Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 205 | Thursday, December 10, 2020

EDGEDAVAO BLAST FROM PAST

TOURISM IN THE TIME OF PANDEMIC

Serving a seamless society

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VOL.13 ISSUE 205 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

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2011 punching incident taught me a lesson: Mayor Sara STORY ON PAGE 2

A woman watches an online selling of second hand clothes through social media live streaming on her mobile phones on Wednesday. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to limit the movement of people, small sellers grab the opportunity to offer their products using digital platform like Facebook and other social media sites. Edge Davao

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VOL.13 ISSUE 205 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

BLAST FROM PAST

2011 punching incident taught me a lesson: Mayor Sara

By MAYA M. PADILLO ard times have given Dabawenyos the opportunity to get back to basics, reset, rejuvenate and focus on enjoying happy moments with family.

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lining,” she said.

Believing that the pandemic will last until two years, she advised the public to take time out for mental health and wellness by doing the things that will relax their minds like reading a book, watching a movie, or gardening.

“Kung unsa tong makapa-relax sa inyuha mao to ang inyuhang himoon ug make sure duna mo’y schedule para ana. Kung ang makapa-relax sa inyuha ang mag-bake ug cookies then find time each week nga mag-bake mo. Kung makapa-relax sa inyuha ang mag-gardening then take time out nga atimanon ninyo inyong garden. Kung makapa-relax nimo is to read a book make sure once a week you read a book nga dili related sa imong trabaho ug negosyo. Watch youtube or HBO movies for your mental health para dili ka ma-inundate sa problema brought about by the pandemic,” she said.

Despite the demands of the pandemic response and the rise of Covid-19 cases in Davao City, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has managed to remain calm and collected.

She cited one incident that changed her outlook and taught her boundless patience.

Throwback to July 1, 2011 and that infamous punching incident of a Davao sheriff Abe Andres.

“Ang nagtudlo sa akoa was the incident on July 1, 2011. Hangtod karon naa gihapon koy trauma and lessons learned from that incident na ginagamit nako from July 2, 2011 until this very moment,” she said in a live broadcast interview.

The mayor is referring to her much-talked about punching of Andres, sher-

iff of the Davao Regional Trial Court, during a demolition operation that happened on July 1, 2011.

The mayor repeatedly punched the sheriff after the latter failed to give her a two-hour extension of the deadline to demolish shanties in Brgy. Soliman, Agdao, Davao City.

The mayor said she learned a lot from that incident that includes to be calmed and collected despite the pandemic.

She also urged Dabawenyos to make the most in this pandemic.

“We should make the most kung unsa gihatag sa atoa sa pandemic especially kanang pagtapok-tapok nato ug pag-uban sa atong family sa balay. We should try to make the most of it and make sure to see that dark clouds as the silver

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this year’s holiday season is celebrated differently since Covid-19 continues to take lives all over the world.

Mayor Sara reiterated the city government’s call to stay home and avoid parties and gatherings.

“Likayan nato ang mga party ug panagtapok-ta-

pok. Atong balibaran ang mga imbitasyon (Let us avoid parties and gatherings. Let us refuse invitations),” she said.

She said that the celebration would be more meaningful if everyone in the family is complete and

prescribes the penalty of P500 for first offense, P1,000 for second offense, and P1,500 or one month imprisonment, or both, for third offense, for the following prohibited acts: lending one’s DQR to another, use and possession of a fake DQR, use of a fake ID, birth certificate, and business registration number, or another individual’s ID or birth certificate or another’s business registration number to register for a DQR, making or selling fake identifies for DQR registration, and hacking of the DQR system and or identity theft.

It added that any person guilty of tampering or hacking the online link will be prosecuted for cybercrimes under Republic Act of 2021 and any violations involving R.A. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act. The Task Force Davao, Davao City Police Office, City Health Office, and ba-

the ordinance.

The DQR system, an electronic contact tracing and travel pass platform intended to implement contactless gathering and electronic storage data, must be used by all individuals, they be residents or non-residents, who need to enter the city for essential or work/business purposes. Establishments, covering government and private offices, event venues, hospitals, hotels, malls, stores, groceries, mini-marts, restaurants, carinderia, palengke, places of worship, educational institutions and all other organizations, including their sub-offices or branches, are also required to implement the system.

Section 4 provides that the permanent DQR codes must be used to enter and move within the city, adding that individuals must bring them if they go outside of their residence

Dabawenyos urged to stay home, save money this holiday season avao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte has wished Dabawenyos a meaningful holiday season in a most challenging time but reminded the people to celebrate safely and healthily with their family.

In her Christmas message, Mayor Sara said that

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Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio reiterates the city government’s call to stay home and avoid parties and gatherings as she wishes Dabawenyos a mean-

ingful holiday season in a most challenging time but reminded the people to celebrate safely and healthily with their family. Edge Davao

Jail for those using DQR codes for ‘non-essential movement’ Manila orders addt'l 150MT of abawenyos using the according to the ordinance. rangay officials have been gates or beyond three me- organic rice from Mindanao Safe Davao QR (DQR) The ordinance likewise directed to strictly enforce ters from their houses for

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for “non-essential movement” may be jailed for one month after the local council passed on third and final reading Monday an ordinance requiring the mandatory implementation of the system for all establishments and individuals.

Authored by Davao City’s 1st District Councilor J. Melchor B. Quitain Jr., the ordinance penalizes individuals who take advantage of the DQR for “non-essential” purposes, use cancelled DQR codes, or refuse to present valid codes for scanning or inspection when so required by persons of authority.

Under the ordinance, first time-offenders of these provisions will be penalized with a reprimand; a fine of P500 or community service, or both, for second-time offenders; and a fine of P1,500 or month imprisonment, or both, for the third-time offenders,

structures without gates.

It added that the DQR system must be used as a pass to enter and travel inside the city for accessing goods and services or for work/business only; as a pass in law enforcement checkpoints and barangay patrols implementing the prohibition on non-essential travel; as a contact tracing record for entry and exit in all public or private offices and establishments; and as a pass for random scanning.

It said that airplane travelers landing in the city must register QR code for heath declaration at the Davao International Airport aside from their personal DQR codes.

As of December 7, Department of Health-Davao reported a total of 10,027 cases in the region, with 2,645 active, 6,992 recoveries, and 390 deaths.

Of the total cases, Davao

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he Manila City government has placed an additional order of 150 metric tons of organic black, brown, and red rice from Mindanao, boosting the sagging spirits of rice farmers adversely affected by the unimpeded entry of imported rice.

Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the whole volume has already been delivered to Manila from Mindanao by a convoy of truck vans.

“Manila's Organic Rice Program for its senior citizens has also attracted the attention of other Metro Manila cities who have already forwarded inquiries on how to buy the black, brown, and red rice from Mindanao. This growing demand for organic rice is expected to boost the program of MinDA which created a window for the region's rice farmers ad-

versely affected by the flooding of imported rice,” Piñol said in his Facebook post on Tuesday.

The new order is in addition to the first purchase worth over PHP40 million made by the City of Manila in September.

Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko" Moreno Domagoso ordered 500 metric tons of black, red, and brown organic rice for the city's estimated 150,000 senior citizens.

Domagoso has started a program distributing organic rice to the city's senior citizens which he said is healthier than giving them cakes for Christmas.

Piñol said MinDA has organized all organic rice farmers associations under the Mindanao Organic Rice Council (MORCO) which was formed last year to support the growing organic rice industry.

Don Bosco Multi-Pur-

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Chinese Covid-19 vaccine may be first to arrive in PH

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Chinese vaccine against COVID-19 may be the first to arrive in the Philippines, the country’s inoculation czar said Wednesday as the United Kingdom began immunizing its citizens.

Among the vaccines the Philippines aims to procure are Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Novavax, Sinovac and Russia’s Gamaleya, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr said.

China’s Sinovac may arrive in the country by March if a contract is signed within the month, he said.

“Sana makuha po natin ng first quarter. Sabi nga nung (According to) IP biotech that if we will be able to have a consummation of contract when we already successfully sign the contract, they can provide it after 60 to 90 days, meaning 2 to 3 months,” he said.

(We hope we’ll get it in the first quarter.)

