EDGEP 15.00 • 20 PAGES

www.edgedavao.netVOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

Indulge!Page A1

MotoringPage 15

n Director General Bartolome says gun ban ‘necessary’

By Jade C. Zaldivar

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said Davao

City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio made the right decision by declaring a month-long gun ban here.

Bartolome said implementing

a gun ban during “such a big event” would be best for the city.

“Yes, it was for the best. In fact the PNP supports decisions such as this. We approved the same requests during the celebrations of Sinulog, Ati-atihan, and yung Panagbenga. The same ang ginawa natin,” Bartolome told Edge Davao.

The PNP chief said during events that would suddenly raise the density of people and concentrate thousands

of people in one area, the city execu-tive has the right to order a gun ban within the locality.

“Yes it is necessary. While mara-mi ang tao, it would also give people a peace of mind. Kailangan pantay-pantay, walang magdadala ng baril,” Bartolome said in an interview March 10 at the Philippine Women’s Col-lege during the Rotary International Conference of District 3860 (Discon 2012) where he was guest speaker.

PNP chief praisesSara on gun ban

StarmobilePage 12

Serving a seamless society

Yehey, we are

now a daily!

FMAYOR, 13

FPNP, 13

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio appointed a officer in charge of Central 911, the city’s much-vaunted emergen-

cy response unit.“I have talked to Assistant City Admin-

istrator Erwin Alparaque and their (Central 911) second in command is Capili. Si Capili na ang OIC,” Duterte-Carpio said in an interview Friday.

The city mayor is referring to Pepito Capili, officer in charge of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Alparaque is concurrently human resource management officer of the city.

The lady mayor on March 5 said she’d

have Central 911’s chief operations officer Ret. Col. Verner Monsanto replaced following numerous complaints received by the city on the performance of the emergency response unit, including her own observation.

“Actually I was asked what is the status of Col. Monsanto because (the paper desig-nating Capili as OIC) has not yet been signed. Habang wala pa napirmahan, si Col. Mon-santo gihapon in principle (ang head sa 911) but kaganina si Capili na ang nagrepresent sa 911,” she said after the city’s Athletes Appre-ciation Night held at the Garden Oasis.

The executive order that would formally designate Capili to the position has been

printed out but is yet been signed by the mayor.

She clarified Saturday that the paper is already with her but she has not yet signed it as it’s a weekend and will only be formally endorsed to the Records Division first thing Monday morning.

Asked whether Monsanto will be re-as-signed, the mayor said: “He is a coterminous employee of the City Mayor’s Office. He will be recalled back to the City Mayor’s Office.”

The mayor also bared that Monsanto has not tendered his resignation.

“Wala siya nag-resign. I think nagahulat siya sa akoa. (He did not resign. I think he’s

Follow us on

DAVAO

Mayor names new 911 chief

FESTIVE. A lone man enjoys a leisurely ride in spacious C.M. Recto early Saturday morning. But no more once the 75th Araw ng Davao shakes this main thoroughfare

with civil-military parade and street dancing next week. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

Special SupplementPage S1

2 THE BIG NEWS VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012 EDGEDAVAO

It figures

EXPECTED value of the country’s exports this year, according to a positive forecast of the Manila unit of the global lender HSBC. The bank anticipates ex-ports to grow by 5 percent to around $48 billion (P2.055 trillion).

NET income in 2011 of SM Invest-ments Corp., he listed holding company of billionaire Henry Sy, showing an in-crease 15 percent. SMI said revenues during the period rose 13 percent to P200.7 billion.

NET income in 2011 posted by Petron Corp.,one of the country’s refin-ers. The company’s net income grew by about 8 percent to P8.5 billion last year from P7.9 billion in 2010.

AMOUNT set aside by the gov-ernment for clothing or uniform allow-ance of government employees this year. Each employee will now receive P5,000, compared to just P4,000 last year.

AMOUNT that Japanese carmaker Nissan said it investing to build the new Invitation compact car at its British fac-tory. “If you have a competitive currency, if you have a good production system and you have the right selection of cars, yes, you can produce in Europe, said Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn.

THE rate of increase in China’s defense spending in 2012, compared to its budget last year. This is the latest in a nearly two-decade string of double-digit increase. This is perceived to be China’s reaction to moves of the Obama adminis-tration to increase US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

P2 trillion11.2 percentP21billion P8.5billion P1.3 billion $198million

By Jade C. Zaldivar

nBut DCPO director disagrees

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Car-pio proved enthu-

siastic in following her or-ders for a gun ban, saying her own bodyguards do not carry firearms.

Duterte-Carpio said this in answer to whether her escorts have applied for an exception from the gun ban which is effective until March 31.

“Wala sila nagdala ug baril (They’re not carry-ing guns)” Duterte-Car-pio said in an interview March 9 during the city’s Athletes Appreciation Night held at Garden Oa-sis.

The city mayor downplayed her position, saying she does not feel there’s a threat to her life.

“Wala may intere-sado sa akoa. Kinsa may interesado sa akoa? (No one’s interested in me. Who’s interested in me?)” Duterte-Carpio said.

The Philippine Na-tional Police (PNP) ap-proved the City Peace and Order Council’s (CPOC) resolution dated Febru-ary 28 requesting PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome to de-clare a month-long gun ban in Davao City as a se-curity measure during the celebrations of the 75th Araw ng Dabaw.

The reply approving the gun ban declaration was received March 7 by the local government.

Cop chief disagreesDavao City Police Of-

fice (DCPO) director Sr. Supt. Ronald dela Rosa, however, did not share the same opinion as the city chief executive.

Dela Rosa said he respects the mayor’s de-cision regarding her un-armed bodyguards, but would rather have it oth-erwise.

“I’d rather that nga naa silay baril. Siya gud ang mayor sa Davao. Un-say pagdepensa sa iyang mga tao kung walay baril. Pero kung mao na iyang gusto wala koy mahimo,” dela Rosa said in an inter-view March 10 at the Phil-ippine Women’s College where he escorted PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome.

Asked if he’s willing to give the Mayor an un-solicited advice, dela Rosa said he would.

“Dapat magdala ug armas iyang mga body guards. Mao akong advice (Her bodyguards should arm themselves. That’s my unsolicited advice)” dela Rosa said.

Mayor’s bodyguards not armed

PEACE. The country’s crime rate dropped by 23 percent in 2011 compared to stats in 2010 according to Philippine National Police chief Director Gen-eral Nicanor Bartolome who made a quick visit in the city as a guest speak-er to the Rotary International 2012 District Conference being a rotarian himself. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

VICE Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is pessimistic of the Davao Interna-

tional Airport (DIA) being granted its own autono-mous body.

When it was pointed out that Mactan-Cebu In-ternational Airport (MCIA) and the Ninoy Aquino In-ternational Airport (NAIA) are governed by authori-ties separate from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the vice mayor said he doubts if the DIA can stand on its own.

“We cannot afford it, much as we would like to. We cannot, cannot afford it,” Duterte said during the recent live airing of Ato ni Bay at the City Council con-ference room.

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport Au-thority (MCIAA) was cre-ated through Republic Act No. 6958 in 1990, while Manila International Air-port Authority (MIAA), which oversees the NAIA, was created through Exec-utive Order No. 778, series of 1982.

Both MCIAA and the MIAA are attached agen-cies of Department of Transportation and Com-munications (DOTC).

Duterte said that “it is not easy to maintain a structure such as an air-port.”

“Walay tay enough traffic ug cargo,” Duterte said, specifically citing the DIA’s source of income from terminal fees, ac-commodation of cargo and landing fee.

When informed that the DIA earns P400 mil-lion annually according to the Regionbal Develop-ment Council (RDC), the vice mayor expressed his doubt.

“It is all talk. Dili na kaabot. Storya lang na,” Du-terte said.

Meanwhile, City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said she would look into the possibility of the DIA get-ting an autonomy.

Duterte-Carpio said she favors the idea of giving DIA its own governing body but pointed out that be-cause the process involves legislation, the mayor said she would be requesting the City Council to endorse a resolution to the House of Representatives.

“I will ask the (City Council) Committee of Fi-nance if they can come up with an endorsement to the Congress,” she said. [JAde C. ZALdIvAR]

Rody cold to airport autonomy

FILIPINOS ranked sixth in the number of tourists who visited Singapore

last year, figures from the Sin-gapore Tourism Board (STB) showed.

With the country’s econ-omy faring better than other countries, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Philippines and Brunei area director Sherina Chan said it was no surprise that Filipinos are also the third largest growing tourist market for Singapore, after China and Taiwan.

STB reported 678,000 Filipino visitors to Singapore last year, up 24 percent from the 544,000 who visited in 2010.

Aside from positive economic sentiments in the Philippines, Chan also cred-ited the increasing number of flights between the Philip-pines and Singapore, espe-cially by low-cost carriers.

Also a factor is some 16,000 Filipinos living in Sin-gapore, which encourages visits from family and friends.

Overall, Singapore found 13.2 million tourists who spent over USD 22 million in tourism receipts.

”This is an indication that Filipinos enjoy Singapore because they keep coming back,” Chan told reporters at a recent briefing.

Chan and tourism play-ers in Singapore held a media briefing to announce new tourism developments in 2012 and to entice Filipinos looking forward to summer break with their tourist at-tractions.

Among the must-sees in Singapore are the integrated resorts Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, which Chan said has changed the landscape of the island state.

At the Sands, Chan said

the 150-meter infinity pool at the top of the three towers, the new Louis Vuitton Island and the Art Science Museum should be worthwhile sights.

At the Resorts World, the Universal Studios began its Hollywood Parade and opened its Transformers ride last December.

She said that new ho-tels are being put up around Singapore, which range from P1,925 to P13,200 to suit all budgets.

Chan said their busy events calendar makes for an interesting visit to Singapore, with the production of the play Wicked scheduled to run until April, the World Gour-met Summit, Great Singapore Sale, Asia Fashion Exchange, Singapore Food Festival, Na-tional Day festivities, Formula 1 Grand Prix and cultural fes-tivals spread out through the year. [PNA]

Filipinos among top visitors to Singapore: Tourism board

A network of church-based groups and non-government or-

ganizations has called on President Benigno Aquino III to “promulgate a new min-ing policy now,” even as they also rebuffed the respon-sible mining mantra of large-scale mining corporations. The Philippine Misereor Part-nership Inc. (PMPI) issued the statement in anticipation of a new mining policy that would be issued by the adminis-tration anytime this month. PMPI pointed out that re-sponsible mining is not pos-sible in the present context due to regulatory capture, foreign ownership of mineral extraction, gross disregard for the free prior and informed consent (FPIC) for the indig-enous peoples, unchecked environmental crimes and disrespect for the socio-eco-nomic, cultural and political rights of mining-affected communities, among others. Fr. Edwin Gariguez, PMPI

co-convenor and executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-National Sec-retariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (CBCP-NASSA), said there is a need for greater accountabil-ity of mining corporations and access to justice by vic-tims of corporate abuses.

Gariguez said “the re-spect, protect and remedy framework of the UN prin-ciple on business and hu-man rights, to which the Philippine Government was one of the signato-ries, is very clear on this.” PMPI, a network of 284 NGOs, people’s organiza-tions and Church groups in the Philippines, also called on Aquino to rethink the current mining policy, which it has inherited from the previous administration that aggressively promoted mining as a key economic driver.

[KeIth BACONGCO / MINdANewS]

Groups want PNoy to promulgate new mining policy

CHARITY. Members of the Notre Dame Alumni As-sociation of Davao Inc. headed by Philippine Airlines vice president for sales in Mindanao Domingo Duerme

share their blessings by donating goods and financial support to the Co Su Gian Home for the Aged in Davao on Friday. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

‘HE’S a man reared up in an environment

of hostility and adverse condition so we will see. It’s not a matter of me wanting him to testify or not.’

--Former Justice Serafin Cuevas, lead defense counsel of impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Quips

3THE BIG NEWSVOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012EDGEDAVAO

FMRDP, 13

FRESH from gracing the 13th Women’s Summit last March 1,

Davao City Councilor Leah Librado-Yap feels the urgent need to address women’s concerns as the city grap-ples with unemployment, financial crisis and natural calamities hitting women and their children the most.

“The social milieu has been calling for drastic and immediate steps to fully address the impact of development and environ-mental policies particu-larly on the women sector and how the recent natu-ral calamities both locally and all over the country has displaced thousands of women and their families”, says Librado in her mes-sage.

Close to 200 partici-

pants, both men and wom-en gender equality advo-cates from various sectors, gathered to unify their stand on issues concern-ing women’s welfare and rights.

The Women Summit is annually held in the city, as mandated by the Wom-

en Development Code to discuss issues concerning their welfare and interest. For her part, Librado lauds the city’s existing laws and legislations but says “ the local government, at all costs, has to make sure such are implemented and followed to the letter.”

4 THE BIG NEWS VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012 EDGEDAVAO

‘I’M suggesting that they go through psychological assessment so that they can be aware of the values they carry and they can be aware-of the mental age that they have.’

--Social Welfare Secretary Cora-zon “Dinky” Soliman advising members of Azkals, the na-tional football team, to consult a shrink.

Quips

A women’s group urged the House leadership to put

the long-delayed Repro-ductive Health Bill to a vote now.

The group is com-posed of women advo-cates in the grassroots communities was react-ing to Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales’ state-ment that the House of Representatives may do a ‘test vote on the RH bill’.

