Davao City High School 1988

2007-10-22T00:09:00.000-07:00

Need your support and Vote!

2007-08-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

Lets vote our Dabawenya top 12 finalists sa Ride to Fame, a nationwide search for total performer ni sa GMA 7. Her name is Chesca Lagura, a bossa nova singer and is a Juris Fernandez of a singer of MYMP ako kailangan inyo support pinaagi sa vote through two ways which are!

1. Through internet: www.igma.tv/ridetofame look for CHESCA LAGURA and click vote, for a maximum of 5 votes daily so dapat daily ang voting.

2. Through text: type COKE YES CHESCA send to 367 for Smart and 2344 for GLobe.

Hoping for your total support, dili masayang inyo vote kay Chesca is a good singer and let us support this fellow Davawenya garbo nato ni.

Panagtagpo 2006

2007-01-19T23:22:00.000-08:00

"Run and Advance"

2006-11-01T00:26:00.000-08:00

These are the some of the parents and kidswho will benefit the FunRun “Run and Advance” at the SM City Grounds (Davao City) on Dec 10, 2006 at 6 AM.

Once again, in behalf of the 36 families, we seek your and your friends'
support for this cause. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any clarification or questions.

You Can Help The Children Advance.

God bless.

Please check their website www.advancecentre.org.uk

From Denton and Cathy Siapno

2006-10-29T08:19:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Greetings !!! As you all know our daughter Kym (younger sister of Kido) is a special child born deaf and blind and was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Her life is a story of faith and hope. When she turned 4, the thought of her never able to walk encouraged us to search for a therapy or cure to treat her condition.

In this pursuit, we were able to try a breakthrough in restorative rehabilitation that builds a recovery pattern by addressing weaknesses within the blood and oxygen circulation of the respiratory system. This is called The Scotson Technique (TST). It was developed through more than 13 years of research and practice by Linda Scotson who was committed to finding a cure for her son Doran who had Cerebral Palsy. Kym and thousands of children worldwide with brain injuries have made significant progress through this drug-free program.

Kym's very remarkable progress is her breathing and behavior. She used to be admitted to the hospital almost every two months due to respiratory problems (CP children experience the same problem). She was very stiff and very hard to manage. Since starting the therapy (Cathy does it everyday since January 2005), her muscles are more relaxed, we can "touch-commuicate" with her, and more importantly, she never got sick again for the last 2 years.

Conventional approaches rely on the stretching of limbs and manipulation. Other alternative approaches use high-tech equipment (including space suits and electric shocks). TST relies only on the use of face towels which mothers will use in making very light massages on different areas of the body. We thought that this would be a perfect setting for the Filipino family since there have been a steady decline in the number of physical therapists (due to the Nursing trend) and expectedly, the cost per session became higher.

Cathy and Kym were supposed to return to the UK last April but instead we invited Linda Scotson and her team to come to Davao so that more children can benefit. Linda Scotson has graced us and will be sending her senior therapists to Davao City this January 2007. They will conduct two-week training sessions for parents on the TST. 36 children will be measured, assessed and given an individualized therapy program that will be developed based on the child’s condition. For a period of 5 days, the parents will be then taught to carry out their child’s therapy program at home.

Sharing Ms. Scotson’s vision, we hope to make this endeavor sustainable and be able to accommodate more families in the future and further reduce training cost. However for their first visit, each of the 36 families need to raise P25,000 to cover the training costs (This has been reduced from their regular price of 1,400 Pounds or P140,000). While there are some families who can afford, most cannot.

This is why the parents are orgaizing a FunRun “Run and Advance” at the SM City Grounds (Davao City) on Dec 10, 2006 at 6 AM. Once again, in behalf of the 36 families, we seek your and your friends' support for this cause. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any clarification or questions.

You Can Help The Children Advance.

God bless.

Denton and Cathy

please check their website www.advancecentre.org.uk

Life in a public school

2006-10-08T00:52:00.000-07:00

By Nina Margarita Castrillo / Child Communicator

BEING in a private school for nine years straight made me think that that's all there is to schooling. But when I moved to a new school I found out that there is a whole new world out there.

When I first entered my new school, it was a bit hard for me to get used to it. It was hot, muddy and by the looks of it, over-populated. But every bad news has good news and lots of interesting facts. Like, did you know that there are around 2,000-plus first year students alone, and that there are 48 sections for that year level? And this very school started on 1922 but was only proclaimed as a national high school just recently.

There, instead of teachers moving from one classroom to another for different subjects and classes, the students are the ones who move from place to place.

When it is raining, then you need an umbrella. When it's hot, then you still need an umbrella.

And there are a lot of different kinds of sections. There's the special class or the node, the honor class, the general section and the SPA also known as special program for the arts.

I don't know if our lunchtime is longer or shorter. All I know is in the special section, our lunch time is at 11:16 12 o'clock. And the honor class and the special section have more subjects than the other sections.

And academically speaking, I find this school very nice. Because here all the students have an even chance to go and compete.

For example in Math Quiz Bee. To join the Math Quiz Bee, all the students will take the phase one, and so on. Not like in my old school they just choose the students. So its unfair for the rest.

For the contests and competitions there, there are field demos and more contests than you can imagine. It wasn't like this in my old school where there were but a few.

Especially in the SPA, there are a lot of students who play the guitar so well. The dance troupe have a whole host of dances to perform.

Indeed there's a whole new world out there in our public schools, an I just realized that now.

*****

Nina Margarita del Rosario Castrillo or Meg, 13, is a first year student at the Davao City National High School.

Meg is a member of the Children and Youth Communicators's Team of the Sixth Countrywide Programme for Children (CPC VI).

DCHS88 New York Kitakits 2006

2006-08-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

Standing from left, Lea Suriaga - Garrido (holding son Gavin), Janice Lampara - Kilby, Eleanore Villamor - Ables, Marie Raganit - Perez.
Sitting from left, Yvette Garcia (holding Lea's son Gian) Rowena Azupardo - del Fierro (with daughter Angel) and Jennifer Corral -.

PANAGTAGBO 2006 : DCHS Grand Alumni Reunion

2006-07-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

Mga taga city high!

We are excited to be hosting the Grand Alumni Reunion this Dec. 17 @ NCCC Convention Hall and our theme is PANAGTAGBO 2006. It simply means meeting or reunion.

We plan to make this event as upbeat as a pep squad & we need your "collaboration" to makethis a success and hope you join the contest which has two categories & two winners will bag a 25k prize.

Attached are the invitation letter & contest mechanics. So APIL NA!

jeck

2006-07-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

2006-06-26T00:59:00.000-07:00

Kadayawan sa Dabaw 2006 events set
Mindanao Times News Online
June 25, 2006

It’s all set for this year’s grand celebration of the 21st Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival.

Slated on August 14-20 2006, the Kadayawan sa Dabaw is Davaoeños’ thanksgiving celebration of cultural heritage, bounty, creativity and unity.

The festival does not only involve the promotion of investment and tourism in Davao but as well as to promote arts and culture and mold creative individuals.

It is during this important annual revelry that the Davaoeños manifest their committed effort in nurturing culture, understanding of history and appreciating art as part of the city’s total development.

This year’s showcase of the interlacing prides and wonders of Davao through various cultural events are as follows:

Aug. 14 Pasalamat (Festival Opening and Promenade), Tingog Kadayawan (Concert of 200 Voices); Aug. 15 - Tugtog World Music Festival (World Music Festival), Aug. 16 - Hiyas sa Kadayawan (Search for Festival Symbol), Urog Etnika (Mindanao Fashion Showcase), Aug. 17 – Suba sa Kinabuhi (Davao River Festival), Agongan ug Kulintangan (Indigenous Music Festival), Aug. 18 - Sayaw Mindanaw (Mindanao Indigenous Dance Festival), Aug. 19 - Indak-indak sa Kadalanan (Whole Day Street Dancing), Yanog ug Yugyugan sa Kadalanan (Street Disco), and Aug. 20 - Halad (Floral Float Parade), Banda Lanog (Parade Band Competition).

Scheduled on-going events are Kaan Dawet (Food Street Fiesta) on Aug. 11-20, Hudyaka (Nightly Concerts) on Aug. 14-20, and Tabo (Agro-Industrial Fair) on Aug. 1-21.

More events are set to keep the locals and guests busy for weeklong celebration.

The Kadayawan sa Dabaw 2006’s theme is “Nagkahiusang Katilingban Bisan Asa sa Kalibutan” (One People Anywhere in the World).

For more information, visit or call the City Tourism Operations Office, Rm. 20, 2/F City Hall, Davao City, tel. nos. 222.1956 / telfax 222.1957, or the Kadayawan sa Davao Foundation, Inc., No. 6 Penaloza Bldg., Villa Abrille St., Davao City, tel. no. 224.6319.

2006-06-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

Kadayawan sa Dabaw 2006 events set

Globe Telecom in cooperation with the Kadayawan sa Davao Foundation, Inc. and the City Government of Davao is all set and ready for this year’s grand celebration of the 21st Kadayawan sa Dabaw Festival.

Slated on August 14-20, 2006, the Kadayawan sa Dabaw is the Davaoeños and Mindanaoans thanksgiving celebration of cultural heritage, bounty, creativity and unity.

The festival does not only involve the promotion of investment and tourism in Davao and Mindanao but as well as to promote arts and culture and mold creative individuals.

It is during this important annual revelry that the Davaoeños and Mindanaoans manifest their committed effort in nurturing of culture, understanding of history and appreciating art as part of the city’s total development.

This year’s showcase of the interlacing prides and wonders of Davao and Mindanao through various cultural events are as follows:

August 14 Pasalamat (Festival Opening and Promenade), Tingog Kadayawan (Concert of 200 Voices); August 15 - Tugtog World Music Festival (World Music Festival), 16 August - Hiyas sa Kadayawan (Search for Festival Symbol), Urog Etnika (Mindanao Fashion Showcase), August 17 – Suba sa Kinabuhi (Davao River Festival), Agongan ug Kulintangan (Indigenous Music Festival), 18 August - Sayaw Mindanaw (Mindanao Indigenous Dance Festival), 19 August - Indak-indak sa Kadalanan (Whole Day Street Dancing), Yanog ug Yugyugan sa Kadalanan (Street Disco), and August 20 - Halad (Floral Float Parade), Banda Lanog (Parade Band Competition).

Scheduled on-going events are Kaan Dawet (Food Street Fiesta) on 11-20 August, Hudyaka (Nightly Concerts) on 14-20 August, and Tabo (Agro-Industrial Fair) on 1-21 August. More events are set to keep the locals and guests busy for weeklong celebration.

The Kadayawan sa Dabaw 2006’s theme is “Nagkahiusang Katilingban Bisan Asa sa Kalibutan” (One People Anywhere in the World).

For more information, visit or call the City Tourism Operations Office, Rm. 20, 2/F City Hall, Davao City, tel. nos. 222.1956 / telfax 222.1957, or the Kadayawan sa Davao Foundation, Inc., No. 6 Peñaloza Bldg., Villa Abrille St., Davao City, tel. no. 224.6319.

Davao schools join nationwide earthquake drill

2006-06-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

Davao schools join nationwide earthquake drill

PIA Press Release
06/20/2006

Davao City (20 June) -- Students of two high schools (public and private) in Davao City will join other students nationwide in an earthquake drill today to determine how systematic and orderly will they be when real earthquake occurs.

Speaking before the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City yesterday. Regional Director Carmelito Lupo of the Office of Civil Defense said the alertness of students in Ateneo de Davao University (high school department at Matina Campus) and the Davao City National High School (DCNHS) will be put to test during the earthquake drill on Tuesday (June 20).

Ateneo has about 2,000 high school students while the DCNHS has a student population of 8,000 they will all be part of the drill including those occupying the buildings of the two pilot schools including their staff, he said.

He said it has been a requirement to all schools that they must come up with plan in case of disaster such as earthquake.

He however said that today’s activity will only be focused on the evacuation exercise and none on rescue and first aid even as he said that fire most likely occurs during earthquakes and can cause harm to humans especially when buildings collapse.

Ideally he said the drill must be done every three months but activity per semester is better if nothing is done at all.

Lupo also said that prior to the holding of the nationwide drill, the model schools already had made their own individual mock drill and students were also briefed on what to do which is part of their disaster preparedness plan.

He said members of the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council will be present during the drill to observe and monitor and will meet immediately after drill to discuss their observation and come up with recommendations when there are areas that need to be improved.

There will also be pilot schools that will undertake the nationwide earthquake drill today in selected schools in the different provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley Province, Island Garden City of Samal and the cities of Tagum, Digos, and Panabo.

Lupo also announced that earthquake drills would be done in all government offices nationwide in July.

Lupo meanwhile urged local governments units in the region’s different cities and municipalities to come with an inventory of dilapidated buildings as these pose hazard to public especially in occurrence of disaster like earthquake. (PIA/pdbanzon)

2006-06-07T23:12:00.000-07:00

Davao: City of kings

By Deni Rose M. Afinidad
Manila Standard Today
June 08,2006

IF the Philippines were to name its luckiest city, it would probably be Davao.

A sprawling metropolis of over a million people in the southeastern part of Mindanao, Davao is one of the largest cities in the world with a land area of 2,443.61 sqm—even larger than Texas City.

Not only that, Mother Nature has pampered it like a king by locating it in a typhoon-free zone along the rim of the Asia-Pacific, allowing it to serve as gateway to both the western and eastern hemispheres of the world.

Because of the city’s fertile soil and abundance in potable water, Davao has also become the habitat of nature’s royalties—the “king of birds” (the Philippine eagle); the “king of fruits” (durian); and the “king of flowers” (waling-waling).

For all these natural gifts, it’s no wonder the city’s people and local government have done so much to harness their blessings.

In 2001, 2003, and 2005, the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) assessed the country’s leading cities based on quality of life, cost of doing business, dynamism of the local economy, infrastructure, linkages and accessibility, and quality of workforce. Davao placed third in 2003, but topped the rankings in 2001 and 2005, making it the Most Competitive Metro City in the Philippines during that period, according to AIM.

This was no surprise for Davao, which was declared as the Most Livable City in the Philippines for consistently making it to the Top 20 for four consecutive years (1996-1999) in Asiaweek’s annual survey of 40 Best Cities in Asia. In the survey of livability, Davao City ranked 18th, toppling Cebu (19th) and Manila (25th). It also assumed the throne of being the Most Peaceful City in East and Southeast Asia since 1998 for an almost zero crime rate (0.8 cases per 10,000 persons—90% of these are petty crimes).

Because of this, imposing curfew was no longer needed in the city, which has the Best Police Office in the Country (1999-2005), said the Philippine National Police. Anyone can walk around town during the wee hours without fear of bumping into a street hooligan.

Similarly, Davao, The Cleanest and Greenest City in the Philippines (1999-2005), is said to be one of the least polluted and most decongested cities in Asia, according to Asiaweek. This made the city save a lot from using traffic lights or hiring traffic enforcers.

Though it is 946 km away (or a one-hour-and-45-minute plane trip) from Manila, no urbanite would feel ostracized in the City of Kings. For one, nightlife is so alive and abundant in the city that bar hopping is as easy as puffing one’s cigarette, though smoking is really banned in the city’s public hubs. But perhaps, one can forget one’s vices if the places to see are Jack’s Ridge—a string of overlooking restaurants and cafés atop a hill or the equivalent of combined Tagaytay and Antipolo’s Cogeo; and the Matina Town Square (MTS)—comparable to Mandaluyong’s Metrowalk.

Like their counterparts, Jack’s Ridge and MTS overflow with beer and delicacies alongside local and foreign entertainment; yet unlike them, MTS and the Ridge possess the staple in every Davaoeño plate—the durian. A coffee shop in the Ridge serves chocolate durian cake, while MTS has the Blugré Café, where durian coffee and the durian frappe are the bestsellers.

The Ridge is also known for being the former fort of the Bagobo tribe and for its underwater origin, as testified by large seashell fossils that were found there. It also offers a telescope, where one can peep into the lofts of the metropolis during daytime and gaze at the stars or the city lights at night.

Besides these, countless first-class hotels and specialized fine-dining restaurants can be explored around the metro. Of note is the Marituna Seafood Market and Restaurant in Pampanga, Davao, where one can feel like dining at the ocean’s bosom as baby white sharks and other marine creatures swim in large aquariums that adorn the restaurant’s walls. Marituna serves clamshell soup, crispy tuna tail, kilawin tuna eggs, shrimp with kangkong, sizzling swordfish belly, and fresh fruit shakes. It also has a market where customers can walk out knowing some bits of trivia about the seafood they bought.

If the tourist is not contented to just see and eat sea creatures at Davao’s restaurants, he or she can visit these animals at their natural habitat—and that would bring him or her to the Island Garden City of Samal—a 15-minute ferry ride from the metropolis where one can commune with nature’s delights via island hopping, scuba diving, snorkeling, banana boat riding, white water rafting, seaside swimming, water tubing, and everything that would fill the tourist’s heart with content. The paradise at the very end of Samal is the world-famous Pearl Farm—known for its world-class beaches, services and facilities.

From under the sea, the traveler can trek uphill to see a triad of nature’s havens—the Eden Nature Park at the slopes of Mt. Talomo; the Crocodile Park in Dencio’s Hill; and the Philippine Eagle Breeding and Conservation Facility in Malagos.

Located 2,630 feet above sea level, the Eden Nature Park is Davao’s Club John Hay as its cold climate, log cabins, and lush pine trees remind one of Baguio.

Peaceful as it may seem, the park activate every visitor’s inner Indiana Jones. Its 40-hectare, jungle-style camping and adventure site invites diverse activities for the whole family. Wedding reception is most memorable if held in the Park’s garden amphitheater, which seems like an ancient Roman ruin with picturesque overlooking view and flowery surroundings. Similarly, honeymooners can maximize privacy at the Parks’ soundproof villas and rooms. Sports aficionados, meanwhile, can play any sport they have in mind (even traditional Filipino games) as the Park has spacious courts suitable for mini-Olympics and for playing piko, patintero, and the like. Lastly, companies and school organizations can hold their seminars and recollections in the Park’s jungle-inspired function rooms, and have their team-building activities in the resort’s trekking, wall climbing, rappelling, and obstacle course areas—complete with shower rooms, bleachers, sound system, and fun gliding cables.

Riding on horseback, or in a Safari-style van, one can stop over to sneak at the rare species being raised at the parks’ gardens and farms. Examples of what can be seen are the yellow pitaheya or dragon fruit from Jamaica; the giant ferns or the signature trees of Mt. Apo; white African tulips; the cassowary bird from Australia—one of the world’s largest and fastest bird; mangosteen and macadamia nut plantations; organic herbs; and gourmet vegetables like zucchini or Italian squash.

Another exhilarating landmark to see is the Crocodile Park in Dencio’s Hill, which breeds around 300 fresh water crocodiles. A skeleton of a 40-year-old crocodile (14 feet in length) greets guests, while dancing parrots and Glide—a two-year-old eagle—welcomes the visitors with a peck. A couple of Burmese pythons, 20-33 feet in length and weighing 200-300 lbs., can be touched and carried (but cannot be taken home) by guests upon request. Baby crocodiles are also allowed to be touched after their mouths were tightly shut—giving tourists an idea of what a Seiko wallet feels minus the buttons and the zippers.

There’s another crocodile in the Philippine Eagle Breeding and Conservation Facility in Malagos, but this one seems out of place. The Conservation Facility, obviously, is where a number of endangered Philippine eagles are protected and bred in captivity. The main star of the facility is the 14-year-old Pag-asa—the center’s first successful hatch. Recently, it was learned that Pag-Asa’s brother, Kabayan, died of electrocution by landing on an electric cable shortly after it was freed in the wild.

Before these Philippine eagles become extinct, or better, before another generation of them wakes up to embrace the world, tourists should come and see Davao especially in August, when Davaoeños celebrate the Kadayawan, or the blossoming of the waling-waling and the harvest time of durian.

Truly, Davao is the country’s fruit basket and king of destinations. If you also want to feel lucky as this city is, you ought to be seen here.

2006-06-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

Davao's Dimakiling is RP's newest IM
Sunstar Davao Online
Wednesday,June 07, 2006

THE Philippines has a new International Master in the person of Oliver Dimakiling, the chess wizard from Sasa, Davao City. Dimakiling, 26, earned his IM title after scoring six points as an alternate player for the Philippines in the recently concluded 37th World Chess Olympiad in Turin, Italy.

The woodpusher from Davao actually had a shot at a GM norm in his final match, but he lost to Alexander Fier of Brazil in a queens-pawn ending. Despite the defeat, it was already a huge achievement for Dimakiling being a first-timer in the Olympiad. He got six points in nine matches and was the second best performer among the Filipino players in the event.

The Filipinos wound up 44th place in a field of 146 nations. Aside from Dimakiling, also with the team are Grandmasters Mark Paragua, Eugene Torre and Rogeio Antonio Jr., National Master Darwin Laylo and 12-year-old prodigy Wesley So. Engineer Allan Diez, who is in-charge of the grassroots development of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, said they are still awaiting confirmation of Dimakiling's IM title.

Dimakiling, the eldest of five chess-playing siblings, is the second chess player from Davao City to earn an IM title. The first was Marlo Micayabas of Toril. Dimakilimg, who idolizes former world champion Bobby Fischer, is a silver medalist in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games.

"Oliver is an inspiration to the kids. His (IM) title is only the beginning. He will go a long way," said NCFP regional director James Infiesto of Dimakiling. (CRAM)

2006-06-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

Davao film looking for production crew

Monday, June 05, 2006
Sunstar Davao Online

A FEATURE length movie to be shot highlands of Compostela Valley by the middle of the year is looking for members to compose its production team.

The film entitled Huling Balyan ng Buhi (The last Balyan of Buhi) is one of the participating projects of the Cinema One originals.

Huling Balyan is one of the alternative movies partly financed by Cinema One, which would be featured at SkyCable's premiere Filipino movie channel and will also be shown nationwide in SM cinemas.

