Davao City News February 2014

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Davao City - Archived News
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The Seal of Davao City
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Davao City Hall
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Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.

Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

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Davao City Aerial View
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Entrance to Davao City
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Nat'l Hwy Through Davao City
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Davao City Victoria Mall
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Old Davao City Airport
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Mangrove forests are critical for the stability of coastal areas and the sustainability of fish and marine resources which provide food and livelihood to people in more than 800 coastal towns in the Philippines. USAID, through the Philippine Environmental Governance Project, assisted the local government (Davao City) in establishing, through a local ordinance, the mangrove area as a marine protected area.
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USAID, through the Philippine Environmental Governance Project, assisted the local government (Davao City) in establishing, through a local ordinance, the mangrove area as a marine protected area. A crucial part in effective coastal resources management is law enforcement with Bantay Dagat teams playing a crucial role by safeguarding local waters. In Davao City Philippines, Bantay Dagat members protect mangrove areas from illegal cutting, thus conserving areas for fisheries and marine biodiversity habitats.

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.

Davao pushed as top Phl shopping destination

By Donnabelle L. Gatdula (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Tourism (DOT) is promoting Davao City as a prime shopping destination as it plays host to the first four-week-long shopping frenzy in the Philippines.

DOT assistant secretary Arturo Boncato Jr. said in a press conference that the event is expected to boost local tourism in the city by at least 15 percent.

Last year, the city held a similar sale event during the celebration of Araw ng Dabaw, attracting some 170,000 tourists into the city.

Boncato said this year’s sale event would likely surpass the previous tourists arrival level and hit the 190,000 mark.

“It did not take long for all seven malls to join forces and partner with the DOT in positioning Davao City as a shopping destination in the country. When the country’s largest malls started opening up in the city over the last two years, competition became stiff that Dabawenos, closest to two million of them, may not suffice to sustain the malls’ viability. This reality in Davao’s retail industry of late caught the attention of all these mall executives to formally organize the RAD and partner with us in conceptualizing the Big Davao Fun Sale to attract foreign tourist and shoppers outside of Davao,” Boncato said.

He said the city currently has 6,500 room accommodations and 34 flights a day from all over the Philippines. Davao International Airport recently opened flights from Singapore. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

Power supply, he said, is also not a problem as they have their own back-up power station located within the city. “Davao City is one of the few cities in the South which has practically no power supply problem,” he added.

The DOT official also assured the safety and security in the city. “That is foremost on our agenda. That’s a nice thing that we have tied up with the local government of Davao. This event has become an integral part of the Araw ng Dabaw celebration wherein a very stringent public safety program would be deployed,” he said.

The event will start on March 14, just two days before the Araw ng Dabaw, and will last until April 16, a day before Holy Week begins.

Geared towards establishing the city as a unique, fun and preferred shopping and dining destination in the country and improving the image of Davao as a thriving destination for business and investment, the city’s major malls will be offering fantastic deals such as unique activities, freebies, awards and parties.

With discounts up to as high as 80 percent, participating markets include Abreeza Mall, Gaisano Mall of Davao, GMall of Toril, NCCC Mall Robinsons, SM City of Davao and SM Lanang Premier. Aside from the huge discounts, shoppers would also have a chance to win raffle prizes such as iphone 5 units, all-expense paid trips, and cash prizes worth up to P100,000.

Dev't of Davao City’s public market as a tourism hub now under way

By Jenny Grace M. Mendoza [(PNA), ASA/JGMM/LDP]

DAVAO CITY, Feb. 27 (PNA) – Government leaders here have agreed to initiate moves to transform the Sasa Launch Facility into a prime tourism hub.

The facility, which is located at the Barangay Public Market in Km. 11, Barangay Sasa here is deemed to be a tourism center for visitors going to the Island Garden City of Samal (IGCS), Davao del Norte.

Tagged as the Sasa Tourism Gateway (STG) Project, Philippine Ports Authority Port District Office-Southern Mindanao (PDO-SoMin) manager Atty. Christian V. Santillan said it is an offshoot of the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) to increase tourist arrivals by improving market access and connectivity.

Santillan added that it was conceptualized after a series of meetings among stakeholders “who strongly felt the need to upgrade the existing makeshift wooden boat landing to be able to welcome guests into a secure, safe and stable platform in Davao City”.

“We highly encourage this improvement project as the area is part of the Port Zone Delineation (PZD) of the Davao Port which requires multi-sectoral cooperation,” he said.

PPA revealed that Department of Tourism (DOT) assistant secretary Arturo P. Boncato, Jr. has urged the local government (LGU) of Davao City, being the main proponent of the project, to expedite the submission of the detailed plan to the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), which has already approved the P25 million budget for the upgrading of the pathway and lighting fixtures leading to the existing wooden wharf.

Meanwhile, the Davao City Tourism Office (CTO) and City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) have initially expressed the inclusion of a travelers’ nook in its proposal which will be prepared by the City Engineer’s Office (CEO).

The nook will include a modern passenger terminal, comfort rooms and kiosks for food/beverage to boost tourist services.

On the other hand, Barangay Sasa chieftain Juanito E. Flores, Jr. has expressed enthusiasm over the project, saying it is a very much-awaited “facelift” of the public market where most foreign and local backpacking tourists, adventure seekers and holiday vacationers pass through to catch the launches which ferry them to IGCS, which is just about 10 minutes away.

The project is expected to be implemented within the year, the village chief said.

Davao City's trade industry posts 462-million US dollars in 2013

By Judy G. Quiros [(PNA), CTB/ASA/JGQ/LDP]

DAVAO CITY, Feb 26 (PNA) -- The trading industry of Davao City is headed to a bright direction registering 462 -million US dollars in both exports and imports in 2013.

Based on the 2013 economic situationer and outlook for Davao in 2014 furnished by the Davao City Investment and Promotion Center (DCIPC), although export figures rose by only 1.3 percent, imports however almost doubled from 613 million US dollars in 2012 to 1.1 billion US dollars in 2013. This resulted to a balance of trade value of 2 million.

Banana remains as the number one export dollar earner for both the city and the region outsmarting other traded commodities like coconut oil, rubber, desiccated coconut and pineapple both fresh and canned. Top import commodities on the other hand, include mineral fuels/mineral oils, fertilizers, cereals, miscellaneous chemical products and plastics.

DCIPC chief Ivan Chin Cortez said figures of the city’s trading industry are sourced from Bureau of Customs.

Japan remains the number one destination of Davao products for two decades registering the highest on export value of 425,476,820 US dollars in 2013. China follows for Davao biggest buyers with export value at 208,761,352 US dollars. Netherland came 3rd and Korea 4th. The United States which used to be the 2nd biggest buyer in the last two decades came in 5th last year, Cortez said.

