 36 years, I got my red mustang in 2002. It was a long wait.

I was looking for an American V8 car to restore and found out a mustang is for sale at Forbes Park. I went to

the guy and saw the mustang fastback. Suddenly, I got this flashback to 1966 and I went on to buy the mustang. It took me a year to restore the car to its mint condition.

The ’66 Mustang was my favourite.”

The 1966 Shelby. Predecessor: 1965–1970 GT350 and GT500

According to its history, the GT 350 lost its Mustang tag in 1966 and was mar-keted simply as the Shelby GT 350. The new model year also saw the introduction of non-white colors, including blue, red, green, and black. Other changes included special rear quarter-panel windows re-placing the factory extractor vents, functional brake scoops on each side, and optional Se-lectShift 3-speed automatic, as well as an optional Paxton supercharger. The battery was no longer relocated to the trunk for 1966, and the over-rider traction bars were discontinued. The normal fac-tory fold-down rear seat was optional. While early 1965 cars had black engine blocks, 1966 and later cars had their engines painted the regular factory Ford dark blue. The 1966 models came with a du-al-exhaust exiting in the rear.

What is your dream car?

1966 Shelby Mustang

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 2012

ALMOST four years ago now, just be-

fore I left my post in the government, power shortage in Mindanao had been predicted to happen within the next three years. The government then knew all about it and mas-sive efforts were done to respond to such looming crisis. I recall that the government had prepared a master plan for energy which was sup-posedly intended to increase the country’s capacity to generate more power and to manage the demand so that when the time comes we would be able to provide for the energy requirements of our industries.

Little attention was accorded to the warning. Though the business sector has shown fear and anxious anticipation, they could only do so much. The generation of more power was and still remains the ultimate and desirable response. Yet, in-vestment in this area was not actively en-couraged, although occasionally promoted. Policies and incentives to encourage pri-vate investments in power generation are unclear, miniscule, and - to some extent - ir-relevant to the call of the time.

In recent past, power barges have been deployed in critical areas in Mindanao to augment the supply of power. However, such remedy does not prove to be long last-ing and sustainable as their operation is so costly. Operating them as permanent gen-erators does not make any sense.

Last year, efforts were also exerted to increase Mindanao’s generation capacity through some proposals to open base load plants running on coal or diesel. Aside from theirnegative impact to the environment, these proposals were also viewed as more expensive. In fact, they really are.

Now that the power crisis is here push-ing Mindanao to a tunnel of darkness, Mala-canang and its allies in Congress are now contemplating of granting the President an emergency power.

As of now, we do not know what that emergency power is for and how it would be exercised. What we know are the many yet interconnected implications of the pow-er crisis, and these should be addressed strategically rather than politically.

The worst implication pertains to the disruption in the production process which could lead to higher production cost; hence, higher prices of manufactured goods. Higher prices tend to adversely affect the purchasing power of the peso; hence, de-mand for higher wages could be anticipat-ed but would be difficult to grant because the level of overall productivity is low due to the disrupted production process.

Interrupted operation due to power shortage could also push businesses to close, retrench labor or transfer operation to other places where power supply is ad-equate and sufficient to sustain production and business operation. The overall effect is a sluggish local economy of affected areas as there would be less economic activities, higher unemployment and low wages.

With these possible scenarios, all the goals and objectives set to make the coun-try more competitive and for the local com-munities to grow and prosper would all go to naught.

If we are serious in creating a climate conducive to do business in and attract more investments to come to the Philip-pines, it is imperative for the government to address the power crisis. Granting the President an undefined emergency power is not the practical and most effective solu-tion.

Emergency powers granted to former Presidents did not prove to be beneficial to the masses. For example, a review of the emergency power vested to former Presi-dent Fidel Ramos to deal with a similar crisis would reveal the grey areas that devi-ous operators used and abuse to make easy money for themselves alone at the expense of ordinary consumers.

As the members of Congress contin-ue to push for the granting of emergency power to the President, perhaps they could discuss the elements of such power and en-sure that it would benefit the ordinary Fili-pinos. We can also hope for the Congress to deliberate on the matter more quickly and swiftly; otherwise, it might be better for them to use the time to discuss the solution to the power crisis than the granting of the emergency power.I continue to believe that power crisis equals emergency power is a wrong equation.

Of course, the ability to use such emer-gency power – if ever granted - is yet an-other matter!

8 VANTAGE POINTS

TWO timely stories are told about eight students who were barred from joining their high school gradu-

ation for some naughtiness, memories of which will haunt them forever.

One concerns six boys of the Infant Je-sus Academy in Marikina City. They were delisted from the roster of graduating stu-dents as a penalty for uploading Facebook photos of themselves kissing each other.

The other story has to do with two girls also prevented from attending their gradu-ation at the St. Theresa Colleges in Cebu City for posting their Facebook photos in their bikinis.

The penalties have been criticized as too harsh for such simple foolishness. In the latter case, the Cebu Regional Trial Court even ordered the school to allow the bikini girls to march with their classmates and receive their diplomas.

We regard the two incidents not as tri-fling matters that can be allowed to pass perhaps using the usual exuberance of the

youth as excuse. Such tolerance could be dangerous given what the youth now are capable of, or what kind of danger they are constantly exposed to in the cruel world out there. The two incidents themselves point to the children’s vulnerability to sexual and other kinds of exploitation as a downside of social networking. Evil men who stalk-ing the young for an opportunity to strike must be celebrating by now for having found some potential victims. Talk of sex exploitation, prostitution, human traffick-ing, rapid spread of HIV-AIDS through men having sex with men. They are very real problems that could very well start from deviant behaviors of children tolerated by their “enlightened” elders.

The erring students must have realized by now that what they did was not exercise of academic freedom. Indeed, it is a good time as any to make them recognize that part of living in this world is for citizens to answer for their mischief and suffer pun-ishments that may haunt them forever.

Social networking downsideEDITORIAL

EDGEDAVAOProviding solutions to a seamless global village.

ANTONIO M. AJEROEditor in Chief

OLIVIA D. VELASCOGeneral Manager

LORIE ANN A. CASCARO • JADE C. ZALDIVAR • MOSES C. BILLACURAStaff Writers

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

KARLOS C. MANLUPIG • JOSEPH LAWRENCE P. GARCIALEANDRO S. DAVAL JR.,

PhotographyARLENE D. PASAJE

Cartoons

KENNETH IRVING K. ONGCreative Solutions

NEILWIN L. BRAVOSports and Motoring

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CARLO P. MALLOFeatures and Lifestyle

ALBERTO DALILANManaging

GREGORIO G. DELIGEROAssociate

RAMON M. MAXEYConsultant

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RICHARD C. EBONAIMELDA P. LEE

Advertising SpecialistsAGUSTIN V. MIAGAN JR

Circulation

SOLANI D. MARATASFinance

EDGEDAVAO

The wrong equation

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 2012

POOR Filipi-nos--- those who live be-

low the poverty line, those who could hardly eat three times a day, those who try to eke out a living from the streets selling anything that people buy, etc ---- are now seen by the gov-ernment as a huge “goldmine” for the nation’s insurance in-dustry.

I found that hard to believe, but Execu-tive Director Joselito Almario of the Depart-ment of Finance was so emphatic about this during a press conference last week, that the local media had no choice but to keep pestering him for details.

“We’ve neglected them for so long. All of these small vendors we call micro entre-preneurs, they’re a goldmine we have not tap yet for the insurance market,” Almario told reporters.

The Philippines insurance industry has been chugging along for many years, hardly denting the market, just enough to keep their heads above water. Tapping this new insurance market of street and market vendors, fishermen, carpenters, construc-tion workers, with a new kind of very cheap insurance is expected to boost the growth of a sagging insurance industry, according to Almario.

Citing government data, Almario said out of the total growth national product that moves this country’s economy for-ward, the biggest bulk of businesses are done by micro and small traders and en-trepreneurs which comprise 99.6 % of all industries.

Out of this number, around 96% are micro entrepreneurs, meaning those little

businesses by street vendors, market ven-dors, those small fisherman, carpenters, road workers, etc. “This is a huge potential for the insurance industry.” Almario said.

How well can we trust the poor to pay the premiums the insurance ? Almario used as basis the big success of the coun-try’s program on micro-finance which had a tremendous success rate for loan repay-ments at 98% compared to only around 60% to 70% for commercial bank borrow-ers. “When it comes to paying back loans or paying premiums for insurance, we can trust the poor better than the rich,” Almario said.

Looking at this concept from a bird’s eye point of view, it seems the country’s poor is being tapped to help rescue the multi-million insurance business in this country. It’s like wringing the sweat from a poor vendor or fisherman, to help the rich get richer thru this new insurance program for the poor.

It was a pity that only Almario was able to make us understand clearly what “Micro Insurance “ was all about. Most reporters and business writers like us don’t have the luxury of time to read their brochures with titles like” National Strategy of Micro Insur-ance” or “Regulatory Framework of Micro Insurance”, especially when written with so much government gobbledygook.

Some of our misgivings include our mistrust of insurance companies author-ized to handle the training of insurance agents and insurance marketing. This is natural for most Pinoys who are skeptical of financial, banking and insurance busi-nesses due to numerous scandals and scams in the past that eroded their trust for these institutions.

We reminded Almario that the “mind-set” of insurance companies today is so deeply rooted, this program could fail if

they keep using traditional ways of insur-ing people, making it difficult to qualify and making it difficult to claim insurance due to the “processes” involved in filling up forms, figuring out who can qualify for insurance and claiming the insurance money when a calamity or tragedy strikes.

Its good to know that the DOF and the guys at the Insurance Commission had al-ready anticipated this, as they are roaming the country today, conducting training pro-grams to insurance agents and even baran-gay officers to qualify them to sell insurance to the poor folks in their villages.

What they’re trying to do, according to Almario, is to SIMPLIFY the entire insur-ance process, making it so simple, so short, even a monkey can do it, literally. The in-surance application form is only one-page, bond-size (compared to around 10 to tra-ditional insurance long-size forms) and the texts are in the local dialect, that even an fisherman who had never gone beyond grade school can understand.

Claiming the insurance, in case of ca-lamity, can also be so simple that a fisher-man who lost his insured fishing boat in a typhoon, can get cash in a matter hours from the insurance firm even without the necessary papers supporting his claim. “He gets half his cash even without the papers and the other half after he files his formal claim to his insurance,” Almario told us.

Whether or not this new insurance concept for the poor, will work, will depend on how well they introduce this to every vil-lage in this country, explaining it in Cebua-no, in Tausug, in Ilocano, in Ilonggo,in Bicol, in Tagalog, in street lingo, etc and making the process so simple, anyone so poor and simple, can understand the benefits of be-ing insured…

(Comments: Email: [email protected])

THE first ever horrific acci-dent I heard

about motorcycles when I was a child was of my older brother. That was also the time I heard my father say that when you ride a motorcycle, your leg is already in the grave.

