Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 213 | Saturday, December 19, 2020

VACCINES: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW HEALTH P9 VOL.13 ISSUE 213 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020

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DIVIDED Gift-giving through barangay execs draws support, objections STORY ON PAGE 2

A bicycle enthusiast repairs his mountain bike at Abreeza mall’s bike repair station along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City on Friday. Edge Davao

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VOL.13 ISSUE 213 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020

DIVIDED Gift-giving through barangay execs draws support, objections

By MAYA M. PADILLO ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s recent pronouncement that the holding of the annual gift-giving (Pahalipay ni Mayor) tradition will continue with modifications.

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This time, the distribution will be led by barangay officials to avoid mass gathering.

However, this got mixed-reactions from some residents.

Mayor Sara announced that there will be no gift-giving activity that will take place in Taal this coming Dec. 25, 2020 and directed barangay officials instead to take the lead in the distribution of around 38,000 grocery packs from December 17 to 23.

Some residents didn’t object believing that this will prevent mass gathering and possible transmission of Covid-19 virus, while some are apprehensive because there is no guarantee that the “pahalipay”

will reach them claiming that some barangay officials only choose beneficiaries who are close to their hearts.

Judith Inson, a resident of Barangay Talomo, disapproved the idea as according to her only those who are close to the heart of the barangay officials will surely receive the gift.

“Dili maayo,ngano man?

Pinili ra gihapon na ang mga duol sa dughan purya lang sa maayo na barangay.

Dili man gani mahatag ang ayuda katong ECQ, kaisa ra gyud mi kadawat ug 5 kilos rice.wala problema sa amoa,looy lang uban walang wala mao nay dapat tagaan.”

However, she clarified that it is no problem if she

will not receive the gift, she just feel sorry for the others.

Mary Rose Libarios of Barangay Dumoy said it is okay for barangay officials to lead the distribution, however, she hopes that officials will really distribute the gifts to the legitimate beneficiaries.

“Okey ra aron dili magdasok pero unta matagaan ang dapat matagaan dili pud magpabor -pabor kung kinsa lang ang nailhan sa barangay,” she said.

Edwin Lao, a resident of Catalunan Pequeno, suggested that it should be distributed by purok to ensure that everyone will receive.

“Kay kung sa barangay man gud maabtan pa og three days,” he said.

Rovie Bullina, a resident of Barangay Mintal, also agreed that it is ideal to pass the task to the purok leaders. She also suggested that each barangay should establish a systematic way

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Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año says the report of International Criminal Court (ICC) Fatou Bensouda claiming that crimes against humanity have been committed

under the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign is not only misleading but are outright false and ridiculous. Edge Davao

PRRD hits opposition, Trillanes for doing nothing but politicking ICC report on anti-drug drive

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resident Rodrigo Roa Duterte lashed back at the opposition and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for “doing nothing but politicking” with only one year and five months left before the 2022 elections.

“The things that you would know, huwag kayong maniwala diyan sa oposisyon. Walang ginawa ‘yan, gusto lang ‘yang bumalik (Don’t believe the opposition. They did nothing, they just want to return),” Duterte said in his Talk to the People late Wednesday night.

Duterte said the opposition dwells on negative

issues to make it appear that his present administration has done nothing to address the country’s problems.

“Ito wala itong ginawa kung hindi mamulitika.

Tama ‘yung sabi ni Bong (They do nothing but politicking. [Senator] Bong [Go] is correct that ‘If you want to appear white, you paint the other person black.’

Painting the other guy black so that you would appear white. Iyan ang ginagawa nila. Pinipinturahan kami ng itim para bumango sila, maputi sila (That’s what they are doing. They paint us black so that they will ap-

pear white),” Duterte said.

He lambasted Trillanes for saying that the President must be "trembling in fear" after International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Fatou Bensouda's office released a report saying there was "reasonable basis" to believe the Duterte administration committed crimes against humanity in the campaign against illegal drugs.

“Wala itong ginawa kung hindi mag-exhibition.

Wala itong nagawa kung hindi manira ng tao (He [Trillanes] did nothing but to display himself. He did nothing but to defame oth-

er people),” Duterte said.

Duterte said he is not afraid to be imprisoned and even die for his principles.

“Kung iyang prinsipyo ko na ‘yan ikamatay ko, okay 'yan sa akin. Ipakulong ako habangbuhay, okay sa akin 'yan. Ginagawa ko ang tama (If those principles will be the death of me, it’s fine by me. If I’m sentenced to life imprisonment, it’s fine as long as I did what was right),” he said.

He said Trillanes won as senator in 2007 while in jail due to “backlash” in the administration of then President Gloria Macapa-

in sharp contrast to last year’s back channel negotiations between the two parties that resulted in a Christmas ceasefire.

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, PEPP said Duterte rejected the results of the back channel talks and stopped further peace negotiations with the communist rebels.

The group said the government proceeded to heighten its war against the NDFP, the New People’s Army and is “legal fronts”.

It said it was raising its “alarm and concern over the deteriorating prospects for peace in our land”.

“The advent season is upon us, yet unpeace reigns. Respect for human rights, which is a primary requisite for peace, is ignored, or worse, demonized as a barrier to ‘peace

and order’. This is evident in the arrests of a journalist and six union organizers, on the day when the whole world was commemorating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Several activists have also been arrested or killed in the past few months while numerous lives continue to be claimed under the campaign against illegal drugs,” it said.

“Harmful rhetoric abounds, even coming from the President himself,” it added.

Aside from Ledesma, the statement was signed Reverend Rex Reyes Jr. of the Ecumenical Bishops Forum, Bishop Reuel Norman Mananzan of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, and Bishop Emeritus Deogracias Iniguez Jr.

Last December 7, Duterte ruled out a holiday ceasefire with the communist rebels.

The president also rejected the resumption of peace talks and renewed his vow to crush the communist insurgency.

“There will be no ceasefire ever again under my term as president. For all intents and purposes, the ceasefire is dead,” he said.

The NDFP responded by rejected the holding of a Christmas truce and directed its armed wing, the NPA to continue carrying out offensives against government troops and the police.

“The NDFP is forced to dispense with the traditional holiday ceasefire this year,” the rebel group said. (Froilan Gallardo/ MindaNews)

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Ecumenical group encourages gov’t, rebels to observe Christmas truce

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group of leaders from various religious denominations has called on the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) “to silence the guns” of their combatants in the spirit of Christmas.

The Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP) said it was concerned over the deteriorating prospects of peace after President Rodrigo Duterte and the NDFP ruled out a ceasefire during the holidays.

“The advent season is upon us, yet unpeace reigns,” the religious group led by Archbishop Emeritus Antonio Ledesma of Cagayan de Oro said.

The group said the recent announcements of Duterte and the NDF were

'false, biased', DILG says

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he Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) denounced the report of International Criminal Court (ICC) Fatou Bensouda claiming that crimes against humanity have been committed under the government's anti-illegal drug campaign for being false, biased, and without factual and legal basis.

"As the Report itself admits, Ms. Bensouda is still conducting a preliminary investigation, and no criminal investigation or proceeding has been conducted in the ICC proper.

Moreover, the Report itself stressed that Ms. Bensouda’s office "anticipates deciding on whether to seek authorization to open an investigation into the situation in the Philippines in the first half of 2021,” therefore, opposition claims that Bensouda has already found “crimes against humanity” in the Philippines are not only misleading but are outright false and ridiculous," DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said in a news release.

Año said instead of wasting valuable time and resources on a biased and worthless exercise, the prosecutor should instead focus on bringing justice to the victims of the gravest crimes of concern to the international community that continue to be rampant in other countries for many years now.

He said the Philippines’ judicial system is fully func-

tioning and that any alleged abuses in the drug war can and should be independently tried, heard, and decided by the Philippine courts.

"I wish to emphasize the upholding of the presumption of regularity in the performance of duty of the police. As the Philippine Supreme Court has held many times, to successfully overcome such presumption of regularity, case law demands that the evidence against it must be clear and convincing; absent the requisite quantum of proof to the contrary, the presumption stands deserving of faith and credit. The burden of proof to overcome such presumption rests on Ms. Bensouda," he said.

"Assuming that Bensouda has actually commenced formal proceedings against the Philippines (which it has not), the same cannot legally proceed because the Philippines is not within its jurisdiction, by virtue of our withdrawal from the ICC on March 2020. Article 127 of the Rome Statute is clear that the ICC cannot invoke even an ounce of its jurisdiction over the Philippines by the very absence of any criminal investigation or proceeding commenced against it."

Citing the very principles of due process and equity, Año said no stretch of legal interpretation can enable the ICC to harp on its exercise of jurisdiction over the Philippines.

