Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 199 | Wednesday, December 2, 2020

WATERFRONT DAVAO SHINES A LIGHT OF HOPE FOR CHRISTMAS

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

IT’S A GO

INDULGE P8

VOL.13 ISSUE 199 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

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City allows Misa de Gallo under curfew conditions STORY ON PAGE 2

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A medical worker performs a nose swab test on a resident of Talomo District during the first day of Aggressive Community Testing (ACT) at Shanghai Gym in Matina Aplaya, Davao City on Tuesday. The ACT in selected Davao City barangays is a move of the city government to contain the spread of Covid-19 city. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 199 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

DOT eyes RT-PCR test deal with PGH at P1,800 to boost domestic tourism

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IT’S A GO

Residents wait for their turn to undergo swab test during the first day of Aggressive Community Testing (ACT) at Shanghai Gym in Matina Aplaya, Davao City on Tuesday. The ACT in selected Davao City barangays aims to contain the spread of Covid-19. Edge Davao

he Department of Tourism is eyeing to ink an agreement with the UP-Philippine General Hospital (PGH) to secure an RT-PCR or nasal swab test for each tourist priced at P1,800 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Tuesday.

Puyat said this aims to address the prohibitive cost of RT-PCR to travelers en route to spurring domestic travel but still in observance of health and safety protocols amid COVID-19.

“We are looking to tie up with UP-PGH. Government-to-government agreement. Worth P1,800 ang RT-PCR test, results will come out in 24 hours,” Puyat said in an ANC interview.

“We are also looking at making travel vouchers para mas mura, isa-subsidize namin ang half of the P1,800 cost ng RT-PCR test since most of the destinations require a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test result 48 to 72 hours before arrival,” she added.

Puyat earlier appealed for the uniform protocols in local government units in terms of regulating tourism destinations.

As it is, the regulation of tourism destinations depends on the discretion of LGUs except for Boracay which is under the jurisdiction of the national government, specifically the Inter-Agency Task Force.

Baguio City, on the

other hand, only requires a negative antigen COVID-19 test which is cheaper than the RT-PCR test.

Puyat said the DOT already released P10 million of its budget out of Bayanihan 2 to subsidize the RT-PCR test of tourism workers in Boracay to ensure safety.

“Sa ganoon po, hindi po mag-aalala ang ating tourism workers and tourists are also assured that the tourism workers who are in close contact with them are COVID-19 free,” she pointed out “When we do tourism [protocols] correctly, we bring back jobs,” Puyat added.

The Health department already set a price range for RT-PCR test at P3,800 for public facilities and P4,500 to P5,000 for private hospitals and laboratories.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), however, did not revise its RT-PCR COVID 19 test package which ranges from P901 to P3,409 even with the new price range.

Coron and Siargao will be open to tourists starting today, December 1, since being closed down in March.

The Philippines has recorded 431,630 COVID-19 cases so far. Of this number, 398,658 recovered while 8,392 died.

The number of active COVID-19 cases is at 24,580.

he ultra-modern Mindanao Media Hub will soon host the various units and agencies of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) including the regional office of the Philippine Information Agency-XI. The P700-million, six-storey Mindanao Media Hub will be the new home of the Philippine Information Agency-XI which is currently occupying an office at the Kanto Motors Building along Quimpo Boulevard in Matina, Davao City since 2004.

The PIA-XI is one of the 16 regional offices of the Philippine Information Agency, the chief information arm of the government with expertise in development communication.

PIA-XI is actively utilizing its various communication services in the fight against COVID-19 in the region thru the conduct of various online pressers and IEC (information, education, communication) campaigns in partnership with various government agencies such as the Department of Health.

“The Mindanao Media Hub will not only boost government communication and information services to the entire Mindanao region but also bring together the attached agencies of the PCOO including the PIA under one state-of-theart facility,” says PIA Director-General Mon Cualoping.

Located inside the hub are the broadcasting facilities and studios of the Peoples Television Network and Radyo Pilipinas. The building will also host the offices of the Philippine News Agency, National Printing Office, APO production unit and other attached PCOO units.

The Mindanao Media Hub is located in a one-hectare lot of the Philippine Broadcasting Services in Bangkal, Davao City. Aimed to serve as the broadcasting hub of Regions 10, 11, 12, 13 and the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao), it had its groundbreaking in 2018.

PIA DG Cualoping said the new hub will bring improved government communication services to the citizenry.

“The PIA is one with the PCOO family in continuously delivering timely, relevant, and content-specific information tailored for the people of Mindanao while continuously innovating the landscape of development communications,” Cualoping said.

The newly-completed Mindanao Media Hub will have its first television broadcast this December 5. With the airing of the 11 a.m. Laging Handa Public Briefing. PCOO head Sec. Martin Andanar will be in Davao City to host the Laging Handa at the new studio. (PIA/RG Alama)

City allows Misa de Gallo under curfew conditions T

Mindanao Media Hub to host PIA-11

By MAYA M. PADILLO avao City will be spending the Christmas holidays under general community quarantine (GCQ) but Catholic faithfuls will not be missing the traditional Misa de Gallo (dawn mass service).

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The city government announced it is allowing the conduct of Misa de Gallo.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio emphasized there will be no adjustments on the curfew hours coinciding with Misa de Gallo.

“Dili nata mag-adjust sa curfew because according to the Catholic church ang ilaha is December 16 to 24 ang Misa de Gallo is 5:30 a.m.,” the mayor said.

On December 16 to 24, masses will be celebrated at 5:30 a.m. while the traditional Christmas and New

Year midnight masses on Dec. 24 and 31 will start at 7:30 pm.

“As of October 15, 2020 mao ni ang discussion nato with the Catholic church. Basin kaning 5:50 a.m. mapasayo pa ni because we are already in the 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew hours. I-check na lang ilahang mga simbahan kung unsa ang oras ang ilahang Christmas masses,” Mayor Sara said.

It can be recalled that the city government of Davao has re-imposed curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.

he Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Davao Region has reported 28 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the highly congested Davao City Jail in Barangay Ma-a, bringing the total cases to 76 as of Monday since the first cases were reported last November 21.

In a virtual press conference on Monday, Dr. Daniel David, regional health chief of the BJMPDavao Region, said that of the total cases, eight are jail personnel and 68 are inmates, who were among the 160 swabbed for the infection after being identified as “close contacts” of

the first reported cases.

He said the confirmed COVID-19-positive inmates are recovering in the designated 100-bed isolation facility within the jail compound while the jail personnel were transferred to the isolation facility of the Department of Health (DOH) in the region.

David said that the 15 COVID-19-positive inmates with comorbidity are strictly being monitored, with response teams ready to transport them to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) for treatment if symptoms develop.

The city jail has a total

population of 1,700.

He said virus test of one inmate, who died last November 19 at the SPMC after being diagnosed with pulmonary congestion secondary to end-stage renal failure, and seven other inmates who underwent swab test as one of their requirements for transfer to a rehabilitation center, turned out positive when results came out last November 21.

David added that health authorities are currently investigating to determine who was the index case and how the infection reached the jail facility, despite strict enforcement of quarantine measures,

from October 15, 2020 until December 31, 2020, however, the curfew was adjusted to 9 p.m. until 4 a.m. starting November 20, 2020 when the city was reverted to general community quarantine (GCQ) classification.

Under GCQ attendance at masses is only allowed up to 30 percent of the seating capacity of the churches following the two meter distance between individuals as stated on the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Omnibus Guidelines of October 22, 2020. including a requirement of negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result before inmates get admitted to the jail.

He said that after obtaining their RT-PCT results, new inmates will have to undergo another 14-day quarantine period in another facility within the compound before they are transferred to prison cells with other inmates.

