Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 198 | Tuesday, December 1, 2020

WORLD AIDS DAY: HIV/AIDS IN TIME OF COVID-19 FEATURE P9

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

f

ALL OUT

VOL.13 ISSUE 198 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020

@EdgeDavao

www.edgedavao.net

edgedavao@gmail.com

P 15.00 • 12 PAGES

Aggressive community testing starts in selected barangays in Davao City STORY ON PAGE 2

A man walks by the statue of Andres Bonifacio at the junction of Magallnes Street and C.M. Recto Avenue in Davao City on Monday. President Duterte has urged Filipinos to draw inspiration from the heroism of Bonifacio amid the prevailing Covid-19 health crisis during the commemoration of the supreme leader of the Katipunan’s 157th birth anniversary. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 198 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020

ALL OUT

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio expresses her support to the call of environmental groups not to cut down eight heritage trees outside the Ateneo de Davao University’s Grade School and Junior High School campus along McArthur Highway to give way to a lay-by and road widening project to address traffic congestion. Edge Davao

Aggressive community testing starts in selected barangays in Davao City

By MAYA M. PADILLO he city will launch the three-day Aggressive Community Testing (ACT) starting today (December 1, 2020) in selected barangays and districts in Davao City. The ACT is one of the measures recommended by the national government to contain the spread of Covid-19.

T

The National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 and the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (C.O.D.E.) Team, which have embarked on an aggressive testing in the provinces as part of the Test, Trace, Treat strategy to detect Covid-19 cases, will lead the campaign.

Dr. Evelino Buenaventura, ACT focal person of the Davao City Health Office, said in a virtual presser on Monday that on December 1 testing are scheduled in Talomo Central District, which will

be conducted at Shanghai Gym; and Toril A and B, which will be conducted near Toril health Center.

On Dec. 2: Talomo South at Central Park Gym; Talomo North at SIR Phase 2 Gym; and District A at Bankerohan Gym; while on December 3: Tugbok at Mintal Gym and Buhangin District at Buhangin Gym. Buenaventura said all in all there are eight sites identified in Davao City targeted for the conduct of ACT in three days.

The ACT flow covers close contacts of a positive

Covid-19 patients will be fetch by the rapid Action team (RAT) or designated barangay vehicle; the close contacts will undergo swab testing; information of the close contacts will be recorded; after the test, close contacts will be brought back to their respective homes and advised to strictly follow quarantine protocols.

“Katong mga na-identify na positive cases kailangan i-contact trace tanan ang ilahang close contacts.

Naa ta’y listing sa close contacts (F1, F2, F3) included ang mga frontliners, health workers, and other sub-groups na vulnerable population such as the senior citizens,” Buenaventura said.

The individuals who are classified as F1 are the close contacts of the confirmed Covid-19 positive, F2 are close contacts of F1,

and F3 are close contacts of F2.

Buenaventura said the city is targeting to swab 1,000 individuals each site and expecting 2,300 to 2,800 individuals for the eight sites.

“Maramihan ito so we must be prepared for the surge of cases and number of swabbed individuals. Sa ngayon we are ready for the eight sites for Dec. 1,2, and 3,” he said.

Beunaventura also said with the expected surge of cases due to the conduct of ACT, the city government of Davao is planning to open more isolation and quarantine facilities.

“Presently there are than 100 isolation and quarantine facilities in Davao City. As of the moment kaya pa up to 1,000 to 2000 beds to isolate and quarantine individuals,” he

FALL OUT, P10

Duterte enjoins Filipinos to draw inspiration from Bonifacio’s heroism

P

resident Rodrigo Duterte on Monday joined the nation in commemorating the 157th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, urging Filipinos to draw inspiration from the heroism of the supreme leader (Supremo) of the Katipunan amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) health crisis.

In a taped speech, Duterte cited Bonifacio’s legacy of sparking the fires of a revolution that awakened national consciousness and served as the foundation of this Republic.

“His love of country which aroused our ancestors to fight for our freedom and secure our rightful place in the community of nations is very vital,” he said.

Duterte asked Filipinos to take a leaf from Bonifacio’s values that helped him stage actions that changed the course of history.

“Now, more than ever, as we overcome the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic, as we remember his life and deeds, may the values he fought for inspiring us all to become worthy heirs of a just, progressive and inclusive society that he envisioned more than a century ago,” he said.

He hopes that Bonifacio’s bravery in rebelling against Spain’s colonization would serve as an ex-

ample for Filipinos in the fight towards a more progressive Philippines.

“Fueled by Bonifacio’s extraordinary courage and determination, let us surmount the many challenges ahead and secure a much better and brighter future for every Filipino,” he added.

In a separate statement, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar enjoined Filipinos to emulate Bonifacio’s nationalism and aspire to be modern heroes to overcome the country’s societal problems.

“Let us pay tribute to the Father of Philippine Revolution by remembering Gat Andres Bonifacio’s fervor, alongside our other heroes, in pursuit of our country's emancipation from its colonizers,” he said.

Driven by Bonifacio’s thirst for independence, Andanar was optimistic that it would “propel” the nation towards justice, prosperity, tranquility, comfortable life for all Filipinos, and recovery.

“May his bravery and courage, that helped to awaken in our forefathers the desire for liberation and self-determination, be a source of inspiration to all Filipinos as well as be a source of strength as we continue to face societal ills and challenges such as poverty, insurgen-

FDUTERTE, P10

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 198 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020

DavOr awarded as 2019 National Rice Achiever

A

fter being adjudged as one of the country’s top rice producers for 2019, the Province of Davao Oriental was formally awarded as a National Rice Achievers Awardee.

The said award was conferred by no less than the Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar during the awarding ceremony held via a live teleconference at the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) Office in Quezon City, Manila, on Friday, November 27, 2020.

The award was conferred by no less than the Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar. Provincial Agriculture Office Department Head Mr. Rotchie Ravelo said that this is the fourth year the province has been hailed as a national awardee. Davao Oriental received the same recognition in 2014, 2015, and 2018.

Along with the other 10 provinces in the country, Davao Oriental has been adjudged as a national rice achiever primarily because of its increased rice production.

In 2019, Davao Oriental exceeded the national average production target of 4.28 metric tons per hectare as the province’s hit an average yield of 4.51 metric tons per hectare. With this, the province was able to contribute 0.38 percent to the country’s total rice production.

Mr. Ravelo said that the boost in rice production is also attributed to the local government’s interventions which include the provision of services ranging from technology and extension, production support, credit and financing, provision of agri-infrastructure, machinery, and marketing support, among many others.

For bagging the National Rice Achiever’s Award,

the Provincial Government through the Provincial Agriculture Office received a cash incentive of P4 million last July 2020.

Aside from the province, also receiving the award is the Municipality of Banaybanay who received P1 million and two irrigator’s association — Poblacion Banaybanay Division A Pilot Irrigators Association (NIS Category) and Taytayan Irrigators Association (CIS Category) — who also received P1 million each as a cash incentive.

Moreover, through its Rice Self Sufficiency Plan, the province aims to increase the areas planted to rice and achieve 90 percent rice self-sufficiency by 2022. It also aims to improve its rice productivity and increase the income of farmers. Currently, Davao Oriental has a potential area of 20,000 hectares for rice production.

While Davao Oriental has been a consistent Rice Achievers Awardee at the national level, it has also been a top performer in the agriculture sector producing Gawad Saka Agri-Achievers over the years consisting of farmers and PAGRI employees who received special distinction for their excellent performance and dedication in their respective fields.

Governor Nelson Dayanghirang commended the farmers of Davao Oriental who, through their toils and efforts, feed the people.

“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial government vows to remain steadfast in helping our farmers whom we all depend on to produce food for our people,” Gov. Dayanghirang said.

Under his administration, the provincial government has provided a subsidy to farmers in terms of the planting and provision of fertilizers and pesticides, among many others. | KLD

Davao City condo developer completes seismic upgrades

S

eismic upgrades on the four buildings of Verdon Parc, DMCI Homes’ condominium project here, have been fully applied, implemented, and completed to raise the safety of the structures and meet current building standards.