Lately, when I drive, it’s not cars that I normally look out for but motorcycles! They just seem to come out from nowhere, to your left or right. What about the common sight of three or more passengers on one motorcycle? I am not even talking about the “habal-habal” of the provinces where two wooden planks are balanced on a motorcycle for passengers to sit on.

Just last weekend, I met an American who told me that his Filipina wife died a year ago in a motorcycle accident in Mintal. She was carrying her toddler daughter, a year and 4 months old, when they were hit by another vehicle. The driver died instantly. The American’s wife was taken to a hospital where she was later pronounced dead. Their daughter, miraculously, was flung away by the impact. She suffered bruises on the face and had to undergo rehabilitation for months and had to wear a brace o doctor’s advice.Imagine a baby having to gradually learn how to walk and yet unsure of being able to walk at all….

Out of all the accidents I’ve heard, there is this one that stayed in my mind for years . It was of a father taking his child to school on his motorcycle early in the morning. The frail child, seated at the back, holding on tightly to her father. And, perhaps because the trip was quite long, the child fell asleep along the way, lost her grip and fell off…right in the path of where another vehicle follow-ing behind. The child died so tragically…and days afterwards, the father, overcome by a

feeling of guilt, killed himself. Two senseless deaths, all because of a motorcyle ride,

Whenever I see a man and child on a motorcycle, I feel the need to open the car window and warn the driver about the dan-ger of having that set-up.

According to a report from the PNP, “a total of 209 cases of accidents involving mo-torcycles had been recorded in January this year, a significant increase compared to last year’s record of 106 cases. Accidents almost doubled in one year!!

I would like to share these safety tips for when carrying a passenger on your motor-cycle:

If you decide to carry a child, make sure the child is mature enough to handle the re-sponsibilities, can reach the footrests, wears a helmet and other protective gear, and holds onto you or the passenger hand-holds.

Instruct your passenger to limit move-ment and talking.

Remember that the extra weight from carrying a passenger can affect braking procedures, starting from a stop, and riding through a corner.

Exercise caution in quick stops, as a pas-senger can move forward and bump your helmet with theirs.

Passing will require more time and space.

The effects of the wind will be more dis-tinct.

Allow the passenger time to adjust to the speed of riding and the feeling of leaning.

Make sure the passenger keeps all hands and feet away from hot or moving parts.

The passenger should not make any sudden movements or turns.

When crossing an obstacle, the pas-senger should stand on the motorcycle pegs with knees slightly bent, allowing the legs to absorb the shock upon impact.

The motorcycle should be started be-

fore the passenger mounts.Things Car and Truck Drivers Should

Know About MotorcyclesBecause motorcycles can be hard to

spot, always look for them, especially when checking traffic at an intersection.

Because of its small size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is. Predict that a motorcycle is closer than it looks.

Motorcycles often look like they are moving faster than they really are.

Motorcyclists often slow down by downshifting or merely rolling off the throt-tle, therefore not activating a brake light. Al-low 3 or 4 seconds of following distance and predict a motorcyclist may slow down at in-tersections without visual warning.

Bikers often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to stray clear of road debris, passing cars, and wind. Un-derstand that these position shifts aren›t to be reckless, show off, or allow you to share a lane with them.

When a motorcycle is in motion, don›t think of it as a motorcycle; think of it as a person.

There are a total of 7,000 motorcycle sales every week of the year. What with the low down-payment to own a unit, motor-cycles sales are booming! Good for compa-nies but not the masses. I am not sure if the government has taken steps in ensuring the safety of these riders. What kind of trainings or seminars are being given? There should be more precautions taken aside from the helmet law.

In another city, would you believe that the law there is it is prohibited to wear hel-mets? Outrageous,right?? But I guess, their priority there is to prevent killings done by motorcycle riders themselves. But that’s a whole different story.

Please do share this article with your loved-ones and, hopefully in our own little way, help save lives.

CA N D I D SHOTS – We must look

into the state of our political parties – seeking to move them from the real issues to personali-ties, from political platforms to pa-tronage system. Patronage politics merely changes the person in power, but it doesn’t re-form the system.

We really can-not institute reforms when we are under politi-cal pressures. For example, secretaries and oth-er high officials appointed by the Chief Executive owe allegiance only to the appointing authority – and to no one else. They come from big busi-nesses or the elite professions, and naturally, they tend to serve and protect not the masses of their countrymen but their own kind.

oooOooo THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT SMOKING

– HEALTH RISK OR EXCISE TAX? – It is really dreadful, and say what you will about cigarette smoking, but anybody worth his grain of salt surely knows that the smoking habit is bad for the health. That profound observation, however, offers little or no comfort at all to the country’s cigarette manufacturers.

Members of the Philippine Tobacco Insti-tute (PTI) actually are not going to tell the con-suming public what hazards are brought about by cigarette smoking. I firmly believe the logic of their common interests suggests that the pro-posed legislative measure House Bill- 5727 or “Sin Tax,” if fully implemented, will gravely affect the country’s tobacco industry.

The cigarette manufacturers’ group re-cently decried HB-5727 and described it as anti-local industry. Their position continues to be that government supposedly should adopt one rate for cigarette brand levels on all brands – to “level the playing field.”

There are indications that the PTI is un-impressed because under HB-5727 the tax on all improved brands will increase by only 6% while the tax rate on low-priced bands will in-crease by more than 1,000%. According to PTI members, implementation of a new “Sin Tax” would be excessive and unprecedented, and no other country in the world has increased taxes that much.

Enforcing HB-5727 entails endless prob-lems, according to industry sources. It is some-what like saying that government regulators have a commitment to raise tax collection in order to hit its target, but when it comes to a plan on what to do first, it’s less clear. The PTI members therefore urge the legislative body to address their concerns citing the impact of HB-5727 on the tobacco industry.

In addition to that, local cigarette manu-facturers, in their full-page ad that came out recently in several national dailies, argued that legal cigarettes will become unaffordable to many Filipino smokers, and consumption will be greatly reduced because smokers would switch to cheaper, non-regulated black market cigarettes, thus undermining the public health objective of the tax reform, government revenue objective will be undermined by smuggled and fake cigarettes, which do not pay taxes, tobacco growers and small local manufacturers who produce only low-and mid-priced brands will be threatened in their existence, and the liveli-hood of 2.9 million Filipinos who depend on the tobacco industry will be badly affected.

Predicting HB-5727 will affect their busi-ness, PTI members, just like the country’s lead-ing beer manufacturers, however, show interest to support a passage of a law which provides for the current multi-tiered structure as well as regular and moderate tax measures. In any case, the inquisitive consuming public express diverse views and most are negative relative to cigarette smoking. Cigarette manufacturers should not panic in the face of a new tax scheme. They always have to bear in mind that smokers don’t buy smuggled or non-regulated cigarettes to do unscrupulous traders a favor. Smokers buy because they like the taste and besides they know pretty well that the price is much cheaper compared to the local brands.

Right now, the debate for all of us, particu-larly for anti-smoking groups and health buffs is how sure that the collective move undertaken by cigarette manufacturers is actually adding a bit of value to the people’s health and well-being if the implementation of HB-5727 will really undermine the public health objective of the tax reform initiated by the government. Gentlemen, whose legs are you pulling this time?

It seems to me and certainly many will agree they’re not applying the same standard in dealing with their business, and at the same time looking into the health concerns of the consuming public. As I mentioned earlier, the logic of their common interest is to block the approval of HB-5727 in order not to hamper the profitable cigarette manufacturing business. The truth is cigarette producers don’t care a hoot about the people’s health; after all they’re looking at the latter as a major growth market.

9VANTAGE POINTS

Monkey Business

EDGEDAVAO

Poor Pinoys to save sagging insurance industry?

HB-5727 ‘Sin Tax’ is on fire Motorcycles are dangerous

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 2012

POOR Filipi-nos--- those who live be-

low the poverty line, those who could hardly eat three times a day, those who try to eke out a living from the streets selling anything that people buy, etc ---- are now seen by the gov-ernment as a huge “goldmine” for the nation’s insurance in-dustry.

I found that hard to believe, but Execu-tive Director Joselito Almario of the Depart-ment of Finance was so emphatic about this during a press conference last week, that the local media had no choice but to keep pestering him for details.

“We’ve neglected them for so long. All of these small vendors we call micro entre-preneurs, they’re a goldmine we have not tap yet for the insurance market,” Almario told reporters.

The Philippines insurance industry has been chugging along for many years, hardly denting the market, just enough to keep their heads above water. Tapping this new insurance market of street and market vendors, fishermen, carpenters, construc-tion workers, with a new kind of very cheap insurance is expected to boost the growth of a sagging insurance industry, according to Almario.

Citing government data, Almario said out of the total growth national product that moves this country’s economy for-ward, the biggest bulk of businesses are done by micro and small traders and en-trepreneurs which comprise 99.6 % of all industries.

Out of this number, around 96% are micro entrepreneurs, meaning those little

businesses by street vendors, market ven-dors, those small fisherman, carpenters, road workers, etc. “This is a huge potential for the insurance industry.” Almario said.

How well can we trust the poor to pay the premiums the insurance ? Almario used as basis the big success of the coun-try’s program on micro-finance which had a tremendous success rate for loan repay-ments at 98% compared to only around 60% to 70% for commercial bank borrow-ers. “When it comes to paying back loans or paying premiums for insurance, we can trust the poor better than the rich,” Almario said.

Looking at this concept from a bird’s eye point of view, it seems the country’s poor is being tapped to help rescue the multi-million insurance business in this country. It’s like wringing the sweat from a poor vendor or fisherman, to help the rich get richer thru this new insurance program for the poor.

It was a pity that only Almario was able to make us understand clearly what “Micro Insurance “ was all about. Most reporters and business writers like us don’t have the luxury of time to read their brochures with titles like” National Strategy of Micro Insur-ance” or “Regulatory Framework of Micro Insurance”, especially when written with so much government gobbledygook.

Some of our misgivings include our mistrust of insurance companies author-ized to handle the training of insurance agents and insurance marketing. This is natural for most Pinoys who are skeptical of financial, banking and insurance busi-nesses due to numerous scandals and scams in the past that eroded their trust for these institutions.

We reminded Almario that the “mind-set” of insurance companies today is so deeply rooted, this program could fail if

they keep using traditional ways of insur-ing people, making it difficult to qualify and making it difficult to claim insurance due to the “processes” involved in filling up forms, figuring out who can qualify for insurance and claiming the insurance money when a calamity or tragedy strikes.

Its good to know that the DOF and the guys at the Insurance Commission had al-ready anticipated this, as they are roaming the country today, conducting training pro-grams to insurance agents and even baran-gay officers to qualify them to sell insurance to the poor folks in their villages.