The movie project will be megged by Dabawenyo independent filmmaker Sherad Anthony Sanchez, whose short films shot in Davao have been exhibited in film festivals around the world.

Multi-award winning character actor Bembol Roco, Davao-born actress Juliana Palermo and former sexy star Ana Capri are being eyed as the principal actors in the movie.

Huling Balyan sa Buhi (The last Balyan of Buhi) tells the story of a tribal priestess famed for her supernatural powers facing a miraculous event that threatens to destroy her tribe's heritage, culture and religion which she has zealously protected.

"The cinematography crew will be from Manila and the principal actors, but 90 percent of the crew will sourced here," Said Dax Cañedo, a local filmmaker who will be assisting Sherad in the movie project.

The project is looking for post-production editors, Unit production managers, finance executive, casting director, continuity director. In-house editors for video, sound and dialogue are also needed, plus a documentation crew for the film's production.

Dax who is coordinating for the crew search said the movie is also in need of art directors, set/production designer, costume designer, make-up artist, hair stylist and art department crew (prop master, art department coordinator).

Sound crew like mixer and boom microphone operator and production assistants will also be open for the Davao production unit. The casting unit is also looking for talents or extras for the film.

Those who wish to apply for the production you can bring your application letter not later than June 10 to Dax Cañedo at the Alchemy of Vision and Lights Film and Television Productions, Suite 59-B Carriedo Building, Anda St. Davao City (beside Carina's pawnshop).

2006-06-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

Davao City country’s own ‘down under’

FILMWATCH
ABS-CBN Interactive News
By DENNIS LADAW

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Many local travelers visiting Davao City end up seriously thinking of settling in this southern city for good. After all, Davao just about has everything Manila has to offer, except traffic, pollution and high crime rates.

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Many local travelers visiting Davao City end up seriously thinking of settling in this southern city for good. After all, Davao just about has everything Manila has to offer, except traffic, pollution and high crime rates.

Some of the executives working at the plush Marco Polo Hotel in downtown insist that moving to Davao was the best decision they made. "I moved in in the early nineties, when Metro Manila felt so intolerable to live in. The job offer from Marco Polo came at the right time. I was getting stressed out in Manila,"’ an executive told The Sunday Times Magazine.

A lot of students of the Ateneo de Davao also originate from Manila. When they’re out of school they say they have the time of their lives enjoying the trendy nightspots, the beautiful resorts and the natural attractions.

"Everything is cheap here," claims a law student. "Want to paint the town red? The strips are just as cool as what we have in Manila and the beer is so affordable."

Also, it never takes more than an hour to get to a luxury resort like the Pearl Farm. "There are also many lower-priced resorts on Samal Island. You can drive and take the car on the ferry- boat," he said.

Davao has its own version of Antipolo. Ensconced on the hills overlooking the city is Jack’s Ridge, a stylish watering hole that has a view of the bay and the city. The ridge has swanky coffee shops and a two other restaurants. The place looks expensive but the prices are surprisingly affordable.

Residents say everything is cheaper in Davao—the real estate, food and other necessities. "An educated person from Manila could get a well-paying job in Davao and live comfortably without having to feel stressed out. The working environment here is much more relaxed," says a resident.

Davao’s relaxing atmosphere is largely attributed to the clean environment and well-preserved natural attractions that surround the metropolis. Among them is the Philippine Eagle Nature Center and the Crocodile Farm.

The Philippine Eagle Conservation Center is home to the country’s most famous monkey-eating eagle, Pag-Asa. Fellow tenants include other types of eagles but Pag-Asa has the biggest cage. Pag-Asa’s kingdom is tranquil and covered with tall, ancient trees. Unlike other parks, the center feels like an authentic forest, as it’s not a synthetic-looking landscaped garden. A variety of monkeys also hold residence in an open-air cage. The park’s guide assured me that they aren’t meant to be the dinner of the park’s majestic feathered residents.

The Crocodile Farm is much newer and it’s more family-friendly than the farm in Palawan. The gardens are manicured and it looks more like a colorful theme park with real live animal mascots. The monsters occupy fenced ponds and visitors are given the chance to pet the infant crocodiles.

Besides the crocs, pythons, ostriches and other exotic birds are just some of the attractions of the Crocodile Farm. The park is also the headquarters of Davao Wild Adventure, which organizes three-hour whitewater rafting expeditions at the Davao. Most of the crocs at the park hail from that river so the expedition promises to be thrilling.

On my fourth trip to Davao, I finally got a glimpse of the mountain from the top floor of the Mt. Apo View Hotel. An adventure also happened at this hotel just when we got back from dinner at the Casino Filipino, the hotel staff was frantically moving people out of the lobby.

Our group was asked to stay outside. Suddenly, the roof of the two-story lobby was up in flames. I was supposed to write this for the "Hotspots" section and here indeed was a hot spot! It felt so surreal but in less than five minutes, five fire trucks arrived and put the fire out in 20 minutes. We decided to stay at the hotel because it was safe enough and we wanted to catch a movie on Star TV.

Anyway, the quick response of the fire department almost convinced us of staying put in Davao for good. It was a Saturday night and everyone was out. Had that happened in Manila, the hotel would have been history.

Three days isn’t enough to explore Davao. It would take two weeks to experience the city’s charms. Better yet, you’d have to move in permanently to appreciate everything it has to offer.

Davao to impose fines on solid waste violators

2006-05-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

Davao to impose fines on solid waste violators
PIA Press Release
05/26/2006

Davao City (26 May) -- Davao City residents who violate the solid waste disposal guide will be slapped with fines and violators who are government workers will also be charged administratively.

Ann Silvosa, head of the city environment and natural resources office (CENRO) said in a press conference yesterday that Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will lead the launching of the garbage segregation scheme on Monday which will be implemented in 100 barangays of the city.

She said that on May 27 and 28, the garbage bins will be distributed to the different collection points in barangays, villages, subdivisions and other designated areas.

She said the city government has already acquired 10 compactors estimated to cost about P200 million and these facilities could be the biggest and the first in Mindanao.

Silvosa announced that the solid waste disposal guide was already discussed with 250 subdivision associations as well as the owners of hotels, malls, hospitals, slaughterhouses, markets, schools, offices and other related establishments.

Regular advocacy has been done and Silvosa said that a million flyers were already produced so that all residents could be given a copy as reference for segregating the garbage.

With segregation, she said, their P10 million budget for waste management each month could be reduced by 60 percent and the savings will be directed to the construction of a sanitary landfill that will be located in a 25 hectares area in Buhangin.

She said the open dump in the 12 hectares lot in Carmen that was used since 1996 will be rehabilitated although she said that they started controlled dumping in 2000 where a catch treatment area was established.

"While the residents that time did not segregate their garbage they had slowly applied segregation at the dumpsite because we cannot impose segregation before since the service areas were not ready," she said.

"We might encounter problems but this is more on attitude of people who would not want to cooperate," added.

There will be foremen who will be stationed in different areas to monitor the activity and the garbage waste disposal is given three months for the public to adopt.

She said that after the prescribed period, CENRO will start to apprehend and impose corresponding sanctions to violators.

Davao City has an estimated daily volume of 1,000 cubic meters garbage but with the segregation now imposed the volume could be reduced.

Normally, she said garbage trucks make 80 trips daily to collect the garbage and each trip would cost about P6,000.

She also said that one compactor is equivalent to three truck loads and when things get operational it would not only reduce cost of operations but also a cleaner environment.

She reminded the public to follow strictly the guide where she stressed that green bins are for biodegradables that will be collected on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and the grey bins for residuals will be collected on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The recyclables and reusables like plastics, bottles and the like should be taken out only on Saturdays for collection by the CENRO.

Garden wastes like cuttings of branches of trees but should not be more than three feet long will be collected every 15 days but human and animal wastes and animal carcasses will not be collected and must be buried and not thrown in the bins.

"Segregate or your garbage will not be collected," she said citing Republic Act 9003.

She also urged every residents to study carefully the solid waste disposal guide and for comments and suggestions they may call the 24-hour hotline at 2440094 or 2272655. (PIA/pdbanzon)

Davao man also conquers Mt. Everest

2006-05-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

Davaoeno also conquers Mt. Everest

Erwin "Pastor" Emata, a mountaineer from Davao, became the second Filipino to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, conquering the world's highest peak at 5:34 a.m. (7:34 a.m. in the Philippines) yesterday just 14 hours after teammate Leo Oracion made history with his triumphant climb.

Emata's feat was relayed by Arturo Valdez, a Bacoleño and leader of the First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition, who is currently at Base Camp.

"We we're stunned [and] excited," Valdez said in a television interview.

Hopes for a Philippine Mt. Everest hat-trick are also high as another Filipino mountaineer, Romi Garduce makes his final push for the summit. Garduce is expected to reach the summit today.

Meanwhile, the Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod yesterday unanimously passed a resolution, lauding the accomplishment of Oracion and the FPMEE, saying the group gave honor and glory to the country.

"It takes great courage for Filipino climbers who are not physically accustomed to the Alpines environment to undertake the scaling of the tallest, most difficult and most dangerous mountain in the world," the resolution said.

It also said that the task of Valdez's group in scaling Mt. Everest took three years of sacrifice and hardship.

The resolution, authored by SP member Greg Gasataya, also lauded ABS-CBN, the television network supporting the expedition.

Emata had actually followed Heracleo "Leo" Oracion who reached the summit (29,028 feet) at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday using the South Col route, the same trail climbed by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953.*CPT

Last days of summer

2006-05-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

Last days of summer
By Ian Ray C. Garcia
Mindanano Times News
May 11, 2006

With barely a month to go, we are counting down to the last days of summer. It’s been a fun, exciting summer so far. Well, at least, for me. I have visited different summer paradises, went on a road trip with friends, trekked the mountainside, witnessed festivities, journeyed to fascinating beaches, and satiated myself with lots of summer-delicious food.

Surely, we’re on the last leg of summer but my feet are still itching to a little bit more action just right before the month of May winds up the season with its daylong drizzles. To those who haven’t found the time yet to go on a summer holiday, well, read on and let me count my ten suggested ways to enjoy the remaining days of summer without even leaving the boundaries of our beautiful Davao.

No. 1. Ever watched this one-of-a-kind Bird Show in Malagos Garden Resort (tel. 221.1545)? No matter how many times I’ve seen the show, it still amazes me to see parrots playing basketball, crows picking up stones, ducks parading together, etc. The resort also offers a Nature Field Trip that incorporates lectures, audio/visual shows and interactive guided tours that shows and teaches visitors about the forests, orchards, creek ecosystems, butterflies, mushroom culture and various adventure activities that are sure to entertain and educate guests at the same time.

No. 2. With the cruel summer heat, getting into some water action is both an escape and a treat. Davao Gulf is a virtual playground of numerous aqua sports such as diving, game fishing, jet-skiing, snorkeling, and so much more. However, if you’re on a budget and yearning to learn a new hobby, simply hit the shores of Times Beach or Mer Grande Ocean Resort and try skimboarding. Or you can go to Samal or Talikud and discover the still many secluded beach and coves in the island.

No. 3. You’ve read, heard and seen so much about white water rafting (tel. 301.2020). I have done it twice, and I swear, rafting the Davao River is one hell of a water ride. Now, it’s your turn to brave three hours of river journey to the city’s less seen frontier, a place enveloped with lush vegetation, limestone walls and riverside villages. So, are you ready for some river action?

No. 4. Rediscover the wild side of Davao and trek to the mountains of Tamayong, Marilog and Toril. Various trails in Tamayong and Marilog lead you to pristine rivers and waterfalls as well as caves and breathtaking panorama of the wilderness. An easy trail man-made, such as in Eden Nature Park, is a great way to exercise and bond with families and friends before hitting the buffet table. Eden Nature Park (tel. 299.2992) also has campsites and other activities including fishing, horseback riding, bird watching, etc. Need more info? Make sure to always bring water and a First Aid kit.

No. 5. Learn a musical skill or two. Jhine Music and Arts Center (tel. 299.0082) offers courses on piano, keyboard, guitar (acoustic, bass, classical or electric), drums, violin, saxophone, flute, clarinet and voice. They also teach group vocal technique, band synchronization, choral training, and choreography. Drop them a line and see what musical skill fits you.

No. 6. Do something fish-y. If you’re in the mood for a good food trip without ruining your diet, troop to Tugbok and have a hearty meal of fresh “hito” (catfish). You can have it deep fried, grilled, or cooked with coconut milk (Oops, there’s goes your diet!). This is a perfect pit stop after visiting the Philippine Eagle Center and Malagos Garden Resort in nearby Baguio District.

No. 7. Let out the hopeless romantic in you at the Waterfront Insular Hotel (tel. 233.2881), the city’s only resort hotel. It is certainly one great place to switch on your the romantic side with its invigorating beach atmosphere while just being 10 minutes away from the busy city center. Besides taking a stroll by the beachfront, you can start the day with mouthwatering breakfast feast at Café Uno, then have an afternoon merienda of their very own delectable Pizza Davaoeño. Then get nostalgic, reminiscing about your salad days on board the calesa topiary.

No. 8. When was the last time you visited our museum? It’s about time that you rediscover our heritage at the newly renovated Davao Museum (tel. 233.1734), a repository of the city’s arts, cultural and social legacies. Located inside Insular Village Phase 1, the museum lets you travel back in time with its interesting displays of historical relics, photos and dioramas. It is divided into 3 galleries – History of Davao, Contemporary Arts and Crafts, and Ethnicity. Entrance fee is P100 for adults and P20 for kids.

No. 9. Want to wrestle a crocodile? While you can’t exactly combat one, instead you can cuddle a baby mindorensis crocodilus at the Davao Crocodile Park (tel. 300.6307). It’s open daily but on Fridays to Saturdays, you can witness crocodile encounters, tightrope exhibition, crocodile jump and other reptilian action at 10 AM and 3 PM. You can even have your photos taken with the menacing crocs. All you need is P75 (adults)/ P50 (kids) and a lot of guts to befriend the crocs.

No. 10. What better time to get pampered after agonizing from this summer’s terrible heat and humidity. At the Bahia Spa of Metro Lifestyle (tel. 228.6182) along F. Torres St., you can have a massage, body scrub, foot and hand spa, tub soak, and other indulgence that can truly keep your mind off from the real world. It will also make you forget about work and household chores and make you feel like a king or queen, well, at least for an hour or two.

Still want more ways to enjoy the remaining days of summer? E-mail me at wanderlust@asean-mail.com. I might need a companion to tag along with in my next adventure.

2006-05-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

Davao dirty ditty now an award-winning song: Hubag, Awit’s best regional song
By Chris Te Fabian

HUBAG — a hip-hop song described by some sectors as “dirty ditty” — is now an award-winning song.

The composition of University of Mindanao alumnus Roseller “Jay” Lagnayo Jr. (aka Mista Silenza) grabbed the Best Regional Recording in the 19th Awit Awards, Philippines’ equivalent to America’s Grammy.

Hubag performed by Mista Silenza of SIR Matina and his partner Boone Dennis “B.O.N.” Batuto of Toril — more popularly known as the Thavawenyoz — besting entries from Luzon and Visayas, said Arnel Guevarra, the head of Alpha Music in Davao which distributed the group’s debut album of the same title.

The Davao song topped Cebu’s Puerting Hubaga by the regional novelty icon Max Surban and Nganong Ni Enter by rap group Konigs and Ilocos’ Ugali by Sylvia Gaoiran and Agindidi by Cesar A. Roxas.

“We dedicate that award to Davao City,” Mista Silenza, a former tenor of the University of Mindanao Choir, texted Mindanao Times yesterday.

The Awit win is the biggest so far for the group which already received honors in the local level — including the first place in the music video segment and the second place in the music composition segment of the 4th Huni sa Dabaw in 2005 with their R&B track Mao Kaha Kini ang Gugma. Last year, the group also won a runner-up spot in the NCCC songwriting contest.

Thavawenyoz zoomed to popularity in the local music scene after Hubag was aired over 92.3 WILD FM in its Rap Idol segment which aimed to discover unsigned potential hip-hop act in Davao City.

When Alpha executives heard the song, they immediately signed up the group.

Thavawenyoz was also nominated in the Best Novelty Act. However, there was no immediate report who among the nominees — including Parokya ni Edgar (Mang Jose), Aryana (Bop Bop), Boy2 Quizon (Ragarabo) and another Davaoeño guy Gary Granada (Babadap-Badap) — won the award.

Guevarra said the announcement was made during the pre-awarding rites held Tuesday evening at Ballroom B of Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ortigas.

The rite was a kick-off to the June 15 awarding night at Casino Filipino Theater in Parañaque City. Awit, initiated by the Philippine Association of Record Industries (PARI), is the biggest music award in the country.

Other Davao artists still in the June 15 race include the Manila-based Gary Granada (Best World/Alternative Music and Best Jazz Recording), Tagum boy Champ Lui-Pio-led Hale (Album of the Year, Best Song of the Year, Best Ballad Award, Best Performance By A New Group, Album Packaging Excellence Award and Best Engineered Recording), South Border (Best R&B Song, Best Performance by a Group Recording Artists, and Best Song written for Movie/TV/Stage Play), Juris Fernandez’s MYMP (Best Selling Album of the Year), Tagum boy Thor (Best Performance by a Duet), Jinky Vidal (Best Dance and Best R&B).

Last year, the Best Regional Recording award was also by an act identified with Davao. South Border — headed by Davao boy Jay Oliver Durias – scored the win with their version of the classic Bisaya song, Usahay. (DAUG-CTF)

2006-04-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

Davao most competitive city -- study

First posted 05:32am (Mla time) May 01, 2006
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on page A5 of the May 1, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

DAVAO CITY -- This city was adjudged anew the most competitive among the country's largest cities based on the 2005 Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project (PCCRP) conducted by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Policy Center.

It was the second time the city drew the highest ranking in the PCCRP study, the first time being in 2002.

Also rated as competitive cities in the recent AIM study were Makati, Las Piñas, Marikina and Muntinlupa.

AIM professor Mario Lopez presented the study during last week's Mindanao Coalition for Transparent Governance (MCTAG) forum held at the Apo View Hotel here.

Lopez said the AIM study measured seven major "drivers" with corresponding indicators such as the cost of doing business, dynamism of local economy, linkages and accessibility, human resources and training, infrastructure, responsiveness of the city to business needs, and quality of life.

He said Davao City ranked first in the cost of doing business, second in both dynamism of local economy and linkages and accessibility. It was 3rd in infrastructure, 4th in quality of life, 6th in responsiveness to business needs, and 11th in human resources and training.

Lopez said the 2005 PCCRP study rated 65 cities in three categories -- metropolitan, midsize and small.

He said the city's poor performance in human resources and training might have been the result of the low ratio of its schools to the appropriateness of the courses offered.

Roberto Teo, chief of the Davao City Investment Promotion Center, said the 2005 rating meant the city was headed in the right direction.

"With an average economy of P100 billion and an improving economic performance, the city will surely continue to be on top of other Philippine cities in terms of competitiveness," he said.

Lopez said the study showed that the most competitive mid-sized cities were Bacolod, Batangas, Iligan, Iloilo and San Fernando in Pampanga province, and the most competitive small cities were Dagupan; Legazpi; Koronadal; Naga; Olongapo; San Fernando in La Union province; Sta. Rosa; Surigao; Tagbilaran and Tagum.
Judy Quiros, PDI Mindanao Bureau

2006-04-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

Education situation in public, private schools in Davao City
By Barbara Carla R. Quiero
Sunstar Davao
Friday, April 28, 2006

EDUCATION, especially of children, is a challenging and complex process. A good educational institution must provide good teachers, adequate number of facilities such as classrooms, chairs, desks or armchairs and textbooks before it can provide what we call today 'quality education' to students.

A good educational institution will facilitate the learning of the students and allow them to explore and exercise their potentials.

In a developing country like the Philippines, there are several impediments to maintaining good schools: there is the lack of budget, peace and order problems, and even lack of teachers.

In Davao City, the condition of educational institutions or schools is very well keeping with today's challenges.

Department of Education (Deped) education program specialist II Severina Tagubaso said there are a total of 1,855 public schools in Region 11.

In Davao City alone, there are 349 public schools, 65 schools for the secondary level and 284 public elementary schools.

Among them is the Maa National High School (NHS), Sta. Ana NHS, Talomo NHS for highschool students and Magallanes elementary school, Kapitan Tomas elementary school and San Roque elementary school for those in elementary.

As of August 2005, Tagubaso said there are a total of 241,593 students enrolled in all these schools.

A total of 167,070 are in grade level while 74,523 are in secondary level.

For the coming school year 2006-2007, Tagubaso said, DepEd is expecting a 2 percent increase in enrollees.

Expected number of enrollees is 170,411 for elementary level while 76,013 for high school level.

To ensure that teaching meets government standards, those aspiring to be teachers have to pass rigid screening by the DepEd office before they are allowed to teach, said DepEd press information officer Jenelito Atillo.

In addition to the regular teachers in the DepEd plantilla, City Human Resource and Management Officer Marcelino P. Escalada said city-paid teachers assigned by the Local School Board are required to be degree holders of Bachelor in Education and have passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).

In Davao City, Tagubaso said there are a total of 4,247 teachers in the elementary level. The pupil teacher ratio (PTR) is 1:39.4 or one teacher in every 39.4 grade school students.

There are 1,968 high school teachers in the city. The PTR is 1:38 or one high school teacher for every 38 students.

In Davao City, Tagubase said there are a total of 3,856 classrooms. The pupil classroom ratio (PCR) is 1:43 students or 43 students in every classroom.

While classroom space is just enough, Tagubase said classroom seats are lacking in number.

For public elementary schools there are only 141,616 chairs, a ratio of one chair for every 1.18 pupil.

For public high schools, there are 54,533 chairs, which means 1,37 students to one chair.