The DMCI Homes’ construction team in Verdon Parc worked with the Office of the City Building Official (OCBO), Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE), and principal consultant Macro Consulting Structural Engineers Company (MACRO CSE), to plan, implement and enforce structural enhancements on its sole project in Davao following the high seismic activity in the Mindanao last year.

The structural enhancement plan was devised after various surveys, inspections, and tests performed by the OCBO, PICE, and MACRO CSE on the structures.

MACRO CSE managing partner, Engr. Ronald C. Santiago, said non-destructive concrete testing like Schmidt Hammer test and Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity tests were performed to check the actual condition of the concrete while destructive concrete and rebar testing were performed to check the quality of concrete and reinforcing bars.

“To do these, concrete samples were extracted and subjected to compression test and reinforcing bars were extracted and subjected to tensile test,” Santiago said.

MACRO CSE, according to Santiago, provided calculations based on the results of the tests, which were then reviewed and fine-tuned by the OCBO with the assistance of PICE. In accordance with the approved plan, all four buildings of Verdon Parc —

FDAVAO CITY, P10

The pandemic notwithstanding, tourists are back in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, particularly its famous “Seven Waterfalls.” This photo, taken early morning of November 29, is Waterfalls no. 1. The water from the lake empties to this falls and the water flows down to six more jumps until it reaches

NEWS 3

Rio Grande. Two of the seven falls can be seen on foot. The other two are visible when one rides the zip line. The other three are still inaccessible. Entrance fee is 20 pesos per person. MindaNews photo by JULES L. BENITEZ

Spare Narra trees in front of school: IDIS

By MAYA M. PADILLO nvironment advocacy group Interface Development Interventions (IDIS), Inc., is urging the Department of Public Works and Highways 11 (DPWH 11) to review its road widening plan which will involve cutting down of Narra trees in front of Ateneo de Davao University’s Grade School and Junior High School campus along McArthur Highway.

E

The group expressed objection to the agency’s plan to cut down eight trees, mostly Narra along the sidewalk of the said school to give way for a laybay or road widening development plan.

Chinkie Pelino-Golle, executive director of IDIS, said the group is urging all parties involved

DPWH, city government of Davao and management of ADDU to sit down again, review the development plan for lay bay or road widening in the area and come-up with a revised design that will incorporate the trees, not remove them.

“It is the only and best option. As of now, we can-

not afford to cut more trees in the urban areas,” said Golle through Messenger.

In a statement, IDIS stated that with the current situation of the city where its Urban Heat Index is increasing, it is of utmost importance to have trees in the roads and parks to allow walkability, and decrease heat and pollution in the city.

On normal days, the location of the school is among the areas in Davao City where the traffic is heavy due to the loading and unloading of passengers of the public utility vehicles (PUJs) and private vehicles.

The group believes that while the traffic issue in the area should be addressed but there are oth-

igh-risk barangays of Davao City will not be put on “hard lockdown,” according to Dr. Ashley Lopez, City Heatlh Officer and focal person for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) of the Department of Health (DOH) in the city.

Lopez told Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) on Thursday that the local government will continue the implementation of house lockdown, particularly for individuals who have close contact with a COVID-19-positive patient, and will isolate confirmed cases in facilities.

“The most that we can do is house lockdown for now, most especially when

we identify positive cases, we need to lockdown the houses of their close contacts because they should not be allowed to leave as they can be the source of transmission,” he said.

Davao City reverted to General Community Quarantine (GCQ) from Modified GCQ effective November 20 until November 30.

Lopez said that even the Coordinated Operations to Defeat Epidemic (CODE) team did not enforce barangay lockdown or community lockdown in Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur, Bacolod City, Cebu City, and areas in National Capital Region to address the surge in transmissions there.

He added that the government may consider enforcing barangay lockdown only when a significant number of the population will test positive for COVID-19.

“If we can identify cases more than 10% of the population of one barangay, that’s probably an indication that we have to initiate lockdown on barangay or a compound. But based on the experience of CODE team, they did not impose barangay lockdown in any place,” he added.

In her regular program over DCDR 87.5 on Friday, Mayor Sara Duterte reiterated her stance against a city-wide lockdown, claiming it is unsustainable.

er strategies that could be done in order to spare the trees. It also cited the current technological and engineering approaches can really integrate these trees in the agency’s development design.

The group is hopeful that the stakeholders and concerned government agencies in Davao City will give emphasis on the importance of having fully-grown trees in the urban area and keeping it to make the city greener and more livable.

In a broadcast interview with one of the radio stations, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio expressed support on the call of the environmental groups in Davao City not to cut the trees in the front of AdDU Grade School.

“The discussion of Davao City COVID-19 Task Force is not going to that direction,” she said.

She added that the short-term lockdown will not solve the problem on transmission because a resurgence in the transmission will happen once the city reopens.

“Short-term lockdown will not solve anything.

Maybe one or two years of lockdown can solve the problem of transmission but it is not sustainable, and it is not reasonable… that would have been ideal because we can look for those infected easily, and the transmission can be stopped since only a few

No ‘hard lockdown’ for high-risk brgys in Davao City, just ‘house lockdown’

H

FNO HARD, P10

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 198 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020

DOF chief thanks Senate for passing CREATE bill

F

inance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has thanked the Senate for making history with its approval on Thursday of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act. Once signed into law, CREATE will finally put in place long-needed reforms in the country’s corporate tax and fiscal incentives system.

Cyclists make a quick stop over in SM to give their bikes a quick pump and check. SM Supermalls in Davao recently improved its bike-friendly facilities to include

more parking and new repair stations. Photo courtesy of SM Supermalls

Water-transported commodities still dominate domestic trade

W

ater remained the main carrier of commodities traded within the country during the third quarter (Q3) of the year.

Domestically traded commodities transported through water totaled 2,293,409 tons valued at PHP91.185 billion, according to preliminary data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Thursday.

Air-borne commodities traded nationwide reached 1,152 tons worth PHP7.34 million.

In 2019, domestic trading covered 5,969,318 tons of water-transported commodities and 9,532 tons of air-borne commodities, totaling PHP227.961 billion

and PHP380.922 million, respectively.

The PSA data also showed total domestic trading nationwide in the third quarter covered 2,294,561 tons of water- and air-transported commodities valued at PHP91.192 billion.

The quantity and value are lower than the 5,978,850 tons of total domestically traded commodities in 2019 worth PHP228.34 billion.

Among the domestically traded commodities in 2019 and 2020 were food and live animals, beverages and tobacco, machinery and transport equipment, as well as mineral fuels, lubricants, and related materials. (PNA)

BDO waives remittance fee for donations to typhoon victims until December 31

B

DO Remit said Sunday it waived fees on overseas donations for typhoon victims in the country until December 31.

It said overseas Filipinos may remit their donations free of service charge via any BDO Remit office abroad to BDO Foundation Inc., the Philippine Red Cross, ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc., and GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc. "The year 2020 has been very challenging. But we have to recover, and we have to be there for our Kabayans who are in dire need of help. Hopefully, with this, we can encourage

more donations from our overseas Filipinos to those adversely affected by the recent typhoons," said Genie Gloria, BDO senior vice president and remittance head.

Typhoon Ulysses (international name: Vamco), the latest in a series of typhoons that lashed the country beginning October, affected over 4.6 million people across different regions, killed at least 73, and damaged over 141,000 houses after inundating vast swaths of Luzon.

It left nearly P11.8 billion in damage to infrastructure, more than P7.2

FBDO, P10

the bill from the time it was introduced in the House in the previous Congress.

“The success of TRAIN, CREATE, and other tax reform measures cannot be attributed exclusively to current efforts. In fact, our tax reform program is a logical continuation of the decades of reforms arduously passed by previous administrations, notably under Presidents Arroyo and Aquino,” he said.

