The Updates by Rico Biliran

All set for "Bike for Hope Davao;" Biking priest joins Sen. Pia

2009-01-31T22:13:00.000-08:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/29 Jan) -- The stage is all set for the "Bike for Hope" Davao which reels off Saturday (Jan. 31) in this city and will culminate in the province of Davao del Norte's capital, Tagum City, covering a total of 101-kilometers.

Hundreds of biking enthusiasts across the island and those from Manila and Cebu have signified their entry in the bike for a cause organized by Senator Pia Cayetano in memory of her late father, Senator Compañero Rene L. Cayetano.

"Everything is in place and we are ready for this weekend's Bike for Hope Davao," Ani de Leon, Bike for Hope Davao spokesperson, told sports journalists here during the weekly Davao Sportswriters Association Forum Thursday.

The youthful lady senator, known for using her passion in biking to reach out to the grassroots, will lead the participants in the advocacy fun ride that promotes healthy and fit living and concern for the environment.

She will be joined by biking Redemptorist priest Amado Picardal who biked the route on Monday and completed the course in five hours and 30 minutes, pedaling at a very relaxed pace averaging 20 km per hour.

"It was a very wonderful ride. I just enjoyed the feeling of the wind caressing my face," said Picardal, who is also a university professor and academic dean, during the sports forum .

Picardal, known as the "biking priest" since he started riding long distances on bikes to push his advocacy for peace and good government, said the participants can look forward to the "joy of riding a bike", most especially since the event has a noble cause.

De Leon said seminars on various topics, including clean environment, breastfeeding, violence against women and children and the "Pinay In Action" running and fitness clinic for public high school students are ongoing in this city to usher the biking event organized by Comapañero Rene Cayetano Foundation in cooperation with Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Vice Mayor Sara Duterte.

Other activities include seminars on Hepatitis-B vaccination for barangay health workers by Sanofi and public awareness against fake drugs by the Samahan Laban sa Pekeng Gamot, added De Leon, who was accompanied by tri-athlete George Vilog who discussed the route in the sports forum.

In an interview, Neilwin Joseph Bravo, spokesperson of Davao del Norte provincial sports coordinator Anthony del Rosario, said seminars will also be conducted in several towns in Davao del Norte where the fun ride will pass by.

Kicking off at the Shell station in Barangay Ma-a here, the advocacy ride will proceed to Davao del Norte, passing Panabo City and the towns of Carmen, Sto. Tomas, Kapalong and Asuncion, and will end at the Davao del Norte provincial capitol compound in Tagum City.

Mayor Duterte was invited to fire the starting gun, signaling the start of the long bike journey for hope.

Bike for Hope was first organized by Sen. Cayetano and her siblings in 2004 following the death of their father from complications of a liver illness. The event has been raising funds to support indigent liver patients and assist unfunded health programs in public hospitals across the country. It has been staged in Bicol, Laguna, Misamis Oriental, Ilocos Region, Cebu and twice in Baguio. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

Consul invites Davao councilors to witness Australian sporting event

2009-01-31T22:09:00.000-08:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/7 Jan) -- The Philippine consul general in Australia’s Northern Territory today invited city councilors to visit Darwin during the Arafura Games and meet with their counterparts for possible future agreements, including sporting linkages.

In a press conference at a local restaurant here, consul general John Rivas personally invited councilors Susabel Reta, Rachel Zozobrado and Peter Laviña, who represented Vice Mayor Sara Duterte, to join the Davao delegation to the international games slated May 9-17 in Darwin, capital of Northern Territory.

“They can watch the games there and at the same time meet with [their counterparts] for possible linkages in education, trade and sporting events,” said Rivas.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William “Butch” Ramirez recognized the significance of a sports-related friendship agreement between Darwin and this city in the past.

“There was already a friendship agreement before but it became dormant due to lack of follow up,” he said. Rivas’s invitation could be a way to renew ties, said Ramirez, who arranged Rivas’s visit to this city.

The councilors verbally agreed to revive the agreement, saying “this new effort through sports could help us a lot”.

“Not only in the in field of sports but also in trade, education and cultural exchange,” said Laviña, who is also the president of the Davao City Sports Council, Inc. (DCSCI).

Laviña sees a possible sister-city agreement in the future with Darwin, which has grown from a pioneer outpost and small port into one of Australia's most modern and multicultural cities. Its two largest economic sectors are mining and tourism.

Rivas said all sports facilities in Darwin are already in place for the Arafura Games, touted as a leading international sporting competition of the emerging champions of the Asia.

He said that renovations to some of the venues are being made but all facilities are ready. He added that 4,000 athletes, coaches and officials are expected to go to Darwin for the games.

There are 27 sport disciplines lined up in the event held every two years since 1991.

For Davao City, Ramirez advised it should send the best athletes since it needs a lot of money to go to Australia and compete in the Arafura Games.

“We have good athletes here but the problem is money. That's why for the City of Davao, it should send the best athletes who has chances to win,” said Ramirez, a former city sports coordinator before going to the PSC.

Davao City started sending athletes to the games in 1997. It was the PSC chief who headed the delegation.

The Arafura Games will be on the top agenda when the DCSCI, the sports body composed of regional heads of the National Sports Associations, holds its monthly meeting on January 13. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

Ex-PSC chief to enter politics

2009-01-31T22:00:00.000-08:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/25 January) -- Former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chair William “Butch” Ramirez last week declared his intention to enter politics and said it “depends on Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as to what position”.

“Rody (Duterte) is the barometer. It depends to the mayor as to what position (I will aspire for),“ Ramirez said three days after President Arroyo accepted his resignation as chair of the national sports agency

In a press conference Saturday, Ramirez, 58, who served for ten years in the PSC, said he will not run without the blessing of Duterte, his former boss

The former Ateneo de Davao University professor said “religious groups and some individuals” are pushing him to run for the congressional seat in the city's first district occupied by House Speaker Prospero Nograles. Nograles ran for mayor but lost to Duterte in the 1990s.

Like Duterte, Nograles is also serving his last term.

Duterte appointed Ramirez as city sports coordinator several years back. A few days following his appointment, the mayor sent him to Australia as the city's head of delegation to the 2001 Arafura Games in Darwin that enabled Ramirez to see the “world of sports.”

Ramirez said the mayor has a well-established political machinery “and more to that, the mayor has a good heart for the poor, he is a good politician and a good lawyer”.

“I don't have any association with other politicians. It's only with the mayor, that's why my entry to politics lies in him. It's up to him what position (I will aspire for).

