First there was Chiz

Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero was in the city last week for the Presidentiables Forum held at the Grand Regal Hotel. Only three of the supposedly Presidentiables joined the Forum among them Escudero, Senator Loren Legarda and Nicanor Perlas.

Escudero said he has not yet decided which position to vie for in the 2010 elections but said he will abide by his Party's decision.

On top of Escudero's priorities is an increased budget for agriculture not only for Mindanao but for the whole country as well. He said the reason why Mindanao could not attain long lasting peace is the lack of economic opportunities here. With an increased agriculture budget, he said, there will be more farm to market roads, increased production and lesser dependence on imports.

Power crisis in Mindanao now a reality-DOE

The Department of Energy confirmed that the supposedly looming power crisis in Mindanao is already happening.

This was the revelation made by DOE undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan, who said the power crisis everyone is talking about already exists and will get worse if the agencies and companies concerned are not able to provide a solution by end of the year.

“Indeed there is a shortage.” Ampatuan said the critical period has been known to the government, especially from the DOE’s point of view, as early as 2007. But for Mindanao, he added the critical period has already started this 2009 but the solution is still unclear.

He said the immediate solution identified by the government includes the putting up of new power plants. However, he said, only three power plants are actually committed but it will take about three years to get all of them done.

Among the three projects are the Sibulan Hydro which is currently being done, the Mindanao 3 at the peak of Mt. Apo which is on the way to completion and the Kabulig Hydro which is experiencing some problems

“And even if these guaranteed power plants are completed they will still be short of the projected shortage of around 400MW,” Ampatuan said.

The Conal Holdings Corporation of the Alcantaras has unveiled a $450 million coal-fired power plant in Sarangani Province, which can generate up to 200MW of power but Ampatuan said this would be up by 2013 and would probably be enough to sustain the requirement to be subsistent.

The DOE projected a peak demand of at least 1,525MW for the Mindanao power grid and that projection does not even include the increase in demand when the big malls like Robinsons and SM City start to operate in General Santos City.

National Grid Corporation of the Philippines Gensan manager Manuel Jamoy earlier said that they are projecting a required capacity of 2,556MW for the Mindanao Grid by 2014.

He said Mindanao needs new power plants by December but even the DOE is at a lost as to where this power requirement can be sourced from. “By December we are not expecting any new power plant to be up,” he said.

The projected operation of the Sibulan plant will be a little solution, he said, but it will not address the whole problem that we will face by December.
“The challenge of putting up something quick is very serious,” he said. While the country is faced with another political exercise in 2010, there is only one thing that will address the problem of a power crisis in Mindanao and the whole country and that is to be more efficient in terms of power usage.

A DOE program is eyeing to save between 400 to 500MW of power, which is equal to one power plant, through the used of incandescent bulbs. Also included in the solution is the construction of energy-efficient buildings.

“These are quick solutions that are immediately doable; everybody can be a participant from the poorest to the richest,” he said. If all of these are adopted, he added, we can save as much as 2000MW of power in one year.

Starting ‘em young: Ateneo booters see action during Kadayawan Football Fest

Ateneo booters 6 & under see action during the Kadayawan Fest at the Tionko Field last Satuday, August 22.. (l-r) Reino Martin Swan, Brylle Juris Carillo, Zane Garfin, Shan Tranquillan, Balahay, Clark Catolinan and Gabby Cuevas.


The Ateneo de Davao University has become popular not only for producing academic scholars, but also for producing top-notch football players who are making a name for themselves not only in the Philippines but in Europe as well.

Just recently, the Ateneo de Davao booters came back from Europe after joining the world’s most prestigious youth football tournament, the Gothia Youth World Cup, where they represented the Makati Football Club and the Philippine Team.

This time, the Jesuit school is starting them young by fielding representatives six years and under to the Kadayawan Football Festival held at the Tionko Field Saturday, August 22, 2009.

“The regular players are usually 14 and under, 12 and under and 8 and under but we are encouraging young players in the 6 and under category to participate in the sports development to prepare them early for the sports,’ Ateneo de Davao University Grade School Coach Nonoy Garfin said. Coach Lance Borromeo supervises the coaching of the 6 & under players.

He said keeping the children in the fields and into sports is one way of making sure they grow up to be A
disciplined individuals and productive members of society. At the Ateneo, he added, even Pre-schoolers and Grade 1 students who are interested in the sports undergo regular football training as part of their overall development.

The Ateneo 6 and under football players were composed of three teams namely the Footballers, Kickers and Fighters. The Ateneo 6 and under players competed with 6 and under football player from other schools like Southpoint and Sakya.

RP’s drug problem down by 75%, says Drugs Board Chair

The country’s drug abuse problem has decreased by almost 75% from the 6 million level in 2004 to only 1.7 million level in 2009.

“We have been very successful in our fight against drug abuse in the last five years,” Dangerous Drugs Board chairperson Sec. Vicente Sotto III said today during the nationwide seminar-workshop on Republic Act 9165 being held in Davao City from July 28 to 30.

RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 aims to provide more teeth to the government’s fight against illegal drug traffic and addiction by providing stiffer penalties for illegal drug use and pushing.

Proof of this success, Sotto said, is the latest research conducted by the Philippine Normal University and the Department along with the Department of Interior and Local Government. The result of the 2009 study, which was compared to the 2004 study, showed a positive effect in the government’s program versus drug abuse.

