Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 2 | Tuesday, March 16, 2021

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Sara to employers: No reduction of pay to employees who are working under alternative arrangement STORY ON PAGE 2

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A hog raiser delivers a backyard raised pig at a community in Chavez Street where roasted pigs sold by lechon houses are being cooked. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 2 • TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021

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A staff member of the office of the First Congressional District Representative Paolo“Pulong”Duterte distributs cash aid and rice pack to a resident affected by a fire incident in Barangay Vicente Duterte in Agdao District. Contributed photo

Online submission of reports of corporation now a must

Sara to employers: No reduction of pay to employees who are working under alternative arrangement

By MAYA M. PADILLO ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio reminded employers that there is no diminution of pay or work hours for the employees working under other alternative working arrangement (OAWA) during the pandemic.

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Under Section 10 of the Executive Order No. 10 Series of 2021 or an order for the adoption of other alternative work arrangements in public and private offices, the private offices and establishments who voluntarily adopt the OAWA scheme should not make it an excuse to reduce workdays for “no work-no pay” personnel.

The OAWA assumes continuity of work and

pay in different work arrangements.

“There is no diminution of pay or work hours ug dili puwede i-excuse sa atoang employers na tungod kay nag-adopt sila voluntary OAWA, dili na ma-kompleto ang suweldo sa mga tao. Bisan pa man if you are working from home, you deserve your complete pay,” the mayor said.

The city government of Davao issued the said

EO on Monday focusing on the OAWA namely skeleton workforce, workfrom-home, and staggered working hours. The OAWA shall be applicable to all offices, including field and district offices.

Under Section 4, the EO states that all government agencies and instrumentalities both national and local, shall adopt an OAWA that will fully operationalize their offices with a skeleton workforce inside the offices while others are working from home and the working hours are staggered throughout the day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and this arrangement shall apply to all employees, including consultants, job order

ope Francis urged Filipinos around the world to continue to share the Catholic faith, saying it is "part of your genes" and a "blessed infectiousness" that must be preserved.

In his homily during the Mass for 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines at the Vatican Sunday, the pontiff said the Philippines received the "joy of the Gospel".

“You received the joy of

the Gospel: the good news that God so loved us that he gave his Son for us. And this joy is evident in your people. We see it in your eyes, on your faces, in your songs and in your prayers. In the joy with which you bring your faith to other lands,” he said.

He expressed gratitude to Filipinos worldwide and cited Filipinas in Rome whom he described as "smugglers" of faith.

“Because wherever they

go to work, they sow the faith. It is part of your genes, a blessed “infectiousness” that I urge you to preserve.

Keeping bringing the faith, the good news you received five hundred years ago, to others,” he said. “I want to thank you, then, for the joy you bring to the whole world and to our Christian communities."

Meantime, former Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, who also celebrated the Mass with

and contracts of service workers.

For private offices and establishments, Section 9 states that notwithstanding the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) orders on operational capacity, all private offices, establishments, organizations and institutions are strongly encouraged to adopt the OAWA in Sections 1, 2 and 3 hereof.

The EO order is effective until after the state of calamity (Presidential Proclamation 1021 Series Of 2020) is lifted or a new memorandum from the Civil Service Commission Or the Department Of Labor And Employment (DOLE) is issued.

Pope Francis, said the coming of the Christian faith to the Philippines is God's gift.

Tagle is the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelizations of Peoples in Rome.

“The fact that the Christian faith was received by the majority of our people who gave it a Filipino character is also a gift of God. Now the Philippines has the third largest number of Catholics in the World. This

Pope Francis urges Filipinos to continue to share Catholic faith

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tarting last Monday, March 15, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission will no longer accept hard copies of the annual reports of corporation.

The SEC Davao Extension Office (SEC-DEO) announced that all corporations must now use the SEC Online Submission Tool (OST) in the filing of their annual financial statements (FS), General Information Sheet (GIS), Sworn Statement for Foundation (SSF), General Form for Financial Statements (GFFS), and Special Form for Financial Statements (SFFS) including IHFS, PHFS, BDFS, LCFS, FCFS, LCIF and FCIP. This is in compliance with Memorandum Circular No. 3, Series of 2021 (M.C. No. 3, s. 2021) or the Schedule and Procedure fr the Filing of Annual Financial Statements, General Information Sheet and other Covered Reports.