"So if you noticed medyo kulang gyud kay dapat 1:1 unta (chair to student ratio should be 1:1)," Tagubase said in an interview Wednesday.

In terms of textbook, a graph from DepEd shows skewed ratios. Two students have to share one fourth year English textbook. The graph shows 10,000 of these textbooks are needed but there are only 5,000 available.

A Filipino subject textbook, however, has an actual need for just 2,000 but there are 13,000 in the inventory.

While seats and textbooks are sometimes the problems of public schools, this is not so in private schools.

This is so because students pay for these, said Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC) high school principal Wenifreda Roderos, and students are required to acquire their own from their school bookstore.

Roderos said the HCDC high school campus has a total of 19 classrooms for all the 19 sections. There are more or less 50 students per class, she said.

Seats for students are also 1:1 or 1 seat per student. "We also have extra chairs in case there are a lot of enrollees," Roderos said in an interview Friday.

Other than textbooks, Roderos said the school also has a library, speech lab, computer lab, audiovisual room, science laboratories and gym to facilitate the learning of their students.

According to Roderos, a school's facility is very important in a school.

"Before a parent enrolls his or her child, nagtatanong talaga sila kung maganda ba ang mga facilities ng school," Roderos said.

Roderos said having good teachers and adequate facilities are key to quality education.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos once said that collective passion in the implemetaion of quality education for young Filipinos is needed to wipe out poverty and other ills in the society. (BRQ)

2006-04-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

Davaoeña, Mindanaoan teens invade Big Brother’s house

Mindanao Times
April 25, 2006

A Davaoeña named Mikki entered Sunday night Big Brother’s House together with 11 other teeners aspiring for big bucks in the latest edition of Pinoy Big Brother.

Aside from the Davao aspirant, Mindanao is also represented by two other bets — a Filipino-American from General Santos and a beauty queen from Bukidnon — in Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition.

In their introduction during the series pilot last Sunday, the 18-year-old Mikki is tagged as “Ang Orig na Astig ng Davao.”

She claimed to have a devil-may-care attitude and wants to do things her way.

This toughie from Davao said she used to be bullied by her classmates so she decided to be different. “I’m not a loser and I will just be true to myself,” she said.

Gerard Anderson, the Am-Boy Hottie from GenSan, got the honor to be the first to be introduced in the latest batch in the so-called cross-over of Pinoy Big Brother and Star Circle Teen Quest. “I’m not just a handsome face,” said 17-year-old Gerard. One of his passions is sports, particularly playing basketball.

Bukidnon’s own, 18-year-old Clare, the Barrio Lass from Bukidnon and the Star Wannabee, believes that she cannot please everyone. This barrio lass who won many beauty contests in her province said she only wants to follow her heart. “Pangarap ko lang na mag-artista (It’s my wish to become an actress),” she said.

For six weeks the housemates will live inside the Big Brother house, co-existing despite their different backgrounds and varied preferences.

The other Pinoy Big Brother’s teenage housemates are: Lola’s favorite granddaughter Niña, 17, of Makati City; Whiz kid Mikee, 17, of Quezon City; Chinita Kim, 16, of Cebu City; Hunky Fred, 17, from Parañaque; Joker Bam, 16, of Parañaque; Teenybopper Olyn of Quezon City; High school valedictorian Aldred, 16, of Pasay City; Fil-Am musician Matt, 17; Puerto Rican-Filipino Teen Mama Jamilla, 17.

2006-04-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

Davao City exec blogs to spark 'participatory' governance

First posted 00:35am (Mla time) April 22, 2006
By Erwin Lemuel Oliva
INQ7.net

DAVAO City Councilor Peter Lavina has started blogging to spark “participatory” governance in the city.
A former journalist and activist, Lavina said he discoverd blogging after attending a workshop on blogging by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

“I am now trying to promote blogs as a tool for participatory governance,” he said, adding that he hopes to promote more transparency in local governance through blogging.

He also stressed that blogs provide a tool for more government officials to talk directly to constituents and vice versa.

Lavina said that he recently posted Davao City's income in his blog http://www.funchain.com/~peterlavina) to promote more transparency in local governance.

Convinced by the power of blogging, Lavina said that he plans to organize a blogging workshop for government employees in Davao City.

There should be more active participation of citizens in governance, and blogs will allow people to be part of local governance, the official added.

2006-04-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

Davao, Mindanao, and the nation
By Gail Ilagan / MindaNews / 20 April 2006

DAVAO CITY -- It was standing room only on the occasion of UP Professor Randy David doing a national situationer at the Grand Men Seng last night. The event was sponsored by the Initiatives for International Dialogue, a local advocacy group that has consistently sustained its emphasis on dialogue, that vital precondition to reaching a viable consensus on public issues.

Trust IID to put together a creditable representation of Davao's public. By public I mean people who manifest interest in a particular issue. Judging from the SRO crowd who came to the forum, the national situation and what it means for Mindanao is obviously a topic of widespread interest. The forum was a timely shot in the arm, said former partylist congresswoman Pat Sarenas. Yes, of course, it's about time that we should be talking about this.

My mother-in-law, Gabriela Women's Party chairperson Luz Ilagan, headlined the forum along with Prof. David. Recently accorded the dubious honor to belong to the Davao 8, Mother Luz takes the inconvenience in stride and graciously pays homage to this character trait of the Davaoeno - our ability to sit down and dialogue peaceably among ourselves despite the ideological, intellectual, and cultural boundaries that divide us.

True to the spirit of the occasion, Prof. David abandoned his prepared paper to launch into an impromptu address more in keeping with the kind of reflective sharing that one has with friends over coffee. The unread paper should be up on IID's website by the time this article comes out. Check out www.iidnet.org.

Anyway, it's two in the morning and writing this article is my way of rewarding myself for getting through checking test papers. As an educator, I believe in immediate feedback on performance, and since the summer term means daily classes, it does require little sacrifices like burning the candle at both ends when one takes the time to take advantage of cultural benefits like listening to Randy David and Luz Ilagan when one should be checking papers. Oh well.

Okay. What was said in that forum? Well, it was articulated that more and more people are fed up with Philippine politics. This is important. When one is fed up, one can't muster the moral outrage needed to spark that burning desire to take it upon one's self to correct the situation, or at least be part of the effort for a resolution. People who are fed up retreat in repression or in apathy. But abdication does very little to change the situation. The problem does not go away just because we choose not to concern ourselves with it.

Gus Miclat, IID's executive director, prays that people will get tired of being fed up and revisit the problem, this time with the intention to work for its resolution. David obviously agrees. By making the time to share his lucid analysis of the political crisis the nation is now facing, he helps identify for us the leaks in our sinking boat. What is particularly remarkable about his activism is his passion for what should be in the face of the ills there are. Fed up, he is not. By continuing to engage the nation's citizens wherever they are and in whatever forum, David conveys this belief that the people can make a difference in the life of this nation.

What are we in Mindanao to do? What are we to do, especially those of us who reside in Davao where life is tolerable despite the political unrest in Manila? Are we indeed the comfortable that David seeks to afflict? Have we set virtual boundaries to our community that we can't relate to what is being done to the nation? Can't we relate to what is being done to Mindanao, exploited and used as a convenient tool to legitimize usurpation of powers that are national in scope?

David advocates that Mindanao should consolidate its community by reworking its institutions to be responsive to local needs. He envisions a dignified, self-contained Mindanao that would render superfluous any form of largesse from the national government. In so doing, Mindanao would similarly free itself from reliance on external resources that come with strings attached. Mindanao would be above the fray, even as the increasingly ugly political crisis plunges the rest of the nation into the impending civil war.

There. It's something to think about. Don't take too long, though. Thinking about something doesn't get it done. This suggestion is actually workable. As citizens of Mindanao, we can actually draw in the details to these broad strokes in the way that we live our collective life. Dare we try?

(Wayward and Fanciful is Gail Ilagan's column for MindaViews, the opinion section of MindaNews. Ilagan teaches Social Justice, Family Sociology, Theories of Socialization and Psychology at the Ateneo de Davao University where she is also the associate editor of Tambara. You may send comments to gail@mindanews.com. "Send at the risk of a reply," she says).

2006-04-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

Davao diving sites seen as potential tourism industry

PIA Press Release
04/20/2006

Davao City (20 April) -- Diving is a potential tourism industry, however there’s a need for the government to assess the sites in the Davao region and declare from among the more than a dozen sites in the Davao Gulf as the ideal sites for the activity.

Regional executive director Ricardo Calderon of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR XI) said a profiling of the sites must first be undertaken, however a sizeable amount is needed to do it

He admitted that his office do not have the money to complete the profiling and that they are collaborating with other sectors to finish the project.

He said they only started the first project this year at the “Big Ligid” which is the site of the 3rd Dive the Gulf 2006 which will be held this week.

“We do not have enough resources and this kind of activity falls under their protected area program of which we get only P10 million to maintain, sustain and protect the already declared protected areas of the region,” he said.

Department of Tourism (DOT XI) regional director Sonia Garcia explained that not one diving sites in Mindanao was included in the earlier published diving sites in the Philippines because the sites here still needs to be developed.

“What we claim to be dive sites are really real dive sites. We must be ready as we do not want to fool the tourists when they come,” she said.

“Hilaw pa ang mga dive sites natin meaning there must be a declaration from the DENR that these are fit for diving sites,” she said.

But even then she said there are already infrastructure introduced to some of the sites.

The Davao-Palau route, she said adds a plus to Davao because people who come and dive here has the opportunity to fly here and get more value of their money.

Garcia is also looking at getting more tourists to come to the city with their tie up with the Asian Spirit that regularly fly to Palau from Davao.

She said among those eager to come are the Overseas Filipino Workers numbering about 5,000 who are working or doing livelihood in Palau.

She is also looking for some potential diving enthusiasts from Palau who are interested in coming to Davao and get more value for their money.

She said divers spends about $500 for a diving trip for a Manila Palau package that only includes an overnight stay whereas the Davao-Palau package at the same amount includes hotel accommodation with breakfast for three days and two nights stay plus transportation.

“It will be a value added plus to Davao as a diving destination if this will be fully developed,” she said.

In fact the Blue Corner Dive Sites in Palau Garcia said generated $1 million in 2005 and they already established the island as one dive destination. (PIA/pdbanzon)

Manila craves for Davao cuisine

2006-04-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

PIA Press Release
04/11/2006

Manila craves for Davao cuisine

Davao City (11 April) -- Davao folks will be introduced to what is an emerging Davao cuisine where several food lovers in Manila crave for the mouth-watering dishes during the recent food show at the Manila Intercontinental Hotel.

The popular Davao grown chef and consultant in Asia, Padi Lascano in an interview at SM City said Davao herbs and how it is being cooked makes Davao cuisine distinct.

He said this is influenced by the indigenous people of the region mostly from cooking techniques of the Bagobo, Mandaya, B'laan, Tausog, Subanon, and Mansaka. The Cebu cuisine he said is heavy on spices as it is more influenced by the Spanish.

He said through research and his immersion with the different tribes in the region made him discovered what could be attributed to be the Davao cuisine.

"What is distinguishing with our food is the blending of the herbs and other mix spices to the sauce," he said.

In preparing the food, he said there is no sautéing only mixing and boiling the different ingredient under a low fire.

"The Davao cuisine is processed only through boiling, broiling, grilling or baking and baking is done through wrapping the food with thick leaves and place under hot coal," he said.

"Heat should not be applied directly to the raw food and only the steam it produces is the one that make it done", he said.

He mentioned the most popular "Haob sa Odong" where the process is like cooking "Lasagna". Odong is the poor man's food introduced to the Philippines by the Japanese during the war. This is a layered food lined in between with "alugbati" leaves, the cooked noodles (Odong), sauce cooked in herbs, gizzard and liver, and covered on top with grated cheese.

There is also the "Kiarihan" where the meat used is either goat or chicken mixed with different herbs and little amount of the common spices and salt, he said.

To further develop the Davao cuisine, Marissa Te Eng Fo, event organizer of the Island Cuisine during the Dive the Gulf Festival 2006 said a competition will be held on April 27 at SM Entertainment Plaza to encourage Dabawenyos to "think Davao" cuisine as well as Mindanaoans to "think Mindanaoans".

She said they will be looking for cuisine using the natural products that abound the islands even as she said that they encourage competitiveness in the field of cuisine resulting in the evolution of Mindanao food.

She warned however not to use endangered species nor cause endangering species but to use only what are very abundant in the islands or in Davao City.

Participants are required to bring in their finished product, plated the way they want to be judged on April 28, 2006 at Waterfront Insular Hotel.

She said they want to bring up to 99 percent the use of Davao products in the food preparation and they are coordinating with the Restaurant Association of Davao in evolving the basic Davao food. (PIA/pdbanzon)

2006-04-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

Davao City eyed as site of plush Korean village

Big Korean travel agents and tourism investors are eyeing Davao City as the site of a high-end Korean residential vacation complex complete with school and hospital facilities.

Vice chairman Jon Kim of the Korean Tourism Association said they would prefer a site near a golf course where they could play, and a beach to where they could escape the harsh Korean winter from November to February.

"Koreans work hard the rest of the year to prepare themselves for winter and go to countries with warm climate," explained another Korean businessman Bong H. Kim, president and chief executive officer of Hanwha Tour Mall Co. Ltd.

"And the Philippines has the distinct advantage of being Korea’s nearest tropical neighbor with lots of golf courses and pristine beaches," president L.H. Kim of ANY Tours & Travel Service added, citing the huge Korean outbound market who could travel to the Philippines all year round for golf, water sports, leisure, studies, business, or retirement.

"We were delighted to learn that Davao City alone had three golf courses and several beach resorts to serve our purpose. And all these are not far from the airport," Kim pointed out.

He added, though, that the only problem would be the lack of direct flights from Korea to Davao City, which he described as a major requirement.

Citing the golf craze in Korea, Bong said Korean families would spend more than 0,000 annually to send their children abroad just to play golf. "Unlike most Filipinos who play golf for fun, we Koreans do it to win and become number one," Bong added.

Jon Kim, Bong H. Kim, and K.H. Kim were among the 21 Koreans who visited Davao City as part of the recently-concluded Philippine-Korean Travel Exchange (Philkotex) organized by the Team Korea of the Department of Tourism (DoT).

Team Korea Head Maricon Ebron said the DoT, through Philkotex, was able to bring in a total of 68 big-time travel agents to transact business with Philippine tourism suppliers specializing in diving, golf, and meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions.

Sponsored by Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Southeast Asian Airlines, Korean Air, and Asiana Airlines, Philkotex also had a post-conference 2-night/3-day tour for Korean delegates to one of the Philippines’ top five destinations, which included Davao City where they visited the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao, T’boli Weaving Center, Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Philippine Research and Nature Center, Malagos Garden Resort, Eden Nature Park and Resort, The Marco Polo Davao, Casino Filipino at the Grand Regal Hotel, and Matina Times Square.

Lee Je Woo, president and CEO of Shin Heung Travel Agency Co. Ltd. cited the big potential of Davao City as a tourism destination and retirement haven for Koreans. Lee said their visit was an offshoot of the highly-successful ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) hosted by Davao City last January.

"News on the resounding success of the ATF lured us to see for ourselves what Davao could offer," Lee added.

2006-04-02T03:37:00.000-07:00

Davao, Nanning sister-city agreement signed
Source: EDITHA Z. CADUAYA
Friday, March 31, 2006
http://www.dailymirror.net.ph/

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Nanning Guangxi Zhuang of the autonomous region of the Republic of China yesterday signed a letter of intent for a sisterhood agreement between the two cities aimed at extending friendship, culture and arts and other opportunities between them.
Mayor Lin Guoqiang of Nanning in his speech said he expects good relationship and exchanges of expertise which will help both cities in their development.

“Davao City is very beautiful and I hope the agreement will help us in developing our people and cities,” Guoqiang said.

Duterte proudly pre-sented Davao City to the Chinese visitors as the most livable city in the country and which has been hailed by Asian Institute of Manage-ment as the most competitive city in the country.

The crime rate is at a minimum and is in fact the lowest in the country, Duterte added.

“Here we live peacefully with mutual respect and support to each other,” he said as he cited the city’s diverse population.

The simple ceremony started with a tribal dance presentation.

Duterte said he is happy that the people of Nanning have extended a gesture of friendship with the people of Davao.

He said he is hopeful the relationship will start a prosperous socio-economic and cultural exchange between the two cities.

2006-04-02T03:28:00.000-07:00

A student of Mindanao
By Walter I. Balane / MindaNews/ 30 March 2006

DAVAO CITY - "There is no difference between living and learning . . . it is impossible and misleading and harmful to think of them as being separate," writes John Holt, in his landmark book on alternative education "What Do I Do Monday?"

I'll take a dose of Holt as I reflect about how I feel about choosing to stay and work in Mindanao.

I live and I am enrolled to a Mindanao that is an open university where the lessons are boundless and the teachers are not limited to PhD and master's degree holders. And there goes something about living here that I wouldn't change for anything.

For Holt, home study is an alternative to school-based learning systems. Learning in Mindanao could be my "home study" as Mindanao is home to me and I share as

a collective domain the plains, rivers, streets, highways, structures, forests and public places with other Mindanawons.

I write in the context of informal, continuous and personal learning experiences and I do not propose that students shun the schools and stay home, instead.

Living in Mindanao this time is such a privilege. I think that Mindanao's complexities, diversities and circumstances are conducive learning realms.

My anthropologist friends and journalist colleagues share to me from time to time theories, their experiences and views. Sometimes they theorize or complicate

things for me, or simplify it and connect the pieces.

All the time, they did it with passion, grace and wit.

In the receiving end, I could only thank them for I had become a beneficiary of their scholarships and worthwhile field works.

Many of these theories could be read in Mindanao's libraries such as in the Mindanawon Initiatives for Cultural Dialogue at the Ateneo. Through library work, I also benefit from the bodies of work of various scholars who wrote on Mindanao across time.

I am not a post-graduate student. I believe that from listening and interacting with the "conferences" of peoples, ideas, histories and futures in everyday Mindanao I learn enough for my present needs. Besides, my open "campus" provides me with much wider, boundless and real-time learning opportunities.

Foremost of these are the forum sessions held to consolidate and thresh out some pressing issues on Mindanao, the country or the world.

In the Kusog Mindanaw conference in November 2005, I paid full attention to Rudy Rodil, the GRP peace panel vice chair, as he gave updates of the peace process.

I know that Ompong, a historian, was telling history to Mindanao's various non-government organizations and groups who are part of Kusog.

Apart from him, there were a handful of presenters in that conference. In two days, I had a virtual tour around Mindanao and on the peace process, traversing timelines and spaces listening to the discussions.

Fora around Mindanao offer pregnant discussions on issues like the peace process, mining in Mindanao, organic farming, development aid to Mindanao, tourism prospects for Mindanao, federalism and many others. Sometimes extensive or intensive, the discussions end with a consensus or a resolution to "agree to disagree". I took advantage of these dynamics to understand Mindanao deeper.

I have also met different leaders of Mindanao's various organizations from the civil-society, non-government sector, local government units and corporate world. Count in the contrast: from the leaders of the Mindanao Business Council to the leaders of jeepney drivers' associations and leaders of Mindanao's ethnic groups like the Matigsalug tribal council and even mining executives or their disciples.

When these people meet, they bring with them oftentimes conflicting views and stands. I find listening to them argue and contra-pose each other a healthy and worthwhile chance to learn.

The peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is an example. For me, it is a running "case study". Peace is Mindanao's top agenda and the positive outlook on a final peace agreement is a welcome news. How this process is done, who is doing it and not doing it, what issues are they talking about, what issues are slowing the process and what prospects do we have are important for today's young people in Mindanao, like me. I look at these moves as crucial to Mindanao's future, and mine too.

I was able to share about what are "ancestral domain" issues the peace panels will talk about, to a Mandaya farmer who attended MindaNews' grassroots journalism in Caraga, Davao Oriental in December 2005. Thanks to the Kusog conference. In return, he explained to me how important it is for them to safeguard their lands from intruders like logging firms. He said land is life for them. The way he explained it to me, with deep concern and emotions, moved me.

Mindanao looks back in history and peeps at the future as indigenous peoples other than the Bangsamoro neighbors take a hard look at ancestral domain. For the past five years, the government has sped up distribution of Certificates of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADTs) but ancestral domain and indigenous governance has remained as major aspirations among Mindanao's IPs. Aside from these discussions in gatherings around

Mindanao, opportunities to work with communities also provide extensive and intensive learning interactions.

The communities are open fields of learning. A healthy exchange of experiences, knowledge and world views can stem from engagements worked on prior agreed and mutually beneficial arrangements with communities.

I have experienced learning from simple people from various communities in Mindanao. They all have their own way of doing things and sometimes, their ways were better than mine. In fact, many of them are scholars in their own right and are very reliable researchers and sources for they are "in the field" themselves. Most of the time, my trips and encounters with these peoples and communities are far better than reading about them in outdated books.

Mindanao 's communities yearn for empowerment and we can draw energy and encouragement from them. In Upi, Maguindanao, the internet, thanks to a local government initiative, pulls the world closer to the locals. But some of the Tedurays and the Iranun residents still cling to age old traditions that have remained useful, such as some of their community communication systems.

I realized that the communities around Mindanao are living archives of rich traditions, histories and possibilities. As an outsider, I think I have a stake on keeping those treasures intact and helping enhance the same with the locals.

The communities are not only spaces for rehabilitation, as in those conflict-torn areas, but are also fountains of lessons and stories for others to hear. But I don't think communities should be viewed only as milking cows of information.

Through continuous, mutually-beneficial and comprehensive experiences with communities, I think I have become a quintessential student who goes to the field to gather and validate what I have learned.

Yes, I am a student. And I pay homage to my campus –the vast fields of Mindanao.