What they’re trying to do, according to Almario, is to SIMPLIFY the entire insur-ance process, making it so simple, so short, even a monkey can do it, literally. The in-surance application form is only one-page, bond-size (compared to around 10 to tra-ditional insurance long-size forms) and the texts are in the local dialect, that even an fisherman who had never gone beyond grade school can understand.

Claiming the insurance, in case of ca-lamity, can also be so simple that a fisher-man who lost his insured fishing boat in a typhoon, can get cash in a matter hours from the insurance firm even without the necessary papers supporting his claim. “He gets half his cash even without the papers and the other half after he files his formal claim to his insurance,” Almario told us.

Whether or not this new insurance concept for the poor, will work, will depend on how well they introduce this to every vil-lage in this country, explaining it in Cebua-no, in Tausug, in Ilocano, in Ilonggo,in Bicol, in Tagalog, in street lingo, etc and making the process so simple, anyone so poor and simple, can understand the benefits of be-ing insured…

(Comments: Email: [email protected])

THE first ever horrific acci-dent I heard

about motorcycles when I was a child was of my older brother. That was also the time I heard my father say that when you ride a motorcycle, your leg is already in the grave.

Lately, when I drive, it’s not cars that I normally look out for but motorcycles! They just seem to come out from nowhere, to your left or right. What about the common sight of three or more passengers on one motorcycle? I am not even talking about the “habal-habal” of the provinces where two wooden planks are balanced on a motorcycle for passengers to sit on.

Just last weekend, I met an American who told me that his Filipina wife died a year ago in a motorcycle accident in Mintal. She was carrying her toddler daughter, a year and 4 months old, when they were hit by another vehicle. The driver died instantly. The American’s wife was taken to a hospital where she was later pronounced dead. Their daughter, miraculously, was flung away by the impact. She suffered bruises on the face and had to undergo rehabilitation for months and had to wear a brace o doctor’s advice.Imagine a baby having to gradually learn how to walk and yet unsure of being able to walk at all….

Out of all the accidents I’ve heard, there is this one that stayed in my mind for years . It was of a father taking his child to school on his motorcycle early in the morning. The frail child, seated at the back, holding on tightly to her father. And, perhaps because the trip was quite long, the child fell asleep along the way, lost her grip and fell off…right in the path of where another vehicle follow-ing behind. The child died so tragically…and days afterwards, the father, overcome by a

feeling of guilt, killed himself. Two senseless deaths, all because of a motorcyle ride,

Whenever I see a man and child on a motorcycle, I feel the need to open the car window and warn the driver about the dan-ger of having that set-up.

According to a report from the PNP, “a total of 209 cases of accidents involving mo-torcycles had been recorded in January this year, a significant increase compared to last year’s record of 106 cases. Accidents almost doubled in one year!!

I would like to share these safety tips for when carrying a passenger on your motor-cycle:

If you decide to carry a child, make sure the child is mature enough to handle the re-sponsibilities, can reach the footrests, wears a helmet and other protective gear, and holds onto you or the passenger hand-holds.

Instruct your passenger to limit move-ment and talking.

Remember that the extra weight from carrying a passenger can affect braking procedures, starting from a stop, and riding through a corner.

Exercise caution in quick stops, as a pas-senger can move forward and bump your helmet with theirs.

Passing will require more time and space.

The effects of the wind will be more dis-tinct.

Allow the passenger time to adjust to the speed of riding and the feeling of leaning.

Make sure the passenger keeps all hands and feet away from hot or moving parts.

The passenger should not make any sudden movements or turns.

When crossing an obstacle, the pas-senger should stand on the motorcycle pegs with knees slightly bent, allowing the legs to absorb the shock upon impact.

The motorcycle should be started be-

fore the passenger mounts.Things Car and Truck Drivers Should

Know About MotorcyclesBecause motorcycles can be hard to

spot, always look for them, especially when checking traffic at an intersection.

Because of its small size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is. Predict that a motorcycle is closer than it looks.

Motorcycles often look like they are moving faster than they really are.

Motorcyclists often slow down by downshifting or merely rolling off the throt-tle, therefore not activating a brake light. Al-low 3 or 4 seconds of following distance and predict a motorcyclist may slow down at in-tersections without visual warning.

Bikers often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to stray clear of road debris, passing cars, and wind. Un-derstand that these position shifts aren›t to be reckless, show off, or allow you to share a lane with them.

When a motorcycle is in motion, don›t think of it as a motorcycle; think of it as a person.

There are a total of 7,000 motorcycle sales every week of the year. What with the low down-payment to own a unit, motor-cycles sales are booming! Good for compa-nies but not the masses. I am not sure if the government has taken steps in ensuring the safety of these riders. What kind of trainings or seminars are being given? There should be more precautions taken aside from the helmet law.

In another city, would you believe that the law there is it is prohibited to wear hel-mets? Outrageous,right?? But I guess, their priority there is to prevent killings done by motorcycle riders themselves. But that’s a whole different story.

Please do share this article with your loved-ones and, hopefully in our own little way, help save lives.

CA N D I D SHOTS – We must look

into the state of our political parties – seeking to move them from the real issues to personali-ties, from political platforms to pa-tronage system. Patronage politics merely changes the person in power, but it doesn’t re-form the system.

We really can-not institute reforms when we are under politi-cal pressures. For example, secretaries and oth-er high officials appointed by the Chief Executive owe allegiance only to the appointing authority – and to no one else. They come from big busi-nesses or the elite professions, and naturally, they tend to serve and protect not the masses of their countrymen but their own kind.

oooOooo THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT SMOKING

– HEALTH RISK OR EXCISE TAX? – It is really dreadful, and say what you will about cigarette smoking, but anybody worth his grain of salt surely knows that the smoking habit is bad for the health. That profound observation, however, offers little or no comfort at all to the country’s cigarette manufacturers.

Members of the Philippine Tobacco Insti-tute (PTI) actually are not going to tell the con-suming public what hazards are brought about by cigarette smoking. I firmly believe the logic of their common interests suggests that the pro-posed legislative measure House Bill- 5727 or “Sin Tax,” if fully implemented, will gravely affect the country’s tobacco industry.

The cigarette manufacturers’ group re-cently decried HB-5727 and described it as anti-local industry. Their position continues to be that government supposedly should adopt one rate for cigarette brand levels on all brands – to “level the playing field.”

There are indications that the PTI is un-impressed because under HB-5727 the tax on all improved brands will increase by only 6% while the tax rate on low-priced bands will in-crease by more than 1,000%. According to PTI members, implementation of a new “Sin Tax” would be excessive and unprecedented, and no other country in the world has increased taxes that much.

Enforcing HB-5727 entails endless prob-lems, according to industry sources. It is some-what like saying that government regulators have a commitment to raise tax collection in order to hit its target, but when it comes to a plan on what to do first, it’s less clear. The PTI members therefore urge the legislative body to address their concerns citing the impact of HB-5727 on the tobacco industry.

In addition to that, local cigarette manu-facturers, in their full-page ad that came out recently in several national dailies, argued that legal cigarettes will become unaffordable to many Filipino smokers, and consumption will be greatly reduced because smokers would switch to cheaper, non-regulated black market cigarettes, thus undermining the public health objective of the tax reform, government revenue objective will be undermined by smuggled and fake cigarettes, which do not pay taxes, tobacco growers and small local manufacturers who produce only low-and mid-priced brands will be threatened in their existence, and the liveli-hood of 2.9 million Filipinos who depend on the tobacco industry will be badly affected.

Predicting HB-5727 will affect their busi-ness, PTI members, just like the country’s lead-ing beer manufacturers, however, show interest to support a passage of a law which provides for the current multi-tiered structure as well as regular and moderate tax measures. In any case, the inquisitive consuming public express diverse views and most are negative relative to cigarette smoking. Cigarette manufacturers should not panic in the face of a new tax scheme. They always have to bear in mind that smokers don’t buy smuggled or non-regulated cigarettes to do unscrupulous traders a favor. Smokers buy because they like the taste and besides they know pretty well that the price is much cheaper compared to the local brands.

Right now, the debate for all of us, particu-larly for anti-smoking groups and health buffs is how sure that the collective move undertaken by cigarette manufacturers is actually adding a bit of value to the people’s health and well-being if the implementation of HB-5727 will really undermine the public health objective of the tax reform initiated by the government. Gentlemen, whose legs are you pulling this time?

It seems to me and certainly many will agree they’re not applying the same standard in dealing with their business, and at the same time looking into the health concerns of the consuming public. As I mentioned earlier, the logic of their common interest is to block the approval of HB-5727 in order not to hamper the profitable cigarette manufacturing business. The truth is cigarette producers don’t care a hoot about the people’s health; after all they’re looking at the latter as a major growth market.

9VANTAGE POINTS

Monkey Business

EDGEDAVAO

Poor Pinoys to save sagging insurance industry?

HB-5727 ‘Sin Tax’ is on fire Motorcycles are dangerous

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 201210 COMMUNITY SENSE EDGEDAVAO

FEEL the serenity and harmony of nature as you observe Holy

Week at Eden Nature Park and Resort.

From April 5-8, 2012, avail of the special over-night rates for as low as PhP1,000 per hut at the Campsite 2. Other ac-commodations, such as Begonia and Aster rooms and Campsite 1, are also available.

Cap the peaceful ob-servance of Lent with fun family-bonding at the resort’s Easter EGG-travaganza on April 8, Sunday. Fun games, party activities and the ulti-mate Egg-citing Egg Hunt are in-store for the entire family.

Kids can also enjoy the Glitter Tattoo, Egg

Painting, Booth Games, and Balloon Bursting contest. Loot bags and balloons will be given to all participating kids dur-ing the fun Easter event.

Tickets are now avail-able for only PhP 150 for kids (in-house guests), PhP 150 + regular pack-age for day tour guests, and PhP 350 for kids (with plated lunch)

Make your reserva-tions now, call or visit the Sales Office at Ma-tina Town Square, Ma-tina or call tel. nos. 299 .0313/299.1020/ 296.0791, mobile no. 918.930.7590, email [email protected]. Check out their website at www.edenna-turepark.com.ph. Like us on Facebook.

Easter Eggs-travaganza promo at Eden Nature Park

LEADING indepen-dent oil company Phoenix Petro-

leum Philippines joined the world in celebrating Earth Hour 2012 last March 31, Saturday, as part of its advocacy to protect the environment.

Phoenix Petroleum, along with government, other businesses, and households all over the world turned-off non-essential lights and ap-pliances at 8:30pm to 9:30pm.

Leading the event in Davao City was the People Collaborating for Environmental and Eco-nomic Management in Davao (PCEEM Davao) Foundation, Inc. A short program at Magsaysay Park was held wherein lighted wishing lanterns were be released.

