Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 219 | Tuesday, December 29, 2020

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Mayor Sara extends effectivity of Executive Orders STORY ON PAGE 2

A resident buys round shaped fruits from roadside makeshit store selling fruits in Brgy. Pampanga, Davao City on Sunday night. Dabawenyos are starting to collect round shaped fruits in preparation for the coming New Year’s celebration.

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 219 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

EXTENDED

President Rodrigo Duterte went back to Manila a day after Christmas to meet selected members of his Cabinet along with infectious disease experts. The emergency meeting, held in Malacañang Palace on December 26,2020, was convened to discuss the emerging fast-spreading new variant of Coronavirus (Covid-19) disease found in the United Kingdom. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Mayor Sara extends effectivity of Executive Orders

By MAYA M. PADILLO he city government of Davao had extended the implementation and effectivity of Executive Orders (EO) Nos. 55, 56, 57, and 59 until 2021.

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Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio bared that she will issue an EO on December 30, 2020 extending ordere that have effectivity until December 31, 2020: These are the following: EO 55 Enforcing Curfew and Regulating Other Activities; EO 56 which is an Order for Adoption of Other Alternative Work Arrangement in Public and Private Offices; EO 57 which is an Order Regulating Mass Gatherings and Prohibiting Non-Essential Travel Within Davao City;

and EO 59 which is an Order Reimposing A 24Hour Liquor Ban in Davao City.

“Mao ni sila ang upat ka EOs with effectivity until Dec. 31, 2020. Hulaton na lang nato ang bag-ong EO kung unsa ang effectivity dates ani. I said it before, mao gihapon na sila ang atoang sundon pag-abot ug January and we are trying to be consistent. Dili nato bag-ohon ang mga regulations and protocols para dili ma-confuse ang mga tao,” the mayor said.

Dabawenyos are reminded to follow the said EOs as authorities will still monitor and apprehend violators.

“Dili tungod bag-o na ang tuig wala na ang Covid-19 so magpadayon gihapon ta kung unsa ang atong Covid-19 response diri sa city apil na ang mga regulations and mandatory health protocols,” Mayor Sara said.

The mayor said Dabawenyos must be more cautious especially that a new strain of Covid-19 was first detected in the UK, which has a series of mutations, based on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Jaime Morente said they will strcitly implement the extension of the travel restrictions for arriving passengers who have been to the United Kingdom (UK).

In a statement, Morente, said that as directed by President Rodrigo Duterte in last night’s Inter-Agency Task Force for the Man-

agement of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) meeting, flights from the UK remain banned for two more weeks after December 31, 2020.

“Consequently, all passengers who have been to the UK in the last 14 days prior to arrival in the country are still restricted entry until January 14, 2021,” said Morente.

The ban follows news

of a new strain of Covid-19 in the UK, which is reportedly 70% more infectious.

In related news, the BI vowed to expedite the Implementing Rules and Regulations for Executive Order No. 122 of the President on Strengthening Border Control Through the Adoption and Implementation of the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS).

“Kinahanglan mas mag-igmat ta tungod sa bag-ong strain sa Covid-19.

Double dapat ang atong pag-igmat para dili ta matakdan kay bright ang virus. Ang kani na bag-o na strain is highly infectious buot pasabot ana daghan ang matakdan. Buot pasabot ana mas daghan ang matakdan, mas daghan ang magpositive samot na ma-overwhelm ang health care system, hospitals and atoang facilities. What can we do para dili matakdan, we need to use the facemask, social distancing, frequent handwashing, and since we are under GCQ and the quarantine there means stay home,” she said.

The BI was initially given 60 days from the publication of EO 122 last December 15, but Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra recommended its immediate implementation to allow the BI to better trace origins and connecting flights.

“The API system is very timely, as apart from pro-

Flights from the UK remain banned for 2 more weeks: BI

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FFLIGHTS, P10

PRRD floats possible imposition of another nationwide lockdown

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resident Rodrigo Duterte broached the idea of reimposing stricter lockdown nationwide in an effort to prevent the entry of a new strain of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) from the United Kingdom (UK) to the Philippines.

Duterte floated the idea in a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and infectious diseases experts held at Malacañan Palace in Manila.

“Actually, ‘yung (the reimposition of another national) lockdown is a possibility. I said we’re making some projection. But if the severity in numbers would demand that we take corrective measures immediately, then we just have to go back to lockdown,” he said.

Duterte said he would decide depending on the “severity on the number” of cases of the new variant of the SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes Covid-2019.

“It depends on the severity of the number. Kasi kapag marami na (If the cases rise) and we do not have the antidote on how to kill those variants, we’ll have a problem there and of course, we’ll also be hard-pressed on looking for the money for the expenses in the meantime.

Magastos iyan (That will be costly),” he said.

The British government has imposed tougher measures after it discovered the new strain of Covid-19, which could be up to 70

percent more transmissible than the previous variants.

As of Saturday, the Department of Health (DOH) said the Philippines has 28,883 active Covid-19 cases and 431,055 recoveries.

It also reported five new deaths, bringing the total to 9,067.

Duterte initially imposed a strictest enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in March this year to curb the further spread of Covid-19 in the country.

He, however, decided to eventually ease the health and quarantine measures to pave the way for the reopening of the Philippine economy.

Secure borders Duterte emphasized the need to secure the country’s borders to prevent the possible entry of the new Covid-19 strain.

“What is very important is really to control the entry of people, whether or not they have in their bodies already the virus.

That’s another thing. But kailangan nating i-control yung borders natin (it is important that we control our borders),” he said.

Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, who was present at the meeting, said the situation in the country is “manageable.”

Año, nevertheless, said there is a need to monitor UK and other countries with reported cases of the new Covid-19 strain.

“Our situation in the country is manageable if we are looking at the local Covid situation. What we

FPRRD, P10

VOL.13 ISSUE 219 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

AMLC okays freeze on CPP-NPA assets

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A vagrant begs for alms from a motorist along E. Quirino Avenue in Davao City on Monday. Dozens of mendicants, who fail to wear face mask and face shield because they can afford to buy one, can be seen in the city's downtown area this holiday season begging for money or food. Edge Davao

Construction of Davao Bucana Bridge eyed Q3 of 2021

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he construction of Davao Bucana Bridge is targeted to start by the third quarter of next year after the Philippine government recently signed an implementation agreement with China for the said project.

The agreement, which was signed by the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Republic of the Philippines for the Chinese government to grant approximately $60 million for the Davao River Bridge Project.

“The agreement signed was the implementation arrangement for the Bucana Bridge in the coastal road network of Davao City that will be funded through grant by China,” said Undersecretary Emil Sadain of DPWH through Viber.

Sadain said the agree-

ment implementation is a requirement for the processing of the grant financing. He said once the funds become available, DPWH will procure for a design and build contract.

“The implementation of the project would be on the third quarter of 2021,” Sadain confirmed.

Based on the statement of the Embassy of the People´s Republic of China in the Republic of the Philippines, apart from the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge and the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge Projects, the Davao River Bridge Project is the third bridge project grant-

ed by the Chinese government to the Philippines.

The two-way four-lane Davao River Bridge will be 477 meters long with the total route’s length of 1,340 meters and is located in the Bucana District at the mouth of the Davao River, spanning over the east and west banks of the river and connecting the coastal roads.

It will be constructed in Barangay 76-A Bucana to connect Segment B of the Coastal Road project from Times Beach to Roxas Avenue.

The project is also considered an important component of Davao City’s high-standard highway network.

The statement also states that the project will adopt the localized implementation mode, which means the Philippine side will be in charge of techni-

efense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Saturday announced that the Philippines will “ban the movement of people from Sabah to Sulu” and “enforce the blockade of people trying to break the blockade,” in response to Sulu governor Sakur Tan’s appeal for assistance following reports from Malaysia’s Health Ministry on the discovery of a new strain of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Lorenzana announced the ban during an emergency meeting called for

by President Duterte in Malacanang on Saturday with the COVID-19 task force and medical experts to discuss the new COVID-19 strain discovered in the United Kingdom.

But travel between

Sabah and Sulu, and Tawi-tawi, Basilan and Zamboanga City, however, has been banned since the COVID-19 lockdowns in mid-March. The only persons exempted from the travel ban were 5,300 undocumented Filipinos in Sabah who were to be repatriated to the Philippines. They are now referred to as REFS (Returning Filipinos from Sabah).

Of this number, 2,119 REFS have been repatriated between June 30 and November 10, leaving 3,000 more in Sabah.

Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Director-General of Malaysia’s Ministry of Health announced on December 23 that a new strain of COVID-19, dubbed A701B mutation was found from samples taken in Sabah’s

Lahad Datu.

The nearest Mindanao province to Lahad Datu in Sabah, East Malaysia is Tawi-tawi.