“We are still looking for the index. We are trying to determine how the transmission happened. For our personnel, we have strict protocols upon going inside, or before the change

Covid-19 outbreak in Davao City Jail worsens; total cases at 76

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VOL.13 ISSUE 199 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

President Rodrigo Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on Monday night. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Full face shield only, T no visor-type

Duterte to CPP-NPA fronts: Not red-tagging, we're identifying you

By MAYA M. PADILLO he city government of Davao issued the latest Covid-related Executive Order (EO) mandating the mandatory use of face shields that will take effect immediately.

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Through EO No. 65 Series of 2020 which is an order consolidating all the issuances on the mandatory use of face shields in certain areas in the city to ensure safety in the workplace and reduce the transmission of the virus.

Among the provisions stated in the EO is the type of face shields to be used wherein Dabawenyos are ordered to use face shields that will cover the entire face (completely cover the sides and length of

the face). If possible, face shields should extend to the ears and below the chin while visor-type face shields are not allowed.

The issuance of the EO came after the city observed there is a need to create a guide for Davao City residents where the use of face shield is mandatory and its basis.

The city follows Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Resolution No. 68, s. 2020 dated September 3, 2020, mandating the

use of a face shield with a face mask in the following places: supermarkets, public markets, malls, and in venues where government initiated meetings and critical government services are being conducted or provided.

This is also based on the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr’s) Memorandum Circular No. 2020-014 dated August 3, 2020, mandating the mandatory wearing of face shield with a face mask for all passengers in areas where public transportation is allowed.

The EO also follows the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Labor and

ore medical workers have arrived to augment existing health frontliners in Davao City battling COVID-19.

According to Department of Health Undersecretary Dr. Abdullah Dumama Jr. in today's (Nov. 30) One Davao on COVID-19 online presser, about 54 health professionals have arrived to beef up the medical personnel in Davao City.

Among those who came are volunteers from

Northern Mindanao (Center for Health Development X) consisting of 13 nurses and 2 medtechs.

“They will be assigned to the SPMC (Southern Philippines Medical Center). According to Doctor Audan they will expand to 25 more beds and they will man these with the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) volunteers,” Usec.

Abdullah said.

Another batch of 19 nurses and health workers from the National Capital

Region (NCR) have arrived and will be assigned to SPMC. Adding to the list are 20 nurses from Cebu and according to Usec. Dumama they will be assigned to private hospitals who are needing nurses to attend to COVID patients.

Last week, the Armed Forces of the Philippines sent 25 medical personnel from its different military services and units to Davao City.

Usec. Dumama said

Employment (DOLE) Joint Memorandum Circular No. 20-04-A dated August 15, 2020, which shall apply to all private establishments regardless of economic activity including economic zones, mandates the use of face shield with a face mask. Face shields and masks should always be worn together when interacting with colleagues, clients, and/or visitors.

The EO also states that face shields may be removed according to the demands of the work or when the occupational safety and health of the employees so requires like working near a fire or in the kitchen, operating a machine, among others. the additional health personnel will reinforce the aggressive community testing (ACT) which will be conducted in several barangays in Davao City, Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte this December 1-3.

“This will answer the question on where will we put the patients if we find them. Now we have expanded, we have the nurses,” Usec. Dumama said.

Meanwhile the City

More medical workers augment Covid-19 response teams in Davao

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he Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) does not engage in red-tagging leftist lawmakers, President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday night, insisting that the military was actually “identifying” them as legal fronts.

In a taped speech, Duterte said the AFP is “very correct” for identifying groups like Bayan, Makabayan, and Gabriela as “legal fronts” of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

“Itong mga legal fronts ng komunista, lahat ‘yan (These legal fronts of the communists. All of them) Makabayan, Bayan…they are all legal fronts, Gabriela. We are not red-tagging you. We are identifying you as members in a grand conspiracy comprising all the legal fronts that you have organized headed by NDF [National Democratic Front of the Philippines] tapos yung (then) New People’s Army at Communist Party of the Philippines,” he said.

Duterte said several former CPP-NPA members have openly attacked and criticized communists for the latter’s sheer brutality in this communal war.

“Communal war ito (This is communal war).

There is no longer any ideology. Itong mga komunista, wala na ideology (These communists no longer have ideology),” he added.

He said the communists simply wanted to overthrow the government so that they could take over.

“Gusto lang nila umagaw ng gobyerno (They

just want to grab power),” he said.

Duterte accused the legal front members, particularly Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate, of accepting money” and “defend an oligarch” but did not elaborate.

“You are friends with the NPA. You co-conspirators. Komunista ka adre, matagal na. Alam ko. Alam ko kasi alam ko (You’ve been a communist for a long time. I know. I know because I know),” he said.

He also attacked CPPNPA founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, saying his guerrilla-like ideology claimed the lives of many uniformed personnel.

“Anong nakuha mo diyan sa ideology na communism (What do you get from the ideology of communism)?” he said.

IPs most affected Duterte said indigenous communities were the most affected by atrocities committed by the CPPNPA members.

“Ang kawawa dito itong mga pobre na taga-bukid na madadala ninyo (The ones pitiful here are the poor you convince. I think 75 percent, at least in Mindanao, mga Lumad. Kayong mga Lumad, umuwi kayo sabihin ninyo sa mga tao ninyo na niloloko lang sila ng NPA talaga. Parang namatay ang Lumad. (You lumads, go home and tell your people you’re being fooled by NPA. Lumads are being killed). So if this thing goes on, the lumads, yung native na Pilipino talaga (native Filipinos) will be-

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 199 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

A man tries a half face shield at a makeshift store along City Hall Drive in Davao City on Tuesday. The use face shield in supermarkets, public markeets, malls, public transport and other public areas is now mandatory in Davao City. Face shields must cover the entire face and visor-type face shields are not allowed. Edge Davao

Dominguez asks DTI to return O PITC’s interest earnings to BTr

Break the habit and #PledgeToDoubleCheck products for your family’s sake

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inance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has formally asked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to return to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) the interest earnings of the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) to help augment the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) response and disaster relief efforts.

In a letter addressed to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Dominguez said the amount of PHP1.15 billion earned by the PITC from the funds it has been holding in trust as of 2019 was recorded as interest income of the state-run firm when these should have been remitted to the National Treasury.

Dominguez said PITC’s interest earnings came from the cash and investment balances transferred by several national govern-

ment (NG) agencies to the corporation for the procurement of their various requirements.

These fund balances, which are considered as trust liabilities of the PITC, amount to PHP33.3 billion and PHP32.6 billion as of the end of 2019 and October 31, 2020, respectively, Dominguez said.

“Following our discussion, we would like to request the return to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr)

by PITC, the interest earned

on such funds held in trust.

From 2018 to 2019, the interest earned on such funds totaled PHP1.151 billion,” Dominguez said in his letter to Lopez.

The Finance chief said his request “is in line with our continuous efforts to identify sources of fiscal space and to accommodate the country’s various medical and social needs as a result of the pandemic, compounded by the successive calamities which recently hit the country.”

Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado was furnished a copy of the letter to Lopez.

In his letter, Dominguez cited a 2019 report by the Commission on Audit (COA), which at that time found that PITC recorded its interest earnings “aggregating PHP581.135 million as of December 31, 2019,” as the corporation’s income, “instead of remitting

the same to the National Treasury.”

The COA said this practice “is not in accordance with Presidential Decree 1445 and Department of Finance (DOF) Circular No. 01-2017,” referring to the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines and the DOF’s amended guidelines on authorized government depository banks, respectively.

Last week, the DOF furnished Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon a copy of Dominguez’s letter to Avisado seeking the return to the BTr of about PHP33 billion in funds lodged with the PITC. Drilon said Dominguez wrote the Department of Budget and Management to ask for its endorsement to President Rodrigo Duterte on the issuance of a directive for the transfer of the PITC funds to the BTr. (PR)

for the domestic economy this year on account of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, but a 9.6-percent recovery is projected for 2021.