Dominguez added that with CREATE, the Duterte administration has delivered five packages of its Comprehensive Tax Reform Program.

The CREATE bill, which will benefit pandemic-hit businesses, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), was certified as urgent by President Duterte, who had called on Congress to pass the measure in four of his State-of-the-Nation Addresses (SONAs).

With the Senate’s approval of the CREATE bill, Dominguez is hopeful that it will be submitted for the President’s signature this December. “This will allow taxpayers to properly adjust their books and returns for the filing season as the reduction of the CIT rate will be retroactive-

Dominguez said the Senate’s timely passage of the CREATE bill will provide businesses with one of the largest economic stimulus measures in the country’s history to help them recover from the economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We thank the Senate under the leadership of Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Senate Committee on Ways and Means Chair Pia Cayetano, for tirelessly working to ensure that the CREATE bill is approved in time for pandemic-hit enterprises to benefit from this measure,” Dominguez said.

Cayetano, as chairperson of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and her fellow senators deliberated on the bill for 14 months and worked closely with the Department of Finance

(DOF) to ensure that a fiscally responsible measure would be enacted by Congress, Dominguez said.

“We also thank the House of Representatives for passing last year its version of the corporate tax reform from which the Senate had adopted many features.” Dominguez said.

The House of Representatives approved the earlier version of CREATE, then known as the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (CITIRA) bill, in September last year.

Dominguez also expressed his thanks to former secretaries and officials of the DOF, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the many business groups, economic experts, members of the academe, and civil society organizations that supported

ment applies to the share of their employers.

“We know that many of our members and employers faced financial challenges in the last few months because of the effects brought about by the pandemic to the economy.

After consulting with our stakeholders, we will no longer push through with the increase of the members’ monthly contributions next year. This is in line with the efforts of the administration of President Duterte to alleviate the financial burden of our fellow Filipinos and help businesses recover,” Del Rosario said.

In 2019, agency officials approved the increase of its members’ monthly contributions, which had remained unchanged since the 1980s.

According to Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Acmad Rizaldy Moti, it

was projected at that time that the amount of loans disbursed will eventually outpace the total collections from both loan payments and members’ contributions each year.

“So, we proposed to increase the monthly savings by P50 to have enough funds to answer the growing demand and maintain the low rates of our loans. However, with the pandemic reaching our country, the circumstances have changed.

Rest assured, our financial position remains strong and that has allowed us to defer the increase in our monthly contributions by a year. What we are focused on right now is providing our members and businesses the assistance they need to cope with the effects of the pandemic,” Moti said.

He added that while the pandemic has damp-

ened demand for home loans early in the year, availment has been rising steadily since quarantine restrictions were eased.

“While demand has not been what it was in previous years, we are already noticing the increasing number of availment, signaling that our economy has started to recover.

So far, we have released P44.16 billion in home loans this year, allowing 43,733 members to have their own homes,” Moti said.

For October alone, PagIBIG has released P7.7 billion in home loans.

“This equals our pre-pandemic monthly takeout target for October and we take this as a hopeful sign that we are getting back on track. We assure our members that we will continue serving them especially during these difficult times,” Moti said.

Checkout payment gateway, enabling acceptance of any VISA, Mastercard, and JCB credit, debit and prepaid card, as well as PayMaya," the company said in as statement.

This will allow the SEC to process cashless payments for company registration, as well as other fees for business license, fines, penalties, seminars and trainings, among others.

“The addition of PayMaya's payment solutions provides a great push in

fulfilling our mandate as an enabler of the Philippine corporate sector and the capital market,” SEC Commissioner Kelvin Lester K. Lee said.

This will allow the SEC to process cashless payments for company registration, as well as other fees for business license, fines, penalties, seminars and trainings, among others.

“For many enterprises, cashless is fast becoming the default preference for transactions so this will be

a very welcome development for them. We are excited to work with the SEC for this citizen-friendly initiative," PayMaya Founder and CEO Orlando Vea said.

Other government agencies that use PayMay are the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Bureau of Customs, PAGIBIG Fund, the Social Security System, and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

PayMaya said it has en-

FDOF, P10

Pag-IBIG postpones premium hike sked

H

ome Development Mutual Fund or PagIBIG is postponing the scheduled January 2021 increase in members’ monthly premium to 2022.

Pag-IBIG made the decision after consultations with labor and employer groups and “in consideration of the plight of both workers and business owners during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In a statement, Housing Secretary Eduardo del Rosario, who heads the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees, said that the agency has approved the recommendation of the Pag-IBIG Fund Management to defer the hike in the monthly contributions of its members – from P100 to P150 beginning 2021, and move the implementation by one year to January 2022.

Likewise, the defer-

SEC taps PayMaya for digital payments of fees

T

he Securities and Exchange Commission has tapped PayMaya for its digital payment services, the e-wallet company said Monday.

Filipino businesses can soon enjoy more convenient cashless options when paying for online services fees at the SEC online portal, PayMaya said.

"In cooperation with the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) and Land Bank of the Philippines, the SEC will integrate in its online portal with the PayMaya

FSEC, P10

VOL.13 ISSUE 198 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020

ECONOMY 5

EDGEDAVAO

Sidewalk vendors display sea produce in front of a conveniece store in Catalunan Pequeño, Davao City over the weekend. Edge Davao

GSIS to release Php3.3B in Christmas cash gift to pensioners starting Dec 1

S

tate pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) announced that it will start to release a total of Php3.3 billion in Christmas cash gift to a total of 330,496 old-age and disability pensioners starting December 1.

“Every year, our pensioners look forward to receiving the cash gift which they call their Christmas bonus. Thus, we made sure that the cash gift will be credited to their electronic card (eCard) before Christmas this year to somehow relieve them of the additional financial expenses during the Christmas season,” GSIS President and General Manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said.

Qualified pensioners who received a Christmas cash gift of Php10,000 in 2019 will be granted an amount equivalent to their one-month pension up to a maximum of P10,000.

Pensioners whose 2019 Christmas cash gift was above Php10,000 will similarly receive one-month pension up to a maximum of Php12,600. Pensioners who resumed their regular monthly pension after December 31, 2019 (after the five-year guaranteed period) will be given onemonth pension up to a maximum of Php10,000.

Eligible to receive the Christmas cash gift are old-age and disability pensioners under Republic Act (RA) 8291, Presidential Decree 1146, and RA 660 who are receiving their regular monthly pensions and who are still living as of 30 November

2020.

Old-age and disability pensioners whose pensions were suspended before the Annual Pensioners Information Revalidation (APIR) requirement was temporarily lifted in March 2020 and are still on suspended status as of December 1, 2020 will also receive the cash gift, provided they activate their status with GSIS on or before 30 June 2021.

Not eligible for the Christmas cash gift are survivorship pensioners, dependent pensioners, pensioners under RA 7699 (Portability Law), and those receiving pro-rata pension.

New pensioners from 2016 to 2020 who availed of immediate pension under RA 8291 are also not yet entitled to receive the cash gift. They will start receiving their Christmas cash gift five years after their retirement date.

Those who availed of a five-year lump sum and who will resume their regularly monthly pension after December 31, 2020 are also not eligible for the benefit.

Likewise, GSIS members who resigned or separated from government service before reaching 60 years old and who started receiving their regular monthly pension between 2016 and 2020 will only receive the cash gift five years after regularly receiving their pension.

For details, interested parties may visit the GSIS website, www.gsis.gov.ph; GSIS Facebook account, @ gsis.ph; email gsiscares@ gsis.gov.ph; or call the GSIS Contact Center at 8847-4747 (if in Metro Manila), 1-800-8-8474747 (for Globe and TM subscribers), and 1-80010-847-4747 (for Smart, Sun, and Talk ‘N Text subscribers).

PAL to offer COVID-19 swab testing starting December 1

P

hilippine Airlines on Saturday announced it would launch its own RT-PCR testing center in Manila on December 1 for passengers flying out of the Philippines.