Secretary Carlito Galvez, Chief Implementer of the National Task Force on COVID-19 said they will “coordinate with the military through Secretary Del (Lorenzana) on how we could help Sulu and also in Tawi-tawi so that the intrusion of the possible – possible (new strain of COVID-19) cases be prevented.”

He also cited Basilan, which, along with Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, comprises what is referred to as BaSulTa. Galvez said they had forwarded the letter of the Sulu Governor to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and to the Depart-

cal works and project management during the entire process.

The total implementation period is around 30 months, including design and construction phases. Once completed, the bridge will be able to accommodate more than 15,000 vehicles per day and significantly ease the traffic congestion in Davao City.

The Davao Bucana Bridge is part of the city’s P19.8-billion Davao Coastal Road project, which complements the Davao City Bypass Road and Davao City Expressway.

Segment A starts from the junction of Bago Aplaya to Matina Aplaya; Segment B from Matina Aplaya in Times Beach to Roxas Avenue, Segment C from Roxas Avenue to Sta. Ana Avenue and Segment D towards R. Castillo.

ment of Foreign Affairs “so that they can also arrange with Sabah and also with our post in Malaysia.”

President Rodrigo Duterte said what is “very important in that area is really the control of the entry — of people.”

“Whether or not they have — they have in their bodies already the virus, that’s another thing. Ang kailangan natin ikontrol ‘yung borders natin (what we need to control is our borders), adding “maybe General Lorenzana might be able to harness the assets of the Philippine Navy, additional, our patrol ships.”

Lorenzana then told the President about banning the movement of people “from Sabah to Sulu.” (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

Lorenzana: “ban the movement of people from Sabah to Sulu”

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ank deposits and other assets of the terrorist Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, New People's Army (NPA), have been put on freeze by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Sunday.

"The AMLC can already move in the premises at any time after due designation by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC)," Guevarra told the reporters covering the DOJ through a text message.

Quoting AMLC Executive Director Mel Racela, Guevarra said the AMLC approved its freeze order against the CPP-NPA and other designated terrorist groups last December 23 after the ATC formally designated the organization as a terrorist group.

In a separate message to reporters, Racela clarified the extent of the freeze order.

"There are no accounts under the name of CPP/ NPA, but the FO (freeze order) covers the related accounts (RA) of said organization. RA means all accounts opened and maintained for the benefit of said organization, the identification of which the banks and other covered persons will play a very important role,” Racela said.

The freeze order, he said, was issued pursuant to Section 25 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (Republic Act 11479) in relation to the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act (R.A. 10168) after the ATC has designated the CPP-NPA as a terror group.

“These statutory provisions are intended to preemptively deprive designated terror organizations of resources to prevent possible terror attacks," he said.

In a resolution dated

December 9, the ATC ruled that it "finds probable cause that the CPP/NPA committed or conspired to commit the acts defined and penalized under Section 4 of the Anti-Terror Act and hereby designates the CPP/NPA as terrorist organizations, associations or groups of persons.”

Sections 35 and 36 of R.A. 11479 authorize the AMLC to scrutinize the finances of organizations or groups of individuals that the ATC had labeled as terrorists.

The same provisions of the law also authorize the AMLC to issue a 20-day freeze order on the assets of these groups extendible by six months upon the approval of the Court of Appeals.

The ATC resolution was based on the DOJ’s enumeration of 12 incidents which it said constitutes terrorist acts of murder, kidnapping, and arson and which proves "that the CPP/NPA continues to commit acts of terror to sow and create a condition of widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace in order to coerce the Philippines government to give in to its unlawful demand".

On Aug. 9, 2002, the United States government designated the CPP-NPA as foreign terrorist organization and to date continues to include the group in its list.

Similar designation was made by the European Union on Oct. 28,2002 and reaffirmed on Jan. 13, 2020.

Australia also placed the CPP-NPA in its list of terror group on Oct. 28,2002 and was relisted in November 2013.

The United Kingdom similarly placed the group on its list on Aug. 14, 2002 and reaffirmed it on July 7, 2020 along with New Zealand which placed it on a similar list in October 2010 and renewed its listing in September 2019. (PNA)

Galvez: Proactive measures needed to contain new Covid-19 variant

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roactive measures must be imposed in the country to prevent the possible entry of the new strain of coronavirus detected in the United Kingdom (UK), National Policy Against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Saturday night.

In an emergency meeting presided over by President Rodrigo Duterte and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) in Malacañang, Galvez recommended to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to establish a stringent border control to prevent individuals infected with new strain of Covid-19 from entering the country, particularly those from the United Kingdom.

"Recommend ko po

kay (I'm recommending to) Secretary [Arthur] Tugade to give instructions to the different airlines coming from Europe na talagang busisihin po ‘yung ano, ‘yung kanilang mga passport na baka mamaya doon sila nanggaling sa UK (to strictly check their passports because they might have come from the UK)," Galvez said.

In the same meeting, Duterte approved the recommendation for an extension of the ban on flights from the UK for two more weeks after Dec. 31.

Galvez said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should make an advisory urging overseas Filipinos in the UK to temporarily refrain from returning to the Philippines The local government units (LGU) should also impose active monitoring in their respective cities

FGALVEZ, P10

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 219 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

Shoppers in a grocery in Poblacion 2, General Luna, Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte have to wade through ankle-deep water due to heavy rains on Saturday morning, 26 December 2020. MindaNews photo by ROEL N. CATOTO

of TESDA to receive New COVID-19 variant may delay Scholars training allowance via GCash economic recovery, says PCCI S

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he new COVID-19 variant will delay the Philippines’ economic growth if it will reach the country, a business group said Monday.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is taking “all the steps” to prevent the entrance of the new variant, said chair and director for special projects Alegria Limjoco.

“This is the only way we can again grow our GDP and all that but we must really all take the precautions and avoid

the crowd and [practice] social distancing and [follow] the protocols because it’s really going to delay our recovery,” she said.

“This Christmas was a little better because people went out. Just when it was recovering, eto na naman po ang strain. Nangangamba po talaga ang business sector.”

(Just when it was recovering, this new strain appears. The business sector is really worried.)

Limjoco said the country’s economic growth might be delayed to the “later part” of next year’s second quarter.

“Sabi po ng BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) between 6.5 to 7.5 ang growth natin next year, however, with this second strain coming up, we believe it’s gonna be delayed,” she said.

(The BSP said our country’s growth next

year is between 6.5 to 7.5, however, with this second strain coming up, we believe it’s gonna be delayed.)

“Madedelay lang po nang kaunti (This will be delayed a bit) but definitely there’s no way for us to go but up.”

The Philippines has prohibited the entry of travelers from the UK, where the new variant was discovered, and enforced a mandatory 14day quarantine for visitors from nations that have reported a case.

ured out the winning formula and how to get efficacy that, after two doses, is up there with everybody else," the chief executive said, while saying only that data would be published at "some point."

The UK government announced on December 23 that the developers of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine had submitted their data to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Approval is expected to be granted permission to roll out the jab on January 4, The Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first coronavirus shot to be authorized for use by the UK's in-

dependent medicines regulator and has been given to 600,000 of the country's most vulnerable people since last month.

Earlier trials had shown varying outcomes in the AstraZeneca shot's efficacy. The vaccine initially showed an average 70 percent effectiveness but that level jumped to 90 percent depending on dosage.

'Storm' over data Behind this average figure from large-scale trials in the UK and Brazil was a 62 percent effectiveness for those who were vaccinated with two full doses of the shot.

For volunteers who received a half-dose first and then a full dose one month later, however, the vaccine

was found to have 90 percent efficacy.

Soriot said he was "surprised" by the initial findings. "We would have preferred a simpler set of results," he added.

The lack of clarity and transparency over the discrepancy in the results was widely criticized. Soriot said he had not expected the pushback that followed.

"We assumed people would be a bit disappointed, that’s for sure," he said.

"But we didn’t expect that storm."

Great hopes have been placed in the AstraZeneca shot, originally based on a weakened version of a chimpanzee virus, because of its low cost.

AstraZeneca COVID vaccine has ‘winning formula’ —CEO

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he COVID-19 vaccine developed by the British drugs group AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford has achieved a "winning formula" for efficacy, the company's chief executive said on Sunday.

The vaccine, currently being evaluated by Britain's independent medicines regulator, provides "100 percent protection" against severe COVID disease requiring hospitalization, Pascal Soriot said in an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper.

He added he believes trials will show his firm has achieved a vaccine efficacy equal to Pfizer-BioNTech at 95 percent and Moderna at 94.5 percent.

“We think we have fig-

FASTRAZENECA, P10

cholars of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will now have a convenient way of receiving their training allowance after the agency signs agreement with the top mobile wallet in the country.