“As before, the base-effect-driven high growth rates for the upcoming years mask the fact that the level of GDP (gross domestic product) will remain far

below the pre-Covid trend even by the end of our forecast horizon,” it said in a report dated Nov. 29 released to the media on Monday.

The report cited the progress in domestic economic activity following the easing of movement restrictions.

For one, third-quarter GDP posted a shallower

contraction of 11.5 percent from the decades-high -16.9 percent the previous quarter.

However, while economic activities have registered some improvements as quarantine controls are slowly being lifted, the impact of Typhoons Quinta, Rolly and Ulysses, among

S&P Global maintains ’20, ’21 PH GDP forecasts

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&P Global is keeping its growth forecasts for the Philippines for this year and 2021, noting the impact of recent typhoons partly hindered chances of economic recovery brought about by improved people’s mobility and employment.

It forecasts a 9.5-percent growth contraction

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ur family, most importantly, our kids are the special treasures we have and with that, we only want what is best for them especially in terms of the food and drinks they consume.

However, with the goal of making them happy with their favorite refreshments, desserts and snacks, are you sure that they are nutritious for your little ones?

Beware mommies, do not put your guard down and don’t be complacent because it’s not enough that we buy products having popular names. There might be red flags that you don’t see in the usual products that you buy. Just because we see our kids are enjoying their usual snacks and drinks doesn’t mean that our job is done, because as important it is to give them what they want, it’s even more important to give them what they need. As wise moms, we should check what ingredients are in the snacks and drinks that we serve to our kids. Is there too much sugar? Too many artificial ingredients? Remember, giving what’s best to our children is not only about providing tasty snacks and beverages –but rather, about providing them with snacks and drinks that will nourish them and keep them healthy.

Guilty? It’s never too late to break the habit of buying whatever is pleasing to the eyes and what is

popular because All Natural Seasons Juice by Dole have started the mommy movement #PledgeToDoubleCheck that advocates for smarter and wiser grocery shopping.

This movement is a call to be more conscious about your grocery shopping habits and to inform and properly educate yourself about the ingredients of the products you are buying. The lesser ingredients they contain, the more natural they probably are, hence, a healthier and safer product for the family.

We may think that the current products that we are purchasing are already “healthy” but upon checking their ingredients lists, you might be shocked to find that they contain chemically-sounding, artificial additives and preservatives to add a more flavorful taste. Fair warning for all mommies that when there are too many ingredients (more than 10) and are a bit complicated or hard to understand, it could be a sign that the product contains a lot of artificial ingredients that are not advisable to be consumed in large amounts regularly so you might want to reconsider buying it.

Through pledging to check the label, you are committing towards being more aware on which brands to put your trust in and assessing which are

FBREAK, P10

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 199 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

OPEC+ postpones talks to Dec 3 amid disagreements -- sources

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PEC and allies led

by Russia postponed talks on oil output policy for 2021 to Thursday, three sources said on Monday as key players still disagreed on how much oil they should pump amid weak demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.

OPEC+, which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other allies, had been scheduled to hold its meeting on Tuesday at 1300 GMT (9 p.m. in Manila).

The group had been due to ease existing production cuts by 2 million barrels per day (bpd) from January. But with demand still under pressure amid the coronavirus pandemic, OPEC+ has been considering extending existing cuts of 7.7 million bpd, about 8% of global demand, into the first months of 2021, a position backed by Saudi Arabia, sources said.

After consultations on Sunday failed to reach agreement, sources said Russia suggested a possibility for OPEC+ to start increasing output by 0.5 million bpd each month from January.

Further complicating the picture, OPEC member the United Arab Emirates was also signaling it would be willing to support a rollover only if members improved compliance with cuts.

Saudi Energy Minister

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told the OPEC meeting on Monday he would step down as a co-chair of a ministerial monitoring committee, three OPEC sources said. It was not clear why he was planning to do it.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said differences between Russia and OPEC were not as severe as in early 2020, when disagreements led to a collapse in talks and a surge in output.

But Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had no plans to call Saudi Arabia's leadership before the OPEC+ meeting, a move that in the past has helped smooth over any dispute.

OPEC+ has to strike a delicate balance of pushing up prices enough to help their budgets but not so much that rival US output surges. U.S. shale production tends to climb as prices rise above $50 a barrel. Adding to the challenge within OPEC+, Moscow's finances can tolerate lower oil prices than Riyadh's.

Global benchmark Brent crude, which settled down 1.2% at $47.59 a barrel on Monday, could fall as much as 10% if OPEC failed to roll over cuts, Deutsche Bank said in a note.

Oil had a bull run last week, triggered by hopes for a COVID-19 virus vaccine and expectations of a rollover in OPEC+ cuts.

ECONOMY 5

Trade chief bats for PH as healthcare industry hub

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rade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the Philippines can be a hub for the healthcare manufacturing and services industries at a gathering of senior global business and government leaders.

At the opening session of the Horasis Asia Virtual Meeting 2020, Lopez said the country has begun shifting its economic priorities towards the healthcare sector after the pandemic forced some of the country’s big businesses to pivot their operations to products and services urgently needed during the health crisis.

“Moving forward, definitely, healthcare industry and then health-related services in the Philippines

will really be highlighted and I guess moving forward that would be one of the priorities and has been given an identification of priority industries,” Lopez said.

The Philippines entered the pandemic with zero production capacity for coverall personal protective equipment, and very limited capacity to produce medical masks, Lopez said.

But in just six months the country can now produce 3 million coveralls

monthly.

“Even medical-grade masks. We only had one manufacturer before, an exporter, which we did not impose export restrictions on, we allowed them to export despite the need for medical-grade mask.

But now there are two million and we’re asking other companies to open and operate medical-grade masks,” Lopez said.

He added the Philippoines can now deliver over 60 million medical masks a month.

Likewise, Lopez touted the Philippines a key supplier of healthcare workers around the world.

“We continue to churn out (doctors and nurses), and we have a lot of graduates in this field so this will

certainly be the way moving forward.”

He also mentioned the prospects of medical tourism in the Philippines.

“In the field of healthcare, certainly medical tourism has now increased its prominence and it’s where the Philippines can have a good niche moving forward,” Lopez said.

The Philippine trade chief also made a push for more trade deals with economies not part of the historic Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which was recently signed.

He said Manila is now eyeing to pursue free trade agreements with countries in Europe as well as other Asian economies not party to the deal.

More than 2,200 applications for cell tower permits approved: Año

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ore than 2,200 applications for permits of telco firms to build cell towers have been approved, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Monday, as the Philippines continues to fast-track construction of cell sites for better connectivity services by the end of the year.

Año said in a public briefing aired Monday night that 2,220 applications have been approved while 712 are pending.

The interior chief said his office will regularly check on the pending applications next week until they are approved.

The expediting of cell tower construction approvals stemmed from Globe Telecom President and CEO Ernest Cu's revelation last July that it takes about 28 to 30 permits and over 8 months to build just one tower due to local government units' requirements.

President Rodrigo Duterte warned in response that he will go after LGU officials if they are found guilty of hampering construction of cell sites in the country.

The head of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said telcos with complete applications for building towers will be automatically ap-

proved if local government units or agencies of the national government fail to act within 7 days.

SAP ANOMALIES Meanwhile, Año said 270 local government officials have been charged of criminal cases in connection to alleged anomalies in the distribution of emergency cash aid under government's social amelioration program (SAP) throughout the country during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the 270, at least 30 cases are now proceeding in court, with 20 filed with the Ombudsman.

Año said 184 barangay chairpersons are facing administrative raps.

Of the total, 57 are now undergoing court proceedings.

The Senate earlier found out that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had P75 billion left from its 2020 budget and some P6.7 billion from the SAP. It also has yet to spend some P1.5 billion from its 2019 budget.

The DSWD said it would fast-track the release of P83 billion worth of unused funds as millions of Filipinos contend with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and spate of typhoons that struck the country.