The other top ten biggest buyers of Davao’s products are: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Iran, and Switzerland.

World-class medical complex for Japanese elderly to rise in Davao City

(PNA), FPV/ASA/JUDY G. QUIROS/LDP

DAVAO CITY, Feb. 25 (PNA) -- A Japanese investor will develop a world-class 300 bedroom Hospital Care and Training Center that would cater to Japanese elderly.

Davao City Investment and Promotion Center (DCIPC) chief Ivan Cortez at the Davao Business Forum here, said the Japanese investor will also provide scholarship for a three-month care giving training to about 1,000 Davaoños, who while on training will be paid, Cortez said.

Also, the caregivers will receive about P200,000.00 monthly salary.

The proposed hospital and training center will be built in Catigan, Toril. Ground breaking is set in October this year.

Cortez said the medical complex will be world class at one client per room. It is a high-end facility for the insurers of the Japanese oldies will not allow their clients to stay in low-class medical center, he added.

He said according to the Japanese investor, there are about one million Japanese clients of an insurance company who are in the waiting list for care services.

The Japanese investor is married to a Filipina thus his interest to venture into such business.

The investment comes along with a retirement village for Japanese nationals.

Cortez however said details of the project are not yet available.

500 Mindanao masons converged in Davao City

By Cha Monforte

MORE than 500 members of masonic lodges in Mindanao ended their two-day Mindanao communication on Friday at Grand Men Seng Hotel Davao in Davao City.

“It was actually a convention, which we called communication. We had a very successful event,” said Felicisimo Ramos Sr., grand lecturer of Masonic Lodge 149 in Davao City.

Ramos said the national communication of masons is scheduled on the third week of April in Metro Manila.

The Mindanao masonic affair was graced by national mason grand master Juanito Espino and Mindanao mason grand master Floren Lumo.

It was hosted by Masonic District R 11-A, which is composed of seven masonic lodges in Davao City and one in Digos, Davao del Sur. The other masonic lodges in the Davao region include Masonic District R11-B, composed of two masonic lodges in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, and two masonic lodges in Mati, Davao Oriental.

Ramos said 10 Mindanaoans had become masonic national grand masters. Among those coming from Davao City were businessman Desiderio Dalisay, physician Rizal Aportadera and former Public Works Regional Director Juanito Avergas.

Wikipedia describes freemasonry or masonry as referring to “a civic movement promoting fraternity and good works. Freemasonry defines itself as “a regular system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”

Davao scientist discovers way to fight Panama disease (Feature)

By Aurelio A. Pena [(PNA), CTB/ASA/AURELIO A. PENA/LDP]

DAVAO CITY, Feb 23 (PNA) -- No one believes you these days if you always think “out of the box” because you don’t want to conform to the “traditional” or “conventional” way of doing things.

Take for instance, the problem of licking the problem of Panama wilt disease, which is wreaking havoc not only to the Philippine banana industry but also to banana plantations in Honduras, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Africa, Australia and other countries trying to grow Cavendish bananas for export.

Faced by a widespread Panama attack to almost all Cavendish banana farms all over Mindanao, the Philippine government thru the agriculture department has set aside hundreds of millions of pesos to fight this plant disease that usually crop up during heavy flooding after heavy rains.

Most of this money goes to the pockets of “consultants” with names followed by “Ph.D’s” , who do a lot of deep research work and experiments and make recommendations, using conventional methods according to the all books they read about this dreadful disease.

Since they all do it “by the book”, they’ll recommend the intensive use of chemical pesticides, chemical fertilizers and other chemicals to fight this plant disease -- a market bonanza for big multi-million dollar foreign chemical companies supplying them to banana companies all over the world.

But the findings of a little-known Davao banana scientist here seemed to be working better than other research experiments being done by other groups, most especially the one funded by the Department of Agriculture, using “Cavendish” clones developed by Taiwanese scientists.

This local scientist, known as “Dr. Castillo” who was formerly a research director of an American banana company in Davao found out that the Panama wilt disease is not really a “disease” problem but a “nutritional problem” --- a theory that was rejected by almost all the banana firms in the Davao Region. Behind his back, they were all laughing at him when he kept insisting that this supposed “dreadful disease” is simply a “nutritional problem”.

This is what happens to you when you think “out of the box”, according to Koronado Apuzen, executive director of the Foundation for Agrarian Reform Cooperatives in Mindanao or FARMCOOP, whose farmers’ coop plantation in Panabo volunteered the use of their affected farm areas to test this theory of Dr. Castillo.

Most of the soil underneath Davao banana plantations, according to Dr Castillo, have “lost all its nutrients” after more than 60 years of absorbing all kinds of chemicals--- pesticides, fertilizers, etc. Fact is, this is something he had known all along since he was still with the banana export firm he was working for, but he didn’t want to antagonize his bosses and the chemical suppliers with his theory on the possible cause of Panama wilt disease.

Together with six foreign scientists from the Netherlands, Italy, Africa, USA, Australia and Costa Rica, along with Philippine scientists from UP Mindanao, I saw the farm experiment--- how it’s done and the impressive results on treated banana plants. Dr. Castillo’s theory was clearly working and all the banana scientists were all impressed.

“We’re very, very impressed with what you’ve done so far,” says Dr. Gert Kema, a Dutch scientist from Wageningen University, the Netherlands who saw how the treatments were done on the banana plants.

It was all the more impressive because all the treatments made on affected banana plants were done using only ORGANIC pesticide and fertilizer. The organic pesticide was 100% organic from Japan that Apuzen even drank a few gulps just to prove it’s really organic.

Fertilizer used on the affected plants was also pure organic made from chicken manure, coco peat, banana rejects, burnt palay, etc produced by the Organic Producers and Exporters Corporation, the trading arm of FARMCOOP.

A scientist from UP Mindanao , visibly impressed after watching the demo by a farmers’ coop on fighting Panama wilt disease, told the visiting foreign scientists that “this can be nominated for a Novel Prize” for discovering a natural treatment for the dreaded plant disease.

Question is : Have we finally found the cure to fight Panama disease in all the world’s banana plantations?

Developer to build Davao power plant

By Yas Ocampo

DAVAO CITY, Davao del Sur --- Energy developer San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders proposed to establish a 140 megawatt river hydropower plant along the Davao and Tamugan Rivers, officials said.

Councilor Louie Bonguyan said officials of the company have presented their proposal to the city council, which referred their plan to the energy committee for deliberation.

“They showed their plans to members of the city council,” said Bonguyan, who is the energy committee chairman.