PAL said the test results would be released within 12 to 24 hours, and PAL ticket holders are eligible for a P500 discount off the P4,500 regular rate.

The RT-PCR testing center will be located at the Philippine Airlines Learning Center in Ermita, Manila. According to PAL, Detoxicare Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory is the testing site’s Department of Health-accredited partner.

Upon entering the testing facility, PAL passengers must present their ID, PAL ticket, and QR code indicating that one has completed registration on the airline’s passenger profile and health declaration form.

“Except for flights to the US, Canada, and Australia, all passengers must

register and accomplish the online Passenger Profile and Health Declaration Form as early as 5 days before departure,” the statement from PAL read.

Drive-through or walkin testing will be available, PAL said. The testing site accepts cash, credit or debit cards, GCash or Paypal, among others.

The testing facility will be open from Monday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. “with no noon break.”

PAL currently has 8 other testing partners with more than 50 branches available within Metro Manila, Cavite, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, Batangas, Iloilo, and Cebu.

The public can visit www.philippineairlines. com for the full list of the airline’s testing partners.

“The testing fee and release of results vary among testing partners,” said PAL. Passengers should proceed to the airline partner’s testing facility, pres-

FPAL, P10

'Continuing education' of digital mktg in small biz, marketers pushed by experts Big-time fuel price hike seen next week

A

group of advertisers in the Philippines is urging small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large businesses to invest in "continuing education" on the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape to reach out to their markets who mostly have gone online since the pandemic began.

The Internet & Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP)

in a campaign launch last Wednesday, said that "the book you will ever need for digital marketing...does not exist" as the key to learnings in digital marketing are found through constant practice.

"If you want to make a difference, have a platform, boost and scale what you are passionate about, then you have to think of long term continuing education [on digital marketing] to

be able to do this," Leigh Reyes, president of MullenLowe Treyna and vice president of IMMAP, said.

Dennis Perez, IMMAP president and Unilever media director, said the pandemic has caused the shift to digital medium, thus stressing the importance for businesses to know how to reach out to their markets online.

Asked if the digital landscape is already step-

ping into crowded territory due to the drastic shift to online, Perez said the arena "just got busier than ever, but there is always a space for the brand to play into."

He cited that some brands would have localized content such as Tagalog or Cebuano in their portals which not only differentiated them, but also effectively communicates with their target audience.

FCONTINUING, P10

M

otorists should brace for a hike in the pump prices of petroleum products in the coming week, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said Over the weekend.

In its fuel price forecast for December 1 to 7, 2020 trading week, Unioil said the diesel and gasoline prices are seen to increase

by P1.00 to P1.10 per liter.

Fuel companies usually announce price adjust-

ments every Monday to be effective on the next day.

Latest data from the Department of Energy showed the price per liter of gasoline ranges between P34.40 and P53.30 while diesel prices range from P25.90 to P36.05 per liter.

Year-to-date adjustments to stand at a net decrease of P4.62 per liter for gasoline and P8.86 per liter for diesel.

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 198 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020

On the death of the 22-year-old daughter of Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Eufemia Campos Cullamat in a clash between the New People’s Army (NPA) and government forces in Surigao Del Sur over the weekend:

The death of 22-year-old armed rebel Jevilyn Cullamat during an encounter between the NPA and government forces is a grim reminder of the effects of the fruitless armed conflict perpetrated by these communist terrorist groups. Let this incident bring to the fore the duplicity of the communist terrorist movement, whose members in the higher echelons pit Filipinos against fellow Filipinos.”

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

the national association of newspapers

Printed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000, Davao City, Philippines Tel: (082) 224-1413 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 www.edgedavao.net editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net edgedavao@gmail.com

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

MAYA M. PADILLO Senior Reporter

KENNETH IRVING K. ONG ATHENA JILLIAN BRAVO NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN MEGHANN STA. INES FERINA SANTOS Lifestyle

CHRISTIAN JAY H. RAFAL Layout/Cartoons

ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. DR. MAURO L. PUYOD CHA MONFORTE Cartoonist Correspondent Consultant Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. BORBON • MARY ANN C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO DAVAL SR.,TRIA • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY Columnists: ANTONIO V.“ADI” FIGUEROA • HENRYLITO D. TACIO •B.JOHN CARLO • MUJAHID NAVARRA ••FRED C. LUMBA • DENNIS R. GORECHO ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO •“GICO” G. S. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER GREGORIO G. DELIGERO VIDA MIA VALVERDE • HAROLD CAVITE M. PEREZ

OLIVIA D. VELASCO SOLANI D. MARATAS RICHARD C. EBONA JASPER V. BACSAL OLIVIA D. VELASCO General ManagerPresident Advertising Specialist General Manager/Finance VP-Operations JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE MANILA MARKETING OFFICE RICHARD C. EBONA LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-YacapinProduct Sts. Development officer Cagayan de Oro City Address: No. 18 Purok 4B, Madelo Street, Lower Bicutan, Taguig City Tel: (088) 852-4894 Mobile number: +63 947 265 2969(smart); +63 916 955 8559(globe)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 198 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020

VANTAGE POINTS

7

FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE

KA ERIC SPILLS THE BEANS He is Jeffrey Celiz, a Negros-born former activist turned NPA, who boldly unmasked who and what is the real CPP-NPANDF ghost that has been haunting country and government since.

With an educated calmness and courage, Ka Eric articulated in a very synchronized, meticulous detail how the communist organization headed by Joma Sison recruits, trains and indoctrinates potential recruits from the ranks of the youths and students alike to become hardcore members of the insurgent organization.

Before a mildly surprised Senate inquiry chaired by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Celiz impressed his audience with a detailed litany of his personal experiences in the underground rebel movement.

His on-the-record testimony jibed with the revelations earlier proclaimed by Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, SOLCOM chief, on his alleged “red tagging” of actress Liza Soberano due to her association with the militant women’s group Gabriela.

Militant party-list groups

belonging to the Makabayan bloc, though invited to the hearing, opted not to attend.

In their absence, Celiz and his friends who returned to the fold of the law, had all the time to divulge what they personally knew based on their individual experiences with the armed rebel group.

Lacson opined that the resource persons were credible but clarified that a second hearing will be held to give the other party (Makabayan bloc) the opportunity to refute Celiz’ and his companions’ revelations.

They were ugly, horrible and ghastly disclosures that every Pinoy family – the parents in particular – must take note seriously to avoid the unforgivable mistakes of the past.

As a concerned father, I think we should – before we even blame government and school authorities – find fault with the parents who, wittingly or not, were amiss in properly guiding their young student-children.

Why not?

The home is the first “school” where young children in their formative years get to

learn the ABC’s of life – good manners and etiquette, love of, respect and obedience to elders.

Children who are raised and bred properly at home are likely to display admirable performances in school from kinder to the elementary and secondary levels, and at the same time are likely to be proud of their scholastic records.

Yes, the old Christian values, as it is often argued.

In my assessment, Ka Eric – this just came spontaneously – could be a very effective lecturer-educator.

His companions can also help – without exerting effort – propagate the government’s peace and order program cum community development.

These returnees should be recruited by the appropriate government agency as lecturers, if not full-time, in the teaching profession.

Most probably, a program for them to tour the countryside duly accredited by the CHED to teach a specialized subject or two in state universities or colleges to enlighten the young students what the communist in-

surgency movement is all about.

I think many young students will enroll if such a subject is open because it will titillate their inquisitive minds and provoke critical thinking.

Because they will be telling their own individual story (adventure and mis-adventure), these specialized lecture series will serve their purpose effectively.

If I may boldly suggest, a film production company can also look into the profitability of making a biopic based on a true life experience.

In the US, film scouts are usually on the lookout for authentic and genuine first person biographies which they immediately promote and market with success.

Well, Ka Eric et al got a well-deserved media exposure and even the patented scrutiny by Senators Pangilinan and Hontiveros failed to debunk and discredit their personal testimonies.