Ramirez submitted his resignation following the country's dismal performance in the Beijing Olympics last August.

Ramirez had been very vocal about his intention to help the sports program of Davao City the moment he would leave PSC where he served as regional representative in 1998 before he was appointed as commissioner in 2000 and its chair in 2005. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

On Ramirez' resignation: PSC's loss is Davao City's gain

2009-01-31T21:51:00.000-08:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/22 Jan) -- It is the city government of Davao that would "gain much" from the departure of William "Butch" Ramirez at the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for he can now focus his energy on Davao sports, local sports leaders said.

"It's PSC's loss and the bright side would be, its Davao City's gain," said Moses Billacura, officer-in-charge of the City Sports Development Division (CSDD).

Joseph Encabo, the PSC chief's senior executive assistant, confirmed reports that Malacañang had accepted the resignation of Ramirez as chairman of the PSC, putting an end to the former Ateneo de Davao University professor's 10-year stint at the national sports agency, 3 of which as its head.

Ramirez submitted his resignation following the country's dismal performance in the Beijing Olympics last August.

Long before his resignation was accepted, Ramirez had been very vocal about his intention to help the sports program of Davao City the moment he would depart from the PSC where he served as regional representative in 1998 before he was appointed as commissioner in 2000 and its chairman in 2005.

Billacura said Ramirez,58, one of the longest serving PSC officials, would help the Duterte administration in the area of sports.

"He (Ramirez) has been wishing to come home and has expressed his desire to help sports in Davao City," said Billacura, who was one of the staff of Ramirez when he was the city sports chief of Duterte several years back.

With the homecoming of Ramirez, expect more changes at the CSDD as the man who was largely credited when the Philippines won the overall Southeast Asian Games in 2005 would bring his exceptional sports leadership in this city, Billacura said.

"We have a lot of work to do," he added. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

Abap to set tup training center in Mindanao

2009-01-31T21:48:00.000-08:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/8 Jan) -- The new leadership of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) is planning to set up a regional training center in Mindanao, and president Ricky Vargas wants to put it up in this city.

"We prefer to set it up in Davao City and make this city as a center for Mindanao," Vargas told sports journalists in a press briefing following a consultative meeting with the boxing stakeholders in the region.

But Vargas clarified that they would not intervene on the decision of the stakeholders as to where they want to put up the training center.

" If they have other place in mind, it would be up to them," added Vargas, who was accompanied by ABAP secretary-general Patrick Gregorio.

With regards to where to set up the training center, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William "Butch" Ramirez said boxing stakeholders across the island will discuss it during the ABAP national congress in Bacolod City on January 14-17.

Ramirez, who is a member of the board of directors of ABAP in the Davao Region, said it is best that stakeholders all over Mindanao, who are expected to attend the national congress, be consulted on the issue.

Vargas, who also held a consultative meeting Wednesday in Baguio City, came here to seek support from the stakeholders in the region aimed at helping improve the programs of ABAP.

The ABAP chief sought the help of Cotabato Vice Gov. Manny Piñol, former Davao del Norte congressman Tony Boy Floreindo and Ramirez.

"Hopefully, with their assistance we can do better for the development of the sport of boxing," said Vargas.

Piñol said they have gone out their way in helping boxing in the country but the problem is with ABAP. "ABAP is very exclusive. They don’t want others to help them. They are not even helping local chapters, " Piñol said, referring to the previous ABAP leadership.

Having a good program and a bunch of potential boxers, Piñol pointed out, "we just need a little help".

For his part, Ramirez said that the set up of the coaching staff needs to be overhauled because some of them have been there for many years.

With the training center, according to the PSC chief, ABAP can get the best coaches and conduct coaches’ leadership seminars, among others.

"It would help us take a smooth quality development of boxing in the country," said Ramirez.

Vargas visited the boxing facilities at the back of the Davao City Recreation Center where more than 20 boxers have been training hard. His observation: "It’s not in good shape".

"But there are lots of potential young boxers, " he noted. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

Davao Del Norte maps out sports dev't plan

2008-04-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

TAGUM CITY, Davao Del Norte (MindaNews / April 4) – The opening rites
of the first-ever Davao Del Norte Sports Summit on Thursday prepared the red
carpet for the provincial government's journey towards making the province as
the region's sports capital.



Addressing the opening rites of the two-day sports summit at the
Bulwagan ng Lalawigan here, Gov. Rodolfo Del Rosario said he believed that the
summit and the "redevelopment" of the provincial sports complex "would make
the biggest banana exporting province as the region's sports hub".



"(Davao del Norte) is the region's sports capital in the making," said
Del Rosario. " The possibilities are boundless and this is where it all
begins," He added.



The summit was graced by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman
William "Butch" Ramirez.



Del Rosario said "this is the beginning of the comprehensive genuine
sports development program of the province".



Former Vice Governor Anthony Del Rosario, the governor's son and
currently the provincial sports chief, said that "with the active participation
of all the provincial sports stakeholders, the province will have a genuine
sports development program that focus on sport disciplines where local
athletes have good chances in excelling".



"With your active participation and through this sports summit we can
map out a genuine strategic plan for sports development," the younger Del
Rosario told the summit that was attended also by barangay captains,
chairpersons of the Sangguniang Kabataan chapters and private sports
groups.



"This is the kind of program that needs to be sustained. We really need
to
set direction for our sports development programs," said Danny
Sumalinog, a
sports summit participant from Island Garden City of Samal.



Ramirez said that the completion of its sports complex in 2010, the
province
"perhaps, could be the regional training center in the south".



"We will no longer go to Manila, we will just train here. This is the
better
place to live, away from pollution, and work for the future champions
of the
country," said Ramirez.



The Davao Del Norte sports complex project was also unveiled during the
summit.







Meanwhile, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Davao Del Norte unanimously
approved in special session on Wednesday the resolution authorizing the
provincial government to enter into a loan agreement with Land Bank of
the
Philippines.



"We have approved the authority to borrow P500 million, and the P250
million
of that will be used for the sports complex," Vice Governor Victorio
Suaybaguio, Jr., said.



The construction of the proposed P250-million sports complex will start
soon, according to the provincial engineers office.



The 15-hectare sports complex will rise in Barangay Mankilam across the
province's Government Center, where the old sports complex once stood
until
it was razed by fire in March 2003.



The complex would have a total of 49 spans of concrete bleachers, a
rehabilitated and upgraded Olympic-sized swimming pool, a modern oval
track
with rubberized track materials and synthetic foot soccer field.