In a news release, TESDA said the adoption of GCash as a means to distribute Training Support Fund is much faster and safe specially in time of pandemic as scholars need not go to their field offices to receive allowances.

This also allows for contactless transactions, mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on its scholars amid the ongoing implementation of different quarantine protocols.

TESDA Secretary Isidro Lapeña noted that the agency has been looking for ways of continuing to serve its clients without exposing them to COVID-19.

“At the early stages of the pandemic, I have already instructed our Regional Operations Management Office to find a safe and effective way on how we can distribute Training Support Fund to our scholars this pandemic. Now that we have this partnership with Gcash, this can really help our kababayans especially the ones who are in the farflung areas,” he said.

Meanwhile, Gcash President and CEO Martha Sazon shared that they

have been actively supporting the government in delivering much needed support to the Filipinos since the onset of the pandemic.

“We understand that Fintech plays a key role in carrying out social assistance programs faster and safer, especially now that we are still figuring out how to transition back to normalcy,” she said.

TESDA scholars need only to download the GCash app on their smartphones through Google Play and Apple Store, and coordinate with authorized TESDA representative to receive their training support fund which is Php 160.00 per training day.

With the General Community Quarantine still in effect in most parts of the country, both private businesses and government entities have been looking for ways to make cash distribution frictionless, and most have relied on mobile money for transactions.

Earlier this year, GCash was tapped by the DSWD, and other local government units such as Makati and Quezon City governments, to distribute Social Amelioration Program assistance to qualified beneficiaries and constituents.

To date, the mobile wallet company has already distributed over PHP16 billion to more than 2 million Filipinos nationwide in financial assistance.

FSCHOLARS, P10

ECONOMY 5

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 219 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

China to become world's biggest economy by 2028 -- think tank

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hina will overtake the United States to become the world's biggest economy in 2028, 5 years earlier than previously estimated due to the contrasting recoveries of the two countries from the COVID-19 pandemic, a think tank said.

"For some time, an overarching theme of global economics has been the economic and soft power struggle between the United States and China," the Centre for Economics and Business Research said in an annual report published.

"The COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding economic fallout have certainly tipped this rivalry in China's favor."

The CEBR said China's "skillful management of the pandemic," with its strict early lockdown, and hits to long-term growth in the West meant China's relative economic performance had improved.

China looked set for average economic growth of 5.7% a year from 2021-25 before slowing to 4.5% a year from 2026-30.

While the United States was likely to have a strong post-pandemic rebound in 2021, its growth would slow to 1.9% a year between 2022 and 2024, and then to 1.6% after that.

Japan would remain the world's third-biggest

economy, in dollar terms, until the early 2030s when it would be overtaken by India, pushing Germany down from fourth to fifth.

The United Kingdom, currently the fifth-biggest economy by the CEBR's measure, would slip to sixth place from 2024.

However, despite a hit in 2021 from its exit from the European Union's single market, British GDP in dollars was forecast to be 23% higher than France's by 2035, helped by Britain's lead in the increasingly important digital economy.

Europe accounted for 19% of output in the top 10 global economies in 2020 but that will fall to 12% by 2035, or lower if there is an acrimonious split between the EU and Britain, the CEBR said.

It also said the pandemic's impact on the global economy was likely to show up in higher inflation, not slower growth.

"We see an economic cycle with rising interest rates in the mid-2020s," it said, posing a challenge for governments which have borrowed massively to fund their response to the COVID-19 crisis.

"But the underlying trends that have been accelerated by this point to a greener and more techbased world as we move into the 2030s."

Rollback for diesel, kerosene after 7 straight price hikes

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fter seven straight weeks of price hikes, oil firms will slash prices of diesel and kerosene effective Tuesday morning.

In separate advisories, Seaoil and Shell will cut diesel prices by PHP0.05 per liter.

Shell will also decrease kerosene prices by PHP0.25 per liter.

Other oil players are expected to follow suit on Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, there will be no adjustment in gasoline prices.

Last week, oil prices declined as a new strain of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the United Kingdom added worries on fuel demand recovery.

FROLLBACK, P10

Cell site towers are seen along C.P. Garcia highway in Davao City. A P365 million annual fine is being sought for telcos that fail to reach mandatory internet speed targets. The country ranked 110 in mobile and 103rd in fixed broadband internet speed as of November. Edge Davao

P365M annual fine sought on telcos failing to reach internet speed targets

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s the Philippines ranked among countries with slow internet connection, a lawmaker on Sunday sought a P365 million annual fine for telcos that fail to reach mandatory internet speed targets.

The Philippines ranked 110 in mobile and 103rd in fixed broadband internet speed as of November, according to the Speedtest Global Index.

Under House Bill 7479, filed by Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr., the National Telecommunications Commission may impose a P1 million per day or P365 million per year fine on telecoms that are found to "have violated, violating, or those which

have failed or are failing... to comply with any order decision or regulation of the commission."

“Filipinos deserve faster Internet speeds, which have been associated with higher economic productivity, stronger jobs creation and greater quality of life,” Campos said in a statement.

“We want the NTC to set faster Internet speed targets every year, and then penalize the service

providers that fail to deliver."

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier threatened he would "close" all telecommunication providers and "expropriate" if their services won't improve by end of the year.

The NTC said early this month that internet speeds in the Philippines improved by as much as 262.7 percent in 2020, but continues to lag behind regional peers.

As of November 2020, fixed broadband speeds in the country rose to 28.69 mbps, 262.70 percent higher than the 7.91 mbps in July 2016, National Telecommunications Commission chief Gamaliel Cordoba said in

LANDBANK opens branch in Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay

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Imelda Mayor Roselyn V. Silva (center) and LANDBANK West Mindanao Branches Group Head Vice President Lina K. Pacio (right) lead the inauguration and opening of LANDBANK Imelda Branch on December 18, 2020.

Joining them are LANDBANK Imelda Branch Head Evelyn M. Fortich (left, front) and Provincial Board Member Allan Escamillan (left, back).

a Senate hearing.

Mobile internet speed in the Philippines also improved to 18.49 mbps in November 2020, a 148.52 percent jump from the country's 7.44 mbps 4 years ago, he said.

In Southeast Asia, the Philippines' internet speed is only about a tenth of regional leader Singapore's 229.42 mbps speed for fixed broadband, and 64 mbps speed for mobile connection.

Internet use in the country surged this year as most Filipinos were forced to work and study at home following travel and mass gathering restrictions imposed to control the spread of COVID-19.

MELDA, Zamboanga Sibugay – The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) officially opened its newest branch in this municipality on December 18, 2020, and the third LANDBANK Branch in the Province of Zamboanga Sibugay.

The new LANDBANK Imelda Branch joins branches in Ipil and Buug, complemented by 15 ATMs present in the province, in providing safe and uninterrupted delivery of banking services to its residents.

LANDBANK now has a total of 415 branches and extension offices across all 81 provinces nationwide.

“In light of the ongoing pandemic, LANDBANK continues to partner with Local Government Units to bring safe, reliable, and convenient banking services closer to underserved communities. The Imelda Branch also forms part of LANDBANK’s primary thrust to intensify

lending to more small farmers and fishers nationwide,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo.

Imelda Mayor Roselyn V. Silva and LANDBANK West Mindanao Branches Group Head Vice President Lina K. Pacio led the Imelda Branch inauguration rites. They were joined by Provincial Board Member Allan Escamillan and LANDBANK Imelda Branch Head Evelyn M. Fortich.

“Thank you to LANDBANK for supporting the LGU of Imelda, especially for supporting organic farmers in our municipality through affordable lending programs and livelihood training programs conducted by your corporate foundation, LANDBANK Countryside Development Foundation, Inc.,” said Imelda Mayor Roselyn V. Silva.

The LANDBANK Imelda Branch will service

FLANDBANK, P10

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 219 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

On extending the effectivity of four current measures up to next year:

Mao ni sila ang upat ka EOs with effectivity until Dec. 31, 2020. Hulaton na lang nato ang bag-ong EO kung unsa ang effectivity dates ani. I said it before, mao gihapon na sila ang atoang sundon pag-abot ug January and we are trying to be consistent.

Dili nato bag-ohon ang mga regulations and protocols para dili ma-confuse ang mga tao.”

Davao City Mayor

Inday Sara Duterte

EDGEDAVAO

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

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

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 219 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

7 EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 219 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

VANTAGE POINTS

LIFESTYLE

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

MY FIRST AMERICAN TRIP Who doesn’t want to go to the United States? I was still in high school when I dreamed of going to the land of milk and honey.

As a science journalist, I had the opportunity of going to other countries but not in the US. My aunt Aida and my sister Elena were already there; both are married to Americans. “Why don’t you come and visit us?” Daniel Chase, my sister’s husband, asked me.