They narrated incidents of “rapes with consent” that young woman recruits had to undergo but did not holler in protest be-

cause they were afraid to “rock the boat,” so to speak.

The deaths of young student-recruits from PUP and UP during armed skirmishes against AFP soldiers were never refuted substantially by militant front organizations of the CPP. I hope Liza Soberano (even former Miss Universe Catriona Gray) and their respective families will take to heart the parental warning of Gen Parlade so that they are able to avoid undue exploitation, embarrassment and humiliation should something untoward happens.

Parlade, in a Facebook post recently, urged Soberano to withdraw her support of the women’s group Gabriela after the actress appeared on a Gabriela -sponsored webinar where the latter voiced her stand on the issue of violence against women and children.

Parlade, who denied red-tagging Soberano, said the actress needs further education about the supposed true agenda of the party-list Gabriela.

Well…(Email your feedback To fredlumba@yahoo.com.). GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL A couple of years back, when I was in the United States, I had the opportunity of talking with a church pastor who happened to be an emergency medical technician, too. “I have worked with people who have attempted suicide,” he said. “I have worked with the families of suicide victims. In nearly every case, the families of victims reported a common factor about those who attempted suicide.

According to the pastor, people become suicidal when they no longer could see any hope. “They could neither see a reason to go on living nor anyone who was able to give them a reason to live,” he pointed out.

“Living without hope means to experience a bleak, lonely and painful existence.”

Wishing and hoping is not the same thing. If you wish for something, you want it but don’t know whether you will receive it. But to have hope is to expect and believe a thing will happen.

“There is no medicine like hope, so incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow,” Orison Marden, an American inspiration author, once said.

Another inspirational American author, Norman Vincent Peale, wrote: “Have you ever stopped to wonder what it is that keeps you going from

one day to another? What lies behind your ability to fight your way through periods of discouragement or depression? What makes you believe that sooner or later bad times will get better? It’s a little, four-letter word that has enormous power in it.

Power to bring failures back to success. Power to bring the sick back to health. Power to bring the weak back to strength. It’s hope.”

As I write this, there is a copy of one of the back issues of Reader’s Digest in my desk.

One of the intriguing stories this particular issue carried was that of Reeves (yes, I am referring to Christopher Reeve and his wife, Dana, both now deceased). The “intimate portrait of a remarkable love” was told by the couple’s intimate friend, Ken Regan. Alanna Nash wrote the story.

“One of the life values that Dana taught me was about hope,” said Regan. On October 10, 2004, Christopher died.

Four months later, Dana’s mother died after undergoing an ovarian cancer surgery. That was in February, 2005 and by November of the same year, Dana’s father suffered a stroke.

On March 6, 2006, Dana died of cancer at the age of 44.

Fortunately, a few months before her death, Dana taped

an introduction to a PBS documentary called The New Medicine. “For years, my husband and I lived on – and because of – hope,” she told viewers. “Hope continues to give me the mental strength to carry on.”

Yes, despite all the tragedies she faced, Dana never lost hope. People who are sick are always banking on hope. When all things fail, there is always hope they can wait for. Professor and world peace advocate Norman Cousins pointed out: “The human body experiences a powerful gravitational pull in the direction of hope. That is why the patient’s hopes are the physician’s secret weapon.

They are the hidden ingredients in any prescription.”

“We judge a man’s wisdom by his hope,” American essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson said. Well, that was the case of Dr. Thomas Starzl. As a surgery resident in medical school, he was very much interested in transplants. In 1958, he sewed new livers in dogs whose livers had been removed. Unfortunately, all dogs died within two days of the operation.

But his early experiments did not deter him from continuing what he had started. He was hoping that one of these days, he would succeed. In 1959, he found a way to stabilize circu-

lation and the dogs lived for a week after transplant. This is a good start, he may have told himself.

In March 1963, Dr. Starzl performed the first human liver transplant but his patient bled to death. That failure, and a hepatitis epidemic that spread through artificial kidney and transplant centers around the globe during the early 1960s, forced his liver program to be abandoned.

But the termination was not completely though. In 1968, Dr. Starzl and others reported results of new transplant trials to the American Surgical Association. All seven children involved in the study had survived transplants, although four died within six months – an encouraging but not stellar result. By 1975, only two liver programs were left in the world.

Then in May of 1981, Dr. Starzl and his team had success – 19 or 22 patients lived for long periods!

Lesson of the story: Dr. Starzl was criticized, even vilified, by the medical establishment for attempting transplantation – but he persevered. He was hoping all against hope that he will succeed – and he did! Today, liver transplantations are routinely performed in hospitals around the world.

“He who does not hope to win has already lost,” said Jose Joaquin Olmedo, former president of Ecuador.

Several proverbs have been written on hope. An ancient proverb states: “A misty morning does not signify a cloudy day.” An Arabian proverb notes: “He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything.” The Turkish proverb advises: “Things never go so well that one should have no fear, and never so ill that one should have no hope.” To which the English proverb warns: “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”

A lot of famous men have shared some ideas about the subject. “Hope is a waking dream,” said Aristotle. Francis Bacon quipped: “Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.” Emil Brunner compared: “What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life.” Samuel Johnson noted: “In all pleasures hope is a considerable part.”

“Take from a man his wealth, and you hinder him; take from him his purpose, and you slow him down,” C. Neil Strait wrote. “But take from man his hope, and you stop him.

He can go on without wealth, and even without purpose, for a while. But he will not go on without hope.”

8

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 198 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 VOL.13 ISSUE 198 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020

COMPETITIVE EDGE

EDGEDAVAO

UP AND ABOUT

JAPANESE ANIMATION CLASSICS TO BE SHOWCASED IN THE 14TH INTERNATIONAL SILENT FILM FESTIVAL MANILA JAPAN’S FILM lineup includes the oldest Japanese Animated short film straight from the National Film Archives of Japan (NFAJ) collection.

The Japan Foundation, Manila pays tribute to the foundations of Japanese animation by featuring classic animated works in the upcoming 14th International Silent Film Festival Manila this year which will run from December 4 to 6 and will be available to everyone online through www.iwatchmore. com.

Six (6) unique animated short silent films taken from the Japanese Animation Classics collection, digitalized and subtitled in English by the National Film Archive of Japan (NFAJ) will be featured in this year’s silent film festival, including the oldest existing Japanese Animation “The Dull Sword.” The four-minute animation classic was directed by Junichi Kouchi and produced in 1917 which is considered the birth year of domestic animation in Japan.

The Dull Sword is about a samurai who tests his new sword by attacking a blind person. He purchased the sword from a swordsmith, known as “Dull Smith,” for four gold coins.

The other Japanese Animation Classics to be featured are Burglars of “Baghdad” Castle (1926 | 14 mins), The Animal Olympics (1928 | 13 mins), Two Worlds (1929 | 15 mins), Old Man Goichi (1931

| 11 mins), and A Day after a Hundred Years (1933 | 10 mins).

The Japanese Animation Classics in the festival will be accompanied by the musical scores created by the HJH

Composers Collective. The group is composed of Hiroko Nagai, Jordan Peralta, and Harold Andre Santos, contemporary music composers with a diverse musical palette of pop, classical, folk, jazz,

electronic music, and traditional Philippine and Japanese music, and they frequently collaborate with other artists to create music for film, theatre, dance, and visual arts.

The 14th ISFF Manila will also hold a webinar entitled “Saving Memory: Making Silent Films Talk to Us,” on December 4. Joining the list of international panelists from Japan is DAIBO Masaki, Head of Film Collections at the National Film Archive of Japan (NFAJ).

DAIBO will be sharing his expertise in the archiving and digitizing of Japanese films and how he manages the preservation of the NFAJ collection.

The featured Japanese Animation Classic films are curated by benshi KATAOKA Ichiro from the collection of newly digitized animated films by the NFAJ, in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of Japanese Animated Films in 2017.