The Earth Hour is an annual global event that started in 2007 in Aus-

tralia. It is held on the last Saturday of every March, and participated by millions of people across 135 countries to raise awareness on the need for climate change action.

In Earth Hour 2009, Philippines ranked no. 1 worldwide in terms of our participation in the Earth Hour with 647 cit-ies and municipalities and 10 million partici-pants. Davao City made an impressive mark in recognizing Earth Hour.

Aside from the sig-nificant celebration of Earth Hour, Phoenix has other programs for the Environment, such as pawikan conservation, regular tree planting ac-tivities and coastal clean-ups. Phoenix Petroleum is committed to building a sustainable future for our planet and future generations.

Phoenix Petroleum supported Earth Hour

DAVAO Region has been allocated with technical-

vocational education and training (TVET) scholarship fund amounting to P29.9 mil-lion for the year 2012. The Technical Education and Skills Development (TESDA) XI announced this during the conduct of the CTEC Conference cum Training Workshop last March 22-23, 2012 attended by 48 Commu-nity Training and Em-ployment Coordinators (CTECs) from the dif-ferent local government units (LGUs) in the re-gion. This annual gath-ering aims to provide continuous education and training for CTECs who play important role in the effective delivery of TVET in the commu-

nities. TESDA is implement-

ing two (2) types of scholarship programs, namely: Private Educa-tion Student Financial Assistance (PESFA) es-tablished through RA 8545 otherwise known as the Expanded Gov-ernment Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) Act and Train-ing for Work Scholar-ship Program (TWSP) which provides the nec-essary supply to meet the demand particularly in high critical skills.

The scholarship al-location will be dis-tributed to Davao City, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley based on the latest data available on the number

of high school graduates and prevailing poverty incidence. A Qualifica-tion Map will be pre-pared indicating the qualification title, train-ing duration, training cost and assessment fee for each type of scholar-ship program.

The CTECs were likewise updated on the Agency’s newest program, the TESDA Specialista Techno-preneurship Program (TSTP), which aims to create employment op-portunities for TESDA-certified graduates and contribute to poverty alleviation, as well as on DOLE’s enhanced Special Program for the Employment of Stu-dents (SPES) wherein TWSP scholars will be given tool kits after their

training. They also came up with plans and strat-egies to attain the goal of providing human re-source development in-terventions necessary to make the lives of their respective constituents economically produc-tive through technology-based community train-ing programs (TBCTPs).

On August 25, 2003, the Department of In-terior and Local Gov-ernment (DILG) issued Memorandum Circular No. 2003-174 encour-aging the LGUs to in-stitutionalize commu-nity-based training or enterprise development (CBTED) programs (now TBCTP) at the local level and establish corre-sponding support mech-anisms, including the designation of a CTEC.

Davao Region gets P29.9M in TVET scholarships for ‘12

GLOBE Telecom an-nounced that it is the exclusive Phil-

ippine carrier of Nokia Lumia 800, Nokia’s latest smartphone device that runs on the Windows platform, featuring Inter-net Explorer 9, free maps and voice-guided navi-gation services, and free image and file storage.

Globe subscribers can avail of the Nokia Lumia 800 for only P1,499* a month, complete with unlimited mobile brows-ing and the most afford-able call and text free-bies that are changeable monthly**. With Globe My Super Plan Unli Surf Combo, the country’s

only customizable un-limited data plan, Globe provides users with un-interrupted surfing, their gadget of choice, monthly load, and freebies all in one subscription. The Nokia Lumia 800 is also offered at minimum cash-out for lower plans.

Nokia Lumia 800 is part of Nokia’s latest portfolio of smartphones, boasting a 16GB memory + 5GB in SkyDrive, 3.7 AMOLED clear black display, 8MP auto-focus camera with HD video recording, corning ®Go-rilla glass screen and Carl Zeiss lens, and comes in Cyan and Black colors.

“We are very happy

to have partnered once again with Globe in dis-tributing our latest inno-vation, the Nokia Lumia 800, in the Philippines. The stunningly social Nokia Lumia 800 brings content to life with its head-turning design, Nokia’s best social and internet experience, and familiar Nokia elements such as leading imaging capabilities and new sig-nature experiences,” said Dharmesh Goshalia, Gen-eral Manager and Head of Sales for Nokia Philip-pines.

Martha Sazon, Head for Globe Postpaid, add-ed, “We thank Nokia for making us the exclusive

carrier of Nokia Lumia 800 in the country. This latest smartphone is best paired with our custom-izable My Super Plan UnliSurf Combo Plans, which provide users with unlimited and worry-free mobile browsing, call and text freebies plus boost-ers to boot. And with the Globe Guarantee, sub-scribers are assured they will never experience bill shock ever again because they will never pay more than P999 as long as they are regis-tered to any of our data plans. On top of that, we guarantee 24/7 access to all our customer service channels and after-sales

support for the devices. Truly, Globe and Nokia allow customers to cre-ate their own postpaid plan to pair with the most advanced smart-phone devices, the way they want.”

Pre-orders begin on March 26, 2012 via w w w. g l o b e . c o m . p h /nokialumia. New sub-scribers can call the

Globe Sales Hotline via toll-free number (02) 730-1010 or visit www.globe.com.ph/nokialu-mia to place their orders. For Platinum subscrib-ers, they can get in touch with their Relationship Managers for reserva-tions. Regular selling in Globe Stores nationwide and pre-order deliveries will start April 16, 2012.

Globe is exclusive carrier of Lumia 800 smartphoneFLUTE MAKER. Rogelio Lugas has been making flutes out of blue PVC pipes since 1995. He is selling the flutes for P50-P100 and is usually found within the vicinity of the Davao City Hall. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

‘AS of now, we are not even talking or thinking of tax eva-sion. We are only asking him to submit the documents. If he sub-mits, we will withdraw the case.’

--Commissioner Kim Henares of the Bu-reau of Internal Revenue in her advice to box-ing icon Manny Paquiao. PDI

Quips

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 2012 11SUBURBIAEDGEDAVAO

FORTY-NINE year-old Nenita Balong was so overjoyed to see

the abundance of medical, social and other services given free to residents of the remote timberland barangay of Mambing in New Corella town, this province.

For this slender moth-er of eight, the flurry of services brought by the Davao del Norte Con-vergence for Peace and Development (DNCPD) program held recently in her village, is truly a great blessing from God.

Mapasalamaton kami ug dako sa Guinoo nga mi-anhi ang mga opisyales sa probinsya, uban ang ka-sundaluhan ug kapulisan, aron itunol kanamo ang mga serbisyo sa Kapitolyo (We thank God for the presence of our provin-cial officials, along with the army and the police, in order to provide these services),” she beamed.

Balong came to the village center to seek medical relief for her per-sistent cough. Tagging along beside her was her daughter Judith Elak, with her kids, two-year-old Queenie and one-year-old Karen Joy, who also had their health checkup. The family also took ad-vantage of the free legal services, vegetable seeds and veterinary products for their livestock.

Another resident, 77-year old Agripino Amora, pointed out the resem-blance of the activity, which is the first of its kind in the village, to a local fiesta celebration, with all the swarms of people streaming to and fro.

The only difference, he noted, is that the mul-titude of people came to

benefit from the pletho-ra of health and human services available on the menu, instead of the pal-atable local delicacies served during the patro-nal fiesta of the barrio.

Amora was all praise to the provincial govern-ment for bringing the services of the Capitol at their doorstep.

As he showed off the brand new pair of eye-glasses he just availed, he related the dilemma of the villagers, particularly in seeking medical atten-tion for their ailing loved ones.

He said residents of the barangay pay a fare of P90 each for a ride on the “habal-habal” motor-cycle taxis that ply the rugged and bumpy road from Mambing to the Poblacion of New Corel-la, some 19 kilometers away. They still have to commute by jeepney for another 19 kilometers in order to reach the Capi-tal City of Tagum, where several tertiary hospitals are located, including the government-owned Davao Regional Hospital.

The forestal village of Mambing is at the periph-ery of the neighboring province of Compostela Valley. Hence, due to its geographical isolation, it is more convenient for villagers to bring their patients to clinics in ComVal’s Capital town of Nabunturan, some eight kilometers away, or to the district hospital of its adjacent town of Mon-tevista, also in ComVal province.

The septuagenarian was very much delighted when 1st District Con-gressman Anthony del Rosario announced he will put up a medical as-

sistance fund at the Mon-tevista District Hospital intended for patients coming from Mambing. The assistance will also cover those patients com-ing from the other far off timberland areas of New Corella, to include the barangays of Patrocenio, Sta. Fe, and El Salvador.

Congressman del Ro-sario again joined the community health and social outreach activity in Mambing to show his all-out support to the convergence initiative, which was organized by the province last year, in coordination with the army’s 1003rd Infrantry Brigade, the Davao del Norte Provincial Police Office, and other agen-cies.

The representative also handed over a new wheelchair for Mrs. An-unsascion Vallesir, who recently suffered from a stroke.

Governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario is very much confident the insurgency problem will be properly addressed once the con-vergence program gets its way in all the 30 geo-graphically isolated and depressed barangays of the province this year.

1003rd Commander Col. Lysander Suerte fur-ther bared the conver-gence initiative of the province has become a model of the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) – Bayanihan of the Armed Forces of the Phil-ippines.

“Tayo sa Davao del Norte ang merong pinakakonkretong appli-cation ng IPSP-Bayanihan (We in Davao del Norte has the most concrete application of the IPSP),” Col. Suerte declared.

DavNor folks thankful for convergence outreach

Vice Gov. Victorio Suaybaguio, Jr. and Provincial Agriculturist Dominador Encarnacion, Jr, assisted by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Agapito Hornido, turn over

sacks of hybrid corn seeds to recipients at the 6th DavNor Convergence for Peace and Development outreach in Mambing, New Corella, Davao del Norte. 

Provincial Veterinarian Renato Embate (right) distributes animal care products at the 6th DavNor Convergence for Peace and Development outreach in Mambing, New Corella, Davao del Norte. 

1st District Congressman Anthony del Rosario donates a wheelchair to Anunsacion Vallesir  at the 6th DavNor Convergence for Peace and Development outreach in Mambing, New Corella, Davao del Norte. 

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 2012

NORTH Korea is pushing ahead with a planned

long-range rocket launch despite international condemnation, satellite images show, as Japan vowed Friday to shoot the projectile down if it poses a threat.

The images taken Thursday show work to prepare the launch pad appears under way, ac-cording to the 38 North website (38north.org) which published several images taken by private US firm DigitalGlobe.

The nuclear-armed North insists it will go ahead in mid-April with

what it calls the peaceful launch of a scientific sat-ellite from its Tongchang-ri site in the far north-west.