Easier said than done. Getting an American visa was the hardest part. Then opportunity came when award-winning American journalist Don Hinrichsen suggested whether I come to the US or he would visit the Philippines in writing a report HAVE YOU pinned one on watermany and population. too room styles “Instead of you coming to my and furniture onyou country, ” I told him,designs “why don’t Pinterest and never got invite me to come to the US? I had never been there yet.board ” past the vision and Don agreed. And that was how planning phase?

SomeI was able to come to the US. I went times, there thewe firstget timeso onengrossed December 5, 2000.

Yes, I remember it well. in curating “inspos” that “Where are of you going we lose track time andthis time,” my loving mother asked me. miss the opportunity to our She was already used to leaving take our dream project home every now and then and of my trips abroad. from screen to reality. In I had not been telling anyone other cases, the enthuabout the trip since I didn’t want siasm gets curbed when them to know just in case I won’t make it.are Bignot Apple, as New reYork is there enough sometimesor called, I told availher. Her sources support eyes widened. She couldn’t believe able to heard. execute our pegs. what she “Yes, dream come true,” I Before it’s youaleave those ideas told her as I wiped the tears to fantasy, consider picking falling up from her eyes. She never said a word aafter few that handy and hugged try creat-me butskills instead ing these“Take designs tightly. careyourself. and haveYou a safe trip,” said. don’tshe have to be a master crafts-

man to furnish your home with style. DIY furniture and decors are popular nowadays. There are many tutorials online that can serve as your guide from A to Z. Who knows? You might just discover an untapped potential or gain the confidence you need to jump-start a long overdue plan.

Take it from Chiqui FloresGentry, a self-taught maker who started out with glue guns and paper craft and can now firmly use aAlthough power drill.

Her “stop pininternational law ning, start doing” mantra led has prescribes that the seafarer her to learn practice skills the right toand be repatriated back to their point of origin,paintthere are in crafting, decorating, those who suffer construction, abandonment ing, and furniture by their employers. repair and restoration. Born and Repatriation comes from bredLatin in Davao City, this former the word repatriare, “renursetoand herown husband, Jereme, turn one’s country,” from the prefix re,living “back,” patria, are currently in and a charm“native land.” ing suburban town in Rome, Seafarers are she considered Georgia, USA, where is contractual employees since slowlyemployment furnishing their home— their is fixed for a one DIYofproject a time. period time at which shall not exceed 12 months.

The BEGINNINGS commencement of SMALL POEA contract from the time “I have alwaysisenjoyed doing when the seafarer actually dearts crafts projects as a kid,” partsand from the Philippines, eisays results were ther Chiqui. airport “The or seaport, for employment. not really impressive, but I loved It shall of cease whensomehe comthe process creating pletes his period of contractual thing out of bits and pieces.” service aboard the ship, signsa backseat when offCrafting from thetook ship and arrives at she a nurse in Kuwait. the worked point ofas hire.

The POEA contract requires She rediscovered her passion for the seafarer to arrive DIY when she and Jereme,at whothe point ofher hire as it signifies was still boyfriend at that the completion of the employment time, transferred New Zealand contract, and nottomerely its exto complete her post-graduate piration.

Similarly, a seafarer’s emstudies.

If there was a foreign trip that was so exciting, this was it! In fact, the night before the trip, I was not able to sleep well. I was afraid I might be late in going to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. So, even if it was still three in the morning, I woke up and took a bath. Afterwards, I went to the airport and checked in.

The Northwest Airlines flight from Manila to Narita was not that long, only four hours. We disembarked at the Narita International Airport and stayed there for a couple of hours before our plane left for the United States. This time, the flight was long.

For the next thirteen-hoursand-a-half, I was doing what most passengers were also doing: eating, reading, writing, walking, drinking, playing, watching movies, and sleeping. When feeling bored, I watched other passengers.

There was a mother bottle-feeding her baby.

An American couple, who were three seats away from me, were talking, or were they arguing (sorry, I really could not tell the difference)?

They were, after all, too far for me to eavesdrop.

In another lane, one huge man was snoring out loud (was the lady near him trying to find another seat, I can only guess).

Two fat men – probably not Greeks! – were drinking to their heart’s content while another one was typing on his computer.

Before I knew it, I was already in a deep slumber. Then, I was awakened when the pilot said that we would be landing soon. My heart was beating fast. Finally, I will be

able to see the US of my dreams.

“Welcome to New York,” the airport sign said. Thank you, I said to myself but my biggest problem was: how do I get to know Don, whom I have never met yet? In his email five days earlier, he told me to go to the airport’s waiting area and look for “a tall guy with mustache and wearing a hat.”

The information was not enough so I decided to e-mail also Dr. James Hansen, a former colleague who now works in New York. “Yes, I will pick you at the airport,” James assured me in his reply to my e-mail.

Now, if I would miss spotting Don, then there was James. Or, vice-versa. Since I knew James personally, he was the first person I looked for at the waiting area. He wasn’t around; maybe he was late, I consoled myself. So, I decided to carry out the second plan: to search for “a tall guy with mustache wearing a hat.”

I spotted three men who fit the description. Who among these three was Don? Using my gut feeling, I approached one person and asked him if he was Don. He answered affirmatively. Still not convinced, I requested for his identification card.

He showed his ID without much ado.

He was Don, indeed, and we started talking with each other.

We were in the middle of our conversation when someone from behind called my name. I knew it was James (I recognized his voice).

“Sorry, I wasn’t able to recognize you, Henry,” he apologized. “But when I hear your voice, I am sure it is you.”

This happened at the time when social media – particularly Facebook

– was not yet very popular!

Since Don knew the hotel where I would be staying in New York for the next 10 days, I decided to go with him. James understood the situation. But before he left, he asked Don about the hotel and then told me that he would pick me up by Saturday morning.

It was still Wednesday when I arrived. When Don and I arrived at the hotel, he told me not to sleep.

After all, it was still two in the afternoon. “Okay, thanks for the advice,” I told him before saying goodbye.

But when I was alone in my room, I tried to stretch my body and before I knew it, I was already sleeping. I woke up at 8:30 pm and was already starving. I went out and looked for a place where I could eat.

Not far from my hotel, I saw a Mexican restaurant, not very fancy but was serving pizza, short orders and drinks.

Not knowing what to eat, I ordered what was familiar to me: pizza, chicken wings and soft drink. I ate my food with much gusto. The following night, I went again to the same place. The same waiter was serving me and I ordered the same thing. On the third night, I still went to the same place. The same waiter was there. But before I could utter my order, the waiter said, “Do you want pizza, chicken wings and soft drink, sir?” Was my face red?

During my first three days in New York, I did not experience any chilly weather. But on the fourth day, I ventured to visit the Central Park, which was not very far from the hotel. I woke up very early and went outside the hotel. I was only on my fifth step when I felt the unpleas-

antly cold air that I had to rush back to the hotel. “Anything wrong, sir?”

Feeling embarrassed, I answered, “I just forgot something from my room.”

Exploring New York was not a herculean task. If you know how to count (first, second, third, etc.) and are familiar with directions (east, west, south and north), then you won’t get lost in the Big Apple. You don’t have to ride a taxi to get to know New York. Just walk.

And that’s what I did. While walking, I finally got a glimpse of people whom I had seen in movies before: a teenager buying coffee and donut in the street, a man preaching on the street corner, a female walking who seemed to come out live from a glossy magazine, and an old woman pushing a cart.

Life in New York (even in other parts of the United States) is a matter of choice. Even when buying food. So, you have to be very specific.

I made that mistake when I ordered a soft drink. “Diet or Classic?” the waitress asked. When I answered, she asked again, “In can or in a bottle?”

My first trip to the United States was indeed memorable. It broadened my mind. It gave me the opportunity of meeting fascinating people along the way. More importantly, it offered me a new perspective of what life really is. male“So, wood workers as members. how was the trip?” my Most ofasked themme posted howme mother whenabout she saw coming out from the carask when I artheir wives constantly them rived back home.

She was smiling. to build stuff for the house. So, I I hugged her and whispered, “It was was happy great, mom!”to break that pattern and prove isn’tI always And, bythat theitway, learned,the too, that New York neverthe sleeps. husband fulfilling requests—

TURNING A DECORATING DREAM INTO REALITY DENNIS R. GORECHO

“We had to furnish a small apartment on a tight budget.

KUWENTONG KULE I was a part-time student and worked as a bartender at night.

I didn’t make much and I didn’t want to touch our savings. Still, power tools we have accumulated I was determined to turn our in our garage-cum-workshop. humble abode into something Less than a year ago, I didn’t pretty and homey.