Elizabeth Angsioco, National Chairperson of the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP), said that if the House leadership wants to already terminate the debates on the RH bill, it can very well do so under its rules without going to a vote. The “test vote” as explained, is unnecessary.

“After all, the bill has been under deliberation for more than 12 years and everything that can be discussed has already been exhausted,” Ang-sioco said. “Insisting on more debates is really about further delaying the vote on the RH bill,” she added.

According to Ang-sioco DSWP members face the sad realities ex-perienced by women in poor communities’ and are disheartened by the Department of Health report that in Janu-ary alone, 50 maternal deaths have been record-ed in Metro Manila. “We deeply sympathize with the families left by these women but at same time frustrated knowing that

those deaths could have been prevented if the RH law is already in place,” she said.

Moreover, Angsioco cited a news account that said 10 girls were found pregnant in only one high school in Ilocos Norte. “This could have been averted if our young people have an age-ap-propriate RH education which is an important provision of the RH bill,” she explained.

Angsioco asserted that the public has seen how powerful the House leadership is. “We know how fast the House can work on matters it deems important, just like on the ongoing impeach-ment cases. We have also seen how a single text message from the office of the Speaker can magi-cally make absent Repre-sentatives appear in Ple-nary when they want to have a quorum,” she said.

Unfortunately, the Filipino masses have yet to see the same politi-cal will on bills that will benefit ordinary people, most especially poor women, Angsioco said. “A test vote on the RH bill is unnecessary. What women need is the REAL vote that the HOR leader-ship can actually immedi-ately do,” she continued.

“March 8 is Interna-tional Women’s Day and March is women’s month here. Let the lawmakers be reminded that they owe women this - the vote on the RH bill,” Ang-sioco ended. (PR)

Just vote on the RH bill, women tell lawmakers

SMALL ENTERPRISES. Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino shares a light moment with members of Rotary Interna-tional during the 2012 District Conference (DISCON) on

Friday. Casino, a known progressive leader, talked about the role of the small and medium scale enterprises in the country’s national development. [KARLOS MANLUPIG]

DAY OF RAGE. Thousands of women staged a cultural protest in Davao on Thursday during the commemoration of the 101st International Women’s

Day to criticize skyrocketing of prices of basic commodities. [KARLOS MAN-LUPIG]

THE inland beauty of the Island Gar-den City of Samal

now becomes the focus of tourism development of the city government while it also sustains its beaches as major tourist attractions.

City Tourism Officer Jennifer Cariaga revealed plans of sprucing up the barangays, creating path-ways to the city’s caves and mountain peaks, and developing a botanical garden to provide tourists with options to go during their visit to Island Gar-den City of Samal.

Aside from the Guinness Book of World Record-known Monfort Bat Cave, part of the city’s tourism develop-ment plan is to establish pathways leading to en-trances of caves. She said the island city has about 70 caves, and that four of

which already have trails. The city can also be

a good place to spend mountain climbing es-pecially at its White Peak where the city gov-ernment is spending ef-forts on environmental protection activity such as tree planting at the peak’s area.

Cariaga also re-vealed the city’s on-going development of its botanical garden lo-cated in Bandera, Kapu-tian District where the city government is giv-ing each department of the city government a 1,000-square-meter lot to cultivate a particular type of plant or tree.

Meanwhile, the plan to spruce up barangays is integrated in the “Ba-rangays in Bloom” project which is part of the “Is-lang Maanyag” (A Beauti-ful City) program aimed

at projecting the city as a garden city, indeed.

“We are encouraging every barangay to make their respective place beautiful,” Cariaga said as she revealed that every barangay will be mas-sively planting a particu-lar type of flower through which it will be identified.

On the other hand, Cariaga was looking forward for people to participate in realizing plans of providing tour-ists more places to see in the island city other than beaches, and for them to also benefit from the growth of the city’s tour-ism industry.

Along this line, there are plans of training com-munity folks to enter into souvenir-making as an enterprising activity of community folks, she said. [PIA 11/JeANevIve dURON-ABANGAN]

Samal Tourism office eyes more inland tourism sites  

THE Philippine govern-ment has reiterated its invitation to Ambassa-

dor Rezlan Jenie, chairman of the Organization of Islamic Conference-Peace Commit-tee for Southern Philippines (OIC-PCSP), to visit the Au-tonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) later this year to see the reforms implemented by the govern-ment in the region.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles made the invi-tation on behalf of the Philip-pine government at the just-concluded second Ad Hoc High Level Group (AHLG) of the OIC-Government of the Philippines-Moro National Liberation Front (OIC-GPH-MNLF) Tripartite Imple-mentation Review Process in Bandung, Indonesia. [PNA]

PHL invites OIC to visit ARMM

Librado urges womento continue their fight

THE ECONOMY 5VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012EDGEDAVAO

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email: manggorio09@yahoo.com

By Carlo P. Mallo

INDEPENDENT oil player, Phoenix Petro-leum, seeks to further

strengthen its position in Mindanao by establishing 47 new stations this year.

In a press conference Friday, Phoenix presi-dent and CEO Dennis Uy said that the company is already the number one brand in Mindanao, while it is currently number four nationwide after Pili-pinas Shell, Petron, and Caltex Chevron.

“Aside from strength-ening our operations and systems, we are ensur-ing that our team has the capability, passion, and determination to excel and bring our company forward,” Uy said. “As we focus on further grow-ing our business, we will strengthen our relation-ships with dealers and business partners and provide the best custom-er experience.”

Phoenix Petroleum also announced that they have recorded an 85% in-crease in revenue to P27.5 billion in 2011 as a result of the expansion of their retail network and growth in sales from commercial and industrial accounts. Net recurring income rose 19% from P427 million to

P510 million. In 2011, Phoenix Pe-

troleum completed the ex-pansions of their facilities in Davao City and Calaca, Batangas. The company opened its most modern installation yet in Cagayan de Oro last November. It will inaugurate its depot in Bacolod this March to

support growth in Visayas.Last January, Phoenix

completed the acquisition of Subic Petroleum Trad-ing and Transport Philip-pines, to enable expansion in the northwest and parts of Central Luzon, and es-tablish operations inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Phoenix targets 47 new stations in Minda, reports revenue increase by 85 percent

AS its contribution in protecting the en-vironment, a mall

here has embarked on a greening advocacy urging shoppers to minimize the use of plastic bags.

Ayala owned Abreeza mall launched Friday, March 9, the Green Fridays campaign in collaboration with its merchants, aiming to encourage customers to use biodegradable packag-ing or paper bags in lieu of plastic bags. Abreeza op-

erations manager Antonio Luigi C. Escano said the advocacy aspires for mall clients to make it a habit to use an eco-bag to save the environment.

While shopping every Friday starting March 9, mall shoppers could use any reusable bags or the Ayala Malls Eco bag avail-able at the mall’s concierge for P50 each, Escano told the media during the Ka-pihan sa PIA-XI held at the Abreeza VIPinoy Lounge.

He said that incentive program is offered to par-ticipating customers who will get a chance of win-ning El Nido travel pack-ages in Palawan and one unit of Avida Village House and Lot for the period cov-ering March 9 to June 1, 2012. Grand raffle draw is on June 13.

A shopper will get one raffle coupon for every use of the Ayala Malls eco bag or any reusable bags, and paper bag/box when

Ayala-mall goes green

FAYALA, 13

6 THE ECONOMY VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012 EDGEDAVAO

Stat 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

LOCAL businesses in and around General Santos City are cur-

rently “picking up,” an offi-cial of the Bureau of Inter-nal Revenue (BIR) directed their personnel in Region 12 to intensify their crack-down against possible “leakages” with the tax re-cords of businesses in the area.

Lucita Rodriguez, BIR assistant commissioner, said their assessment showed that the region’s revenues from the value added tax (VAT) collected by local businesses should have picked up these past months with the robust growth achieved by the area’s business sector.

“I think it’s true that there were leakages. I no-ticed that businesses here are booming so we should have expected higher col-lections from VAT and business taxes,” she said in a press conference in Koro-nadal City.

Rodriguez, who heads the BIR’s Taxpayer’s As-sistance Service, visited

the area last Wednesday to grace the r e g i o n a l k i c k o f f of its tax campaign dubbed “I love the Philip-pines, I pay taxes.”

The BIR Revenue Region No. 18 (BIR-18), which covers the entire Re-gion 12 and Maguindanao province, earlier reported that its total collections tax collections in the area last year had reached P4.4 bil-lion, surpassing its target by 6.1 percent or P254.09 million.

Region 12 covers the provinces of South Cotaba-to, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani and the cities of General San-tos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.

The BIR regional of-fice said 70 percent of its total collections in 2011 were generated from the withholding taxes of local employees while 21 per-cent came from the VAT.

Owing to their as-

sessment, Rodriguez said there is a need for their personnel to intensify their tax investigations on the tax records of businesses in the area, especially the high-profile personalities and professionals.

She said they should conduct their tax mapping activities on a regular basis and at the same time set more information and edu-cation campaigns among local businessmen and professionals.

“We also need to reach out with them because there were instances, es-pecially among our profes-sionals, that they were just not aware of their obliga-tions or the taxes that they need to pay,” Rodriguez said.

To help encourage businessmen and profes-sionals to promptly and properly pay their tax

obligations, she acknowl-edged that they should also expand the local im-plementation

of its e-services, which in-volves electronic or online filing and payment of taxes.

Lawyer Rozil Lozares, BIR-18 regional director, assured that they were exerting “all out” efforts to stop the tax record “leakag-es” and related violations by local businessmen and professionals.

He said that as part of their campaign against tax evaders, the BIR-18 legal department has already filed 13 cases involving lo-cal businessmen.

Lozares said they re-cently sought for the issu-ance of alias warrants of ar-rest against four suspected tax evaders in the area.

“Some of the cases that we filed are undergo-ing litigation while some are under mediation,” he said.

The official said they

have been conducting tax investigations targeting high-profile personalities in the region “to send the right signals among our residents.”

On March 1, BIR-18 officials filed a criminal case against Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao in connection with their ongoing investigation into the latter’s tax payments in 2010.

Lozares said they filed the charges against Pacquiao before the pros-ecutor’s office in Koronadal City for violation of Section 266 of the National Inter-nal Revenue Code after the latter allegedly failed to submit copies of his tax re-cords and income-related documents that were sum-moned by the agency.

But Michael Brenn Evangelio, chief of staff of the Sarangani congressio-nal office, said Pacquiao is already attending to the matter and has initiated efforts to comply with the BIR’s summons. (ALLeN v. eStA-BILLO/MINdANewS)

BIR-12 plugs tax record leaks

A substantial hike for agricultural research and de-

velopment is being ex-pected by the officials of the Department of Agri-culture Philippine Center for Postharvest Develop-ment and Mechanization (PhilMech) under the Aquino administration.

Ricardo Cachuela, executive director of PhilMech, said that in 2012 PhilMech received about P2.1 billion higher than 2011 budget of P1.2 billion.

PhilMech is an at-tached agency of the De-partment of Agriculture tasked to oversee the development of post-harvest technology and mechanization. Part of the PhilMech function is the continued research and development of vari-ous post-harvest tech-nology and applications which could benefit the farmers in rural farm-lands and remote upland barrios.

DA’s budget for research and develop-ment alone in 2012 is P4-billion and by 2013 it is expected to

be increased, Cachuela told the media during Thursday›s (Mar. 8) spe-cial edition of Kapihan sa PIA-XI. He said that the budget increase means that the Aquino admin-istration is all-out in its support for research and development.

He said that aside from the DA and the De-partment of Science and Technology, there are other agencies and of-fices conducting R&D in their fields among these include State Universities and Colleges or SUCs. Ca-chuela said there is a need to improve R&D in their agency particu-larly in the upgrade of technology since most of these tools are expen-sive.

He cited that a Re-fractrometer, which is used to analyze chemi-cals would cost more than a million pesos, a Gastromatograph used to examine elements costs also the same amount and a machine vision technology in-tended for rice research would cost a couple of millions.(PIA-11/RG ALAMA)

More budget eyed for agri R&D

SOCCSKSARGEN’S Department of Sci-ence and Technology

(DOST-12) is calling on man-agers and owners of micro small and medium enter-prises to submit proposals for financial and other assis-tance deemed necessary to boost their enterprises.

In a press statement sent to the Philippine In-formation Agency today, DOST 12 Regional Director Zenaida P. Hadji Raof-Laidan said the regional office and its provincial science and technology centers are now accepting proposals from MSMEs for funding and assistance under its Small Enterprise Technology Up-grading Program (SETUP).

SETUP, according to Dr. Laidan, is a flagship pro-gram of the agency geared toward assisting MSMEs to adopt technological in-novations to improve their operations and boost their productivity and competi-tiveness.

DOST helps these MSMEs improve produc-tivity by product quality improvement, human re-sources development, cost minimization and waste management, and other

operation-related activities. Support that can be

availed from the program include new technologies, manpower training, access to capital ad market, use of product standards and testing facilities, appropri-ate packaging and product labeling, supply of raw ma-terials, access to informa-tion and efficient transport facilities.

MSMEs that may avail of assistance should be in-volved in the following pri-ority sectors food process-ing; furniture and Home Furnishings; gifts, holiday decors and fashion acces-sories; marine and aquatic resources; horticulture; metals and engineering; in-formation and communica-tions technology; and halal, she said.