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VOL.13 ISSUE 213 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

DA-PRDP Mindanao cluster receives satifactory ratings in year-end review

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Employees of the Davao City Hall’s Ancillary Services Unit conduct clearing operations to remove illegal structures and garbage in various areas of the city, including sidewalks, canals, gutters, and flyovers. Contributed photo

Palace says fewer hungry Pinoys due to reopening of economy

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ewer Filipinos are experiencing involuntary hunger due to efforts to reopen the economy amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, Malacañang said Thursday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this statement after a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey from Nov. 21 to 25, found that 16 percent or an estimated 4 million families experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months.

The SWS survey said the November 2020 hunger rate is 15 points below the record-high 30.7 percent (around 7.6 million families) in September 2020.

However, it is double

the pre-pandemic 8.8 percent (2.1 million families) of families in December 2019.

In a Palace press briefing, Roque welcomed this figure but admitted that it was still sad to know that millions of Filipinos remain hungry.

“Malungkot pa rin po ‘yan dahil alam natin napakadami nang nagugutom pa. Pero ito nga po ay kalahati noong hunger rate na na-rehistro noong Setyembre 2020 (It’s still sad because we know that many

Moderna, Arcturus ready to supply up to 25M COVID-19 vaccines to the PH

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wo more American biopharmaceutical firms Moderna and Arcturus are ready to supply four to 25 million of their respective COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines, Manila's top diplomat to Washington said Friday.

Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said the vaccines will be ready beginning third quarter of 2021 should the Philippine government find their proposals acceptable.

"We are hoping our government will consider the promising candidates of Moderna and Arcturus for inclusion in our country's pool of anti-COVID vaccines," Romualdez said in a statement.

A US panel of experts has voted to recommend emergency approval of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, paving the way for six million doses to start shipping as soon as this weekend.

The US Food and Drug

Administration is now expected to imminently grant an emergency use authorization (EUA), which would make Moderna's vaccine the second to be approved in a Western country.

Romualdez's remarks came amid allegations that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III botched the process of securing at least 10 million Pfizer vaccines by January 2021 for allegedly delaying the submission of a mandatory confidentiality agreement with the US firm.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo helped facilitate the supposed delivery of the vaccines to the Philippines by early 2021.

Without naming Duque, Locsin on Twitter said someone "dropped the ball" on the Pfizer vaccine delivery. Later on, Senator Panfilo Lacson named Duque as the one who made the mistake, causing the Philip-

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are still hungry, but this figure is half of the hunger rate registered last September 2020),” he said.

Roque attributed the eased hunger rate to efforts to reopen the economy but warned that Metro Manila and other areas in the country could still revert to stricter community quarantine if Covid-19 cases rise.

“Yung pagbawas po ng kalahati sa hunger rate, ito po’y resulta ng unti-unting nating pagbubukas ng ating ekonomiya, pero may banta nga po na itong unti-unting magbubukas ay baka maantala kung dadami po ang kaso ng Covid (The easing of the hunger rate in half is the result of slowly opening the economy, but slowly opening the economy could

also be hindered if cases of Covid increase) So the best way to celebrate Christmas po if you really love your family, iwasan magkasakit po (avoid getting sick),” he said.

According to the SWS survey, the average hunger rate for the full-year 2020 is a new record 21.1 percent of families. It surpasses the previous record of 19.9 percent in 2011 and 2012, and is double the average 9.3 percent for 2019.

The survey showed that Metro Manila now has the highest incidence of Hunger at 23.3 percent (780,000 families), followed by Mindanao at 16.0 percent (909,000 families), Balance Luzon at 14.4 per-

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he 11th World Bank Implementation Support Mission to the Department of Agriculture Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) concluded last December 4 a virtual conference led by the World Bank Team and the National Project Coordination Office (NPCO) and attended by the Project Support Offices, Regional Project Coordination Offices, and representatives of the Department of Agriculture.

This was the second time that the support mission to DA-PRDP was conducted virtually due to travel restrictions brought about by the COVID 19 pandemic.

Despite the challenges to project implementation caused by the pandemic, DA-PRDP as a whole received across the board satisfactory ratings from the World Bank Team which was headed by Team Task Leader Eli Weiss – improving on the moderately satisfactory rating it previously during the midterm review last June.

Weiss commended the DA-PRDP team for their constant drive to improve and adjust to the new realities under COVID 19 as it relates to project implementation. “You really are the best example for digital transformation and from our side, we will continue to showcase PRDP examples in the (World) Bank),” said Weiss.

Weiss went on to note that since the last mission, disbursements have gone up by 36% showing again how all the different components of PRDP have been steadily working to ensure the continuity of the project despite COVID-19.

This has been accomplished through a multipronged response strategy that consists of close coordination with the different LGU’s and stakeholders, the use of online platforms for virtual trainings, joint technical reviews & RPAB’s and

seeking for ways to improve and innovate with the tools that PRDP already has at its disposal.

For this review, Mindanao was tasked with preparing a virtual site visit of their subprojects. Region 12 was chosen as the host region with the “Dried Beans Cacao Marketing” subproject at Antipas, North Cotabato representing the I-REAP or enterprise component, and the “Concreting of Kanalo-Nomoh Farm-to-Market Road” subproject at Maasim, Saranggani representing the I-BUILD or infrastructure component.

The Mindanao cluster was able to showcase these subprojects through well-crafted audio-visual presentations which were produced through a combination of geotagged photos & videos, aerial drone shots, site videos, and testimonials from project beneficiaries and stakeholders.

In his speech Mindanao Project Director, Ricardo Oñate highlighted the cluster’s achievements since the last review citing the number of subprojects turned over in Regions 10 and 13 and a ground breaking for the first farmto-market road subproject in Talayan, Maguindanao during the past six months.

This was according to him, a testament to the hard work everyone in the Mindanao cluster continues to put in to PRDP. The three-pronged strategy of science-based approaches, market-driven implementation, and convergence that Mindanao has depended on has benefited the 529,501 men, 515,150 women and 299,670 indigenous people (IP’s) who represent the beneficiaries of the approved enterprise and infrastructure subprojects throughout the six regions of the cluster.

In terms of institutionalization and mainstreaming of commodity investment plans (CIP’s), the Mindanao cluster was able to

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Mati City Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat hands over cheques to eight Tabang Aron Tubagon ang Negosyanteng Responsabli (TATAK MNR) program grantees of the Stimulus Loan Package on Thursday. (TIIDPO)

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VOL.13 ISSUE 213 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020

PhP7.09Billion Mindanao backbone project seen to stabilize power transmission in the island

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GCP recently energized the Toril-Bunawan 230kV transmission line, the final component of its Mindanao 230 kiloVolt (kV) backbone project. This will secure the reliability of power transmission services in the entire Mindanao.

As one of NGCP’s critical projects, the Mindanao backbone will connect bulk generation from the northern and southern parts of Mindanao and ensure stable and continuous power from Lanao del Norte, passing through Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon, all the way to Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental.

Among the generating

facilities which will connect to the line are the GNPower Kauswagan Clean Coal-Fired Power Plant, Therma South Incorporated Power Plant, and San Miguel Consolidated Power Corporation, with a total combined capacity of 1,440MW. With an ERC-approved cost of PhP7.09 Billion, the project in-

volves the construction of the Matanao-Toril 230kV and Toril-Bunawan 230kV transmission lines, the upgrade of the Balo-i-Villanueva-Maramag-Bunawan line from 138kV to 230kV, as well as the upgrade of its substations in Malita, Matanao, Toril, Bunawan, Balo-i, Villanueva, and Maramag.

Energization of the project components started with the power transformer in Villanueva Substation and Maramag-Villanueva 230kV Line 2 in September 2019, while the Balo-i-Villanueva Lines 1 and 2 were energized in September and October of the same year. Transform-

ers in Bunawan Substation and the Maramag-Bunawan 230kV lines were energized also in October 2019. This was followed by the energization of another new transformer in Villanueva Substation and the Maramag-Villanueva Line 1 in November 2019, while a power transformer in Toril Substation was energized shortly after in the same month.

The Matanao-Toril 230kV Lines 1 and 2 were energized in December 2019 and January 2020, respectively, while the Matanao-Culaman 230kV Lines 1 and 2 were energized in the same period. The final component, the Toril-Bu-

nawan 230kV Lines 1 and 2, were energized in November 2020, despite the difficulties posed by the varying lockdown protocols implemented across the country.

“With this completion, the line will supplement the existing Davao-Toril-Matanao 138kV transmission line in transmitting any and all available and incoming generation, ensuring transmission service reliability for the entire region,” said NGCP. Apart from this, the Mindanao 230kV Backbone project is an integral part of NGCP’s Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP), which will

Citing data from the World Bank, Diokno said a “significant number” of Filipino enterprises are financed internally about 81.2%, while only 10.1% are financed by banks.