So, I made even know how to work a power ployment contract is terminated (IMO), there are 438 cases of yarn hangings, a wall art, abandonment drill. Now, I’m very comfortable even before thecreated contract expires (5,767 seafarers) andsoon refinished second-hand furhandling wood workingsince as as he arrives at the point that haveany been recorded of hirewe and signs thru off for medical 2004 untilbuildAugust 2020. niture bought Facebook tool. I can furniture from In reasons, due to shipwreck, vol2020 alone, 31 cases (concernMarketplace—just little projects scratch such as sofas, headboard, untary resignation or for other ing 470outdoor seafarers) haveand been rethat didn’t break the bank.” tables, benches just causes like vessel sale and corded to date.

“My very first project there daybed, address planter boxes, change of principal.

Filipino seafarers stranded was our personalized wooden wooden planters, console table, However, in most cases of onboard the Oceanstar 86 for abandonment, shipowner has almost months in wooden the wacoaster. The ideaawas to transfer hangingsix picture shelves, become incapable of generating ters off the coast of Fujian, Chimy favorite Instagram photos art, and more.” required funds to continue with na were reported after cona video onto little wooden squares. I Despite her newfound daily marine operations. showed their dire living condidn’t to buy wood, fidence and Chiqui It know then where withdraws all re- ditions andskills, pleaded forstilltheir so I asked myby Jereme to bring me immediate loves working on simple designs sponsibility failing to meet rescue.

They were its obligations regarding repatriated back to the whatever scrap wood he couldsea- recently that do not require a power drill. farers’ financial and social secountry. find on the side of the road.

“I painted a chevron-patterned curity (contractual wages), the fauxAs long as the office seafarers Since we didn’t have power tools wallpaper for our usprovision of basic necessities of have not arrived at the point of back(adequate then, I had food, to cut accommowood ing a $2 kitchen sponge.” to paylife hire, they are entitled with a hand This took “There are other home projects dation, and saw. medical care)a lot and ment of monetary benefits unrepatriation costs. der the not contract. of elbow grease.

However, I was I could have accomplished Themy seafarer is entitled determined. I still have the coast- without husband’s help. to be Combined with the danpaid his wages and other beneers on our coffee table and it still Together, we built a wine and gers of the elements of the sea, fits after the expiration of his evokes great memories our to contract coffee bar,and dining benches, an the abandoned crewofhave during the extendhumble extra-large outdoor couch, builtface thebeginnings.” stressful and inhumane ed period until the vessel’s arrivconsequences of being stranded al a convenient The obliin at desk for our ‘hisport. and hers’ in a country where they do not gations anda liabilities local CREATIVITY IN ALL office, and full-sized of bedthe base. speak the language, and the difagency and its foreign principal SHAPES AND SIZES We also installed a 6’x11’ privacy ficulties of financial constraints do not end upon the expiration “Thankfully, in our new home, of fence extendedperiod our patio usdue to unpaid wages. theand contracted as they I getAccording to handle bigger projects, ing peaduty gravel all by to ourselves.” to the Interna- were bound repatriate tional Maritime Organization the seaman to the point of hire faster and easier, because of the

wives do it too. Needless to say, it drew a number of comments and a lot of Thank Yous from fellow women in the group.”

“The first item I ever did on my own, and sold and shipped to a client, was a patterned plywood tray. It was bought as a wedding gift. It’s rewarding to know that somebody loved it so much and considered it a treasured piece in their home.”

JOINT AND SOLIDARY LIABILITY IN SEAFARERS’ CONVERSATION PIECES Three of Chiqui’s favorite ABANDONMENT CASES handmade pieces each has story behind it.

to effectively terminate the con“I have this herringbonetract of employment.

(Interoripatterned queen-sized headboard ent Maritime Enterprises, Inc. v.

NLRC,330 493). made out ofPhil. shims.

It would cost Theand POEA states that an arm a legrules to purchase our the manning agency shall aschoice headboard online when sume “joint and solidary liabilwe moved I decided towhich ity” with in, thesoemployer, create it myself.

Armedaggrieved with only is meant to assure workers a circular of sawimmediate and liquid and nails,sufI ficient payment of what is due managed to create a headboard them. usingThe shimsAmended (these are cheap preMigrant packaged Act small( R.A. pieces10022) of woodalso Workers used as that spacers construction states theby agency which deployed thetheemployees shall workers) and entire project be jointly and solidarily liable amounted to only $80—a lot less with the inspiration principal for the which money than the piece claims awarded to the employwas priced at $1000.” ees.

“Our Thegeometric Supremewooden Court explained the case offor Catan side tableinis memorable an v.

NLRC ( 160 SCRA 691, 695) amusing reason. My husband the rationale be so, becomplained: “This aboutmust not having cause the obligations covenanta nice so I built him ed in side the table, manning agreement one. It wasn’t a regular table. The entered into by and between the local agent its foreign princitabletop wasand made with wooden pal are not coterminus withand the patterns mitered at an angle term of such agreement so that marked with different stains. I if either or both of the parties was proud of itthe andagreement, I posted it the on decide to end a Facebook DIY woodworking responsibilities of such parties towards the contracted employgroup which had predominantly

JUST DO IT

ees under the agreement do not goes, creativity at As all the end,saying but the same extends knows someup to no andlimits. untilThis the isexpiration of theChiqui employment contracts thing wants to impress of the employees recruited upon anyone who have hit a and employed pursuant thekind said roadblock in pursuingtoany recruitment agreement. Otherof home improvement. wise, this will render nugatory measly budgetfor does not the the“Avery purpose which law the employment meangoverning it is impossible to turn of foreign jobs yourworkers home intofor a Pinterest-worabroad was enacted.” thy one.

It will actually bring out The 2014 amendments to your creative side.Labor Had I not been the Maritime Convenfrugal2006 when (MLC2006) it came to furnishtion require shipowners have compulsoing our house,toI would not have ry insurance to cover abandondiscovered my skills in creating ment of seafarers for up four and refurbishing furniture.toDon’t months’ outstanding wages and wait on anyoneIttomust execute entitlements. alsoyour cover ideas. Be resourceful. up the reasonable expensesPick from moment abandonment to the those toolsofand watch as many time of arrival back home such YouTube tutorials as you can—or as repatriation, food, clothing, ask someone who knows how. As accommodation, drinking water, silly as this mayand sound, there is medical care essential fuel a tremendous for survival onfeeling board.of empowAtty.

Gorecho your heads erment in installing first the seafarers’ division of the screw using a power drill.” Sapalo For Velez Bundang Bulilan more DIY ideas, follow law @ offices. For comments, send Gentryfy_diy Instagram and an e-mail to on info@sapalovelez. check or out call Chiqui’s posts and or com 09175025808 09088665786 stories.

8 ENVIRONMENT EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 219 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

Endangered corals can now be grown within months

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

W

hat would take years for ecologically-fragile corals to grow, it can now be achieved in a matter of months.

Initial results of a study conducted in the waters of the island province of Camiguin has accelerated coral reef restoration efforts.

“Although our study is still far from complete, we were able to restore a portion of coral reefs within the bay area of the province,” said Alexandra Hill, a British marine biologist who headed the study.

The team employed a relatively new technology that involved the process of micro-fragmentation and colony fusion of coral fragments, which differs from more common coral restoration methods that largely focus on branching species.

“In this technique, the massive corals – which normally have a slow growth rate – are fragmented using special equipment,” Hill explained.

“When fragmented, the corals exhibit a faster growth rate.

“Furthermore, fragments from the same donor colony upon physically meeting have the ability to fuse together and become one. This increases their overall surface area and consequently increases their chances of survival,” Hill added.

The experiment was conducted in Cabuan Marine Protected Area

(CMPA), whose coral reefs were in degradation condition due to a strong typhoon which passed the island in 2014. Because of this situation, two government agencies – the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) conducted coral propagation and coral reef rehabilitation programs.

Environmental group Sangkalikasan Producers Cooperative (SPC) implemented the programs. The area has become the home base and model site for various coastal management programs.

“The site in particular where we ran the experiment has a good condition of coral reef due to the fact that SPC had previously restored the area,” Hill said.

The community was involved in the experiment. “Due to the small scale of the experiment, the team mostly consisted of key members of SPC and volunteers from Camiguin Polytechnic State College,” Hill said.

The experiment started October 26 last year but unofficially ended in the middle of March when the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hit the country. Due to lockdowns, diving to monitor the progress of the experiment

wasn’t possible.

“The disruption due to Covid-19 really affected our experiment,” Hill admitted. “All of us on the team were itching to get back in the ocean and check up on our fragments and see how they were doing.”

Despite the experiment was stopped, initial findings showed good results.

“Success of the experiment was measured in mortality rate and growth rate,” Hill said. “Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the data set is incomplete. But initial data showed promising results, and follow up dives after restrictions were reduced clearly showed a high growth rate.”