2006-04-02T03:22:00.000-07:00

Muslim scholar to speak in “Islam and the West” forum in Davao
MindaNews/ 1 April 2006

MALAYBALAY CITY -- As part of efforts to “contribute to interfaith understanding especially among Muslim and Christian communities,” the Voluntary Services Overseas Peace Enabling Actions for Community Empowerment in North Western Mindanao (VSO PEACE Mindanao) and the Alternate Forum for Research in Mindanao (AFRIM) will hold the forum "Dialogue of Civilizations: Islam and the West" on Monday, 3 April 2006, 1:30 p.m. at the Grand Men Seng Hotel, Magallanes St., Davao City.

The main speaker is renowned Muslim scholar Prof. Muhammad Abdel Haleem, director of the Center of Islamic Studies of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, England. He is visiting the Philippines upon the invitation of the British Embassy and as part of our efforts to promote peace in Mindanao.

Secretary Jesus Dureza of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process will talk on the "Implications on the GRP-MILF Peace Process".

Prof. Rufa Guiam, Director of the Center for Peace and Development Studies, MSU-General Santos, will present the topic "Implications on the Peacebuilding Role of Muslim Women in Mindanao.”

Dr. Mochtar Matuan of the Muslim-Christian Movement for Peace and Dialogue on "Implications on Interfaith Dialogue and Understanding among Muslims and Christians".

Sarah Parsons, Second Secretary (Political) of the British Embassy, will present Embassy programs in support of peacebuilding efforts in the Philippines.

Muslim Ulama, Christian religious, academics, professionals, local government officials, and civil society groups will attend the forum with the aim of enriching the discourse on interfaith understanding especially among Muslims and Christians.

VSO, one of the forum sponsors, is an international non-governmental organization that supports development and poverty eradication efforts in developing countries by sending volunteer professionals where their line of expertise is much needed.

Its Peace Mindanao program in based in the Lanao provinces and works with local governments, NGOs, Muslim and Christian communities in the fields of resource management, livelihoods, and grassroots peacebuilding.

AFRIM, on the other hand, is a non-profit research and advocacy institution based in Davao City. It focuses on social research, advocacy, community development, and providing information and analyses on development related issues.

Those who are interested to attend may contact Anna Quines or Nemia Bautista of AFRIM at (082) 226-4592,226-3932, anna@afrim.org.ph or to info@afrim.org.ph.

2006-04-02T03:10:00.000-07:00

A Davaoeño Feast
BY JEREMY C. MALCAMPO

Though most Pinoy gourmands criticize Davao cuisine as something that always goes with liquor, or something you eat to help kill time because the natives prefer their fish and meat sinugba (charcoal grilled), boiled or roasted with ginger and tanglad (lemon grass), I believe otherwise. I do believe—behind all the Sinuglaw fad which roots from classical to contemporary Filipiniaña culinary history—that Davao food is so diverse and good, it takes a lifetime to rationalize and answer the question why they love Durian, and why Davao women are extremely special.

For one, the Davao people’s treatment of food, like the fresh bounties of the sea (tanigue, kitong, tuna), is geared towards preserving natural flavors. Whether we like it or not, a hearty tanigue meat, tuna panga (jaw) or tuna belly are at their best when treated with just the most basic culinary requirement (the most important element in cooking) which is plain heat.

Perhaps, all types of meat really reincarnate as food for humanity when grilled. They are four times more flavorful and aromatic with all essential oils enhanced. When grilled atop charcoal, meat becomes tastier as salinity (natural chloric acids) doubles, and high and low-lypo fatty acids fuse together, making it good enough to please both the palate and our olfactory sense. Of course, there’s the aged Sukang Tuba, and Sasa (sap) that are romantically fermented through years and years of storage in Tapayan clay jars, and big glassware with garlic, onions, pepper, pork fat oil, and heavily infused with chili peppers.

My last Davao food adventure was well over two years ago, and I had forgotten how good Davao food can be. It was precisely to reacquaint myself with the goodness of Davao cuisine that just recently I found myself, together with a few colleagues and friends, at the Hotel Intercon in Makati City giving support to Chef Manuel "Paddy" Lascano’s Davao Food Festival which highlighted a superior buffet line of modern and authentic Davao cuisine.

When I arrived at the Jeepney Restaurant of the Hotel Intercon, I found my mentor, Chef Gene Gonzalez, giving detailed instructions to a chef at the rotisserie station about properly grilling a tuna panga to his preference; while asking another member of the staff for a minute serving of Oding or Udong (a Filipinized dish of the Japanese Udon). In the next table, my mentor’s sous chef, together with Café Breizh owner Chef Paul Tee of Davao, was signaling me for an early, afternoon drink.

After Chef Paddy was formally introduced to me, I went to check the Oding or Udong station. I was asked by one of the interns who participated in the festival if I wanted to try a sample serving, and I replied yes. She sautéed some chopped garlic and onions in oil and put in about two tablespoons of fresh pork liver slices until they changed in color. She added some herbs and put in some flour-and-egg-based noodles with some kinayod coconut meat. The coconut meat extended its internal oils and turned the concoction into a creamy dish, timely perfect for seasoning with salt and pepper.

While she plated it, I proceeded to the grill station. I asked for a serving of marinated, fresh liempo slices and a single order of tuna panga for grilling. When I tried everything with steamed rice and a dip made out of suka at sili, the food was so good I was convinced to try out everything that the food festival had to offer.

While Chef Paddy was giving some lectures on Davao food history to the rest of the guests at our table, I signaled to my mentor’s sous chef to join me in choosing some more examples of Davao food to try out.

As we stepped into the casserole area, and the fry station, he recommended the Guprito nga Tilapia with Mango Ginger Sauce, which was fried to a superb crispiness. The mango ginger sauce was bliss; it was a basic amalgamation of aroma and contrasting tastes. It was really very good and as far as I know Chef Paddy is renowned for this amazing Davao dip. I then got some pieces of fried Puso ng Saging Bola Bola, which had some reddish outer-burn, and tasted meaty in umami. I enjoyed them with the mango ginger dip, as well.

After lunch, my stomach still had some room for Sea Urchin Roe Salad, fried garlic stewed pork belly, Manuk Kiarehan, and some Cassava Dumplings with Durian Cream for dessert. Needless to say, I left the food festival well-sated and intending to come back. Incidentally, the Davao Food Festival at the Hotel Intercon is until March 31.

Lutong bahay

2006-03-31T21:35:00.000-08:00

Lutong bahay
By Stella A. Estremera
Going' Places

FRIDAY again... and no place visited yet, darn! Gigi suggested this eating place along MacArthur Highway in Matina as she did last week, but I wasn't in the mood for anything that's as visible as those. I wanted something that not everybody had a chance to see yet, and so there's buddy Carlos to consult...

"Merong bago, dito sa helera ng Torres. Yung City High, then ang road after that is yung papuntang Nanay Bebeng, tapos there's Mabini and one more road na hindi ko alam ang pangalan," was Carlos lengthy introduction (actually the street next is Pardo de Tavera).

He continued, "Paglampas mo diyan meron yang kainan -- Nanay, Mama, Ate -- hindi ko matandaan ang pangalan basta may picture ng (beep!) babae na (beep-beep!)... basta yung _expression ng mukha yung para bang 'pag sinabi niyang 'Eat all your rice,' kakainin mo talaga lahat." (That is the cut version).

I did remember having passed by that area and did notice a bahay-kubo like restaurant one night when the taxi I was riding opted to escape traffic along Quirino and exited through Lopez Jaena and so I had an idea of what to expect.

What I wasn't ready for was the picture; thus earning a curious look from the taxi driver as I snorted and giggled just before telling him to stop.

Warning to all you thin-skinned people out there: Don't ever dare ask my friends to describe you or your kin...

Now, as Kris Aquino would say it... "In fairness", that photo (_expression aside) and the name below it, does send a message to the "oldies" like us. For my mom, maybe, she'd immediately recognize Linda of Gingerbread Bakeshop in Matina. For those of our generation, we'd recognize the surname Garcia Alonzo. All together, the place "Mama Da's" is owned by Linda Garcia Alonzo of the Nanay Bebeng clan and the Gingerbread Bakeshop fame.

That said, let's go in...

It's turo-turo, with the most familiar food you'll ever see. Sarsyadong matambaka, ginisang ampalaya with egg, humba with the thickest chunk of tenderized taba you'll ever see (yum!), giniling na baka, ginataang suso with pako and kalabasa, and some more that I cannot recall and maybe a lot more but it seems that we were able to catch only the remnants of whatever they offer; and it was just 7 p.m.

That night I had three regular Goin' Places buddies all together -- Gigi, Ana, and Dengdeng -- plus Ikit, when usually I am only able to drag one or two at most. And so we had a feast. One order of sarsyadong matambaka (2 pieces), one ginisang ampalaya, two giniling na baka, one tortang talong, one humba, one ginataang suso, one ginisang monggo and one cup of rice each. Over loud conversations we ate them all, and swore never to eat as much again. Burp...

The bill? The grand sum of P200-something. We had to ask the waitress whether she got our orders right. She did, we just couldn't believe it.

We continued with our loud conversations (make that their loud conversations -- the trio of Dengdeng, Ana and Ikit can break anyone's eardrums when they are all hyped up) since it was still early. As they yakked and yakked, the staff pulled down the bamboo blinds. But then, Ikit and I were the only ones facing the road and since Ikit was so engrossed in the guess who's got the biggest voice contest, no one seemed to have seen that the blinds were already down and the ends tied to the posts, secured.

Around half an hour later, one of the waitresses finally approached. They are closed, she said. I guess with my type of friends, "pasimple" doesn't work: say it straight and say it loud or they wouldn't hear you. It was 9 p.m.

By the way, it's turo-turo and lutong bahay, so don't expect anything grand. Think, your lola's kitchen during regular days.

Editor's daughter and first time visitor impressed with Davaoeño honesty

2006-03-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

Editor's daughter and first time visitor impressed with Davaoeño honesty
Mindanano Daily Mirror
Friday, March 24, 2006
GIL M. ABARICO

First time Davao visitor Tina Antonio admits that on the third day of her re-cent visit here, she wasn’t yet able to see the true beauty of this southern metropolis until she lost her purse on board a taxi, almost gave up hope in recovering it—and then, unexpectedly, it was returned to her later, with nothing missing among its contents, including cash, cellphone and im-portant papers.
Then, equating honesty with beauty, it dawned on her that Davao is truly a beautiful place and Davaoeños are indeed beautifully honest people.

—xxx—

She recalled that last Saturday, she took a taxi to go to another place in the city. “I don’t remember his name, but I remember his face. I clearly remember the looks on his face because he surprised me by returning to me a P10 change when I paid my taxi fare.

“I was surprised”, she said, “because I’m used to Manila taxi drivers who usually don’t give back the change to their cus-tomers.”

“So, I told him to keep the change” and he e-ven rep-lied “thank you.” La-ter, after realizing that she had left her purse in the taxi seat, she decided to take another taxi to go around the city looking at the faces of other taxi drivers.

—xxx—

But finally, she was losing hope and decided to give up and told the driver to bring her back to the hotel where she was staying along C.M. Recto street. But when she reached the hotel, she found her boss and com-panion from Manila, Ms. Ellen Benavides, dialing the number of her lost cell-phone. When it rang, she was able to speak to three taxi passengers and the driver who found her purse.

At that time, she learned that the passen-gers, namely Earl Her n N. Alentaje, his wife Neljean C. Alentaje, together with their friend Sharon Z. San-chez, who are all residents of Toril district and the driver of Jom-Jom taxi, named Jaime Veloso, were already at the Toril Police Station then and were turning over her purse to the policemen on duty, who were SPO1 Boromeo L. Junio/Desk Officer and SPO1 Francisco C. Paña III/Investigator.

—xxx—

According to Ms. Antonio, she rushed to Toril, which is some 30-minute drive from down-town Davao City and re-covered her purse. It was then, because of her hap-piness, that she finally realized the beauty of Davao even if since it was her first time to be here. “I was so thankful and happy that Davaoeños are really honest and very nice since I personally experienced it and so I salute the Dava-oeños—your place is truly beautiful and its residents are really beautiful peo-ple.”

Incidentally Tina S. Antonio is the youngest daughter of Mr. Tony Antonio, Provincial News editor of the Manila Bulletin.

2006-03-15T21:19:00.000-08:00

Coming to Davao
Sunstar Davao, March 16, 2006 issue
By Ana Felicia Dulay

BACK in the 1950s, a lawyer traveled all the way from Manila and tried to make a living in Davao City. Not only did his practice become prosperous, he also earned the prestige most lawyers seek.

Former Ombudsman for Mindanao Cesar Nitorreda arrived in Davao in 1951. For nine years, he taught Law at the then Mindanao Colleges.

Coming to Davao is like that movie 'Forest Gump' when Tom Hanks sat on the park bench and starts to narrate how his mother taught him the first lessons in life," Nitorreda said.

"As the Torres sisters picked me up at the airport and we were driving along where the PLDT office is, there were this stalls, I exclaimed: 'Ano naman 'yang itsura ng mga langka dito'," he says. He mistook the famous durian fruit for the jackfruit. "And they had to force-feed me with it but in no time, I was eating it heartily."

Nitorreda describes Davao poblacion as it was before, bounded by Claveria and Tomas Claudio Avenue. The main district extended to San Pedro and out to Bonifacio streets and up to Bankerohan Bridge up to the PTA grounds.

What a far cry from the vast sprawling commercial district we have at present.

The main livelihood back then was abaca. "Abaca was thriving beautifully. The hemp was selling at sky-high prices. And so were the coconuts. The copra was plentiful and the prices were high. The social significance of this is that everybody was not poor. Everybody was more than merely comfortable," he said.

"They had so much money. Life was good. Life was quiet and ideal. Everybody knew everybody. There was a shindig every night. There were these professionals who were socialites. They went to school mainly to meet people. Right after school close or evening classes end, we all converged to the Puericulture Center, which was on Claveria corner San Pedro across PNB. There was dancing. My students and I will be dancing and all types of people were there," he said. This is the spot now of the San Pedro police station. What a dichotomy in life. Where it once held joyous occasions, the place now houses enforcers of peace and order.

"Every evening it showered. Plan a picnic and you won't have rain. But in the evenings, it showered. The bougainvilleas grew in profusion. You watch a movie at San Pedro, and you don't have to lock your homes," he said.

"When I came here, Davao was prosperous. I lived in a wooden house of the Antoninos right across the parking lot of Apo View Hotel. I boarded at P70, board and lodging," Mr. Nitorreda said. "When I came, I hardly knew law as I just came straight out of the Ateneo de Manila. I immediately taught Law at the Mindanao Colleges (now University of Mindanao) at P5 an hour. I taught for about nine years."

Used to a hard life back in Manila, Mr. Nitorreda did not mind sprinting to get to work. "My wages left nothing for fare. I would have to sprint at 5:30 a.m., from Camus to Legaspi, then on to Magallanes streets to get to work," he said.

Back in Manila where he came from, a lot of reconstruction work was going on after the ravages of World War II. "The massacre in Malate, even the post office in Lawton was in shambles," he said. The morning jog to get to Mindanao Colleges did not bother him at all.

"But I wanted to earn a living by being a lawyer. After one year I said i will not get anywhere here if i did not practice law," he said.

And so he opened the Nitorreda Law Office right at San Pedro Street. "My own office was closest to City Hall. The big hearings were heard at the Sangguniang Panlungsod building," he said.

"Fortunately, in no time at all, I had a thriving case.

My first clients were free, pro bono. But my main clients were the whole Santa. Ana district," he said.

The 1950s also saw the onset of squatting. He recalls how after the fire that gutted down the entire San Pedro St. in the 60s, hundreds of squatters occupied a lot in Buhangin. The owners, being one of his close friends, sought his help. With his intervention, the illegal tenants were driven out and the owner was able to reclaim his property. The place is now called San Pedro Village.

"I was also the lawyer who quelled a strike of the jeepney drivers who tried to paralyze the city. The jeepney owners came from influential families and we were able to make an agreement," he said.

But more importantly, Mr. Nitorreda also handled labor cases where he fought for the laborer's rights. "I charged the highest, but there were many pro bono cases," he said.

Mr. Nitorreda thinks of himself more of a Dabawenyo than a Nueva Ecijano. And with this, he regrets some of the changes the city undertook over the decades.

"I am not happy with the street changes. And I think that is shared by many. Some streets are named after those who had hardly any achievement. Take the Sarenas. my father-in-law was a judge, a governor, an assemblyman and even city mayor. They never named a street after him," he said. He was referring to the late Juan Sarenas, who was a one-time mayor of undivided Davao. Mr. Nitorreda is married to Leticia Sarenas and they are blessed with ten children.

"I also do not like the defacement of some famous landmarks. But mayor Duterte has been fairly good at preserving Davao's heritage," he adds.

Through it all, he says he can look back his years as Davao's topnotch lawyer with pride.

"I spent blood sweat and tears. I am not a saint but I can rightfully say that I never compromised my ideals," he said.

Such is the tale of the lawyer who came here and helped shape Davao City to what it is at its present state.

2006-03-15T21:16:00.000-08:00

Who is a Dabawenyo?
Mindanao Times News
Wednesday March 15, 2006

(This space turns back the hands of time some 34 years ago. This was the editorial of the March 12, 1970 issue of this paper in time for the third celebration of the Araw ng Dabaw since it was institutionalized by the late Mayor Elias B. Lopez. Today, 34 years hence many among us still have to discover what is a Dabawenyo, Who is a Dabawenyo. – Editors)

FOR the third time, since 1968, the foundation day of Davao City is being observed under the theme, Tayo ay Dabawenyo. The celebration covers one full week of activities – ranging from a walk in the sun, golf tournaments, beauty contest, races games, concerts, radio talks and street and park cleaning to the giving of awards to residents, both living and dead, who have rendered exemplary services or have contributed to the development and progress of this city.

All of these activities, we agree, are generating a festive mood among the public and private sectors and are, happily, providing a little surcease from the lack of potable water and the rigors of rising prices of prime commodities.

Mayor Elias B. Lopez, who must be congratulated for having initiated the observance of the birth anniversary, said last week that the celebration of the Araw ng Dabaw is intended “primarily to inculcate on the Davao residents a feeling of pride and sense of belonging.”

It cannot be denied that under the under Lopez administration, the city residents have a lot to be thankful for and be proud of: roads, sewerage system, beautification of the parks and playgrounds, increased revenues, improvement in the public administration, and an enlargement of the image of the city in the eyes of visitors from other places in the Philippines and abroad. And, of course, the fact that Davao City has finally “won” the attention of Malacañang and other government agencies in Manila.

But turning back to the theme, Tayo ay Dabawenyo in this year’s Araw ng Dabaw. What should be the right spelling of our city – the official and internationally known and accepted name, Davao, or the word, Dabaw, that gave birth to another word, Dabawenyo? And what is a Dabawenyo? Who is a Dabawenyo?

For the correct answers to the questions, we have to refer to the history of Davao City and its people, their beginnings, customs, cultures, traditions and aspirations apart from and yet strongly intertwined with the rest of the Filipino people’s Do we have that history? Do we have the written biographies of the pioneers, both foreigners and natives, who carved the city out of the jungles, at least, from the time the expedition led by Jose Oyanguren landed here and defeated the valiant forces of Datu Bago?

Davao is peopled by heterogeneous settlers who have yet to be welded together and integrated into one: Davaoeño. But what is he? Who is he?

Integrating people with varied and various regional backgrounds and influences will be truly a tedious and tricky task that may not be accomplished in our own time. But let us try to tackle the work now. Let us begin, for example, and for purposes of keeping faith with the known historical identity, by agreeing that our city is Davao, not Dabaw, and we are Davaoeños, not Dabawenyos.

Then let us give direction and purpose to our celebration, but say, writing our history; establishing a center for our historical cultural, archeological, geological and artistic records, relics and artifacts; and, by boosting our agricultural, commercial and industrial endeavors to show our progress and to project our determination for more progress.

Finally, let us break down the walls of regionalism and be come one and truly united – then, at last, we can feel the pride and the sense of belonging.

( 0 )

Glimpses of old Davao

2006-03-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Glimpses of old Davao
Sunstar Davao
By Stella A. Estremera

THROUGH the years, hit topics by any columnists would be something that touched on Davao City, pre-mall era.

Those days in the arcades and the pre-school opening shopping for shoes in Milanes in the Aldevinco Shopping Center for the reliable, and child-proof Gregg shoes (shoes so durable, you'd be wearing it until you graduate in elementary), while hoping mom is rich enough for an ice cream sundae, banana split or peach melba and cheese roll from Goody-goody Kiosk just across the corridor, or in Shoeland or Good Earth Emporium both along San Pedro Street for the cheaper but definitely less durable black Spartan shoes that will last for less than one school year.

And then it's a quick trip to Alan's Commercial or Mindanao Education for school items like that atrocious dark brown Golden Gate or drab green Silver Swan notebooks, Mongol pencils, and wax paper (if mom is on a tight budget) or plastic cover (if mom is feeling generous) to cover the notebooks with.

Shopping takes on an upturn just before Christmas, when Christmas parties in school require you to wear something new. This type of shopping will bring you to Borgaily's still along San Pedro Street for a Collezione or Lacoste and a Matchbox toy or A&M along Bolton Street, way before it became that three-storey structure along Rizal Street for really good imported items and more Matchbox toys.

Those were the days when the most envied classmate is the one who has a "Dymo", that thingamajig that you can spell out names with on a hard plastic tape that you use to label your bags, notebooks, and pencil cases; and a set of Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books. The status symbols of our childhood...

But, way, way before these are even more poignant memories of Davao put to print by two Davao historians and favorite story-tellers, Ernie Corsino who wrote "Davao History" in 1998 and Rogelio "Noning" Lizada who wrote the "Sang-awun sa Dabaw (Once Upon a Time in Davao) in 2002, and the important details that sometimes are glossed over by story-telling are preserved by Gloria P. Dabbay, who wrote "Davao City: Its History and Progress".

In their books we get to know the quaint Davao complete with dates and periods when these glimpses happened, unlike our vague mixed up memories of childhood.