The developers hope to start feasibility study this year and get the necessary permits and endorsement of the local governments and indigenous peoples. They hope to complete engineering design by 2016 and create the access roads and the line routes.

San Lorenzo Ruiz President and Chief Executive Officer Oscar Violago said the company hopes to supply the power needs of Davao City and the whole island of Mindanao.

Firm donates road signs to Davao City

By Arianne Caryl N. Casas

AS part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), the Union Galvasteel Corp. donated a total of 241 pieces of road signs to the City Government of Davao, specifying maximum allowable speeds in the metropolis.

Engineer Erwin L. Tongco, senior marketing manager for Mindanao operations, said 109 out of 241 units were already put up on certain roads in the city.

The turnover of the 109 units was held last Tuesday, he said.

"We are still working on the remaining units. Hopefully, it will be completed before Kadayawan (in August)," he said.

Tongco said the company allocated some P700,000 to P800,000 budget for the project. Each road sign costs P2,800, he said.

He said the signage was based on the design of the City Engineer's Office, which also identified the strategic points on where to put up the signages.

Tongco said the company and the City Government of Davao will sign a memorandum of agreement on the road signs upon the completion of the units.

"We have been the city's partner for traffic signs since 2005," Tongco said.

The Union Galvasteel also donated the waiting shed being put up at the corner of La Verna Hills Subdivision, Tongco said.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ordered the implementation of the speed limit in the city, following the national law Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code of the Philippines enacted in June 1964, whose only amendment was through Presidential Decree No. 843, which only tackled vehicle registration fees.

He signed the Executive Order 39 on October 29, 2013. The EO 39 mandates drivers of all vehicles plying in the city must observe a maximum speed of 30 kph from J.P Laurel Ave. Alcantara to Bolton/Generoso Bridge, from Buhangin Crossing-Milan to Bolton/Generoso Bridge, from C.P Garcia Highway-Bacaca Road to Bolton/Generoso Bridge, and from C.P Garcia Highway-Angliongto St. to Bolton/Generoso Bridge.

The EO mandates a 60 kilometer per hour (kph) speed limit from Sirawan to Ulas Crossing, from Lasang to Panacan, from Calinan to Ulas Crossing, and from C.P Gracia Highway-McArthur Highway to Panacan.

Meanwhile, for vehicles that traverse from Ulas to Generoso Bridge/Bolton Bridge, from Panacan Crossing to J.P Laurel Avenue-Alcantara, and from Ma-a Road Diversion to McArthur Highway, a maximum speed of 40 kph is mandated.

DA teams up with Davao for cacao production

(MindaNews)

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/20 February) — The Department of Agriculture will partner with the city government for its highland cacao farming projects in response to a rising interest in the crop, an official of the DA revealed last Tuesday.

Speaking in Tuesday’s privilege hour at the city council’s regular session, DA Regional Executive Director Remelyn Recoter said the agency would work with the city in providing facilities, post-harvest and processing equipment, research and development, and pest and disease eradication measures for high-value crops.

Recoter said the DA has already turned over similar assistance to the Subasta Multipurpose Cooperative, which received a processing plant and other post-harvest facilities not only for cacao but also for other high value crops.

She said the city’s cacao industry could access funding and other kinds of assistance from the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP) such as strategic agricultural infrastructure, research and development, and training.

“The objective is to respond to the constraints that low-income rural farmers face as they practice cacao farming,” she said.

She added the PRDP is an inclusive program catering to agriculture and fisheries, and targets marginal and sustenance farmers.

“The cacao industry has a high accessibility to the program,” Recoter said.

She said the City Agriculture Office (CAO) has already attended a value chain analysis seminar given by the DA last week, where they learned to analyze constraints to the city’s cacao industry.

Councilor Marissa Salvador Abella, chair of the committee on agriculture and food, said they are pushing for the creation of satellite agricultural areas in Paquibato and Marilog districts, and the promotion of cacao production.

Abella said the decrease in the production by Western African countries of cacao beans and the production of “proudly Davao” askinosi chocolates presents an opportunity for Davao farmers to make it in the industry.

Davao City is second to Davao del Norte in cacao production, the councilor said during the privilege hour.

She added a shortfall is expected to reach one million metric tons by 2020 because of lower production in Western Africa.

City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said two weeks ago he would order the CAO to provide facilities and trainings to cacao farmers in the upland areas.

Last week, CAO head Roselio Tabay said the office will expand the city’s cacao’s production area from 2,800 hectares to 10,000 hectares, but would need P10,000 per hectare for the project.

During the same privilege hour, Recoter said the DA has approved P170 million in farm-to-market road expansions for the city.

The expansions are part of the DA’s approved P251.9-million budget for the city.

She, however, said the DA would only shoulder 90% of the budget, and the city government the remaining 10%.

The expansions cover 16.96 kilometers of road concreting in Matina Pangi, Catalunan Grande, Mintal, Baliok, Catalunan Pequeño, Maa, Langub, and Bago Gallera in the first district.

The project also includes barangays Inayangan in Calinan and Lumiad in Paquibato for the second district, and Riverside, Panipasan, Marilog Proper, Magsaysay and Marahan in the third district.

The third district would get P70 million of the P170-million budget.

Recoter said farm-to-market roads are now required to be made of concrete instead of gravel to make them resilient to climate.

The official said that aside from the farm-to-market road development program, road networks will also be enhanced through the Davao Integrated Development Program, consisting of a road expansion in Paquibato worth P6 million.

The Paquibato project involves the concreting and rehabilitation of a road in Sitio Palangag, Barangay Lumiad.

PEF Davao, Marco Polo Hotel to spearhead fundraising for PHL Eagle conservation program

(PNA), PDS/ASA/DIGNA D. BANZON/LDP

DAVAO CITY, Feb. 19 (PNA) --A fundraising event for the conservation of the national bird will be held next month spearheaded by the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) and the Marco Polo Hotel Davao.

PEF marketing in-charge Andi Baldonado-To said the event dubbed "Ride Around Davao City for the Philippine Eagle" will be on March 23 for a 23-km fundraising event bike ride around the city.

All proceeds of the activity will help fund PEF's conservation actions.

To said these are routed on research that aims to understand and address the dwindling population of the magnificent raptors in the wild.

"Together with a successful captive breeding program and community-based conservation actions, the PEF seeks to provide long term solutions that benefit the Philippine Eagle but other species and the communities," she said.

To also said that the Ride for the Philippine Eagle is also an opportunity to raise awareness so the public become proactive about helping the conservation of the national bird.

Registration starts on February 24 at Marco Polo Davao with a registration fee of P400.00.