“If we will have a signing this month, most likely we’ll have it by March.”

Galvez said he was “more than willing” to inoculate himself with the Chinese vaccine as other countries have begun to use it.

“I was briefed by the vaccine expert panel and based on their evaluation, Sinovac and the Chinese vaccines are very safe because it came from the classical inactivated virus platform,” he said.

“They briefed me that the safest among the platform and the classical that’s been used for years is the inactivated virus.”

Western-made vaccines Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca might come at a later time as their countries of origin will be prioritized

and “more than 80 percent of vaccine manufacturing capacity has been procured” by first world countries, Galvez said. “’Yung vaccines came from first world countries, they even financed it. Definitely sila po ang mauunang magroroll out. Considering we don’t produce our vaccine, the possibility is to have that vaccine after the rollout of original countries,” he said.

(The vaccines came from first world countries, they even financed it. Definitely, they will be the first to roll out.)

“I believe we’ll only get it maybe the last portion of the second quarter or maybe third quarter, that’s the reality.”

A law prohibiting advanced payment also made it difficult for government to secure vaccine supply, Galvez said.

“The advanced payment model is not allowed by law...Tayo lang po talaga ang ‘di nagaallow ng (We’re the only country that doesn’t allow) advanced procurement considering that by law the President can have an advanced commitment by 15 percent, and normally yung advanced commitment is 50 percent,” he said.

Government aims to inoculate 3 million frontliners and essential workers, followed by “all government essential workers and servicemen.”

“Our target for (next) year is more or less 25 million and based on the availability of vaccine we can expand it to 30 or 35 million, because with this figure we can contain the death and contamination of our people,” he said.

Pinay nurse injects first Covid-19 vaccine in UK

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Filipina nurse in the United Kingdom was the first person to administer the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine to 90year old Margaret Keenan, the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus inoculation after its clinical approval in the UK. “It’s a huge honor to be the first person in the country to deliver a Covid-19 jab to a patient.

I’m just glad that I’m able to play a part in this historic day," National Health Service (NHS) nurse May Parsons said on Tuesday.

“The last few months have been tough for all of us working in the NHS, but now it feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel,” she added.

Parsons, a Filipino migrant, has worked in the NHS for the past 24 years.

According to the NHS, she had been at the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire since 2003.

Parsons delivered the vaccine to Keenan at a local hospital in Coventry.

UK Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce

described the historic shot as a "fantastic" moment.

"Great to see that the vaccine is administered by Nurse May Parsons from the Philippines – one of the many thousands of Filipino health care workers making such an enormous contribution to the NHS," Pruce said in a tweet.

In a statement posted through the NHS, Keenan thanked Parsons and the rest of its staff for looking after her.

“I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19.

It’s the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year,” she said.

“I can’t thank May and the NHS staff enough who have looked after me tremendously, and my advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it – if I can have it at 90, then you can have it too!”

The UK has secured 40 million doses of Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine after clinical trials showed it pro-

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This peace park in Barangay Labu-labu 1 in Datu Hoffer, Maguindanao was developed by a local youth organization in time for the celebration of the Mindanao Week of Peace. In their minds, if every barangay in BARMM has a peace park, the effort to build peace is “half-won.”“At least there will be a

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venue for dialogue and tranquility,” said Dolly B. Cojo, 45, project development officer of the Bangsamoro Women Commission, during her visit to the village park. (MindaNews Photo by JULES L. BENITEZ)

CAMP 2 for displaced workers now on process: DOLE 11

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE 11) announced that the distribution of the second tranche of Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP 2) for displaced workers affected by the impact of Covid-19 pandemic is now being processed.

DOLE 11 regional director Ofelia Domingo said in a virtual presser roughly there are 13,000 workers displaced and majority of that workers come from the manufacturing related industry.

Domingo said the agency is set to distribute CAMP 2 amounting to

more than P80 million to the unserved beneficiaries who applied for the program.

Qualified applicants are those displaced workers of private establishments that temporarily or permanently stop operations.

Requirements include

worker’s payslip or verifiable handwritten payslip, proof of payment of wages via logbook or ledger, employment contract, cash voucher or petty cash voucher, authority to debit account from the employer; SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG alphalist or list of remittances, BIR form 2316 or list of employees with 13th month pay.

The Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) was promulgated on September 11, 2020 in recognition of the lingering consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic to the economy and society and to establish mechanisms to further reduce its im-

pact on the socio-economic well-being of the Filipinos through the provision of assistance and other forms of socio-economic relief.

Under Section 4 of Bayanihan 2 it mandates the provision of assistance to displaced workers or employees in the formal sector, regardless of type of employment due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Domingo said for CAMP 1, DOLE 11 has assisted 18,060 workers who were displaced from 1,181 establishments in Davao Region. She said the agency was able to disburse more than P90 million assistance.

ment tayo (So far, based on our third party audit and their tests, the services improved)," he said during a Palace presser on Tuesday.

Cordoba attributed this increase on internet speed to Duterte’s "political will" and close cooperation among different government agencies, adding that the chief executive’s recent pronouncement paved for more than 100 percent increase in the issuance of construction permits to telecommunication companies.

In 2019, the average permits released per month were around 63 for Globe and 50 for Smart.

From July to November 2020 alone, the permits issue to Globe increased to about 371 monthly, 590 percent up from the same period last year.

For Smart, an average of 95 permits per month were issued, almost 200

percent higher from last year.

"Dahil po iyan sa pagbaston po ng ating Pangulo at ng DILG at iba’t ibang ahensiya (That's because of the President, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and other agencies)," he said.

With the increase in the issuance of construction permits, more towers were built. To date, Cordoba said the Philippines has around 22,405 towers.

But for both Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc., the work doesn't stop here as both cited plans for 2021 to further provide better services to their customers.

"We had actually just finished our budget session for next year and we will continue to invest for sure in fiber and also in our wireless coverage," Smart Communications Inc. chief Al Panlilio said.

Globe Telecom Inc. President Ernest Cu, on the other hand, said the company hopes to spend about PHP70 billion in 2021, which will account for one million fiber lines across the country.

"We want to aggressively rollout 5G in more municipalities. Hindi rin namin kinalimutan ang mobile, alam ko importante na ma-fix sa tao pero importante rin ang mobile because as they go out and resume their daily lives, babalik na naman ho ang kanilang increase usage in the mobile network instead of the home (We won't forget the mobile also because we know how important this is to the public's daily lives)," he said.

In his fifth state of the nation address last July 2020, Duterte said he would take “drastic steps” against Globe Telecom Inc.

Telcos able to improve services after Duterte warning -- NTC

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he National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on Tuesday said the Philippines' major telecommunication companies were able to improve their services since President Rodrigo Duterte issued a warning to "shape up or ship out".

NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, during a Malacañang presser, said the country's average fixed broadband speed increased from 25.07 Mbps in July 2020 to 28.69 Mbps in November 2020, four months since President Duterte issued his warning.

The mobile download speed also rose from 16.95 Mbps in July 2020 to 18.49 Mbps in November 2020.

"So far po, based on third party audit at saka iyon pong pag-test sa kanila, gumanda naman po ang kanilang serbisyo, nagkaroon po ng improve-

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 205 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

AEON TOWERS TURNOVER CEREMONY. Aeon Luxe Properties Vice President for Sales and Marketing Ms. Almira Mariano handed over the turnover kit to the newest homeowner of a premium condo unit Aeon Towers on December 1, 2020 held at the Club Aeon. This ceremony was witnessed by Aeon Luxe Vice President for Operations Engr. Daniel Manalo and Sales Admin Manager Luis Dollesin and sales team.

Largest real estate org O unite to amend RESA T

Oil prices down due to recent virus containment measures

tate organizations, such as the Chamber of Real Estate Builders Associations (CREBA), the National Real Estate Association (NREA), the Real Estate Brokers Association of the Philippines (REBAP), the Organization of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP), the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA), have their own specific positions on proposed amendments to RESA, and have united in the push for legislative change.

“RESA is not a perfect law; that is why it is subject to change. We, as an association, should remain receptive to changes in regula-

tions,” said REBAP National Board Edwin Calamba.

“Our group is supporting ABREP in amending the RESA not just for a select few but for the betterment of the whole industry.”