As quoted in Corsino's book, C.D. Cowles in the "Report of the Commanding Officer, Davao" contained in "Report of the War Department", Vol. 9, 538-553, in 1902 wrote, "The twon is well laid-out, with long avenues bordered with palms. There is a good-size church, attached to which is a convento in good repair, capable of containing 125 men. The local barracks is in bad condition (no floor and needs a new roof), nad has space for about 40 men. The two school buildings are dilapidated. The tribunal is commodious; could contain 75 men if flooring were mended, new roofs made, and after a thorough polishing. There is also a government house which could contain 40 men if the building should be thoroughly renovated.

"Some of the private houses are neat and well-built. The health of the community is said to be good. The water is obtained from the Davao River. The staple in the vicinity is hemp; there is sufficient cattle in the immediate vicinity to supply a small garrison, but not enough for export (price about 4 cents per pound on the hoof). The townspeople appear to desire the advent of American troops. They desire to know if there would be a monthly steamer and if it would be possible to obtain a Jesuit priest and named their former pastor, Padre Mateo Gisbert, as the one more desirable."

That was Davao soon after the Americans took over from the Spaniards. It has been a story of growth and development since then, long years filled with memories and snippets that only bring smiles upon those who remember.

Not known to many, Dabawenyos, Davao is the first Charter City under the Commonwealth Regime.

Davao City was once part of this vast chunk of land known as the Davao Province -- now composed of the provinces of Davao del Sur, Norte, Oriental and Compostela Valley.

It was on March 16, 1936 when then Assemblyman Romulado C. Quimpo sponsored a bill in Congress making Davao a chartered city.

The bill was signed into law by then President Manuel L. Quezon on October 16, 1936 under Commonwealth Act No. 51 or the Charter of the City of Davao.

The city was formally inaugurated on March 1, 1937, almost one year after the bill was sponsored.

"The motive of the creation of the City of Davao was the presence in Davao and Guianga of many Japanese nationas. It was then feared that through elections, the Japanese would be in a portion to control Davao and Guianga," Corsino quoted from Jose Ralston Hayden's "The Philippines: A study in national development" (New York: Macmillian & Co., 1955).

Just after the Americans arrived in Davao in 1899, and way before the city was chartered, there was no formal school to speka of as mission school of the Spanish era have been abandoned.

"A common picture of that period depicts a khaki-clad soldier and a young boy sitting on the grass and poring over an illustrated magazine or pamphlet," Corsino wrote.

The soldier would be pointing at a picture and pronounce the name of the object there.

"This was how education began, with off-duty soldiers having friendly session with their pupils. After a while, American soldiers started teaching adults, too," Corsino continued.

But like all centers of development, schools soon flourished, first being government-funded schools.

The first private school hereabouts was the predecessor of the University of Immaculate Conception run by the Religious of the Virgin Mary called Colegio de San Pedro. Its medium of instruction then was Spanish.

It was renamed St. Peter's School for Girls and then two decades later was again renamed Immaculate Conception Institute.

In 1924, the Chinese community put up their own school for the children -- the Davao Chinese School, which first offered primary education with instructions in both Chinese and English.

It was a decade hence when the predecessor of Ateneo de Davao University came into being -- the St. Peter's School for Boys in 1934. This school was conducted by the Jesuit fathers.

The start of the day would be met marked by children on their way to school, Lizada wrote.

"The Davao Light Power Plant blew its siren to announce the start of work. Students of different schools appeared on the streets. Prominent among all were the Japanese students because the boys' head were clean shaven and they wore red caps."

Other distinguishing marks: the Chinese school students were in green skit and white blouses, the Immaculate Conception would be in pink skirts and white blouses, the St. Peter's School for Boys would be in khaki pants and white shirt, while public school students would be in any attire but "occasionally brought garden tools like sickle for gardening."

Noontime in the mid-1930s was very quiet, the street almost deserted.

At around 2 p.m. of a regular day in Davao, Lizada wrote, "In several houses women while away the afternoon playing Pangigue or Landay using Spanish cards with characters like 'Sata de Bastus Spada' or Oros with Alas or ace as the highest card. The men are in the room taking a nap, 'naga pasuka' (a famous Dinabaw term meaning having his scalp scratched or tinkered with slowly till he falls asleep)."

Merienda would be prepared by 3 p.m. and people would then start to leave for the "Paseo" (walk in the park or around town).

Lizada went on to describe how people dress in the 1930s, clothes that distinguished them according to their classes.

"People wearing coats and ties were either professionals or were engaged in white-collared jobs; people wearing 'maong' or denims were laborers, as 'haguteros' or abaca fiber strippers used maong; people wearing rubber shoes belonged to the lower income bracket, as people in the upper income level always put on leather shoes; people sporting two holstered revolvers with bullet belts strapped around their waist were out of town visiting landowners; people wearing buri hats were tenants as landlords wore stetson hats; women wearing kimonas in the markets were Tagalas; women wearing wrapped around patadyongs were most likely Muslims."

Today, the closest we can relate to this description of the people moving around in the city is the one that describes "people sporting two holstered revolvers".

Just a few years ago, this was in the form of vicious-looking people going around in huge pick-up trucks following an equally huge dark-tinted, dark colored SUV.

Since City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte banned those armed men careening all over the city streets in their SUVs, trying so hard to catch up with the dark tinted SUV in front of them, presumably their "amo" from out of town, now only the careening, speeding SUVs and the vicious-looking but unarmed men seated on the rear part of an pick-up truck.

The long-time Dabawenyos can be recognized by the way they talk, or mangled the Tagalog and Visayan dialects, while new arrivals from Manila are distinguished by Manileño twang that a lot of the soft-spoken Dabawenyos find offensive to the ear. The other Visayans, they're barely recognizable until they use words like "pachada" and "nindot", words not used by your Davao Bisaya who will always refer to anything that's beautiful -- whether animate, animate, human or whatever -- as "gwapo". Otherwise, only the guys in the SUVs are distinguishable...

2006-03-12T22:11:00.000-08:00

Eventful week as city celebrates ‘Araw ng Dabaw’

Mindanao Times

March 13, 2006

TODAY marks the four-day countdown to the much-awaited 69th Araw ng Dabaw celebration with various events expected to attract both locals and visitors.

Today is also the Pagdiriwang ng mga Empleyado, the celebration of city government employees for the charter anniversary of Davao City. From 9 AM until 7 PM, civil servants from different departments will hold various competitions at Rizal Park, such as the Hataw Sayaw Pop Dance Contest, Hataw Sayaw Cheer Dance Contest, and Kantahan Amateur Singing Contest.

Tonight is also the grand finals of Huni sa Dabaw where 10 songwriting entries by Davaoeño composers will compete for top prizes at SM City Davao Entertainment Plaza at 6 PM (see separate story). A free concert will also be held from 8 PM to 12 MN at Rizal Park.

On Tuesday, Kasikas sa Garbo will fill the Centennial, Quezon, Rizal and Osmeña parks with various musical and cultural simultaneous performances. This will run from 2-8 PM.

A free party with Pop Fiesta show will also be held at PTA Grounds.

On Wednesday, 7 PM, the eve of the grand celebration, will also be the Coronation Night of the 2006 Araw ng Dabaw at the CAP Auditorium.

The entire city will finally come together and celebrate Araw ng Dabaw on Thursday, with a series of exciting outdoor and street events starting with the Parada Dabawenyo and Banda Hudyaka along the major streets of the city from 8 AM to 12 NN. Banda Hudyaka will have its showdown performances at 2 PM in Rizal Park.

SM City Davao will host a show for the popular Pinoy Big Brother housemates. All 13 cast of the first edition of the reality show, including our very own Cassandra Ponti and matinee idol Sam Milby, will be in Davao.

Gaisano Mall will also hold their Munting Mutya Coronation Pageant at 3 PM while a free concert will also be held the PTA Grounds featuring various stars and local talents at 7 PM.

As a gift to the Davaoeños, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will sponsor a free concert Alay Konsyerto ni Mayor featuring popular pop band Hale, actress Anne Curtis and comedian Blakjak at Rizal Park.

The celebration continues with various continuing and post-Araw ng Dabaw events, such as the Randy Santiago Mall Tour at SM City Davao and Araw ng Dabaw Street Party at SM City Parking C (March 18), and John Lloyd Cruz Live at SM City Entertainment Plaza (March 19).

Dabawenya tops Binibining Pilipinas 2006

2006-03-05T13:56:00.000-08:00

Monday, March 06, 2006
Dabawenya tops Binibining Pilipinas 2006
By Stella A. Estremera

A DABAWENYA wowed the crowd, earned the judges' approval, and romped off with the most-coveted Binibining Pilipinas-Universe 2006 crown in the Bb. Pilipinas pageant, midnight Saturday.

Lia Andrea "Lian" Aquino Ramos, a BS Psychology graduate of the University of the Philippines-Diliman and alumnae of Ateneo de Davao University, bested 24 other candidates.

photo courtesy of Sunstar Davao

She is the first Bb. Pilipinas top plum winner from Davao City.

Ramos was an early favorite, grabbing the two special prizes in the first part of the pageant -- Miss Photogenic and Best in Swimsuit.

She went on to get the special prizes for Philippine Airlines (PAL) and the candidate with the "Most Beautiful Hair."

She breezed through the question and answer portion, where she was asked by Belgium Ambassador to the Philippines Gregoire Vankadis what country she would want to live in aside from the Philippines and she chose France.

"I'm a self-confessed Franco-phile and I'm very much fascinated with their culture, with their language," she said.

She capped her short spiel with "C'est la vie!" the French phrase meaning, "It is the life."

Her French phrase was no put on too, as she speaks French as well, having studied the language in Alliance Francaise de Manille, a French school in Makati.

"I'm really so glad. But, actually, it is not sinking it yet. I'm still trying to talk to my mom in the States," Ramos said Sunday morning, admitting she was busy all morning answering text messages and phone calls.

Her family is now in the US and it's a double celebration of sorts because her mother also has just passed the state board exam for nursing in California, USA.

Her mother, Sally, was the former school nurse of ADDU. Her dad, Ferdinand Ramos, was a former bank executive and popular golf enthusiast where he once had a golf sports column in erstwhile Ang Peryodiko Dabaw (the predecessor of Sun.Star Davao).

Before the pageant, she was already a standout and became the subject of a rumor that she is a US resident and only claimed to be from Davao.

She readily dispelled this rumor when she said that she has been working in Manila for the past two years.

She works with The Asia Foundation as an assistant program officer for the foundation's law program. There, she assists two lawyers who tackle programs for judicial reforms, jail decongestion, mediation, and she do research on access to justice where she gets to work with jail managements as well as non-government organizations.

The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-government organization that supports programs in Asia that help improve governance and law, economic reform and development, women's empowerment, and international relations.

She said, her work in jails was among those asked of her during the pre-pageant interviews.

Her aunt, Tita Tagle-Aquino, who was cheering her all the time, said her exposure left a good impression to the judges making her stand out among the 24 other candidates.

"Law is an option for me. But, I'm more interested to do foreign service. I dream of joining the diplomatic corps," she said.

In the meantime, she added, she has to work hard for the upcoming Miss Universe pageant in May.

"They (Bb. Pilipinas Foundation) are focusing on me because the Miss Universe pageant is much nearer compared to the two other pageants, the Miss International and Miss World," she said.

She added that she may be brought to Colombia for further training but this is not sure yet.

Asked about Davao, she said, the city holds a lot of fond memories and she cannot help missing it.

"I love going to the beach. I'm just a sun baby and just going to Samal with friends and family, is really fun for me. I love seafood, that's what I miss most here, that is why I eat all the crabs, shrimps, panga that I can whenever I'm there," she added.

But because of work, she has not visited Davao as frequently as she would have wanted to.

"I get to visit Davao because of my work. But the last time I was there for a short vacation was in November last year. So, it has been quite sometime that I haven't visited Davao," she said.

Tagle-Aquino, who acted as her guardian because Ramos's is already in the US, said her niece, has been wooed to join the Bb. Pilipinas for sometime now, but it was only last January when she finally gave in to the prodding.

"In the past three years, she was really being eyed already to join the pageant because her sideline is modeling," Tagle-Aquino said.

She does modeling jobs whenever she needs extra money for school.

Ramos just arrived home from a vacation with her family in the US when her agent pestered her to join the Bb. Pilipinas search, her aunt said.

Ramos confirmed that the invitation to join the pageant came as early as 2001.

Asked why she didn't accept the invitation to join the search earlier on, she said, "I didn't feel that I was ready then. I felt that I was still very raw."

"But for some reason, when the invitation was made again, some inner voice told me that I was ready for this now," she added.

Her "discoverer," she said, is the same person as the one who discovered Gionnah Cabrera, the 2005 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe.

Her childhood friend April Evangelista says Ramos always excelled in their class, although they were just the regular teens who loved going to malls and watching movies.

April admitted she and two other friends were glued to the television Saturday night as they cheered on their friend.

She said that while they were schoolmates since elementary, it was only in first year high school that their "barkada" was formed.

(March 6, 2006 issue)
Sunstar Davao

Balik City High ng Batch88...

2006-01-17T19:54:00.000-08:00

Balik City High ng Batch88...

Mabuhay, Davao City High, Mutya naming paaralan!

Two of the four TV sets that DCHS88 came up for our Alma mater

SWAT Team Melvin Fernandez and Capt Tolosa in the line of duty, carry on Sir!

And they fall in line as well with present DCNHS principal Mrs. Coloma

With this 2005 reunion organizers, section ABAD SANTOS, Leslie Cruz, Oliver Cabrera, Michelle Deparine, with (Left to Right) Melvin Fernandez, Allan Mahinay, Capt. Allan Tolosa, Maj. Jun Malana and Davao City National High School principal, department heads and teachers.

Daghang salamat sa tanan for making this possible!

Balik City High Reunion 2005.....aftermath!

2006-01-11T20:18:00.000-08:00

Balik City High Reunion 2005.....aftermath!

ATF 2006 puts Davao on world tourism map

2005-12-14T23:28:00.000-08:00

ATF 2006 puts Davao on world tourism map
By INQ7.net

WITH DAVAO CITY hosting the 25th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) from January 13 to 21, this prestigious international event is already putting the emerging megacity on the world tourism map and drawing global attention to its economic boom.

This was revealed by the Department of Tourism (DOT), now at the hub of brisk international coordination among the throngs of ATF 2006 participants from the 10 member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and giant wholesale travel trade buyers from all over the world.

Citing online reservations and inquiries made through the ATF 2006 website at www.atfdavao.com, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano said the event could easily draw over 800 corporate sellers from the ASEAN region and 430 specialists from key world markets as buyers and media.

"All these would translate to thousands of foreign and local visitors flocking to Davao for the ATF 2006," Durano said in a press statement, stressing the city's tourism profile as a major part of the event's communication portfolio being circulated to its international target market.

The information blitz is also stirring international interest in the socioeconomic condition in Davao and the rest of Mindanao and may attract investments, not only in tourism ventures, but also in other key industries," said Tourism Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab.

Investments in Davao City in terms of total capitalization of businesses continued to surge from only P62 billion in 2000 to 69 billion in 2001, P80 billion in 2002, P84 billion in 2003, and a whopping P118.5 billion in 2004. The sharp growth is very evident in the city's tourism, construction, agriculture, and export sectors.

Tourist arrivals based on air passenger traffic and hotel occupancy volume have been consistently increasing since 2000, with the DOT office in Southern Mindanao (Region XI) placing Davao City's total tourism receipts at P5.22 billion in January-June 2005 alone, a 13-percent increase from the P4.62 billion generated in the same period last year.

Similarly, Davao City has recorded an unprecedented increase in the value of private building construction, which skyrocketed to P7.4 billion last year from only P773 million in 2001. So did exports, shooting up to P993 million in 2004 from P848 million in 2003 and P$738 million in 2002, with the balance of trade further widening in Davao City's favor.

"Those figures are making Davao City even more attractive to tourists, many of whom are corporate executives and entrepreneurs on vacation who can't ignore a business opportunity when they see one," said ATF 2006 secretary general and Philippine and Visitors Corporation Executive director Daniel Corpuz. Davao is the capital of Southern Mindanao region and one of the world's largest cities in terms of land area, spanning 244,000 hectares.

This sprawling metropolis has emerged as the business, investment and tourism hub of Southern Philippines.

Citing Davao City as the next pillar of Philippine tourism, Davao said it was President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's personal choice as the venue for ATF 2006. Also the gateway and capital of the East Asia Growth Area (EAGA), which comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, Davao City is an ideal tourist destination, with its diverse cultures, beautiful beaches, awesome mountain resorts, fantastic dive spots and natural riches.

There is a charm in Davao that is not seen elsewhere and this is captured by the city's slogan "From Islands to Highlands," Durano explained. The ATF is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Southeast Asian
region as one tourist destination and support the individual tourism pursuits of the ASEAN's 10-member nations -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The ATF is supported by Philippine Airlines as head of the organizing body's air transportation committee; TTG Asia Media Pte Ltd as travel exchange organizer; CNN as official international cable and satellite media partner; and Travel Weekly, TTR Weekly, and TTG Asia as official trade publications. More information can be obtained from the ATF secretariat at tel. no. +63 2 5259318 to 30, +63 2 5251255, fax no. +63 2 5216165 and e-mail tts@dotpcvc.gov.ph.

The nine-day event comprises a travel trade fair that will be staged at the NCCC Exhibition Center and a series of conferences, business meetings and other functions slated in the city's various first-class international hotels and resorts.

Dabawenyos make waves in RP music industry

2005-12-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

WHAT does Jay Durias and his fellow South Border instrumentalists, Jinky Vidal and Carlo Tapia of Freestyle, Juris Fernandez of MYMP, Champ Lui-Po of Hale and the reggae band Brownman Revival all have in common?

Aside from hit recording artists of songs that have captured a huge chunk of the nation's airwaves and bringing in big bucks for their respective recording companies with their hot-selling albums, they are all first and foremost proudly Dabawenyos.

The city famous for its Durian fruit, orchid blooms, Monkey-eating eagle and for being the largest City in the world is also the place known for having produced a number of gifted musicians like Joey Ayala, Cynthia Alexander, and Popong Landero. And is currently recognized for producing artists that are currently conquering the whole country known for its overwhelming love for music.

And yet the list does not end with the present crop. Waiting in the wings are promising musical artists like the all-girls band Back by Midnight, former Ateneo High top band The Lizard Chips, potential alternative hit band G- Strings and other musicians and bands ready to take on the music scene with their soon to be released albums.

Yet the wealth of musical heritage in this southern metropolis has not bottomed out. Still according to some, the current class of top rate musical artists is still the tip of the iceberg.

As a venue of developing the still unexplored frontiers of musical potential in Davao, the Songwriters Organization Network Group or Song was organized, and last December 2 this group of homegrown songwriters all over Davao held its first induction of members and officers in an effort to institutionalize the group.

Envisioned to unite musical artists not just in Davao but also in Mindanao it hopes to be a creative convergence of various songwriters and musicians aimed at developing the Island's music scene.

According to Jacob Chua, Song president, the organization is a unique institution that promotes unity and bridges differences through music.

Owing to the fact that music, an art of harmony, is part of a rich cultural tapestry belonging to a land known for the complexity of its conflicts.

Song aims to support and develop and unite Mindanao's budding musical artists from the songs, music, artists, and their instruments.

Chua emphasized that Song is not a body that would impose creative conformity over its members.

"No person in Song has a monopoly in creativity, it is an open organization where ideas flow freely," said Chua.

According to Amado So, Song chair, the organization was a result of a flaming desire in creating a body of musical songwriters in the City. Whose relevance aptly timed with many homegrown talents making it big in the mainstream music scene.

Among its noble objectives is to push radio stations in playing Davao music, promoting local music through the country's backdoor utilizing the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-Eaga) network.

Aside from its objective to develop indigenous musical instruments, the group also aims to support and assist the family of an overseas musician, establish livelihood support for very promising musicians before they hit it big in the recording scene, and encourage parents to support their children's inclination to arts.

With the formation of Song, various musicians regardless of genres and instruments will have a venue for convergence.

Sunstar Davao
(December 10, 2005 issue)

Education center for Lumads soon to rise in Davao City

2005-12-09T23:37:00.000-08:00

Education center for Lumads soon to rise in Davao City
MEDCo/MindaNews / 07 December 2005

DAVAO CITY -- Construction work for the P2.2 million worth facility designed to serve as center for indigenous people's (IP or Lumad) education in Davao region has started.

The Institute for Indigenous People's Education (IIPE) will soon rise on a 400-square meter lot located inside the Davao City National High School (DCNHS) campus.

The IIPE's permanent office is expected to provide a centralized house for researches and initiatives that will enhance participation of different schools in promoting a culturally sensitive environment for indigenous people in the region.

The IIPE was established on 30 July 2004 in response to the educational needs of the IPâ€™s children and youth, and aims to develop a curriculum that showcases IP education in public and private schools.

The institute is managed by a consortium led by the Department of Education (DepED), in partnership with several agencies and organizations such as the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo), MindanaWon Intercultural Dialogue, Mindanao Coalition of Development NGOs, Assisi Development Foundation, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and Lumads Development Inc., with funding assistance from the

Philippines-Australia Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) Project of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

Secretary Jesus Dureza, chair of MEDCo, lauded the IIPE initiative as it directly supports the government's thrust of strengthening indigenous people's education in line with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Ten-Point Legacy Agenda and the Mindanao NATIN Program.

"Improving access to basic education for our indigenous peoples through IIPE initiative is very much in line with the national government's agenda of bringing peace and development in Mindanao by addressing imperatives for education in the island's most deprived sector," Dureza said.

The construction of a permanent IIPE site was implemented following Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's approval of a resolution that sought for the establishment of the IIPE building inside the DCNHS compound.