Aside from helping PEF conservation efforts, participants are given packed food, jersey and raffle entry for the chance to win prizes that include a standard mountain bike.

Davao City Host Lions Club and Davao City Filipino Chinese Communities hand in 460 units of water filtration container to ComVal

(grace almedilla, ids-comval)

COMPOSTELA VALLEY PROVINCE, Feb. 18 (PIA) -- Officials and members of the Davao City Host Lion's Club and the Davao City Filipino Chinese communities came to the Capitol in February 17 and handed over 460 units of water filtration container as their assistance to the continuous rebuilding program of ComVal.

The team led by Jose Cua shared that such intervention was due to the effort of Governor Arturo T. Uy who continue looking for some means of support for the province’s rebuilding efforts.

The water containers were happily received by the provincial government in a turn-over ceremony before the presence of the officials, department heads, and employees led by Vice Governor Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, Board members Tyron Uy, and Macario Humol.

The said water filtration containers cleanse and remove impurities making water safer for drinking. Each imported container is good for 20 liters of water.

Davao City readies for 77th Araw ng Dabaw celebration

(PNA), LAP/ASA/DIGNA D. BANZON/LDP

DAVAO CITY, Feb. 17 (PNA) -- Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte has issued Executive Order No. 12 series of 2014 creating the Executive Committee that will facilitate the implementation of activities for the 77th Charter Day Anniversary celebration of the city next month.

The Araw ng Dabaw celebration is both government and private sector-led with Mayor Duterte as chairperson and Lafayette A. Lim, co-chairperson from the private sector.

According to Lisette C. Marques, city tourism head and in-charge of Secretariat for the Araw festivities, said the regular events will still be held such as the Opening of Araw ng Dabaw and Thanksgiving Mass, the Search for Mutya ng Dabaw, the holding of ‘Banda Hudyaka’, the street dancing or ‘Sayawan sa Dan’, the floral float parade or ‘Parada Dabawenyo’, City Hall Employees' Day, Dachea Sportsfest and Datu Bago Awards.

Marques said it will be the first time that the Mayor’s Ball will be participated in by some selected families.

She said they are still finalizing the details like incorporating the Mayor’s Ball with the awarding for the Datu Bago.

The Araw ng Dabaw is an event that also attracts tourists both domestic and foreign.

It is also the time that national conventions and meetings are held during the Araw festivities where participants want to celebrate with the Dabaweyos and enjoy the fruits and flowers that are being showcased for at least a month at the Agro-Trade Fair.

Marques said this year’s festivities will also coincide with the opening of the month-long Davao Fun Sale where all major malls operating in Davao City will hold the biggest and longest sale among malls.

Travelers, tourists, businessmen including families never miss the Araw ng Dabaw festivities and it will be more exciting this year as major malls in the city are offering the biggest ever fun sale in the country.

Participating in the month-long Big Davao Fun Sale are Abreeza Mall, NCCC Mall of Davao, SM Lanang Premier, SM City Davao, Gaisano Mall of Davao, GMall of Toril and Robinsons, Marques said.

DTI to spend P34.5M for MSME services

By Louella Desiderio (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is planning to spend P34.553 million for the rollout of shared service facilities (SSF) to support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Davao region this year.

Ma. Belenda Ambi, DTI officer-in-charge for the Davao region, said in a statement the department intends to provide more SSFs this year to a greater number of MSMEs.

“We hope that we can help more MSMEs improve, not just their productivity but also the quality of their products,” she said.

The DTI approved 51 SSF projects worth P24 million last year.

Of the total approved projects, 34 have been established while 17 are set to be awarded to the beneficiaries early this year.

The projects are spread out in the region’s five provinces, with 13 in Davao del Norte, 12 in Davao Oriental, 11 in Davao City, nine in Davao del Sur, and six in Compostela Valley.

Launched last year, the SSF aims to provide MSMEs common service facilities, modern equipment and access to the latest technology.

The program is being undertaken to help MSMEs become competitive. MSMEs make up more than 90 percent of the country’s registered businesses.

It also aimed at creating jobs which would help the country achieve inclusive economic growth.

The DTI provided a total of 474 SSFs nationwide last year.

For this year, the department has allotted P700 million for 500 SSFs in the country.

Upland areas eyed for cacao

By Reuel John F. Lumawag

THE Davao City Agriculturist Office is eyeing upland areas in the city to boost cacao production, an official said.

City Agriculturist Office (CAO) assistant head Roselio T. Tabay, who guested in Thursday’s I-Speak Forum at the City Hall, said they have identified Paquibato, Marilog, and areas near the Davao River Basin for cacao plantation expansion.

Tabay said that based on their monitoring, Davao City has around 2,800 hectares of cacao plantation providing livelihood to some 4,000 farmers. But the figure is expected to increase once they have increased total hectare to around 3,500 hectares to 3,800 hectares this year.

He also said they are targeting to increase the plantation to 10,000 hectares in the next few years.

"This year, we are planning to have every barangay in Marilog and Paquibato to have a cacao nursery," Tabay said.

He said the establishment of barangay nurseries will help expand the plantations in the city with the barangay councils assisting the farmers in growing and producing cacao.

They are also planning to have plantations near the river basin to prevent soil erosions.

"We have to enhance and expand the area of cacao plantation near the river basin to prevent soil erosion," Tabay said.

But Tabay added that their current budget of P16 million is not enough to fund their plans to expand the cacao plantation in the city, since not all of it will be focused on the cacao industry. He said for each hectare, they are expecting to spend P10,000 to P20,000.

He said they are planning for a convergence initiative with all concerned agencies related to agriculture wherein they plan to combine the allocated budget for cacao in order to fund the industry better.

"We really need the funds to hasten the expansion of the plantations of cacao in the city," Tabay said.

DCWD gets 87 adopters to protect Mt. Talomo Lipadas watershed

(PNA), FPV/ASA/JUDY G. QUIROS/LDP

DAVAO CITY, Feb. 14 (PNA) -- The Davao City Water District (DCWD) has cornered about 87 adopters in 2013 for its Adopt-A-Site Project, particularly the rehabilitation of the 139 hectares of land inside Mt. Talolo Lipadas Watershed.

DCWD launched such project in 2001 aimed at encouraging multi-sectoral participation in the rehabilitation and protection of Davao City’s water sources.

DCWD spokesperson Imelda Magsuci said the adopters had also committed to give P6,000 donation annually for five years since the project was launched to defray the rehabilitation cost of the land.

Rehabilitation includes seedlings, fertilizer and labor for hauling, planting and maintenance.