Moreover, Leuterio revealed that ABREP has already reached out to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) regarding their proposed amendments and that they are awaiting further feedback.

“We are not alone in our call to amend RESA. Real estate practitioners and developers have all united to make this a better law for Filipinos. At ABREP, we believe that with their guidance, the next version of RESA will do much more to serve the Filipino,” he said.

ABREP’s position that RESA is anti-poor has been a rallying call to amend RESA as early as 2016. CREBA, the largest organization of developers in the Philippines, has decried RESA’s Section 14 for what it calls “discriminatory scholastic requirements,” referring to both the expensive and onerous Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Management (BSREM) degree requirement for brokers as well as the 2-year college requirement for salespersons.

“We will be depriving these individuals the chance to partake in the economic benefits of real estate,” said CREBA National President Noel Cariño in a 2017 statement. “Many of them have been there working for so long, and then they will be suddenly cut-off because they cannot qualify for registration.”

For years, several controversial provisions in RESA have been at the center of public outcry. One such provision that has recently been highlighted by the law’s critics is Section 32’s rule on the 1-is-to-20 ratio for real estate brokers to salespersons.

“We cannot sell so many real estate units if we do not have enough agents, which is restricted by this 1-is-to-20 rule.

The law provides that only those who are graduates of BSREM can apply to become a licensed broker--and less than 100 people graduate from this course, a big number of which are not passing the board exam,” said NREA’s immediate past president Benny Cabrieto Jr. in last week’s press conference.

Renowned real estate developer, consultant, and TV host RJ Ledesma echoed

ready surpassed the cumulative number of payments done through its system from 2017 to 2019.

GCash hit the P1-trillion mark earlier than expected, as it said in September that it expected to cross the threshold by the end of the year.

Sazon said GCash is used at least twice a day, every day by people who downloaded the app, and the service has registered “1,000 percent transaction growth in relevant use cases.”

“This was our vision for 2023, yet this was brought to life this year,” Sazon said

during an online forum on financial technology or fintech.

Fintech firm Pera Hub President and CEO Ian Ocampo said the shift to digital transactions will also see the rise of “neo-banking.” Neobanks are banks that have fully digital services and have no physical branches.

“More startups will be able to bring in fintech advancements, which will benefit the nation as a whole. What will boost this further is the collaboration with the government.”

Finnovation senior dig-

ital financial advisor for the Philippines John Owens, meanwhile, lauded the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for pushing fintech.

“The Philippines as a leader, is the chair of ASEAN working group. The Philippines has one of the best central banks---the BSP--to join the region, and they continuously foster collaboration among regulators.”

The BSP is aiming to raise the share of digital payments to 50 percent of all retail transactions and expand financial inclusion to 70 percent of Filipino adults by 2023.

he movement to push for amendments of the Real Estate Service Act of 2009 (RESA) has gained strong support as some of the country’s largest real estate organizations join the call of A Better Real Estate Philippines (ABREP) for changes in the law which hopes to address the growing 6.5 million housing backlog. Experts say the backlog is expected to balloon to 22 million by 2040 and leave millions of Filipino families without formal housing if left unaddressed.

ABREP, a movement that seeks to increase livelihood opportunities for Filipinos, promote the use of technology in real estate, and bolster the salesforce so that the backlog can be addressed, is currently engaging industry stakeholders, including practitioners, developers, and even the regulatory bodies.

In a virtual press conference, ABREP President Anthony Leuterio said, “RESA is a pre-automation law that does not serve the purpose it was intended to.

It was supposed to professionalize the industry, but instead, it’s stopping the industry from progressing.”

Leuterio noted that each of the large real es-

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GCash says hits P1-T worth of transactions

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obile wallet GCash said it has already booked P1 trillion worth of transactions this year as the COVID-19 pandemic pushed more Filipinos to adopt digital payments.

Martha Sazon, President and CEO of Mynt, which operates GCash, said safety protocols and limited mobility during the pandemic have changed the way people pay for products and services, “paving the way for a frictionless, cashless future.”

Sazon said GCash transactions this year have al-

il prices were down on Tuesday due to recent coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) containment measures that are negatively affecting sentiments of a prompt oil demand recovery.

International benchmark Brent crude was trading at USD48.39 per barrel at 0638 GMT for a 0.82-percent decline after closing Monday at USD48.79 a barrel.

American benchmark West Texas Intermediate was at USD45.49 per barrel at the same time for a 0.59-percent decrease after it ended the previous session at USD45.76 a barrel.

Oil prices declined as the rapid increase in the number of coronavirus cases obligated several countries worldwide to re-tighten measures and impose fresh lockdowns, fueling concerns over an immediate global economic and oil demand recovery.

In the US, California announced strict stay-athome rules throughout the Christmas period while several European countries

are also planning to bring restrictions for Christmas gatherings.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday, the number of cases worldwide has now reached over 67.5 million.

The US, the world’s largest oil-consuming country, still tops the number of cases above 14.9 million, while cases in India now total over 9.7 million, and Brazil follows with over 6.6 million cases.

Also, disappointment over last week’s OPEC+ meeting is still weighing on prices as the group agreed to incrementally increase its oil production.

The market expectation was an initial three-month extension of the current 7.7 million barrels per day (bpd) output cuts, however, the group decided to add 500,000 bpd in January and to agree on output for the following months during monthly meetings.

Some analysts say these monthly meetings will cause volatility in the markets, which will encourage investor caution. (Anadolu)

PH can meet expected surge in demand for VCO after promising test results vs Covid-19

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he Philippines has more than enough supply of virgin coconut oil (VCO) for the expected 20 percent demand surge by next year, an industry group said.

The Philippines saw an increase in VCO demand this year as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) earlier showed test results of VCO easing symptoms of probable COVID-19 cases in as early as the second day of testing.

As of last year, only 30 percent of the 73,000 metric tons VCO production capacity of the country were utilized, said the United Coconut Associations of the Philippines (UCAP) and VCO Philippines.

“Local sales and export of VCO notched north of 20,000 metric tons in 2019.

The current local market consumes about 470 metric tons of VCO as of 2019 data,” it said.

Both groups are encouraging the Department

of Health (DOH) to support and promote VCO as a natural COVID-19 remedy.

“Coconut oils and the inherent medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) properties in it have long been recognized for their antiviral action. Many who tested COVID-19 positive have recovered rapidly by incorporating coconut oil into their daily diet while those who are taking it as a supplement have seen their immunity strengthened,” UCAP Executive Director Yvonne Agustin said.

The DOST and Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) earlier tested 58 probable and suspected COVID-19 cases in Sta. Rosa Laguna, under a 28-day trial.

Half of the patients who ingested VCO with their meals noted significant reduction in inflammation in as early as the second day of tests, compared to the other half who were not given VCO.

VOL.13 ISSUE 205 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

EDGEDAVAO

Just in time for Christmas, SM City Mindpro opens its doors in Zamboanga City on Tiesday. Photo shows City Mayor Maria Isabelle “Beng”Climaco-Salazar (2nd from left), District 1 Congressman Cesar Jimenez Jr. (4th from left), Vice Mayor Atty. Rommel Agan (2nd from right), Councilor Josephine Pareja (3rd from left) with SM Supermalls Region-

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al Operations Manager for Mindanao Jonathan Nick Santos (3rd from right) welcomed by greeters on opening day beside the mall’s Christmas centerpiece. Photo courtesy of SM Supermalls

SM opens first mall in Zamboanga City

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ust in time for Christmas, SM City Mindpro opens its doors in Zamboanga City, on Tuesday, December 8, 2020, bringing great shopping, leisure, and entertainment to this beautiful western Mindanao city. It is SM Prime Holdings’ 76th supermall, the seventh in Mindanao, and the first in the Zamboanga Peninsula region.

Zamboanga City, 6th most populous and 3rd largest city by land area in the Philippines, is the region’s cultural, economic, and educational center.

Highly urbanized, it is a busy port strategically located on the southwestern tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula, on Basilan Strait, and sheltered by Basilan Island.

The immediate coastal lowlands are narrow with low,

rugged hills located a short distance inland. Zamboanga’s Spanish-style architecture, breathtakingly beautiful beaches, mountainous backdrop, and cool climate make it a favorite tourist destination.