The United States and other nations say the ex-ercise is a disguised long-range missile test, calling the plan a provocative breach of UN resolutions and of a US-North Korean deal reached last month.

The website, a proj-ect of the US-Korea Insti-tute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced In-ternational Studies, said the detailed images show the mobile launch pad on tracks next to a gantry tower.

It said a crane ap-peared to have been load-ing equipment onto the gantry, and numerous small objects and people could be sighted on the pad.

A work crew seemed to be cutting away brush, possibly to prevent the spread of any fire started by the launch.

At the two largest pro-pellant storage buildings to the right of the pad, containing tanks to sup-ply the Unha-3 rocket’s first stage, trucks could be seen delivering fuel and oxidiser, it said.

38 North said prepa-ration “seems to be pro-gressing on schedule” and the next step would be moving the first stage to the pad, probably on March 30 or 31.

This would be fol-lowed by the second stage a day or two later, with the third stage and payload likely following by April 2 or 3.

“Unless some major setback occurs, the North Koreans will be able to launch during the de-clared launch window starting April 12,” it said.

The North has said it will launch the satellite some time in the morning between April 12-16 to mark the 100th anniver-sary of the birth of found-ing president Kim Il-Sung.

12 WORLD/NATION EDGEDAVAO

WORLD TODAY

LEGAL NOTICENotice is hereby given that an Affidavit of Self-

Adjudication was hereby executed by Danilo S.

Pichon, the only surviving son of Antonio B. Pi-

chon leaving a estate consisting of a parcels of land,

located in Davao City and evidenced by TCT No.

T-26006, TCT No. T-26008, TCT No. T-26012, TCT

No. T-24228 and TCT No. T-23785 of the Registry

of deeds of Davao City. Acknowledged before No-

tary Public Atty. Oscar A. Carcedo per Doc. No.

207;Page No. 42; Book No.I; Series of 2012

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINESREGIONAL TRIAL COURT11TH JUDICIAL REGION

OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFFDAVAO CITY

NATIONAL HOME MORTGAGEFINANCE CORPORATION (NHMFC) Mortgagee, EJF-REM CASE NO. 13,259-12 -versus- ANASTACIO E. ARBIZO Mortgagor/s.

x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE

Upon extra-judicial petition for foreclosure and sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation against the mortgagor ANASTA-CIO E. ARBIZO married to Liberty A. Arbizo with postal address at Juliville Subd.II Lot 14, Blk. Pcs-112402-001466 Tigatto, Buhangin Davao City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of February 29, 2012 amounted to Php 627,791.21 Philippine Currency, plus other legal expenses incident to foreclosure and sale; the undersigned Sheriff IV of Regional Trial Court, Davao City; the undersigned will sell at public auc-tion on April 12, 2012 at 10:00 A.M. or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland ,Davao City to the highest bidder for Cash or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property together with all the improvements thereon, to wit:

Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-181844 “ A parcel of land xxx (Lot 14, xxx Pcs-112402-001466 xxx) situated in the Ba-

rangay of Tigatto, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao xxx. Containing an area of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY (120) SQUARE METERS, more or less xxx.”

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

That in the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on May 10, 2012 without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the titles herein described real property/ies and the encumbrances thereon , if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, March 7, 2012.

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF: (SGD.) JAY C. ESPERANZA Sheriff IV

Noted by: (SGD) ATTY. EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court VI & Ex-Officio Provincial Sheriff

Copy furnished:The Mortgagor- ANASTACIO E. ARBIZO married to Liberty A. ArbizoThe Mortgagee -NHMFCPUBLISHER – EDGE DAVAOPOSTING – 3 conspicuous places( Edge-3/19,26 4/02)

The Muslims and the Arabsabandoned us, Syrian rebels

SPAIN is fully sup-porting the Philip-pines’ peace pro-

cess to address the root causes of insurgency through the implementa-tion of development proj-ects in Northern Samar, once the seat of commu-nist insurgency in the country.

The Office of the Pres-idential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) are collaborating in the im-plementation of the pro-gram through the holding of a workshop attended by local government of-ficials from the towns of Silvino Lobos, San Roque and Las Navas, all in Northern Samar.

The workshop, dubbed as Mainstream-ing Peace and Develop-ment in Local Gover-nance (MPDLG), was de-signed to prioritize the program for peace and development projects for

2012 and 2013. The ven-ue was in Calbayog City.

The MPDLG was fund-ed by Spain’s Agencia Es-pañola de Cooperacion Internacional para el De-sarrollo.

The MPDLG aims to mainstream peace and development in govern-ment systems and pro-cesses, and equip local government units with a peace lens to deal in con-flict-sensitive matters.

The program will also be linked up with PAMA-NA or Payapa at Masa-gang Pamayanan (Peace-ful and Resilient Com-munities), the national government’s program and framework for peace and development in areas affected by conflict and communities covered by existing peace agree-ments.

The workshop would enable officials identify projects that would help achieve Northern Samar’s vision towards progress.

The Provincial Peace and Order Council and the Provincial Develop-ment Council will make the assessment.

Representatives from various sectors who at-tended the workshop were the Philippine Na-tional Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Northern Samar Peace and Development Forum and Youth Formation In-stitute, the serve as Third Party Monitors for the transparent and account-able implementation of PAMANA.

In 2010 the Spanish government extended a P20-million grant to the Philippines to support a pilot project dubbed as the “Sorsogon Initia-tive” wherein the people in the community imple-ment by themselves in-frastructure projects as part of the government’s peace-building effort to eradicate insurgency in the country. [PNA]

Spain gov’t backs PHL peace process

N.Korea launch work ‘underway’

Resigning

MAURITIUS Presi-dent Anerood Jugnauth, who has

been in open conflict with Prime Minister Navin-chandra Ramgoolam, said Friday he was resigning to join the opposition.

“I’m not in agreement with the philosophy of the government and the way the country is run,” he told journalists.

Back

PRESIDENT Hugo Chavez returned home to Venezu-

ela on Thursday after a first session of radiation treatment in Cuba that he hopes will cure his cancer and allow him to win a new six-year term in Oc-tober.

The 57-year-old social-ist leader has said he will be flying back and forth to Havana over the coming weeks as he undergoes therapy, removing himself from the political stage just as his election rival ramps up his campaign.

Disqualified

WITH blond locks, long legs and delicate features,

Jenna Talackova would have been a strong com-petitor in Canada’s Miss Universe pageant but was disqualified, she says, be-cause she used to be male.

The 23-year-old trans-gender model from the western Canadian city of Vancouver has accused the pageant of discrimination, and more than 28,000 supporters have signed an online petition demanding her reinstatement.

Huge cuts

HOURS after a gen-eral strike, which burst into violence

in places, Spain’s right-leaning government un-veils huge cuts in what may be the toughest bud-get of the post-Franco era.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters swamped Spain’s streets last week to back the strike which was marred by clashes in Barcelona where youths set fire to a Starbucks cof-fee shop.

Traficking

HUMAN traffick-ing and violence against women is

a problem throughout the region, and while there is some legislation designed to combat the issue, pro-tection under Lao law is inadequate.

President of the Na-tional Assembly’s Law Committee, Professor Davone Vangvichit, who made the observation at a workshop on the “As-sessment of National Anti-Human Trafficking Legis-lation”, said that the prob-lem is that Laos doesn’t have a law specifically dedicated to human traf-ficking, and there is a lack of awareness about the is-sue in many communities.

SYRIAN activists called for mass protests on Fri-

day to denounce Arab countries for “abandon-ing” them, after an Arab summit went no further than urging dialogue to resolve the crisis in their country.

“The Muslims and the Arabs have aban-doned us ... but God is with us ... and our de-termination will carry us to victory,” said a statement posted on the Syrian Revolution 2011 Facebook page, urging nationwide street dem-onstrations after the weekly Friday prayers.

An Arab League summit in Baghdad on Thursday, largely ig-nored by Sunni Arab states, approved a reso-lution calling for an end to the Syrian regime’s crackdown on dissent, for the opposition to unite and for parties to the conflict to launch a “serious national dia-logue.”

Syria’s opposition had urged a harsher statement backing hard-

liners Qatar and Saudi Arabia, who have called for President Bashar al-Assad to step down and for rebels opposing his regime to be supplied with arms.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki however steered the summit away from this option, saying that arming either side of the conflict “will lead to a regional and internation-al proxy war in Syria.”

Activists in Syria have for more than a year staged anti-regime pro-tests each Friday after the main Muslim prayers, which have been violent-ly put down by Assad’s forces.

The United Nations says more than 9,000 people have died in the revolt, which many fear has brought Syria to the verge of civil war.

On Thursday, activ-ists blocked a street and burned tyres in the Al-Aassali neighbourhood of Damascus to protest the “failure of the Arab League,” according to a video posted on the In-ternet.

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 2012 13FFROM 1 FFROM 1

FFROM 16

FFROM 16

EDGEDAVAO

Offseason...

DENR...

Mayor... Volunteers...

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT11TH JUDICIAL REGION

OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFFDavao City

BANCO DE ORO UNIBANK, INC.(now known as BDO UNIBANK, INC.) Mortgagee EJF-REM CASE NO. 13,274-12

-versus-SPS. MARLON B. SALJAY AND CECIL R. SALJAY Represented by JANET R. TENORIO Mortgagors

x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -xNOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE

Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act 3135, as amended filed by the above-mentioned mortgagee against Sps. Marlon B. Saljay and Cecil R. Saljay,represented by Janet R. Tenorio with postal address at 563 Osmeña St. Poblacion 3 Pigcawayan 9412 Cotabato North and Lot 16 Blk. 8, Pcs-11-004638, La Vista Monte, Phase 2, Matina Davao City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of February 06, 2012 the total outstanding obligation/indebtedness of the mortgagors in favor of the mortgagee has amounted to Philippines Pesos: THREE MILLION NINE HUNDRED TWENTY NINE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FIFTY NINE AND 56/100 (Php 3, 929,259.56), inclusive of interest, penalties and other charges, plus other legal expenses incident of the foreclosure and sale the undersigned Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court, Davao City, will sell at public auction on April 19, 2012 at 10: A. M.; or soon thereafter , at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland, Davao City, to the highest bidder for CASH or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property mentioned and described below together with all the improvements found thereon, to wit;

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-453570“ A parcel of land xxx( Lot 16, Block 8 , Pcs-11-004638), xxx situated in the Baran-

gay of Matina-Pangi, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao. xxx containing an area of TWO HUNDRED FORTY (240) SQUARE METERS, more or less.”

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on May 17, 2012 without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the herein-above described real property and encumbrances thereon, if any there be.