For more information, check out the official portal of the 14th ISSF www.iwantmore.com to watch the films from December 4 to 7 at the comfort and safety of your own homes. Follow the official Japan Foundation, Manila website (www.jfmo.org.ph) and Facebook page(facebook. com/jfmanila) for updates and full screening schedules.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 198 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020

FEATURE

9

World AIDS Day: HIV/AIDS in time of COVID-19

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

W

illiam was only 18 when he went to Metro Manila to study in one of the country’s most prestigious schools. The parents of this Dabawenyo wanted him to be a lawyer. William was an outstanding student during his first year. But after meeting some friends, everything changed.

His friends brought William to a pub one evening. There, the young man was introduced to a beautiful guest relation officer.

And the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, William was picking up girls here and there.

Lately, however, he started suffering from a chronic cough that lasted for more than a month. He also experienced itching in several parts of his body, aside from having swollen lymph nodes. William decided to see a doctor and told him his problem. After hearing his woes, the doctor asked William about his sexual lifestyle.

Quite surprised at the question, the young man told his story just the same.

After conducting several blood tests on William, he was asked to return a week later.

“I am sorry to tell you this William,” the doctor told him when he returned, “but you are positive of HIV.” HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus, the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).

William felt all the energy drained from him. “I don’t know where I got this disease…” his voice trails off as he recalls his past sex conquests. “Maybe from one of those girls I picked up. Or maybe…”

The story of William is a reminder why the international community observes December 1 as World AIDS Day, which was launched in 1988. This year’s theme is “Global Solidarity, Resilient Services.”

Despite the fact the world is now grappling with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), HIV/AIDS is here to stay.

“The world has made significant progress since the late 1990s, but HIV remains a major global public health issue,” said the World Health Organization (WHO) in a statement.

“And like many other major health issues, it faces additional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

This is true in the Philippines, where the HIV epidemic is increasing at an alarming rate. “Our country has the fastest-growing HIV infection rate in the Asia-Pacific region,” Dr. Louie Mar A. Gangcuangco, an infectious disease researcher whose expertise in HIV field is recognized internationally, tells EDGE Davao. “This is something we should be concerned about.”

As of July 2020, about 79,082 individuals have been diagnosed with HIV since 1984, 94% of which are males (74,226) and the remaining 6% are females (4,845), records

from the Department of Health (DOH) showed. In July alone of this year, 523 persons were newly diagnosed.

The average number of Filipinos newly diagnosed with HIV per day is surging at an alarming rate. Records released by the DOH Epidemiology Bureau showed there were only two people diagnosed with HIV daily in 2008. It increased to 6 in 2011, 16 in 2014, 25 in 2016 and 35 in 2019. For this year, the number of people diagnosed everyday with HIV is 31.

The number of HIV cases in Davao Region fares no better. In the first half of 2019, the region ranked fifth in the country with a total of 3,476 HIV/AIDS cases. About 2,902 of the cases were from Davao

City.

Jordana Ramiterre, head of the Davao City Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC), told the media that most of those who acquired HIV are mostly males. The vulnerable age group are those from 15 to 34 years old, considered as a “reproductive age group.”

Like those with other diseases, people living with HIV are in a serious challenge with the current pandemic. “There is currently no evidence that people living with HIV are at a higher risk of being infected with COVID-19 virus,” said Avert, a UK-based charity that has been providing accurate information about HIV and sexual health around the world.

“Our understanding of the risk of developing se-

vere COVID-19 in people living with HIV is evolving,” Avert said in its website, avert.org. “Current evidence suggests that HIV is less of a risk factor for severe COVID-19 than other health conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, cancer, diabetes, or being over a certain age.”

HIV is present in all body fluids of an infected person but is concentrated in blood, semen and vaginal fluids. Virtually, it is present in all body tissues and organs including the brain and spinal cord.

It can be found in tears, saliva and breast milk although these last three are not considered significant routes of infection.

A DOH report cited sexual intercourse as the leading mode of transmission in the country. Men having sex with men through anal intercourse, where the penis penetrates the anus of the other person, is currently the leading mode of transmission. Vaginal intercourse, where the penis penetrates the vagina, is the second most common route of transmission.

“A single sexual encounter can be sufficient to transmit HIV,” wrote Dr. John Hubley, author of The AIDS Handbook. “Although the risk from an individual sexual act may be low, the more times a person has sex, the greater the likelihood that transmission will take place. Women appear to be more at risk than men from heterosexual sex. The transmission of HIV from man to woman is believed to take place more easily than from woman to man.”

Injection or infusion of contaminated blood, as occurs with blood transfusions, the sharing of

needles or syringes, or an accidental prick from an HIV-contaminated needle is another mode of HIV transmission.

Transfer of HIV is also possible from an infected mother to a child before birth, during birth, or after birth through the mother’s milk. “A few children contract HIV infection through sexual abuse,” informs The Merck Manual of Medical Information.

“HIV is a virus that destroys the immune system,” says Dr. Gangcuangco. “After about 5 years of not knowing that you are infected, if you engage in unprotected sex, the infected person can unwittingly transmit the virus, infecting more people.”

Currently, there is no cure known for HIV but the virus can be controlled with proper medications called antiretrovirals (ARVs).

“HIV can be suppressed by treatment regimens composed of a combination of 3 or more ARV drugs,” the WHO maintains. “Current antiretroviral therapy does not cure HIV infection but highly suppresses viral replication within a person’s body and allows an individual’s immune system recovery to strengthen and regain the capacity to fight off infections.”

RHWC reminds that once taking ARV drugs, it should not be discontinued. “ARV drugs keep HIV under control, but if you stop taking them, your viral load will go up. This means HIV can damage your immune system, and you are more likely to pass HIV on,” it reminds.

“The challenge on managing the rise of HIV in our country continues, and we

FWORLD AIDS, P10

10 EDGEDAVAO

ALL OUT... FROM2

VOL.13 ISSUE 198 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020

said.

He added that the city also identified hotel isolation facilities to cater the significant amount of swabbed individuals.

“Meron mga barangays na mataas ang kaso. Hindi lang po ito gagawin sa Davao City, from December 1 to 8 gagawin din po ito sa iba’t ibang parte ng Davao Region,” said Dr. Abdullah Dumama Jr., Undersecretary of the Department of Health (DOH).

ACT will be conducted also in Davao del Sur (Digos City and Sta. Cruz), Davao del Norte (Tagum City, Panabo City, Island

Garden City of Samal) and Kapalong.

Dumama said barangays and districts were identified upon the recommendation of the Provincial Health Office, Municipal Health Office and City Health Office.

Dumama said 10,000 individuals in the entire Davao Region are targeted for ACT. He also said specimens will be sent to Cebu City and that results are expected to be available not more than 48 hours.

“The specimens from ACT will be send to Cebu para di na ma–overwhelm ang SPMC. The result will

be available not more than 48 hours. I hope matutupad natin yun. We will make sure that not more than 48 hours para mabigyan ng sapat na treatment ang ating mga kababayan,” he said.

Dumama added that health workers and nurses are not a problem as 19 health workers from National Capital Region (NCR) will arrive in Davao to augment the health workers here.

He also said 20 nurses and health workers from Cebu will be assigned at private hospitals to assist in Covid-19 treatment.

For those individuals who will refuse to swab testing, Buenaventura said there will be uniformed men or security group task to forcefully get clients so they will be swabbed.

“We have the uniformed men together with partner barangay kailangan kunin ang clients na ma-swab,” he said.

“Hindi puwedeng umayaw lalong lalo na kung ikaw ay expose. This is a matter of national security. We are not threatening you. If ever ma-identify ka, you should submit yourself for swab test,” Dumama said.

Martel, Belvedere, Trevans, and Maurin — underwent structural stability enhancement methods that include a seismic load and response upgrade, which is a retrofitting technology that raises the life safety performance of a structure to earthquakes.