Founded by Spanish forces in 1635 on the site of a native settlement, Zamboanga is known as Asia’s Latin City, and most residents speak the local dialect

Chavacano, a Spanish based Creole language. Strong Spanish and Latin influences may also be found in the city’s architecture and historical attractions like Fort Pilar, the shine of Our Lady of the Pillar which was built in the 17th century to protect the city against pirates.

Zamboanga City is also known as Ciudad de Flores or City of Flowers, as bougainvillea, orchids, and other tropical flowers line up its roadsides. And today, hope blooms in the City of Flowers as SM opens a new mall in Zamboanga during these challenging times, a symbol of resilience, confidence, and optimism.

Strategically located in a 13,078 square- meter site along La Purisima Street and Campaner Street in Barangay Zone III, SM City

Mindpro will serve shoppers in this bustling city, as well as those in the rest of the Zamboanga Peninsula.

These include the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay; as well as the cities of Dapitan, Dipolog, Isabela, and Pagadian. More than that, it will be a catalyst for employment and business opportunities in the area.

The four-level 59,383 square meter mall creates a unique identity along the city’s popular thoroughfare and within a short walk to the well-known Metropolitan Cathedral, Plaza Pershing, Paseo Del Mar and nearby pier. Striking glass walls at the main entrances and a dramatic linear overhang stretching along La Purisima Street create an

impressive appearance for the mall when approached in every direction The mall’s interiors are distinctly crisp and modern with textures and relaxing colors that give one the sense of being on a tropical holiday in an urban paradise.

The SM Store and Mindpro Supermarket are SM City Mindpro’s major anchors, along with SM mainstays like SM Appliance Center, ACE Hardware, Watsons, Surplus, Miniso, and Sports Central. It will also have fashion boutiques, jewelry stores, bookstores; as well as a Cyberzone and service and wellness outlets.

Eating out options include specialty restaurants, and international and local food chains like Hap Chan,

Pancake House, Bigby’s, Buffalo Wings N’ Things, Dunkin Donut, Cinnabon, Pretzelmaker, Chatime, and Macao Imperial Tea. Dining in the mall is experiential, not only because of the exciting food choices in its four levels of restaurants, but also its new dining experiences using touch-free, cashless payment services.

Zamboanga based brands like Bay Tal Mal, Turkish Grille Plus, Casa Velyn, South Avenue, Kape Sur, Sophia Jewelry, Oro Italia Fine Jewelry, and more have found their home in SM City Mindpro. The mall also brings great entertainment to Zamboanga City with its four state of the art cinemas.

For customer convenience, SM City Mindpro has six parking levels with

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The Gift of LIMITLESS Joy for Christmas

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ith the kind of year that 2020 has been, Filipinos are up for a different kind of Christmas. Health threats still abound, while quarantine measures and safety protocols are still in place, leaving many with limited choices to celebrate the season, which is traditionally the most festive in the country. For LIMITLESS, the app based loyalty program, the season of gift-giving can still be merry as it introduces digital vouchers ideal for gifting family and loved ones with utmost convenience, and while observing quarantine and social distancing policies.

Starting December 8, LIMITLESS members can avail of virtual vouchers using the LIMITLESS app, making gift-giving this hol-

iday season still joyful, but more convenient. Available in P100, P500, and P1,000 denominations, vouchers for Phoenix gas stations, Phoenix SUPER LPG, and FamilyMart can be purchased using GCash and GrabPay. “This Christmas season, we’re making gift-giving easier for Filipinos as we offer digital vouchers that are ideal for purchasing a range of different products, most especially essentials. This comes at a time when contactless transactions are preferred due to the ongoing threats of the pandemic,” said LIMITLESS Brand Manager Kenneth Ocampo. “We Filipinos love Christmas, and while it’s not going to be the usual celebration, we want to help make it special, but still safe.”

Once purchased, the vouchers can be sent as a gift to other limitless members using the app. When shopping, the voucher owner simply needs to open the app and show the voucher for it to be applied towards a purchase.

“We are glad to be partnering with LIMITLESS for this special endeavor as we start to offer digital vouchers in lieu of printed ones. It’s more convenient, and safer, but just as valuable, and perfect for the Christmas season when we show appreciation to the people who mean a lot to us. After a challenging year, a gift like this is just what many of us need to experience the joy of giving, and feel the spirit of Christmas,” said Phoenix

FTHE GIFT, P10

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On recalling an incident that taught her to remain calm and collected despite stressful situations in relation to the pandemic experience: Ang nagtudlo sa akoa was the incident on July 1, 2011.

Hangtod karon naa gihapon koy trauma and lessons learned from that incident na ginagamit nako from July 2, 2011 until this very moment ... We should make the most kung unsa gihatag sa atoa sa pandemic especially kanang pagtapok-tapok nato ug pag-uban sa atong family sa balay. We should try to make the most of it and make sure to see that dark clouds as the silver lining.”

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio

EDGEDAVAO

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 205 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

VANTAGE POINTS

7

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

HOW CAN YOU SAY THANKS? From the book, The Titanic would never have sunk if it were made out a sink by Jarod Kintz, this conversation happened: As she walked away, she said Thank you. “Thank you,” I replied. I don’t think she heard me, because again she said Thank you. “Have a good night,” I replied. “Thank you,” she said.

In Hollow City, Ransom Riggs wrote: “I wanted to thank you,” I said. She wrinkled her nose and squinted like I’d said something funny. “Thank me for what?” she said. “You give me strength I didn’t know I had,” I said. “You make me better.”

Israelmore Ayivor reminded: “A little ‘thank you’ that you will say to someone for a ‘little favor’ shown to you is a key to unlock the doors that hide unseen ‘greater favors.’ Learn to say ‘thank you’ and why not?”

Some years ago, I had the opportunity of visiting my sister in Livingston, Montana (they now live in Grand Rapids, Minnesota). I stayed for almost a month and when it was time to return back to the Philippines, she had to drive me

for more than an hour to bring me to the airport in Bozeman.

After checking in, we had a sumptuous lunch together.

We talked for a few minutes before she bade goodbye. I was alone at the airport. Now, I was ready to enter the departure area but before that, I had to undergo the routine check.

I was busy trying to find my papers when I noticed that the person before me was Hollywood actor Dennis Quaid (yes, the lead star of The Day After Tomorrow and The Parent Trap, to name a few). Next to him was an old lady carrying some heavy bags. “Can I carry some of them?” Dennis inquired.

The lady looked at him for a few minutes. “Sure,” she replied, and gave him her other bag. When we were inside the waiting area, the lady came to Dennis and said, “Thank you very much for helping me.”

“In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to

the help of others,” wrote Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Letters and Papers from Prison.

“Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality,” said Alfred Painter. William Shakespeare, the touted Father of English literature, reminded, “I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks.”

“Thank you” may be simply said but to a person receiving the complementary, it means a lot. “Every morning of the world I give thanks for all the wonderful things in my life,” a young man declared enthusiastically. “And do you know something? It’s strange indeed, but the more I give thanks, the more I have reason to be thankful. For, you see, blessings just pile up on me one after another like nobody’s business.”

“None of us ever too busy to pay his way,” said David Dunn. “It takes only a few seconds to say a heart-warming ‘Thank you.’”

“Being in the habit of saying ‘Thank you,’ of making sure that people receive attention so they know you value them, of not presuming that people

will always be there–this is a good habit, regardless…make sure to give virtual and actual high-fives to those who rock and rock hard.”

That’s what Sarah Wendell wrote in Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels.

Recently, I came across a feature written by Alyson Ward which appeared in McClatchy Newspaper. She interviewed Diane Johnson, an etiquette expert in Fort Worth, Texas and certified by the Protocol School of Washington, on how to write a thank-you note.

She enumerated eight steps.

These are: 1. Write while the feeling of gratitude is still fresh. It’s easier to write a note while you’re still basking in the warmth of a thoughtful gift or a nice dinner.

2. Try not to think of note-writing as a chore. Instead, try to make it a bit of a treat.

3. When in doubt, send a note. Write a note when you receive a gift, when you are someone’s guest or when you’re the recipient of a kind gesture.