“The research show that the number of drug abusers has decreased form 6 million in 2004 to only 1.7 million in 2009,” Sotto said. The statistics is quite accurate, he added compared to what the other countries have been reporting to the United Nations.

Sotto said China recently submitted a report to the UN stating that they only have 1 million drug users. However, he added, this is an unbelievable figure considering that China has billions of people.

He said he brought the matter to the attention of the UN Committee on Drugs and Crime. It turned out that China only reported the number of dependents that are in their rehabilitation centers, he added.

If that would be the basis, he said, then the Philippines should amend its report because there are only 5,860 drug dependents in the country using that basis. “That’s comparing apples to apples and not apples to oranges,” he said.

DDB undersecretary Clarence Paul V. Oaminal said research shows that 92.68% of Filipinos haven’t tried drugs. “About 80% of the 7.23% Filipinos who have tried drugs admitted to have stopped,” he said.

Sotto said the drug abuse problem is so complex because “this is the only crime where the criminal is a victim and the victim is also a criminal.” However, he added, no country in the world is without such problem.

Despite the success, he said, both the prosecution and the enforcement groups should continue to work together to ensure that the drug abuse problem is minimized or even eradicated.

“But the illegal drug problem can never be won by enforcement but by families,” he said. This is why the government is making sure there are enough awareness and educational programs to help solve the problem.

MBC Chair gives PGMA an 8.5 rating

Mindanao’s business sector has given President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo a high passing rate if only for her contribution to the development of Mindanao’s infrastructure.

“If we are to rate her for her performance for the past nine years I would give her an 8 or an 8.5,” Mindanao Business Council chairperson Vicente Lao said yesterday even before the President could deliver her State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Lao said the President has been performing quite well in the areas of infrastructure, economy and human capital development.

“We never had a president who has very pronounced policies on human capital development and who has focused so much in solving the infrastructure problems of Mindanao,” he said.

Arroyo, he said, has given specific instructions that all infrastructure projects in Mindanao be completed before her term ends. Economy-wise, he added, Arroyo has also performed well considering that her administration has been unlucky with the global economic crisis.

Lao cited Arroyo’s scholarship programs for human resources development to prepare the Filipinos skills-wise. He said the President’s program ensured that even if the government can’t provide jobs for all its people, then they are properly trained for work abroad.

However, Lao cited the lack of livelihood opportunities for Mindanao. Without livelihood, he added, there will be no development and no peace at all. “People do not even know where to look for jobs,” he said.

This is the reason why it is hard for these people to appreciate what the government is doing for them, he added.

Arroyo stressed the completion of various infrastructure projects specifically in Mindanao during her term. She said the Davao International Airport has been completed during her administration

Hiyas ng Kadayawan search requires cultural skills for candidates

The 2009 Search for Hiyas ng Kadayawan is expected to be more challenging for the candidates as they will need to exhibit more knowledge and skills about the culture they are representing.

“The Search for Hiyas ng Kadayawan 2009 will be more challenging because the candidates will be required to demonstrate a skill akin to the culture they are representing like playing the kulintang, agong and other musical instruments live on stage,” councillor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, chair of the Kadayawan Lumadnong Kasaulogan or Indigenous Peoples Festival.

She said the Kadayawan is no longer just a beauty search but it has become a more significant display of the culture of the ten tribes representing Davao City. Among the ten focus tribes during the Kadayawan celebration are the Ata, Diangan, Obo Manobo, Matigsalog and Tagabawa for the Lumads and then the Muslim, Maranaw, Kalagan, Sama, Tausug and Maguindanao for the Muslims.

“The Hiyas ng Kadayawan contestants are required to be 50% Lumad or Muslim, depending on what tribe they are representing,” she said. The winner should have a great understanding of her culture and tradition to include the tribe’s history and language.

Dalodo-Ortiz said the Hiyas ng Kadayawan will be chosen based on a winning personality and character. “We are not showing an ordinary Dabawenya here but a unique Dabawenya who is representing her tribe,” she added.

She said the selection process for the tribal representatives to the Hiyas ng Kadayawan is a long process. The deputy mayors for each tribe will endorse the representative of each tribe to the committee. However, she added, this is only done after the community has chosen a candidate fit to represent their tribe.

Those who want to experience how the different tribes in Davao live are adviced to visit the Cultural Village located at the Crocodile Park in Diversion Road.

Red Ribbon opens newest store at NCCC Mall Davao

The Red Ribbon franchise of Wilson Bangayan opened up its newest branch at NCCC Mall davao yesterday.

It was Bangayan who simultaneously put up Red Ribbon stalls/booth at Victoria Plaza, Gaisano Mall and NCCC Davao a few years ago. This is however the first full Red Ribbon food store under the Jollibee Group which recently acquired the food company.

"You are assured that our products are always fresh from the Red Ribbon commissary here in Davao," Red Ribbon VisMin Operations Head Michelle Leslie Llanos said.

Red Ribbon also has a full food store at SM City Davao. The NCCC Davao Mall food store will be opened to the public starting today so go try their newest cake concoctions as well as meals.

Vice Mator Sara Duterte, who was present during yesterday's event, said this is a siginificant contribution to Davao City's economy which is private-sector led. She encouraged consumers to start tasting Red Ribbon's products.