The adopters consisting of cooperatives, corporate groups, civic groups, and some individuals have pledged to help reforest Mt. Talomo Lipadas Watershed.

DCWD general manager Edwin Regalado thanked all adopters for their support to DCWD’s watershed and environment protection program. He hoped more individuals and organizations will join the cause of helping rehabilitate the city’s water sources.

Davao mayor to wed 600 couples on Feb. 14

(PNA), LAP/ASA/DIGNA D. BANZON/LDP

DAVAO CITY, Feb. 13 (PNA) -- The Valentine's Day mass wedding dubbed as "I Do. I Do. Araw ng Pag-IBIG" will be held on Friday, Feb. 14 at 4:00 p.m. with close to 600 couples participating.

The ceremony will be officiated by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte at the People's Park, this city.

The Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) popularly known as Pag-IBIG Fund will sponsor the mass wedding activity for its members.

The mayor will also deliver his special message to the newly-weds. There will also be messages from Vice President Jejomar C. Binay and from Pag-IBIG Fund president and chief executive officer Atty. Darlene Marie B. Berberabe.

The ceremony will be witnessed by the Dabawenyos together with the Fund's vice president for Home Lending Operations for Visayas/Mindanao Group Fermin A. Sta. Teresa, Jr. and other Pag-IBIG and Davao Region officials.

Pag-IBIG Fund Southern Mindanao Group head for loan origination, Atty. Marie Antoniette D. Diaz, who is also the chairperson for this year's mass wedding activity said this will be the biggest Pag-IBIG-sponsored mass wedding and also the first that Mayor Duterte will officiate.

The mass wedding rites started in 2011 as the brainchild of the Fund's CEO Atty. Berberabe.

Berberabe wants this as a continuing undertaking to help the Pag-IBIG Fund member-couples who want to be married but have no monetary means to do so.

In a statement, she said "we hope that these couples will see Pag-IBIG as its partner and become an integral part of their lives as they build and provide for their own families. After all the first thing that newly-married couples usually think of is having their own house as they start their families".

"We want the couples and their families to have a house that shelters them from the elements, and a home that nurtures them through the years," she added.

As a Fund member, Berberabe said they want them to also know of the benefits and the services they get from the Pag-IBIG even as she said they want them to be financially literate as well as learned in the concept of savings.

During this Friday's "Libreng Kasalan para sa Daan-daang Magkasintahan" the couples will have the chance to win valuable prizes prepared for them by the Fund.

Davao City retains DAVRAA crown

(PNA), JBP/ASA/PR/LDP

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte, Feb. 12 (PNA) -- Reigning champion Davao City Durians unsurprisingly pulled off a comfortable lead over rivals to virtually retain the over-all championship in the four-day Davao Region Athletic Association (DAVRAA) Meet.

The perennial champions managed an initial medal haul of 65, with 28 gold, 24 silver and 13 bronze medals as of Wednesday at the fourth day of the regional games staged mainly at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex (DNSTC) in Mankilam, Tagum City.

The Durians lashed out second-running archrival Davao del Sur Cobras, winning 14 golds, 10 silvers and 13 bronzes in all the 19 sporting events.

With over 30 percent remaining in the medal trove, Davao City is sure to clinch the title for the nth time.

As in the past, Davao City dominated the medal-rich swimming by grabbing about 80 percent of the events at the impressive 10-lane Olympic-size swimming pool.

Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario is happy with the province’s second hosting of the biggest sports conclave in the region, which heralded Davao del Norte’s evolution into a sports tourism capital.

“The great success of the DAVRAA 2014 is indeed fulfilling to all of us,” he said, expressing his satisfaction to have given the young athletes the opportunity to show their athletic prowess.

Department of Education (DepEd-11) Regional Director Gloria Benigno hoped the new breed of young sports heroes will give the region the needed boost to improve its standing in the Palarong Pambansa.

The region ranked number 10 during the national games held in Dumaguete City last year.

“Let us do our best to make the DAVRAA team a team to beat in the next Palaro,” she enjoined the delegation of the regional games, which was co-hosted by the city government of Tagum City.

She directed the athletes and coaches who will be chosen to represent the region in the Palaro to mainly focus on their training in order to bring home the bacon in the national games.

BIMP-EAGA strategic planning to tackle food basket strategy in Davao meeting

(PNA), SCS/ASA/DIGNA D. BANZON/LDP

DAVAO CITY, Feb. 11 (PNA) -- Poised to become the food basket of ASEAN and the rest of Asia, the two-day meeting on Feb. 11 and 12 at the Marco Polo Hotel will be one of the priority topics that will be discussed by 200 delegates of private sector representatives and technical officials from the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines/East Asian Growth Area).

Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Director for investments and public affairs Romeo Montenegro said under the effort to alleviate poverty in BIMP-EAGA focus areas, the economic cooperation rallies for sustainable development and economic integration of its agro-industries and fisheries sectors.

"This is to ensure food security and sustainable livelihood for its people," he said.

He said the sub-region steps up its food basket strategy by pushing for massive hybrid rice and corn seeds production.

Milva Lunod-Carinan, senior economic development specialist of MinDA, in a separate interview said under the hybrid seeds production are two cooperators -- the Asian Hybrid of IndoPhil for corn and SL Agri Tech for rice.

The corn seeds are from the Philippines and will be grown in Indonesia.

She said the corn seed propagation started last year in Indonesia but outside of the focus area of BIMP-EAGA consisting of about 15,000 hectares.

She said the current plan for expansion has to be within a BIMP-EAGA focus area covering 12,000 hectares for implementation in 2014 and will be discussed by the agriculture sector during the meeting here.

Meanwhile, the hybrid rice production will be done in selected areas in Mindanao and will be exported to Brunei.

There is already an existing rice growing in Palawan and in selected provinces of Regions IX, X, XIII and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

She said there will be expansion of rice growing to cover some 31,000 hectares.

The expansion areas for 2014, Carinan said, will still be in Palawan and in selected three provinces of Region XII and ARMM.

Meanwhile, Montenegro also said a food and agribusiness corridor development program is being developed to propel BIMP-EAGA's growing business industries.

He said other projects identified under the BIMP-EAGA pillar of Food Basket Strategy are the following: Information Exchange through Establishment of Web-enabled Food Security; Strengthening of Smallholders Coconut-based Industries (coco coir project); Commercialization of date cola and other date-enriched products (Philippines-Brunei initiative); BIMP-EAGA Seaweed Development Project; Sulu Celebes Sea Sustainable Fisheries Management and Participation to Consumer Fair and Expo.

Montenegro also said that connectivity, which is the clamor of the agriculture sector, will increase trade of agri products of the BIMP-EAGA to other markets in the world.