This simply means coral reefs can be restored to self-sustaining life. “The

experiment has shown that micro-fragmentation and colony fusion can be done in this country. The ability to restore a larger variety of corals on the reef is beneficial as more diverse reefs have been shown to be more resistant to change,” said Hill.

The quick-grow technology was pioneered by Dr. David E. Vaughan, a distinguished aquaculture scientist who directs the Center for Coral Reef Research at the Mote Marine Laboratory in the Florida Keys.

In an article published

by New York Times of the said technique, author Richard Morin wrote: “(Micro-fragmenting) may make it possible to mass-produce reef-building corals for transplant-

ing onto dead or dying reefs that took centuries to develop – perhaps slowing or even reversing the alarming loss of corals in the Florida Keys and elsewhere.”

This is indeed good news for Filipino fishermen and those whose livelihoods are anchored on fishing.

“Coral reefs provide food security for millions of people living along the coast line, they help to shield coastal communities from storms and they also bring in revenue via tourism,” Hill pointed out.

“It is important to protect the reef not only for ourselves but also for the future generation.”

In the Philippines, an estimated 10%-15% of the total fisheries come from coral reefs. About 80%-90% of the income of small island communities comes from fisheries.

“Coral reef fish yields range from 20 to 25 metric tons per square kilometer per year for healthy reefs,” said Dr. Angel C. Alcala, a world class authority in ecology and biogeography of amphibians and reptiles and behind the invention of artificial coral reefs to be used for fisheries in Southeast Asia.

Corals are coelenterate animals (ray-like invertebrates) that form heavy skeletons of lime, science says. Encrusting corralling algae grow on their surface and crevices, cementing them lightly to form reefs.

Most reefs grow in depths of 25 meters or less.

The Philippines is home to over 400 local species of corals, which is more than what is found in the famous Great Barrier

Reef of Australia. Unfortunately, most of these species are now gone and others are facing extinction.

“Nowhere else in the world are coral reefs abused as much as the reefs in the Philippines,” commented Don E. McAllister of Ocean Voice International.

An analysis of more than 600 data sets showed that “excellent” reefs (live hard and soft coral cover above 75%) has been reduced from 5.3% to 4.3% since the late 1970s.

If hard corals alone are considered, only 1.9% of the reefs can be called “excellent,” which average hard coral cover on all reefs at 32.3%, whereas it used to be much higher.

The decline is thought to be due primarily to destructive human activities.

The Davao Gulf – which has an area of 308,000 hectares that cuts into the island of Mindanao from Philippine Sea – is a case in point. The regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) listed Davao Gulf as one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world.

Over 80% of Davao Gulf’s coral reefs are already degraded, the BFAR reported in 2006. “The coral reefs in almost all areas of Davao Gulf are in bad condition,” it said.

Only one-fourth of the coral cover was live, manta tow surveys covering 33.8 kilometers of reefs in the gulf showed. Of the 19 areas surveyed, only the corals in Tubalan were in very good condition.

Areas with poor values of 10% and below were found in Agdao, Malita and Valez (Toril) in Davao City.

The coastlines of the cities of Panabo and Tagum – which contain “the most-dense concentrations of fish larvae in the entire gulf” – are no better. “The coral reefs, which used to be extremely rich, are already buried,” said Harry D. Morris, a British-Filipino marine biologist. “What’s left behind are mostly coral skeletons and small patches still struggling to survive.”

There are several ways Filipinos can help to conserve the country’s remaining coral reefs. “A great way for communities to help their local reefs which don’t involve direct restoration would be to start small at home,” Hill said. “For one, they should use less plastic as plas-

FENDANGERED, P10

9 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 219 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

NAC skips party to give P332K event funds to Cagayan.

Nickel Asia employees skip party, donate to Isabela and Cagayan

N

(Photo taken from page of‘Bloggers of Tuguegarao’) P350K CSR fund helped rebuilt houses destroyed by the typhoons and provide food packs to residents.

ickel Asia Corp. (NAC) employees skip the annual Christmas party to extend their event fund of P332,000 to the victims of the recent typhoons in Cagayan.

NAC employees regularly commit to Personal Social Responsibility (PSR) programs where they pool together personal funds to extend support and assistance to the communities.

For years, with PSR, NAC employees have built a library in Eastern Samar, distributed school supplies to thousands of students in Isabela and Surigao del Norte, assisted a young cancer patient from Rio Tuba to complete her treatment,

distributed hundreds of kaldero and kumot to victims of typhoons and the volcanic eruption in Batangas.

This holiday season is no different, despite the pandemic, as NAC employees reach out to the victims of the recent typhoons.

NAC employees’ representatives, led by Gerry B. Ongkingco, VP for Human Resources, presented the funds to Fr. Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM, parish priest of Santuario de San

Antonio (SSAP). SSAP has aggressive relief operations in Cagayan. The donation will be used to help families affected by the typhoons.

NAC employees, with support from family and friends, also “passed around the hat” to provide gifts of toys, candies, crayons, peanut butter and crackers, and face shields to about 300 children in Isabela.

“We received many support from all over the country during and after the typhoons, we are grateful to all, but the toys brought happiness to the parents and we got wide smiles from the children, our hearts are warmed by this gesture,” says Lucy Ambatali, LGU employee in Ilagan, Isabela.

“But that’s just our PSR, there is so much

more from our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs,” shares Engr. Remy Collado Camo, Mine Environment, Safety and Health Division Manager at Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp.

(RTN).

RTN alone, a subsidiary of NAC in Rio Tuba in Palawan, extended P350,000 CSR funds to the victims of the typhoons in Cagayan.

“The spirit of giving is a way of living at NAC, we extend our hands of support as far as we can reach,” Camo says.

NAC is among the first responders to COVID challenge spending about P50M as early response to the threat of COVID-19. Through its subsidiaries – Cagdianao Mining (CMC), Dinapigue Mining (DMC), Hinatuan Mining (HMC), Rio Tuba

The toys made the children smile.

Nickel Mining (RTN) and Taganito Mining (TMC) with Emerging Power, Inc. (EPI) and Cordillera Exploration Inc. (CExCI) – spent more than P50M from their Social Development Management Program (SDMP) and Corporate Social Responsibility funds for sacks of rice, food packs, vitamins, and medical

supplies such as alcohol and hand sanitizers, distributed to thousands of families and frontliners.

A separate CSR budget of P18M was turned over to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to build a molecular testing laboratory in Surigao City to support the province’s efforts for early detection of COVID-19 cases.

10 EDGEDAVAO

FLIGHTS... FROM2

tecting the country from aliens with derogatory records, it would allow us to deny the boarding of passengers who have a travel history to the UK in the last 14 days, instead of having to detect them upon arrival in the country,” said Morente.

The APIS is an electronic communications system that collects biographic

data on passenger or crew, which is transmitted to the BI prior to arrival, and allows for early vetting on the admissibility of an arriving alien.

Currently, the BI is implementing a strict 100% passport inspection to determine the travel history of arriving passengers in the last 14 days. (BI/PIANCR)

have to really guard or to watch out is the international borders because the new strain is coming from those identified countries,” he said.

Due to concerns over the spread of a new variant of Covid-19, Duterte has initially approved the IATF-

EID’s resolution that bans Philippines flights from the UK from December 24 to 31.

On Saturday, Duterte approved the recommendation of Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque to extend the travel ban for another two weeks. (PNA)

and municipalities, he added.

Galvez also recommended a discreet investigation among overseas Filipinos from the UK. He said government should put up a special quarantine facility for those who will be infected with the new strain of coronavirus.

"We should be prepared kung saan po natin ilalagay ‘yung mga tao po na para ma-isolate po na-

tin sila lahat (to isolate all those infected individuals)," he added.

During the Palace meeting, infectious diseases experts said the new strain of Covid-19 is more infectious. However, there is still no evidence that it is more virulent.

At present, the variant is spreading fast across the United Kingdom and have reportedly been found in Japan, Singapore, France, Sweden, and Spain. (PNA)

Globe Fintech Innovations Inc (Mynt), which operates GCash, is part of the portfolio companies of 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the

Philippines wholly-owned

by Globe Telecom Inc. The said agreement was signed by both parties last December 9, 2020.

(TESDA/PIA-NCR)

AstraZeneca's vaccine also enjoys a logistical advantage over the Pfizer-BioNTech alternative, as it can be stored, transported and handled at normal refrigerated conditions of between two and eight degrees Celsius (36-46 Fahrenheit) for at least six months.

That is a far cry from the -70C needed for Pfizer/ BioNTech's offering and could allow use of the existing refrigerated supply chain to cut costs.

'Light at the end of the tunnel' In a vote of confidence for its homegrown vaccine, the bulk of Britain's requirements are expected to be met by the jab.