Latest BSP data also showed that, as of fourth quarter of 2019, MSME loans account for only 8..8% of the total businesses loans and 6.1% of total banking system loans.

“This is a significant decline from the 12.4% and 8.3% share to total enterprise and bank loans in 2014, respectively. Yearon-year, loans to MSMEs have declined from 7.6% in 2014 to 1.9% in 2019,” the central bank chief said.

“These figures reflect the longstanding access to finance challenge confronting MSMEs,” Diokno said.

BSP's chief attributed the difficulty faced by MSMEs to obtain bank loans to the general view of lenders that the sector is “unbankable” due to limited information on their market operations and viability leading to perception of high risk and MSMEs’ unfamiliarity are getting “intimidated” by bank requirements.

“Limited understanding of the MSME market hinders banks from performing adequate credit risk assessments and cus-

tomizing products and services for MSMEs,” Diokno said.

“MSMEs are less likely to get bank financing due to lack of acceptable collaterals and credit histories,” he added.

To address the challenges faced by MSMEs in accessing formal finance, the BSP “will develop a standard business loan application form to improve the application process for micro, small and medium enterprises.”

Diokno noted that the development of a standard business loan application form will enable the banking industry to meet MSMEs’ preference for bor-

rower-friendly and simplified processes.

Also, the initiative is aimed at improving banks’ risk assessment and speeding up turnaround time for loan applications, the central bank chief said.

Apart from developing a standard loan application form, the BSP will also conduct a nationwide survey aimed at “bridging the information gap by generating new insights and more granular data on MSME financing.”

Results of the survey will support evidence-based policymaking and give support to financial service providers in tailor fitting products and

link the Visayas and Mindanao islands and realize sharing of power within the entire country. “The Mindanao Backbone is critical to the MVIP because through this project, the new transmission line will accommodate the capacities needed to fully support and utilize the capabilities of the interconnection,” stated the company.

NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid, led by majority shareholders and Vice Chairman of the Board Henry Sy, Jr. and Co-Vice Chairman Robert Coyiuto, Jr.

BSP bares plan to develop standard loan application form for MSMEs

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he Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Friday made known its plan to develop a standard loan application form for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) next year, in a bid to boost the sector’s access to formal finance.

“MSMEs are drivers of economic growth. The sector, however, has been constrained with access to formal finance,” BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said in a virtual press chat.

MSMEs account for 99% of business enterprises in the country. The sector also accounts for more than 60% of the Philippines' total employment.

services for the sector.

Moreover, the BSP will roll out a study on supply chain finance (SCF), an innovative approach whereby lenders can use MSMEs’ receivables and inventory flows to finance MSMEs, which usually encounter difficulties in acquiring formal loans under traditional financing approaches.

“The BSP recognizes that the long-standing access to finance challenge stems from a number of interlinked factors from both the demand-side or the MSMEs, and the supply-side or the banks as lenders,” Diokno said.

“These include infor-

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VOL.13 ISSUE 213 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020

ECONOMY 5

EDGEDAVAO

Leading independent oil brand Phoenix Petroleum and food delivery courier service Food Panda Philippines signed a partnership for the launch of Phoenix Tsuper Card-foodpanda loyalty and reward program meant to provide fuel discounts, among other exclusive privileges, to foodpanda riders nationwide. Present during the signing were

(seated, left to right): Phoenix Petroleum General Manager for Retail Sales Eric Inocencio, Phoenix Petroleum VP for Integrated Marketing and Strategies Celina Matias, and Food Panda Philippines Operations Manager Jao Manahan.

Contributed photo

Phoenix Petroleum extends loyalty T program to foodpanda riders

Gov’t updates list of infraprojects

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uel discounts and other exclusive privileges await foodpanda riders in the country as home-grown oil brand, Phoenix Petroleum, extends its loyalty and rewards program to registered members in the Philippines of the food delivery courier.

Through Phoenix Tsuper Club (PTC)-foodpanda, a newly launched loyalty and rewards card exclusive for Food Panda riders, discounts and other special benefits, such as insurance coverage, exclusive rewards and privileges, and Tsuper Hero Advantage--a special inclusion that recognizes the drivers’ outstanding contribution for the betterment of society—will be made available at 95 participating

Phoenix stations nationwide.

“Over the past months, we witnessed how Filipinos’ purchasing habits changed drastically because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We developed more appreciation for the convenience that delivery services like foodpanda give to the community. Hence, Phoenix, as an indispensable partner in the journey of everyone whose life we touch, wants to bring help

to our hardworking foodpanda riders through the PTC program. We hope that these exclusive Phoenix fuel discounts, insurance coverage, and special rewards will allow these riders to spend less on gas, and earn more from deliveries,” Phoenix Petroleum Vice President for Integrated Marketing and Strategies Celina Matias said.

At present, about 14,000 registered foodpanda riders across the country could benefit from the PTC-foodpanda card. A nationwide card membership registration will commence starting December at participating Phoenix stations.

“It’s an honor to have Phoenix by our side as they are known to be one

of the best fuel providers in the Philippines. With this partnership, our riders have the privilege to gain fuel discounts that could help alleviate daily operations. I know that together, we will create more opportunities underneath this partnership to build an amazing rider community. This partnership is only the beginning and we are excited about what lies ahead,” Food Panda Philippines Community and Communications Manager Joe Manahan said.

PTC-foodpanda is the third variant of the PTC loyalty and rewards program of Phoenix. PTC was launched to help cushion the fuel expenses of riders and public motorists in the country.

6 Davao-Manila flights added for the holidays

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avao City will have six additional flights to Manila starting next week in time for the holiday celebrations, Davao City Tourism Office head Generose Tecson said.

In a text message on Thursday, Tecson said authorities are well-prepared for the influx of passengers arriving at the Davao International Airport (DIA), even with the addition of more Manila-Davao-Manila flights.

The DIA has 19 existing domestic routes to Cebu, Clark in Pampanga, Tagbilaran City in Bohol, and Zamboanga City that are serviced

by Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia.

“We are well-prepared because regardless of how many (passengers) will arrive per

flight, our preparation is for the number of seats available per flight,” she said.

In a live interview Wednesday over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5), City Health COVID-19 focal person Ashley Lopez said the city has established additional facilities in anticipation of a post-holiday surge in COVID-19 cases.

He said the city has 23 COVID-19 facilities that can accommodate over 2,000 persons. Out of the 23 facilities, 14 are intended for isolation and nine as holding areas.

As of December 16, Department of HealthDavao reported a total of 11,072 COVID-19 cases in the region, with 2,009 active ones, 8,624 recoveries and 439 deaths.

Of the total cases,

Davao City reported 7,767, Davao de Oro 555, Davao del Norte 1,323, Davao del Sur 806, Davao Occidental 122, and Davao Oriental 499.

Executive Order 63 released on November 23 requires authorized persons outside residence (APOR) entering the city via air travel to present company/office ID and certificate of employment or acknowledgment of principal for labor/service (for those without employer-employee relationship); medical certificate clearance; company/ office travel order; hotels and other similar accommodation establishments confirmation (APOR cannot stay in the houses of Davao City residents), if staying for more than one day; roundtrip ticket; 24- to

72-hour from date of arrival RT-PCR negative test result or test upon arrival.

It added that a mandatory 14-day hotel/ home quarantine is required before they report to work if the APOR is staying for more than 14 days or residing permanently in the city.

Quarantine expenses shall be paid for by the employer.

It added that returning residents traveling by land, air or sea, including the locally stranded individuals, overseas Filipinos, and overseas Filipino Workers must present 24- to 72-hour from date of arrival negative RT-PCR test result or submit to a test upon arrival, and must undergo 14-day home quarantine. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

he National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) is updating the list of approved infrastructure projects given the impact of the pandemic and the recent typhoons.

During a virtual briefing Thursday, NEDA Undersecretary Jonathan Uy said they aim to release the new list by the end of this year.

“It would appear that we are now reaching about 100 projects and some additional ones being proposed for this particular update,” he said.

The Duterte administration recently identified about 104 priority projects for its flagship Build, Build, Build program, higher than the 75 projects earlier announced.

Included in the list are the Metro Manila subway project, the upgrading of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Cebu monorail system, and the Mindanao Railway project.

The government is prioritizing the construction of infrastructure projects around the country after, citing its long-term effect on the sustainability of domestic growth.

After works in some of these projects were temporarily suspended following the declaration of an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon from mid-March to endApril, and until end-May for Metro Manila, Uy said construction works resumed

around June based on the report from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

He, however, said that continued quarantine restrictions and the impact of typhoons remain among the challenges for the projects.