200 BIMP-EAGA execs gather for 2-day strategic planning

By Michelle R. Cedeño (PNA), CTB/ASA/JGQ/LDP

DAVAO CITY, Feb 10 (PNA) -- About 200 officials within the BIMP-EAGA and the private sector are in Davao City Tuesday for a two-day strategic planning to focus on four pillars of development including connectivity, food basket, environment, and tourism.

Romeo Montenegro, MinDA director for investments promotion and public affairs at the Kapehan sa Davao at SM City, said the gathering also aims to assess ongoing programs pipelined within the 2012-2016 implementation blueprint.

“This year’s strategic planning will focus on key deliverables and priority projects in the sub-region aligned with the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, Montenegro said.

The assessment and planning is important to ensure that the projects identified under the BIMP-EAGA roadmap 2012-2016 will be realized.

Montenegro singled out connectivity of the four pillars of development as priority project of the BIMP-EAGA.

He said sea and air connectivity within the sub-region have consistently improved with international flights hitting a stable load factor while sea transport linkages are also being worked out by private groups.

He cited direct flights between Puerto Princesa in Palawan and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah currently serviced by Malaysia-based MASwings Sdn Bhd that have consistently increased since it started operations in November last year. The flight, he said, is cornering a load factor of over 50 percent.

For sea connectivity, Montenegro cited the upcoming direct roll-on-roll off (RoRo) services between Palawan’s Brooke’s Point and Sabah’s Kudat. This connectivity is expected to be completed by second semester this year, he said.

He also cited an investor in Davao City to venture into Super Shuttle Roro sea connectivity. This sea transport is expected to deliver up to 200 container vans, he said.

Montenegro said BIMP-EAGA frontliners are seeing RoRo service a priority in the area of connectivity for the ASEAN in order to ease the transport of products to-and-fro within the BIMP-EAGA sub-regions.

PNoy to meet with ARMM govs and mayors in Davao City

(MindaNews)

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/09 Feb) — President Benigno Simeon Aquino III will meet with governors and mayors of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) at a summit scheduled here Tuesday “to discuss, among others, crisis management issues at every government level in the region,” the ARMM’s Bureau of Public Information said.

The governors of ARMM’s five provinces and mayors of its two cities and 116 towns, as well as other officials and legislators are expected to attend the summit, the second since June 2012.

Lawyer Laisa Alamia, ARMM executive secretary, said the summit will “highlight the role of ARMM government units in the Mindanao peace process and (discuss) issues on disaster management, mitigation and response.”

The regional government, she said, hopes to “capacitate local government units and cascade what it has done in terms of disaster risk management down to the local level.”

Alamia told members of the ARMM Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (HEART) and non-governmental organizations operating in the ARMM that the region’s unique set-up calls for a “temporary special measure to respond to an abnormal situation” in the region.

Alamia said some agencies that are supposed to be on the forefront of emergency response have not been devolved to the ARMM and there are 12 municipalities that don’t have internal revenue allotment (IRA) and therefore have no source for the five per cent calamity fund required by law.

Displacement has also become the norm in some of the region’s unstable communities.

Alamia said the regional government has to take a proactive stance and provide immediate intervention in times of emergencies, although the law does not provide for it.

The HEART is part of the ARMM’s response to the prevalence of displacement and emergencies in the region due to man-made and natural calamities.

The ARMM, set up in 1990, will be abolished to give way to the Bangsamoro, the new autonomous political entity that would replace it. The ARMM will be deemed abolished as soon as the Bangsamoro Transition Authority is set up after the ratification of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

ARMM Gov Mujiv Hataman, whose three-year term from 2013 will be cut short when the Bangsamoro Transition Authority takes over after the Bangsamoro Basic Law is ratified, commended the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace panels immediately after the January 25 signing of the last of the four annexes to the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, for “persevering and braving the needed sacrifices and heeding the clamor of the great majority of Filipinos for a peaceful resolution to the decades-old conflict in Mindanao.”

“As we promised, we are more than willing to sacrifice while we prepare the bureaucracy for a smooth transition of power towards the new political set-up,” Hataman said.

City focuses on 4 tourist markets in 2014

By Reuel John F. Lumawag

THE Davao City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) will be focusing on tourist markets that are "closer to home" this year, an official said.

CTOO officer-in-charge Lisette C. Marques said they will be focusing on Korean, Japanese, Singaporeans, and Chinese markets.

"We are starting to look for Filipino communities in these countries to strengthen our promotions," she said.

Marques said in Tokyo, Japan, they have already identified one community, the Davao Organized Society (DOS) and are starting to contact them to do a sales mission like holding a community fiesta.

As for the Korean market, they are looking at its potential market to promote Davao City as a destination for golf enthusiasts.

She said they will be holding similar sales missions to the Singapore and China to promote Davao as a destination for travel, and trade.

They will also be promoting Davao as a destination for meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (Mice).

"As we market there, we will also make ready our destinations like enabling our guides to speak their language," Marques said.

Marques said it is important that guides or tourism officials learn their languages in order to accommodate them more. For instance, she said they have received feedbacks the the Chinese language being used by the guides is the traditional, which, according to some Chinese tourists, is different from the modern Chinese language, which is being used.

Aside from focusing on the four foreign markets, the office is also planning to hold a Halal awareness program to tourism establishments in order to accommodate Muslim tourists.

Marques said some of the tourists coming from Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, are mainly Muslims.

"Some of the institutions here in the city are not yet very aware of of the Halal certification, which is very important to Muslim tourists," Marques said.

She said they have talked with Muslim stakeholders to hold Halal seminars.

"This will address the diverse market of the growing number of tourists coming to the city," Marques said.

She also said they will be having awareness programs and seminars on market specifics. For example, she said, they will identify what are the preferences and the needs of the Japanese market.

"We do not need to change the attractions in the city but we should know what the needs of our tourists are and what sells to them," Marques said.

DTI approves 51 SSF projects in Davao

By Cherry Palicte

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has approved a total of 51 projects under the Shared Service Facility (SSF) initiative in Davao region last year.

Of the 51 SSF approved projects, 34 have already been established while 17 are still to be awarded to the beneficiaries early this year.

These projects are spread out in the region’s five provinces: 13 in Davao del Norte, 12 in Davao Oriental, 11 in Davao City, nine in Davao del Sur, and six in Compostela Valley.

The SSF, which started just last year, is a major component of the Micro, Small and Medium (MSME) Development Program which aims to improve the competitiveness of MSMEs by providing them with machinery, equipment, tools, skills, and knowledge under a shared system.