“Submitted hard copies of the annual reports of corporations will no longer be accepted starting March 15, except as otherwise provided in the memorandum. March 15, 2021 is the start of the enrolment process in the OST for all registered corporations.” the SEC-DEO said.

SEC Chairperson Emilio B. Aquino explained the reason behind this new policy, saying that “With the OST, we are one more step closer to achieving our ease-ofdoing-business and sustainability goals, which have been at the core of

our ongoing digital transformation. The OST is equally important in our efforts to automate business transactions to limit face-to-face interactions, and consequently help stem the transmission of COVID-19 and accelerate the country’s recovery from the pandemic.”

Mandatory enrollment Corporations and their authorized filers are required to enroll in the OST by accomplishing the online application form and submitting the required documents at https:// ciffs-ost.sec.gov.ph.

The documents required for enrollment include (1) a board resolution authorizing the corporation’s representative to file reports on its behalf, as well as (2) a copy of their submission of email addresses and cellular phone numbers as required by SEC Memorandum Circular No. 28, Series of 2020, or their accomplished GIS using the 2020 version of the form, or the Notification Update Form (NUF) for Foreign Corporations.

Online submission All stock corporations, including the branch offices, representative offices, regional headquarters and regional operating headquarters of foreign corporations, will be required to submit their reports using the OST starting this year.

Meanwhile, nonstock corporations will still have the option to submit their reports over the counter.

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NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

Pulong gives relief aid to Davao fire victims

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Life goes slow for the people of Baleteon, Brgy. Dalwangan in Malaybalay City. Photo taken March 12, 2021 by H. MARCOS C. MORDENO

he office of the First Congressional District Representative Paolo "Pulong" Duterte distributed on Saturday afternoon cash aid and rice packs to more than 500 families affected by a fire incident in Barangay Vicente Duterte in Agdao District.

Each recipient - which composed of house owners, sharers, boarders, renters, and caretakers - received cash aid and 10 kilos sack of rice from Rep. Duterte's office. The distribution was held at Holy Cross Drive in Barangay Vicente Duterte at around 1:30 p.m.

House owner Lyn Noble, 31, a factory worker, described the current situation as exhausting. She added that she and her husband were not around

when the fire gutted down their house; not even a single valuable item was saved from the incident.

"Maayo nalang naa koy paryente diri sa siyudad, didto mi karon temporarily nag-stay samtang gapaabot mi kung kanus-a pwede makabalik sa amoa or kung mangita na ba mi niini ug balay na makabalhinan," Noble said.

In the initial report from the Davao City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), 574 families have been affected by the incident, of which 275 are house owners, 126 are sharers, 127 are renters, 40 are boarders, and six are caretakers.

The fire gutted down over 300 houses at Purok

ore healthcare workers in Davao City are willing to be inoculated with the controversial Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine amidst mixed public opinion of the China-made vaccine.

Davao City Health Office chief Dr. Ashley Lopez said they city has ran out of Sinovac vaccines as many were availing of it.

“So far daghan man nagpabakuna.

Nag-over pan gani mi sa expected number of recipients from the private hospitals mao nahutdan ug Sinovac,” Lopez said.

Lopez added that the Magallanes Elementary School vaccination site always full for the inoculation of the public healthcare workers of the city.

The vaccination for the healthcare workers commenced last March 5, 2021 wherein around 150 healthcare workers from the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) were the first to receive the first dose of Sinovac vaccines donated to the Philippine government.

The first batch of Sinovac vaccines, which was around 12,000 doses, arrived in Davao City on Mar.2 while the second batch of around 21,600 doses arrived here on Mar. 4.

The city government of Davao has also identified the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) as an additional vaccination site once the vaccina-

tion for the other individuals included in the priority group starts.

“Vaccination of the frontliners is ongoing. More and more will be convinced to get vaccinated as we go along,” Lopez said.