4. Be specific. Don’t merely say, “Thank you for the gift.”

Say, “Thank you for the snazzy striped scarf.” It sounds more appreciative, proving you really care about the gift in question.

5. If you’re late, don’t explain that you’ve been busy.

Instead of offering excuses, focus on the fact that you’re still appreciative.

6. If you didn’t like the gift, don’t say so. Be sincere, tactfully vague (“This sweater is the brightest shade of yellow I’ve ever seen!”) and focus on being grateful for the thoughtful generosity.

7. Don’t think you have to sound formal and stilted. Try to write the way you really talk.

8. Don’t over think this.

Write from the heart; just say thank you.

In Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps, Kelly Williams Brown wrote: “Meaning to send a thank-you note but then not doing it is exactly the same as never thinking to send one – that person is still receiving zero thank you notes.”

FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE

HOW ARE YOU THIS CHRISTMAS (I pray you are well.)

The malls are empty generally speaking.

I mean, compared to previous seasons before CoVid 19 descended on us, the holiday mood that precede the onset of the Christmas period finds Pinoys usually trooping to every mall in search of gifts and various stuff to buy.

I am sad to have found many stalls closed and those that remained opened from the March lockdowns till this writing are those that have long been in the business with long financial ropes to tide them by.

But the thousands of people – shoppers and coffee addicts alike – are no longer there. There are no longer crowds nor queues.

I’m afraid but I think they would rather stay safe (and scared) than sorry.

They are taking the government (IATF) warnings seriously, I guess.

Brisk business remains with the supermarkets because practical sense dictates

that before anything else, it is the stomach that matters most.

Well, these are the common scenes at least in the urbanized, well populated areas like NCR and its adjacent provinces and cities.

That there could be a second more fearful spike because of the expected gatherings during the holidays is a message that is now being repeated and echoed in various media platforms.

Maybe, just for this season, we can endure not having a “merry” Christmas in deference to our respectful regard for the health and well-being of other people, besides us and our family.

Virtually, the message is a quiet, unforced “lockdown” because gatherings are limited to up to a certain number (like 10 inside a residence).

You call this a Christmas party or reunion?

Filipinos celebrate Christmas in a clannish kind of way.

They pinpoint one venue

for all clan members to meet and celebrate instead of enjoying the event all by their family members alone.

Even the hundreds of panhandlers that I usually get to ogle at are no longer that many.

Is this year’s Christmas season a give-away indication – an omen - that prophetic signs written about in the Scriptures are slowly being fulfilled?

In the meantime, the peace and order situation in Mindanao has been disturbed by a not-so-isolated raid by BIFF rebels in a Maguindanao town. A message – whatever it is - is clearly being sent to all and sundry.

Filipinos are traditionalists: meaning they observe traditions handed down from their forefathers which they hold sacred and integral part of their lifestyle.

The annual celebration of Christmas (Philippine-style) – not in this hushed and restricted manner – is a much cherished tradition that

has been desecrated by the CoVid19 virus.

The virus, in turn, has held hostage governments world-wide that succumbed to WHO directives, claiming that the pathogen has become a pandemic.

Filipinos are an enduring, resilient race.

Although the mood to celebrate is dampened, Pinoys find ways to enjoy through various indigenous ways that are alien to other races.

I want to share some quotes that might serve their purpose of lightening your days ahead.

First is from Hellen Keller who said: “So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.”

Nice, huh?

Next is from Zig Ziglar: “If you go out looking for friends, you’re going to find they are very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.”

Albert Camus said this:” You will never be happy if

you continue to search for what happiness consists of.

You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”

US Pres. Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, said this somewhat prophetic message: “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew.”

And so, dear friends and readers, the Christmas of yore we used to jubilantly welcome and celebrate has slowly faded into the past.

How we in the present are able to revive the same intensity and passion amid the health risks posed by this Wuhan pathogen will perhaps remain a mystery.

Let us pray. Jesus is our ONLY hope – this much I will advise. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.)

GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

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EDGEDAVAO

LIFESTYLE

JUMP YOUR WAY TO FITNESS

STAY FIT AT HOME WITH WORKOUT GEAR AND ACTIVEWEAR BY ROPEFUL WITH the goal of preventing the spread of COVID-19, a lot of countries have resorted to restrictive measures to limit the movement and gathering of people in their area. Concerns about staying active and fit weighed in, especially among the population who have been used to working out in gyms, training studios, sports centers and outdoors.

The local mandates then pushed everyone to make lifestyle changes and move our exercise within the safety of our homes.

While this initially posed some logistical challenges, many were quick to set up practical and effective exercise routines they could execute within their four walls.

Some were able to acquire gym-standard contraptions for their private setup. Online and app-based programs, most of which are available on demand, became a worldwide phenomenon—pretty similar to how exercise video tapes helped shape the fitness culture in the past.

Of all the options available, it was jump rope that made the most resounding buzz. Many have jumped on this new fitness craze, which is of the most economical and least demanding in terms of space.

Get on your feet One of those who became so passionate and invested in jump rope is 27-year-old Danielle Kaye “Dani” Angeles.

This US-trained and licensed permanent makeup professional is the brains behind the lifestyle brand called Ropeful, which launched in June 2020.

Her goal to inspire the community to stay active stems from her own drive to get out of the sedentary lifestyle.

“During the period of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), there were some who succumbed to laziness, unhealthy eating, and other bad habits. I was one of them,” Dani confesses. “In compliance with government guidelines, gyms suspended operations and jogging outside was not allowed either.”

casual yet stylish pieces designed for both exercise and everyday wear.”

Not only do these tops and bottoms serve as alternative for loungewear or innerwear to your professional attire, they also make prepping for work“The lockdown took its toll on me and I couldn’t stand not doing anything. One day, my fiancé bought me a jump rope from a neighborhood gym that closed down.

He got the

outs easy and convenient when you find a pocket of time.

“The cuts were made to cinch your waist, outline your best features and give your body full support. We only used materials that are totally breathable. We avoided using stuffy and itchy fabric. Our entire athleisure line is super comfortable and feels like butter on the skin. You’d you never want to take them off.”

last one available there. I immediately hopped onto the jump rope program.”

Fitness unlocked Dani fell in love with this total body workout. “I found out that this is the fastest and most efficient fat-burning type of cardio. You can even burn around 280 calories in only 15 minutes. Jump rope also helps improve your agility, speed, strength, and hand-eye coordination.”

She also found it more challenging and fun as she unlocked a few tricks and skills.

“I documented my jump rope drills, just for the heck of it, and posted the videos on my social media accounts.”

Dani sensed the growing curiosity and interest in jump ropes, when she started receiving comments and inquiries on social media. This prompted her to venture into an online retail business. Her first set of PVC ropes came in neutral colorway, which instantly drew attention and sold like hotcakes.

Dani Angeles modeling active wear from Ropeful.

“That particular collection was our way of paying respect to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

I chose ropes in different skin tones to show everyone that we can all jump to the same beat, regardless of color.”

Functional apparel The popular jump rope collection helped Ropeful gain footing in the community. Celebrities and influencers heard about the brand and orders came in from various locations across the country. Dani decided to expand her product lineup, to meet the rising demand for fitness gears.

Just as home exercises became the new norm, the world also saw the resurgence of interest in activewear, which

were fashioned to make workout non-negotiable even when cooped indoors.

Based on recent consumer studies, activewear ranks as one of the highest in apparel sales since the beginning of the pandemic. Dani didn’t waste any time in launching her own athleisure line.

“We now offer a variety of

Brand message Dani makes sure that all the products she releases in the market are in tune with the brand’s value proposition. According to her, she wants to encourage sustainable health practices, starting with keeping fit.

“We want to give light to everything that may seem hopeless or impossible. I named our brand ‘Ropeful’ to remind us all to stay hopeful whatever the situation.”

For orders, more information and product updates, visit Ropeful PH on Facebook and @ropeful_ph on Instagram.

Photos courtesy of Dani Angeles.