Moreover, Santiago said the buildings’ columns and beams have also been reinforced with carbon fiber

while sturdy cross-brace and knee-brace have been installed in strategic locations inside the structures to further support foundation posts and beams.

Apart from the structural upgrades, DMCI Homes carried out the rectification of the residential units, enhancements of landscaped areas and open spaces, and the rehabilitation of the condominium’s fixtures

and amenities such as the swimming pool complex and children’s play area to ensure the safety and comfort of the residents.

“As we start the turnover of the Belvedere building this month, our clients can be assured that Verdon Parc is up to the latest seismic safety standards. We have also enhanced the property’s features and property management

services to complete residents’ resort-living experience at Verdon Parc,” DMCI Homes vice president for project development Dennis Yap said.

Turnover of Verdon Parc’s two other buildings, Trevans and Maurin buildings, on the other hand, will proceed as committed in February 2021 and October 2021 respectively according to Yap. (PR)

people can go out,” she said.

During the CODE meeting with COVID task forces in the region last November 18, Dr. Alethea De Guzman of the DOH-Epidemiology Bureau said most of the cases during the first half of November came from Buhangin Poblacion, Barangay 19-B, Talomo Poblacion, Agdao, Bucana, Toril Poblacion, Matina Crossing, Ma-a, Matina

Aplaya, Cabantian, Catalunan Grande, Sasa, Panacan, Barangay 21-C, Pampanga, Daliao, Calinan Poblacion, Barangay 5-A, Bago Aplaya, Barangay 27-C, Centro (San Juan), Tugbok Poblacion, Leon Garcia, Sr., Barangay 32-D, Barangay 9-A, Baliok, Barangay 20-B, Tibungco, Bunawan Poblacion, Lizada, Tigatto, Barangay 28-C, Barangay 7-A, and Indangan.

Cases from these areas contributed 80-percent of the total COVID-19 cases out of the 96 barangays with reported cases in the first two weeks of November. The city is composed of 182 barangays.

As of November 27, Davao region recorded 8,881 cases with Davao City accounting for 70.1% at 6,228 cases; Davao de Oro with 448, Davao del

Norte with 994, Davao del Sur with 670, Davao Occidental with 116, and Davao Oriental with 425.

The entire region has 2,590 total active cases, 5,947 recoveries, and 344 deaths.

Out of the 6,228 cases in Davao City, 2,097 are active, 3,845 are recoveries, and 286 are deaths. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

ly applied to July 1 of this year,” Dominguez said.

MSMEs, which make up 99 percent of all enterprises in the country, will be the biggest beneficiary of CREATE as they will receive the largest ever CIT cut in the country’s recent history. In the Senate version, domestic corporations with total assets, excluding land, of not more than 100 million pesos and net taxable income of P5 million pesos and below will enjoy an immediate 10 percentage point reduction in the CIT rate, from 30 to 20 percent.

All other corporations will benefit from an immediate reduction of the CIT from 30 percent to 25 percent.

Moreover, under the Senate version of CREATE, taxpayers whose gross sales or receipts do not exceed the value-added tax (VAT)-exempt threshold of 3 million pesos and are subject to the 3 percent percentage tax shall only pay 1 percent instead from July 1, 2020 to June 30,

2023.

Proprietary and non stock educational institutions and hospitals are also among the major beneficiaries of the Senate version as it reduces the preferential tax rates enjoyed by these entities from 10 percent to 1 percent from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023.

On the long-overdue fiscal incentives reform, investment promotion agencies (IPAs) maintain their key functions and powers under their respective charters, but they will now be supervised by the Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB). Approvals of incentives for investments with capital exceeding P1 billion pesos will be made on the FIRB level.

Dominguez said that placing the governance of tax incentives under this body chaired by the Department of Finance and co-chaired by the Department of Trade mirrors international best practice and is a major win for the Filipino people. The FIRB

ensures accountability and transparency in the grant of tax incentives.

CREATE also enhances the flexibility of our incentives system so that we can proactively attract investments that will bring exceptional benefits to the Filipino people.

“These reforms in the fiscal incentives system are crucial for us to be able to compete for high-value investments, which are what we want to attract. The passage of CREATE is timely as many investors located in China are now looking for alternative destinations to avoid a repeat of the supply chain disruptions they encountered earlier when parts of China were locked down to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Dominguez said.

Under CREATE, a Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) shall be formulated every three years to identify priority projects or activities that will receive incentives.

A DOF study utiliz-

ing data made available through the Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act (TIMTA) revealed that the government gave away P477.17 billion in tax discounts and exemptions to favored enterprises in 2018 alone.

These incentives were granted without a mechanism in place to assess their net benefit to the economy, which CREATE corrects.

Dominguez said certain sectors claim that CREATE has created uncertainty in the business community, “but many investors have told us that they were waiting for the congressional passage of this corporate tax reform.”

He said tax reform and the prudent fiscal policies implemented by the President have provided the government the fiscal space it needs to bankroll COVID-19 containment measures and provide relief to poor Filipino families and other sectors hardest hit by the pandemic.

when Diego died, I arrived at his place and the prosecutor’s office was already working. They didn’t take me to testify.

I didn’t think this was the way,” he said.

The raid came after Maradona’s family members reportedly told investigators they had witnessed a fight between Maradona and his personal physician. Luque

said those types of encounters with his patient were normal.

“What I explained to Diego was difficult. Many times he dismissed me.

And then he would call

me back.”

An investigation was requested after Maradona’s daughters Dalma and Giannina questioned the medication their father was given. (Anadolu)

DAVAO CITY... FROM3

NO HARD... FROM3

DOF... FROM4

MYSTERY... FROM12

DUTERTE... FROM2

cy, terrorism, corruption, illegal drugs, and recently, the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.

Under Republic Act 2946, November 30 of every year is a regular holiday to commemorate Boni-

facio’s birth anniversary.

Workers in the private sector are expected to get paid twice their regular daily wages on Bonifacio Day, a regular holiday, which falls on Monday this year. (PNA)

billion in damage to agriculture, and P12.19 billion

damage to educational materials, authorities said.

abled over 60 government units in the national and

local levels with cashless payments.

"Digitalization is not a one size fits all; it is affecting us in different ways...

Some localize content, though I might not understand it, but if it's working for a brand in their market, then it's good," Perez added.

IMMAP said they are continuously "diversifying" how they connect with businesses wanting to have a presence online.

The group added that not only do they learn from each other in their circle of membership, but they also "create innovations as community" in how to approach digital media.

The group revealed that they are set to launch its mentorship and matching program next year, as well as their podcast which was

delayed from this year due to the pandemic.

IMMAP is a network of more than 300 digital marketers in the Philippines, and counting. The group covers and shares learnings within the areas of digital marketing such as ecommerce, data analytics, brand experience, and content and media.

It has rolled out initiatives to help and educate businesses and marketers to leverage and harness digital marketing to achieve their goals.

Their initiatives include Digital Congress (DigiCon), Virtual Member Meetups, Digital Measurement Board (DMB), Web Wednesdays, Catalyst thought pieces, and Digital Youth Congress (YouthCon), among others.

ent their ID, PAL ticket, QR Code which indicates the completion of registration

through PAL’s Passenger Profile and Health Declaration Form.

need you to help in our battle,” HIVepicenter Philippines urges. “We can help stop the spread of HIV if each of the diagnosed people living with HIV start or stick with their treatment.

Help ups get the word out.

HIV treatment saves lives.”

As COVID-19 continues to take a toll, Avert urges people living with HIV to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from COVID-19 virus by following the health protocols: washing hands, wearing face mask and face shield, observing physical distancing, and staying home.

In addition, they need to adhere properly to their antiretroviral treatment.

Avert recommends the following: · Try to stock-up on your ARV treatment, so you have enough for at least 30 days, ideally for three months. · Ensure your vaccinations are up to date (for example influenza and pneumococcal vaccines). · Make sure you know how to get in touch with your health care facility and that you have a plan in place if you feel unwell and need to stay at home.