"The swimming pool and track oval will have eight lanes," said
provincial
engineer Josie Jean Rabanoz.



The complex would also have a parking area that could accommodate more
than
300cars.  (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

City gov't awards cash incentives to Davaoeño Thailand Seag medalists

2008-04-04T18:56:00.000-07:00


DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / April 4) – Twenty medallists in last year's
Southeast Asian Games in Thailand who hailed from here received cash
gifts from the city government "for bringing honor and pride to the city and
the country".



The medallists were top-billed by Olympic-bound divers Shiela Mae Perez
and Ryan Rexel Fabriga, who each received P25,000 each for their single
gold and silver medals respectively.



Acting Mayor Sara Z. Duterte awarded cash incentives to the Davaoeño
athletes on Wednesday in a brief awarding rite held at the Pag-asa Bar of the Marco
Polo Hotel.



Duterte handed over a total of P260,000 cash gifts with  gold medal winner took home P15, 000
while the silver and bronze medal medallist got P10,000 and P5,000, respectively.



Perez and Fabriga personally received their cash bonus from Duterte but
many of the other awardees were in Manila. Their parents received the awards
on their behalf.



Last December, the Davaoeño medalists also received cash incentives
from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.



"More than the cash gift, we congratulate them (the athletes) for
bringing honor and pride for the city and the country," Duterte said.



She encouraged the athletes "to continue to work hard for better
glory".



"We are very thankful for the cash bonus given by Vice Mayor Duterte,"
said Rodrigo Porala, father of Ruditha who was part of the 10-member women's
traditional boat race that won bronze medal in the 1,000-meter contest.



Luvelyn Maganda, who played a vital role in the gold medal finish of
the national softball squad, brought home P15,000. Cue artist Lee Van
Corteza and Mary Anne Basas got P10,000 apiece for winning silver in the men's
9-ball and women's 6-Red snooker, respectively.



Other awardees were marathoner Jho-Ann Banayag (silver), batters Edmer
Del Socorro and RuelBatuto (bsilver), golfer Jhonnel Ababa (silver),
traditional boar racer Amina Anuddi and Sanita Kasim (silver), diver Jaime Asok
(gold),
diver Zardo Domenios and Nino Carog (silver), tri-athlete George Vilog
(silver), sailor Richly Magsanay (silver), judoka Ruth Duga-Duga
(bronze)
and water polo team member-brothers Frazier and Norton Alamara and
Monsuito
Pelenio (silver).   (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

Pinoy US-based coach to conduct seminar in Davao City

2008-04-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/01 April) -- Three years ago, he left this city for the US to be with his family where he eventually continued his coaching career as assistant coach for a high school basketball team.
And now, with the world class basketball knowledge he learned in the US, Ronel Leuterio will be back to conduct a free seminar for Davao coaches on April 10 to 11 at Barangay 35-D gym.

The project, jointly organized by the basketball association and the city's sports development division under sports coordinator Christopher “Bong” Go, is open to all Davao coaches who are willing to know about the latest trends in coaching in the U.S.

The Chicago-based Leuterio has attended many seminars and conferences in his three years in the U.S. and will be coming to share his knowledge, including his newly-developed "Spread Offense".

The “Spread Offense” is a result of a three-year work of Leuterio who attended numerous seminars under U.S. college coaches.

“It is an offense that is out of the box, something unconventional. The positions are different or at least they are viewed in a different way,” he said in an email from Chicago.

He said basketball is usually thought of in terms of point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center.

“It is not 1, 2,3,4,5 like most teams do. Here you have two guards, two forwards, and a center. The guards and forwards are interchangeable, the center is the only position that is not,” he added.

Leuterio coached the Ateneo High School to several championships in local and national tournaments before he left for the US.

He is best remembered for mentoring the Ateneo HS team that won the Milo BEST national title in Cebu. He was also an assistant coach of the Davao Eagles in the Metropolitan Basketball Association, a short-lived play-for-pay league.

For more information about the seminar, contact the sports division at 2278074 and look for seminar coordinator Bert Malinao. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

Cultural exchange to mark 6th BIMP-EAGA Games

2008-03-27T01:51:00.000-07:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/25 March) - A four-nation "youth exchange program" will coincide with the holding of the 6th Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines -East Asian Growth Association (BIMP-EAGA) Friendship Games on November 28 to 30 in Brunei Darussalam.

The youth from the four countries' growth areas will promote their respective cultures and economic movement, among others.

"This is the first time that we will hold this program and we recognize the importance of this program," said Haji Matassim Bim Jibah, director of Brunei Ministry of Cultural, Youth and Sports during the friendship games road show here Tuesday.

He added the program, acknowledged as a significant side event of the biennial meet, will boost the growing good relationship of the four nations.

The BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games was conceived in 1995 as a venue for sports development, as well as educational and cultural exchange among athletes from the four countries. It aims to promote opportunities to intensify interaction among peoples and governments within BIMP-EAGA other than trade and enhance unity and cooperation among the youth of participating countries through friendly sports.

Joseph Encabo, Mindanao representative to the BIMP-EAGA Sports Council, said the participants in this "holistic program" will learn the culture and economic movement, among others of Brunei and other growth areas in the region.Eight slots are allotted to the Philippines or four apiece for Mindanao and Palawan, according to Encabo who is also the senior executive assistant to Philippine Sports Commission chairman William "Butch" Ramirez.

Asked who will represent Mindanao, he said "we are encouraging local government units to send representatives to discuss their cultures and economic movement in this holistic program".

Encabo explained that the LGU's will only shoulder the airfare to and from the venue.The host country will bear the cost of accommodation, food and inland transportation, said Haji Jibah, adding Brunei is well prepared for the 6th edition of the Games.

Carrying the theme "Cooperation through sports", the four-nation friendship games, touted as a venue for strengthening economic cooperation in the region, will feature competitions in athletics, aquatics, sepak takraw, badminton, futsal, tennis and pencak silat.

Traditionally, the choice of events depends on the limited budget available for the athletes' transportation and needs of the host country and its growth area.

Since it also aims to promote friendship, the BIMP-EAGA sports council has preferred to feature mostly non-contact sports."We have already discussed the aspect of logistics issue and also the accommodation of the participants," said Haji Jibah.

There are 13 growth areas who are participating in the meet: Brunei Darrusalam, Gorontalo, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, South East Sulawesi and West Papua of Indonesia, Sabah, Sarawak and Federal territory of Labuan of Malaysia and Palawan and Mindanao of the Philippines.