The city government of Davao is intensifying its information campaign on the benefits of getting vaccinated against Covid-19 by launching the informative comics on Covid-19.

The material aims to educate the public about the virus and the benefits of the Covid-19 vaccines and will be distributed in the city starting March 11, 2021 to build public confidence in the government’s combat against the disease.

In the 32-page strips, the comics highlights ‘Kapitan BIDA’ as the superhero while ‘ContraVIDa’ as the virus. It is a story about Covid-19 on how it viciously affect the lives of people and how one can protect themselves from the deadly virus.

The comic explains the virus in detail and how it can be transmitted to other people. It also tells what the virus can do once it enters the human body.

Well-supported by comic illustrations, it also explains symptoms and how one can minimize the contact.

The story also highlights the importance of accurate and verified information as a way to eliminate confusion among the public. By Maya M. Padillo

More frontliners willing to get vaccinated with Sinovac

Paquibato farmers get M financial literacy training

By MAYA M. PADILLO he Rotary Club of East Davao recently trained farmers of Sitio Balabag in Barangay Malabog, Paquibato District on financial literacy.

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A joint project of Rotary Club of East Davao, Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants - Davao Chapter (PICPA-Davao), Income Credit Cooperative, Davao City Peace 911, Office of the City Agriculturist, Brgy. Malabog and Councilor Ralph and Marissa Abella, trained the farm-

ers the basics of budgeting, creating and maintaining a budget, understanding interest rates, and prioritize saving.

“Recently, gitabangan ta sa Rotary Club sa pagpahigayon ug financial planning para sa mga entrepreneurs/farmers kung unsaon pagbalanse sa libro

ug pagbuhat sa libro para sa ilahang mga negosyo,” Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said.

Mayor Sara initiated the Peace 911 as a peace and development tool to address the root causes of insurgency in Paquibato District by providing government services and livelihood programs to the people.

Peace 911 was launched by the city government in 2018. The farmers participating in the city’s counter-insurgency

“Peace Economy” underwent training to improve their harvest and quality of produce.

One of the initial projects was linking vegetable growers with Helen’s Farms, Inc., a unit of retailer and shopping mall operator New City Commercial Center (NCCC).

Under the partnership, Helen’s Farms will directly purchase Paquibato produce, allowing farmers to steer clear of middlemen who usually offer lower prices.

workers in private medical institutions.

Lopez and Dr. Gene Gulanes, head of the Davao City Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Drug Dependents, were the first to receive AstraZeneca vaccines during the ceremonial vaccination.

In her program over Davao City Disaster Radio, Mayor Sara Duterte said she wanted to expedite the vaccination of frontline health workers amid potential surge due to the emergence of highly infectious South African and UK variants in the National Capital Region and Cebu.

Dr. Anna Lisa Ong-Lim, member of the Department of Health Technical Advisory Group in the national office, announced in a press briefing broadcast over People’s Television Network on Saturday the presence of a new COVID-19 variant originating from the Philippines called P-3.

“If we remember last week, the Philippine Genome Center actually shared some data about the two new mutations detected from among the 85 cases. When we received this information,

we submitted this to global reporting system and we were waiting for them to let us know if this is unique to the Philippines or has been discovered in other countries, they’ve back to us and told us that this is a new variant,” she said.

She said there’s no sufficient data as yet to establish if P-3 variant is more infectious and that it causes more severe symptoms and deaths.

Davao City has been allocated 20,000 out of 33,600 doses of Sinovac and 3,000 out of the 20,000 doses of AstraZeneca that the national government set aside for Davao Region, according to Lopez.

The city targets to inoculate around 1.2 million people to achieve herd immunity.

SPMC officer-in-charge Ricardo Audan said 3,841 out of its 5,900 workers have been vaccinated from March 5 to March 13.

Lopez said around 4,000 frontline health workers were vaccinated as of Saturday at Magallanes Elementary School and A. Mabini Elementary School in Bang-

kal, which opened last March 8.

The city has 16,800 health workers, he said.