Due to abundant harvests but lack of shipment, papayas are being sold at only three pesos per kilo along the national highway in Tupi, South Cotabato on Monday (30 November 2020). Previously, the fruit fecthes P20 per kilo. MindaNews photo by BONG S. SARMIENTO

Gov’t financing up 214.45% in end-Oct

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he government borrowings in the first 10 months of the year jumped by 214.45 percent year-on-year primarily due to requirements to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) data show total borrowings as of end-October this year reached PHP2.706 trillion, way higher than the PHP843.482 billion in the same period last year.

Bulk of the financing is accounted for by those sourced domestically, with a net amount of PHP2.259 trillion while the balance of PHP446.46 billion is accounted for by external financing.

Economic managers have set a PHP3-trillion borrowing program each for 2020 and 2021, and domestic fundraising accounts for the bulk at 75 percent through the is-

suance of treasury bonds (T-bond), treasury bills (T-bills), and retail treasury bonds (TRB), among others.

On the other hand, of the total commercial external loans for this year, EUR 1.2 billion came from the issuance of three and nineyear US dollar-denominated debt papers last January and USD2.35 billion from the sale of 10-year and 25year bonds last April.

Aside from commercial borrowings, the government is also tapping lending programs of various multilateral companies to further augment Covid-19-related programs.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has also extended some short-term borrowings to the national government.

It lent the national gov-

tarting this month, big establishments and business companies should provide free shuttle services with a relaxed standard operational capacity, to help their workers avoid high-risk of COVID-19 exposure in public transportation.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) last week signed Joint Memorandum Circu-

lar (JMC) No. 2020-04-A, Series of 2020 which requires "large-sized private establishments with total assets above P100,000,000" that are in special economic zones and other areas to provide shuttle services for their employees.

The two agencies agreed to allow firms and establishments to relax restrictions on seating capacities of their shuttle services.

Under the JMC, work-

ers are highly advised to sit “one-seat apart” or if this is unlikely, employees can fill the service vans and vehicles as long as there are dividers installed between the seats.

Contact tracing forms should also be provided to workers. Only the required information, their names and contact numbers, should be given. This also applies for the firms' and establishments' customers, clients, examinees and vis-

itors.

The agencies also encouraged the use of digital contract tracing app, particularly, StaySafe.ph which is the government’s official digital tracing application.

"Private establishments are highly encouraged to register in and use StaySafe. ph," the JMC read.

The memo, which was signed by DTI Sec. Ramon Lopez and DOLE Sec. Silvestre Bello III, will be effective Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020.

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DTI, DOLE roll out new standards on free shuttle service for workers

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6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 199 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

In allowing the celebration of Misa de Gallo in Davao’s Catholic churches: As of October 15, 2020 mao ni ang discussion nato with the Catholic church. Basin kaning 5:50 a.m.mapasayo pa ni because we are already in the 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew hours. I-check na lang ilahang mga simbahan kung unsa ang oras ang ilahang Christmas masses.”

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio

EDGEDAVAO

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VOL.13 ISSUE 199 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE POINTS

7

FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE

ON SECOND THOUGHT… Sometimes, people wake up on either side of the bed.

Sometimes, they feel stressed and tense; sometimes, they feel relaxed and comfortable. Sometimes confused and irrational; sometimes, joyful and full of confidence.

In these very struggling and difficult times when the messages and information we receive are being circulated in a way that circumvents logical reasoning and critical thinking, it is wise to ponder and give them a second thought.

Hmm, government authorities nowadays are somewhat blindly obeying orders and instructions from the UN World Health Organization regarding ways to confront the CoVid 19 virus, a pathogen that is widely believed to have originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China.

Why? Because if anybody questions the restrictive standard protocols being implemented domestically, they will always refer you to the WHO which has been flip-flopping on its pronouncements that the virus is deathly transmissible airborne,

that social distancing of two meters apart will prevent the saliva carrying the virus from jumping over to the other person next to the virus carrier.

But it is December already, more than eight months since the first lockdown on March 15, 2020. A continuing shut-down policy like this will kill our economy as it already deprived millions of their jobs, income and wages.

Filipinos must meet this dilemma with courage and positive confidence.

Instead of cowering in fear - like Manny Pacquiao who delivered killing blows against his trash-talking opponents (Antonio Margarito, Adrien Broner, Keith Thurman, Brandon Rios et al and sent them home with heads bowed in humiliating defeat) - Filipinos, exemplified by the national leadership, should squarely face up to the reality.

CoVid 19, like all flu viruses, will remain but it will not kill and decimate all 100 million Pinoys. It is not that lethal and contagious.

Why am I saying this?

Your deadline beater is almost 73 summers. When the

WHO ordered wearing masks, I didn’t wear any. I research and discovered that the WHO guys were unsure whether the contagion could be transmitted airborne during the initial outbreak period.

I was having trouble breathing while taking my daily 2km. walking exercise. And yet, I did not catch the virus as the WHO would have us believe. It had proclaimed that senior citizens are more prone to get contaminated than their younger counterparts.

Hey, look at me. I am much healthier than many of them out there.

I’ve never been hospitalized for any illness since I was born.

I maintain a 135-lb weight in my 5’5” frame.

I quit smoking in 1986, got rid of my drinking vice and nourished myself with veggies, fruits and fish diet.

But I can still enjoy lechon and beef steak without any fear of heart attack and high blood pressure.

I just wish to encourage everyone that fighting back the vi-

rus does not mean we agree to stay locked inside our homes.

We will all die if no one is courageous enough to go out and fight back this pandemic hoax.

Influenza, small and chickenpox, TB, dengue, HIV and heart disease were far obnoxious threats than the former but hey, we are still around. We were not mandated to wear masks during the cholera outbreak that was far deadlier than Covid 19 in the 1950s nor during the TB epidemic.

Hey, let us not solely rely on WHO instructions and completely set aside diligent research for the correct and accurate information.

Some sinister minds and elitist groups are twisting the facts to suit their globalist goals and effectively place all governments under one-man, satanic rule.

Simply put, observe strict hygiene protocols.

But never be afraid to go out there and do the normal things you’ve been doing for the sake of your family.

The IATF ideally should now ease the very restrictive rules and

regulations it had imposed on the citizenry.

Overkill na po yan.

It is only stressing the fact that the DOH is a failure. And this inept management of CoVid 19 badly reflects on the Duterte administration.

Me, I have obeyed the IATF rules to the letter. I have imprisoned myself in my small room for the duration of the ECQ and GCQ periods. Luckily, I busied myself following on-line chess tournaments, watched free online movies of yesteryears (50s and 60s), read the Bible and spread God’s Word on FB. Yeah, you should entertain second thoughts too as I do.

Carefully digest information and messages being issued by health authorities. Do on-line research, read medical journals and bulletins written by prestigious and credible sources.

Do not bite information from foreign media networks hook, line and sinker.

They could be poisonous.

(Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

DENNIS R. GORECHO KUWENTONG KULE

THE VIRAL PHOTO OF A PHYSICS STUDENT AND THE STREET AS HIS BIGGER CLASSROOM Learning is not confined within the four walls of the classroom, and for PUP Physics student Freedom Mendiola dela Cruz the street is his classroom.

It was early afternoon of March 23, 2020 when my car stopped due to heavy traffic in front of Freedom’s mobile stall along Evacom Road in Parañaque City where he sells face masks, face shields, umbrellas, ballpens and the like.

I noticed that he seemed to be reading something from his cellphone then followed by writing in his yellow pad paper.

To satisfy my curiosity, I took some shots before I called him to buy the face shields and I asked some questions.

I learned that Freedom is a second year Physics student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and he was attending to his online classes, among others, when I saw him.

I initially thought that he wanted to be a scientist when I posted the photo later that afternoon.

Social media can be very influential as Freedom’s photo has gone viral with hundreds of shares, likes and comments and was even featured by major media outfits.