The SSF projects implemented range from heavy duty sewing machine for bayong to coco sugar processing, coco beads production, kakanin production, jewelry production, coco twining and weaving, garments-making, shellcraft production, coffee processing, meat processing, organic fertilizer production, muscovado sugar production, and banana powder processing.

According to Ma. Belenda Q. Ambi, DTI-Davao Region officer-in-charge, more SSFs will be distributed this year since the office has a budget of P34.553 million for this year.

“We hope that we can help more MSMEs improve, not just their productivity but also the quality of their products,” she said.

Water districts vow to protect environment

(PNA), LAP/ASA/JUDY G. QUIROS/LDP

DAVAO CITY, Feb. 6 (PNA) -- The Philippine Association of Water Districts (PAWD) noted the significance of the two-day 35th national convention of the organization held in this city on February 5-6 as a venue to exchange ideas and best practices to help protect water resources and use them economically.

Themed “Water Districts: Addressing Challenges in Water Supply and Sanitation”, the gathering held at SMX Convention Center will also give emphasis to the role of water districts in the country in making sure that Filipinos have sustainable access to safe water supply and sanitation facilities, Alfredo Silva, president of PAWD, said.

With the concerted effort of the PAWD, he said it is envisioned the issues and concerns affecting the country’s water resources like serious security threats as cited in the study of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will hopefully be addressed.

The ADB, in its study, said that three out of four Asia-Pacific Nations are faced with serious water security threats.

For his part, Eduardo Bangayan, chairperson of the Davao City Water District (DCWD) and convention chairperson, said treating waste water is one important subject of discussion of the convention since it will ensure that only clean water goes back to the rivers and seas.

The matter, he said, is deserving to be on top of the priorities of PAWD.

The convention highlighted discussions on various issues and concerns affecting the country’s water resources among others, septage and sewerage, watershed management and protection, technology and innovation.

The gathering ended Thursday after discussing other equally significant topics on climate change adaptation and disaster preparedness, impacts of typhoons to water districts, earthquake preparedness and the Tacloban typhoon experience.

Nestor Villasin, general manager of Leyte Metro Water District, shared to hundreds of participants the harrowing experience from super typhoon Yolanda and how the water district along with thousands of survivors survived the catastrophe.

“Yolanda changed our lives,” he said, adding that one basic important step to do is to strengthen measures to protect and preserve the environment like planting more and more trees particularly in the watersheds.

1.4M tourists visit Davao City in 2013

By Reuel John F. Lumawag

THE Department of Tourism (DOT) in Davao Region recorded a total of 1.429 million foreign and domestic tourists who visited Davao City last year.

DOT Assistant Secretary Arturo P. Boncato Jr., who was a guest on Wednesday at Club 888 forum at Marco Polo Hotel Davao, said the number of visitors for 2013 inched up by 24.77 percent as against the 1.075 million tourists recorded in 2012.

The figure was gathered from a total of 165 DOT-licensed accommodations in the city.

"Around 97 percent of the tourist arrivals are tourists and many of them are corporate travelers," he said.

Boncato said they attributed the growth to the increased number of seats offered by the airlines travelling to and from Davao City.

Just recently, Cebu Pacific launched its Davao-Bacolod flight as an addition to the company's extensive network in Davao. Philippine Airlines PAL Express, AirAsia Zest, and Tigerair Philippines also have flights to and from Davao City to domestic destinations.

"We can also attribute the increase to the number of rooms in the city. As of today, there are some 6,000 rooms in the city," he said, adding that the occupancy in the hotels right now is more than 50 percent.

Seda Hotel, Park Inn by Radisson Davao, and Tune Hotel were just some of the recently opened hotels in the city.

They also attributed the growth to DOT's more aggressive campaign to position Davao as an eco-tourism destination and a primary destination for meetings, incentives, conventions, and events or exhibitions (Mice).

As early as the first half of 2014, he said there will be nationals conventions of medical associations that will be held here beginning April until May. Among them will include national conventions of the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society and the Philippine College of Surgeons.

He said one of the big draws of the city as a Mice destination is its close proximity to mountains and islands. The proximity allows delegates to visit different destinations before and after the event.

"The delegates are able to enjoy three elements at once: the city, beaches, and the mountains," he said.

Boncato said City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who is being invited to attend Mice, also attracts delegates to attend the conventions.

Aside from the Big Davao Fun Sale, they are also planning other events for the city in order to draw more conventions here.

"This is a source of great joy for us, knowing that more and more people are visiting our destinations. At a growth of around 25 percent, it is something to celebrate about," Boncato said.

He said the development of the tourist arrivals in the city will impact other neighboring towns and provinces.

Aid group on its 2nd wave assistance for Yolanda survivors

By Earl O. Condeza (davaotoday.com)

DAVAO CITY—Nuns, students and rights advocates under Balsa Mindanao (Bulig Alang sa Mindanao) left the city at 6am today enroute to Leyte to conduct their second wave of relief and rehabilitation assistance for Typhoon Yolanda survivors.

The 80-person contingent, who traveled to Surigao City and is expected to leave early morning Wednesday to Leyte, comprised of priests, pastors, nuns, doctors, students and social workers.

They brought construction materials aside from fresh food and other relief packs to give attention to the rehabilitation needs of the survivors.

“There are also food and clothing but the bulk of what we brought are materials that the victims need for rehabilitation,” said Balsa Mindanao spokesperson Sr. Noemi Degala.

Balsa Mindanao brought galvanized iron sheets for roofing and nails intended for 160 households as well as 3000 kilos of fresh of fresh vegetables and vegetable seeds.

“We brought seedlings so that they could plant to sustain their need for nutritious foods,” Degala said.

Degala said they plan to meet with People Surge, an alliance of Yolanda survivors who marched last week to slam “slow” government aid in the storm-stricken islands.

She laments, “We are in solidarity with them because, even up to now, after all the financial and logistical support supposedly given to Yolanda-hit areas, they remain victims. They are now victims of corruption and substandard government aid.”

Balsa plans to go to six barangays of San Joaquin town, in Palo town- Brgys Cabarasan, San Agustin, Capirawan, and seven barangays in Tacloban city—Brgy. Abucay, Brgy 37, Brgy 1 and 7, sitio Dam, Naganaga, and Sampaguita.

Agri centers to be set up in Davao City’s 2 hinterland villages

(PNA), LAP/ASA/DIGNA D. BANZON/LDP

DAVAO CITY, Feb. 3 (PNA) -– Agriculture development centers will be set up this year in two hinterland barangays in Davao City where farmers will be trained on technologies.