For more informa-tion, interested individu-als and group may see the nearest provincial S& T center: Door 4, R&E Bldg., Alim St., Kidapawan City in North Cotabato; Door 2-A, 2Flr, Mervic N Egrillo Bldg., Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat; Brgy. Hall Com-pound, Calumpang in Gen-eral Santos City for Gensan and Sarangani Province;

and K/F Avenue Arcade, Alunan Avenue, Koronadal City in South Cotabato.

A staff of North Cota-bato S&T Center explained they have been directed to accept proposal until June this year.

He said, proposals will be submitted to the regional office in Cotabato City for evaluation before approved projects will be submitted to the National Program Management Of-fice (NPMO) for final evalu-ation and approval.

In 2010, DOST poured P56.9 million as assistance to at least 415 MSMEs.

Laidan said, these re-sulted in improved produc-tivity of local enterprises and gave jobs to at least 34,380 individuals.

In 2011, DOST 12 en-dorsed 10proposals to the NPMO. Of these three were approved, namely: Upgrad-ing of Handmade Paper Production of General Santos City Gardeners Co-operative, Inc., Technology Upgrading of BACAS Pro-duction” and “Upgrading of Banana Chips and De-hydrated Fruits of Vmotril Food Products” in South Cotabato. (dedOGUILeS/PIA 12)

MSME’s urged to avail of DOST funding

n BIR director assures that they were exert-ing “all out” efforts to stop the tax record “leakages.”

n BIR files a criminal case against Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao.

7THE ECONOMYVOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012EDGEDAVAO

THE revival of the handicraft indus-try and the distinct

artisanal quality of Phil-ippine-made products were highlighted by trade experts from the USA and Japan as the Philip-pines’ strength at the Ma-nila FAME International trade show. The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) invited experts from Japan’s Manufac-tured Imports and Invest-ment Promotion Orga-nization (MIPRO), and USA’s By Hand Consulting, and Materials ConneXion to share market strate-gies for Philippine manu-facturers to gain more market access in foreign countries and help make Philippine export prod-ucts more viable in the international market.

According to US mar-ket expert Colvin English, one of the areas the Phil-ippines can explore is the production of green prod-ucts that capitalizes on the Philippine artisanal products as an advan-tage. “The nature of pro-duction processes in the Philippines falls within renewable and sustain-able. So much work here is done by artisans, using the hand, and it all falls in the green, sustainable, and fair trade models of business right now that is worth exploring,” said English, co-founder of By Hand Consulting, a USA-based firm that offers product design, market-ing and training expertise to penetrate export mar-kets.

Japanese market ex-pert Kiyotaka Hishida, Di-rector of Planning and Co-ordination Department of MIPRO, a Japanese compa-ny that explores business opportunities and pro-motes small lot imports, said indigenous Philippine materials and fine crafts-manship are the strong points of Philippine ex-ports that would interest the Japanese market. “The craftsmanship that Filipi-nos have is appealing for the Japanese consumers. Philippine products made from materials that are not available in the Japa-nese market, and very fine craftwork are the Philip-pine products’ strengths.”

He further noted that Philippine products do not need to compete with cheaper priced exports from neighboring Asian countries like China and Taiwan. “Products from China are widely-distrib-uted and price wise, these are very cheap. If you can-

PH exporters should focus on artisanship: foreign buyers

‘I feel vindicated of the accusations against me and other officials.’

--Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Dutete-Carpio, on Comelec’s decision junking of the protest filed by rival mayoralty can-didate Prospero C. Nograles in 2010.

Quips

not compete with Chinese products in terms of price, you should continue to develop products with high quality, because even if Japanese prefer lower-priced products, they also value quality especially for luxury items. So you don’t have to compromise qual-ity for the price. And from what I’ve seen, Filipino craftwork is suitable for middle to high-end Japa-nese consumers,” Hishida added.

English agreed that while price is an impor-tant component to com-pete in the market, the Philippines should focus on different business as-pects to become more competitive. “When we talk about the demands of the marketplace, we are talking about several cat-egories: we look at design, we look at price, customer service, delivery. We have to compete in all of those areas in order for us to be more attractive, more competitive in the market-place. So if you can’t com-pete on price effectively, you can highlight other aspects of your business: in the innovation, the de-sign, the customer service, and the delivery aspects of your business.”

According to George Beylerian, international design visionary and Founder and CEO of Mate-rials ConneXion—a global materials consultancy firm that offers the world’s library of advanced, in-novative and sustainable materials and processes, there is more to the Philip-pine export industry that what it is now. “I don’t par-ticularly share the feeling that everything you see in the Philippines should be cheap, but it takes a little bit of effort to change that concept in people’s minds because people want to come here because they want to buy cheap things. I feel this is a good time to tell people to come here for creativity, for innova-tion. As well as to make the Philippines known for its extraordinary material richness.”

In terms of meeting production quantities,

English mentioned that the Philippines can very well address the export demand. “The Philippines has to match its target au-dience with its production capabilities. Perhaps it can’t work with the same type of buyer as China’s, but it doesn’t mean that buyers that are appropri-ate for that type of pro-duction capacities that it has available are not out there. There are a lot of buyers now that are look-ing for resources that have a more boutique-level pro-duction skill that can of-fer them a wider range of services, a wider range of product categories, with a more controlled produc-tion capacity.”

“And actually, the Philippines can produce for mass quantities. It has such a good network of artisans. It might be diffi-cult to do so because it is working with less formal production settings than what it is dealing with in Southeast Asia. But it can be settled by just better determining the logistics and being realistic about it,” English related.

Organized by CITEM, Manila FAME is a trade show that showcased export quality Philip-pine products and also held business forums and meetings between Phil-ippine exporters and the foreign trade experts.

“Aside from establish-ing the Philippines as a design destination in Asia, one of the main goals of Manila FAME is to provide local manufacturers with a venue to touch base with experts in foreign trade who can provide inside in-formation on how to boost Philippine exports in their markets. This opens more opportunities for local manufacturers to be adept with market trends and hit export targets head on,” said Rosvi Gaetos, Ex-ecutive Director of CITEM.

Manila FAME’s up-coming edition promises to be more exciting for buyers and visitors as the show is now dubbed as “A Design and Lifestyle Event”, scheduled from March 14 to 17, 2012 at

the SMX Convention Cen-ter, Pasay City.

The international trade experts further re-vealed market strategies that can help local manu-facturers work well in the international market they are eyeing to penetrate.

English opines, “Phil-ippine manufacturers can become more competi-tive by being immersed in the international market and learning more about competitors and trends to address market needs. “I think understanding their

customers’ needs bet-ter and presenting their product in a way that is familiar and comfortable to that target customer is the best way for them to penetrate any new mar-ket, particularly the US market.”

7THE ECONOMYVOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012EDGEDAVAO

THE revival of the handicraft indus-try and the distinct

artisanal quality of Phil-ippine-made products were highlighted by trade experts from the USA and Japan as the Philip-pines’ strength at the Ma-nila FAME International trade show. The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) invited experts from Japan’s Manufac-tured Imports and Invest-ment Promotion Orga-nization (MIPRO), and USA’s By Hand Consulting, and Materials ConneXion to share market strate-gies for Philippine manu-facturers to gain more market access in foreign countries and help make Philippine export prod-ucts more viable in the international market.

According to US mar-ket expert Colvin English, one of the areas the Phil-ippines can explore is the production of green prod-ucts that capitalizes on the Philippine artisanal products as an advan-tage. “The nature of pro-duction processes in the Philippines falls within renewable and sustain-able. So much work here is done by artisans, using the hand, and it all falls in the green, sustainable, and fair trade models of business right now that is worth exploring,” said English, co-founder of By Hand Consulting, a USA-based firm that offers product design, market-ing and training expertise to penetrate export mar-kets.

Japanese market ex-pert Kiyotaka Hishida, Di-rector of Planning and Co-ordination Department of MIPRO, a Japanese compa-ny that explores business opportunities and pro-motes small lot imports, said indigenous Philippine materials and fine crafts-manship are the strong points of Philippine ex-ports that would interest the Japanese market. “The craftsmanship that Filipi-nos have is appealing for the Japanese consumers. Philippine products made from materials that are not available in the Japa-nese market, and very fine craftwork are the Philip-pine products’ strengths.”

He further noted that Philippine products do not need to compete with cheaper priced exports from neighboring Asian countries like China and Taiwan. “Products from China are widely-distrib-uted and price wise, these are very cheap. If you can-

PH exporters should focus on artisanship: foreign buyers

‘I feel vindicated of the accusations against me and other officials.’

--Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Dutete-Carpio, on Comelec’s decision junking of the protest filed by rival mayoralty can-didate Prospero C. Nograles in 2010.

Quips

not compete with Chinese products in terms of price, you should continue to develop products with high quality, because even if Japanese prefer lower-priced products, they also value quality especially for luxury items. So you don’t have to compromise qual-ity for the price. And from what I’ve seen, Filipino craftwork is suitable for middle to high-end Japa-nese consumers,” Hishida added.

English agreed that while price is an impor-tant component to com-pete in the market, the Philippines should focus on different business as-pects to become more competitive. “When we talk about the demands of the marketplace, we are talking about several cat-egories: we look at design, we look at price, customer service, delivery. We have to compete in all of those areas in order for us to be more attractive, more competitive in the market-place. So if you can’t com-pete on price effectively, you can highlight other aspects of your business: in the innovation, the de-sign, the customer service, and the delivery aspects of your business.”

According to George Beylerian, international design visionary and Founder and CEO of Mate-rials ConneXion—a global materials consultancy firm that offers the world’s library of advanced, in-novative and sustainable materials and processes, there is more to the Philip-pine export industry that what it is now. “I don’t par-ticularly share the feeling that everything you see in the Philippines should be cheap, but it takes a little bit of effort to change that concept in people’s minds because people want to come here because they want to buy cheap things. I feel this is a good time to tell people to come here for creativity, for innova-tion. As well as to make the Philippines known for its extraordinary material richness.”

In terms of meeting production quantities,

English mentioned that the Philippines can very well address the export demand. “The Philippines has to match its target au-dience with its production capabilities. Perhaps it can’t work with the same type of buyer as China’s, but it doesn’t mean that buyers that are appropri-ate for that type of pro-duction capacities that it has available are not out there. There are a lot of buyers now that are look-ing for resources that have a more boutique-level pro-duction skill that can of-fer them a wider range of services, a wider range of product categories, with a more controlled produc-tion capacity.”

“And actually, the Philippines can produce for mass quantities. It has such a good network of artisans. It might be diffi-cult to do so because it is working with less formal production settings than what it is dealing with in Southeast Asia. But it can be settled by just better determining the logistics and being realistic about it,” English related.

Organized by CITEM, Manila FAME is a trade show that showcased export quality Philip-pine products and also held business forums and meetings between Phil-ippine exporters and the foreign trade experts.

“Aside from establish-ing the Philippines as a design destination in Asia, one of the main goals of Manila FAME is to provide local manufacturers with a venue to touch base with experts in foreign trade who can provide inside in-formation on how to boost Philippine exports in their markets. This opens more opportunities for local manufacturers to be adept with market trends and hit export targets head on,” said Rosvi Gaetos, Ex-ecutive Director of CITEM.

Manila FAME’s up-coming edition promises to be more exciting for buyers and visitors as the show is now dubbed as “A Design and Lifestyle Event”, scheduled from March 14 to 17, 2012 at

the SMX Convention Cen-ter, Pasay City.

The international trade experts further re-vealed market strategies that can help local manu-facturers work well in the international market they are eyeing to penetrate.

English opines, “Phil-ippine manufacturers can become more competi-tive by being immersed in the international market and learning more about competitors and trends to address market needs. “I think understanding their

customers’ needs bet-ter and presenting their product in a way that is familiar and comfortable to that target customer is the best way for them to penetrate any new mar-ket, particularly the US market.”

8 VANTAGE POINTS

THE continued inaction of the na-tional government on the deterio-ration of the Davao International

Airport has made our political and business leaders in the region look like fools and helpless.

In fairness to them, our leaders both in government and the private sector have been complaining about the sorry state of the DIA for years now. They’ve gone on the record during the meetings of the Regional Development Council (RDC) and other multi-sectoral bodies and have, in fact, written about it to the civil aviation authorities in imperial Manila.

Unfortunately, their complaints have so far fallen on deaf ears.

They can not also be faulted for lack of trying to find a lasting solution. For instances there have been attempts to pass a law creating a Davao Interna-tional Airport Authority like the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) which al-lows the airport authority to retain its earnings and plow them back to fund development projects and other needs.

The proposals have been shot down in Congress one after another on the ar-gument that DIA’s income is not even enough to cover its operations and that the much-vaunted international facil-ity is actually being subsidized by the national government through the Air Transportation Office (ATO), now the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philip-pines (CAAP).

Due to its deteriorated facilities, the airport has been downgraded by stan-dards auditors. Indeed, the safety, let alone convenience, of millions of pas-sengers who use the airport is compro-mised. The CAAP is playing deaf and dumb to the problems, even those that do not require the release of funds.

Meanwhile, recent press releases from the Department of Transporta-tion and Communication had trumpet-ed about billions of pesos set aside by the DOTC for rehabilitation and repair of airports in the country. Somebody ought to ask DOTC Secretary Mar Roxas quick whether there is some money for the Davao International Airport’s rehab or just upkeep. As it is, the DIA is not even mentioned in the press releases.