When I visited Freedom again two days later, he told me that he was overwhelmed by the social media attention that he received due to my photo.

He said that Physics was not his original choice as a pre-med-

ical course in PUP as he was not able to get available slots for Biology, Chemistry or Psychology.

He plans to proceed to medical school after graduation, preferably at the University of the Philippines (Manila) with specialization on children since he was often brought to the hospital during his younger years as a sickly child.

Although his education is free as one of the Iskolar ng Bayan, they have to allot a substantial part of the family income to cover the additional costs.

Before the pandemic, Freedom used to go to school and stay in a dorm with monthly expenses of P1,800.00 for dormitory rental, water and electricity while his daily allowance for food and transportation is P200.00.

He was already helping his parents in their mobile stall at a very young age during his elementary years. He has two sisters Katrina (18) and Chloe (16).

He starts selling from 8:00 a.m. until around 7:30 p.m. while his parents transfer on foot from one place to another around Paranaque, Muntinlupa and Las Pinas carrying with them big plastic bags containing the merchandise.

Sadly, Freedom lamented that COVID19 caused their estimated average daily gross income to drop from P3500 to P1500.

They buy the face shields from Baclaran at three pieces per P10.00 and sells them at P10.00 per piece.

Then I asked why is his name Freedom.

I was right. His father Jerry was a former activist engineering student from National University who said in a TV interview that his son’s name means “malaya sa paghihirap, sa pighati sa (ma) sama sa mundong malupit.”

Freedom clarified that he was self-studying online not only

for his physics classes at the time I took the photo.

Although he wants to be a doctor, he showed me the yellow paper where he was also writing down notes on nonscience -related subjects for self growth, including terms lifted from legal websites like law, jurisprudence, constitution, stare decisis, precedent, legal positivism and statute of limitation.

Freedom represents many other young Filipinos thirsty for knowledge and wishing to achieve something in the field of science despite their economic status.

I only encountered Physics as a subject during high school which is not an easy subject for me. And now here is Freedom who is taking it as a full blown course.

Physics is the study of the mathematical beauty of the universe at scales ranging from subatomic to cosmological, from studying stars far beyond earth, to explaining the shape of a water droplet.

The viral photograph is a manifestation of how education has changed dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic that shattered the confines of a

‘closed classroom’ concept.

Freedom stressed that going to school and learning online are different because one can easily learn skills in a classroom unlike in e-learning where teaching is undertaken remotely and on digital platforms.

He receives a weekly load of P100.00 from his organization Physics Society to cover the internet expenses.

What is more difficult for Freedom in giving full attention to his lessons is the fact that there are external distractions like the noise and crowd considering that their stall is along a busy main road.

Poverty is the greatest obstacle of ones’ education but it may also be treated as a challenge.

The greatest lessons are not learned through a classroom but through living from day to day, and one doesn’t get told about them, one experiences them.

In the event that he will successfully enter the medical profession, I hope that he will remain true to his character and convictions and be guided by the best of human virtues such as altruis​m, compassion and the desire to alleviate human suffering.

Kule is the monicker of Philippine Collegian, the official student publication of UP Diliman.

Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786

8

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 199 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020 VOL.13 ISSUE 199 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

COMPETITIVE EDGE

EDGEDAVAO

LIFESTYLE

WATERFRONT DAVAO SHINES A LIGHT OF HOPE FOR CHRISTMAS ON ANY ORDINARY YEAR, Christmas is the time for families and friends to gather around sparkling lights and festive parties. Over the years, the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao has become one of the staple bearers of joy for the Yuletide Season as it holds its Tree Lighting Events and Christmas Kick-off.

Although this year has been a challenge due to the current pandemic, the hotel shone a hopeful light with a Virtual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, live on its Facebook page last November 20.

With the theme, ‘Puso Ng

Pasko’, the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao highlighted Filipino Traditions and Styling, showing the world how we Filipinos celebrate the Yuletide Season.

Inspired by the true reason for the season, Waterfront Davao, together with other Waterfront Properties in Cebu and Mactan, launched the ‘Light of Hope Christmas Project’, an initiative aiming to provide a Christmas

in a Box to over 3,000 families in need and 3,000 boxes more to the modern-day heroes, the medical front liners.

To help in the ‘Light of Hope Christmas Project’, Dabawenyos can purchase Ornaments of Hope, for Php200, hotel guests can decorate Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao’s Christmas tree with a customised Christmas ornament. Each purchase will

fund one Christmas in a Box. For the art lover, there is the Stroke of Hope an art exhibit spearheaded by the Baihinang Women’s Art Group. Twenty percent of the revenue from the sales of the artwork will go towards the Light of Hope Campaign.

By booking a room at the Waterfront, guests can also contribute a Christmas in a box, one

room night at a time. And for all the Weekends of December, 10% of the net profit from dining in at Cafe Uno will go towards the funding of the Christmas in a Box Meals for the front liners.

We Filipinos take pride in celebrating Christmas, and the spirit of helping others and shining a ray of hope is the best Christmas present we can all give.

BUY 1 GET 1 FOOD DEALS IN SM THE MERRIMENT CONTINUES WITH FOODPANDA’S MERRIEST DEALS PROMO

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“Christmas in the Philippines is not complete without delicious and sumptuous meals.

We, at foodpanda, want to ease the hassle and deliver your favorites straight to your door with 20% off and more through Merry Deals of the kumukutikuti-TAP Christmas weekly surprises,” says Daniel Marogy, foodpanda Philippines Manag-

ing Director. “We still have lots more up our sleeves in the coming weeks to make this year’s Christmas festive and enjoyable with bountiful selections of your favorite meals available on the best deals.”

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HAPPY HOUR starts at 6 PM daily in SM Lanang Premier’s Food Hall and SM City Davao’s Foodcourt!

Call a friend or grab a foodie buddy and enjoy buy one get one deals on dinner favorites with any Coca-Cola product.

Enjoy Filipino combos of fiesta staples in JG Salo or Gracia’s Lechon Belly: Lechon Belly with Gulay, Lechon Sisig with Ensalada, Lechon Kare-Kare with Gulay, Lechon Paksiw with Gulay, or Sisig with Gulay.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 199 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

ENVIRONMENT

9

Deforestation: Paying the sin of the past

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

D

uring the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses, residents of Cagayan Valley in Northern Luzon were caught by surprise when massive water inundated their place. In some areas, floodwater reached over 13 meters high, making some towns totally submerged and leaving thousands of residents stranded.

Blamed for the sudden surge of water was due to the release of floodwaters from Magat Dam in Isabela.

But probing deeper, some environmentalists, including Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba, traced the problem to deforestation.

“Beyond the dam, the principal culprit is the massive deforestation of our watershed areas which serve to regulate the release of rainwater from our hills and mountains, and the decimation of so many trees in our communities which function to increase the absorptive capacity of our grounds,” wrote Joel Ruiz Butuyan in a Philippine Daily Inquirer feature.

Deforestation was in the form of illegal mining and illegal logging. So much so that President Rodrigo R. Duterte himself urged Roy Cimatu, the head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), to investigate these two activities in the province.

“I will direct here General Cimatu to look into the illegal mining, especially where the people are building their shelters downwards,” Duterte told the media attending the press briefing held at the provincial capitol in Tuguegarao City.

It was not the first time – nor the last. In 2011, when Typhoon Sendong hit Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao, the rivers

were flooded and people were crushed by logs or drowned. About 338,000 people were greatly affected.

Sean McDonagh, a priest who worked in the area, said much of the region was converted from rainforest into pineapple plantations. “The deforestation was literally criminal,” he told The Universe Catholic Weekly. “If rainforests in the area had left intact, even 12 hours of continuous rain would not cause this devastation. The rainforest canopy would stop the torrential rain from hitting the ground directly. Trees would also absorb the water.”

The same thing happened when Typhoon Pablo hit Davao de Oro in 2012.