Davao City, Philippines, March 14, 2012

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO PROV’L SHERIFF: (Sgd) JULITO J. ANGGOT SHERIFF IV

NOTED BY: ATTY: EDIPOLO P. SARABIA, JR. Clerk of Court & Ex- Officio Provincial sheriff

Copy furnished:THE MORTGAGEE : BANCO DE ORO UNIVERSAL BANK.THE MORTGAGORS:SPS. MARLON B. SALJAY AND CECIL R. SALJAY, Represented by JANET R. TENORIO THE PUBLISHER: EDGE DAVAOPOSTING : 3 Conspicous places3/26,4/2,9

geles, but were hurt to be traded within the last 3 and a half months. It is known, however, that Bryant plans to use his close friendship with both to convince them that a reunion is in every-one’s best interest, bruised egos and all.

That’s a significant hurdle, mind you. Play-ers and teams have a way of talking themselves into things during the offsea-son, when everyone is tied for first place and nostalgia can run deep without the influence of a new game every other night. But to hear the Lakers tell it -- and there is a very consider-able feeling among many that this is just a money-saving spin, and not a bit of armchair psychology to rely on -- Odom was ready to retire from the Lakers last December after they attempted to deal him to New Orleans in a squashed move for Chris Paul, and Fisher was a threat to un-dermine the locker room after the team traded for Ramon Sessions at the trade deadline.

Conveniently, though, both moves saved the Lak-ers quite a bit of money. And even adding Odom

and Fisher back to the Lak-ers for the veterans mini-mum will pump up Los An-geles’ already-substantial luxury tax bill.

Odom was never go-ing to retire, though. Even if the Lakers declined to pick up his option this summer (as the Mavericks most certainly will decline to), retirement would have meant walking away from the nearly (once lockout checks are taken out of the equation) $11.3 million he was owed in guaranteed money. And Fisher was going to look a right prat whining about not starting even if Sessions struggled out of the gate (which he did not) as a Laker. Fisher has seen Sessions before, he knows how good he is, and he wasn’t going to have much of an argument to stand on even if Sessions was three-quarters of the player he’s been over his career in his first months as a Laker.

No, the Lakers traded these two to save money; crippling their depth and harming their locker room in the process. Thanks to the Sessions deal, they’re still a championship con-tender, but you can’t blame

Bryant for thinking that some edges need to be smoothed out featuring players he’s come to trust.

The issue for Bryant and the Lakers (assuming the team wants to spend the money to bring both players back) is smoothing out that relationship.

The issue for Odom and Fisher is that they might not have anywhere else to go.

Fisher is shooting 23 percent with the Thunder. This likely won’t hold up, and you know he’s due for some late-game 3-pointer in a playoff contest this May. Still, if he continues to slide at this rate (sliding from what little statistical contributions he was giv-ing his team in the previous two years, to say nothing of the poor defense), even the most wishful GMs might take a pass on adding him to their veteran club in the offseason. And Fisher, making a full $2.3 million for his short stint with the Thunder, might decide that enough’s enough, and re-tire. We could certainly use him as a coach, an execu-tive, or media analyst.

Entering this season, Odom had played all but

one of his NBA campaigns in Los Angeles, either with the Clippers or Lakers. He’s sulked, been out of shape, and hasn’t gotten over a life-shaking offseason that has left him an outcast even on a welcoming and very, um, “veteran” team in Dallas. Outside of stick-ing with the Lakers, being dealt to a heady, defend-ing champion should have been right up Odom’s alley. Instead, he’s flopped dis-tressingly in his time with the team that swept the Lakers out of the playoffs last year.

If you’re a GM, why would you take a chance on Odom, knowing that Los Angeles is really the only place he wants to be? And that he doesn’t really take kindly to new faces, no matter how inviting they are? Odom is a once-in-a-generation talent, and he still has a few (“very,” potentially) good years left. I’d assume that, league-wide, the general consen-sus regarding Odom is that those years could only be eked out playing alongside his buds in Los Angeles. Even if Metta World Peace is let go this summer with the amnesty clause.

body para mawala ang perception nga militarized gihapon ang program,” she said.

“Ang naa lang is the private sector, the city government,ang CSSDO (City Social services and development office), the national government through the OPAPP. Sila lang naa sa body,”the may-or added.

AgreementThe move to create

Task Force Kalinaw stems from a memorandum of agreement (MOA) yet to be signed by the city mayor and the OPAPP.

The Davao City Council earlier approved an ordi-nance authorizing the city mayor to sign in behalf of the city government a MOA with the OPAPP as repre-sented by Secretary Teresi-ta Quintos-Deles, Presiden-tial Adviser on the Peace Process.

Another assignatory is OPAPP executive director Luisito Montalbo.

Through the MOA, the OPAPP agrees to issue indi-vidual checks to unserved former rebels under the SIP and to emerging former rebels, representing assis-tance for the beneficiaries of the reintegration pro-gram.

The actual amount shall be based on the sub-mitted indivisual reintegra-tion plans of former rebels as to what kind of livelihood they wish to have.

Task Force Kalinaw will then disburse the reintegra-tion checks, and ensure that the assistance provided shall be strictly used in ac-cordance with submitted reintegration plans.

Prior to this, the task force will conduct liveli-hood trainings for the for-mer rebels if necessary.

The MOA also states that a former rebel or group of former rebels may sur-face to any unit of the AFP, the Philippine National Po-lice (PNP), officials of local government units, national

government agencies, church and business lead-ers, and other civil society organizations and person-alities.

The local PNP, through the city government, shall be requested to take charge of the security of former rebels.

“For those under the stewardship of the partner civil society or non govern-ment organizations, ap-propriate security arrang-ments shall be determined,” the MOA states.

The validation of appli-cants for the reintegration shall be conducted jointly by duly authorized repre-sentatives from the military and police forming the Joint Validation and Authentica-tion Committee (JVAC) at the city level.

“In case an applicant is not in the list of the order of battle, or his/her iden-tity as a rebel could not be established by the AFP and PNP, an affidavit of two dis-interested persons shall be

required for validation.“The affiants must be

former rebels themselves previously validated as such, and must be able to show that they have per-sonal knowledge of the facts and circumstances surrounding the claim of the applicant,” so stated in the MOA.

Other responsibilities of the local government through Task Force Kalin-aw is to establish a ‘halfway house’ or processing center for rebel returnees.

The local government is also expected to conduct periodic monitoring and assessment of the prograa of the former rebels follow-ing the casework approach, and submit to the OPAPP a quarterly progress reports.

An ‘impact evalua-tion’ will be conducted by OPAPP to determine if the interventions provided have facilitated the effective reintegration of the former rebals into their families and communities.

tachment of sirens, bells, horns, whistles or similar gadgets that emit excep-tionally loud or startling sounds, including dome lights and other signaling or flashing devices on mo-tor vehicles.

The decree orders that such gadgets or devices may be used only by the military, police, and other emergency response units such as fire trucks and am-bulances.

Herrera reasoned that, although sirens are allowed on firetrucks, the vehicles of fire volunteers are exclud-ed from the use of sirens, giving rise to the scenario wherein the firetrucks have arrived in the area of emer-gency but the fire volun-teers have not.

Herrera said that be-fore the implementation of CCTV cameras in the city, the DVFBI through the al-lowance of private and gov-ernment entities have al-lowed their private vehicles in responding to emergen-cies.

As the CCTV cameras monitor traffic violations, recording only images and not sound, Herrera said the Public Safety Command Center (PSCC) which oper-ates the CCTVs has no way of differentiating between responding private vehicles

of fire volunteers and other vehicles.

“Since our private ve-hicles cannot use the siren, we are delayed by hor-rendous traffic. As a result, although our trucks have arrived in the fire scene, the crew of volunteers are still on the road,” Herrera said.

The problem is whther the City Council has the power to decide on the mat-ter that that would mean going against a national law.

The City Council did agree to hear DVFBI’s re-quest under first reading in order to arrive at a specific action such as raising an appeal to the Office of the President.

Sirens and similar gad-gets, as stated in PD96, may only be attached to and used only by designated mo-tor vehicles of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investi-gation, Land Transportation Commission, Police Depart-ments, Fire Departments, and hospital ambulances.

PD 96 also states that the use of said materials ‘impede and confuse traf-fic, and is inconsistent with sound traffic discipline and control in highways, and in effect constitute a major problem in the maintenance of peace and order.’[JCZ]

ConfirmedIllegal hunting and

trading of hawksbill scutes or scales have long been established in Davao Ori-ental.

In fact, a team from PCP-PAWB validated Santa Cruz’ report on this problem in Davao Oriental on April 28, 2009.

The findings con-firmed the reported com-mission of prohibited

acts under RA 9147 par-ticularly involving marine turtles and marine turtle scutes in Davao Oriental and Davao City.

The PCP-PAWB team reported that they received reports that ma-rine turtles are killed for meat but the scutes trade is the more common rea-son.

Collected scutes from Davao Oriental follow two

routes: (1) Davao Oriental aeras, Mati, Zamboanga City, Cebu or Manila, and (2) Davao Oriental areas, Davao City, possible fur-ther destinations.

Zamboanga City ap-pears to be a major trad-ing point while Cebu and Manila are mentioned as processing or manufactur-ing areas.

Based on this, it may be possible that some of

the scutes in the confis-cated nine sacks of marine turtle scutes at the North Harbor Manila on Novem-ber 16, 2005 may be from Davao Oriental area.

It was noted that the shipment came from Zam-boanga City.

The team stated in the report that they had an informal interview with alleged scutes trader Cris Silongan.

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 201214 WEEKEND SPORTS EDGEDAVAO

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AUGUSTA National Golf Club is a place of grand and strict

traditions. Members must wear green jackets while on the premises. Caddies are mandatory. Annual fees

and club membership are ostensibly secret. There is never, ever any running

This is the most exclu-sive golf club in the world, just three hundred or so names and they are promi-

Breaking a traditionWill Augusta National finally admit a woman member?

nent – Warren Bufffett, Bill Gates, Lynn Swann, T. Boone Pickens and so on.

Here are two other tra-ditions.

Historically, the sit-ting CEO of International Business Machines (IBM) is offered an invitation for membership. The club has never had a female mem-ber, even in the face of re-peated public protests.

Now here’s the conun-drum.

On Jan. 1, 2012, IBM named Virginia “Ginni” M. Rometty, a woman, as CEO. Bloomberg News Service, which first reported this, says she golfs, at least a little bit.

What will, or can, Au-gusta National do?

I’ve never believed that a private club should be forced to accept certain members. As long as they are complying with the law, the point of being a private club is that you can make private decisions.

I’ve been to Augusta National many times and it is one of the most staid, conservative places imag-inable. That’s how they like it. To suggest it is out-wardly hostile to women is a stretch, though. There are women everywhere. They can play as guests. They hang out as spouses.

This has often seemed like an overblown wedge issue.