Team Mindanao-Philippines will be composed of athletes from the island whose participation will be bankrolled by their LGUs."LGUs will take care of the airfare of their athletes and the rest of the operational expenses will be shouldered by the PSC," Encabo clarified.

In 2005, Team Mindanao-Philippines bannered by athletes from Davao City, Davao Oriental, Panabo City, Gen. Santos City and Koronadal City placed third overall. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

Give little support to sports, firms asked

2008-03-27T01:43:00.000-07:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/06 March) - The British chief executive officer and founder of the American style restaurant here yesterday encouraged corporations to provide support to organizations that help "the people of Davao, especially the kids."

Alan W. Barnett, CEO and founder of the Al's Diner, cited American boxing patron Ron Doran, who helps train young boxers to stand out in the sport.

"As a business, we have a responsibility to the city where our business is situated to help the people in any possible way," Barnett told sports journalists during the Davao Sportswriters Association Forum at the Tower Inn Hotel.

Al's Diner, touted as the little restaurant that cares and home of the giant burger, sponsored the uniforms of the Davao City boxing team under Doran that saw action in the recent Kalilangan festival boxing competition in Gen. Santos City.

After four days of competition, the team brought home two gold, three silver and four bronze medals. A victory party for the triumphant boxers is scheduled on March 8, 2 p.m. at Al's Diner.

Barnett promised to give P1,000 as incentive to the gold medal winners, brothers Engilbert and John Vincent Morante, and P500 and P250 to the silver and bronze medal victors, respectively.

Concerned over the lack of equipment for the daily training of the young boxers, the restaurateur said he is now encouraging other corporations to extend any assistance to the kids who train in rings with holes and without light.

He cited that helping this kind of endeavor is "just giving thank you to the community, the people of Davao, in practical way and it's also an investment in the future".

"Their business comes from the people of Davao and just give back to the people of Davao," said Barnett.

Doran said he is seeking for corporate sponsors to take care of the needs of the young boxers, mostly indigent kids. Jonas Aleonar, regional sales manager of Petron Corporation, said their company has been supportive to the sports development programs in the localities.

"We are supporting various sports programs just like in volleyball, basketball and taekwondo,” said Aleonar who also graced the forum to give an update on the ongoing Petron Basketball Tournament.

Sports organizers acknowledged the vital role of corporate sponsors in staging tournaments as part of the sports development programs saying “without corporate sponsors the program usually dies". (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

SPORTS: Davao del Norte to boost grassroots sports dev't program

2008-03-27T01:39:00.000-07:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/17 March) – Grassroots sports development program in Davao del Norte will get a boost with the provincial government eyeing to focus on sport disciplines where local athletes have good chances in excelling.

Former vice governor Anthony Del Rosario, the provincial sports coordinator, said it was time to give attention to this ‘forgotten’ program.

Del Rosario, 41, acknowledged the importance of sports development program and its impact to the community which, he said should be understood by the people of Davao del Norte.

He also announced the staging of a two-day sports summit in cooperation with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Sports Institute on April 3-4 with at least 600 participants expected.

The bulk of these delegates will come from the barangays, the public schools, and the youth sector, he said, adding he hopes that the sports summit would "strengthen our ranks" from the provincial government down to the barangay government.

"We need to achieve a common bond and a common goal to have a uniform program and common direction for sports," he said.

The sports official said he expects the stakeholders to identify the focus sports where the athletes from the province would excel nationally or internationally.

He also encouraged the barangays to formulate their own sports programs anchored on their chosen focus sports using funds for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK).

A true-blue sportsman, Del Rosario said he is seeking an additional P2-million budget for his office which is only receiving an annual allocation of P1-million.

Davao del Norte has laid down the groundwork for a reinvigorated thrust towards positioning itself as a major sports destination in the country.

Gov. Rodolfo Del Rosario made three major bold steps towards achieving that goal. First, he appointed his son, Anthony to head the province’s sports front office.

Second, he programmed the reconstruction of the burned old sports complex into a spanking new state-of-the-art facility. Third, he conducted a province-wide consultative sports summit to redirect the policies and programs on sports. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

SPORTS: VM Duterte's team rules Davao City cycling tourney

2008-03-27T01:22:00.000-07:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/24 March) -- Team Inday Sara did it again.

The wards of Vice Mayor Sara Duterte ruled the recent Mayor Rodrigo Duterte – 71st Araw ng Dabaw Cycling Challenge here.Team Inday Sara, which won the Samal Cycling challenge last month, clocked in fifteen hours, eight minutes and 23 seconds to rule the 154-kilometer race.

University of Mindanao placed second with a time of 15:13.20, trailing most of the way Team Inday Sara bannered by Marcial Catangue, Glen Yap, Dany Tapao, Tatu Labaya, Alan Salutillo, and team captain Rosano Bontia.Team 3MJ-Gen.Santos ended its campaign at third place with 15:43.14 and the Great Circle Logistics at fourth with 15:52.14.

Inday Sara topped the Samal event in 11 hours and 46 seconds, beating UM which clocked 11:05.18, and Great Circle Logistics/Kambras which finished the race in 11:11.39.

Glen Yap took the individual title for Inday Sara while the runner-up was a promising young rider, Marvin Aleonar. Glen Ibanez settled for third place.In the veterans class, Jerry Castillon of 3MJ won over Danny Samaniego and Dominic Carpio while Romeo Mascardo shared the limelight by taking the juniors title over Nathaniel Caresma and Andrew Jurilla.

Joel Parba bagged the masters title at the expense of Carlofer Salonga and Andres Pedregosa.Hilario Saronel was the oldest rider at 66 while the youngest participant was Cliff Collence Prospero.

PhilCycling regional director Salvador Paholio Jr. thanked the supporters of the recent Araw ng Dabaw-Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte Cycling Challenge for the success of the race.

Radio Mindanao Network's dxDC, Davao City Sports Coordinator Christopher "Bong" Go, Unilever Phils., Emperador Brandy, Lipovitan Amino sports, Phoenix Fuels, Coca-Cola, Rain Water, 3rd District Rep.Isidro Ungab, Davao Sports Council Inc., Karancho Inc.and SK Federation president Halila Sudagar backed the race.

In chess, law student Henry John Lopez overwhelmed titled veteran chess players to bag the Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte and Vice Mayor Inday Sara – 71st Araw ng Dabaw Open Chess Tournament at the Market Basket in Damosa Gateway.