Arturo Uy, then the governor of the province, traced the deadly landslides and flash floods spawned by the typhoon due to previous illegal logging activity that denuded the mountain ranges surrounding the valley. “There’s no illegal logging here anymore, because obviously, there are few trees left to cut,” he was quoted as saying by Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“The root cause of what is happening now is the denudation of our forests,” commented an environmentalist. “This is a sin of the past that we are paying now.”

Rev. Harold R. Watson, a former American agri-

culturist who had been helping the locals in Mindanao, agreed. “When man sins against the earth, the wage of that sin is death or destruction,” he explained.

“This seems to be the universal law of God and relates to all of God’s creation. We face the reality of what man’s sins against the earth have caused.

We are facing not a mere problem; we are facing destruction and even death if we continue to destroy the natural resources that support life on earth.”

It is impossible to exaggerate the ecological crisis that is now happening in the country. A study done by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), entitled Sustainable Forest Management, puts it bluntly: “Most of the (Philippines’) once rich forests are gone. Forest recovery, through natural and artificial means, never coped with the destruction rate.”

More than 90 years ago, the Philippines was almost totally covered with

forest resources distributed throughout its 30 million hectares.

“From the late 1950s through 1973, deforestation in the Philippines reached 172,000 hectares per year. Virgin forests have been especially hard hit, declining by 1.7 million hectares from 1971 to 1980 alone,” wrote Robert Repetto in his book, The Forest for the Trees? Government Policies and the Misuse of Forest Resources.

In the past, forest resources helped fuel the country’s economy. In the 1970s, the Philippines was touted as the prima donna among world timber exporters. Today, it is considered “a wood-pauper,” to quote the words of veteran journalist Juan Mercado.

A few years before his death in 1992, national scientist Dr. Dioscoro Umali deplored: “Over the last 25 years, we sold over 101.6 million cubic meters of prime logs abroad.

We subsidized developed countries with cheap timber. Rough estimates indicate that exports reached over US$6 billion. Much of that income was salted abroad. It never benefitted those who live in forest communities.”

Oftentimes, logging companies passed the blame on shifting cultivation done by kaingineros, or slash-and-burn farmers, for the rapid disappearance of forests. They said kaingineros log without restraint and unlike them which have so-called corporate responsibility.

Some 80,000 to 120,000 families cleared an estimated 2.3 million hectares of forest land from 1971 to 1980s alone. “As elsewhere, the spread of shifting cultivation largely reflects population growth and the economy’s failure to provide employment alternatives for the country’s rural poor,” Repetto wrote.

Mining also threatens the country’s forest cov-

er. “Through the Mining Act of 1995, mining companies are given timber rights, which allow them to cut trees inside their concessions,” said Marjorie Pamintuan, the spokesperson of Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment.

In 1982, the discovery of gold on Mount Diwalwal in Compostela Valley triggered a gold rush to an area of 729 hectares. It has “the largest gold deposit in the world,” said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Blacksmith Institute believed that “an estimated $1.8 billion worth of gold reserves remain untapped in the 5,000-hectare mountain where some 30,000 small-scale miners operate, many illegally.”

More than 25 years since the Catholic Church leaders warned against an ecological debacle in the country, deforestation continues. Today, “the Philip-

FDEFORESTATION, P10

10 EDGEDAVAO

COVID-19... FROM2

VOL.13 ISSUE 199 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

of guards, because our personnel will be on quarantine for a minimum of 21 days…they will also be screened, and if symptomatic, the personnel cannot enter the jail. We are very strict on that,” David said.

Following the guidelines of the DOH, he said health authorities don’t need to test all 1,700 inmates, prioritizing only

the close contacts, symptomatic inmates, and vulnerable sector.

“The rest of the population, as of now, cannot leave their respective blocks because they are on lockdown, and being monitored inside,” he said.

Aside from the 100bed isolation facility for confirmed cases, David said the BJMP has a 150-

bed quarantine facility for close contacts.

“If there is a surge, and our isolation facility can no longer accommodate, we are coordinating with DOH and we have conducted several inspection for possible area where we can transfer the positive PDL. There is another three-story building inside the Davao City Jail compound

that could accommodate 100…. BJMP 11 is prepared for surge capacity,” he said.

JInsp. Edo Lobenia, BJMP 11 spokesperson, said the agency is still on top of the situation amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

“BJMP is on top of the situation. We are doing our very best to manage the crisis,” he said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

others, which ravaged several parts of Luzon last October and early November, are considered as setbacks.

Before the weather-related economic hit, Luzon, which accounts for about 70 percent of the country’s GDP, was hurt by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that the government implemented from mid-March until end-April, and was extended to end-May for the National Capital Region (NCR), to address the rise of Covid-19 infections.

Another negative factor is when the quarantine restriction in NCR was reverted from general community quarantine (GCQ) to the stricter modified ECQ for 15 days last August to help the medical sector address the rising Covid-19 cases.

Meanwhile, the report said economic activities slowed but inflation rate accelerated on typhoon-induced supply disruption, although still within the government’s 2 to 4-percent target for 2020-2022.

Inflation last October rose to 2.5 percent from the previous month’s 2.3 percent.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) forecasts the November 2020 inflation to stay within a range of between 2.4 to 3.2 percent.

As of last October, inflation averaged at 2.5 percent, which monetary authorities cited as among the factors for the leeway in their decision to slash key policy rates.

To date, the BSP’s pol-

icy-making Monetary Board (MB) has cut the central bank’s key rates by a total of 200 basis points.

The S&P report forecasts another rate reduction during the Board’s meeting next month “before a long pause.”

“We continue to highlight the small fiscal response so far, at about 2.3 percent of GDP. We expect a boost from fiscal impulse in the second half of next year if key infrastructure projects start to ramp up again,” it added. (PNA)

pines is among the countries that are losing their forest cover fast, ranking fourth in the world’s top 10 most threatened forest hotspots,” deplored Pamintuan. “If the deforestation rate of 157,400 hectares per year continues, the country’s remaining forest cover will be wiped out in less than 40 years. The area lost to deforestation every year is twice the land area of Metro Manila.”

The extensive loss of forest means catastrophic for a country with a population of more than 100 million. “Failure to protect our remaining forest would mean a great loss of the country’s rich repository of biodiversity of all time,” said Fulgencio Factoran when he was still DENR chief.

“The Philippines is one of the most threatened in the world. The rate of extinction of species is 1,000 times the natural rate because of manmade activities,” Demetrio Ignacio, environment undersecretary, was quoted as saying. “It is a crisis. We are the hottest of the hot spots.”

A pair of Philippine eagle, for instance, needs at least 7,000 to 13,000 hectares of forest as nesting

territory. “The Philippine eagle has become a critically endangered species because the loss of the forest had made it lose its natural habitat,” deplored Dennis Salvador, the executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation.

More than 400 plant and animal species in the Philippines are currently threatened with extinction, including the Philippine eagle and the tamaraw,” the Washington, DC-based Population Reference Bureau reported. A recent study by Conservation International said only about four percent of the Philippines’ forests remain as natural habitat for many endemic species.

Aside from biodiversity loss, the country is also losing its primary resource for food production, the topsoil. With no trees left to anchor it, the exposed soil is swept away by winds and torrential rain.

“Forty-five percent or around 13 million hectares of arable land in the Philippines are either moderately or severely eroded,” said Loren Legarda, quoting a 2010 report released by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Soils and Water Management, when she was still with the Sen-

ate. “This led to soil degradation and lower agricultural output despite application of modern farming practices.”

Another consequence of soil erosion: siltation of waterbeds, reservoirs and dams. The Magat reservoir, for instance, has been reported to cut its probable life span of 100 years to 25 years. The Ambuklao Dam reservoir has had its life halved from 60 to 32 years as a result of siltation.

Deforestation also means less water. Without vegetative cover, especially the trees, the land’s water absorption capacity is greatly reduced. “Deforestation has left upper watersheds unprotected, destabilizing river flows, with significant effects,” Repetto wrote.