Part of the objectives of the IIPE is the development of information materials significant to the curriculum in order to heighten awareness of teachers and students on indigenous people's culture and tradition. The IIPE will serve as a repository of indigenous materials that will display the intricate craftsmanship of IP groups in Mindanao.

IIPE stakeholders will also conduct research activities that will significantly contribute to effective learning strategies that can be adopted by schools.

At present, there are 20 pilot schools adopting the IP curriculum in Region 11. Among the schools that will initially showcase indigenous materials of Mandaya, Ata and Bagobo tribes are the Caraga National High School in Davao Oriental, Tibi-Tibi Elementary School in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, and Atan Owe Elementary School in Toril, Davao City.

Activities already undertaken by the IIPE include the creation of a technical working group on the IP curriculum, consultation workshop, study tour to existing IP learning institutes in the country, write shop on curriculum framework, and trainers training on the implementation of IP curriculum.

It is expected that with the integration of IP education in the school curriculum, unity and cultural diversity in Mindanao will be strengthened further as commonalities and respect, rather than differences in culture and tradition of the island-region's 1.5 million IPs are highlighted.

“Walong Dekada”

2005-11-30T17:12:00.000-08:00

A call for your City High memories on paper Capturing the first eight decades of the Davao City High School,

Now the Davao City National High School The Davao City High School Batch 1980 will be hosting the grand alumini homecoming for 2005 on December 11 at the NCCC Mall, Davao City.
The batch has monickered itself “Walong Dekada” , after the year 1980 that we finished from City High School and the fact that City High is eight decades old or so.

This year we hope to celebrate with three batches, !980, the batch that never had a formal graduation, 1955 this years golden celebrants and Batch 1930. The year that would have been the golden celebrants in 1980.

Our Batch would like to start by trying to encapsulate the essence of our High School in the last eight decades that it has been in existence. We would like to see in the pages of a book what it was like to be a student of City High at that particular decade in time, juxtaposed to highlights /events in Davao City, the Philippines and the world.

City High is about the thousands and thousands of students who entered and exited its gates. Help us in campaign of finding the people that composed the pictures and the events. Write down those memories and reflections on paper. Share with us the true essence of City High.
Batch 1980 can be reached at CITYHI80-DVO@yahoogroups.com

A letter of Invitation to all Batch years of the Davao City High School, now the Davao City National High School

The Davao City High School Batch 1980 will hosting the grand alumni Reunion for 2005 on December 11, at the NCCC Mall, of Davao City.

The batch has called this year’s celebration “Walong Dekado,” marking the year we graduated from City High and recognizing that our school is now 82 turning 83. We are inviting all the batches to participate. Our batch did not have the opportunity to formally exit City High through a graduation. We finished high school during a very turbulent period in Davao City’s history. No large congregations were allowed at that time. Consequently, DCHS Batch 1955, this years golden anniversary celebrants, were also unable to celebrate their 25th homecoming. The golden year alumni celebrants for 1980 did not have their day as well.

We would like to make the homecoming memorable as always, and perhaps triply memorable for the three affected batches.

We welcome your support for the celebration. We also welcome your suggestions.
Hopefully by the end of the first quarter of 2005, we will be able to collate all suggestions and come out with a program wherein the different batches can participate by the end of the second quarter of 2005. Hopefully, we will be able to accommodate all suggestions.

Lastly, the batch has come out with a green card which will be the ticket for next years activity. We never had a city high green card. We hope you can avail of one for yourself as a ticket to the alumni homecoming and it will also serve as one of the memorabilia of the event.

Please write us your thoughts and suggestions for the December 11, 2005. You can send your reply to CITYHI80-DVO@yahoogroups.com or you can fax it to us at:
We look forward to your participation and appreciate your support.

Honey Sarita J. Abarquez
President DCHS BATCH 1980.

“ BALIK CITY HIGH REUNION 2005 ”.

2005-11-15T05:39:00.000-08:00

Malipayong adlaw kaninyong tanan !

Section Abad Santos would like to invite all batchmates to attend and participate this year’s reunion entitled, “ BALIK CITY HIGH REUNION 2005 ”.

Yes, batchmates as our theme indicates, we are all going back to City High. Our alma mater will be the venue of our Reunion 2005. This will be held on December 30 at the DCNHS auditorium at 3:00PM .

Our reunion program will basically be, teambuilding activities. So, please come in your most comfortable attire. Dahil panigurado, mapapasabak tayong lahat. Walang batchmate ang manonood, nakaupo o nakatayo lang. Dahil lahat tayo ay kasali sa lahat ng activities. Naiintriga na ba kayo? Kaya ngayon pa lang, magvitamins na at mag-ensayo !

In line with this, we would like to launch our reunion project called “Sponsor-a-Batchmate and Knowledge TV for City High”. This project aims to subsidize the expenses of this year’s reunion and to donate a 29inch colored television set for DCNHS’s Knowledge Channel Program.

A reunion is not just for the common few. It is not “tayo-tayo lang” or “sila-sila lang”. It is OUR reunion. Para sa ating lahat ito.

This is the reason why we have thought of this project. We are hoping we could raise enough funds to subsidize this year’s reunion. Mas masaya if we could hold our reunion for free. Yup! Walang entrance fee, O hindi ba mas exciting !

DCNHS Principal Mrs. Aida Cloma has requested our batch if we could donate a 29inch colored television for their Knowledge Channel Program. They are integrating the Knowledge Channel as another instruction tool.

We would like to encourage your participation on this endeavor. Any amount you are going to share will surely contribute to the success of this project and to our Reunion 2005.

If you wish to make a donation please email us at

dchs88@yahoo.com

For batchmates who are based in abroad, please use Wachovia Bank Of New York as the correspondent bank.

Please inform us through text or email if you have deposited your donation. Please indicate your name, the amount you have donated, date and time of remittance. This is important so that we can verify if this was posted to the bank account or not.

Rest assured that all of these will be as transparent as possible. We will be giving you daily updates on our account balance. We will be posting a project report after the reunion so that all of us will know what happened to the funds generated.

Maraming salamat at Tara na, Balik City High Tayo !!!

A flower named "Elizabeth" blooms in Florida

2005-11-07T07:05:00.000-08:00

Trick or Treat with Geo, Gene and Elly in New York

2005-11-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

Ang santilmo sa punoan sa sambag

2005-10-30T08:08:00.000-08:00

Candido Alburuto writes:

Bay Rene,

Kining akong sulat ron, Bay Rene, pahinungod sa kasaulogan sa Adlaw sa Minatay, kon “kalag-kalag” sa umaabot nga Martes pohon.

Duna ko’y istorya mahitungod sa maong kasaulogan. Nahitabo mga duha na ka tuig ang milabay. Nahinumdom ka tingali, Bay Rene, kang Tiyo Ating nga akong uyoan nga ulitawong guwang. (Kadto gong bayoti nga niwangon, taas ug buhok ug gikulata sa lakra sa buti ang nawong?)

Adlaw sa minatay ug didto ko sa Comunal sa Buhangin niadtong tungora. Layo ang sementeryo ug wala mi mga kwarta, gani didto na lang mi sa balay ni Tiyo Lasyo nga maguwang ni Ating, nagmantener ug bahal ug sumsuman nga nilung-ag nga saging.

Kini si Ating dunay abilidad nga nakat-unan sa Cebu - kanang gitawag nga “spirit of the glass”. Pinaagi nianang maong dula o gimbuhaton, mahimo (kuno) ni Ating tawgon ang bisag kinsang kalag sa minatay ug istoryahon. Tungod lagi kay walay laing mahimo, ug tungod usab nga gipasigarbo ug maayo ni Ating ang iyang abilidad, ningsugot ko makigkuyog nila sa dula nga “spirit of the glass”.

Ningkuha si Tiyo Ating ug usa ka manila paper diin nakasuwat ang mga letra sa alpabeto, mga numero gikan 1 ngadto 10, ug mga pulong nga yes ug no. Giplastar ni Ating ang papel sa lamisa ug gipatong ang usa ka baso. Nanag-alirong mi sa lamisa - ako; si Tiyo Lasyo, asawa nga si Benyang ug anak nga si Dyopri; Tiyo Ating ug si Pokoy, pag-umangkon ni Tiya Benyang nga gianggaan ug Sirok kay samokan ug kusog mohabhab. Kibale unom mi tanan.

Gikuha ni Ating ang baso, gipaduol sa iyang baba, ug sa nagdahunog nga tingog, ningyamyam: “Si kulas, is kolurum sibum paktum eternum. Ame-e-en! Suwod sa baso, suwod sa baso kalag nga naglaag! Usa-usa lang kay basin magdasok mo! Suwod kalag nga nasaag! Sibum paktum eternum, am-e-e-en!” Ug dayon gipakulob ang baso.

Nanimbawot ang akong balahibo, Bay Rene. Gipangkuyawan ming tanan. “Itungtong ang usa ka tudlo sa lubot sa baso, dali!” mando ni Ating sa amoa. Tungtong pod mi ug tudlo. Hinay. Gaan. “Ayaw ituklod ang baso kay gabaan mo!” Mando ni Ating.

“Kinsa ka, espiritu!” pangutana ni Tiyo Ating. Ninglihok, ninglakaw ang baso. Nakurat ko. “Naay ningtuklod? Kinsay ningtuklod?” pangutana nako sa hinay nga tingog. “Hilom!” mando ni Ating.

Hinay, hinay, ninglakaw ang baso, tuyok-tuyok, sa manila paper. Hunong kadiyot sa letra R, dayon sa O-Q-U-E. “Si Tatay Oking!” siyagit ni Benyang. Nangluspad si Tiyo Lasyo - kalag sa iyang ugangan ang naa suwod sa baso.

Gihunghong ni Benyang ang sunod nga pangutana. “Okey ka lang, Tay?” Dagan ang baso sa pulong “No”. Kahilakon si Benyang. “Ngano man, Tay?” Dagan ang baso sa mga letra P-A-L-H-U-B-G; hunong kadiyot, unya sa mga letra L-A-S-Y-O-W. “Unsa to, unsa to?” dungan ming nangutana.

Naglisod gamay sa ispeling ang kalag sa tiguwang. Si Tiyo Ating ang ninghubad. “Wa malipay si Tatay Oking kay palahubog si Lasyo”. Giyabo ni Tiyo Lasyo ang bahal nga iyang gigunitan. “Ta-ta-ta-tay Oki-king”, pangutana ni Lasyo sa nagkurog ug hungaw nga tingog, “unsang kurso ang mahuman sa imong apo nga si Dyopri?”

Dagan na pod ang baso. A-B-U-S-G-A-D-O. “Ma-abogado ka Dong,” sulti ni Lasyo kang Dyopri nga 23 na ang edad apan Grade 3 pa. “Abogado ka Dong! Okey, olrayt!” Dili kaayo ko kumbensido. “Dili ba kaha to ABUSADO?” Gisigaan kog mata ni Benyang. “Dili man diay ka kamao mobasa, Candido,” singhag ni Benyang. “Balhin tag espiritu Ating!”

Balhin mi. Sunod nga ningsuwod sa baso si H-O-S-E R-I-S-A-L : wala mi ikapangutana. Sunod si B-O-N-I-P-A-S-Y-O : wala gihapon pangutana. “Kinsa toy pangalan sa imong silingan nga bayot nga bag-o pa namatay?” gipangutana ko ni Tiyo Ating. “Beethoven, Tiyo. Pasudla sa baso kay pangutan-on nato.” Apan wala makasuwod si Beethoven kay naglisod tingali ang baso ug ispeling sa iyang pangalan.

“Tyo Ating,” hunghong ni Pokoy Sirok, “ibalik kuno si Lolo Oking. Mangutana lang unta ko.” Gipasuwod na usab sa baso si Lolo Oking. “Lo Oking,” pangutana ni Pokoy Sirok. “Unsa ba intawon ang akong kaugmaon? Ma-teacher ba ko?” Maoy ambisyon ni Pokoy.

Dagan ang baso padulong sa T. Gikan sa T, padulong unta sa E apan ninglahos sa A. Nabuang kadiyot ang baso ngadto ngari apan sa katapusan naporma ang T-A-M-B-A-Y. Kahilakon si Pokoy sa kahiubos; gibasol sa iyang mga mata si Tiyo Ating. Wala nananghid, ninglakaw si Pokoy. Nagbagulbol. “Tambay bitaw! Tambay uroy!”

Padayon ang dula; apan nangundang mi sa dihang ningsuwod sa baso si S-R-A-T-A-N D-E-M-Y-O. Pwerteng hadloka ni Ating. “Yawa!” siyagit ni Ating, dayon gihayang ang baso. Gikuyawan ming tanan, labaw na si Ating nga pwerteng luspara. Lawom na ang kagab-ihon; dili na unta mouli si Ating apan amo gikataw-an. Bisag nahadlok, ninglakaw.

Walay pay minuto sa dihang nadungog namo ang makalilisang nga tiyabaw ni Ating. “Santilmo! Yawa! Demonyo!” siyaok ni Ating nga nagkaratel ug dagan ug gikuyapan sa tugkaran. Dagan mi pakanaog.

Tuod man, sa dalan nga naputos sa kangitngit, sa punoan sa sambag, dunay naglakaw nga dila sa kalayo - hinay, hayag. Santilmo! Kuha si Lasyo ug atsa; si Benyang, krus nga lukay. Gipunit nako ang flashlight ug giplaslaytan ang dila sa kalayo nga naglakaw sa dalan. Gilabay ni Lasyo ug atsa; giabog-abog ni Benyang sa krus nga lukay.

Ningpaduol namo ang kayo nga naglakaw. Kadaganon na mi, apan sa hayag sa flashlight, nakita nako si Pokoy nga nagpahipi sa punoan sa sambag, naggunit ug bao. Sa buko-buko sa bao dunay kandila nga perdon nga nakataod. “Komedya ra to, Tiyo,” bagulbol ni Pokoy. “Tambay uroy!”

Gidapog ni Tiyo Lasyo sa agtang si Pokoy ug gitabang namo si Tiyo Ating nga nagbilangkad nga nakuyapan sa yuta. Buntag na nabalikan ug panimuot si Ating. Wa na lang namo siya tug-ani nga ang “santilmo” kandila nga nakataud sa buko-buko sa bao.

Wala na lang mi magsaba, Bay Rene.

Sukad niadto, wa na usab ganahi si Tiyo Ating magdula ug “espirit op da glas.”

Sincerely,

Candido Alburuto.

Ricochet By Rene Ezpeleta Bartolo

Davao boy film gets loud scream in Hollywood festival

2005-10-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

DAVAOEÑO’S Yam Laranas creepy flick Sigaw got a loud scream from American viewers and critics as it made its Hollywood debut last Wednesday at the fifth annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival, the world’s biggest genre festival. The movie is one of the top contenders for the major award in tomorrow’s culmination night, facing entries from other countries.

American film critics hailed Sigaw (international English title: Echo) as “Asian Cinema’s Next Big Thing.”

Reviewer Kevin Thomas of Los Angeles Times and calendarlive.com declared Laranas’ “stylish chiller” as “a real stunner.”

“Laranas, a master at creating an ominous atmosphere, builds to an exceptionally rigorous, satisfying conclusion. The Echo could easily become a cult film,” said Thomas.

Filmcritic.com’s Keith Breese said Sigaw is a film that spins a traditional, though sincere, ghost story, albeit updated with modern effects and camerawork.

“I doubt the Hollywood machine will be remaking it any time soon. That’s a shame, because Sigaw is a subtle, human ghost tale that will haunt you long after you’ve forgotten Dark Water or The Ring,” Breese said.

Breese gave Sigaw a stunning rate of 3 1/2 stars out of 5. That’s the same rating the critics gave Batman Begins, and higher than the ratings of big budget Hollywood movies Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (3 stars), The Island (3 stars) and Fantastic Four (2 stars).

Rowena Aquino of Asia Pacific Arts, UCLA Asia Institute said Sigaw “proves that there are great talents in all aspects of film production in the Philippines.”

In a capsule, Aquino said the film should be placed alongside the Pang Brothers’ The Eye and Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s Séance, two of the most significant horror films from Asia.

Reviewer Gopal of beyondhollywood.com said Sigaw “sports impressive visuals that make it a treat to watch.”

While he cited that the movie plot may seem familiar to genre fans, Gopal said “the film is visually arresting and does a good job of building and sustaining suspense, as well as a palpable sense of constant dread.”

“While nothing new in terms of the themes it covers or its approach to the presentation, Sigaw is still worth a look for fans of the atmospheric horror genre,” he said.

Renee A. Mallett of Fantasticadaily.com shared the same observation.

“While at its core the plot is the pretty basic haunted house with an unwitting new owner story and is not without a few flaws, Sigaw is a really compelling piece of film,” Mallett said.

“The visuals are as lovingly shot as an art film, and the location used for the old apartment building couldn’t be any creepier. The overall atmosphere of the movie is so dark and foreboding that you can’t help but get drawn in,” the reviewer added.

Mallett also hailed the acting, particularly that of Izza Calsada who plays a policeman’s battered wife.

Richard Brunton of themovieblog.com said Sigaw is a scary movie with some excellently filmed moments and superb soundtrack that will keep you tense and jumpy.

“I admit Laranas had me freaked out,” Brunton said. He said the movie is a very enjoyable horror showing subtlety over slashing.

Reviewer Staci Layne Wilson of horror.com said Sigaw is not a feel-good horror movie.

“It’s not even particularly scary or thought-provoking, but there is something oddly compelling about it. While it spends too much time on the buildup and not enough on the resolution, Sigaw is definitely worth seeing at least once,” Wilson said.

She said Sigaw is a beautifully shot film with some truly interesting camera angles and clever use of negative space.

“The moody musical score adds to the feelings of foreboding and danger, and the ambience of knocking, crying, and clanking are stealthily woven in to create a creepy cloak of sound. Each of the actors does a believable job of conveying a real sense of dread. While the solving of the mystery comes as no surprise and some questions are left hanging, the writer and director do a nice job of making the audience care what happens to the characters anyway.”

Even harsh critic AnthroFred of slasherpool.com recommended the movie for horror fans despite criticizing the film.

Saying Sigaw is a wannabe Ring rip-off, he said “it has a pretty decent plot though and there are some good scares in it which will keep you entertained.”

“Even though it might not be the best Asian horror movie that I’ve seen, I still think you ought to give this one a shot, if not for the scares but for the fact that it’s one of the few Philippine horror flicks out there,” the slasherpool.com review said.

Hollywood producer Roy Lee — the man who brought Japanese horror movies such as The Ring, The Grudge and Dark Water to Hollywood and turned them into critically acclaimed international box office hits — confessed: “I found myself jumping at certain scenes and I have seen many other horror movies where that never happens.”

Sigaw was considered as box-office flop when it was released in the Philippines as part of Metro Manila Film Festival 2004. But it grabbed three awards. It also took some awards from two respected bodies, the Gawad Urian and the Film Academy of the Philippines.

Mindanao Times
By Chris Te Fabian
Published : 2005-10-22

Davaoeños are one of the most unique people in the world

2005-10-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

How can one distinguish a Davaoeno to a Cebuano? Or to a Cagayanon?
Difficult? Easy. Davaoenos are one of the most unique people in the
world. We can easily stand out if we are placed in a crowd of
Filipinos from other parts of the country. And how, you say?
Language.

Davao City, aptly called the melting pot of cultures, is home to
many dialects. Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilonggo, Ilocano, Chavacano, Moslem,
Bicolano. Name it, we'll speak it. If the Filipino language is a
composition of all the dialects and languages in the Philippines,
you might as well say that the language we speak in Davao City is the
real Filipino language, and not Tagalog.

However, since it is a hodgepodge of different tongues, it is
sometimes funny to hear our language "bastardizing", for lack of
better word, the other dialects. Strangely, that distinguishes
us from the rest.

Try these.

In stating a fact, Manilenos say, "Talagang mabait si Weng."
In Davao, we say. "Mabait bitaw gyud si Weng".

Too assertive? One asks, "Ano nga `yong pangalan mo?".
In Davao we say, "Ano gani `yong pangalan (or worst, ngalan) mo?".

When somebody commits a mistake or surprises someone, we always never fail
to say, "Halaka!". Duh.

We are fond of re-constructing the language.
There's the GI+ verb, such as,"Gisabi kasi ni Helen na mag-absent si Bernerd bukas", or "Ginanon ni Lalai si Belinda sa mukha".

You'll never find "ginanon" in any dictionary, I swear to God.
There's the KA+ adjective, as in,

"Kaputi gyud ng mukha ni Yang-yang" or "Kapayat gyud ni Jason
ngayon." The MAKA+ verb form, such as, "Maka-inis talaga si Albert,
uy!" or "Maka-uwi talaga ako ng matagal ngayon".

The NAG+ verb, as in,"Nagsabi kasi si Tita Prescy na pupunta daw
tayo ng airport" or "Hindi pa man siya nagdating, uy!"

Adding new words or new meanings to old words to the dictionary is
one of our favorite past time. NAKIN: "Alam man nakin `yan ba!",

"Saan nakin kita nakita gani?". KU-AN: "Ku-an daw ang gawin mo", "Si
ku-an kasi ano masyado". (No sense at all.)

ANO: "Na-ano ka diyan, Bryan!", "Ano man yan si Van, uy!".
HA: "Lake-ha na ng tiyan ni Lulu uy!", "Gwapa-ha niya uy!"
BEH: "Sige daw beh, dare!", "Pakipasa daw ng ballpen ni Tzaris beh".
KAY: "Huwag na, Wowie, kay nandito naman si Norma", "Umupo ka muna
kay nasa-CR pa si Elma."

To express disgust over someone, we utter,
"Gago kaba diay para maniwala sa kanya", or "Ano man yan siya uy!", or "Maka-inis man yan
siya, uy!", or when pestered when doing something, you'd quip,"Huwag lagi ba!"

On the other hand, when we praise somebody's extra special deed or talent, our Davaoeno tongue slips words like,"Kuyaw lagi `yan siya!", "Galenga niya uy!", "Ayusa niya uy!",
"Kuyawa ni Orly uy!" or "Hindi ako makatu-o sa ginawa niya!" . Hay,
makatawa talaga. Ooops!