Lopez, SEA Paralympics gold medalist, tallied 6.5 points to clinch the title in the tournament, one of the 17 sport events that highlighted the Araw ng Dabaw sporting conclave.

Cagayan de Oro City bet and National Master (NM) Levi Mercado beat four other 6.0 scorers via tiebreak to grab the runner-up honors.

NM Jimmy Dano placed third followed by Erwin Aton, Perkins Bayron and Carlo Doctolero in fourth, fifth and sixth places, respectively.

In dama, hometown bet Cerelio Enobio took the spotlight after bagging the Mayor Rodrigo and Duterte and Vice Mayor Inday Sara – 71st Araw ng Dabaw Dama competition played at the Osme¢¥a Park.Enobio beat Daniel Asor from Digos City in the finals to claim the masters crown. Edwin Cabalquinto placed third and Roy Rodas bagged the fourth place. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

SPORTS: BIMP-EAGA Games roadshow slated in Davao soon

2008-03-27T01:18:00.000-07:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/18 March) -- Brunei Darussalam delegates led by its Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports permanent secretary will arrive for the road show and launching of the 6th Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines- East Asian Growth Association (BIMP-EAGA) Games on March 25, 9 a.m. at the Apo View Hotel.

Dr. Zafri Mohamed, the ministry secretary, will spearhead the road show which signals the start of preparations for the four-nation friendship games slated November 28 to 30 in Brunei, said Joseph Encabo, Mindanao representative to the BIMP-EAGA Sports Council.

Encabo added delegates from Sabah, Malaysia will also be coming over to attend the road show.

This year’s edition of the four-nation friendship games carries the theme “Cooperation through sports.” Sports coordinators from various local government units in Mindanao will be invited to attend the road show, according to Encabo who is also the senior executive assistant to Philippine Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez.

The list of LGUs to be invited included those from Compostela Valley, Davao Del Sur, Davao Del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao City, Sarangani Province, General Santos City, South Cotabato and Lanao Del Sur. Encabo said the LGUs will select the events they want to participate in and determine the number of athletes they will be sending.

This year’s edition of the four-nation biennial meet, touted as a venue for strengthening economic cooperation in the region, will feature competitions in athletics, aquatics, sepak takraw, badminton, futsal, tennis and pencak silat.

Traditionally, the choice of events depends on the limited budget available for the athletes' transportation and needs of the host country and its growth area.

The BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games was conceived in 1995 as a venue for sports development, as well as educational and cultural exchange among athletes from the four countries.

It aims to promote opportunities to intensify interaction among peoples and governments within BIMP-EAGA other than trade and enhance unity and cooperation among the youth of participating countries through friendly sports.

Since it also promotes friendship, the BIMP-EAGA sports council which is composed of the heads of the various sports councils of the four-member countries in the growth area preferred to feature mostly non-contact sports.

There are 13 growth areas entered in the meet: Brunei Darrusalam, Gorontalo, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, South East Sulawesi and West Papua of Indonesia, Sabah, Sarawak and Federal territory of Labuan of Malaysia and Mindanao and Palawan of the Philippines.

In a previous interview with MindaNews, Susannah Liaw, permanent Secretary of Sabah, Malaysia's Ministry of Youth and Sports and chair of the Sabah Sports Council, said sports tourism around the region could be an offshoot of the games.

She said that through sports, regional cooperation takes a new pace as it gives more reason to come together.

"With the friendship games, we strengthen similarities and celebrate differences," she said. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

SPORTS: Davao del Norte: the new sports capital of the South

2008-03-27T01:15:00.000-07:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/11 March) -- Davao del Norte hosted the recently concluded Mindanao elimination of the prestigious 12th Nestea Beach volleyball which was held at the Tagum City Volleydrome in Tagum City. And, later this month, the first official provincial trip of the 2008 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Fiesta Cup that will feature the inaugural game of the import-laden conference will take place in the country's biggest banana exporting province at the Multi-Purpose Tourism, Cultural and Sports Center in Panabo City.

Even before the talks on these two big events got underway, the province has been poised to become the new sports capital of the South. It has laid down the groundwork for a reinvigorated thrust towards positioning itself as a major sports destination in the country. Gov. Rodolfo Del Rosario made three major bold steps towards achieving that goal.

First, he appointed his son, former vice governor and true-blue sportsman Anthony del Rosario to head the province’s sports front office. Second, he programmed the reconstruction of the burned old sports complex into a spanking new state-of-the-art facility.

And third, he conducted a province-wide consultative sports summit to redirect the policies and programs on sports. All these are geared towards an immediate goal—to host the 2010 Palarong Pambansa, the country’s national biggest school-based sports competition, according to a statement sent to MindaNews.

Davao City and other provinces in the Davao region have been eyed as possible hosts of the annual national sports conclave. However, the unavailability of a venue made the region lose in past biddings. In contrast, Southwestern Mindanao neighbors Koronadal City, Sarangani Province and General Santos City have all hosted the Palarong Pambansa, the former having hosted the meet in 1995 and in 2006.

The new sports complex project will start soon in Barangay Mankilam across the province’s Government Center, where the old sports complex once stood until it was razed by fire in March 2003. "We expect this project to be completed by 2010," Gov. del Rosario said.

The younger Del Rosario, who owned the Davao Eagles franchise in the defunct MBA, is now laying the cornerstones of the province’s sports program that will lead to the possible hosting of other major sports events like the revived Mindanao Friendship Games and the Davao Regional Athletic Association, or even national competitions conducted by the National Sports Associations.

In November, it was reported that the provincial engineer’s office had prepared the blueprint of the proposed 15-hectare sports complex project originally amounting to P171 million. But based on today’s prices of construction materials, the appraised value of the project could reach up to more than P200 million.

Construction of a total of 49 spans of concrete bleachers, rehabilitation and upgrading of the Olympic size swimming pool, construction of a modern oval track with rubberized track materials and synthetic foot soccer field, proposed parking area that can accommodate more than 300 cars, among other vital components are the priorities of the project.

An executive clubhouse is also included in the plan, while the existing mini-forest shall be retained to provide an ecological balance.

The PBA is taking its act down south with an exciting match-up pitting the Coca-Cola Tigers and the Talk N Text Phone Pals on March 29 at the Panabo Multi-Purpose Tourism, Cultural and Sport Center in Davao del Norte, the PBA website reported.