The vanishing forests have also altered the climatic condition in the country. Periods of drought have become more common and extensive in the dry season while floods have prevailed in the rainy months. The late senator Heherson Alvarez once commented that if deforestation is not soon curbed, time would come that “we will be traveling to Manila and around Central Luzon by bancas.”

It’s high time to reforest the Philippines – but how?

Data from the Forest Management Bureau show that combined reforestation efforts by the government and the private sector are not enough to arrest the rapid deforestation.

But Filipinos must persevere. Trees are one of nature’s most efficient weapons to tie down steep hillsides, check the growth of big gullies, stabilize unsteady stream banks and screen cultivated fields from harmful winds. But with thin forests tying down the mountain soil, floods are inevitable.

The “flooding problems,” admitted then President Beningo Aquino III in his 2011 State of the Nation Address, “are caused by incessant and illegal cutting down of trees.” To which Alvarez believed, “The illness of our forest is complicated – and cannot be cured – with one-stop prescription of a single medicine.”

Even at the end of the world, so goes a saying, we need to plant trees. “A person without children would face a hopeless future; a country without trees is almost as helpless,” American President Theodore Roosevelt reminded.

linking up for easy buckets that the Thais struggled to contain. Thailand worked their way back by pouncing on the Philippines’ turnovers and outworking them inside the paint for second chance points.

Thailand got to within four points, 18-14, off a free throw by Wattana Suttisin, but Juan Gomez de Liaño waxed hot from beyond the arc, netting two three-pointers to keep Gilas in control, 27-19, after the opening frame.

The lead ballooned to 19 points at the half, 5334, with San Beda’s Calvin Oftana making an immedi-

ate impact in his first taste of action for the national team. Despite the best efforts of Thai center Chanatip Jakrawan, the Philippines never relinquished control in the second half and cruised to another victory.

The only blemish of Gilas’ campaign in Manama was the ankle injury suffered by Nieto in the third quarter. The team’s starting point guard twisted his left ankle with seven minutes left in the period and had to be helped off the court; he did not return to the game.

“We don’t know how bad it is, but he could not

return, so we had to check if it was swollen or not,” Uichico said of Nieto, who finished with 12 points and two assists.

The 23-year-old Chakrawan introduced himself to Philippine fans in a major way, as he scored 34 points on 12-of-19 shooting while also grabbing 12 rebounds. But his efforts went for naught, as his teammates combined to shoot 11-of-49 from the field.

Gilas Pilipinas shot 45.33% in the game, including 16-of-33 from beyond the arc. They also tallied 26 assists and got

53 points from their bench, while Thailand’s reserves failed to contribute a single point.

The Scores: GILAS PILIPINAS 93 -Ja. Gomez de Liano 19, Ju. Gomez de Liano 14, Ramos 13, Ma. Nieto 12, Oftana 9, Go 9, Ildefonso 5, Suerte 4, Paras 4, Baltazar 2, Carino 2, Tungcab 0.

THAILAND 69 -Jakrawan 34, Suttisin 13, Muangboon 9, Jaisanuk 8, Chungyampin 5, Ghogar 0, Klaewnarong 0, Lakhan 0, Wongsawangtham 0, Langsui 0.

Quarters: 27-19, 53-34, 75-52, 93-69.

S&P... FROM4

DEFORESTATION... FROM9

IMPRESSIVE... FROM12

MORE... FROM2

Government of Davao has identified hotel facilities that will cover the surge of cases due to the ACT. “We are ready for the

eight sites on December 1-3,” ACT Focal Person Dr. Evelino Buenaventura of the City Health Office said.

(PIA/RG Alama)

come an extinct tribe kung hindi kayo huminto diyan (if you don’t stop),” he said.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Nov. 3 said it would be hypocrisy for the CPP-NPA to say that they do not have legal fronts.

“Kaplastikan po ng CPPNPA kung sasabihin nilang wala silang mga legal fronts na tinatawag (It is hypocrisy for the CPP-NPA to say that they don’t have what they call legal fronts),” he said.

In a Senate hearing last

week, Zarate denied being a member of CPP-NPA and denounced the AFP's red-tagging of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives.

He said Bayan Muna and members of the Makabayan bloc are legitimate groups pushing for meaningful social reforms.

The CPP-NPA-NDF is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)

true to their claim of being a healthy product. You will be shocked to discover that the products you have patronized and have made staple food items at home contain ingredients that may result to health complications.

Well-known celebrity mommies like Jolina Magdangal, Neri Miranda and Pokwang, together with some sought-after mommy bloggers such as Pehpot Pineda, and Peachy Adarne have spearheaded this movement of breaking the bad habit of not checking the label and starting to read and scrutinize the contents of the food and drinks that they buy.

It’s about time that you join us, not only by signing the pledge but taking this to greater heights by sharing this message to invite other mommies out there to take the pledge to double check the ingredients to really know what’s in your juice.

Other mommies nationwide who have started taking in on the pledge admitted how double checking the back label has made significant changes on them as a mom and how they were able to protect their children from health risks. “[As] a meticulous [and] curious mom, checking the back label helped me to verify the nutritional claims, compare brands, and choose which one offers the best buy for my family,” said Mommy Erlyne Penaroyom from Makati City.

“Double checking the back label of [the] products I shop from the groceries made me a more cautious and practical mom I am. It ensures my family’s safety most especially these times of pandemic. Dole’s All Natural Seasons #PledgeT-

oDoubleCheck made me realize to double check all the things before purchasing and consuming,” according to Mommy Dyanna Cañas from Biñan City.

These mommies have proven that familiarizing yourself with the ingredients and nutrition content of the products you consume is an important factor that should be normalized and graciously followed.

“I always double check the back label of each items I [buy] especially for my kids because I always want to make it sure na healthy ang lagi kong binibili at binibigay sa kanila at may natural ingredients na makakatulong sa health nila. I am very conscious mom lalo na sa mga binibigay ko sa aking family, kaya super important sakin na i-double check lagi ang back label,” Mommy Kimberly Fajilan from Batangas City added.

“It’s good to be aware if a certain food is high in sugar, carbs or in sodium. [and] also for the calorie content and ingredients, sometimes ‘pag puro preservatives malalaman mo agad kasi hindi familiar ang ingredients,” said Mommy Gec Cajucom from Parañaque City.

Join this movement now and be part of the change!

Post a photo of yourself holding and reading the back label of any food or beverage product and tell us what you discovered when you double-checked.

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #PledgeToDoubleCheck and tag @allnaturalseasons so you can influence other mommies, and little by little, we can all take the next steps towards creating a healthier lifestyle for us and our children.

ernment a PHP300-billion credit support last March through a repurchase deal for the acquisition of government securities. This was settled last Sept. 29.

Its policy-making Monetary Board (MB) also approved last Oct. 1 the national government’s request for a PHP540-billion provisional advance.

BSP’s Charter authorizes the central bank to extend financial aid to the na-

tional government with an amount that is equivalent to 20 percent of the latter’s average revenues in the last three years, which to date is about PHP540 billion.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez IIII said funding augmentation from the central bank is the national government’s reserve option, citing that commercial borrowing remains the main preference.

(PNA)

DUTERTE... FROM3

BREAK... FROM4

GOV’T... FROM5

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 199 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

11

PSC encourages maternal health

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he Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) will focus on promoting the benefits of proper and movement exercise during pregnancy in the upcoming “Beauty, Blooms & Baby Bumps” episode of “Rise Up, Shape Up.” “Gone are the days when pregnant Pinays are discouraged from exercising because of unfounded concerns about safety for the baby. We want to correct that myth by providing scientific evidence from birthing professionals and success stories from new moms who managed to work out during pregnancy,” said PSC Commissioner and Women in Sports oversight Celia Kiram.