Davao City Councilor Marissa Abella, council committee chair on agriculture, identified Barangays Marilog and Paquibato areas as the sites of the agriculture development centers. These are both government sites and when combined is about seven hectares in size.

She said these are the most ideal sites considering the proximity to areas in need of agricultural assistance.

The center, Abella said, is and will also be the site to showcase best practices and other related agricultural services.

"We will adopt a different approach this time where farmers must really undergo actual training. We want them to learn," she said.

"What is crucial here is the monitoring because we will really check on the farmers who are recipients of the training," Abella said.

Part of it is providing them with planting materials but they can only avail of the seedlings after they completed the training, she said.

"We have about 40,000 planting materials that we will provide to the farmers," she said.

Abella said they will be pushing for three high value crops of cacao, coffee and coconut.

“Once these are fully developed,” she said "we can improve on our production and deliver products to international markets".

Meanwhile, Abella said an Agricultural Development Plan is being worked on. This is a detailed plan that would include a corresponding budget.

She also said that there are available grants that they could access and these are areas that they need to focus on.

"We really need these funds and proper planning and coordination with the national agencies like the Department of Agriculture and other related agencies is a must that we should develop," she said.

Policies and areas of collaboration must be studied properly so that the appropriate fund needed in building our areas on agriculture is available to farmers, Abella said.

She also said that inventory of agricultural areas must be conducted in order that they could have the correct data necessary for both policy and decision-making.

She also said that the classification of lands must also be looked at.

7 tourism road projects proposed in Davao City

By Reuel John F. Lumawag

THE regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has proposed seven tourism road projects under the Department of Tourism-DPWH Convergence Program for Davao City this year.

DPWH-Davao public information office head Jose Dennis Y. Flores said two projects were proposed for Davao City District Engineering Office, one for Davao City 2nd District Engineering Office, and four for Davao City 3rd District Engineering Office.

The proposed projects for Davao City District Engineering Office are the P80-million construction and upgrading of G. Poras street and Trade School drive in Obrero leading to People's Park and the P40 million upgrading and construction of Don Juliano Rodriguez ave. leading to Crocodile Park in Maa.

For 2nd District Engineering Office, a P20-million project is proposed for the widening of the road leading to to Sasa Wharf and the construction of road curb and gutter, sidewalk, and drainage.

Four projects have been lined up for the Davao City 3rd District Engineering Office, which has the highest allocation, including the P289-million road upgrading and widening and the construction of a bridge in Lakton-Lamanan-Inayangan-Kawayan road leading to Kawayan peak.

Road projects lined up for the third district is the P13-million road project for Mintal-Bago Ociera-Bago Palera leading to UP Mindanao, P50-million project for Lumundao-Salaysay-Arakhan leading to Mt. Apo and Lumundao-Marilog-Davao City, and the construction of a P50-million access road leading to Malagos Garden Resort and the Philippine Eagle Sanctuary.

Moulic leads 2014 Batang Pinoy Chess

By Marianne L. Saberon-Abalayan

HOLY Cross of Davao College (HCDC) prized woodpusher Ella Grace Moulic, playing the black pieces, stunned Woman Fide Master (WFM) Antoniete Sandiego of Dasmariñas in 46 moves of a Slav Opening to remain unbeaten after third round of the girls standard event in the ongoing 2013 Philippine Olympic Committee-Philippine Sports Commission (POC-PSC) National Championships chess competition at the Masskara Hall 3rd Floor, New Government Center in Bacolod City on Friday.

Moulic stayed in contention for the gold medal, taking the lead with perfect three points while Shania Mendoza of Laguna and Samantha Revita of Pangasinan posted identical 2.5 points to share the second and third place, respectively. Sandiego, who tallied 2.0 points, was at fourth place in the six-round Swiss System format chessfest.

The be-medaled Dabawenya, who failed to defend her girls rapid title earlier, also bested Jesca Docena of Bohol in the second round after beating Rica Gabales of Bacolod City in the opening round.

In the boys' standard category, HCDC player Tahseen Saludsong earned 1.5 points to occupy the seventh place as of Friday (January 31). He bowed to Bacolod City's Kenan Anoran in their third round clash following his second round win against Valerio Mangubat of Bacolod. Saludsong drew his first round match with Earl Martinez of Bacolod.

Moulic was testing Mendoza's mettle while Saludsong was playing against Alson Lim of Bacolod in the fourth round ongoing as of this writing. Moulic was down with flu in the first day of action where she competed in rapid and blitz events. She earlier hoped to bounce back in the main standard event.

Davao City's former Palarong Pambansa double gold medalist, however, didn't want to keep her hopes up saying that she'll take each game at a time.

"Kayanon nako (I'll do my best)," Moulic said in a text message through her father-coach Alfred.

Over at the University of St. La Salle, the Davao City National High School spikers ended their bid by placing fourth over-all after succumbing to Makati City, 18-25, 21-25, in their battle for bronze in girls volleyballl.

Seasoned coach Soledad Toriño, in a phone interview yesterday, said they would have played in the finals if they overcame Iligan City in the crossover semi-finals.

"Sayang talaga kasi No. 1 kami sa bracket namin, wala kaming talo. Nasa amin ang malalakas na teams pero natalo kami sa semis. Down ang morale ng mga bata kasi may isang kasamahan sila na problemado sa pamilya eh inaasahan talaga siya ng team namin. Dalawa lang ang reserved players namin, hindi na talaga kinaya nga mga bata," Toriño said.

She added that only eight players made it to Bacolod due to funding constraints. The volleybelles were funded by their parents, school and other supporters. Since the city government of Davao waived its participation in the Games for 15 years old and below athletes, they competed in the national finals on their own expense.

Toriño, however, said they could have a strong chance to enter the finals if the girls toughened up a bit in their emotions, not letting their teammate's family problem also affect them during the semis match.

DCNHS spikers, runner-up in the Batang Pinoy Mindanao Qualifying in Tagum City last year, upset champion Tagum City in their group stage elimination encounter. They also hacked out wins over Tanauan and Ormoc City.

DCNHS was bannered by team captain Eunice Mabayao, Lycha Ebon, Lyle Darren Amora, Micha Ella Crisanto, Khem Consencino, Georgie Loreto, Ma. Angela Iriglian, Jessa Faye Monteposo and Jemimah Ruth Maliza.

Fil-British martial arts champion James Halasan Ryan, meanwhile, seized two wins in boys -66 kgs wrestling competition at the Gaisano City Bacolod.

All games wind up as the sportfest closes today.

Davao City has so far won one gold medal and one silver courtesy of Brylle Chavez Cocjin and Jason Caceres who finished first and second, respectively, in the mountain bike event of the cycling competition.

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