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BIGGER PICTURE

9

Tourism in the time of pandemic

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO evitalizing tourism activities has become one of the primary concerns for the Philippines. In the short run, domestic tourism is expected to play a vital role in supporting the initial recovery phase of travel.” – World Financial Review

“R

Mention the Philippines and most foreigners think of white sand beaches, mountains and waterfalls, natural attractions, and ecologically-fragile ecosystems. After all, the country has more than 6,000 islands.

Last year, tourism contributed 12.7% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). About 5.7 million Filipinos are working in the tourism industry – that’s about 14 for every 100 people.

In the last five years, tourism in the Philippines was booming. From 5,360,682 visitors in 2015, the figure went up to 5,967,006 in 2016, 6,620,908 in 2017 and 7,168,467 in 2018. Last year, 8,260,913 people visited the country.

Last March, the first cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were reported. Since then, the figure keeps increasing. On March 20, the government closed the airports as part of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to stop the spread of the disease.

“The tourism sector has already felt the negative impact of the pandemic on its performance much earlier,” the Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC) – Philippines stated in its website, pwc. com. “In other countries, travel restrictions and measures have started as early as January, and have impacted the Philippine interna-

tional tourist arrivals. Domestic tourists, on the other hand, also limited their travel for fear of contracting COVID-19.”

According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), international tourist receipts in the first quarter of 2020 declined to P85 billion, 36% lower than the revenues in the same period last year.

“More than ever, we said banking on the unity of the tourism industry to ensure that we will together endure and overcome these trying times,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat during the Special ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Tourism Ministers Meeting last May. Speaking of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism chief said, “The events have caused a major shift in the landscapes of the travel industry. Before, food, culture and immersions influence a travelers choice.

Today, safety will be the paramount concern of most, if not all, of our visitors.”

So much so that PwC in cooperation with the tourism department conducted a survey on how COVID-19 impacted the tourism industry in the country. About 247 decision makers responded with the survey.

Of these, 97% admitted that COVID-19 has really affected their business operations.

“Such finding is not surprising given that only businesses related to essen-

tial services and products were the only enterprises allowed to operate during the ECQ,” PwC noted. “Because of the low demand and restrictions, majority of the respondents say that they temporarily stopped offering a service/product, reduced their level of operations, and reduced the employee headcount.”

Some hotels, which are part of the tourism industry, have also been affected. In Davao City, Marco Polo finally closed down the hotel as a result of the pandemic.

Grand Regal Hotel, on the other hand, stopped its operations since March.

Restaurants, spas, and bars are not spared from pandemic. “We really suffered from it. Our business is losing,” said Rogelio Canales, owner of Mixed Temptation. “We are trying hard to survive,” commented Tony Uy, proprietor of Caffe Antoccino.

Tourist destinations have to do something unusual to survive. One ecotourism site has been reported during the pan-

demic, it had terminated 70% of its service staff after two months and job order’s work was reduced to 10 days. Some regular staff never received any salary as they were no longer allowed to work – due to the “no work, no pay” policy.

Such was the finding of the study conducted by Dr. Belinda F. Espiritu, a professor from the University of the Philippines-Cebu. She presented the result of her research in a webinar organized by the Department of Science and Technology – National Research Council of the Philippines (DOSTNCRP).

At least 10 ecotourism sites – defined as those “rich in natural attractions and conducive to adventure travel” – in Laguna, Bataan, Isabela, Sorsogon, Rizal, Davao, Bohol, Iloilo, Surigao del Sur, and South Cotabato were assessed on the impact of a pandemic in terms of management and operations.

In Davao City, some of the ecotourism destinations are Eden Nature Park,

Davao Crocodile Park, Philippine Eagle Center, Malagos Garden Resort, and Gap Farm. The research did not specifically identify which of these responded to the survey.

Dr. Espiritu’s research has shown that most tourism sites – “except for the very few” – had no contingency plans for epidemic outbreaks. “After all, we were caught by surprise,” said Armando Mortejo, a tourism professor who was not part of the study. “We never had such an epidemic before which affected not only the Philippines but the whole world.”

According to Dr. Espiritu, the lockdowns brought tourism operations to a grinding halt during the community quarantine period, until some sites reopened to residents or local tourists.

“The cessation led to the laying off of some staff, reduced working hours or days, and work-from-home arrangement, with the skeletal workforce reporting on specific working days,” she

pointed out.

But one good thing about the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Dr. Espiritu, is that “the quarantine succeeded in bringing out people’s resiliency as exemplified by urban and rural agriculture, cultivation of ornamental plants for sale, entrepreneurship development, creativity in creating products that sell, and development of livelihood skills.”

Another positive development of the pandemic: the management spent the quarantine period improving their facilities and making COVD-19 responses.”

As one company puts it: “We continue to place top priority on the health and well-being of our people.

Our offices are open but the majority of our people continue to work effectively from home.”

Some tourist destinations areas, which reopened only to close later, observed the necessary health protocols: washing hands with soap and water or alcohol, wearing face masks and face shields, and physical distancing.

In her presentation, Dr. Espiritu offered some recommendations. For one, she urged regional DOT offices to work hand in hand with the local government units to guide and require tourism industries nationwide to formulate contingency plans in cases of epidemic outbreak, which should include plans for alternative livelihood projects and back-up funds for crisis situations like the COVID-19.

Meanwhile, 78% of the PwC respondents said they need up to P5 million in additional funding to help normalize their operations and to help recover from

FTOURISM, P10

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DABAWENYOS... FROM2

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healthy this Christmas and New Year.

“Mao kini ang pinakamaayong regalo nga atong mahatag sa atong pamilya ug sa tanang tao sa atong katilingban (This is the best gift that we can give our family and everyone in our community),” the mayor said.

Mayor Sara also encouraged everyone to re-

flect on the current situation, and to look forward to the future. She also urged everyone to SAVE MONEY. “Magtigum kita ug mogasto alang lamang sa mga butang nga importante kanato ug sa atong pamilya. Ayaw usiki ang inyong kwarta sa mga butang nga walay bili – sama na lang sa mga pabuto (Let us save

money and spend only on essential things for us and our family. Don’t waste your money on things that are not worth it, such as firecrackers),” she added.

In wishing everyone a joyful Christmas and fruitful New Year, the mayor has asked for Dabawenyos’ prayers and cooperation in everyone’s fight against Covid-19.

“Magtinabangay kita sa pagbatok sa pagkuyanap sa bayrus. Ug sa atong pagtinabangay – mapakita nato ang atong kusog. Pinaagi niini, dili kita mapukan (Let us help one another against the spread of the virus. As we help one another, we can show that we are strong. With this, we will not break),” Mayor Sara said. CIO

and Smart Communications Inc., the wireless arm of PLDT Inc., if they do not improve by yearend.

Cordoba, for his part, said the public can expect more improvements by 2021 once DITO starts its commercial operations in March next year.

"So, DITO is very aggressive, so kung mapapansin po ninyo si Smart at saka si Globe ay talaga pong gumastos for the past

several years, dahil alam po nila na papasok po itong competitor na based po sa initiative ng ating Pangulo na tinatawag po natin third Telco initiative (So if you’ll notice Smart and Globe spent a lot for the past several years because they know this competitor will come in based on the initiative of our President in what we call third telco initiative)," he said.

Adel Tamano, chief

administrative officer of DITO, said the company has already built over 1,900 towers and has completed its testing for 5G calls in Metro Manila.

Converge Chief Operating Officer Jesus Romero, meanwhile, said they already have 3.5 million high-speed fiber ports and plans to add some 1.8 million ports in 2021.

Romero said that the company is also contin-

uously building its backbone, including a domestic submarine backbone with a bigger capacity.

As of October 2020, the Philippines' fixed internet speed is ranked 32nd in Asia, bested by other Asean states such as Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore.

On mobile broadband, it's ranked 34th out of 50 states and territories in Asia. (PNA)

the sentiment that RESA’s current restrictions to brokers, salespersons, and the overall salesforce has aggravated the housing backlog by depriving developers of a provincial network of on-ground touchpoints.

“The largest amount of housing backlog is not found in the city, it is out there in the province, the rural areas. How do we identify where to put up those houses for people who need it? And how do we connect the developers to these places?” said Ledesma. “The developer has no means because he has no one to market there.

We need more people to help us identify these underserved areas.”