The sports official and women’s advocate shared that experts will be discussing important exercises and sporting activities during and after pregnancy to help women achieve a better and safer childbirth experience.

This week will highlight that an active pregnancy provides a psychological lift and a lower risk of excessive weight gain.

Rise Up, Shape Up’s fifth webisode will feature Certified Birth doula Ma. Beatrice Lina San Luis of Birthingisablessing. ph on pregnant wom-

an’s body empowerment.

Meanwhile, Aileen Vinoya, a midwife, nurse, owner, and administrator of Marikina Maternity Clinic and Lying In, will answer some of the frequently asked questions of moms concerning gentle birthing, nutrition, and physical activities.

Yoga and meditation teacher, Eileen Tupaz of White Space Mind and Body Wellness Studio will guide women to a pregnancy meditation that involves a combination of mindfulness and visualization to help expectant moms cultivate the strength, stability, and steadfastness they need to face the challenges that come with pregnancy and motherhood.

An exciting part of the show, Dean Kiko Diaz of the UP College of Human Kinetics will share his account on how he supported his wife to ensure her physical fitness during pregnancy. He will also present important tips and guides for men as a way of support to their partners.

Rise Up, Shape Up is a weekly web series streamed via Facebook and YouTube Live everyWednesday at 10:30 AM. For more information on Rise Up, Shape Up, visit its official Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/riseupshapeup.

Ginebra forward Japeth Aguilar hangs on to the rim after a vicious slam. PBA

Ginebra goes for 2-0 B arangay Ginebra Kings will try to make it a 2-0 lead in Game Two of the PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven finals at the AUF Sports Center Powered by Smart 5G. The Kings appear to have implanted their brains with a killer mindset.

“LA (Tenorio) was telling us let’s treat all our remaining games as do-ordie, no-tomorrow; our last chance to win this all-Filipino crown,” said Japeth

Aguilar.

“We never know, this might be my last time to play in an all-Filipino championship,” said Tenorio. “Whatever it takes again, whatever it takes for us to win every game, to get the win, we’ll take it.”

The Kings go for the 2-0 advantage in the raceto-four series, targeting a follow-up to their 100-94 overtime triumph Sunday as they tangle with the Tropang Giga at 6 p.m.

Wednesday.

The Tropang Giga barely lost the series opener as Jayson Castro couldn’t make his tab at a game-winner in the closing seconds of regulation.

A big blow was the strained calf muscle that Parks sustained, making

him highly doubtful for Game Two. “Ray is highly doubtful to play in Game Two. We are hoping he could play on Friday,” said the TNT team after getting the result of Parks’ MRI test at the nearby Medical City.

Parks has been TNT’s lead gun in the tourney, averaging 22.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game for a league-leading 38.3 statistical points average through the semis.

the league.

Dudley appeared in 45 games for the Lakers last season, his first year with the team, and averaged 1.5 points and 1.2 rebounds. He also appeared in nine playoff games during the Lakers' championship run.

Showing the good-natured sense of humor that

made him a locker room favorite, Dudley reacted to the news on Twitter on Monday, a post that later drew praise from LeBron James.

Apart from bringing a career 3-point percentage of 39.3% and 42 games of postseason experience to the mix, Dudley became an important part of the

Lakers' team culture last season by organizing dinners and gatherings on the road and serving as a mentor to Kyle Kuzma.

The Lakers now have 13 players under contract for next season, with Anthony Davis expected to occupy one of the final two spots once he signs an extension with the team.

Dudley returning to Lakers on 1-year deal

Jared Dudley is returning to the world champion Lakers in the 2021 NBA season.

L

OS ANGELES -- Jared Dudley is returning to the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year, veterans minimum contract, his agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe.

The 35-year-old will earn $2.6 million in what will be his 14th season in

FRED C. LUMBA SPORTS KEN

GM WESLEY SO ZOOMS UP AND HOW My headline should have been: ”Wesley thrashes Magnus.”

This would have caught lasting attention but it would have been a thorough give-away of the column’s content.

I thought you, our EDGEDAVAO patron, would read up to the very end why Wesley is “zooming up”.

Chess fanatics – not only Pinoy pawn-pushers and enthusiasts alike but also around the globe – are in a state of hype and hysteria after getting the news that our ‘kababayan’ dominated FIDE world champion Magnus Carlsen in the finals of the Skilling Open, the first leg of the 2020-2021 on-lie Champions Chess Tour.

When I say, “dominated,” literally Wesley stamped his superior quality of play over Magnus.

“Malupet,” as they say in our daily jargon.

Wesley, also the newly-crowned US Open king, is richer by US$30,000 because of the win.

After losing Game 1 in Match #1, the chinky-eyed Caviteno employed a very aggressive d4 opening, letting go of his queen very early. Carlsen, by reaction, was surprised and confused, spending long minutes before eventually losing Game 2. Game 3 went to the Norwegian for a 2-1 lead.

As expected, Wesley went all out for a win in Game 4 and

stayed alive for Match #2.

Both Carlsen and So liked the d4 opening. The former defended with the Sicilian only once (I think) while the latter made use of the French as Black.

Match 2 ended in a deadlock and so Magnus and Wes went into the blitz tiebreak. Here, Wes clearly was more superior as Magnus melted like butter exposed in the sun. GM So clipped GM Carlsen 2.5 -.1.5 and the duel did not need to go into the Armageddon (sudden death playoff) phase.

If GM Wes continues to display this excellent performance, as what Kramnik observed, he could be a future world champion.

The matches were held every midnight (Philippine time) which I followed religiously because I always loved to watch Wesley in action.

The live on-line media broadcast coverage, commentated by GM Peter Leko and WIM Tanya Sachev with prominent GMs (Vladimir Kramnik, Anish Giri) as guests lasted up to 5AM. (Oh, wala ako tulog…yun lang.)

I immensely enjoyed the matches, picked up a lot of chess wisdom and tactics because of the critical expert analyses.

Aside from this, the 16 players were the cream of the crop, so to speak.

Anyway, without any hesitation, I can declare that with

the topnotch quality play that Wesley exhibited in this particular competition, he is now ripe and ready to challenge for the FIDE World Classical Chess Championship held by Magnus Carlsen of Norway. That will be in the next championship cycle, though.

With emphasis, the manner WS achieved his wins in the preliminaries, quarterfinals, semi-finals and finals, he has displayed confident maturity as an individual and as a grandmaster chasing his dreams.

GM Wesley is doing us Pinoys proud. GOD BLESS YOU MORE! (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

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EDGEDAVAO

IMPRESSIVE

VOL.13 ISSUE 199 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020

Young Gilas Pilipinas squad sweeps Thailand

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he young Gilas Pilipinas squad proved they deserved to fly the flag after it beat Thailand for the second time in four nights, 93-69, to complete a sweep of the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers in Manama, Bahrain.

The Philippines’ breezy win on Monday night gave them a sweep of their assignments in the second qualifying window that was held in a bubble in Bahrain. Gilas Pilipinas now has a 3-0 win-loss record to top Group A, ahead of South Korea (20) which did not compete in the bubble.

The youthful Gilas squad had beaten Thailand, 93-61, on Friday night, and showed no letup in repeating their feat.

Javi Gomez de Liaño led the way for the Philippines with 19 points, making seven of his eight shots including all four of his three-pointers. Younger brother Juan contributed 14 points, four rebounds,

and four assists, while Dwight Ramos followed up his perfect game from Friday with a 13-point, five-rebound, two-assist outing this time around.

“Since the lead we had in the first game was very big, we were concerned that they might take the game for granted,” Gilas coach Jong Uichico said afterward. “We really harped on executing the offense and playing better defense.”

“Thailand played a better game today than they did in the first game,” he added.

The Philippines set the tone by scoring the first 11 points of the game, with Isaac Go and Matt Nieto

FIMPRESSIVE, P10

Juan Gomez de Liano skies for a breakaway slam. FIBA