Action is needed nowEDITORIAL

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VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012 EDGEDAVAO

The threatened low-lying fruit

FOR almost a decade now, business pro-

cess outsourcing has been the saving grace of our econo-my. It has become the home of new and yet unskilled college graduates that our country produces year in and year out. Add to this the number of un-dergraduates or college dropouts who are almost bound to positively contribute to the unemployment figures. Even those already employed are lured into joining the bandwag-on because of the more lucrative compensa-tion and the less stressful and more appealing work environment in the call centers.

As of 2011, the BPO industry generated about US $9 billion in revenues - accounting for a 4.8 percent share of the country’s GDP, and employs more than 640,000 full-time call center agents.

The horizon of the business outsourc-ing industry seems unending and limitless. BPO companies continue to grow; some have expanded the line of their services and operations while the larger ones have gone into geographic expansion. As a response to the latter, many local government units have offered them “space” as possible investment location of BPOs. Not bad because of the re-ward that they bring to the local economy and to local residents. Such reward is within reach and easy to reap.

There areseveral threats to the indus-try, though. First is the possible saturation of the market. Many opine however that this will not happen very soon as the industry is still very much in the stage of diversification and expansion. Second is the presence of competitor-host countries like India. While this is a real threat in the future, we can prob-ably address this by further developing the skills and knowledge of our human resource to respond to the growing and expanding needs and requirements of outsourced ser-vices such software development, paralegal services, animation and game development to name a few.

The third threat the industry faves is the pronouncement of US President Obama in his State of the Union in January 2012 where he strongly campaigned against the relocation of jobs and services overseas, and urged the US and other foreign business leaders to re-invest in American workers and proposed tax reforms to lawmakers to provide incentives and promote insourcing.

In December last year, a bill was intro-duced in the US House of Representatives that seeks to discourage American companies from outsourcing customer calls outside the US. Among others, the bill – co-sponsored by Republican and Democrat representatives – would require US companies to fully disclose their outsourcing operations and disqualify them from Federal grants and guaranteed loans. Likewise, the bill – once passed – will mandate all offshore agents in the formal sec-tor to disclose their geographic location to their customers and offer them a choice to be transferred to their American counterparts.

Being the biggest call center services provider in the world, the Philippines is put at great risk with this pending US bill. It seems, however, that the government and the BPO industry are taking things lightly. On the other hand, there could be some wisdom in not over reacting as many believe that there is a strong likelihood that the bill will not be passed.

For one, and from a commonsensi-cal perspective, the proposed legislation will only restrain US companies from being competitive and cost efficient. Outsourcing allows companies to minimize their oper-ating costs while delivering the same, if not much better, quality of service. If only for this, there is no reason for our BPO industry to panic because the quest for more cost effi-cient ways of doing things will surely govern global market forces more than any piece of legislation.

Notwithstanding these, we should not be too complacent. Even if the proposed billf ails to pass or even if the legislation is seen merely as a political rather than an eco-nomic move, our BPO industry needs to be vigilant against such and similar threats in the future.

CA N D I D SHOTS – Crime is

always a serious problem. We need evidence-based crime policies that are really tough on lawbreaking, and laws that mete stiffer penalties, but are strong on crime prevention. The government should stop adopting alarmist rhetoric in regards to criminality, instead of directing the police es-tablishment to improve public safety on the streets.

It is true that the fight against crime is of utmost importance. We have to remember that crime rates have been going up at acceler-ating pace.

If we want to be tough on crime we must first be strict on guns, make gang recruitment illegal, create a new stand-alone offense for rape-murder, robbery-holdup, home invasion, carjacking and other heinous crimes.

We would all like to feel safer at home, at the workplace and in the streets therefore government should increase support for crime prevention initiatives. With the crime rate go-ing up, government should commit to further reduce crime through better programs in youth activity and early childhood education, and address the underlying causes of crime such as poverty, inequality and racism.

--o--UNDERGROUND ECONOMY – Sidewalk-

vending in our country usually is associated with the obligatory manner to survive. The pri-mary reason why sidewalk and ambulant ven-dors proliferate in a bustling metropolis and other urban centers is unemployment. The big cities are drowned in density. Job opportunity is scarce therefore many of our countrymen turn to other income-generating ventures in order to survive. Most often you will hear them say, “mabuti na lang ang magtinda sa bangketa kahit bawal ayon sa batas kaysa magnakaw.” (It’s better to be vending in the sidewalks even it is against the law than stealing.)

First, let us look closely at the economic situation. There might be radical shift in our economic development, but it is not enough to improve the lot of our people. You see, there is a very deep infirmity in a society where illegal sidewalk peddling is more desirable than go-ing home to the province to start a new, pos-sibly better life.

For the past years, the problem has be-come global in scoop and bigger and more serious in developing countries like the Phil-ippines. The root cause of sidewalk- vending and its twin –street-hawking, is unemploy-ment. And sense sidewalk-vending does not make one rich or just being able to provide for the needs of a family that keeps on growing, thanks to the government’s failure to pursue a serious population program the sidewalk ven-dors remains poor or even poorer. It is vicious cycle, an unbroken curse, you might say. Econ-omists estimate that more than one in three of the nation’s population is living below the pov-erty level. As a result, many of the unemployed resort to sidewalk vending, which is the fastest way to earn instant money.

Well, we have seen the phenomenal rise of sidewalk vendors and street peddlers not only in Davao City, but throughout the country. Even top-level officials admit that it is not that easy to regulate the sidewalk vending trade, and even more difficult to adopt measures to clear the sidewalks of vendors and ambulant peddlers. .

Local government units, Davao City in-cluded, adopt maximum tolerance as unwrit-ten policy on sidewalk vending. This is cas-caded to law enforcers who in turn become confused if not frustrated and eventually inef-fective in dealing with the problem. In sum, this government’s leniency has encouraged ven-dors to become abusive and arrogant even to the extent of defying law enforcers and lawful orders.

Still, ironically, sidewalk-vending, il-legitimate and illegal it may be, contributes tremendously to the country’s economic well-being through what we call the “underground economy.”

Yet everybody agrees that it is high time for the city government to adopt a clear policy on sidewalk vending. There’s so much room for government’s creativity to find solutions for this nagging problem. One good way to start is stop looking at the vendors as potential voters.

9VANTAGE POINTS

Monkey Business

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012EDGEDAVAO

Flexible business mechanismI started with

Friendster and I was forever

hooked with so-cial networking. It was just the right timing. I was in a remote city, first time away from my parents and loved-ones. I needed to be connected. Not that my parents are techy. They are even the exact opposite of it. My yearning to be connected stemmed from a lack of a list of things to do, simply put.

Years after, when Facebook was cre-ated, I didn’t think it would be a tough com-petition to Friendster but eventually almost everyone I know migrated to Facebook! You cannot believe how many are into Facebook now. According to current statistics, there are 27,720,300 Facebook users in the Phil-ippines, which makes it #8 in the ranking of all Facebook statistics by country.

I don’t know who introduced what to whom but my boys have their own accounts. But I take the blame. It’s my fault, entirely. A home that’s DSL and Wi-fi ready? What else can they do but use it, right? Plus they see their mom taking time on the pc, uploading pictures, sharing links and updating my sta-tus…

When games and applications came about, the HOURS I spent planting and har-vesting my crops in Farmville! It became ridiculous when I would hurry back home because I didn’t want my crops to wither?! I know of some people who could relate to this. Especially the ones who give me gifts and water my crops when I am away, that means, when I am not online. I would be

clicking and clicking and asking myself…. “What the hell am I doing?!” I knew right then that I had to stop. No more apps for me. So Facebook friends, no more game invita-tions for me, please. I hope you understand.

There was this amusing facebook link which said: “You want to earn easy money? There are three easy steps : 1.) Log-out face-book 2.) Turn laptop off 3.) Get up from your chair. LOL! I also feel my thighs and hips have become slightly bigger from all that sitting. My doctor partner even warned me about the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I just know that I already have it. It’s a pain you feel in your hand because it stayed in one position for a long period of time.

There are numerous benefits having Facebook. I got the chance to see my class-mates on all levels including Kindergarten. One grade school classmate relayed a mem-ory he has of me. He was crying in class and I told him to stop because if he doesn’t his eyes will shrink. At least that’s how I translate it to English. He found what I said funny so he laughed. He laughed hard he had to cover his nose and you could probably guess why. I am elated to learn something about myself or how I acted when I was a child.

Then came the never-ending supply of class or batch reunions!!! I became hungry for news of my close buddies in high school. The ones I sat beside in class, the person who got me in trouble because we talked and talked while our teacher is desperately try-ing to get the attention of some ADHD (Atten-tion Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) students. Maybe now, we can be diagnosed as having this disorder. Haha!

One problem I see with people so en-grossed with being online is and I can better explain it by giving you a familiar scenario: 2 or 3 people in a coffee shop. 2 people with their I-phones and the other one in an I-Pad all connected through WI-Fi and all 3 con-nected to Facebook… no talk, pantomime or sign language perhaps? I don’t want to think that companionship and camaraderie have been reduced to this. Tsk,tsk,tsk. Whatever happened to the old-fashioned talk-a-thon??

I feel happy and proud learning about the successes of my classmates. I can see all the statuses in the facebook stream. Of-course, not everyone would have positive posts and I am guilty of sometimes airing my negative sentiments as well…I know. I see posts from angry friends meant for one person. And you can only say to yourself: “ If posts could kill…”

I have once told my sons not to make Facebook a medium for the release of their frustrations and anxieties. I told them how it made me feel reading them and how it may affect their friends who may have already read it. It is comforting to know that we are not alone. That somewhere in another part of the world, one person is feeling the same way you do. That whatever we may be feel-ing, whatever we may be going through, someone has been there and climbed out of it. That’s where I got the idea of how my ac-count should look like, how it can create a positive effect. Since I am looking for some justification why I am sitting in front of my pc every day, I found the answer. I resolve to devote time lifting the spirit of one person and that person may even be…ME.

FACEBOOK: Friend or Foe

MI S A M I S Oriental Gov Oscar

Moreno knows what it takes to prosecute a high public official. In December 2000, he was one of the members of the House of Representatives who impeached and prosecut-ed then Pres-ident Joseph Estrada. If he had his way, Moreno would pre-fer not to comment on how his peers have been prosecuting the second Phil-ippine official to be impeached in a de-cade, Chief Justice Renato Corona. When asked about it, he merely said: “I just hope the country will emerge stronger, wiser and more mature after the trial, regardless of the outcome.”

Moreno declined to comment on how the prosecution has handled the case so far. He’s apparently wished them well though. In one of the sessions of the on-going trial, Moreno was seen bantering with members of the prosecution panel. Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, on the other hand, has not issued any public statement on the trial. But he is said to have told those who repeat-edly sought his comments that he just wanted the trial to “take its due course.” Sarangani Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez like-wise initially refused to comment on what has transpired so far in the trial. But he later said the exercise is fast turning into a “circus.” He added: “I just hope that when all these are over with, we will be able to restore the respect and dignity of public office.”

Corona and his perceived nemesis in the High Tribunal, Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, are no strangers to the governor. It was Carpio who administered the oath of office of Dominguez when the lat-ter first won in 2004 and again in 2010. (Dominguez is on his third and last term.) Dominguez also invited Corona dur-ing the groundbreaking ceremony of the annex building of the Hall of Justice in Sarangani, which was funded large-ly by Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao. (During the trial, it was revealed that Mrs Co-rona traveled to General Santos City in 2011 using a PAL platinum card issued to the Chief Justice. This coincided with the March 3, 2011 official visit of her husband in nearby Saran-gani, where the latter was guest of honor during the said groundbreaking ceremony.) General Santos City Mayor Darlene Antonino Custodio, a former congresswoman who signed all 3 impeachment complaints against Corona’s benefactor and former boss ex-Pres-ident Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said she is so far satisfied with the conduct of the trial.

Public trust“My only hope is for the process to

take its course,” Custodio added. She con-ceded that the trial is divisive but stressed it’s part of a healthy political process. The city mayor however said Corona may no longer have the moral ascendancy to remain in office, regardless of the outcome of the trial. “For me, public office is a public trust. If the public does not trust you anymore, whether it is valid or not…it (Corona’s continued stay as chief justice) is going to be a dis-service to the institution,” Custodio added. Custodio’s observation is shared by lawyer Carlos Zarate, immediate past president of the Integrated Bar of the

Philippines’s (IBP) Davao City chapter. Incumbent IBP Davao City chapter president Jonathan “Butch” Jocom said Corona’s im-peachment trial should serve as a wake-up call for Supreme Court justices.

But Jocom stressed that their chapter has adopted the stand of the IBP national leadership. The lawyers’ group is perceived to be supportive of Corona and has criticized the way the House rushed the impeachment complaint against the Chief Justice.