Meanwhile, Acting NEDA Secretary Karl Chua said they continue to monitor all infrastructure projects included in the 2020 national budget, even those under the local government units (LGUs).

Aside from the impact of the pandemic, he said challenges in project implementation this year “reflect the fact that our experience in 2019 was that we were able to, despite the delayed passage of the budget, we were able to significantly ramp up in the second quarter.”

“That is why despite our infrastructure exceeding program for the second half of 2020, as a contribution to growth, it fell short because of the high base case in 2019,” he said.

Chua said Congress’ approval of the extension of the 2020 budget will provide NEDA leeway to implement projects that were delayed last year.

“The recent flooding and typhoons also gave us more urgency in pursuing some of the infrastructures that directly will address some of the water and flooding issues,” he added.

(PNA)

NEDA sees gradual PH growth seen in Q4 ’20

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ontinued easing of quarantine restrictions is seen to result in a smaller growth contraction in the last quarter of this year and this is projected to pave the way for a positive output starting in the first quarter of 2021.

In a virtual briefing Thursday, Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Director General Karl Kendrick Chua said the last quarter of the year is seasonally the biggest con-

tributor of annual growth, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), because of the Christmas holidays.

He said domestic output in the last quarter of the year is normally higher by 10 percent compared to the previous three quarters.

“With that, we see a gradual improvement quarter-on-quarter because of the relaxation of the quarantine measures.

Next year, we will begin to see a strong positive recov-

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VOL.13 ISSUE 213 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020

On the annual gift-giving (Pahalipay ni Mayor) to be distributed through the barangay executives:

Dili maayo,ngano man?

Pinili ra gihapon na ang mga duol sa dughan purya lang sa maayo na barangay. Dili man gani mahatag ang ayuda katong ECQ, kaisa ra gyud mi kadawat ug 5 kilos rice.wala problema sa amoa,looy lang uban walang wala mao nay dapat tagaan.”

-Resident

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 213 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020

VANTAGE POINTS

7

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

SHARING LOVE THIS SEASON “Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.” ― Steve Maraboli, author of Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience *** Christmas is just around the corner. Despite the world grappling with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is no stopping for the world to celebrate the day Jesus was born.

“Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts,” wrote Joan Winmill Brown. “No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given-when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes.”

A few years ago, I received an e-mail from a friend. He forwarded to me a story that gives some insights on the true essence of Christmas. The season is about giving and bringing some smiles to others.

The story, I surmised, happened in the United States. I know some of you haven’t seen snow or experienced how cold winter is. But allow me to share this story -- whose author I real-

ly don’t know -- in order to put us into right perspective what Christmas is all about: Bobby was getting cold sitting out in his backyard in the snow. Bobby didn’t wear boots; he didn’t like them and anyway he didn’t own any. The thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them and they did a poor job of keeping out the cold. Bobby had been in his backyard for about an hour already. And, try as he might, he could not come up with an idea for his mother’s Christmas gift.

He shook his head as he thought, “This is useless, even if I do come up with an idea, I don’t have any money to spend.”

Ever since his father had passed away 3 years ago, the family of 5 had struggled. It wasn’t because his mother didn’t care, or try; there just never seemed to be enough. She worked nights at the hospital, but the small wage that she was earning could only be stretched so far.

What the family lacked in money and material things, they more than made up for in love and family unity. Bobby had two older and one younger sisters, who ran the household in their mother’s absence. All three of his sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother. Somehow it just wasn’t fair. Here it was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing.

Wiping a tear from his eye,

Bobby kicked the snow and started to walk down to the street where the shops and stores were.

It wasn’t easy being 6 without a father, especially when he needed a man to talk to. Bobby walked from shop to shop, looking into each decorated window. Everything seemed so beautiful and so out of reach.

It was starting to get dark and Bobby reluctantly turned to walk home when suddenly his eyes caught the glimmer of the setting sun’s rays reflecting off of something along the curb. He reached down and discovered a shiny dime. Never before has anyone felt so wealthy as Bobby felt at that moment.

As he held his new found treasure, a warmth thing spread throughout his entire body and he walked into the first store he saw. His excitement quickly turned cold when the salesperson told him that he couldn’t buy anything with only a dime.

He saw a flower shop and went inside to wait in line. When the shop owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if he could buy one flower for his mother’s Christmas gift.

The shop owner looked at Bobby and his 10 cent offering.

Then he put his hand on Bobby’s shoulder and said to him, “You just wait here and I’ll see what I can do for you.” As Bobby waited

he looked at the beautiful flowers and even though he was a boy, he could see why mothers and girls liked flowers.

The sound of the door closing as the last customer left, jolted Bobby back to reality. All alone in the shop, Bobby began to feel alone and afraid. Suddenly the shop owner came out and moved to the counter. There, before Bobby’s eyes, lay 12 long-stemmed red roses, with leaves of green and tiny white flowers all tied together with a big silver bow.

Bobby’s heart sank as the owner picked them up and placed them gently into a long white box.

“That will be a 10 cents young man,” the shop owner said, reaching out his hand for the dime.

Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime. Could this be true? No one else would give him a thing for his dime!

Sensing the boy’s reluctance, the shop owner added, “I just happened to have some roses on sale for 10 cents a dozen. Would you like them?”

This time Bobby did not hesitate, and when the man placed the long box into his hands, he knew it was true. Walking out the door that the owner was holding for Bobby, he heard the shopkeeper say, “Merry Christmas, son.”

As he returned inside, the shop keeper’s wife walked out.

“Who were you talking to back there and where are the roses

you were fixing?”

Staring out the window, and blinking the tears from his own eyes, he replied, “A strange thing happened to me this morning.

While I was setting up things to open the shop, I thought I heard a voice telling me to set aside a dozen of my best roses for a special gift. I wasn’t sure at the time whether I had lost my mind or what, but I set them aside anyway. Then just a few minutes ago, a little boy came into the shop and wanted to buy a flower for his mother with one small dime.

“When I looked at him, I saw myself, many years ago. I too, was a poor boy with nothing to buy my mother a Christmas gift.

A bearded man, whom I never knew, stopped me on the street and told me that he wanted to give me 10 dollars. When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew who that voice was, and I put together a dozen of my very best roses.”

The shop owner and his wife hugged each other tightly, and as they stepped out into the bitter cold air, they somehow didn’t feel cold at all.

Allow me to end this piece with a statement from famed Norman Vincent Peale: “I truly believe that if we keep telling the Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs, and living the Christmas spirit, we can bring joy and happiness and peace to this world.”

DENNIS R. GORECHO KUWENTONG KULE

THE LOLAS/ WW II WOMEN VICTIMS OF SEXUAL SLAVERY AND VIOLENCE ARE DYING WITHOUT SEEING JUSTICE The recent deaths of three World War II women victims of sexual slavery and violence are manifestations that the survivors are dying without receiving a formal apology and legal compensation from Japan.

Supporters documented this year the deaths of three Lolas: 90-year old Felicidad delos Reyes of Quezon City last Feb. 1, 2020, 88-year old Maria Estadio Arroyo of Capiz last October 15, 2020, and Virginia Arrenque.

It has been 75 years since the war ended on August 15, 1945, and yet the Japanese government refuses to recognize its official accountability to the victims of sex slavery.

About 200,000 women from Korea, China, Burma, New Guinea, and the Philippines. were held in captivity and many thousands more were raped as part of one of the largest operations of sexual violence in modern history.

It was in the late 1990s that the Lolas came out as part of Lila Filipina and Malaya Lolas to tell the world about this inhuman practice of the Japanese during the war.

Twenty years ago, the Women’s Tribunal that sat in Tokyo,

Japan from December 8 to 12, 2000 deliberated on the criminal liability of high-ranking Japanese military and political officials, as well as the Japanese state’s responsibility for military rape and sexual slavery.

As the tribunal greatly advanced the compilation and record of historical data and evidence to support accounts on human rights abuses , it also pushed back against the assumption that sexual violence is an inevitable product of war.

The commission or avoidance of sexual violence , the tribunal concluded, is dependent on whether the armed organisation choose to authorize its systematic commission in pursuit of military objectives, or effectively prohibit it.

According to the independent, nonprofit media organization NPR, “comfort women” is a linguistically warped categorization of the thousands of women and girls, many from poor communities, who were forced to serve as sex slaves.

The Japanese called them “comfort women” — a term derived from the Japanese word ianfu, combining the Chinese characters meaning “comfort or

solace” (i-an) with woman (fu).

The enslavement camps where they were forced to have sexual intercourse with Japanese soldiers were called “comfort stations” and were often the same garrisons where they were being held.

However, lawyer Romel Bagares of CenterLaw, said in an interview by NPR that “the term hides the untold abuse the victims suffered under the Japanese Imperial Army and denies the victims the dignity they deserve.”