Organized by the city's local government unit led by Mayor Jose Silvosa Sr., the lone game scheduled at 4:30 p.m. highlights the celebration of the 7th Araw ng Panabo City.The Panabo stop is an official provincial game of the import-laced 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Cup, which opens on March 30 at the Araneta Coliseum with a double-header featuring Welcoat against Air 21 at 4:30 p.m. and Red Bull facing Barangay Ginebra at 6:50 p.m. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

15th Iligan National Writers Workshop now open for applications

2008-03-27T01:14:00.000-07:00

The Iligan National Writers Workshop is accepting manuscripts on its 15th year this year.Fifteen (15) slots, five each from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are available for writing fellowships to the INWW.

Applicants are required to submit five poems, or, one short story, or, a one-act play in Filipino, English or in Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Kinaray-a, Waray (with translations) and Chabacano along with the applicant’s biodata, two 2X2 photos and a certification that his/her work is original.

For short stories or plays, please submit a hard copy and a 3.5 diskette with the manuscripts encoded in MS Word 7.0. Unpublished works are preferred. Writing fellows will be given free board and lodging, honoraria and a travel allowance.

Applications must be postmarked on or before April 15, 2008. No applications or manuscripts will be accepted if sent by fax or e-mail. Applicants are also advised to keep copies of their manuscripts since these will not be returned.Send all applications to the 15th INWW Director, Christine Godinez-Ortega c/o OVCRE, MSU-IIT, Iligan City . For more information call Pat Cruz tels. (063) 3516131; or e-mail:
' );
//-->\n
ovcre-mepc@sulat.msuiit.edu.ph
' );
//-->

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
' );
//-->

/
' );
//-->\n
cherlyadlawan@yahoo.com
' );
//-->

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
' );
//-->

PGMA brings ‘Serbisyo Muna Caravan’ to Surigao Del Norte tomorrow

2008-03-27T01:10:00.000-07:00

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will arrive in Malomino, Surigao Del Norte on Friday (March 28) to spearhead the delivery of her administration’s enhanced social services to this province as part of her commitment to uplift the welfare of the Filipino people.

The Serbisyo Muna Caravan is the Arroyo administration’s service and goods-laden assistance program that provides livelihood, health and financial support to the poorest families in the country.

The President, who is expected to arrive at 10 a.m. at the Malimono Elementary School, will be welcomed by Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Ace Barbers and Malimono Mayor Teodoro Sinaca Jr., among others.

STATEMENT: Union of Peoples' Lawywers in Mindanao

2008-03-27T01:04:00.000-07:00

Mindanao lawyers, law students, paralegals: Oust Gloria Now!Uphold the Rule of Law and the People's Sovereign Will!The lawyers, law students and paralegals from the Union of Peoples' Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) call on Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to step down from Malacañang, for having lost the legal, Constitutional and moral ascendancy to rule the country with the latest ZTE broadband scam and the looming sell out of our national territory in the Spratly Islands.

The Senate probe on the ZTE deal has not only revealed the truth of corruption involving the First Family, but also the underhanded means of the Arroyo government to suppress the truth. There was the abduction of ZTE witness Rodolfo 'Jun' Lozada to prevent him from testifying in the Senate, and the invoking of Executive Order 464 to prevent former Neda chair Romulo Neri from appearing in the Senate. Both instances showed the government's attempt to violate the Senate power to conduct investigation and violate Lozada's life and liberty.

That Arroyo later admitted to having known about the anomaly in the ZTE deal but still signed the contract makes her culpable of graft – an impeachable offense.This ZTE deal is only one of the many cases of corruption involving Arroyo and the First Family.

It is disgusting how Arroyo has suppressed the truth, the same way she has done in the Hello Garci election fraud in 2004; the many anomalous projects such as the P728-million fertilizer scam, the P200 million Diosdado Macapagal Highway, and the P503-million North Rail project; and the current reported sell-out of the Spratly Islands to China in exchange of the ZTE deal, North Rail and South Rail Projects.

Arroyo has run this government like a Mafioso bent on corruption and repression, without regard to the rule of law and the people's sovereign will. She has run this government like a dictator, imposing Draconian measures to silence critics and giving tacit approval to the culture of impunity that is responsible for more than 900 cases of political killings and disappearances of activists, media and professionals, including lawyers, judges, and paralegals.

But it is the sovereign will of the people that had put her in the presidency through people power in 2001.

It is this same sovereign will that now decides to remove her from power.Impeachment under a rubber-stamp House of Representatives is not an option, as evidenced with the killing of impeachment complaints in the past three years.

A probe by a partial Ombudsman would just cover up the Arroyos. We see the Ombudsman probe as a smokescreen to the ongoing Senate investigation.

Only the ouster of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo remains the choice of the people to remove the illegitimate, corrupt and evil occupant in Malacañang. Only the ouster of Arroyo would restore the rule of law and the supremacy of the people's sovereign will.

SPORTS: Montana Pawnshop captures Araw ng Dabaw cagefest title

2008-03-27T00:57:00.000-07:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/17 March) - Former pro Henry Fernandez lived up to his billing in the game that mattered most.

Fernandez hit a three-pointer as time expired to lift Montaña Pawnshop to victory over Duterte Agilas-Goldstar Hardware, 80-79 in their winner-take-all championship match in the 71st Araw ng Dabaw-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Inday Sara commercial basketball league Sunday night at the jam-packed Davao City Recreation Center.

Following a timeout and with only two seconds left, Montaña forward Lendy Dawal made an inbound pass to the sweet-shooting Fernandez who threw up a semi-fade away triple at the right corner that swished the net before the final buzzer sounded.

Fans proceeded to storm the court to celebrate Montaña’s victory that came as a big surprise as the Pawnbrokers were trailing all throughout the game.Agilas forward Apple Coronado split his free throws after his teammate John Gonzaga missed two bonus shots in their previous possession that boosted their advantage to 2, 79 – 77 with 2 seconds remaining.

Fernandez, who was named Most Valuable Player, scored 25 points, 10 of which came in the payoff period including the buzzer-beating triple that upset the Agilas who squandered their chance to cop their first title in several years.Michael Maniego drilled an open layup that tied the count at 74 all.

He chipped in 16 points for the Arman Quibud-owned Montaña Pawnshop which trailed 59 – 65 going to the final period.Gonzaga had 24 points for the Agilas who was up 78 – 77 before the high-flying guard missed his pivotal bonus throws via penalty with 30 seconds left.

Arian Daja also canned 24 markers for the Agilas who was enjoying a 4-point lead, 78-74, after Gonzaga made an open layup with only 1:42 remaining.