Roan Libarios, IBP national president, is from Butuan City and, like Gov Moreno, was also part of the prosecution panel during the Estrada impeachment trial. A member of the left-leaning lawyer’s group Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Min-danao, Zarate believes one of the reasons behind the impeachment of Corona was the Supreme Court’s decision on Haci-enda Luisita, which is owned by the Co-juangco side of the President’s family. Predictably, the National Democratic Front (NDF) in Mindanao sees the Co-rona impeachment trial as an exten-sion of the contradiction between and among the country’s “ruling elite.” “(The trial) only shows the irreconcilable conflict of self-interest within the ruling class, and furthermore exposes just how deep and barefaced bureaucrat-capitalism has rapaciously divested from the Filipino people,” communist leader George Mad-los said in a statement issued on Janu-ary 20, four days after the trial began. Its Moro counterpart has also tak-en a disinterested stand on the tri-al of the country’s chief magistrate. Majority of the Mindanaoans, after all, have more pressing concerns, such as recurring brownouts and security threats.

Mindanao leaders on Corona’s trial

10 NATION/WORLD VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012 EDGEDAVAO

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT

11TH Judicial Region Branch 33Davao City

IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF SUYANNE CITA UY SORIANO SPL.PROC. NO. 11,740-2012

GERARDO UGAY SORIANO Petitioner

x---------------------------------------------------x

ORDER This is a verified petition for adoption of minor Suyanne Cita Uy Soriano ,filed by Gerardo Ugay Soriano, praying that after due notice, and hearing judgment be entered adjudging, that the minor child, Suyanne Cita Uy Soriano be freed from all legal ob-ligations of obedience and maintenance with respect to her natural parent and that she be declared to all legal intents and purposes, the child of the herein petitioner. Finding the verified petition to be sufficient in form and substance, set hearing of this petition on August 2, 2012 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning.

Pursuant to Section 11, Article IV of the Domestic Adoption Act of 1998, petition-ers are hereby directed to submit themselves to Ms Lorelie Basillote, a social worker of this Court, for the preparation of the required case to conduct a case study on minor Suyanne Cita Uy Soriano her biological parents and petitioner, and to submit a report (home and child study reports) and recommendation thereon within (30) days from receipt of this Order.

Pursuant to Sec. 12 (6) of A.M. No. 02-6-02-SC, Ms. Lorelie Basillote, is also directed to conduct counseling sessions with the biological parents (if known) on the matter of adoption of the adoptee and to submit her report before the date of hearing.

Petitioner is hereby directed to cause the publication of this Order at his expense, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation, which has been selected after a raffle, in the City and the four (4) provinces of Davao.

Likewise, petitioner is further directed to furnish the Office of the Solicitor General a copy of this petition and to submit proof of compliance thereto.

Any person interested or who seeks to oppose the instant petition may appear to state why the petition should not be granted. SO ORDERED.

Davao City, Philippines, January 31, 2012 (Sgd) LOPE L.CALIO Judge (Edge 2/27,3/5,12)

NATION BRIEFS wORLD TODAYDeferred

THE Land Transpor-tation Franchis-ing and Regulatory

Board (LTFRB) on Friday deferred the granting of a provisional 50-centavo fare hike to transport sector pending results of its consultation with other government agen-cies.

LTFRB Board Mem-ber Manuel Iway said the board would still hold discussions and meeting with other government agencies to get their opinion and advice on the effect of any fare hike on the overall situation.

welcomed

MA L A C A ñ A N G welcomed the considerable im-

provement of the Phil-ippines’ ranking in the latest index of economic freedom report by the Heritage Foundation.

“We welcome the country’s improvement in the world ranking of Economic Freedom of the Heritage Founda-tion (HF) that placed the Philippines eight notch-es higher compared to last year’s results,” Pres-idential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

Helicopters

DEFENSE Secretary Voltaire Gazmin formally received

four new W-3A Sokol combat utility helicop-ters the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) or-dered from Poland dur-ing simple ceremonies here Friday morning.

In tears

THE wife of detained Tibetan documen-tary maker Dhondup

Wangchen broke down in tears Friday in New York as she blamedChinese rule for a wave of self-im-molations by protesters in her homeland.

Lhamo Tso, a petite woman who last spoke to her husband in 2008, ap-pealed for help at an open-air press conference held in Times Square, where excerpts of Wangchen’s banned documentary, “Leaving Fear Behind,” were also shown.

Returned

CHINA has repatriated all 31 North Korean refugees it arrested

last month despite interna-tional pressure against the move, refugee advocates in South Korea said Friday.

The advocates say the refugees could suffer abuse or even execution for flee-ing North Korea during the mourning period for its late leader Kim Jong-Il.

Sabotage

JAPAN’S Antarctic whal-ing fleet has killed less than a third of the ani-

mals it planned to because of sabotage by activists, Tokyo said Friday as it an-nounced the end of the sea-son’s hunt.

Japan’s Fisheries Agen-cy said the fleet was on its way home from the Ant-arctic “on schedule”, but admitted that at 267 the catch was way down on ex-pectations.

worst

A major crackdown on dissent follow-ing protests across

the Arab world made 2011 the worst year for human rights in China in a decade, a pressure group said Fri-day.

Long jail terms, en-forced disappearances and torture of dissidents amounted to a “downward spiral” in China’s record, Hong Kong-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) said in its annual report.

Breakthrough

THE United States on Friday signed a deal transferring the con-

troversial Bagram prison to Afghan control, marking a breakthrough in negotia-tions over a strategic treaty between the two nations.

The handover of the US-run prison -- some-times called Afghanistan’s Guantanamo Bay -- has been a key sticking point in talks between Washington and the Afghan govern-ment on concluding a long-term partnership pact.

CHRISTIANS far out-number Muslims as migrants around the

world, including in the Eu-ropean Union where debates about immigra-tion usually focus on new Muslim arrivals, according to a new study issued on Thursday.

Of the world’s 214 million people who have moved from their home country to live in another, about 106 million (49 per-cent) are Christians while around 60 million (27 percent) are Muslims, the study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life said.

Only 3.6 million Jews around the world have moved across internation-al borders, the study said, but that is 25 percent of the world’s Jewish popu-lation, by far the highest proportion on the move of any faith group.

“Many experts think that, on the whole, eco-nomic opportunities - bet-ter jobs and higher wages - have been the single big-gest driver of internation-al migration,” it said.

“At the same time, re-ligion remains a factor in some people’s decisions to leave their countries of birth and their choices of where to go.”

The study defined mi-grants as people living in another country in 2010 for over a year, including estimates of illegal im-migrants and long-term refugees including Pales-

MIGRANT SHELTER. A woman and a child walk past crosses set up outside a migrant shelter in the small town of Altar, about 60 miles (97 km) south of the

U.S.-Mexico border in the Mexican state of Sonora, December 28, 2010. 

tinians and their descen-dants.

“Perhaps contrary to popular perception, ... Christian immigrants outnumber Muslim im-migrants in the European Union as a whole,” the report said, indirectly re-ferring to far-right par-ties that have long cam-paigned against Muslim newcomers.

Of the 47 million migrants in the EU, 26 million (56 percent) are Christians, double the 13 million Muslim migrants, who make up only 27 per-cent of the total, it said.

The gap narrows when intra-EU migration - for example, Christian

Greeks to Germany or French-born Muslims to Britain - is excluded, but Christians migrating from outside the EU still out-number non-EU Muslim migrants by about 13 mil-lion to 12 million.CHRISTIANS HEAD FOR U.S.

The United States is the leading destination for Christian migrants, who account for 32 million (74 percent) of its 43 million-strong foreign-born popu-lation. Two-thirds of them are from Latin America.

“The United States has received about as many immigrants from Mexico alone (more than 12 mil-lion, including both legal immigrants and unauthor-ised ones) as any other nation has received from all sources combined,” the study said.

The U.S. is also the world’s top destination for Buddhists, many from Vietnam. “About five per-cent of U.S. immigrants are Muslims, a much lower share than in Europe,” it added.

More Christian than Muslim migrants

THE Department of Agri-culture – Philippine Cen-ter for Postharvest De-

velopment and Mechanization (PhilMech) has completed the construction of three tramlines in Mindanao which will greatly benefit tribal and indigenous communities who rely on veg-etable farming for their liveli-hood.

The completed tramlines are located in the municipalities of Maragusan and New Bataan in Compostela Valley, and in Ba-rangay Kapatagan, Digos City in Davao del Sur, which are all up-land farming communities.

Each of the three tram-lines have a length of at least one kilometer and cost at least P1 million to construct. These were completed during the last quarter of the year.

PhilMech Executive Direc-tor Ricardo Cachuela said that the tramlines in Maragusan (Compostela Valley) and Baran-gay Kapatagan (Davao del Sur) will benefit members of the Mansaka Tribe who have gone

into vegetable farming, while the tramline in New Bataan (Compostela Valley) will ben-efit the Mandayaw tribe who have gone into farming.

“With the new tramline, the tribal communities en-gaged in vegetable farming in the three localities now have a stronger link with their mar-kets because the tramlines make it more efficient for them to transport their vegetables to the trading posts,” Cachuela said.

The major markets for the vegetables grown in the three localities are Davao city, Cagayan de Oro and other ma-jor urban cities in Mindanao.

The tramline in New Bataan (Compostela Valley) will serve at least 30 hectares of farmland which are planted to vegetables by mostly mem-bers of the Mandayaw tribe, while the one in Maragusan will serve at least 75 hect-ares of land cultivated mostly by members of the Mansaka tribe. The tramline in Ba-

rangay Kapatagan will serve at least 100 hectares of land tended mostly by members of the Mansaka tribe.

When the tramline were not yet established, the farm-ers in the three localities had to pay at least P50 to trans-port one large basket (kaing) of vegetables to the trading posts. The only way to trans-port vegetables in the uplands was through human labor or horses.

With the tramlines, the

cost has been reduced to P10 to P15 per large basket, while postharvest losses has been reduced from around 20% to 50%.

“The economic impact of the tramlines on agriculture communities can never be dis-counted,” Cachuela sad.

The three new finished tramlines in Mindanao is part of the more than 100 tram-lines that the PhilMech will construct in various farming communities nationwide.

11SUBURBIA

‘I aM So Happy wItH tHIS prograM, tHat’S wHy wE, at tHE con-grESSIonal offIcE HavE dEcIdEd to joIn In and HElp out by provIdIng fundS.’

--Rep. Anthony G. del Ro-sario (1st District, Davao del Norte), after handing over P800,000 for the treatment of cancer patients.

Quips

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012EDGEDAVAO

PRESIDENT Benigno Simeon Aquino III has assured the

completion of the 40-ki-lometer Asuncion, Davao del Norte – Laak, Compos-tela Valley Road before his term ends in 2016.

1st District Congress-man Anthony del Rosario said the president person-ally told him he wants to see the project completed before he steps down in the next presidential elec-tion.

“The president wants to see that road finished when he retires in 2016,” del Rosario told local offi-cials at the third outreach of the Davao del Norte Convergence for Peace and Development in Igan-gon, San Isidro, this prov-ince.

The representative said the national govern-ment is releasing this year

another P70 million for the Asuncion-Laak Road, in addition to the P95 mil-lion provided last year for the upleveling and con-creting of the road, which passes through Barangay Igangon.

Cong. del Rosario also bared more nationally-funded projects are in the pipeline in his district, to include the electrification of yet unlighted remote areas and the develop-ment of local tourism sites.

He said some P38 mil-lion is appropriated for the rural electrification program in the province.

While the province is also included in the na-tional government’s list of tourism development priorities, where billions of pesos will be poured in to improve access going to tourist destinations.

PNoy assures completion of Asuncion-Laak Road

TREE PLANTING. DavNor 1st District Congressman Anthony del Rosario huddles with Vice Gov. Victorio Suaybaguio, Jr., Board Member Atty. Joey Millan, 1003rd IB Commander Col Lysander Suerte, together with Capitol

executives during tree planting activity at the third convergence outreach in Igangon, San Isidro, Davao del Norte. Noel Baguio/DavNor PIO 

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Ja-

pan International Coop-eration Agency (JICA) have agreed to launch the Mindanao Sustainable Agrarian and Agriculture Development Project (MINSAAD) that will pro-vide P4.4 billion worth of support services to some 69,000 farmer-beneficia-ries in Northern Mind-anao, Southern Mindanao and Central Mindanao.

DAR Undersecre-tary for Support Services Jerry Pacturan said the five-year project seeks to improve agricultural pro-duction in 11,620 hect-ares of farmlands, more than 2,000 hectares of them would be provided with irrigation facilities, in the hope of increasing income of 69,091 farmer-beneficiaries in 12 settle-ment areas, 205 baran-gays and 25 towns in the three regions, a release from the agency said.

He added that a to-tal of 395.2 kilometers of farm-to-market roads would also be construct-ed, as well as, a total of 952-linear meter bridges and 58 post-harvest fa-cilities.

“The project is in line with the 2011-2016 Phil-ippine Development Plan (PDP) aimed at develop-ing a competitive, sus-

tainable and technology-based agriculture sector to ensure food security, increase farmer’s income, attract investments and generate employment opportunities,” Pacturan said.

He added that the project would also help reduce risk through cli-mate change adaptation and mitigation, and ratio-nal use of our agricultural land,” Pacturan said.

Funded by JICA and the Philippine govern-ment, Pacturan said, the project would be carried out in cooperation with the Department of Agri-culture (DA), the Depart-ment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Public Works and High-ways (DPWH) and the Na-tional Irrigation Adminis-tration (NIA), along with local non-government and people’s organiza-tions and the private sec-tor.