The government has ordered 100 million doses, with 40 million doses scheduled to be available by the end of March.

UK officials will hope that confidence is rewarded, not least because the country has been one of the countries most affected by the pandemic with more than 70,000 deaths.

A surge in cases has hit nationwide over the past week, falling especially on the southeast of England and blamed on a new strain

of the virus believed to be more infectious, which was first identified in the UK. According to one British study the strain is 50 percent to 74 percent more contagious.

In an effort to contain the spread of the disease, millions across Britain were placed under tougher lockdown restrictions that came into force on 26 December.

Dozens of countries have also imposed travel restrictions on the UK to stop the spread of the new strain.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, Finance Minister Rishi Sunak acknowledged it had been "a tough year for everyone in this country."

However, he added that "the early roll-out of vaccines—and the incredible work of our scientists and NHS—means we can now see light at the end of the tunnel."

Nearly 200 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be made before the end of the year, the UK drug manufacturer has said, and more than 700 million globally by the end of March next year.

As of Monday noon, West Texas Intermediate traded 0.21 percent lower at USD48.13 per barrel

while Brent crude declined by 0.27 percent to USD51.15 per barrel, OilPrice.com data show. (PNA)

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VOL.13 ISSUE 219 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

Expert: Stay away from 'dangerous' unauthorized COVID-19 vaccines

A

health expert warns the public to "stay away" from unauthorized COVID-19 vaccines amid the supposed presence of a Chinese-developed product in the country.

"To take an unapproved, unregulated vaccine is very, very dangerous," Dr. Edsel Salvana of the Department of Health Technical Advisory Group said in a media

forum on Sunday. "I urge everyone to stay away from those, kasi (because) you are literally putting your life at risk if you take unregulated medicine, especially COVID vaccine."

During Saturday's meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force and other health experts, President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that "many" citizens in the country have

already been injected with China's Sinopharm vaccine.

The Food and Drug Administration said raids have been conducted in Makati and Binondo, adding that no arrests have been made so far.

Salvana listed down the possible dangers of taking an unapproved vaccine, including lack of knowledge about the injected product, which he said would make

it difficult for physicians to treat patients who may experience negative reactions.

"Say if you have a bad reaction. You don't even know kung ano 'yung binigay sayo eh (what was given to you)?

So we wouldn't know what to treat you with," Salvana said. "So there's really a lot of danger in doing those kinds of things. More than losing money, you could lose your life."

around 3,760 small farmers and fishers in the area, as well as 60,338 beneficiaries under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) Program.

“In these challenging

times, let LANDBANK help in strengthening and accelerating the development of your municipality’s leading and emerging industries. Together, we can work towards the recovery and continued growth of your key sectors, especially agriculture and aquaculture,” said LANDBANK VP

Lina K. Pacio.

The LANDBANK Imelda Branch will also provide banking services to various government agencies and private clients in the neighboring municipalities of Alicia, Payao and Siay, including the island municipalities of Mabuhay, Talusan, and Olutanga, as

well as portions of Diplahan and Malangas.

For more updates, please Follow, Like and Share the official LANDBANK Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts (@ landbankofficial), Twitter (@LBP_Official), or visit the LANDBANK website (www.landbank.com).

tics can damage coral and endanger marine wildlife species. For another, they should use reef safe sunscreen. Finally, they

should take care when swimming in reef areas so as not to touch or disturb the corals.”

With micro-fragmen-

tation technique, the coral reefs may soon restore to its former glory. “We are all excited about this,” said Fannie Guanzon, SPC

chair. “This is what I’ve been waiting for to develop something new that has an impact.” – (Photos courtesy of Alexandra Hill)

was on its feet and whipping towels in the air to celebrate Josh Green’s one-handed fastbreak dunk that extended their lead to 53 points.

Former Clipper Boban Marjanovic polished off a 12-0 run with a jumper that pushed the Mavs’ lead

to 120-63, their largest of the game.

“We weren’t letting each other look up at the score,” Mavs forward James Johnson said.

The Mavs shot 49% from the field, made 14 3-pointers and outrebounded the Clippers 54-

36 in the game. Los Angeles had 13 assists after notching 32 against Denver on Christmas. The Clippers shot 26 of 76 from the floor and made just 4 of 33 3-pointers.

“You throw it away,” first-year Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “Our guys

didn’t have a lot of pop on either end of the floor.”

Leonard sat out after needing eight stitches in his mouth after accidentally getting elbowed by the 7-foot Ibaka going for a rebound in Friday’s win at Denver. He watched the debacle from the bench.

nia could be primed for a world title shot as soon as 2021.

John Riel Casimero Speaking of Casimero, he is moving to 2021 in high spirits after knocking out Duke Micah to keep his World Boxing Organization bantamweight title on Sept.

27 (Philippine Time) in Uncasville, Connecticut.

In fact, Casimero, now under MP Promotions, believes he is ready for a title unification shot with either of the two World Boxing Association champs, regular champ Guillermo Rigondeaux and super champ Inoue, who also holds The Ring Magazine and International Boxing Federation belts.

Casimero, during the post-fight press conference against Micah, even called out Inoue with some choice words.

Casimero then responded to a pre-Christmas interview on Rigondeaux by tweeting, “Lets do it.

Walang takbuhan; basagan lang tayo ng mukha (Do not run. We will just destroy each other’s face).”

While Casimero showed some confidence, what was perceived as cockiness did not actually sit well with some Filipino boxing fans to the point that they even publicly expressed that they would root for whoever he faces next instead.

“Naguguluhan ako sa kanila (They get me puzzled),” Casimero said in the Sept. 29 edition of the Philippine Sportswriters Asso-

ciation Forum.

Regardless of who the fans will cheer for, however, he vowed, “Yung laban ko, para sa bayan. Para sa ating lahat (My fight is for the country and all of us).”

Mark Magsayo Another pro boxer primed for greater heights is Mark Magsayo.

He showed it by outlasting Rigoberto Hermosillo in a 10-round affair in Los Angeles on Oct. 4 (Philippine Time).

While Hermosillo, who replaced original opponent Jose Haro on a three-week notice, brought the fight to Magsayo, the latter’s pinpoint boxing gave him the nod of two judges in the split decision win.

Although the bout was marred with some controversies, primarily Judge Rudy Barragan’s scorecard that had Magsayo winning, 100-90, despite Hermosillo’s efforts that convinced Judge Lou Moret to give him the 96-94 lead (Zachary Young had it 96-94 for Magsayo), this is not expected to hamper Magsayo’s bid for the coveted world title in the featherweight ranks.

Eumir Marcial Eumir Marcial is arguably the most decorated pug right now in Olympic-style boxing.

A proven winner in terms of the medals amassed, many believe the middleweight standout is among the best bets to finally capture the Philippines’ first official Olympic gold.

However, the postpone-

ment of the Tokyo Olympics to 2021 put the focus on a lingering matter: him turning pro.

It was revealed that some promotions were willing to shell out as much as an eight-digit paycheck just to sign Marcial to a professional contract.

This is somehow anticipated since seeing a Filipino boxer excel outside of the welterweight division is uncommon.

While turning pro should not be a problem since AIBA already allows pros to compete in its sanctioned events like the Olympics and the Southeast Asian Games, the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines saw this, especially the eye-popping offers, as a potential distraction to Marcial’s cause, even calling on the promotions to let him box in Tokyo next year.

Eventually, Marcial joined Casimero at MP Promotions, and the Olympic-bound pugilist finally got a taste of pro boxing earlier this month.

Behind a dominating performance, Marcial won a four-round unanimous decision over American Andrew Whitfield with the three judges even giving him a perfect 40.

However, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez has a reminder to the boxing fans: “He’s still an amateur.”

Reymart Gaballo It is never too late to snatch a world boxing title, albeit in an interim basis,

for 2020.

Reymart Gaballo shocked basically everyone after prevailing against Emmanuel Rodriguez for the interim World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight belt last week in LA. Many actually anticipated Rodriguez, who previously challenged Inoue for his belts, to get the better of Gaballo, especially that the latter came in on late notice after future boxing legend Nonito Donaire, Rodriguez’s original foe, was pulled off due to Covid-19.

It seemed like the case based on the Compubox stats as Rodriguez actually landed the more accurate punches, even coming close to knocking Gaballo down twice.

However, there was no denying that Gaballo showed his upsides by being the more aggressive fighter, even opening a wound on Rodriguez’s nose.

Judges Don Trella and John McKaie had it 116112 and 115-113, respectively, in favor of Gaballo to overrule David Sutherland’s 118-110 scorecard for Rodriguez.