He says some advocates urge that the term be changed to “survivors of the wartime female slavery system.”

Bagares represented the Malaya Lolas of the so called Mapaniqui Siege when the Imperial Japanese Army on November 23, 1944 attacked Mapaniqui in Candaba, Pampanga, a suspected bailiwick of Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon (HukBaLaHap).

The women ranging from 13 to early 20s were ordered to walk from Mapaniqui to the Bahay na Pula in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, which became “comfort stations” where they became victims of military sexual violence and slavery.

Lawyer Virginia Lacsa Su-

arez told NPR that the Asian Women’s Fund and the Philippine Justice Department decided that the Malaya Lolas did not qualify as “comfort women” because they were not held or abused over an extended period.

She says those molested at the Red House may not be “comfort women” per se, “but they are victims of military sexual violence. And for that, they deserve to be legally compensated.”

NPR quoted 88-year old Isabelita Vinuya lamenting that “rape is still rape whether it was done for days, for months or for years. The effect is the same. It destroyed our bodies, our sense of self. We lived in shame for years.”

As a result of the actions of their Japanese tormentors, the victims have spent their lives in misery, having endured physical injuries, pain and disability, and mental and emotional suffering.

The deaths of Felicidad, Maria and Virginia occurred three years after a 2-meter-high “Lola” statue of an unnamed woman wearing a traditional Filipino dress, blindfolded, with hands clutched to her chest, was installed on December 7, 2017 along Roxas Boulevard.

The statue was dismantled on April 27, 2018 under cover of darkness by the DPWH, allegedly for a drainage improvement project.

Issues of historical revisionism and the government’s submission to Japanese policy were raised by concerned groups led by the Flowers-for-Lolas as they condemned the removal of the statue.

The statue was later declared missing August 2019 due to the failure of its artist, Jonas Roces to deliver the statue back to the Tulay Foundation for the supposed reinstallation at the Baclaran Redemptorist Church.

As they slowly diminish in number, justice has not been given to the Lolas as their fight for unequivocal public apology, accurate historical inclusion, and just compensation continues up to this day.

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 213 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020 VOL.13 ISSUE 213 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020

EDGEDAVAO LIFESTYLE

BDO WAIVES OVERSEAS REMITTANCE FEE FOR DONATIONS TO TYPHOON VICTIMS TO help its fellow kababayans hit by typhoons “Quinta,” “Rolly,” and just recently “Ulysses,” BDO Remit—the remittance service brand of BDO Unibank—has waived the remittance fee on donations from overseas Filipinos coursed through different foundations.

The zero remittance fee for these donations started last November 4 to December 31, 2020.

“The year 2020 has been very challenging. But we have to recover, and we have to be there for our Kabayans who are in dire need of help. Hopefully, with this, we can encourage more donations from our overseas Filipinos to those adversely affected by the recent typhoons,” said BDO senior vice president and remittance head Genie T. Gloria.

Overseas Filipinos may remit their donations free of service fees via any BDO Remit office abroad to BDO Unibank’s corporate social responsibility arm, BDO Foundation, Inc., the Philippine Red Cross, GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc., and ABSCBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. BDO Remit has nine subsidiary offices outside the Philippines. In Asia, BDO Remit has offices in Macau, Hong Kong,

BDO Foundation aids areas hit by Typhoons Pepito and Quinta. In line with its disaster response advocacy, BDO Foundation immediately sent relief packs containing food, rice and drinking water to more than 14,000 families stricken by Pepito and Quinta in Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Quezon—provinces hit hardest by the tion, in coordination with and Japan. In North America, BDO and BDO Network Bank BDO Remit is located in branches, has already begun Daly City, USA & in Toronto, sending relief packs containCanada while in Europe; ing food and drinking water BDO Remit has presence in to families hit by Typhoon the United Kingdom. For the complete list of addresses, visit Ulysses.

This is the latest disaster bdo.com.ph, go to Remittance Services and click BDO Remit response initiative BDO Foundation has undertaken. Earlier, international network. it has distributed relief goods BDO Foundation sends relief to more than 36,000 families hit by Typhoons Pepito, Quinpacks Meanwhile, BDO Foundata, and Rolly. Relief work in

typhoons. The corporate citizenship initiative was made possible by officers of BDO and BDO Network Bank branches, who helped gather beneficiary information and identify barangays that needed assistance. Logistical support was provided by local government units and partner non-governmental organizations.

Rolly-stricken provinces is still Pepito and Quinta in Bulacan, ongoing.

Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and BDO Foundation has alQuezon—provinces hit hardest ready distributed relief packs to by the typhoons. The corporate almost 11,000 affected families citizenship initiative was made in Albay, Camarines Sur, and possible by officers of BDO and Catanduanes, the provinces hit BDO Network Bank branches, hardest by the super typhoon. who helped gather beneficiary In line with its disaster reinformation and identify basponse advocacy, BDO Founrangays that needed assistance. dation immediately sent relief Logistical support was providpacks containing food, rice and ed by local government units drinking water to more than and partner non-governmental 14,000 families stricken by organizations.

BOY ABUNDA TO GRADUATES: ASK THE ANNOYING QUESTIONS When hosting his talk shows, Boy Abunda is known not to mince words to get to the bottom line of his conversations with guests. As speaker at OEd’s 4th Commencement Exercises, Abunda spoke from the heart—giving graduates what he feels is the most practical advice.

“Do not be afraid to annoy. Annoy with dignity–ask the difficult questions,” Abunda said, addressing the 162 OEd graduates virtually present. The advice, he says, is to eliminate usual barriers that prevent people from speaking up.

“Culturally, pinaniwala tayo that we have to be pleasant all the time, no matter how painful it is.

Huwag ka magtanong, don’t shake the status quo… iniiwasan natin magtanong ng annoying questions,” shared Abunda. “Ask the right questions if you want to know something about yourself or the

Boy Abunda speaks to graduates at OEd’s first virtual graduation. world around you, even if it’s annoying, do not be afraid to ask.”

As one of OEd’s Level-Up ambassadors, Abunda was chosen as commencement speaker by the country’s first institution to of-

fer full online degree programs and a member of AMA Education System, owing to their shared advocacy of lifelong learning. Abunda’s speech reminded graduates of the need to be human especially during

this time of the pandemic.

“For us to start living in an equitable world, we have to start engaging with each other. We cannot ignore each other, we have to be present,” Abunda said. “Simple lang ang ibig kong sabihin: may paikalam tayo sa isa’ti-isa, sa bayan, sa mga pamilya natin, sa eskwelahan, sa mundo at mga kaibigan natin.”

Abunda’s speech was of the of the highlights of OEd’s first ever virtual graduation, held on October 22, that brought together graduates and their families from 18 countries. The online event gave candidates ranging from Senior High to Master’s Degree Programs the opportunity to celebrate their academic achievements from the safety of their homes.

Hosted by popular radio DJ Nicole Hyala, the program also had surprise appearances from OEd

ambassadors Piolo Pascual, Sharlene San Pedro, you and Darren Espanto, who serenaded graduates with soulful renditions of popular tracks.

With the COVID-19 pandemic presenting a barrier to a physical ceremony, OEd did what it does best—pivot to the online medium that successfully allowed graduates to study at anytime and anywhere.

“This year, we wanted to ensure that our graduates are able to mark this momentous occasion in their lives and celebrate their academic achievement. We continue to be committed in using online technology to provide our students with learning continuity. Online is truly the future of education,” said Dr. Amable C. Aguiluz IX, Vice Chairman of AMA Education System.

To find out more about OEd and its programs, log on to www.oed. com.ph

9 HEALTH EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 213 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020

Vaccines: What you need to know

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

T

o be or not to be – vaccinated, that is.

Right now, there are six vaccines available for the dreaded coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These are Astrazeneca, COVAX Facility, Gamaleya, Novavax, Moderna, and Pfizer.

Next year, the Philippines will start vaccinating its citizens. But the question is: are all Filipinos in favor of being immunized with the COVID vaccine?

There are those who are clamoring for it but there are others who are against it.

“This is a big problem now,” says Mark Inid, who now lives in the United States. “We have been waiting for a vaccine and now that it is available, we see some hesitation.”

“Vaccinations are starting here now,” reports Julito Ugpo, a former Dabawenyo who now settles in Canada.

“Hopefully, by the end of next year, everything will go back to normal.”

There are those who agree but as long as not vaccines manufactured from China and/or Russia. “It depends on what vaccine to use,” says Dr. Rod Estigoy.

“No, if it’s made in China,” pointed out Louie Bryan Lapat.

Veteran journalist Serafin Ledesma Jr. says he will take it no matter where the vaccines come from. “Everything is science-based not based on biases,” he believes.