“Hopefully, the proj-ect will help make our agriculture industry sus-tainable and competitive with our Asian neighbors, with the implementation of badly needed infra-structure projects and the conduct of capacity build-ing support measures for our farmer-beneficiaries from 2012 to 2016,” Pac-turan said. DAR11

P4.4-B infra to boost agri in Mindanao

3 new tramlines to benefit tribes in Davao region

12 COMPETITIVE EDGE VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012 EDGEDAVAO

wORLD TODAY

Tulip Drive, Ecoland, Davao City

You can now buy your favorite Business Paper from any of these

establishments still at Php 15.

T h e B u s i n e s s P A P E R

F. Torres St., Davao CityTel No. 227-3773 - (72)

Fax: 295-3485

Davao

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DEcISIONS.

ST A R M O -BILE celebrates the opening of its

flagship concept store at the 3rd floor of Gaisano Mall in Davao City on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 with a grand and exciting one-day sale that will surely be a treat to all Starmobile customers!

Enjoy brighter deals as Starmobile awards the first 50 buyers of the Mercury B101 and Mer-cury B201 mobile phones with a 50% discount. And for those who choose to go for a more sophisti-cated and feature-packed model, Starmobile offers as much as P1000 off for the first 50 buyers of the Jupiter Q501i.

What’s more, a 10% discount will be available

across all other Starmo-bile models such as the Neptune B301 with its slim design, the music edition Neptune B302, the bestselling Neptune B501 with mobile TV, the touch screen Neptune T501 and the chic and stylish Venus SQ301.

Exclusive discounts and super-value offers await those who visit the Starmobile store open-ing in Davao on March 14. Line opens at 1PM.

Starmobile dual SIM phones are also avail-able in stores nationwide. Check out www.star-mobile.com.ph, Happy Man by Starmobile on Facebook, and @hap-pymanPH on Twitter for more exciting news from Starmobile.

Starmobile launches flagship store in Davao with one-day sale on March 14

SUN Cellular makes the movies more accessi-ble with Sun Sinehan,

a roving movie house that will visit selected baran-gays in Mindanao and offer free movie viewing for the public! This is great news, especially for Maja Salva-dor fans, as they can watch her latest movie, Thelma, at the comfort of their own community!

“Thelma” is an inspir-ing and uplifting story of a mischievous and tomboy-ish teenage girl from Ilocos Norte portrayed by Maja Salvador. Her passion for running serves as an outlet to unsaddle herself on her life’s misgivings. A disap-pointment to her farmer father’s dream of having a son for a first-born, she is also an elder sister to a smarter and more passion-ate little sister. Despite be-ing secretly envious of her kin, they are best friends.

Sun Sinehan will be the ultimate Maja fanatics get-together! Get a chance to win special prizes just by bringing out the Maja in you with their Dance Ala Maja, Maja Makeover and Haircut Ala Maja contests! Make sure to bring along the all your family and friends as a special prize awaits the biggest BARKA-DA or PAMILYA group. Just purchase any Sun Prepaid SIM plus load to get free movie tickets, free items and discounts!

Enjoy the movies with ‘Sun Sinehan’

13FFROM 1 FFROM 1

FFROM 5

PNP... Mayor...

Ayala...

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012EDGEDAVAO

shopping at any merchant of the mall (food and non-food) during the promo period.

“Hopefully the cus-tomers will be encouraged to participate in the cam-paign,” Escano stated.

He said Ayala Malls commits to plant 100 cit-rus fruit trees for every 10,000 raffle coupons issued in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The trees will be planted at the Abuan Wa-tershed in Northern Sierra Madre National Park, Isab-ela province, which, aims to increaseinfiltration/aq-uifer recharge and base-flows, and reduce erosion and sedimentation of the Abuan River.

In Davao City, the Aya-la Malls has also planted trees in Toril as part of the mall’s greening contribu-tion, Escano said.

The Abreeza Mall’s existing environment ini-tiatives and practices in-clude the use of rainwater, water treatment plant in all facilities, recycling, en-vironment-friendly equip-ment and airconditioning units that are energy effi-cient. PIA-11

As its contribution in protecting the environ-ment, a mall here has em-barked on a greening ad-vocacy urging shoppers to minimize the use of plastic bags.

Ayala owned Abreeza mall launched Friday, March 9, the Green Fridays campaign in collaboration with its merchants, aiming to encourage customers to use biodegradable pack-aging or paper bags in lieu of plastic bags. Abreeza operations manager An-tonio Luigi C. Escano said the advocacy aspires for mall clients to make it a habit to use an eco-bag to save the environment.

While shopping every Friday starting March 9, mall shoppers could use any reusable bags or the Ayala Malls Eco bag availa-ble at the mall’s concierge for P50 each, Escano told the media during the Ka-pihan sa PIA-XI held at the Abreeza VIPinoy Lounge.

He said that incen-tive program is offered to participating custom-ers who will get a chance of winning El Nido travel packages in Palawan and one unit of Avida Village House and Lot for the pe-

riod covering March 9 to June 1, 2012. Grand raffle draw is on June 13.

A shopper will get one raffle coupon for every use of the Ayala Malls eco bag or any reusable bags, and paper bag/box when shopping at any merchant of the mall (food and non-food) during the promo period.

“Hopefully the cus-tomers will be encouraged to participate in the cam-paign,” Escano stated.

He said Ayala Malls commits to plant 100 cit-rus fruit trees for every 10,000 raffle coupons issued in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The trees will be planted at the Abuan Wa-tershed in Northern Sierra Madre National Park, Isab-ela province, which, aims to increaseinfiltration/aq-uifer recharge and base-flows, and reduce erosion and sedimentation of the Abuan River.

The Discon which ended last Saturday was at-tended by 1,500 Rotar-ians coming from the Visayas and Mindanao led by District Governor Leoncio “Nonoy” Villa-Abrille.

Bartolome imme-diately left for the air-port after delivering his speech on the PNP’s peace keeping efforts, said Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Sr. Supt. Ronald dela Rosa who escorted Bar-tolome.

In a letter received by Mayor Duterte-Car-pio March 7, the nation-al police gave its nod to the City Peace and Order Council’s (CPOC) reso-lution dated February 28 requesting General Bartolome to declare a gun ban from March 1-31 in Davao City as a security measure dur-ing the Araw ng Dabaw celebrating the 75th founding anniversary are Davao City.

Shoot to killMeanwhile, Mayor

Duterte-Carpio gave or-ders to the city’s peace keeping units not to

hesitate to gun down criminals refusing to surrender.

“The police will be going after all who are outside their residence, suspected to be carrying a gun. Arrest and pros-ecute or shoot to kill if the lives of the public are in danger during ap-prehension,” the mayor said in a text message.

The DCPO director said they will “seriously follow the mayor’s in-structions.”

“Seryoso to. Shoot to kill basta armado unya musukol. (It’s serious. We’re going to shoot to kill if the criminal is armed and would resist arrest). In situations that civilians are in dan-ger especially now that there’s Araw ng Dabaw,” dela Rosa said in an in-terview.

Dela Rosa also said that the City Mayor “need not give this or-der.”

“Even if though there’s no order from her, if we are put into that situation (where-in an armed criminal refuses to surrender)

we have to defend our-selves,” dela Rosa said.

Police Regional Of-fice 11 director P/C Superintendent Jaime Morente also gave his concurrence, reminding people from the neigh-boring provinces “not to carry their guns inside Davao City.”

The mayor dur-ing the February CPOC meeting said the guide-lines for the gun ban will follow those delin-eated during the elec-tions which states that:

- No person shall bear, carry or transport firearms or other deadly weapons in public plac-es, including any build-ing, street, park, private vehicle or public con-veyance, even if licensed to possess or carry the same.

- Only regular mem-bers of the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other law enforcement agen-cies of the Government who are duly depu-tized…may be autho-rized to carry and pos-sess firearms.

waiting for me),” she said.Boycott

The city mayor also af-firmed that there are rumors certain employees of the Central 911 have proclaimed their desire to resign if Mon-santo is replaced, or boycot-ting the new chief.

“Yes I have read about that through social network-ing sights. And I want to get the message across that nga katong gusto mu-resign, pag-resign na,” Duterte-Carpio said.

“Kung gusto nila mu-re-sign, I will gladly accept their resignation,” she added.

The mayor said she is ready if ever this scenario would happen, saying it could be that the Central 911 would have to pause opera-tion.

“I would just have to apologize to the public that it would stop siguro for one or two days so we can look for those who’d fill up the posi-tions but as I said I will gladly accept all their resignations,” she said.

In an interview with Edge Davao, five employees of Central 911 denied the ru-mors of a boycott.

The five employees, all of whom did not want to be identified, said they haven’t even heard about Central 911’s newly appointed chief.

“Wala gani mi kabalo ana. Ang sa amoa mag-hulat lang gyud mi sa mandate sa City kay under man mi sa City Mayor’s Office. Naga-hulat lang man gyud mi ug order,” said an IT program-mer who’s been working for 5 years in Central 911.

The five praised their former chief.

“Maayo man ang pag-padagan diri. Naay sistema. Maayo ang pagpadagan ni Sir Monsanto,” said a emer-gency medical technician of 6 years.

“Ang problema man gyud kay dili masabtan sa mga tao ang tinood nga function sa 911. Sa word nga ‘emergency’ pa lang dapat

for emergency lang gyud na. We receive an average of 100 calls a day for emergen-cy pero amo nang gina-filter kay ang uban dili tinood nga emergency.

“Naay uban sakit ra diay ang tiyan o magpata-bang ra diay pahatod sa hos-pital tungod naka-schedule siya for operation. Tungod sa mga ingana dili na hinoon ma-cater tung mas impor-tante nga emergency gyud,” said emergency medical technician who’s been with 911 for 8 years.

The Central 911 em-ployees also concurred with an earlier statement with Monsanto that the lack of ambulance is “not a matter of complaints from people but the status quo.”

In an interview March 6, it was a subdued Monsan-to who said he would just wait for the mayor’s orders.

“I will never question her kung unsa iyahang deci-sion. Basta kung ano ang de-cision ni mayor I am willing to support her,” Monsanto said in an interview at the City Council wherein he at-tended the committee hear-ing on the issue on the inac-cessibility of 911 through telecoms Globe and Smart.

Monsanto was appoint-ed as head of Central 911 by former city mayor, now Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte when it was created in 2002. Monsato said he found ful-fillment in his position.

“Oo eh, dako gud nag natabang sa syudad. Ang naga-taas nga numbers of responses nga ginahimo sa 911 every year ang proof nga naga-contribute siya sa syudad,” he said.

AuditThe mayor said the

next step would be to con-duct an audit of the equip-ment and expenses of the Central 911.

“Dili lang financial audit but an audit of everything: personnel, equipment, bud-get para mahibaw-an ang problema,” she said.

“Sa karon man gud puro lang complaint di ba. So to verify to validate, we need to do an audit sa ilaha,” she added.

ChangesThe mayor added that

there will be changes in the operation of the Central 911.

She said among the things being discussed is for the call center of the Central 911 to be transferred under the functions of the Public Safety Command Center (PSCC).

“That needs to be dis-cussed because naa didto ang technology. Naa didto ang CCTV cameras, ang monitoring,” she said.

Duterte-Carpio also re-vealed the city has received a donation from the Aboitiz company to strengthen its street monitoring capability.

“The Aboitiz has always been our partner for the lon-gest time and they opted to donate new equipment, the technology, to the PSCC,” she said.

The mayor earlier ex-pressed her dissatisfaction on the performance of the 911, pointing out that it re-ceives a very high budget from the city.

“Sila man ang front lin-ers. Mao na ang ginatawag nga line agencies kumbaga. Mao na ang naa sa front line mag-deliver ug service. Of course (mao na) ang ginex-pect nato. (The) chief opera-tions officer siguro should be present during baha, su-nog, ug kung unsa pa man ang coordination meeting during events and the likes,” she said during her regular press conference.

The mayor, however, stressed that her decision is nothing personal.

She however admitted that there is a lack of com-munication between her of-fice and Central 911.

“Actually wala man mi problema kaming duha. It’s just that dili pud mi naga-istorya,” she said referring to Monsanto. [JAde C. ZALdIvAR]

‘wE’rE just humans. we’ve been receiving all kinds of insults. there were also name-calling. we’re all hurt by these attacks. who wouldn’t be? these are all baseless and lies.’

--Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona

Quips

14 MOTORINGVOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012 EDGEDAVAO

HELPING YOU MAKE INFORMED BUSINESS DEcISIONS.

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Southern Motors of Davao namedIsuzu’s Dealer of the Year 2011

Dealer of the Year - Dennis Torres - Dealer Coordinator, Takashi Tomita Executive Vice Pres. Isuzu Phils. Corp, Isuzu Davao - Southern Motors of Davao President Frank T. Liu, Jr., AVP for Sales and Marketing Kim Liu and Sales Executives (Ruth Niog, Maryshel Melo, Rosilyn Mares) and Isuzu Phil-ippines Corporation President Ryoji Yamazaki.

Best in Service Performance - Edward De Guzman - Assistant Division Head Parts and Service Manager Isuzu Philip-pines Corp., Isuzu Davao Southern Mo-tors of Davao AVP for Sales and Market-

ing Kim Liu and President Frank T. Liu, Jr. and Toshiyuki Watanabe Parts and Service Consultant Isuzu Philippines Corp.