There are just so too many words to mention. Just check out the
words you speak everyday. Sometimes you just laugh at yourself when you
realize that you've just said those very words. No matter
how long you stay in Manila or in the States, the moment you're back
to Davao, your tongue feels as at home as you do. Language is the
very soul of every being. You just can't do anything about it.

Or as how we say it, "Anohin man natin yan?"

LA Times declares ‘Sigaw’ a ‘stunner’

2005-10-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

First posted 09:58pm (Mla time) Oct 15, 2005 Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note:
Published on page A2-4 of the October 16, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

LOS ANGELES—YAM LARANAS’ “SIGAW (The Echo)” is off to a screaming good start at the fifth annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival and Screenplay Competition which runs here until Oct. 23.
Los Angeles Times’ film reviewer Kevin Thomas declared the thriller of Laranas, who is now represented by a Hollywood talent agent, as “a real stunner.”
In a capsule review, Thomas said the Richard Gutierrez-Angel Locsin starrer was also a “stylish chiller.”
He added: “Laranas, a master at creating an ominous atmosphere, builds to an exceptionally rigorous, satisfying conclusion. ‘The Echo’ could easily become a cult film.”
“The Echo,” which won several awards in the 2004 Metro Manila Film Festival, including a Best Child Performer award for Janella Denise Guevara, will be shown on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m. at the Universal Studios Cinemas, 100 Universal City Plaza in Universal City.

*Yam Laranas is a Davao City (National) High School alumnus Batch 1985

City High Alumnus survives Chicago Marathon!

2005-10-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

Borja ignores pain, survives second Chicago
Marathon
By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
Sunstar Davao
Friday, October 14, 2005

MARLON Borja did it again.

Exactly a year after surviving his first Chicago
Marathon, Borja fought off excruciating pain and
mustered enough strength to emerge finisher anew
in Windy City.

Borja, who is from Davao City but is now based in
Madison, Wisconsin, was so inspired in running
the race that he registered a faster time this year
at a chip time of five hours and 57 minutes, or
eight minutes better than his clocking in 2004.

"Despite the pain, it was an honor to be running
and in part dedicate mile 20 to batch '85," Borja
said, referring to his batchmates at the Davao City
High School.

The 37-year-old marathoner had earlier said he is
dedicating mile 20 in this year's race to his
batchmates at the DCHS, choosing the number
because it's been 20 years since the 1985
graduation.

"A major reason for my running was praying for
people, too. There was too much at stake, thus
not even for a moment did I consider giving up,"
Borja added.

Indeed, Borja never gave up in the 26.2-mile race.
With eight miles to go before mile 20, Borja
suffered cramps on both calves that forced him to
stop running. The pain now was unbearable.

"I had a very bad cramps on both my calves and
stayed down for at least 15 minutes before I could
muster the strength to stand, stretch and run
again," Borja said.

Can he finish the race, or at least reach mile 20?
Summoning all the strength that was left in him
and leaving the rest to God, Borja went on to hit
mile 20 and then finish the race in what he called a
miracle run in Chicago.

It was another chapter in Marlon Borja's life as a
marathoner, and his proud DCHS '85 batchmates
took him into their loving arms.

Lumad education center to rise in Davao

2005-10-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

MindaNews / 21 September 2005

DAVAO CITY -- The lumads here will soon have an
education center with the construction of P1.7-million building for the Institute for Indigenous People's Education (IIPE).

The Mindanao Economic Development Council reported that the IIPE, with the groundbreaking ceremony held last Aug. 30, will rise on a 180-sq.m. lot inside the Davao City National High School (DCNHS) campus. Construction is now under way.

IIPE building is expected to provide a centralized house for researches and initiatives that will enhance participation of different schools in promoting a culturally-sensitive environment for indigenous people in the region

The center was established July 30 last year as a response to the educational needs of the indigenous peoples' children and youth, and thus aims to develop a curriculum that showcases lumad education in public and private schools.

The institute is managed by a consortium led by the Department of Education (DePEd), with funding assistance from the Australian International Aid-Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) in partnership with several agencies and organizations such as the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo), MindanaWon Intercultural Dialogue, Mindanao Coalition of Development NGOs (MinCODE), Assisi Development Foundation, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and Lumads Development Inc.

Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Jesus Dureza, who also chairs MEDCo, lauded the IIPE initiatives for supporting government's thrust of strengthening indigenous people's education.

"Improving access to basic education for our indigenous peoples through IIPE initiative is very much in line with the national government's agenda of bringing peace and development in Mindanao by addressing imperatives for education in the island's most deprived sector," Dureza said.

Aside from being an education center that will heighten awareness of teachers and students on indigenous people's culture and tradition, the IIPE shall also serve as a repository of indigenous materials that will display the intricate craftsmanship of IP groups in Mindanao.

Research activities that will significantly contribute to effective learning strategies that can be adopted by schools will also be conducted by IIPE stakeholders.

At present, there are 20 pilot schools adopting the IP curriculum in Region XI. Among the schools that will initially be showcasing indigenous materials of Mandaya, Ata and Bagobo tribes are the Caraga National High School in Davao Oriental, Tibi-Tibi Elementary School in Talaingod, Davao. del Norte and Atan Owe Elementary School in Toril, Davao City

Davao bet to run in Chicago Marathon

2005-10-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

WHEN the prestigious Chicago Marathon hits the road on October 9, a participant from Davao City who is now based in the United States will be among the 40,000 runners seeing action in the event.

Marlon Borja, 37, will actually answer the starting gun in Chicago for the second straight year. He first joined the marathon in 2004 and had an admirable showing as a first-timer, finishing the race with a clocking of six hours, 19 minutes and 12 seconds.

Borja never thought he would be able to finish the race, a lung-busting 26.2-mile run on a flat course.

He was running with pain all over his body early in the race and was still smarting from a failed marriage at the time.

But Borja defied the odds and succeeded, and has God to thank for at the end of the day.

"What is really humbling is at the finish line last year, I felt this enormous peace, much like God's reassurance, as if saying--good and faithful servant," recalls Borja, who is now based in Madison, Wisconsin.

It is because of his gratitude to God and to those who supported and prayed for him during the difficult times of his life that Borja is motivated to run again.

He is also dedicating mile 20 of this year's marathon to his batchmates in the Davao City High School graduating class '85.

Borja grew up in Davao City and lived mostly in Barangay Sasa. His parents were from Luzon and he went to Assumption in grade school and studied in Davao
City High School during high school.

He finished college at the Ateneo de Davao University and went to Ateneo de Manila to pursue his masters' degree in computer science.

Borja never finished his masters, but the next thing he knew he was already in America working as an onsite coordinator for a small offshore consulting company called Symphony.

Symphony gets IT projects in the US and outsource the development in India. Borja works with local clients in the US and project managers and developers in
India.

"I've been mostly in software development since 1991," Borja said.

Borja was hooked into running only two years ago. A pastor in a local community church in Madison introduced the sport to him.

"The experience of running a marathon is life-changing," Borja said. "I would recommend it to anyone willing to try it at least once in their lifetime. And I would recommend Chicago for a beginner not only because the course is mostly flat, but more importantly the crowd there is so supportive and warm."

The Chicago Marathon will start and finish at the Grant Park on Columbus Drive, near Buckingham Fountain. World-class athletes and participants from 50 states and 125 countries are entered in the race.

When Borja ran last year, he saw a huge Filipino flag hanging from one of the bridges they passed by, an indication that a lot of Filipino participants are running the event. One of them is Marlon Borja.

By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
Sunstar Davao
October 4, 2005 issue

Grand Alumni Homecoming

2005-09-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Greetings to our fellow alumni from the Davao City National High School.

The Grand Alumni Homecoming on December 11, 2005 is fast approaching. the Program Committee has decided to hold a special and exciting activity billed "Revive," where our fellow graduates can show their talents in song and dance. We are inviting all interested classes to live it up and demonstrate their elegance and grace in motion and sounds while enjoying the company and our reunion with of our fellow graduates.

The guidelines for participation are listed as follows:

a. A minimum of eight (8) and a maximum of thirty (30) participants.
b. CD music as background for song and dance number is required.
c. Participants can sing live or lip synch to any of the following artists:
1. Elvis Presley 2. Beatles 3. Bee Gees 4. Abba 5. Cascades
6. Tina turner 7. VST and Comany 8. Village People 9. Madonna
10. Michael Jackson 11. Gloria Estefan 12. Cindy Lauper 13. Hagibis
14. Cinderella

d. Performance time is five to seven minutes.
e. Numbers exceeding seven minutes shall be deducted points correspondingly.
f. Participants are to provide their own props and custumes.
g. Deadline for signifying participation will be on October 8, 2005.
h. Rehearsal dates shall be announced at a later date.
i. Music nto be used for background as CD should be submitted on November 8, 2005
The Secretariat of City High 80 Davao, Inc. c/o Ms. Alith Ladores at 19. Walnut St
Phase 7, Ecoland Davao City.

For any inquiries related To REVIVE please feel free to call Ms. Tingting C. Escudero at 2214621 or 09192330626 or Ms. Ritche Reyes at 2255029. Please direct all other inquiries related pertaining to the Grand Alumni Homecoming through the Secretariat at 225-5029.

We hope that REVIVE will engender the spirit of fun and camaraderie with music and dance while we celebrate our Homecoming.

Honey Sarita J. Abarquez
President
Davao City High School Class 1980

More Kadayawan Pictures

2005-08-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

More Kadayawan Pictures

salamat sa pinsan ni Elly Villamor- Ables

Kadayawan ni Cabe

2005-08-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

Kadayawan ni Cabe

DU-AW Dabaw!!

2005-07-17T02:51:00.000-07:00

DU-AW Dabaw!

KADAYAWAN SA DABAW 2005 -

The Festival of Festivals August 15-21, 2005

Published : Mindanao Times 2005-07-15

Madayawan - a warm and friendly greeting derived from the Dabawenyo word “dayaw” that means good, valuable, superior or beautiful. Such is “Kadayawan,” a celebration of life, a thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture, the bounties of harvest and serenity of living.

Although already a customary practice of the indigenous people of Davao, the thanksgiving festival was institutionalized in 1986 to unite the Dabawenyos after the turbulent Martial Law years. It was then called “Apo Duwaling,” a contraction of the famous icons of the city - namely Mt. Apo, Durian and Waling-waling. Two years later, it was renamed “Kadayawan sa Dabaw” to better reflect the merry spirit and indigenous theme of the celebration.

Today, Kadayawan has metamorphosed into a festival of festivals, the mother of many other festivals in the region as it honors Davao’s artistic, cultural and historical heritage, its past personified by the ancestral “lumads”, its people as they celebrate on the streets, and its floral industry as they parade in full regalia in thanksgiving for the blessings bestowed on the city.

Kadayawan sa Dabaw is an enriching experience with a difference as it explores the past, present and future of the Davaoeños, the Mindanaoans, the Filipinos. Its sights and sounds remain unparalleled. Be part of the experience.

Du-aw na sa Kadayawan! Du-aw na sa Davao! Maglipay ta!

FESTIVAL EVENTS

Pasalamat
(Aug 15, 4-6 PM, PTA Grounds)
The formal opening rituals of the festival with an ecumenical ceremony

Tugtog World Music Festival
(Aug 15, 7-9 PM, NCCC Mall Activity Center)
A competition of pop music composition that incorporates significant Mindanaoan influences based on indigenous and folk traditions

Indigay sa Lumadnong Dula
(Aug 15 & 16, 8 AM-5 PM, Rizal Park)
An array of indigenous and traditional community sports participated by indigenous people, barangay folks and youth to foster cross-cultural relations, cooperation and unity, and to nurture the city’s culture of peace

Kapamilya Fiesta
(Aug 15 & 16, PTA Grounds)
A two-day fiesta full of activities targetted for the family with hot air balloon tethered flights, inflatables, wall climbing, mini-variety show featuring local artists, health campaign, palarong Pinoy, and cultural performances

Hiyas sa Kadayawan
(Aug 13 & 17, 7-10 PM, SM City Davao Entertainment Plaza)
The gender-free search for the Festival Symbol with Mindanaoan appeal to promote Davao City and Mindanao, its products and industries, particularly fashion, tourism and floriculture presented in a pageant, a fashion extravaganza juxtaposed with a tribal folklore.

Tunog Kadayawan
(Aug 16, 6-7 PM, Centennial Park)
A one and a half hour choral concert of 250 voices which will serve as the grand recital of the 10 participating choirs from all over Davao City who will undergo an extensive ten-day training conducted by the Philippine Madrigals

Urog Etnika
(Aug 17, 7-10 PM, SM City Davao Entertainment Plaza)
A showcase of ingenuity, creativity and artistry of Mindanao-based fashion and floral utilizing locally woven fabrics, fibers and accessories, and other materials endemic to Mindanao.

Davao River Festival
(Aug 18, 8 AM-12 NN, Davao River)
A celebration performed along the historic Davao River bringing to the fore the beginnings of the pioneering communities of Davao and the ecological concerns of the Davaoeños

Agongan ug Kulintangan
(Aug 18, 10 AM-12 MN, Gaisano Mall of Davao & Rizal Park)
A showcase of indigenous music and performing skills in the playing of agong, kulintang, gabang and other indigenous musical instruments participated by the indigenous elders and young enthusiasts of the tribal arts

Davao Indigenous Peoples Festival
(Aug 19, 1-6 PM, SM City Davao Entertainment Plaza)
A tribute to the tribal elders from various indigenous and Muslim tribes fostering inter-generational legacy through traditional songs and dances showcasing Davao’s rich indigenous heritage

Mindanao Indigenous Dance Festival
(Aug 19, 7-10 PM, SM City Entertainment Plaza)
Theatrical tribal suites of dances and music depicting Mindanao indigenous epics, folklores and traditions rendered by Davao and Mindanao’s many arts and culture ensembles

Indak-indak sa Kadalanan
(Aug 20, 8 AM-8 PM, Major streets of Davao City)
A peoples’ celebration through street dancing and merriment to the beats of tribal music along the major streets of Davao City highlighted by choreographed theatrics

Yanog ug Yugyugan sa Kadalanan
(Aug 20, 8 PM-2 AM, selected streets of Davao City)
Disco dancing on the streets with reverberating sounds of live bands and the best FM stations in town, with simultaneous concerts, dancing and night partying in Davao’s popular entertainment enclaves

Floral Float Parade
(Aug 21, 8 AM-12 NN, Major streets of Davao City)
A parade of florally dressed floats of various shapes and sizes showcasing the abundant vegetation of the Davao Region

Banda Lanog
(Aug 21, 2-6 PM, Major streets of Davao City & Rizal Park)
A Parade Band competition echoing the bounty, goodness and gaiety of Kadayawan through reverberating sounds played by dancing musicians led by prancing majorettes and frolicked with festive props

Pasalamat Free Concert ni Mayor
(Aug 21, 7:30-9:30 PM, Rizal Park)
A “thank you” concert offered by the Mayor to residents and visitors featuring top national entertainment artists

CONTINUING EVENTS

Puting Tabil Film Fest
(Aug 15-21, 10 Am-11 PM, Gaisano Mall of Davao cinemas)
A digital short film festival bringing to the fore the behavioral and social dimension of a Mindanaoan’s pursuit for peace, progress and glory

Mindanao Festivals Expo
(Aug 14-21, 10 AM-8 PM, NCCC Mall)
The sights and sounds of the major festivals in the island of Mindanao backdropped by the sceneries of their host cities and municipalities

Agro-Industrial Trade Fair
(Aug 6-28, 9 AM-7 PM, PTA Grounds)
A Mindanao trade fair participated by farmers, plant growers, handicraft producers and manufacturers with a floriculture exhibit and competitive displays of outstanding, rare and indigenous floras found in many gardens in the Philippines

Kaan Dawet
(Aug 14-21, 5 PM-2 AM, Millennium Park)
Food and music fiesta where all can regale on Davao cuisine and dance all night to the beats of varied contemporary music bands

FOR MORE IMFORMATION
City Tourism Operations Office
Rm 20, 2/F City Hall, Davao City •
Tel. Nos. (82)222.1956 /TelFax (82) 222.1957
Email:
dabaw_madayaw@yahoo.com

Kadayawan sa Davao Foundation, Inc.
No. 6 Penaloza Bldg., Villa Abrille St., Davao City
Tel. Nos. (82)224.6319
Website: www.kadayawan.com

2005-07-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

Keeping you connected...

MIX FM DAVAO!

105.9 Mix Fm is the 24th FM station in Davao City. The only Rhythmix CHR Top 40 station, which has made trailblazing innovations in Davao Radio. Including the ability to produce audio streaming capability.

The 1st Davao FM Pop station to do so in the History of Davao Radio. Mix Fm is for today's hip and trendy Davaoenos. Boasting of giving the hottest parties in town, as well as winning the coveted Golden Dove Award for "People's Choice - Best FM Station For Mindanao" 2004.

You can listen live to MIX FM DAVAO at http://www.imix.fm/index.php

SKYPE and Yahoo BETA Messenger!

With the high cost of long distance phone bills things are getting better with Skype and Yahoo BETA Messenger!

Its like talking with someone over the phone!

Though i havent use Skype yet, i bet its features are as good as Yahoo BETA Messenger.

So if you have a Yahoo Messenger upgrade to the BETA version for free. You and the person you wanted to connect with needs a regular microphone, speakers or headphones. Having a good internet connection is essential too.

So what are you waiting for? Connect and talk for free!

You are Bisdak.. kung

2005-07-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

You are Bisdak...kung

1. You feel insulted when a non-Bisdak ridicules someone by saying "bisaya", but it's okay for you if you or another Bisdak use it to another Bisdak, as in "ah, bisayaa pud oy!"

2. You feel proud when Matud nila is sung and you sing along with it bisan dili nimo memorize.

3. Hibal-an nimo kung unsa ang habal-habal bisan wala pa ka kasakay niani ug siyempre pa ang "sikad"

4. common usages kung ga-tinagalog:

the use of "kuwan" as interjection

ang superlative nga pirmi gamiton mao ang "masyado", i.e., maingay masyado, sobra masyado, bilisan mo masyado (read: paspasi lagi)

adunay tendency nga pulihan lang ang "o" or "a" og "i", i.e., ang atop into atip, ang kan-on into kan-in, ang sud-an into sud-in ug ang utan into..(hehehehe)

5. you know what "itlog mo 'noy orange" means

6. you know that the karaang "bayle" aron mamahimong modern gipulihan na og "disco" - discoral

7. aduna kay hibaw-an nga at least usa ka kanta ni Yoyoy Villame or Max Surban bisan sa tono lang

8. you can use varied terms of endearment for friends and relatives like bay, parts, paparts, migo, kabs (kababayan), parekoy, pareng, choy, higala, kid, gaw, gaweks, manoy, nong, inse, ditse,iyo, iya, palangga, pangga, gang,

9. you call someone "Inday" and/or "Dodong" as a term of affection and hate it when other non-bisdak use the term as if its a title given for a househelp.

10. you know what "maning hang" is

11. you know vino kulafu and fighter wine...sometimes you even know its jingle!

12. instead of stork, you chose snowbear or you buy Timbura when you mean Corniks

13. your familiar with the brand Loalde in clothing

14. you crave for inun-unan, paklay, halang-halang, law-oy, kinilaw, ginamos, bulad, binignit (tabirak), sikwate paresan sa puto maya,

15. Esteban Escudero and Golyat are folk heroes

16. Handuman sa Usa ka Awit is closer to your heart than Maalaala Mo Kaya TV show

17. You know what HITACHI means (Himantayon, Tabian, Chismosa/o)

18. SUTUKIL is as common as TAPSI, in fact you know that SUTUKIL came first

19. Your common pulutan for Tuba drinking is "TARGET" - asin nga targeton lang nimo sa imong tudlo

20. You have at least once in your lifetime experienced "Ang Mysterio sa Paglawig sa Barko Padulong Manila", a phenomenon that when the Boat is approaching Manila, everybody around you suddenly becomes tagalog speaking nga adtong miaging adlaw lang pwerting bisaya pa ninyo!

21. You whisper bisaya to a fellow bisdak in the midst of a tagalog crowd...and he replies loudly to you in tagalog!

22. The first question you ask when you found out that someone is bisdak, "taga-asa man diay ka?"

23. You usually use the warning phrase Hala Ka!

24. You know the meaning and proper usages of the following (irreverent) words/phrases: pesteng yawa, usapa na, pastilan, latina__ , butalo, way kurat, hastang, puslan man, kuwangol, libod-suroy, ligas-paka, way kuha, ka-ubo, kolera, sampila(koy), burik_t, barbaki, mangga ka sir?, duha singko, balang, palag?, wa ka kyapi?, ok pas olrayt, haybol, ang pahak!, jer-jer, way blema, tulibagbag, pagarpar, giro, pamalalat, kalandrakas, bulala, ambot sa langaw pilay idad sa ok-ok, bugnawg simod, buak ang pula, bagdok, gi-atay, gi-ahak, tibak (tiguwang bakla), NPA (nawong puros agtang), mamaklad, agua de pataranta, tira pasagad, basin diay pilay pad's sa ungoy, banat kay awaaw, mat-an pas pinya, ngitngit pas alkitran, tak-om pas tuway, ug uban pa....

25. Sigurado ko nga naa pa kay ikadugang ani....

2005-06-26T22:25:00.000-07:00

remember nyo mga emcee

principal : day emcee, miabot na si mayor bag-o lang gyud milabay, i-acknowledge unya...

emcee : acknowledging our late mayor who has just passed away. (",)

magrelax naman kayo batchmates!!!

happy weekend again!

joselle badilla

Remembering Racquel Alba - Corpuz

2005-06-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

Remembering Racquel Alba - Corpuz

Batchmates,

Ive known Racquel since grade school. We grew up in the same neighborhood. I lived in Gen. Luna her family lives along Arellano Avenue. Her cousin Ivy Alba, is one of my bestfriend then at Thompson Christian School. During those times, we usually hang around at Ivy's house and thats how i met Racquel and Erich as well.