Lopez added that the city government plans to start the vaccination of 77,189 indigent and non-indigent senior citizens once the vaccination of all frontline health workers is completed.

Lopez added that the 432,549 indigent Dabawenyos will be prioritized for the vaccination based on the list of the City Social Welfare and Development Office and 5,200 members of the security forces.

As of March 13, the Department of Health (DOH)Davao reported 20,587 total cases, with 1,032 active, 18,682 recoveries, and 873 deaths.

Out of the total, Davao City, which reported the highest COVID-19 cases in Mindanao, tallied 13,356 cases, with 541 active, 12,167 recoveries, and 648 deaths. Davao de Oro reported 1,226 cases, Davao del Norte with 3,130, Davao del Sur with 1,386, Davao Occidental with 214, and Davao Oriental with 1,275. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

Davao City opens 3rd vaccination site

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he City Government of Davao opened on Saturday its third vaccination site at the Magallanes Elementary School as it hastened the vaccination of frontline health workers amid the emergence of more infectious variants of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Dr. Ashley Lopez, acting chief of the City Health Office (CHO) said the third vaccination site is catering to the frontline health workers of the city government, particularly personnel of the temporary treatment and monitoring facilities, Public Safety and Security Command Center, Davao City Central 911, Rapid Action Team, Barangay Health Emergency Response Team, Barangay Health Workers, and Barangay Nutrition Scholars.

Lopez said around 190 personnel were vaccinated on the first day of the COVID-19 vaccination at the Magallanes Elementary School. The other two sites are the Southern Philippines Medical Center for its frontline health workers and A. Mabini Elementary School in Bangkal for frontline health

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20K new COVID-19 cases a day possible

by April if surge not contained -- OCTA

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he district office has been giving food packs not only to its constituents, but also to other areas of Davao City where people are in need of immediate assistance even amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.

The independent research group crunching the numbers on COVID-19 cases in the Philippines said that daily new infections could reach 20,000 by April.

Dr. Guido David of the

OCTA Research team said the new projection was based on the country’s current reproduction number of 1.9.

A reproduction number of one or higher is an indication of the continuous transmission of the virus.

However, David added, this could be prevented if the national government and local government units continue to implement minimum health protocols, localized lockdowns, and curfew hours.

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 2 • TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021

A pump attendant fills a motorcycle with gasoline at a station along MacArthur highway in Matina, Davao City. Oil prices are seen to go up big-time starting today. Gasoline goes up by P1.10 to P1.20 per liter while diesel has increased by P0.80 to P0.90 per liter. Edge Davao

Remittances down N 1.7% in January

COVID-19 vaccinations in private companies should be free: DOLE

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emittances from overseas Filipinos opened the year with a drop both month-on-month and year-on-year, data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Monday showed.

Central bank data show cash remittances — money transfers coursed through banks — fell 1.7% to $2.603 billion in January 2021 from $2.648 billion

the same month last year.

Cash remittances from land-based workers contracted 2.4% to $2.044 billion, while those from seabased workers increased

1% to $58 million.

The United States accounted for the highest share with 40.9%, followed

by Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Combined remittances from these countries accounted for 78.2%.

Meanwhile, personal remittances — the sum of transfers sent in cash or in-

kind via informal channels — dropped 1.7% to $2.895 billion in January from $2.944 billion.

Personal remittances from land-based workers with work contracts of at least a year dropped 2.4% to $2.219 billion from $2.274 billion. Those from sea-based workers and land-based workers with contracts of less than a year fell 1% to $609 million.

the global airline industry.

The DOLE-NCR, through its Makati-Pasay Field Office (MPFO), received last month a series of notice of termination from PAL for the affected workers.

On February 2, PAL announced a company-wide workforce reduction program affecting 2,300 employees.

However, the management decided to retain 845 workers.

The payment of separation pay took place from February 17 to 22, which was witnessed by the DOLE-NCR MPFO upon request of the company.

Rhodora Buca and Edmond Paolo Garcia, officers

of the PAL’s HR Department, said the firm provided separation pay equivalent to one-month pay for every year of service, including outplacement assistance to help ease the transition.