Veteran realtor and co-founder of Havitas Development Corporation Andy Mañalac noted that because RESA was not crafted with digitalization in mind, legal grey areas have formed when it comes to advertising and the alleged penetration of foreign transaction platforms.

He said, “Brokers have their own teams, but who can do posting on social media for them? They have their secretaries who do posting and boosting for them, and yet, it is still the

brokers who negotiate. But walang law that states this.

We need a clear law for that.”

Mañalac also noted that should any foreign platforms seek to operate in the Philippines, they should still be associated with a duly-licensed Filipino real estate broker. He added that these platforms circumvent the law when “they remove the word brokers and they say they are just facilitating a transaction.”

“There is no law restricting their activities, but the law restricts that activities of Filipinos,” pointed out Mañalac.

Leuterio said that ABREP’s creation of a united front to address the shortcomings of RESA is not intended to abolish the law, but rather to improve it so that it serves the industry better.

“This movement is meant to make the industry better for all. We invite everyone who is affected to join us in the discussion so that we all have a voice,” said Leuterio. “Our intent is not the abolition of RESA, we believe strongly in its purpose. We simply do not agree that its current form is serving the industry as it should,”

481 car slots, 53 motorcycle slots, 12 for PWD vehicles as well as tourist transport terminals.

SM City Mindpro’s project team includes DSGN Associates, Design Consultant; Jose Siao Ling and Associates, Architect on Record; Gridlines, Construction Management; and Metro Stonerich Corporation, General Contractor.

With the health of its shoppers in mind, SM City

Mindpro is on the forefront of safe malling, enforcing high standard hygiene checks and health protocols in the city through advanced, touch-free technology that creates a seamless shopping experience for all.

In line with SM Prime Holdings’ commitment on disaster mitigation measures and carbon footprint reduction, the mall is designed to achieve a sustainable future. 6” CHB walls

with an Exterior Insulating Finish System and Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) make it a cost-efficient and energy-saving building.

Likewise, its Sewage Treatment Plant has a Treated Water Recycling Tank System that helps in the conservation of fresh water. An Underground Rainwater Tank, on the other hand, can help mitigate the cause of flooding within the mall’s neighboring ar-

eas.

Solid wastes are managed in accordance to local and national standards of segregation, recycling, reusing and sending to the sanitary landfill. This is even elevated to a more inclusive advocacy in SM Cares’ Trash to Cash initiative.

All these are part of SM’s commitment to continue serving and supporting communities around the Philippines.

Vice President for Integrated Marketing and Strategies Celina Matias.

Offering more value with every purchase at partner establishments,

LIMITLESS allows members to earn points, which can be used as discounts and other benefits. Signing up for an account can be done in just a few taps us-

ing a user’s mobile number, Facebook account, or Gmail account.

As a special holiday treat, the vouchers are available at a 10% discount

until December 31, 2020.

The LIMITLESS app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store, the Apple App Store, and the HuaweiApp Gallery.

the pandemic. “Majority say that they need such funds for working capital requirements, marketing funds to rebuild their brands, and refinancing,” the study said.

The good news is: The House of Representatives has approved House Bill 6815 or the proposed Philippine Economic Stimulus Act (PESA) last June.

“Once passed into law, an economic stimulus package amounting to P1.3 trillion will be provided in the next four years to fund the COVID19-testing, wage subsidies, and assistance to

micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs),” the PwC noted.

Under the bill, P58 billion will be appropriated to DOT-accredited tourism enterprises for the following programs: interest-free loans or issuance of loan guarantees with terms up to five years for maintenance and operating expenses and credit facilities for upgrading, rehabilitation or modernization of current establishments or facilities to be compliant with new health and safety standards.

Other programs of the

bill for DOT-accredited establishments are as follows: marketing and product development promotions and programs; grants for education training, and advising of tourism stakeholders for new normal alternative livelihood programs; utilization of information technology; and other relevant programs, including infrastructure to mitigate the economic effects of COVID-19 on the tourism industry.

In a press statement, the World Travel and Tourism Council believed that globally it could take up to ten

months for the tourism industry to recover.

But based on what is happening right now in the Philippines, the future of tourism seems to be bleak still. “Nine months since the (novel coronavirus) was first detected in China, there is still no sign that the spread is slowing down,” PwC pointed out in its website. “The road to recovery can take longer than initially anticipated. Fitch forecasts that tourist arrivals and tourism receipts will not go back to pre-COVID levels even five years hence.”

TELCOS... FROM3

LARGEST... FROM4

SM... FROM5

THE GIFT... FROM5

TOURISM... FROM9

JAIL... FROM2

City reported 7,108, Davao de Oro with 472, Davao del Norte with 1,106, Davao del Sur with 749, Davao

Occidental with 122, and Davao Oriental with 470.

(Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

pose Cooperative, a pioneering farmers' group in organic rice farming, is the

coordinating organization for the Mindanao Organic Rice Program. (PNA)

vided about 94 percent efficacy against SARS-CoV-2,

the virus causing Covid-19.

(PNA)

Thai flyweight Detchadin Srosirisuphathin. The Filipino won via second-round rear-naked choke submission.

A former regional champion in the Philippines, Zamboanga says he is coming for the ONE Championship World Title, and that he has learned many lessons over the past 12 months training with his new team.

“I learned that in order to continue evolving as a fighter, perfecting the game plan is the key to victory.

Selecting the right team is very important,” said Zamboanga.

“My goal is to become a world champion. I won’t be satisfied until I have reached that goal. I will do everything in my power to overcome any challenge that is put in front of me.”

Zamboanga, who is filling out his frame at flyweight quite well, also eyes a jump to a heavier division some time soon.

“Another goal of mine

is moving up to a higher weight class,” said Zamboanga “I think any fighter in the bantamweight division is good. They are all great fighters. I’ve been training hard here in Thailand, and I can’t wait to get back in there and put on a good show for all the fans.”

ONE Championship returns with ONE: BIG BANG II, a previously recorded event for global broadcast on Friday, 11 December.

In the main event, former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion and current #3-ranked contender Jonathan “The General” Haggerty of the United Kingdom takes on Taiki “Silent Sniper” Naito of Japan.

Watch ONE: BIG BANG II this Friday, 11 December on One Sports+ at 8:30 p.m.

Philippine Standard Time (PHT). One Sports will air the event on a same-day delay at 9 p.m. PHT. Additionally, TV5 will air the event on a next-day delay at 11 p.m. PHT.

season.

“We don’t want to underdo it and then he’s not ready to play in real games, but we obviously don’t want to overdo it,” Vogel said of the preseason. “So really don’t know where that’s going to land. I expect we’ll probably see him some, but not a ton.”

No matter what James decides to do this season and into the future, the Lakers clearly have no worries about his long-term viability as a difference-making star. General manager Rob Pelinka signed James last week to a maximum contract extension that will keep him together with Anthony Davis for at least the next three seasons — an enviable situation for any team.

Pelinka says James’ success is rooted in the versa-

tility of his game, along with his intellectual ability to excel with more than pure athleticism.

“Because of those gifts, he’s going to continue to be a dominant player well beyond what the regular, ordinary NBA player would be able to do,” Pelinka said.

“It wasn’t even a debate for us. We think he’s going to be very effective and provide extraordinary value for every year he decides to play as a Laker.

“What was especially satisfying and exciting about (the latest championship) is that now you can see, with the legacy he’s establishing as a Laker, that his greatness will be defined here. I’m sure he’ll hang many jerseys someday, but we hope one of those will be a Lakers jersey.”

a lot about a young player and that’s something they are saying about Ramos after his play in the bubble.”

Ramos has gained plenty of praise from the Gilas coaching staff and even the president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) after his performance in Bahrain.

In a recent appearance on “Sports Page,” SBP president Al Panlilio called him a “revelation.”

“I’ve heard about him, but never really seen him play. I think he’s done

well,” said Panlilio.

The player himself has consistently sought to downplay his impressive game, however.

“I will say it’s pretty solid,” Ramos said of how he played in the bubble. “(I’m) still getting used to playing with everybody, so it is just a solid effort.”

“Got a lot to improve on. It’s just a lot of improvement still needed, but it is solid,” he added during an appearance on the Prospects Podcast last week.