The all-male policy is more of an act of defiance. It’s the one-percenters get-ting their chance to push back on society. They keep pretty much everybody out. Women are just one subset. They aren’t excited about taking in anyone, so adding a fabulously wealthy woman as a mem-ber changes little to noth-ing.

So I’m neither offended nor supportive. I’ve found the level they’ll go to stick to their tradition amusing. At one point, they demand-ed CBS broadcast the tour-nament with no commer-cials, so corporate spon-sors couldn’t be protested. I’ve covered the various flare-ups but never been a huge advocate one way or the other.

Paula Creamer

Michelle Wie

Jee

Mi Jing HorThis is a new debate,

though.This is the time when

an invitation should be extended to a woman be-cause at a place of great tradition, at a place where the accomplishment of as-cending to such a corpo-rate throne was always val-ued, how can they change policy and claim it isn’t about gender discrimina-tion?

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1-2, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

By Jims Vincent T. Capuno

PRAYER and fasting are often found together in the Holy Bible. Usually prayer and fasting were connected with some great need in the life of the nation of Israel or in the life of an individual.

SPECIAL FEATURE

“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” - Isaiah 58:6 (KJV)

Fasting in the Christian context is simply abstain-ing from food for spiritual reasons. At times, it means abstinence from drinking liquids as well - a total fast for a brief period. The Old Testament contains com-mand related to fasting:• Mosaic Law prescribed fasting on the Day of Atone-ment (Leviticus 23:26). The word fasting is not actually used, but commentators say this is what the Scripture means when it speaks of af-fliction of one’s soul. St. Luke referred to this: “Sail ing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast” (Acts 27:9b, NIV). The “fast” is the one referred to in Leviticus.• Prophets and other spiri-tual leaders periodically en-cour aged fasting. A classic example is Joel who, in a time of crisis in his country, said: “’Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting

and weeping and mourn-ing’” (Joel 2:13). The nation had drifted from God, and Joel saw God’s judgment impending. But he encour-aged the people, “Declare a holy fast” Joel 2:15b).• Fasting and prayer were important factors in shap-ing Israel’s history. Some outstanding occasions that turned the course of his-tory were times of fasting and prayer. For example, through fasting and prayer Israel gained a tremendous victory over the Philistines after 20 years of oppres sion. “Then Samuel said, ‘Assem-ble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the Lord for you.’ When they had assem-bled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out be-fore the Lord. On that day, they fasted and there they confessed, ‘We have sinned against the Lord’” (I Samuel 7:5-6a). Out of fasting and prayer came tremen dous

victory over the Philistines, punctuated by divine oc-currences.• Judah won a remarkable victory without ever fight-ing a battle. Jehoshaphat was king, and a coalition of Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites assembled a great army. “Alarmed, Jeho shaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he pro-claimed a fast for all Judah” (II Chronicles 20:3). If you read the book, you will be impressed how they respond in crisis. We’re wondering if we have the spiritual intelligence today to afflict our souls as they did - to proclaim a fast. Out of this experience, Israel marched into battle against the coalition. The three en-emy armies began to fight among them selves until they had annihilated each other. Judah was saved from an apparently hopeless situ-

What you should know about fasting

INdulge!

ation as they turned to God in fasting.• Fasting and repentance led to being spared God’s judgment. At Ninevah, af-ter the preaching of Jonah, the king decreed: “Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink... Let everyone call urgently on God” (Jonah 3:7b). This is a total fast. Verse 10 adds, “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compas-sion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.” An entire city was spared through fasting and prayer!• Fasting was part of seeking God’s special care. When Ezra was ready to return from Persia to Judah, he had with him gold and silver would amount to millions of dollars. But the perilous journey - about 1,000 miles over robber-infested roads - would be made without Persian protection, to show that God could take care of them. In preparation, Ezra “proclaimed a fast so that we might humble our-selves before our God and ask Him to a safe journey” (Ezra 8:21b). Ezra fasted and then went out on a limb for God’s glory. In the New Testament, Jesus inaugurated His own ministry with fasting (mat-thew 4:2). He taught His followers at least twice to fast. In Matthew 6, He in-structed that when they fasted, they should not do it ostentatiously. He spoke of His disciples not fasting so long as the Bridegroom (Jesus Him self) was with them (matthew 9:15-15). Every mention of fasting among the apostles is re-lated to Paul. He fasted after his conversion experience on the Damascus Road, three days and three nights

- a total fast (Acts 9:9). Paul also tells us that he was in fastings often (II Corinthi-ans 6:5; 11:27).• Elders in the early churches were ordained after prayer and fasting (Acts 14:23).• At the church in Antioch, “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted” (Acts 13:2, KJV), God’s Spirit directed them to set apart Saul and Barnabas “for the work whereunto I have called them.” Below are some more

biblical occasions and purposes for fasting and prayer:1. Fasting was an expression of affliction and sorrow. Af-ter Israel under Saul expe-rienced humiliating defeat at Gilboa, the people fasted seven days (I Samuel 31:13). When David heard of this defeat, he and those with him mourned and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan (II Samuel 1:12).2. Fasting was engaged in as a response to danger. Con-

sider Jehoshaphat, Ezra and the city of Ninevah as men-tioned earlier.3. Fasting was seen as a way to secure God’s promised blessing. When Daniel un-derstood that Jerusalem’s desolation would last 70 years, “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel 9:3). He prayed that God’s promised blessing would be secured, and ultimately that the peo-

ple of God would return to the land.4. Fasting is evidence of re-pentance. Even a wicked king like Ahab temporar-ily turned from his wicked ways, and he fasted as evidence of repentance (I Kings 21:27). The Scripture says God averted the judg-ment on him.5. Fasting intensifies prayer efforts. “So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He answered our prayer” (Ezra 8:23).

6. Fasting enhances person-al holiness. God uses fasting to deepen Christians spiri-tually: “When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn; when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me... But I pray to you, O Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation” (Psalm 69:11,13).7. Fasting may change the mind of God. When the people of Ninevah afflicted themselves and fasted, judg-ment was averted.8. Fasting can bring re-lease to people in spiritual bondage. Read again the first Bible verse mentioned in this article, Isaiah 58:6. This is fasting and pray-ing in behalf of others. The passage assures us that out of the kind of fast God has chosen, He will set the op-pressed free.9. Fasting brings increased spiritual understanding. That was Daniel’s experi-ence: “He instructed me and said to me, ‘Daniel , I have now come to give you insight and understanding’” (Daniel 9:22).10. Fasting can assist one in

gaining control over physi-cal appetites. Paul says that he controls his bodily de-sires, they do not control him (I Corinthians 9). Fast-ing, therefore, assists in buf-feting one’s body. The motive for fasting is most important. Fasting, the brochure said, is the fo-cus of your total attention to God, not just a means to get answers to your prayer. It is not for losing weight, but it is to be pleasing, obedient and yielding to God.

A2 INdulge! VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1-2, 2012EDGEDAVAOSPECIAL FEATURE

A simple guide to fasting

Fasting is evidence of repentance. Even a wicked king like Ahab temporarily turned from his wicked ways, and he fasted as evidence of repentance

So you want to fast? Below is a guide adapted from a brochure titled A Day of Prayer and Fasting for Spiritual Awakening.

1. Consult your physician to see if fast-ing is in keeping with your overall

health. If you have questions concerning your medical health, any difficulty due to a diabetic condition or other medical problems, you may want to observe only a partial fast. Relinquish something you would choose to eat that day and honor the Father by causing your body to sub-mit to your spirit.

2. The day prior to the fast, take only a light meal in the evening and drink

plenty of fluids.

3. Begin the fast on the day set aside by rising early, reading at least three

chapters from Psalms and two chapters from Proverbs.

4. Spend time meditating upon what God has spoken to your from Psalms

and Proverbs.

5. As you have quietly meditated and asked God for divine revelation from

the Scripture, spend time writing down

what He has quickened in your spirit so that you might keep a record of His spe-cial revelation.

6. Pray for God’s leadership during the entire day.

7. In your prayer time, pray for: (1) personal needs, (2) family needs, (3)

national leaders, (4) spiritual leaders and the churches to repent of their sins, (5) three lost people, and (6) spiritual and physical strength for the day. Close your prayer time by reading Psalm 100 and singing a song of praise. As you move into the day, determine that you will eat no food and drink only water until 9 p.m. During the time you normally would be eating, go aside and read God’s Word and pray. Be still before the Lord and be comforted in know-ing that He is honoring your time with Him.

8. You may break your fast just before bedtime with one cup of soup.

A3INdulge! VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1-2, 2012EDGEDAVAOENTERTAINMENT

IN 1989, chic clothing company Guess ran a series of sexy, edgy black-and-white ads featuring an unknown German model who looked like a young Brigitte Bardot. Posing in a lace bustier and gold hoop earrings, her hair swept into a tousled up-do, 19-year-old Clau-dia Schiffer became an instant icon and the Guess brand became pop-ular around the world. Now 41-years-old, the seemingly ageless supermodel is the face of Guess once again. And, judging by the pictures taken by Ellen von Unwerth -- who has been the photog-rapher on all six of Schiffer’s previous Guess campaigns -- she doesn’t look like time has touched her. “Guess will always have a soft spot in my heart, and I’m excited that 23 years later we can still work together so successfully,” Schiffer told Women’s Wear Daily “[Schiffer] was a turning point of Guess, she was a turning point of Ellen’s career, Guess was a turning point of a life for Claudia,” Guess CEO Paul Marciano told Women’s Wear Daily. The blast-from-the-past ad campaign showcases the brand’s new 30th Anniversary Collection, which was inspired by Schiffer and other former Guess girls. The 15-piece collec-tion will include wide-neck T-shirts with imag-es of Guess models Line Gost and Anna Nicole Smith, jeans with a cut-off waistband (as origi-nally modeled by Adriana Lima), a sleeveless gingham top like the one worn by Eva Her-zigova, and the daisy capri pants that Schiffer wears in the new campaign, which was shot in

Claudia wears Guess again

Sorrento, Italy. Prices will range from $39 to $138; the collection launches in Guess stores, Macy’s, and online at the newly created guess1981.com in April. Nowadays, Schiffer spends more time curating her own clothing line and raising her three kids (with her film director-husband Matthew Vaughn) than posing for the camera.

Her last campaign for Guess was in 1991, and the new photos have a cool retro vibe. “Shooting the Guess 30th an-niversary campaign was like going back in time,” she told Women’s Wear Daily. “It brought back so many great memories and has been a lot of fun working together again with Ellen and Paul.”

Now 41-years-old, the seemingly ageless supermodel is the face of Guess once again.