While the outcome came in as a surprise for even the Filipino fans, there is no stopping Gaballo from entering the champions’ club, and he is primed to unify the interim belt and Oubaali’s official WBC belt in the near future once the French pugilist finally gets cleared to fight again after his own battle against Covid-19. (PNA)

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 219 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

11

No big deal: PG on Clippers’ blowout loss to Mavericks

L Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the basket in the first quarter of the game at Staples Center.

Lakers roll without Davis, take down Timberwolves

K

yle Kuzma broke loose with 20 points, all in the first half, and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame the absence of leading scorer Anthony Davis for an easy 127-91 victory Sunday over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.

LeBron James added 18 points and nine rebounds, while playing just three quarters, as Davis sat out with a right calf contusion. The Lakers have won consecutive games in convincing fashion after a season-opening defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.

Kuzma, who averaged 12.8 points last season and did not score more than 15 points in either of the Lakers’ first two games, reached his 20 points on 8

of 11 shooting in the opening two quarters, making four of his six 3-point attempts.

Rookie Anthony Edwards scored 15 points and Naz Reid added 11 as the Timberwolves were unable to overcome the absence of leading rebounder and third-leading scorer Karl-Anthony Towns, who dislocated his wrist late in a road victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

The Timberwolves also lost forward Josh Okogie in

the first half with cramping in his left leg.

Los Angeles got off to a hot start, leading by as many as 20 points in the first quarter while shooting 71.4 percent (15 of 21) from the field. The Lakers extended the advantage to as many as 26 points in the second quarter and held a 67-45 advantage at the half.

The Timberwolves shot just 35.1 percent (20 of 57) from the field in the first half and 13.6 percent (3 of 22) from 3-point range.

The Lakers cooled off slightly in the second quarter and shot 56.2 percent (27 of 48) from the field in the first half, while shooting 55.6 percent (50 of 90) for the game.

The Lakers reached

100 points in the final minute of the third quarter and entered the fourth period with a 103-67 advantage.

Jake Layman was the only other Minnesota player in double figures with 10 points as the Timberwolves lost for the first time after opening with victories over the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz. Minnesota was playing on consecutive nights for the first time this season.

Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell and Talen Horton-Tucker each scored 12 points as the Lakers played the first game of a back-toback scenario at home. Los Angeles will face the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday before hitting the road for the first time to San Antonio, where they will play two games in three days.

OS ANGELES- Luka Doncic scored 24 points and the Dallas Mavericks led by a NBA-record 50 points at halftime in a 124-73 rout of the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday (Monday, Manila time) to earn their first win of the season.

Josh Richardson added 21 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 18 points for the Mavs, who kept up their dominance in the second half, too.

“There’s no huge secret,” Richardson said. “We just got up and played well.

We played with a sense of urgency.”

The Clippers trailed 7727 at halftime, with their 50-point deficit being the largest at the break in the shot-clock era, which began in 1954-55.

Paul George led the Kawhi Leonard-less Clippers with 15 points before sitting out the second half. Serge Ibaka added 13 points and nine rebounds over three quarters of the team’s first loss. The Clippers began with victories over the defending NBA champion Lakers and Denver.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” George said. “Yes, we got our butts kicked today, but it’s one game.”

Los Angeles got outrebounded 32-16, had just three assists, and missed 18 of 19 3-pointers in the first half. George was the only Clipper in double figures with 13 after missing all six of his 3-point attempts.

“It was a tough game, coming from Christmas.

I enjoyed my Christmas Day yesterday, today just popped up on me a little too fast,” George said. “I take full responsibility. It’ll be a different situation next game. We will be ready.”

Doncic had 18 points,

seven rebounds and four assists in the first half. He scored as many points (13) as the Clippers in the first quarter. The Mavs scored nearly every time down the court while forcing the Clippers into 9 of 37 fieldgoal shooting.

“Everything was clicking on all cylinders,” said Hardaway Jr., adding that the team didn’t realize how big the lead was until they were in the locker room at halftime.

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle emphasized staying consistent in the second half.

“The challenge is to maintain that level of competitiveness,” he said. “Our guys established a standard for collective toughness and will that we need to find a way to maintain.”

The Clippers opened the third quarter on a 10-0 run — their biggest spurt of the game — to get within 40 points. The Mavs got right back to putting the hammer down. They connected on four consecutive 3-pointers — three by Hardaway Jr. — to restore their lead to 50. They were ahead 104-57 going into the fourth.

Doncic just missed a triple-double, finishing with nine rebounds and eight assists. He has scored 83 points in his first three games of the season, the first two of which were losses.

“We showed who we are. People judge us like first two games of season, it’s a long season,” Doncic said. “We got to keep going like that. We got to play defense.”

The fourth quarter belonged to the teams’ reserves, although the Clippers kept Luke Kennard, who started in place of Leonard, in the rotation for a bit. The Mavs’ bench

FNO BIG DEAL, P10

FRED C. LUMBA SPORTS KEN

ON-LINE CHESS In this pandemic era, sports – aside from the economy and business sector - was the next most grievously affected. (This is as far as I am concerned as a sportswriter.)

As this was being written, Lebron James was picked as Time’s 2020 Athlete of the Year, an accolade that very few outstanding American sportsmen and women – past and present - have been recognized for their individual achievements.

Anyway, as every aspect of life is reeling from the adverse effects of the Wuhan virus, I may have singularly thought that spectator sports in general can be efficiently regulated without jeopardizing the health protocols being presently enforced.

As a chess-playing enthusiast, I find the on-line tournaments

like the CCT (the Champions Chess Tour) participated in by the top twenty GMs in the world a very creative concept that has generated world-wide attention and following from young and old alike.

Lockdowns are deathly boring I think everyone will agree.

By being able to watch and follow the competitions on the internet, this has afforded me and the rest of the chess-playing world a venue to break the ennui that was unfortunately settling down.

Spectator sports such as baseball, tennis, basketball, boxing and the like have become less interesting to watch because the rousing physical excitement brought about by the deafening oohs and wows, the boos and the hurrahs are absent.

These are the ingredients that enliven spectator sports and make them momentous and memorable.

In chess, I am provoked to think creatively (which I definitely find very necessary so that my mental faculties do not degenerate) so that I could maintain my present active frame of mind.

The only downswing is that I have to stay late in the night because the time zones of GMs entered in the contest are starkly different from the Philippines.

I am wondering now why I do not see enough effort from both the Philippine Sports Commission (for amateur level) and the Games and Amusements Board (for professional) to encourage sports promotion with the use of the internet so that interest in sports will not die or wither

away.

If one does live streaming on FB and YouTube, very seldom – if any – that one can watch a sport promoted by Filipinos where Filipino athletes can continue displaying their herculean skills.

For this matter, may I laud the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines for bravely putting up the first professional chess group (patterned after the PBA).

The PCAP organization was very timely.

In fact, competitors can meet face-to-face because the playing rules sit opponents one meter apart from each other. Chess players don’t talk and requiring them to wear face masks and shields will not deter them from playing their best.

The media coverage in the

CCT can be copied by the PCAP and broadcast the matches live on-line.

Sponsors and corporate support will forthwith come if online competitions are interesting enough to generate fan following.

If the viral threats remain, I think on-line promotion and coverage of chess will outlast if not overtake the popularity of baseball, basketball, boxing, tennis and golf.

I pray that GM Wesley So’ star continues to shine and glitter. He recently won the Skillings Open, the first leg of the Champions Chess Tour, a year-long tournament for the world’s top twenty pawn-pushers. A safe and prosperous New Year to all! (Email your feedback to fredlumba@ yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

RISING STARS

VOL.13 ISSUE 219 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020

Boxing Yearender: New boxing heroes rise in 2020

C

ontact sports, especially fight sports, were among the most heavily affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic during the most of 2020.

But as things slowly got better (at least in some countries), sports also slowly made its way back into the fold in the form of bubbles or, in many combat sport cases, a closed circuit environment in which the pugilists and their cornermen were only limited to strict backand-forth travels from the hotels to the rings or cages.

Like other fighters, Filipino fight sport athletes still got to show their wares during the year.

Some, however, stood out among the rest.

As we look back to the year that has been, we will also take a look at how these athletes made waves in this whirlwind 366-day ride.

First off: the top Filipino standouts for 2020.

Mike Plania In a stacked bantamweight division that features current champions Naoya Inoue, Nordine Oubaali, and fellow Filipino John Riel Casimero, Mike Plania was out of the boxing radar until June 17 came.

Plania shocked the world on that fateful day in Las Vegas when he defeated American world title contender Joshua Greer.

Plania introduced himself right at the very first round when he quickly sent Greer to the floor for the knockdown.

Although a one-point deduction slightly hurt his cause, Plania would still go on to take the majority decision victory.

If given a chance, Pla-

FRISING, P10

Mike Plania shocked the world on that fateful day in Las Vegas when he defeated American world title contender Joshua Greer.