Some are hesitant to be vaccinated yet. “Not now,” says Jeadelyn Balsa, who is still in Australia waiting to be back in Davao City. “It’s too early to get it. Let’s wait until the majority gets the shot to see the result.”

The best way to fight your enemy, someone said, is to know your opponent well. Viruses are so unlike bacteria, which are microscopic, single-celled organisms that thrive in diverse environments. A virus is a small parasite that cannot reproduce itself. However, once it infects a susceptible cell, a virus can direct the cell machinery to produce more viruses.

“Most viruses have either RNA or DNA as their genetic material,” states the fourth edition of Molecular Cell Biology. “The nucleic acid may be single- or double-stranded. The entire infectious virus particle consists of the nucleic acid and an outer shell of protein. The simplest viruses contain only enough RNA or DNA to encode four proteins. The most complex can encode 100 to 200 proteins.”

RNA, abbreviation for ribonucleic acid, is a complex compound of high molecular weight that functions in cellular protein synthesis and replaces DNA as a carrier of genetic codes in some viruses. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), on the other hand, is a self-rep-

licating material which is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes.

Herpes simplex virus and the hepatitis B virus are DNA viruses, writes Dr. William C. Shiel, Jr. in the website of medicinenet. com. RNA viruses include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus. RNA viruses have an enzyme called reverse transcriptase that permits the usual sequence of DNA-toRNA to be reversed so that the virus can make a DNA version of itself.

Researchers have grouped viruses together into several major families, based on their shape, behaviour, and other characteristics. These include the herpes-viruses, adenoviruses, papovaviruses (including the papillomaviruses), hepadnaviruses, poxviruses, and paramyxoviruses, among the DNA viruses.

On the RNA virus side, major families include the picorna-viruses (including rhinoviruses), calciviruses, coronaviruses, paramyxoviruses, orthomyxoviruses, rhabdoviruses, filoviruses, and retroviruses.

Both viruses and bacteria cause disease. Which is smaller than the two? The viruses, according to Dr. David R. Wessner, a professor of biology at Davidson College. In an article published in the journal Nature Education, he shared this analogy: The polio virus, 30 nanometers across, is about 10,000 times smaller than a grain of salt.

Viruses are found in almost every ecosystem on this planet and are the most numerous type of biological entity. “Since Dmitri Ivanovsky’s article describing a non-bacterial pathogen infecting tobacco plants, and the discovery of the tobacco mosaic virus by Martinus Beijerinck in 1989, about 5,000 virus species have been described in detail, of the millions of types of viruses in the environment,” Wikipedia reports.

The word “virus” is derived from the Latin neuter virus which refers to poison and other noxious liquids.

A meaning of “agent that causes infectious disease” was first recorded in 1728, long before the discovery of viruses by Ivanovsky in 1892.

In the Biology Direct (20016) article, it was stated that viruses can infect all types of life forms – from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea (that constitute a domain of single-celled organisms).

“Despite what you may

hear or read, all current vaccines are safe,” assures Dr. Zulkifli Ismail, professor of pediatrics and director of Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. “Vaccines have helped prevent more diseases than all antibiotics put together.”

In 2018, the United Nations health agency reported that an estimated 116 million children were vaccinated with three doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) vaccine, protecting them against infectious diseases that can cause serious illness and disability or be fatal.

“Vaccines are one of our most important tools for preventing outbreaks and keeping the world safe,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said in a statement.

But like all medicines, side effects can occur after getting a vaccine. “However, these (side effects) are usually very minor and of short duration, such as a sore arm or a mild fever,” the United Nations health agency said. “More serious side effects are possible, but extremely rare.”

A person is far more likely to be seriously harmed by a disease than by a vaccine. For example, tetanus can cause extreme pain, muscle spasms (lockjaw) and blood clots, measles can cause encephalitis (an infection of the brain) and blindness.

Many vaccine-preventable diseases can even result in death. The benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh the risks, and many more illnesses and deaths would occur without vaccines.

According to WHO, all the ingredients of a vaccine

play an important role in ensuring a vaccine is safe and effective. Some of these include: antigen (a killed or weakened form of a virus or bacteria, which trains the bodies to recognize and fight the disease that can be encountered later on), adjuvants (help to boost the immune response), preservatives (ensures a vaccine stays effective), and stabilizers (protect the vaccine during storage and transportation).

Vaccines are different from drugs. “A vaccine stimulates your immune system to produce antibodies, exactly like it would if you were exposed to the disease,” explains the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “After getting vaccinated, you develop immunity to that disease, without having to get the disease first.”

That’s what makes vaccines such powerful medicine. Unlike most medicines, which treat or cure diseases, vaccines prevent them. And this is the reason why children, particularly newly-born babies, are advised to be vaccinated.

“Immunity is the body’s way of preventing disease,” the Atlanta-based CDC says.

“When a baby is born, his immune system is not fully developed, which can put him at greater risk for infections. Vaccine reduces a child’s risk of infection by working with his body’s natural defenses to help safely develop immunity to disease.”

Here’s an even more understandable explanation from WHO: “Our immune systems are designed to remember. Once exposed to one or more doses of a vaccine, we typically remain protected against a disease for years, decades or even a

lifetime. This is what makes vaccines so effective. Rather than treating a disease after it occurs, vaccines prevent us in the first instance from getting sick.”

Most vaccines are given by an injection, but some are given orally (by mouth) or sprayed into the nose.

Aside from those mentioned earlier, vaccines protect against many different diseases, including: cervical cancer, cholera, hepatitis B, influenza, Japanese encephalitis, measles, mumps, pneumonia, rabies, rotavirus, rubella, typhoid, varicella, and yellow fever.

Vaccines protect people throughout life and at different ages, from birth to childhood, as teenagers and into old age. “If we delay vaccination, we are at risk of getting seriously sick,” the WHO warned. “If we wait until we think we may be exposed to a serious illness – like during a disease outbreak – there may not be enough time for the vaccine to work and to receive all the recommended doses.”

Not everyone could be vaccinated though. Among those that cannot be immunized are the very young babies, those who are seriously ill or have certain allergies.

“They depend on others being vaccinated to ensure they are also safe from vaccine-preventable diseases,” the WHO said.

As with all medicines, every vaccine undergoes several studies and testing before it is released to the public. “To develop a vaccine, there first has to be research done to understand the nature of the infection you’re trying to prevent,” Prof. Adam Finn, the David Baum professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, explained to Gary Fin-

negan’s Vaccine Today.

“You need to know enough about the virus or bacterium that causes the infection; you have to understand the structure of the bug because in order to create a vaccine you need to know enough about the infection to be able to mimic it. A vaccine is essentially a mimicked infection.”

Before a vaccine is released for human use, careful steps are taken to ensure that all material is manufactured in an entirely safe and strictly controlled way. “Following pre-clinical research, the vaccine is tested in a very small group of people – sometimes as few as half a dozen – in what is called a Phase I clinical study,” Finnegan wrote. “This helps to rule out major safety problems and also helps doctors to work out the right dose for the next step in the testing process.

“Phase II trials involve giving the vaccine to a larger number of people (often 100 to 200 but sometimes in the 1,000s). At this point, researchers want to see whether the vaccine gives a consistent immune response and they watch for any side effects that might occur.

“Where a disease is reasonably common, Phase III trials can be conducted to test how the vaccine protects against natural infection. These studies often include tens of thousands of healthy volunteers so that doctors have a better chance of discovering rare problems which did not show up in smaller Phase II studies and prove that the vaccine prevents the disease.”

So, who’s afraid of vaccines? – (Photo from the net)

10 EDGEDAVAO

DIVIDED... FROM2

VOL.13 ISSUE 213 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020

of distributing the gifts to prevent the people to mass gather.

“Mas maayo man sa barangay kay para dili mas daghan ang magtapok. Pero ang pangutana, kaya ba ng barangay na dili sad magtapok sa hall ang mga recipients? Mas maayo unta kung naay mas systematic sa pagdistribute para makalikay sa tapok. Kung puwede i-distribute sa purok, mas maayo,” she said.

Bullina said what is more important is no one gets sick this Christmas.

“Importante, wala ta’y sakit panahon sa pasko ug abri sa tuig kay mao man ang esensya sa Pasko na healthy and malipayon atong banay,” she said.

Meanwhile, Edgar Ibuyan Sr., barangay 5-A captain, appealed to the people of

his barangay to understand that only those indigent families will benefit from the gift-giving.

“Through the purok leaders kay kabalo man gyud na sila kung kinsa gyud ang pobre sa ilang purok ug katong mga walay trabaho. Normal lang man na nga naay masuko kay wala matagae, pero ang importante natunol sa tao,” Ibuyan said in a phone interview.