The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also suggests that people living with HIV should continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating right, getting at least 8 hours of sleep, and reducing stress as much as

possible. “Staying healthy helps your immune system fight off infection should it occur,” it points out.

Unlike before, HIV is no death sentence. “If HIV is detected early and if the patient takes antiretrovirals early, the virus can be controlled,” Dr. Gangcuangco assures. “There is still no cure for HIV but the bad effects of the virus can be prevented if medications are taken early.

“I urge everyone who has had unprotected sex to please have an HIV test in your nearest HIV treatment hub/social hygiene clinic,” he urges. “People with HIV need to get tested to prevent damage to their immune system that can cause infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, diarrhea that can lead to death.”

In Davao Region, you can call HIV HELPLINE at these numbers: 0949-3386764 (Smart) or 0977-6547821 (Globe). It is open from Monday to Friday (except holidays) from 8 am to 4 pm.

The DOH designated HIV treatment hubs and primary HIV care facilities in the region are: Davao Doctors Hospital (Quirino Avenue in Davao City), Southern Philippines Medical Center (in Bajada, also in Davao City), and Davao Regional Medical Center (in Tagum City). – (Photos courtesy of WHO and HIVepicenter)

BDO... FROM4 SEC... FROM4

CONTINUING... FROM4

PAL... FROM4

WORLD AIDS... FROM9

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 198 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020

11

Ex-NBA slam dunk champ KOd by Youtube creator

T

he NBA world is mercilessly trolling the three-time slam dunk champ Nate Robinson after he was viciously knocked out by Jake Paul in the second round of their cruiserweight boxing match Saturday.

Robinson and the YouTube creator contested a professional cruiserweight match in the co-main event of the highly-anticipated boxing showcase at the behind-closed-doors Staples Centre in Los Angeles.

Though Paul is renowned for his rap music and his massive social media following, he has only fought twice as a pro boxer and has never competed against an ac-

tual fighter.

Regardless, there was a clear skill gap between himself and Robinson, as Paul knocked the former baller down once in the first round, twice in the second, and left him face-down, motionless, on the canvas with only his eighth landed punch of the fight.

The brutal finish has opened Robinson up to mockery from his peers in the basketball community.

Responding to a Twitter comment in which Robinson said, “Gonna shock the world, bro,” the Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry waited until after the fight result to say: “I see no lies.”

TNT guard Ray Parks goes strong to the hoop against Ginebra defender Alvin Tolentino. PBA Images

Ginebra takes Game 1 with a 100-94 win over TNT

B

arangay Ginebra leaned on their tough defense in the overtime session to take a 100-94 win over the TNT Tropang Giga at the start of the Philippine Basketball Association Finals at the Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center on Sunday night.

Ginebra held TNT to just two points in extra time, a floater from RR Pogoy with 1:20 left, even as Aljon Mariano and Japeth Aguilar scored dagger baskets both off LA Tenorio’s feeds to seal the win.

Aguilar finished with 25 points, 16 rebounds,

one assist, and one block for the Barangay, who are now 1-0 up in the best-ofseven series.

Stanley Pringle added 24 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.

Tenorio, who helped force overtime by dishing

an assist to a wide-open Arvin Tolentino to set up the equalizing layup with five seconds left in regulation, had his own double-double of 12 points and 10 assists with five rebounds.

Ray-Ray Parks finished with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, five steals, and two blocks for the Tropang Giga, but he fouled out with 31 seconds left while trying to steal the ball from Tenorio.

It was a tough loss for the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company franchise, which had a

huge chance to win it in regulation only that Jayson Castro missed a floater before time expired.

Game 2 is set for Wednesday night.

Box Scores: Ginebra 100-J. Aguilar 25, Pringle 24, Thompson 15, Tolentino 14, Tenorio 12, Mariano 6, Chan 2, Devance 2, Dillinger 0, Caperal 0 TNT 94-Parks 20, Pogoy 19, Washington 14, Castro 12, Erram 10, Enciso 9, Rosario 8, Montalbo 0, Reyes 0 Quarterscores: 22-27, 41-41, 66-71, 92-92, 10094 (PNA)

the ring late Saturday for the first time in 15 years at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in the bout of eight two-minute rounds.

Rolling back the years, the two former world champions tried not to de-

liver any blows that would risk serious injury to the other.

After the bout, Tyson asked for a rematch against Jones, 51.

In 1997 Tyson was suspended from boxing after

he bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear in a match, but a court later restored his ring privileges.

Jones, whose last fight was two years ago, currently holds a record of 66 wins and nine defeats. (Anadolu)

Tyson, Jones exhibition ends in draw

Legendary heavyweight Mike Tyson tags aging pugilist Roy Jones Jr.

A

n exhibition match between legendary heavyweight Mike Tyson and aging pugilist Roy Jones was ruled a draw by the World Boxing Council.

Tyson, 54, returned to

MOSES BILLACURA CLEAN SLATE

TRUE SPORTSMEN DON’T RETIRE I think it is both a blessing and a curse.

If you happen to notice, those who have been in sports for many years, they simply do not retire.

They may actually retire from their regular 8 to 5 jobs because it is mandatory under the law, but later you will notice, they are hired to do sports work again.

I was happy to learn of the recent retirement of Professor Henry Daut of the Mindanao State University. He is supposed to enjoy retirement these days but you

see, “once a sportsman, always a sportsman”, as the usual saying goes.

His appointment as deputy executive director of the National Academy of Sports is a blessing to Philippine sports development. The Fulbright Scholar has fully dedicated his life to sports and conducted various events including bringing sports for peace work to far-flung barangays. In fact, he is married to sports development.

This Covid-19 pandemic,

however, has affected their operations, a little bit, although Prof.

Daut and his team were able to do some online work and lectures. It was indeed challenging to do this type of work knowing that we do not yet have a very reliable and fast internet connection but they were able to do coaching certifications, which is very laudable.

Thanks to lawmakers and Mayor Digong’s signature, the National Academy of Sports was established.

There is so much work to be

done and my wish is that Prof.

Daut will remain healthy and strong as he continue this noble work in sports.

It was a bright move by Philippine Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez to keep Prof.Daut, a workaholic and dedicated sportsman who is a blessing to the sports community.

Mao na kamo nga student-athletes, human gyud mog eskwela, because you will be the future sports leaders in this country.

By the way, on Facebook, Prof.

Daut created a Q&A page that welcomes new ideas for sports development. Check out and like “Q & A with HENRY” and help him on his new work at the Academy of Sports. Share your thoughts, submit a research paper or proposal.

I will give you a tip.

Work on a proposal of a Department of Sports. It is about time, we should have one. What do you think sportsman Senator Bong Go?

12 SPORTS

MYSTERY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 198 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020

Maradona’s doctor investigated for manslaughter

B

OGOTA, Colombia – Diego Maradona’s doctor is being investigated for possible manslaughter following the football legend’s death, Argentine prosecutors said Sunday.

Maradona died of a heart attack Wednesday at his home on the outskirts of the capital, Buenos Aires.

Police raided the home and clinic of Leopoldo Luque on Sunday morning as they try to establish whether there was negligence in Maradona’s medical treatment, according to several local news outlets.

Luque denies any wrongdoing.

“There was no medical error on anyone’s part. Diego had a heart attack. In a patient with his condition, it is the most common thing in the world to die like that.

Everything possible was done to prevent that event,” said Luque in an impromptu press conference at his home.

Maradona had undergone surgery for a brain blood clot earlier in November. Luque had allowed him to leave the hospital eight days later. The doctor said he had done “everything he could, up to the impossible.”

“They took his medical history and the tests I did. Electronic devices. Hard drives I had 20 years ago. All the phones. The truth is that I was surprised because

FMYSTERY, P10

Police raided the home and clinic of Diego Maradona's doctor Leopoldo Luque on Sunday morning as they try to establish whether there was negligence in Maradona’s medical treatment, according to several local news outlets.