Best in Sales - Daisuke Inaba - Assistant Division Head Isuzu Phil, Isuzu Davao - Southern Motors of Davao AVP for Sales and Marketing Kim Liu, President Frank

T. Liu, Jr. and Sales Executives (Ruth Niog, Maryshel Melo, Rosilyn Mares) and Art Balmadrid Sr. Vice Presi-dent, Sales Division.

Isuzu Davao - Southern Motors of Davao Management and Employess with Isuzu Philippines Executives and

President Ryoji Yamazaki

ISUZU’S exclusive dealer for Southeastern Mind-anao, Southern Motors

of Davao, Inc. (SMDI), marked a major milestone in 2011 as the company secured the Isuzu Deal-er of the Year title. This marks the first time that Southern Motors of Davao took the top honors for all Isuzu dealers nationwide.

“It’s a proud moment for us,” commented Frank T. Liu Jr., Southern Motors of Davao, Inc. President and General Manager. “2011 has been a chal-lenging year for the in-dustry and the auto sales network as a whole, but through the talent and hard work of our team here at Isuzu Davao, we were able to meet our tar-gets and goals last year.”

The Isuzu Dealer of the Year award is given to the full-service Isuzu dealership that fulfills very strict criteria on top of achieving actual sales quotas in terms of both vehicles and service. In 2011, despite the chal-lenges posed by disas-trous natural phenom-ena overseas, Southern

Motors of Davao, Inc. achieved Best in Sales as well as Best in Service Performance, and was duly recognized by Isuzu Philippines Corporation.

The management of SMDI has been as-sumed by Liu just three years ago, and already the company has risen to the many challenges that have faced region and the industry as a whole. The Dealer of the Year award only strengthens the com-pany’s commitment to ex-cellence in serving their customers in the south.

“It’s been a trying year for us here at South-ern Motors, but we weath-ered the storms in more ways than one,” continued the SMDI President.

“We are very proud of what our dealership has achieved,” said Mr. Kim Liu, SMDI’s Assistant Vice President for Sales and Marketing, “moreover, we are even more proud of our loyal workforce here at SMDI for their deter-mination to overcome the challenges of last year.”

SMDI has been in the auto industry for over 60

years. Originally estab-lished as Southern Mo-tors, Inc. in 1949 under the Yutivo and Sons Group of Companies, SMDI, then SMI, sold vehicles made by General Motors Cor-poration such as Chevro-let, Pontiac, Opel, Holden, Vauxhall and Isuzu.

In the 1980’s, SMDI then transitioned to be-come a part of the Isuzu dealer network with the founding of Isuzu Motors Pilipinas, Inc., the pre-cursor of today’s Isuzu Philippines Corporation. Since then, SMDI has been the exclusive representa-tive of the reliable Isuzu brand in the whole of Southeastern Mindanao.

To date, Southern Motors of Davao, Inc. car-ries the reliable Isuzu Crosswind AUV, the tough Isuzu D-MAX pick-up, the comfortable Isuzu Alterra SUV. For light trucks, SMDI also sells the country’s fa-vorite light and medium commercial trucks such as the N Series and the larger F Series, as well as the new Isuzu I-Van.

“2012 is looking bright for all of us, and we at Isuzu Davao are more than happy to deliver the best, most reliable diesel-powered vehicles in the

market such as the Cross-wind, D-MAX and Alterra, as well as happily supply all of your parts and ser-vicing needs for the years to come,” said Liu .

“We would like to thank our customers -without whose patron-age and confidence in SMDI- this would not be possible,” he concluded.

Urban guide toAraw ng Dabaw

INdulge! VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012

EDGEDAVAOTRAVEL

1.) Mutya ng Dabaw Coronation Night: Set sights on Davao’s most beautiful and talented dur-ing the most prestigious beauty pageant in the city. (March 14, 2012 Davao Recreation Center)

2.) Sayawan sa Da’an: Dance to the hottest beats along with locals and tour-ists on the biggest dance party to hit the city. (March 15, 2012 Roxas Avenue to Rizal Park) 3.) Hudyakaan Sa Araw ng Dabaw: If you enjoy chill-drinking while listening to various bands and eating some grilled

fare, this event is the one for you. (March 1-31, 2012 Roxas Avenue) 4.) Republiq Cel-ebrates Araw ng Davao: Republiq Superclub (Ma-nila) invades Mindanaon shores and lends its brand of hardcore partying to Davao’s vibrant night-scape. (March 16, 2012 Garden Oases Convention

• The original Chinatown of the city was along San Pedro St., but after World War 2, it moved to its current location in Uyanguren.• The highest building was the three-story AWAD building, breaking the norm of two-storey buildings.• Before malls, A&M was the place to shop for imported items. Don’t forget Felcris Sales, where you can buy imported stuff.• The grounds around the Sangguiniang Panglungsod used to be a zoo. Now, are you surprised you can still see remnants of crocodiles, monkeys, and other animals in the session hall?• The Rizal Park used to be a skating rink.• The park fronting the Southern Philippines Medical Center is actually called Imelda Park, the trees planted by the former first lady herself.• There used to be 32 stand-alone movie theaters in Davao City. In-mall cinemas killed them all.• About two dozens of department stores lining up along San Pedro street were owned by South Asian descent, bumbay ba. And a handful of Filipino Chinese traders.• Victoria Plaza is the first mall in Davao City and in Mindanao.• The location of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas was the site of a court and jail.• DCHS, the acronym of Davao City High School used to mean “dala camo hait sanggot” due to the tall grasses in the area.• The lot where the UM Multi-test is and part of the UM Campus was called embassy grounds as it was previously owned by the US Embassy.

ARAW ng Davao (and the days leading up to it) is one of the most exciting times in Durian City. It is chock full of events to fill the planner, ignite a thirst for ethnocentric fare, and as a bonus, attracts droves of tourists to mingle with. Here is a list

of ten events you could enjoy during Davao’s Charter Day with tweet-long (140 characters) descriptions.

facts you

may not know about

Davao City

12

Center) 5.) Pahalipay Concert: This free-for-all two-day concert features some of the best local acts and is the biggest convergence of local music enthusiasts. (March 16-17, 2012 Rizal Park) 6.)  Confessions of a Partyphile’s Araw ng Davao Party: Popular for drinking games, quirky themes, an intimate set-ting, and gorgeous crowd,

this party is definitely going to be a smash hit. (March 17, 2012 Marco Polo Davao’s Eagles Bar) 7.) Starr Dine Party Shine: A must-visit for lo-cal and visiting partyphiles during the Charter Day festivities; this bar draws in hot yuppie spenders. 8.) Hybrid: If you’re young, looking to mingle, and plan to break a sweat on the dance floor, Hybrid is the perfect spot to cel-

ebrate Araw ng Davao. 9.)  The Venue Party Boat: With different themes per week, this new party concept takes the dance floor in the mid-dle of the sea on board a pimped-out boat. 10.) MTS Taboan: Ta-boan is a hub for drinks, music, and fun. This truly Davaoeno establishment has a vibe of its own and is the perfect place to un-wind.

A2 INdulge! VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012EDGEDAVAOENTERTAINMENT

Partyphile woes

Davao’s Urban legends

HERE is the deal. I only receive two types of mail. Be-ing a partyphile, I

get a lot of letters of invitation for events, social gatherings, or party-interventions. Being a sarcastic bastard, I also get a lot of hate mail which are a lot more entertaining than invites. Thankfully, I get soo much more hate mail than event invites and that inspires me to open my mailbox daily. So you could only imagine my sur-prise when I receive a letter from a woman who was asking some advice. I couldn’t believe it! After three years of talking about parties on my radio show and writing about partying on this newspaper column, somebody actually trusts my party-sense enough to ask me a question. So that inspired me to start giving some advice to peo-ple who actually need help in terms of party etiquette, party planning, the art of socializing, or anything related to the partyphile lifestyle. So here it is, my first ever advice article!Jill writes: “Hello partyphile! My name is Jill. I wanted to ask you something about partying. I was invited to a party to cel-ebrate my friend’s return to the Philip-pines. I got an invitation and it doesn’t say anything about taking a friend with me. I don’t think I know anyone else in the party aside from my friend who is hosting it. Should I still attend? Should I bring a friend with me? What may I do? Thanks for the help”

P a r -typhile answers: H e y J i l l ! Thanks for writ-ing in. I’m sure a lot of p e o p l e can relate with that

problem. Unfortunately, in this coun-try, event invitations are taken more lightly and people think it is alright to tag a friend (or friends) along to any party or event. However, you must un-derstand why the party’s host/ess sent out invitations to specific people that s/he wants to see in her event. Any party must work around a budget. Thus, the number of people attending matters a lot. Imagine your-self in her shoes. If you invited twenty people, you would probably prepare enough food and drinks for that number of people (or, if you are a host/ess with good sense, a little over that number). Thus, when your guests bring in more peo-ple than expected, you would either run out of food and refreshments, or would have to buy more; which just brings unnecessary stress. Also, don’t ask the host if you could bring more friends with you. Obvi-ously, the only choice s/he has it to agree with you because it would be very embarrassing to turn such a sug-gestion down. Pressuring the host/ess

is not a good even if it means that you get your way and get to enjoy the party with your friend. So here are my suggestions. If you are not very close with the host/ess, I would suggest that you send a negative RSVP. That way, s/he wouldn’t be ex-pecting you at the party. Instead, send some gift like homemade pastries, some wine, or foodstuff s/he could serve at the party. This tells the host that you have not forgotten about the occasion and that you want to share it with him/her. Also, it would be good to ask the host/ess if you could set an-other date for you to have some coffee or dinner to “celebrate” whatever it is that the party is celebrating. However, the best thing to do is to go to the party. Your friend obviously invited you because s/he wants to share this moment with you; s/he wants to create a wonderful memory with you. Once you get to the party (alone), I’m sure you would find some common friends or familiar faces. If not, you could always try to make friends with other people in the party. The thing is, you can always go home once you feel uncomfortable. Until then, you owe it to your friend to at least show up. I hope I answered your question Jill! Thank you for writing in. Catch Confessions of a Partyphile on the radio every Wednesday nights from 6 to 9 on 105.9 Mix FM. For questions, comments, suggestions, and more con-fessions from this partyphile, log on to http://party.i.ph or follow him on twit-ter.com/zhaun

EVERY big city in the world has its own set of urban leg-ends, from alligators

in the sewers of New York City to ghosts in London City’s famed underground. Durianburg also has it’s own fair share of urban legends.• Giant snake in a department store. It’s our take on the rumored snake that lives in the basement of a popular mall in Metro Manila. Rumor has it that the floor of the department store is a trap door that leads to the chamber of the giant snake, which is said to be the twin of one of the department store own-ers.• Kid ghost in hotel’s 3rd floor. This posh hotel in downtown Davao is not as old as other hotels but there are already sightings of ghosts in the hotel’s third floor. Rumor has it that if she doesn’t like you, she’ll make noises you will never forget.• Haunted house in Champaca. It’s another ghost sighting or ru-mored ghost sighting in this old abandoned house in Champaca St., Juna Subdivision. We don’t know if the house is still there or if the ghost has found a new home.• Devil Woman. In the 60s, women

were properly dressed when they go to church but this woman went to church wearing a red torero. Then the woman suddenly grew a tail. Believe it or not.• Mermaid. A mermaid was appar-ently caught and was placed inside a barrel at the Philippine Constabu-

lary Barracks, now known as the DCPO compound.• White Lady. Drivers report seeing a white lady along Bajada near the Southern Philippines Medical Cen-ter and in front of the Carmelites Monastery. The white lady goes as far as riding the jeep or taxi.

CHARICE Pempengco bares her new look and a tattoo!? What on earth was she thinking? We’ll pass judgment and ask you instead. Is her new look hot or not? Send your comments to indulgetweets@gmail.com

THE Azkals are now facing a new scandal that allegedly happened inside the locker room. The subject is very sensitive so we leave judgment to you. Aren’t the Azkals a little too old to be rascals?