The long-established gift-giving tradition, which was started by then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and usually held at the ancestral house of the Dutertes in Taal Road, Central Park Subdivision in Bangkal every 25th of December, attracted about 30,000 individuals even those coming from neighboring provinc-

es every year.

According to Lorena Marohom, a resident of Taal and has been attending the yearly “Pahalipay” every year she will braved the long line to get a gift certificate worth P200 and a P150 cash.

Silverio Bohol, a CVO or barangay police in Bangkal, has been assisting the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) by ensuring the safety of the individuals and orderliness of the activity every year.

“Kadlawon pa lang naglinya na ang mga tao hangtod sa hapon. Bisan init o ulan, magbantay mi kay naay uban tao manikas man bisan humana ug dawat, mubalik ug linya para mudawat ug balik. Maayo pud na wala sa karon kay pandemic man,” he said.

gal-Arroyo.

“Nanalo ka dahil ‘yung backlash ng sa administration. Tapos noon sabihin mo akala mo kung sino ka magsalita. As if you are also…

Hindi ka naman summa cum laude. Ewan ko kung na cum laude ka o pareho ka lang sa akin75 (You won because backlash in the administration. You boastfully spoken then as if you are a summa cum laude. I don’t know if you are cum laude or we have the same grade of 75),” Duterte said.

Duterte said if Trillanes

is intelligent, why wasn't he elected as President.

"Trillanes, kung bright ka sa akin, kung mas marunong ka, ikaw na sana ang nagdadaldal dito, hindi ako. Iyan ang totoo (Trillanes, if you're brighter than me, if you're better, you should be talking here, not me. That's the truth)," he said.

He also criticized the former senator for linking presidential son, former Davao City vice mayor Paolo "Polong" Duterte to the illegal drug trade.

“Tapos sabi dito, turo dito, drug lord dito, drug lord doon. Pati ‘yung mga anak ko, pati ‘yung anak ko na maliit, dalagita.

Anong nangyari? Wala ni isa. May napakulong ka ba, Trillanes? Sino? Sinong napakulong mo? O nandiyan pa rin sila (Then you keep on accusing drug lord here and there, including my son, even my daughter.

What happened? You have not proven, even one. Have you sent someone to jail?

They are still there),” Duterte said. (PNA)

"The DILG, as the guardian of public order, safety, and good governance denounces human rights violations in any form. The DILG has been espousing good governance through policies and incentive programs to the local government sector. In the same vein, the DILG together with the National Police Commission (Napolcom) and Philippine National Police (PNP), has instituted an intensive internal cleansing program to cleanse the ranks of police officers," he said.

In fulfillment of its commitment to the goal of a drug-free Philippines by 2022, the DILG established the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drug Strategy - Project Management Office (PADSPMO) to lead anti-illegal drug initiatives, continually develop policies, programs, and activities even during this pandemic.

He added that the DILG collaborates with partner agencies such as the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB),

the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the Department of Health (DOH) for the realignment of the anti-drug plans and programs amid the pandemic always concerning the human rights of all individuals.

The DILG also recently conducted the 2020 Anti-illegal Drugs Abuse Council (ADAC) Special Awards to recognize the merits of LGUs and civil society organizations (CSOs) on anti-illegal drugs. Special Awards are given to LGUs that sustained the drug-cleared status of their affected barangays and drug-free status of their unaffected barangays.

All these initiatives are communicated and coordinated with national government agencies and are reported in unison to concerned international bodies. The anti-drug campaign is indeed holistic, addressing both the supply and demand aspect of the drug menace.

"While we are firm in our drive to curb the problem of illegal drugs, we de-

nounce any form of human rights violation. The DILG is working closely with the PNP in ensuring that no atrocities are committed by our police officers in the performance of their sworn duties and that the rights of every Filipinos enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution is protected," he added.

Año said it is disheartening to the front-liners in the fight against illegal drugs that the gains in peace and order are not highlighted and instead besmirched with baseless charges which only serves to embolden drug syndicates who portray themselves as victims when, in fact, they are the menace to the Filipino people, especially to the youth.

"The DILG fully commits to the whole-of-society approach in eradicating the country’s illegal drug problem to achieve the vision of drug-free communities without sacrificing the rule of law and the protection of human rights," he said. (PR)

pines to miss the opportunity to secure the vaccine, which showed 95% efficacy with no serious side effects.

"They could have secured the delivery of 10 million Pfizer vaccines as early as January next year, way ahead of Singapore but for the indifference of Secretary Duque who failed to work on the necessary documentary requirement, namely, the confidentiality disclosure agreement (CDA) as he should have done,” Lacson said.

Duque has denied that he botched the delivery, and Malacanang said President Roddrigo Duterte sees "no major lapse" on the part of the health secretary.

Some countries such as the United Kingdom, the US and Singapore have already approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for local use.

The Duterte administration, which cultivated warmer ties with China amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea, seeks to finalize negotiations

with Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech to acquire 25 million doses of its vaccine by March 2021.

Philippine officials said the China-made vaccines are the country's first choice while waiting for commitments from other pharmaceutical companies.

With nearly 455,000 infections and more than 8,850 deaths, the Philippines has the second-highest number of cases and fatalities in Southeast Asia, next to Indonesia.

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cent (1.6 million families), and the Visayas at 14.3 percent (674,000 families).

In September 2020, hunger was at 40.7 percent (1.9 million families) in the Visayas, 37.5 percent (2.1 million families) in Mindanao, 28.2 percent (941,000 families) in Metro Manila, and 23.8 percent (2.6 million families) in Balance Luzon.

Meanwhile, nationwide, moderate hunger and severe hunger are 12.6 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively, in November 2020 compared to 22.0 percent and 8.7 percent in September 2020.

Moderate hunger and severe hunger in Metro Manila reached 16.7 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively, in November 2020 compared to 20.1 percent and 8.1 percent in September

2020.

In Balance Luzon, moderate hunger and severe hunger are 11.6 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively, in November 2020 compared to 18.6 percent and 5.2 percent in September 2020.

Moderate hunger and severe hunger in the Visayas reached 10.0 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively, in November 2020 compared to 25.7 percent and 15.0 percent in September 2020.

In Mindanao, moderate hunger and severe hunger are 14.3 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively, in November 2020 compared to 26.9 percent and 10.6 percent in September 2020.

The November 2020 survey, the first in 2020 to measure self-rated poverty, found 48 percent of families

rating themselves as poor, 36 percent feeling borderline poor, and only 16 percent feeling not poor.

It also found 31 percent of families rating themselves as food-poor, 47 percent feeling borderline food-poor, and 22 percent feeling not food-poor From December 2019 to November 2020, overall hunger increased among the self-rated poor, from 12.8 percent to 21.7 percent. It also rose among the non-poor over the same period, up from 4.1 percent to 10.6 percent.

Overall hunger also rose among the self-rated food-poor, up from 15.5 percent in December 2019 to 28.1 percent in November 2020. It rose among the non-food-poor, up from 5.1 percent to 10.5 percent.

(PNA)

post P35.48 billion in total investments made by the various government line agencies which represent a 10% increase from June to October. This was the result of the high acceptance of the different LGU’s to the CIP’s and convergence initiatives which came from the formulation and approval of 33 value chain assessments.

In terms of their infrastructure portfolio, the Mindanao Cluster has a total of 249 subprojects amounting to P17.85B as of October 2020. This represents 892.94 kilometers of farmto-market roads, 646.46 linear meters of bridges, 511 hectares of communal irrigation systems, 3,637 households served by potable water systems, and 26 other infrastructure subprojects.

In the six-month period since the last review, the Cluster was able to post a 22% increase in the total worth of subprojects completed (P5.027 B) and a 4% increase in total subprojects under construction (P6.345B).

On the enterprise side, Mindanao has a portfolio of 125 subprojects amounting to P784.84 M as of October 2020. The majority of the subprojects are micro-enterprises with 61 SPs (49%), followed by small enterprises with 48 SPs (38%) and medium enterprise with 16 SPs (13%).

The portfolio covers 288 proponent groups that will benefit 31,673 individual farmers and fishers in 6 regions in Mindanao. In the six months since the last review, the total approved subprojects have

grown from 98 with a total of P543.95M in June to 108 with a total of P628.56M in October 2020. In that period, six subprojects have been completed with a total amount of P57.52 M. Subproject disbursement rate for the Cluster also increased by 12% since June 2020 with a total disbursement of P70.12 M bringing the total cumulative fund release to P320.1 million which represents a 73% utilization rate for Mindanao.

Despite the continuing challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mindanao cluster aims to end the year strong and build on its good performance as it looks forward to the next review which is slated for May 2021. (Joseph John Palarca | PSO Mindanao)

mation asymmetry, unfit MSME financing products and processes, and MSMEs’ lack of acceptable collaterals and credit histories,” he added.