Then at Davao City High School, our path often crossed passed each other. Though it was only during COCC16 training days i got to know more about this petite and bubbly woman. Oh how i envy her as she put on our famous fatigue uniform with matching beret and golden yellow scarf. She has that slender figure that compliments her.

She's very friendly and always had a smile ready for everyone. Erich told me later that she really wanted to attend last years Dec 2004 Reunion but she gotten very ill.

Later they found out she had a tumor growing on her gastrocnemius (largest, most prominent muscle of the calf of the leg). She had been going in and out of the hospital for 6 months and it was only last week they decided to go through with the surgery. A few hours after the surgery, she was placed on the ICU with respirator on and on albumin drip. Her vital signs were very poor. Few hours after Racquel's body finally gave in.

She left her wonderful husband with two beautiful daughters.

A loving mother, wife, friend, classmates, batchmate.

Her body lies at the TREVI room of Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes. Burial will be on the 16th of June 2005.

Again, our condolences and prayers to Racquel's family.

Lea Suriaga - Garrido's Birthday Gift

2005-05-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

Gian Markus S. Garrido born 05/19/05 @ 9:07am 6.15 lbs, 20 1/2 inches, C-section. in St. Vincent Med. Center, Bridgeport, CT.

2005-05-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

Davao City High School’s 2005 Grand Alumni Homecoming
Mindanao Times
Published : 2005-05-14

THE “Walong Dekada” officially launched the year’s program of activities for the 2005 Grand Alumni Homecoming, hosted by DCHS Class 1980, with Class 1955 celebrating their golden anniversary on April 23, 2005 at the Cinema 3 at NCCC Mall Davao.

The welcome address by President of the DCHS Alumni Class 1980 Dr. Honey Sarita J. Abarquez was very touching: “2005 is a milestone for our class. We are 25 years out of City High and in our individual and respective ways; we have become citizens of the world. And as such, periodically, we assess where we are now, as much as we periodically remember where we consciously begun our journeys as individuals. This year is homage time for our class. We are proud to be graduates of the Davao City High School. We are honored to be celebrating this year with DCHS Class 1955, our kindred’s from City High.”

The invocation was given by Vice-President Alan Fernandez and the “Pambansang Awit” performed by the DCNHS Choir

The calendar of activities for 2005 Grand Alumni Homecoming includes the May 21, 2005 “Kuwentuhan at Kapihan, 80/55 (venue to be announced!).

The “Day of the Year”, doce once cinco, will be on December 11, 2005 at the NCCC Mall, the “Grand Alumni Homecoming. Walong Dekada”.

For more details you might contact Dr. Honey Abarquez, Davao Doctors Hospital, Telephone 082-221-6481 or cell phone 0917-6228139.

2005-05-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

In honor of Mother's Day,

(1) will you be a last minute shopper or have you already bought your
Mother's gift?

(2) Finish this sentence, I love my mother because...

Sa lahat ng Nanay at sa mga Nanay nating lahat:

For all the love, sacrifices and care, on this day we salute all
the great and wonderful Mother.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY, for the greatest woman in the world

2005-05-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

Congratulations

JOY BITUIN

for winning our April contest.

Since kami lang man duha ang ni-apil hehehe Joy
automatically wins the dinner for two at Buffet
Palace.

Congratulations Joy!

2005-04-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

WALONG DEKADA (DCNHS Grand Alumni Homecoming 2005)

Davao City National High School Grand Alumni 2005

What: DCHS ALUMNI Launching
When: April 23, 2005, (9:00 am - 10;30am)
Where: CINEMA 3, NCCC MALL

Kitakits and represent your Batch

2005-04-12T04:33:00.000-07:00

::PAKONTEST SA ABRIL::

Click to join DCHS88

Kay hapit naman ang anibersaryo sa atong egroup (May 28) ang kontest nato this month will be about recruiting new members for our egroup. Ang pinakadaghan nga maimbita will win opkorz. Ang prize? Nangita pa lagi ko pero syempre naa juds. Naay 1st prize, 2nd prize then 3rd prize. The contest will start now or as soon as you read this email. and will end at the end of the month, April 30, 2005 12midnight PHILIPPINE TIME.

1st Prize:

Buffet for 2 at Buffet Palace

2nd Prize:

Buffet for 2 at Gloria Maris

3rd Prize

Buffet for 2 TO BE POSTED SOON

Paano kung nasa Manila or outside the Philippines? Good question. Ipa-raffle na lang nato kung outside davao madaog. Dili bitaw pede sad tinuod. You can always give it to someone nasa Davao or better yet donate na lang nimo pang prize sa 2005 Reunion ( please?)

The more you can invite to join the better chances you have.Remember contest lang ni walay personalan ok?

So far Joy Bituin - 1 point (c/o Shalle Mundalla -Maghari)

Handa na ba kayo?

2005-04-07T04:06:00.000-07:00

Proud to be Dabawenya!

Naalala ko noong una kaming manirahan sa Manila. Nanibago kaming magkakapatid. Biruin mo naman kailangan naming gumising ng maaga upang maghakot ng tubig. O dili kaya'y maligo sa madaling araw kung saan malakas ang patak ng tubig mula sa gripo. Kasi kung sa gabi o mga bandang alas otso ng umaga ka maliligo nakupo mas malakas pa ang ihi mo kaysa patak ng tubig.

Naalala ko rin noong inutusan ako ng Nanay ko bumili sa tindahan:

Ako: Ale, pabiling nga po ng ahos.

Tindera: (pagulat na sagot) Ahos? anong ahos ineng?

Ako: (kamot sa ulo) ahos po yung ginagamit pang-gisa.

Tindera: (medyo naiinis na) naku ineng baka sibuyas.

Ako: Ahos po. Yung ginagamit pangotra sa mga aswang (tulad mo hihihi)

Tindera: Bisaya ka ano? (tumawa ng malakas) Kaya naman palae eh. Sabi ko nga ba. Bawang tawag niyan dito sa Maynila.

Ako: Di bale na lang po. (sabay alis .. at pabulong na sinabi) bawang... buang ... ambot oi!

Minsan naman pagnalaman nilang taga Davao ako o kami ng mga kapatid ko, laking gulat nila at bakit di kami naka bahag o malong. Sabay nilang itatanong kung meron kaming kalabaw na ginagamit upang makarating sa malalayong lugar, kung me kuryente ba sa Davao, kung nakakaintindi ba kami ng Tagalog.

Nakakalungkot isipin kung bakit meron mga taong ganito. Di ba nila napag-aralan sa kanilang paaralan ang tungkol sa Davao? Di ba naituro ng kanilang mga guro kung gaano kaunlad ang siyudad ng Davao? Eh bakit noong kami ang nag aaral, tinuturo ng aming guro sa Sibika at Kultura ang tungkol sa ioat ibang lalawigan sa buong Pilipinas. Malaking pasasalamat ko sa aming mga guro at di akong lumaking ignorante.

Kamakailan maraming kapwa ko Dabawenyo ang nagbigay karangalan sa lungsod ng Dabaw. Iilan sa kanila ang nakakamit ng malalaking kaantasan sa mga paaralan na kanilang pinag-aralan.

Sina Amanda Marie F. Nograles, daughter of lawyers George and Sol Nograles, graduated magna cum laude from the Ateneo with a degree in A.B. Management Economics last March 19, Frances Vega ("Chinggay" to family and friends), a graduate of Stela Maris Academy of Davao, also finished as Magna Cum Laude and Departmental Awardee for Chemistry from the same school, Antonio G. Bulao I, of Buhangin, Davao City, graduated Magna Cum Laude of the Sanlingan Class 2005 of the PMA ay iilan lamang sa mga Dabawenyong nagbigay karangalan sa lungsod ng Davao ngayon taon 2005.

Andiyan din ang greatest living filipino surrealist who is also davaoñeo, Bienvenido “Bones” Bañez Jr. -- the only Filipino who qualified to the juried international surrealist show held during the fall of 2003 also at WAH Center.

Erich and Charles of the Star Circle Teen Quest 2005, M.Y.M.P ( Make your Mama proud) at syempre ang Reigning People's Featherweight Champion, Manny Pacquioa.

Pero hindi lang dahil sa kanila kaya ko ipinagmamalaki na ako'y Dabawenyo. Ayaw nag palag palag diha hehehe Napakaraming bagay pa. Basta alam ko eight months na lang Durian here i come woohooo!

Kaya bakit di mo subukang bumisita sa Davao City at nang malaman mo kung bakit nga ba?

Mga karagdagang babasahin:

Another Dabawenya achiever

Davao lass graduates magna cum laude in ADMU

He followed his dream

THE GREATEST LIVING FILIPINO SURREALIST IS A DABAWENYO!?

M.Y.M.P (Make Your Mama Proud)

2005-03-15T16:47:00.000-08:00

Madayaw 68th Araw ng Dabaw

Nothing scares the Dabawenyo more than being uprooted from Davao.
Because in Davao, people are relatively secure.
We know who we are.We know we are in the best place in the world.
We won't rave about it too much for fear that everybody will want to move here.

You can bomb the hell out of us, but we won't leave this place.
Sunstar Davao March 2004

Congatulations to our Araw ng Dabaw Trivia Winner:
ERICH JOSEPH ALBA

1. Kinsa ang Mayor sa Davao tung Marso 16, 1988?
Mayor Zafiro "Zaf" Respicio

2. What is the total land area of Davao City?
Total Land Area: 2,443.61 sq km

3. What is this year's theme for 2005 Araw ng Dabaw and for how many years are we celebrating Araw ng Dabaw?

Theme: "YAMANG BAYAN...ALAGAANYears of Celebration: 68 years

Erich galing mo! So enjoy the overnightstay for you, Gabby and the kids!

Thanks for everyone who sent their answers at dchs88@gmail.com.

Nalingaw juds ko og basa sa inyong mga tubag esp with Marichu (hehehe nice one chu!)
Ikaw naman Elmer, si Mr. Change Mind hehehe
Si Jupeth naman pati si DJ Rean Tirol ginawang mayor ng Davao.
Yung iba naman isang number na lang kulang korek na sana yung total land area ng Davao City.

Daghang salamat sa inyong tanan.

We are still concepting for our April 2005 Egroup contest. Basta keep posted and checked your emails . Youll never know the next winner could be you

Madayaw 68th Araw ng Dabaw!!!

City High alumnus is top 2 in military academy class of 2005

2005-03-12T16:07:00.000-08:00

City High alumnus is top 2 in military academy class of 2005

A DABAWENYO marched with flying colors during the 100th commencement exercise of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) at Fort del Pilar, Baguio City, Saturday.

Antonio G. Bulao I, of Buhangin, Davao City, graduated Magna Cum Laude of the Sanlingan Class 2005 of the PMA.

Among the awards Bulao received during the graduation rites include President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Achievement Award for Leadership, Philippine Army Saber's Award, Vice Presidential Saber's Award, Natural Sciences Award, Engineering Sciences Award, Weapons Systems Award, Tambuli Award and Jusmag Army Award.

Being the brigade commander of his batch, Bulao was also given the Chief of Staff Saber's Award.

Bulao is said to have chosen to join the Philippine Army after graduation.

Meanwhile, a high school classmate of Bulao at the Davao City National High School (DCNHS) expressed elation over his achievement in the PMA.

Judee Bacus, a Philippine Science High School teacher, remembers Bulao as the Damath King.

Damath, Judee said, in a math competition uses the formula similar to a chess game.

"Maremember nako mahadlok og earthworm si Bulao kadtong nakauban nako siya sa camping (I could remember that Bulao was afraid of earthworm when we've been together in one camping) activity that we facilitated. He was the president of the DCNHS Boy Scout," Bacus said.

Bacus said Bulao is a "gentleman, a joker and a determined leader."

"Crush ng Bayan siya and he is also fond of calling for a reunion with his classmates in high school," Bacus said, adding that Bulao graduated Salutatorian also in high school.

News like this makes you proud to be a an Astig City High graduate and a Dabawenyo.

Mabuhay Davao City High!

Madayaw Dabawenyo!

Araw ng Mga Kababaihan!

2005-03-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

Araw ng mga Kababaihan!

Ngayon nalalapit ang Araw ng mga kababaihan, nais kong ipagdiwang ang araw na ito sa pagsaludo sa lahat ng babae sa buong mundo.

Sa paglipas ng taon, ang kahulugan ng pagiging maganda ay nagbago. Mula sa pananamit, kulay ng buhok, hanggang sa hugis ng katawan. Binago ng modernong teknolohiya ang pananaw ng mga kababaihan sa salitang maganda. Ngunit marami pa rin ang naniniwala na ang pagiging maganda ay mula sa ibat-ibang hugis, laki, kulay, edad at kung ano ang nasa iyong kalooban.

Aleta, Alma, Xenia, Am-am
Annie, Tuesday, Ali, Pearly Joan
Beverly, Cherryl, Titit, Carmel Joy
Christine, Cherlyn, Darlyn

Ang pagiging maganda ay di lamang para sa mga modelo or artistang nakikita natin sa telebisyon o pahayagan. Di rin ibig sabihin na di ka maganda kung mataba ka, matanda ka na, o kung ang baywang mo ay tatlumpot lima at isang daaan labinglima naman ang bigat mo.

Elly, Evelyn, Hazel, Geneliza
Genevive, Gina, Elvie, Haidee, Hazel
Jinky, Janice, Josephine, Jovie, Joy
Kittle, Claudine, Chiqui, Leslie, Leah, Love Joy, Lulyn

Hindi ito ang basehan ng pagiging maganda. Ang pagiging maganda ang galing sa iyong kalooban, sa iyong araw araw na ginawa para sa kapwa o mula sa iyong isip, salita at gawa. Nasa iyo ang lahat ng kagandahan at nasa iyo na rin kung paano mo iyan pagagandahin pa.

Marichu, Marie. Menchie
Mercy, Teena, Nenita, Armi,
Perliray, Debbie, Pom-pom, Gina
Florence, Sandie, Grace, Sharon, Sybil, Talek,
Stella, Peewee, Weng, Mary-Ann

Yan ang nais iparating ng mga taong gumawa ng Campaign for Real Beauty ang Dove Self Esteem Fund. Ang mga babaing nasa komersyal hindi mga propesyonal na modelo o aktor. Sila ay mga simpleng batang babae na gustong iparating ang kanilang pananaw kung ano ang maganda sa kanila.

And I'll see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that?s why I love you
So don?t be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow

Sa lahat ng babaeng kilala ko, nakilala ko, bumabasa nito, sa lahat ng lola, nanay, tita, ate, pinsan at sa lahat ng babae sa mundong ito, isang saludo sa inyong lahat!

Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat!

Araw ng Dabaw Contest Trivia

2005-02-28T02:25:00.000-08:00

Araw ng Dabaw Contest Trivia

Batchmates,

In connection with the celebration of Araw ng Dabaw our contest for the month of March will be about Davao City of course. There will be 3 questions everyday starting today, Please email your answers to DCHS88@gmail.com and NOT through the egroup, again do not post your answers here para walay kopyahanay.

Murag klaro naman na so palihug lang ko og email ang answer ninyo sa DCHS88@gmail.com. Only answers emailed through dchs88@gmail.com will qualify other than that disqualified na dayun. Hahaha murag true diba?

Winners from previous contest cannot win two contest in a row ( sorry Kittle hehehe ) but are encouraged to join.

Due to public demand hehehe kay medyo lisud daw ng trivia questions.
Mau naghimo ko og bang-ong questions para sa Araw ng Dabaw Trivia
Contest. Here's are the new questions

1. Kinsa ang Mayor sa Davao tung Marso 16, 1988?

2. What is the total land area of Davao City?

3. What is this year's theme for 2005 Araw ng Dabaw and for how many
years are we celebrating Araw ng Dabaw?

The First DCHS88 Egroup member with three correct answers will get an
overnight stay for four (4) at MALAGOS BEACH RESORT with inclusions:
breakfast for 4
free entrance for the bird show,
swimming pool & butterfly sanctuary

Kung wala ka sa Davao at ikaw ang nanalo ayaw kabalaka naa gihapon ka
premyo: Reunion T-shirt with free shipping cost
and a surprise prize (hehehe isipin ko muna)

GAME KA NA BA? Apil na dayun!

Ok ready get set GO!

Remember email your answers at dchs88@gmail.com.

Goodluck everyone :)

2005-02-18T21:08:00.000-08:00

16th Year Reunion of Davao City High School Batch 1988
Dec 30, 2004, Octane Bar Davao City

2005-02-18T20:53:00.000-08:00

DCHS88 16th Year Reunion, December 30, 2004

DCNHS PTA PROJECT

2005-02-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Batchmates,

Good day to all!

The Parents-Teachers Association of our beloved Alma Mater has asked
our all DCHS / DCNHS graduates, to support their
project, "DINNER MO, SILYA KO" (Dinner for a Cause). This is aimed at
providing chairs for the students of DCNHS (N for National, in case
you didn' know), chairs being the most pressing among the school's
needs.

The tickets are priced at P500.00 for a dinner for
one at the Grand Men Seng Hotel, Magallanes Blvd., Davao City, on
February 21, 2005 at 6:30 PM. The DCNHS Singing Teens will entertain
the guests during the said affair.

Your unselfish support will prove helpful to our Alma Mater.

Happy Valentines Day!

2005-02-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

Batchmates!

Happy Hearts Day to everyone!

Since love is on the air i guess we should spread some love here sa egroup too. So i thought why not have a Valentine Contest? Some might say its too cheesy or baduy well to each its own naman cguro. The more baduy the better, thats love naman diba?

Anyways, here's how the contest goes. Listed below are 14 famous Valentine love songs over the years. Supply the Name of the song and the singer who sang the song.

1. You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand
I could touch the skyI lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach

2. Cause there was a time when all I did was wish
You'd tell me this was love
It's not the way I hoped or how I planned
But somehow it's enough

3. If you ever leavebaby
you would take away
everything good in my life
and tell me now

4. My favorite line was
"Can I call you sometime?"
It's all you had to say
To take my breath away

5. Bittersweet memories,
That is all I'm taking with me.
So goodbye, please don't cry.
We both know I'm not what you, you need

6. I can't remember what I used to do
Who I trusted whom,
I listened to before
I swear you've taught me everything I know
Can't imagine needing someone so

7. Look into my heart - you will find
There's nothin' there to hide
Take me as I am - take my life
I would give it all I would sacrifice

8. If I could freeze the moment in my mind
Be the second that you touch your lips to mine
I'd like to stop the clock make time stand still
Coz baby this is just the way I always wanna feel

9. Sa buhay ko'y labis
Ang hirap at pasakit, ng pusong umiibig
Mandin wala ng langit
At ng lumigaya, hinango mo sa dusa
Tanging ikaw sinta, ang aking pag-asa.

10. Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too

11. As we walk along the avenue,
Pardon me,
I just can'thelp staring at you.

12. In a restless world like this is
Love is ended before it's begun
And too many moonlight kisses
Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun

13. Looks like we made it
Look how far we've come my baby
We mighta took the long way
We knew we'd get there someday

14. Love can touch us one time
And last for a lifetime
And never let go till we're gone.

Email me the answer back before before or on February 25, 2005 (Philippine Time) to win a prize. Only one winner will win kaya unahan talaga ito. Wrong spelling wrong kaya make sure you have the right singer and title. Unsa pa imong ginahulat answer na ang and win that prize!

By the way, alam nyo bang manganganak na si Madam Auring? Wala lang gusto ko lang ishare.

Happy Hearts Day sa tanan!

DCHS88 16th Year Reunion, Dec 30, 2005

2005-02-03T01:55:00.000-08:00

DCHS88 16th Year Reunion, Dec 30, 2005

16th Year Reunion, Dec 30, 2004

2005-02-02T16:05:00.000-08:00

Davao City High School 1988

Need your support and Vote!

Panagtagpo 2006

"Run and Advance"

From Denton and Cathy Siapno

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DCHS88 New York Kitakits 2006

PANAGTAGBO 2006 : DCHS Grand Alumni Reunion

Davao schools join nationwide earthquake drill

Davao to impose fines on solid waste violators

Davao man also conquers Mt. Everest

Last days of summer

Manila craves for Davao cuisine

PIA Press Release04/11/2006

Manila craves for Davao cuisine

Lutong bahay

Editor's daughter and first time visitor impressed with Davaoeño honesty

Glimpses of old Davao

Dabawenya tops Binibining Pilipinas 2006

Balik City High ng Batch88...

Balik City High Reunion 2005.....aftermath!

ATF 2006 puts Davao on world tourism map

Dabawenyos make waves in RP music industry

Education center for Lumads soon to rise in Davao City

“Walong Dekada”

“ BALIK CITY HIGH REUNION 2005 ”.

A flower named "Elizabeth" blooms in Florida

Trick or Treat with Geo, Gene and Elly in New York

Ang santilmo sa punoan sa sambag

Davao boy film gets loud scream in Hollywood festival

Davaoeños are one of the most unique people in the world

LA Times declares ‘Sigaw’ a ‘stunner’

City High Alumnus survives Chicago Marathon!

Lumad education center to rise in Davao

Davao bet to run in Chicago Marathon

Grand Alumni Homecoming

More Kadayawan Pictures

Kadayawan ni Cabe

DU-AW Dabaw!!

You are Bisdak.. kung

Remembering Racquel Alba - Corpuz

Lea Suriaga - Garrido's Birthday Gift

City High alumnus is top 2 in military academy class of 2005

Araw ng Mga Kababaihan!

Araw ng Dabaw Contest Trivia

DCNHS PTA PROJECT

Happy Valentines Day!

DCHS88 16th Year Reunion, Dec 30, 2005

16th Year Reunion, Dec 30, 2004

PIA Press Release
04/11/2006