Hot Notor

A3INdulge! VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012 EDGEDAVAOENTERTAINMENT

BOOKS

E! Online reviews the movie John Carter, which is now showing throughout the city. Here’s what they think of the movie: Part western, part swashbuckler, and a huge part science fiction, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ century-old story of a Confederate veteran turned warlord of Mars finally makes it to the big screen, after many aborted attempts over the years. Taylor Kitsch stars as the title character in a surprisingly intricate and violent space fantasy epic...from Disney! Review in a Hurry: Disney’s tone-deaf marketing of John Carter led many of us to fear the worst, from its curious omission of the word “Mars” to early looks at unfinished CG aliens who looked like cartoons (particularly frightening since the director, Andrew Stanton, came from cartoons). Now, at the last minute, all the effects are finished and the TV spots are finally showing off some of the larger-scale set pieces. Is it too late? Let’s hope not, because there’s material here to sustain a solid franchise if the demand is there. As in the Burroughs books, Carter is posited as an uncle of Burroughs himself (portrayed here by former Spy Kid Daryl Sabara), whose journal comes into the author’s possession as a result of the former’s apparent death. Inside are stories of Barsoom, the Martians’ word for their home planet, where red-tattooed human tribes (changed from red skin in the books, which presumably would come across too un-PC today) battle each other and the green-skinned Tharks, tall-tusked aliens with four arms. Into the midst of these conflicts come yet another race, the Therns, led by—who else—Mark Strong. Seemingly possessed of mystical powers they seek to tilt the balance of power by introducing a new energy weapon into the hands of Sab Than (Dominic West), evil ruler

of the red city of Zodanga. Meanwhile, in the blue city of Helium (Barsoom seemingly only has two cities on the entire planet, though any potential sequels will surely reveal otherwise), princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins) is on the verge of discovering this same energy weapon entirely without outside assistance.Throw into the mix a Civil War veteran who finds the interstellar pathway via a mysterious cave of gold, and winds up among the Tharks...and you’ve got a whole mess of complications in play for the fate of the red planet.Kitsch in costume may bring back uncomfortable flashbacks to Prince of Persia, but he’s far better than that, delivering a female-friendly face and bod while still being tough enough for the guys. His appeal here owes a not-insignificant debt to his interactions with HYPERLINK “http://www.eonline.com/celebs/Willem_Dafoe/117388”Willem Dafoe’s alien chieftain Tars Tarkas, whose hardass ways and hidden

heart of gold steal the show.Director Stanton loves his environmentally pillaged, futuristic wastelands, but that’s about all John Carter has in common with Wall-E. Parents be warned—the body count in this movie, which includes the Tharks shooting their own egg-hatchling babies, is massive. There’s a cute alien dog that kids will love, but even it gets kicked around nastily before Carter comes to the rescue.For those old enough to enjoy the books, however, the action is large-scale and awesome. The 3-D isn’t essential to the viewing—it neither adds much depth nor throws things out at you, and feels like an afterthought. What does add depths are the suggestions of a larger mythology connecting Earth and Mars that seems like it might be fun to explore more of. Let’s hope we get that chance.The 180—a Second Opinion: Remember, Burroughs wrote these books a hundred years ago. If you’re looking for strict scientific accuracy, this is so not your kind of film.

Steve Jobsby Walter Isaacson Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years, the author has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entre-preneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, ani-mated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.

Shadow of Doubt:Probing theSupreme Courtby Marites Danguilan Vitug It is impossible to pore over this book without developing a keen aware-ness of how important change is in an institution we like to call the “last bul-wark of democracy.” I brought to this work a journalist’s inquiring mind, ac-companied by the hope that this spurs a national conversation. - Vitug

Battle Hymn ofthe Tiger Motherby Amy Chua Read the book that set off a global parenting debate with its story of one mother’s journey in strict parenting. Here, Chua argues that Western par-enting tries to respect and nurture children’s individuality, while Chinese parents typically believe that arming children with skills, strong work habits, and inner confidence prepares them best for the future.

Review in a jiffy:John Carter

THE fashion design stu-dents of the Phi l ippine

Women’s College of Davao recently held a fashion show to show off the skills they learned in PWC’s fashion de-sign program. Although the show was for the design stu-dents, I can see that a lot of thinking, and effort went into the creation of each group of student’s collec-tions ranging from preppy denim wear, to club wear, office power dresses, sum-mer wear, and luxe eve-

ning wear. Each collection really aimed to highlight the construction and drap-ing of the clothes and these clearly showed on the runway. Fashion pro-gram director Emi Alex-ander Englis beams “The

students really put their heart and soul into these projects, school events like this aims to bring out their confidence and allows them to explore with dif-ferent concepts and ideas when it comes to design-ing.” What really amazed me the most though was that all the clothes shown in the show used to be pre-loved, pre-owned clothing. “We wanted to challenge the students by giving them a theme and then giving them an element to work with, in this case, clothes from the ukay-ukay, and have them engineer these pieces into new wearable pieces” says Emi. Honestly, if he had not mentioned to me that the pieces used to be ukay-ukay then I would have not known. That shows

the level of creativity and passion these design stu-dents possess. They have their mentors proud. And as for Davao’s design fu-ture, I believe it will be fabulous thanks to these

bright young minds. And as a word of advice to these budding young designers, I say GO LANG NG GO! Take every chal-lenge in stride and make every effort to be yourself.

A4 INdulge!EVENT

Learning and showing

VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012EDGEDAVAO

15VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012EDGEDAVAO

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EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF STATE

WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS

Notice is hereby given that the INTESTATE

ESTATE OF JESUS A. RALOTA and VIC-

TORIA Z. RALOTA with waiver of rights has

been the subject of extra judicial settlement

by his heirs per Doc. No. 430, Page No. 86,

Book No. III, Series of 2011

DESPITE being held to a draw in their last outing, SOS still took

top honors after the single round eliminations of the 2012 DFA Under 16 Girls Football Tournament at the FAITH Academy Field.

The SOS side drew with the Lady Knights 1-1 in their final eliminations assignment and saw their four-game winning streak snapped. But a 4-win 1-draw card is all that they needed to top the eliminations of this tournament devoted to girls aged 16 years old and below.

The Lady Knights

dropped to 2 wins, 2 draws and a loss to wind up in third place. Medvil FC took the no. 2 spot after blasting U13 Davao Selection 7-2 behind twin markers by both Sanaa Jikiri and Nina Lumactod. Host FAITH Academy fin-ished the elims with a 2-1-2 card for fourth place while

U13 Davao recorded a 2-0-3 win-draw-loss slate for 5th. Tambayan FC rounded out the five squads with an 0-0-5 performance.

The tournament is sanctioned by the Davao Football Association with Ching delos Reyes as Match Commissioner.

will switching off the aircon save you on gas?By Neil Bravo

YOU can never pick the time when fuel prices go up. And just

as your pocket start to gri-mace in pain with the rash of fuel hikes, here comes the dreaded time of the year to use gas—summer.

Gasoline price is al-most P60 per liter and there is no indication of any rollback on sight. Now, how do you deal with things like going on a road trip this summer?

Conventional wis-dom tells us that first to go would be the aircon. It’s the first to get switched off so we save on gas.

Right?Eeenk. Wrong.While we think that

opening windows instead of using the AC would save us on gas, we are actually consuming more if we do not know when to switch AC off and open windows.

Close Windows and Use A/C at High Speeds

There is an efficiency debate here: Open the windows in summer to avoid running your ener-gy-intensive air condition-er, or keep the windows closed and the a/c on to preserve your car’s aero-dynamic profile?

We came across a very helpful article from Practi-cal Mechanics.

According to Practi-cal Mechanics, driving at 55 mph with the a/c run-ning, yielded a test result

of 24 mpg; turning it off resulted to 28 mpg. Then they opened all four win-dows, one at a time, and lost 1 mpg per window until they were back at 24 mpg. So at that speed, it’s a wash. The reason is that aerodynamic drag rises exponentially with speed —the faster you go, the more the open win-dows hurt efficiency.

Now, going back to the fierce debate. Opening windows or switching the a/c on?

The answer: Below 55 mph, open the win-dows and leave the a/c off. But at 60 mph or higher, keeping them closed and the air conditioning run-ning will burn less fuel.

TOYOTA Motor Philip-pines (TMP) got com-mendation from Pres-

idential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. for being a model corporation in the country by respecting its employees and maintaining high quali-ty vehicles for its customers.

Coloma led the car line-off ceremonies recently.

“More than being a most outstanding employ-er, TMP has been a model corporate citizen, always in the top rungs of taxpay-ers by dint of its efficient and profitable operations and serving as an exemplar in caring for the environ-ment through its massive reforestation project in Penablanca, Cagayan. For these, the Filipino people are most grateful to TMP,” Coloma said in his message during the launching of TMP’s 500,000th car in its

Sta. Rosa, Laguna plant on Thursday.

In 2008, Coloma said he participated at TMP’s 20th anniversary celebra-tion and underwent an im-mersion program enabling him to fully understand Toyota’s corporate culture.

“I realized that respect for people is deeply embed-ded in the norms and val-ues as well as in the basic philosophy that underpins the production process of TMP,” he said.

The “Toyota Way” is person-centered, as the company considers every team member a valuable contributor to the attain-ment of the company’s col-lective goal as an organiza-tion, Coloma said.

He added that the com-pany is also spirit-driven which is composed of indi-viduals that are motivated by a cause that is greater than themselves.

Toyota cited as corporate role model

SOS XI tops DFA U16 elimsPARTICIPATING TEAMS GP W D L GA GF GD Pts Rank

SOS 5 4 1 0 17 4 13 12 1ST

MEDVIL FC 5 3 0 2 18 14 4 9 2ND

Lady Knights 5 2 2 1 24 10 14 8 3RD

Faith Academy 5 2 1 2 14 12 2 7 4TH

U13 Davao 5 2 0 3 14 24 -10 6 5TH

Tambayan FC 5 0 0 5 6 27 -21 0 6TH

1. ARNIS Jezebel S. MorcilloBill AmperMaria Strella Sapar2. ATHLETICS Ernesto AlsaJonash MelchorMicheal Ian ConstantinoNoemel John LanuzaNova Belle M. TegaMeezel Cabreros3. BASKETBALL Danny Colango Karen Cantaluna Jose Maria College KingsAssumption College of DavaoMen4. BADMINTON Marinel A. DiansayKim Therese B. JarabeloKlowie Garcia5. BASEBALLEarl Ryan Del Socorro 6. BODY BUILDING Eliaquim C. BalberoRey YlananRuthelo LabestreAnnie Grace H. Yatar7. BOWLING(Duckpin) John Alvert BaluyotRomeo Manlubatan8. CHESS Ella Grace MoulicIrish YngayoMary Israel PaleroAustin Jacob LiteratusElect Edgar Reggie Olay Rowelyn-Joy Acedo

LIST OF AWARDEES[FIRSt OF 2 PARtS]

FERRARI Motor Show. The Pavilion Mall hosted the annual Ferrari motor show with over 50 Ferrari cars all lined up in the mall grounds located at Jalan Ismail in

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Edge Motoring had the chance of taking a close look at the Ferrari Spiders and GTOs on display.

MOTORING

16 VOL.5 ISSUE 6 • MARCH 11-12, 2012 EDGEDAVAO

YOU never know.That is a favourite line of Atty. Guill-

ermo Iroy, Jr. In the vernacular

streetspeak, that’s di lang mahibaw-an.

The Davawenyo law-yer is “back” as the Execu-tive Director of the Philip-pine Sports Commission (PSC) effective March 1, this year.

Iroy also serves as senior executive assistant of PSC Chairman Ritchie Garcia since 2010.

“I’m back,” Iroy excit-edly wrote in a chat mes-sage to this Hangtimer yesterday.

The 42-year old for-mer nation-al football player who f i n i s h e d his educa-tion out of an athletic scholarship at the Uni-versity of M i n d a n a o is actually “back” to the old position he held dur-ing the time of former PSC Chair-man Wil-liam “Butch” Ramirez un-til a falling out with the latter forced him to re-sign from his post.

I r o y also worked at the Presi-dential Le-gal Office before his

return to the PSC in Au-gust 2010.

“I am happy to be given this trust by the Chairman. This is a huge responsibility and I hope in our own little way we can be instrumental in in-stituting reforms in this agency.”

In January 2005, Iroy was appointed ED of the PSC by Ramirez. He stayed in the position until June 2006 at the height of some controversies in the PSC stemming from reports of unliquidated funds in the 2005 SEA Games.

Iroy is a dyed-in-the-wool sportsman. He once said, “I maybe a lawyer, I may be assigned else-where in any departments of government or in pri-vate corporations, but I will most likely still end up handling a sports posi-tion.”

Once a sportsman al-ways a sportsman.

This guy never ceases to amaze me.

Despite his accom-plishments, he has re-mained humble and ready to lend a hand.

I doff my hat once more to you, buddy.

Indeed, we never know.

Atty. Iroy makes a comeback

by Neil Bravo

RITZ-Hotel-Garden Oases’ ballroom literally lit up with

stars and Mayor Sara Duterte knew exactly what to do next—keep them shining.

Mayor Duterte threw a party for the city’s high-achieving athletes and then vowed to continue her administration’s support for sports dur-ing Friday’s Recognition Night for Davao City Ath-letes.

130 athletes led by controversial world kickboxing welterweight champion Steve Grande-za were honoured by the city government, receiv-ing a specially crafted trophy and P2,000 cash each as incentive. The award was based on rec-ommendations from var-ious sports associations in Davao City.

“I will continue to support our athletes in their participation in various competitions and implement grass-roots sports develop-ment program,” Mayor Duterte told media.

Oona Ysabelle Barnes, a gold medalist in the recent SMA Kara-tedo Cup in Kuala Lum-pur, Malaysia, also gave a touching response on behalf of the athletes. She thanked the city government for the rec-ognition and vowed to always play her best for the honor of the city and her family.

Aside from the ath-letes, also paresent were the coaches and repre-

Mayor vows continued support for athletes

sentatives of the various sports associations in the city.

“There are no dis-tinctions whether you are NSA or not, this rec-

ognition is for everybody who gave the city honor and pride in sports,” said city sports development officer-in-charge Pocho-lo Elegino.

BALLWATCH. Phoenix Petroleum CEO Dennis Uy watches his chip shot from the apron in his round on Saturday in the Phoenix Cup golf tournament at Rancho Palos Verdes. (Boy Lim)

AWARDEES. Sports awardees from the Association for the Advancement of Karatedo (AAK) Kassandra Barnes, Dave Bacayo, Arthur Lao III, Oona Ysabelle Barnes and Carmela Marie Estarina show their trophies during the 1st Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-VM Rodrigo Duterte Recognition Night. The AAK is under the tutelage of Rommel Tan. (Boy Lim)

SPORTS