The Agilas opened the game with a bang behind the heroics of Gonzaga, Coronado and Daja, taking a 24 – 17 lead after ten minutes of play.But Montaña went into a scoring rampage in the second quarter behind Maniego and Fernandez, a former Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants player, to tie the count at 41 all at the half.

The Roi Josol-mentored Agilas then came out strong in the third period, gaining a 12-point advantage, 60 – 48, the biggest lead of the ballgame.

M. Lhuiller Kwarta Padala of Cebu City clobbered Zamboanga City Latinos to cop the third place honor.Councilor Edgar Ibuyan awarded cash prizes to the winners in the tournament which was the centerpiece sport event in this city’s charter day celebration. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

SPORTS: PSC bankrolls RRD-Araw ng Dabaw sportsfest

2008-03-27T00:51:00.000-07:00

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/17 March) -- The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has bankrolled five sport disciplines in the 2008 Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Sports Festival calendar of sport events.

The PSC, chaired by Dabawenyo William "Butch" Ramirez, is sponsoring dancesport, chess, arnis, taekwondo and swimming competitions."We will be sponsoring events that are focus sports in Davao City," said Ramirez, a former sports consultant of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, in an earlier interview.

The City Government of Davao through the Sports Development Division-City Mayor's Office has supported 17 events in line with the city's charter day celebration.Football for the young and veteran players opened the festival on March 8 to 9 at the Tionko field.

Bodybuilding started on March 9 at the Victoria Plaza.The other events include commercial basketball, boxing, table tennis, sepak takraw, billiards, lawn tennis, volleyball, cycling, among others.

Four teams are vying for the title in the ongoing commercial basketball league which offers cash prizes and trophies.

They are M. Lhuiller Kwarta Padala of Cebu City, Zamboanga City Latinos, Montana Pawnshop and Duterte Agilas Goldstar Hardware.In table tennis, Some 140 paddlers across Mindanao are vying for top honors in the tournament which opened on March 16 at the SIR Elementary School.

"There will be players from Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Panabo, Cotabato, Davao Oriental and Iligan, " said Frendee Nunez of Metro Davao Table Tennis Association (MEDATTA). (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

Commercial Basketball:

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/11 March) - Zamboanga City has confirmed its participation in the 2008 Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Basketball Tournament on March 12 to 17 at the Davao City Recreation Center.

Zamboanga City, bannered by local talents, is the fourth squad to confirm its entry. A team from the Visayas is also set to join the competition.M.Lhuillier Kwarta Padala of Cebu City, Montaña Pawnshop Davao and Philippine Air Force have been invited to join the six-day event which is one of the sporting highlights of the 71st celebration of the Araw ng Dabaw.

Entrance is free.Another Davao squad, possibly a combination of players from the Duterte Agilas and Goldstar Hardware, will join the tournament presented by Mayor Duterte.

The Zamboanga squad which is expected to arrive Tuesday or Wednesday morning will parade Cris Concepcion, Darwin Cordero, Emrey Ramirez, Jomie Alvarez, Junie Navarro, David Sebastian, Tantan Parreño, Eter Chua, Jeffrey France and Ronald Saracho.

Two other big men will be named soon by team manager Jun Navarro.Meanwhile, the organizers have advised would-be spectators to follow the security measures to be implemented by local authorities.

Montaña Pawnshop is eager to do battle in the tournament organized by the BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas XI and supported by the Sports Development Division-City Mayor's Office.Nick Serafica will do the coaching chores for the Pawnbrokers.

He will be assisted by former head coach Dodong Cagampang and Peter Epe.Serafica will put his hands full on veteran erstwhile PBA standout Henry Fernandez, Mike Manigo, Harold Sta.Cruz and Marvin Poloyapoy, former Adamson falcon in the UAAP.

Biboy Clavel, Charlie Braga, Ryan Abanes, Dado Ayson, Ronald Lamocha, Junel Jawod, Lendi Dawal, Jojo Endrinal and Arden Guiyab are expected to provide support. (Rico Biliran/MindaNews)

SPORTS: 'Araw ng Dabaw' sporting highlights unfolds this weekend

2008-03-27T00:47:00.000-07:00

DAVAO CITY (Mindanews/5 March) -- Dabawenyos can now look forward to an exciting and fun-filled sports activities as the 71st Araw ng Dabaw sporting highlights take center stage this weekend.Football and cycling will signal the start of the sporting spectacle as the Araw ng Dabaw celebration kicks off this weekend in separate venues.

Dubbed as Araw ng Dabaw football festival, the event will unfold March 8-9 at Tionko Football Field.

The two-day event will feature competitions in elementary girls, high school girls, boys 10 and under, boys 12 and under, boys under 14, men's 35 and above and ladies open.

The boys U-14 will serve as a tryout for the Philippine team that will compete in the AFC Festival of Football in Malaysia this May, according to a press statement from the Davao Football Assocation (DFA) emailed to MindaNews.

The selected players will compose the Mindanao team and later on compete with their counterparts in Luzon and Visayas to determine the team's final line up. Mindanao Center of Football Excellence coordinator Consur Manreza will scout the players.

The Mindanao team will be coached by David Dwight Penano.In cycling, after successfully conquering the Island Garden City of Samal cycling challenge, the Inday Sara Team is gunning for honors in the 71st Araw ng Dabaw Cycling Challenge on March 9.

The race starts at the Rizal Park at 7 a.m. PhilCyling XI Director Salvador Paholio Jr. said the next race on Sunday will be another exciting competition as other teams are planning to exact vengeance after losing to the riders of Inday Sara.

Marcial Catanque will lead the squad of the Davao City Vice Mayor against teams from University of Mindanao, Great Circle Logistics/Kambras, Davao Oriental, among others. Paholio said this Sunday's race, sponsored by City Government of Davao through City Sports Coordinator Christopher "Bong" Go, offers prizes to the winners.

Inday Sara topped the Samal event in 11 hours and 46 seconds, beating UM which clocked 11:05.18, Great Circle Logistics/Kambras which finished the race in 11:11.39. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

2008-02-29T20:48:00.000-08:00

From Left to Right: Bing Gonzales of Mindanao Daily Mirror, Dennis Lazo of Bombo Radyo, Fiscal Emelio "Nonot" Dayanghirang III, Coach Huebert Paz, BAP-SBP Executive Director Patrick Gregorio, BAP-SBP Davao region chief Regino "Boy" Cua, Marianne Saberon-Abalayan of Sunstar Davao, Pastor Gary Visitacion of Philippine Challenge Ministry, Rico Jhone Biliran of MindaNews and Charles Maxey of Sunstar Davao.