According to him, the BSP is also working on ongoing initiatives like the Credit Surety Fund, Credit Risk Database and the Agri-

culture Value Chain Financing pilot project.

Moreover, the central bank supports the implementation of the Personal Property Security Act, the passage of the warehouse receipts bill, and the enhancement of the country’s credit information system and guarantee programs,

according to Diokno.

“In 2021, the BSP will again have a busy year in terms of widening the access of small businesses to needed funding. These initiatives are seen to support economic recovery and strengthen MSMEs’ role as a growth driver in the New Economy,” he said.

ery of around 6.5-.7.5 percent,” he said.

Chua said this projection means that “from a high negative growth or contraction since the second quarter (of this year) we will see the contraction getting smaller and hopefully being to see positive growth starting in the first quarter of 2021.”

“Our projections are

based on the assumption, again, that the (Covid-19) vaccine will begin to be available and more widely available in the second half of 2021,” he said.

Growth print in the first quarter of this year is at -0.7 percent while it is at decades low of -16.9 percent in the second quarter.

Third-quarter output stood at -11.5 percent.

GDP in the first nine months this year posted a 10 percent contraction because of the virus-induced pandemic.

Full-year contraction is seen to be around -8.5 to -9.5 percent this year but economic managers forecast recovery of between 6.5 to 7.5 percent next year and a higher 8-10 percent GDP for 2022. (PNA)

campaigns in the future.

It’s important that we give each other a helping hand, especially in these difficult times. We’re willing to do what we can do for our fellow Filipinos.”

The campaign (https://donate. savethechildren.net/campaigns/truthlakay) has since shattered its Php 50,000 goal, raising over

Php 55,541 currently with two days remaining in the two week donation drive.

Info about TruthXLakayGaming Truth x Lakay Gaming is the official Facebook Gaming page of ONE Championship Filipino mixed martial arts heroes and World Champions Brandon “The Truth” Vera, Joshua “The Passion” Pa-

cio, Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon. Tunein for the ultimate Mobile Legends showdown. Savage plays, legendary takedowns, unstoppable combos – you want it, they’ve got it. Brought to you by ONE Championship and ONE Esports, join the athletes as they #GameAsONE.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 213 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020

11

What trade Simmons is important to us: 76ers exec

B

en Simmons has been “made available” in trade talks as the Philadelphia 76ers seek a high-stakes trade for former MVP James Harden, top NBA insiders have revealed.

Ben Simmons has always been part of a trade discussion.

But the Sixers boss is having none of it.

Rockets star Harden has been pushing for an exit and the Sixers and Brooklyn Nets have been reported as the most likely destinations.

Philadelphia though had the most attractive option for Houston, who have maintained they will only consider trading Harden if they get serious value in return.

It has long been suggested that would likely include Simmons and now The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that is on the table plus more.

“The Philadelphia 76ers have made Ben Simmons available in some packages with the Houston Rockets for James Harden, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Conversations aren’t fluid as of now,” he tweeted.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that “while

the Sixers have signaled a willingness to include AllStar guard Ben Simmons in trade packages for Harden, those talks have come nowhere close to a deal.”

He also added that “several playoff-caliber teams in the Eastern and Western conferences” are warming to the idea of acquiring Harden in exchange for high-level trade assets.

76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey shut down the report though, telling The Athletic: “We are not trading Ben Simmons — he is an important part of our future.”

Harden has spoke publicly about his desire to go after a ring and playoff-caliber teams would obviously make sense as potential destinations with Philadelphia the most likely at the moment.

While it is not necessarily surprising that Philadelphia are willing to go after Harden, their willingness to give Simmons up has been questioned.

Of course in the ideal scenario they would have loved to not have to but that was never realistic.

But the Sixers have been incredibly vocal in the off-season on how much faith they have in Simmons and Joel Embiid on being

the focal points of the franchise moving forward.

Daryl Morey went to the effort of putting key shooting pieces around them with Seth Curry and Danny Green to help give the duo more space on the floor.

Although Morey also has a strong connection with Harden and had said in June earlier this year he had let the Rockets star down by not helping him win a title.

He has plenty of time for Harden even if it means ditching a big-name superstar like Simmons.

The Simmons-Harden trade has been previously floated as a win-win for both franchises.

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is a big Simmons fan but sees a trade to Harden as a serious boost to Philadelphia’s chances of challenging the heavyweights of the Eastern Conference.

“I would remind you that four years ago when James Harden averaged 29 instead of 30,” he said on the First Take last week.

“He led the league in assists and I think that we got to give him respect where respect is due and when you consider the kind of offensive juggernaut that he is this notion that he’s got two years left, I beg to differ.

Truth x Lakay Gaming smashes P50,000 in donation drive

S

ince officially launching the “Truth x Lakay Gaming” official Facebook Gaming page of ONE Championship Filipino mixed martial arts heroes and World Champions, the following has grown immensely with thousands of fans wanting to witness their favorite stars play the most popular games of today.

It’s been a tremendous platform so far, and one that has been recently mobilized to raise funds for charity.

Launched on 2 December, ONE Championship and ONE Esports (who manages the page) partnered with Save the Children Philippines in a fundraising activity to help victims of the recent string of typhoons that ravaged parts of the country.

An official message on the page wrote: “We are absolutely heartbroken to see the devastation brought about

by Typhoon Rolly and Ulysses. That’s why we are joining Save the Children Philippines to raise funds for aid and relief. Join us on Sat, 5 Dec with two charity streams and stand a chance to win exclusive merchandise from ONE Esports when you make a donation! We will also be giving away 20% discount codes for shop.oneesports.

gg/ to all donors. Watch us stream, and make a donation at bit.ly/truthlakaysave. Let us help where we can.”

Stars such as ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera, ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, former champions Eduard Folayang and Kevin Belingon came together to live steam to raise funds to aid those affected by Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses that hit the Philippines in late 2020.

The country, which lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, is subject to numerous natural disasters, including powerful typhoons, multiple times every year. The country welcomes support through all means, and this latest campaign has certainly leveraged its athlete star power.

“I think this is an amazing opportunity to give back to the people and the fans who have supported our careers,” said the 24-year-old World Champion Pacio.

“We are glad to be able to help where we can, even in our own small way. I’m sure the funds we’ve raised here will be of great use, and we’re looking forward to participating in more of these

FTRUTH, P10

Kyle Kuzma has been doing fine in the preseason.

AD: Things are slowing down for Kyle Kuzma

I

t’s very easy to forget that during last year’s preseason, Kyle Kuzma was unable to play and unable to practice with his new teammates after suffering what the Lakers called a “stress reaction” in his ankle, which he suffered while playing for USA Basketball. 14 months, a pandemic and a championship later, Kuzma is

healthy and got the start in last night’s preseason game as the Lakers elected to go with a bigger starting lineup, putting Kuzma in place of Wesley Matthews and going without a traditional shooting guard.

While Dennis Schröder has publicly stated his desire to start, the decision to go with the current lineup also likely has to do with

Kuzma, who according to Anthony Davis, is a different player from the one who was unable to play last training camp. AD believes the game is slowing down for Kuz in his 4th year.

Kuzma’s stats took a major dip from his previous two seasons, where he played more minutes and was asked to have a

bigger role offensively.

Last season he adjusted to being on a championship team, becoming a better defender, and getting used to having less freedom on offense. However, it seems that experience has helped Kuzma and the Lakers are at least experimenting with the idea of starting him, rather than bringing him off the bench.

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FIRST WIN EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 213 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020

Eumir Marcial wins in pro debut T he Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) on Thursday expressed elation over the win by national boxer-turned-professional Eumir Felix Marcial in his pro debut against Andrew Whitfield in Los Angeles on Dec. 16.

“We’re happy for Eumir and we send our congratulations to him. We hope he can now consider rejoining the national team and focus on training for Olympic-style boxing,” ABAP Secretary General Ed Picson said.

ABAP president Ricky Vargas, for his part said, “we expected no less from Eumir. His talent and skills carried him through. We are glad that he got time for staying active during this pandemic and it should help him when he focuses on training for the Olym-

pics.”

The national boxing team is getting ready for “bubble training” and is in negotiations for foreign training at the nearest available opportunity.

ABAP also has another Olympic-qualified boxer in Irish Magno and several others who are hoping to book a ticket for the Olympiad next year.

Among them are current women’s world champion Nesthy Petecio, 2016 Olympian Rogen Ladon and Fil-British fighter John Marvin. (PR)

Eumir Felix Marcial was impressive in his pro debut against Andrew Whitfield in Los Angeles on Dec. 16.