A4 INdulge! VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1-2, 2012EDGEDAVAOSEEN ON THE STREET

MOST people assume a good hygiene is all about following three simple rules: regular bathing, thrice a day teeth brushing, and frequent hand washing. While the first two can easily be done, the third can be a little chal-lenging, especially if you are always on the go. The best solution for this is a hand sanitizer. In fact, studies have shown that the little bottle of protection in your bag may be the key to ensuring your family and your own health. To further understand your hand sani-tizers, separate the fiction from fact by debunking some of the most common myths. Myth: Hand sanitizers are not effective in killing germs. Fact: Hand sanitizers which contain the FDA-recommended 65% alco-hol content are effective in killing flu viruses, making people less vulnerable to catch the flu through direct hand contact. Research has shown that hand sanitizers should not only be used by those who want to protect themselves from getting the virus, but also those who already have the virus. This will prevent them from spreading it further to oth-ers. Myth: Hand sanitizers can irritate skin. Fact: Most hand sanitizers contain alcohol and emol-lients, which kill germs and soothe skin respectively. Because of this, skin irrita-tions to sanitizers are un-common and rare. In fact, studies show that when it comes to killing germs, alcohol-based hand sanitiz-ers are gentler on the hands compared to regular soap and water. Myth: Homemade sanitiz-ers are better than commer-cially-made sanitizer solu-tions. Fact: With many household

parents now looking for safer ways to protect their kids, homemade solutions to everything is fast be-coming rampant. One can now easily find homemade recipes for lotions, cleaning solutions and even for hand sanitizers. However, the rec-ommended alcohol content for hand sanitizers is at least 65%, a number that most homemade hand sanitizers fail to meet. To truly protect your kids, make sure you buy a trusted hand sanitizer brand.

When buying a hand san-itizer, choose Puregel and Bactigel. Products of Kohl Industries, Inc. Puregel and Bactigel hand sanitizers contain the highest recom-mended alcohol content at 68%, effectively eliminating 99.9% of disease-causing bacteria. Bactigel, the clear stan-dard in hand cleaning solu-tions, is the most commonly used sanitizer in leading hospitals nationwide. Pure-gel comes in four scent variants, Lemon Meringue,

Frost Berry, Spring Breeze and Crisp Apple Bite. Each Puregel and Bacti-gel sanitizer comes with a patented rubber holder and strap, which you can hang on bag handles, making it the perfect sanitizer for those on the go. Puregel and Bactigel hand sanitizers are now available at all Mercury Drug, Na-tional Bookstore, SM Su-permarket, SM Savemore, SM Hypermart, Robinson’s Supermarket, Shopwise and Rustan’s outlets nationwide.

Debunking common misconceptions about hand sanitizers

WORLD TODAY

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Why destroy Manny?

TAKING A BREAK. A ten-day break is what the Gins needed before the semis grind. Left, Rudy Hatfield will be the man to watch for the Gins.

WITH at least nine days before his team’s first game

in the Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, Barangay Ginebra coach Siot Tanqu-ingcen is looking forward to the break, which would give the team a chance to recharge. According to him, energy and health are the two keys for the team in the semifinals.

“We need to have a bal-ance of both,” said Tanqu-ingcen, who counts him-self among the walking wounded in the Ginebra lineup.

Tanquingcen’s right hand remains heavily ban-

daged after injuring it in frustration after one of their losses this confer-ence. But the health of his players remains his prima-ry concern. Former Most Valuable Players Eric Menk and Jayjay Helterbrand remain in sick bay, while Mark Caguioa became the latest casualty after sus-taining a cut on his eyelid in the team’s victory over B-MEG on Friday night.

The Gin Kings bucked the loss of their top lo-cal scorer, using a furi-ous fourth-quarter run en route to a 93-84 win over the Llamados to secure one of two outright semis

berths.Tanquingcen said that

is the kind of effort needed from the Gin Kings to re-turn to the Commissioner’s Cup finals.

“The energy level be-ing shown by our second team during our practice is a positive sign for us. They were pushing each other. That turned out positive as we became one solid team. I just hope we can continue playing like that during practice and bring that kind of energy every game,” said Tanquingcen, whose team is on the crest of a four-game winning streak.

PBA SEMISGins take break to recharge

I don’t know what the BIR official in Manny Pacquiao’s region has

in mind when he picked to destroy his best hope for tax revenues.

If he’s a poker player, he just threw away his best card. It’s like trading away Kobe Bryant for a pair of future draft picks. He just spat, shoved, shoo away the man who prob-ably gave his career a footnote in the agency’s annual accomplishment reports.

For a time, Manny Pacquiao was named among the best, if not the best given his stature vis a vis big name business-men, taxpayers of the country.

Manny is not a minted businessman. He earns his money by taking punches, by getting beat up, or in his case, by evading get-ting beat up. He earns by training for weeks away from his family hitting the mitts and sparring against bigger foes in a sweaty gym, and running in the hills of LA. He earns by starving himself early in his career in order to meet the weight. He earns by punishing himself, getting whipped with sticks, and all other strategies just to make his body as solid as rock. He earns by get-ting sliced and stitched in the operating table after a fight. Draining clots and nursing bruises.

Definitely, Man-nys is not having the

time of his life in a Cali-fornia kingbed when he trains. As the retired heav-yweight great Leon Spinks says it aptly, training for a championship fight means eating bolts, nuts and ra-zorblades.

For that, people pay Manny millions of dollars to go up the ring and beat up against the best in the world. Most of the time against men much bigger and taller than him.

For that, people pay a good sum of money to watch him fight on pay-per-view TV. His fights earn from 800,000 to 1.2 million dollars each time.

For that, Nike pays him millions of dollars to get him to wear their shoes and apparel. Nike knows.

For that, consumer brands pay millions of pesos to get their logos stitched or printed in his boxing shorts. That shorts transforms to a Php 5-mil-lion advertising billboard.

For that, San Miguel Beer and Ginebra pay him millions to be their drink-ing buddy.

For that, Head and Shoulders pamper his Jus-

tin Bieber hair.For that, TV networks

fight to get him to their stable.

For that, filmmakers made him a movie actor.

For that, President Barrack Obama wanted to have a photo with him.

For that, Kobe Bryant would take a break from playing to shake his hands.

For that, Sylvester Stallone would come to see him train in the gym like the real-life Rocky.

For that, Paris Hilton would like to do business with him.

For that, the people of Sarangani made him Con-gressman.

For that, some people think he would be good as Senator.

For that, many people want him to run as Presi-dent.

Wait. Run for Presi-dent?

For all the many good reasons, this could be where it all started. Where people start thinking Manny could well be our President, that’s where the beating starts. How else could you beat Manny even with your best shot?

Maybe a lifetime not.You got to hit him

where he’s soft. Some people are too brilliant to know Manny’s soft spot. Not his rock-solid abs. Not his steely jaw.

There are only two things certain in this world that man fear.

Death. And taxes.

AS expected, the vaunted Butuan City rriders ruled

the recent Mayor Inday Sara and Vice Mayor Rody Duterte Invitational Cy-cling Challenge.

The troika of Vicmar Vicente, Tots Oledan and Remon Lapaza combined for an aggregate winning time of six hours, 33 min-utes and 32 seconds to bring home the P8,000 cash prize and a trophy.

Finishing second was

Apoville Bikingcoy of Ki-dapawan City skippered by Mark Kevin Llorica with teammates Jayrald Doraydo and John Albert Gulapa. Apoville clocked 06:44:14 to earn P6,000.

Davao’s very own In-day Sara team bannered by Dexter Nonato, Alfred Panday and Ronnie Urda-neta settled for third place with 6:45:06 and earned P4,000.

Butuan’s Vicente also took the individual top

honors and earned an additional P3,000 cash prize. Oledan and Nonato placed second and third, respectively and pocketed P2,000 and P1,000.

Female rider Jade Lopez of Butuan City scored an upset over her male rivals Kenneth Ray Untalan of Apoville Bik-ingCoy and Ronilo Abla-nida of Valencia City by winning the Under 20 mountain bike competi-tion.

Butuan riders rule Araw cycling

THE entry of young players and the hold-ing of games in Clark

Field spice up the coming Baseball Philippines Series 9 which opens today at the Rizal Memorial Ballpark.

The opening games of the Series 9 will feature a match-up between the Alabang Tigers and the Batangas Bulls at 8 a.m., the Taguig Tigers and the Ma-nila Sharks at 11 a.m. and the Cebu Dolphins and the Dumaguete Uni-bikers at 2 p.m.

The Sharks will face the Cebu Dolphins in a rematch of the Series 8 titular show-down on April 1 at the Rizal Stadium at 8 a.m. Dum-aguete battles Alabang at 11 a.m. while Batangas goes up against Taguig at 2 p.m.

Baseball Philippines executive director Nolan Bernardino said that play-ers from the collegiate ranks have been added to the six-team field ensuring the parity of the league.

The entry of several new players came after some members of the na-tional players decided to beg off from participating in Series 9 to prepare for this year’s series of tour-naments which includes the World Baseball Classic qualifiers in November.

The opening weekend of the league will be held at the Rizal Memorial Base-ball Stadium but will then shift to Clark Field starting April 22 where three base-ball fields have been con-structed to accommodate

the games.“We practically have

new players coming from the UAAP. We have new and old players who can excite the league. The hold-ing of games in Clark is a start of something for them since they are envision-ing of, someday, building a sports stadium,” said Ber-nardino in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

The Manila Sharks are gunning for their fourth straight crown but team manager Eric Cadavillo said that it won’t be easy.

“We will be going for the ‘grand slam’ but our chances are as a good as every team. It’s going to be an unpredictable series,” Cadavillo said.

Baseball Philippines Series 9 opens today

Hatfield

VOL.5 ISSUE 21 • APRIL 1 - 2, 201216 EDGEDAVAOSPORTS

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Tagum

FAMOUS players as general managers — it never really works

out. Michael Jordan? Pretty awful. Larry Bird? Not so hot. Chris Mullin? Possi-bly worse. Isiah Thomas? You know the drill. And, according to NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper, Laker All-Star Kobe Bryant would like to add the free-

agent services of a forward shooting 35 percent from the floor, 59 percent from the free-throw line, and a less than 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, once the offseason hits. He’d then like to shore up the Los Angeles backcourt with a point guard that will be 38 on opening night, one that is making just 37 percent

of his shots this season. Silly Kobe, right?

Possibly. You likely al-ready know that the play-ers in question are Dallas Mavericks benchwarmer Lamar Odom and Oklaho-ma City Thunder point man Derek Fisher. That they’re all former buds and former championship teammates of the Kobester’s, he’s been

in contact with both since they were traded from Los Angeles, and that the Lak-ers could probably score both (even if neither is really scoring much this year) with a hometown discount.

Whether either would be receptive is unclear — Fisher and Odom loved their seasons in Los An-

OFFSEASON REUNIONKobe has Lakers Reunion in mind