SPORTS: PSC chief calls for unity in Davao sports

2008-02-29T20:39:00.000-08:00

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC)Chairman William "Butch" Ramirez has called on sports stakeholders inthis city to "unite and work with unity" in order to attain sustainable sports development program.

"This is for the better of sports in Davao City. We need to move andlook forward," Ramirez told sports journalists here following theawarding rites of the Edsa Unity Basketball Tournament Saturday night.

Ramirez, a former city sports coordinator, said he personally wants tohave a sustainable sports development program in Davao City that wouldplan and implement an integrated program of physical fitness andsports development for the city as well as sustain sports trainingactivities.

Davao City Sports Council, Inc. (DCSCI), which is composed of regionalchapters of the National Sports Association (NSA), the citygovernment, the private sector and other sports stakeholders, shouldwork hand in hand for Davao City's sports development program, hesaid.

"It's much better for us to work together to achieve our goal ofbetter sports program," said the former Ateneo de Davao Universityprofessor and chief mentor of the Blue Knights.

The national sports agency chief pointed out that the city governmentshould be the "hub of the wheel" of all the sports activities in thecity.

"By simply staging tournaments here and there is not a program. Weneed programs here, a sports development program, " he lamented.

Ramirez, the first Dabawenyo chief of the PSC, also reiterated theimportance of the creation of a sports commission that, according tohim, would give direction to the sports program of Davao City.

The formal creation of the Davao City Sports Commission (DCSC) throughan ordinance, however, had endured setback.

The envisioned DCSC, according to the proposed ordinance, will beacting as an umbrella body for all sports associations, organizationsand groups in the city, both from the public and private sectors.

The powers of the commission include to plan and implement anintegrated program of physical fitness and sports development for thecity as well as sustain sports training activities, particularly foroutstanding athletes and help the city government to identify, planand manage sports facilities required for the training of athletes andconduct of sports tournaments.

"It is the mandate of our office to help draft sports developmentprograms for the local government units and to have grassroots sportsprogram nationwide," said Ramirez.

He also said the opening of the PSC Mindanao satellite office herecould help achieve the common goal for Davao sports.

The PSC board has decided with board resolution to put up a Mindanaosatellite office to help augment the talent identification andgrassroots development program of the national sports agency.

It will also coordinate with various local government units theprograms of the PSC in Mindanao, which has 27 provinces and 33 citiesas well as the promotion of Philippine Sports Institute. (Rico Biliran/ MindaNews)

SPORTS: Palaro-bound DAVRAA delegation faces budgetary constraints

2008-02-29T20:20:00.000-08:00

The Davao Region delegation bound forPalarong Pambansa in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan is facing"budgetary constraints, " reports said.

But Davao Region Athletic Association (DAVRAA) officials are nowtaking measures and finding solutions to the financial woes, accordingto Dr. Fidel Japos, head of the Department of Education's (DepEd) TaskForce on School Sports.

"We are now taking measures for that (problem)," said Japos. "One ofthat is to trim down the number of the technical officials in thedelegation."

At the moment, Japos said, the DAVRAA delegation is composed of 484delegates, 85 of which are "technical officials" taking care of threecommittees -- kitchen, transportation and communication.

"We cannot cut the number of athletes and coaches," he said, noting that some of the technical officials may have to go.

Apart from the 85 technical officials, there are 339 athletes and 53coaches from the Davao Region delegation attending the nationalmulti-sport events for elementary and secondary students on April21-26.

He said they are also negotiating with airline companies for a cheapercharter flight to Palawan since "we have found out that traveling byboat is much more expensive."

Japos estimated that the DAVRAA participation would cost P8 to P10million, including transportation, food, supplies, uniforms andallowances.

Explaining where the funding would come from, Japos said the localgovernment division offices will provide P150,000 each and the centraloffice will give P4 million.

"The DepEd regional office will also give its counterpart, " he said.DepEd-XI has nine division offices, including the cities of Davao,Digos, Tagum, Panabo and Island Garden City of Samal and the provincesof Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and CompostelaValley.

During his courtesy visit to DepEd-XI regional director SusannaTeressa Estigoy, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William"Butch" Ramirez has reportedly vowed "to provide help."

Ramirez said he will also hand out equipments that would be used for the training of the Davao Region athletes beginning on March 23 toApril 15 in the City of Mati in Davao Oriental.

"We will also send lecturers there to conduct leadership training andcoaches' education training," said Ramirez. (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)

Reconstruction of Davao’s oldest bridge completed by early August

2008-02-29T20:11:00.000-08:00

MindaNews photo by: BJ Patiñ0

The reconstruction of the Gov. Generoso Bridge, the oldest span in this city, will be completed by early August this year, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane assured President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her visit here Wednesday.

Formerly known as the Bankerohan Bridge, the 58-year-old bridge along the Davao-Cotobato Road was badly damaged during the typhoon that battered Davao last year.

The President arrived here Wednesday to look into the status of ongoing government infrastructure projects in Region XI, including the Gov. Generoso Bridge, which is situated in the heart of the city’s bustling commercial district.

Ebdane, who accompanied the President in her inspection of public works projects here, said the DPWH will see to it that the contractor of the span will meet the August construction deadline.

The President also congratulated Ebdane for the P10 million the government saved from the implementation of the project.

The DPWH chief said that the original cost estimate of the 170.88-linear bridge project was P216 million but his department awarded the contract to the bidder who offered the lowest bid of P206 million, thus the P10 million savings.

The President, in a light-blue raincoat jacket, braved the slight shower to view the ongoing construction of the bridge. Ebdane informed her that Pier I of the bridge was already completed, and that the contractor has started the construction of Pier II.

The President expressed elation over the progress of the project which, when completed, will cut the travel time between the neighboring provinces of Davao and Cotabato.

Moreover, the bridge will improve traffic conditions on the Maa Road intersection along MacArthur Highway in Matina, all the way to Quirino Avenue on the other side of the Davao River, the DPWH said.The old Bankerohan span, which had a maximum load capacity of 45 tons, was built over five years from 1946 to 1950.

Notice to the public: From the 1987 Philippine Constitution

2008-02-29T20:08:00.000-08:00

Article III - Bill of Rights SEC. 18.

(1) No person shall be detained solely by reason of his political beliefs and aspirations.

(2) No involuntary servitude in any from shall exist except as punishment for a crime whereof the party shall be duly convicted.