MANILA... FROM2 PINAY... FROM3

ZAMBOANGA... FROM11

TOO EARLY... FROM11

BIG LEAP... FROM12

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 205 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

11

3 more golds for Delos Santos

F Lakers superstars Anthony Davis and Lebron James will likely miss the opening night against the Clippers.

No Bron-Brow show on opening night

L

os Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel has said it’s too early to discuss any plan for a regular-season load management for LeBron James, but it is clear the Los Angeles Lakers won’t push their MVP in the preseason.

Just two months after their title run, the Lakers are set to play the opener of the preseason against the Clippers, but likely without James and Antho-

ny Davis.

“We haven’t made that decision yet,” Vogel was quoted as saying by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I will say it’s probably unlikely

that they will play.”

The game is set on Friday (Saturday, Manila time).

While other teams have had long layoffs, the Lakers and losing finalist Miami Heat are returning to action on short rest.

The Lakers look to manage the minutes of their workhorse — James, who recently signed a max contract extension worth $85 million, is turning 36

this month.

“We don’t want to underdo it and then he’s not ready to play in real games, but we obviously don’t want to overdo it,” Vogel said of the preseason.

“So really don’t know where that’s going to land.

I expect we’ll probably see him some, but not a ton.”

Davis is eager to play, but expressed concern with the short rest and risks of injury.

ilipino karateka James de Los Santos added three more golds to his total haul for the year after ruling three tournaments, whose results of the finals were released on Tuesday.

De Los Santos first defeated South Africa's Silvio Cerone Biagioni, 25.5-23.6, in the shotokan individual male senior final of the 3rd E-Karate Games, which was the first revealed result.

Moments later, the result of De Los Santos' battle against Switzerland's Matias Domont for the 2nd Euro Grand Prix gold came out with the former pre-

vailing, 25.3-23.6.

De Los Santos capped the day with the gold in the Rome International ENDAS Karate Cup, beating American opponent Alfredo Bustamante in the final, 25.1-24.

"Hat trick! Another personal record!" De Los Santos simply exclaimed as this is the first time he got three golds on the same day.

With the triple crown, De Los Santos now has 29 golds for the year, solidifying his bid to end the year as the world's top virtual kata player. (PNA)

ONE Championship flyweight star Drex “T-Rex” Zamboanga says life is going pretty good, despite being holed up in Thailand and unable to head back home to the Philippines for the holidays due to travel restrictions imposed by COVID-19.

Zamboanga and his sister Denice, also a ONE Championship athlete, decided to stay in Bangkok when COVID-19 hit, in order to continue training with their team at Marrok Force. They have been in the country for months.

And while they had initially planned to return home for the holidays, the two will instead remain in

Bangkok, at least for the rest of the year.

“All things considered, 2020 has been great. I had my first fight with ONE Championship and I was quite satisfied with the result. My training this year has gone great,” said Zamboanga.

“I’m going to spend some time here in Thailand with my sister. We have been away from our family for so long. There are only two of us here and other fighters at Marrok Force.

They are all also away from home.”

Zamboanga made his ONE Championship debut last August against

Zamboanga seeking world title, moving up to bantamweight

FZAMBOANGA, P10

Too early to decide on LeBron James load management: Vogel

A

fter LeBron James emerged from the longest season in NBA history with a fourth championship ring, he returned home and planned the first Christmas family vacation of his adult life.

That’s when James learned that his 17th NBA offseason would be unprecedentedly short.

When James was told the NBA intended to resume games on Dec. 22, just 72 days after the Lakers beat Miami to win the title, the superstar admits he reacted with a mild expletive.

“Just being completely honest, I wasn’t expecting that,” James said on Monday (Tuesday, Manila time) in his first public comments since the NBA champions opened training camp.

“Early conversations were going on, and I was hearing there would be kind of a mid-January start,” James said. “Training camp would start after Christmas, and we would have the opportunity to spend Christmas with our families. ... I had to switch up a lot of things. I just started preparing my mind and preparing my body.”

James still reported to camp ready last week for his 18th NBA season and the pursuit of yet another

banner with the Lakers, who added an impressive amount of veteran talent in the abbreviated offseason for their repeat quest.

James also showed up with a new two-year, $85 million contract extension through the 2022-23 season, setting his future in Los Angeles through his 20th NBA campaign.

James chose that year deliberately: His oldest son, LeBron James Jr., will graduate from high school in 2023. Bronny is a sophomore at private Sierra Canyon School, where he played a reserve role on the basketball team last season, and LeBron has previously spoken of his fond dream to play in the NBA with — or against — his son.

“The best thing about it is the year I’ll be a free agent will be the same year my oldest son graduates high school,” James said of his new deal. “I’ll have some options to see, for me personally, what I want to do (going) forward — being around my family, being around my son more, or continue to play this game I love with great health and great spirits. We’ll see.”

Whether that happens, and whether it will be in Los Angeles, won’t be certain for three long years.

James intends to make the

Guard Monte Morris has agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract extension with Denver Nuggets. most of the meantime.

James will shoulder the physical challenges of this difficult year, but it isn’t easy: He said he was “sore as hell” on Monday, although that’s normal every year after the first two preseason practices.

The uniqueness of 2020 has forced James and the Lakers to consider whether they should practice load management this season.

LeBron has largely declined to follow other

stars’ strategy of strategic absences from games in recent years: He played in all 82 games for Cleveland in 2017-18, and after an injury-plagued 2018-19 in LA, he only missed four games last season.

Still, James has played 1,265 career regular-season games — already the 33rd-most in league history — and an NBA-record 260 playoff contests as he heads toward his 36th birthday later this month.

James and the Lakers haven’t decided on their plans for the regular season, with James saying there’s “a fine line” between strategic rest and unnecessary inactivity. He does sound amenable to limited action in the preseason, which begins Friday.

“We’re going to be as smart as I can be in making sure that my body and making sure that I’m ready to go,” James said. “Every game matters, but we’re

competing for something that’s high. I understand that with the shortened (training camp) and the offseason is going to be the shortest in any professional sports ever, we’re going to be very conscious about what we do going forward and with me personally.”

Coach Frank Vogel says it’s too early to make a decision about how much James will play in the preseason or in the regular

FTOO EARLY, P10

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

BIG LEAP FIBA on Ramos: ‘Mr. Perfect’ in less than a year

Y

oung Gilas Pilipinas standout Dwight Ramos has earned the respect of the FIBA organization for his impressive stint in the recently concluded window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.

Ramos was the leading scorer of Gilas Pilipinas in two outings in the bubble held in Manama, Bahrain. He had numbers of 16.5 points and six rebounds in their two victories over Thailand.

In two games, he missed just six of the 17 field goals that he attempted, and was a perfect 7-of-7 from the field in their first game, a 93-61 win.

Ramos made it to FIBA’s list of players who “made the biggest leap” in the Asia Cup bubbles. FIBA cited Ramos who “went from ‘that kid who should be pretty good soon’ to ‘Mr. Perfect’ in less than a year.”

Other players who made it to FIBA’s list are: Thailand’s Chanatip Jakrawan, who had 34 points and 12 rebounds against Gilas in their second game; Mohammed Al-Khafaji of Iraq; Mohammed Alsuwailem of Saudi Arabia; and Muzamil Hamoda of Bahrain.

Ramos, who will play collegiate basketball for Ateneo de Manila University, was

also part of the Gilas roster when it crushed Indonesia in February, 100-70. In that game, he had five points and five rebounds off the bench, playing just 16 minutes.

In the Bahrain bubble, however, Ramos took on a bigger role and showed he was more than ready for the challenge.

“He was given a shot with increased playing time in the bubble and the results point to him getting even more minutes down the road,” FIBA noted.

Ramos’ perfect game was “outstanding,” but it was just one sign of his constant improvement and progress since he first put on the Pilipinas jersey, it said.

“The Philippines are loaded with high-level talent throughout their talent pool,” FIBA said. “To be projected as a key player of that pool in the near future says

FBIG LEAP, P10

VOL.13 ISSUE 205 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

Dwight Ramos averaged 16.5 points for Gilas Pilipinas in the November 2020 qualifying window.

FIBA.basketball