“Philippine Airlines conducted several webinars to offer job opportunities for our affected employees. Fortunately, there are so many companies connecting with us because they knew that we will have this reduction in manpower,” Buca said.

Garcia, meanwhile, said they have employees on training with some Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies, such as Accenture and Sitel.

"They are thankful to

PAL that (they) were not neglected,” he added.

Meanwhile, Napoleon Salazar, a security officer at PAL’s Security Department for almost 17 years, will rest for now and save his money for their family’s future needs.

Although he was among those who were retrenched, he remained grateful for the wonderful experiences during his stay in PAL and thankful for the separation package.

“I am speaking for myself only and I can say my overall stay in PAL has been okay. I had a chance to travel the world, either on personal or business trips. They’ve given us good benefits and

1.4K PAL retrenched workers get P2.3-B separation pay: DOLE

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ome 1,400 retrenched workers of Philippine Airlines (PAL) have received their separation pay amounting to more than PHP2 billion.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Department of Labor and Employment - National Capital Region (DOLE-NCR) said the 1,455 affected workers of the flag carrier were able to receive their separation pay worth PHP2.31 billion.

It said the workers consist of those who were affected by both voluntary and involuntary separation from the company and were employed until March 12, as part of PAL’s recovery plan due to the pandemic that has massively affected

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o worker should be charged for their vaccination against COVID-19 or be discriminated against if they refuse to get injected, the Department of Labor and Employment said as it issued guidelines on the administration of vaccines in the workplace.

DOLE’s Labor Advisory No. 3 Series of 2021 sets guidelines for the private sector seeking to inoculate their employees against COVID-19.

According to the guidelines signed by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, companies may procure COVID-19 vaccines, supplies, and other services.

Firms may also “seek the support of the appropriate government agencies in the procurement, storage, transport, deployment, and administration of COVID-19 vaccines.”

Employees should not pay for their vaccination.

“No cost of vaccination in the workplace shall be charged against or passed on, directly or indirectly to the employees,” the advisory read.

Workplaces are also mandated to encourage employee vaccination.

The DOLE also said there shall be no discrimination against an employee who refuses or fails to get vaccinated.

“Any employee who refuses or fails to be vaccinated shall not be discriminated against in the terms of tenure, promotion, train-

ing, pay, and other benefits, among others, or terminated from employment,” DOLE said.

Labor Undersecretary Maria Teresita Cucueco reiterated this in a later briefing.

“Ang sinasabi i-encourage na mapabakunahan ang empleyado pero kung hindi ho sila papayag hindi po ito basehan ng termination, promotion, at iba pa nga hindi papasukin sa loob ng kompanya. Discriminatory na po iyan, hindi po ‘yan sang-ayon sa mga issuance ng DOLE,” she said.

(This indicates that employees should be encouraged to get vaccinated. But if they refuse to get vaccinated, this should not be basis for termination, or promotion, or barred entry in their workplace. That is discriminatory, that’s not in favor of the DOLE’s issuances.)

The DOLE previously said that the “no vaccination, no work” policy is illegal.

The Philippines, lagging behind Asian neighbors as it is 2 weeks into its COVID-19 vaccination drive, has started inoculating health care workers, with roughly 11 percent of the total health worker population injected with COVID-19 vaccines as of March 10.

Among those to be vaccinated next in the government’s priority list are senior citizens and economic frontliners, among others.

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ECONOMY

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Big-time fuel price hike today

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fter last week's rollback, pump prices are seen to go up bigtime this week, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said.

In its fuel price forecast for March 16 to 22 trading week, Unioil said the price per liter of gasoline may go up by P1.10 to P1.20.

Diesel prices, meanwhile, may increase by P0.80 to P0.90 per liter.

Oil companies usually announce fuel price adjustments every Monday, to be effective on the next day.

On March 9, fuel firms implemented a price rollback of P0.10 per liter for gasoline and P0.35 per liter for diesel.

Data from the Department of Energy showed the prevailing prices of gasoline in Metro Manila range from P41.50 to P55.90 per liter, while diesel prices range between P34.00 and P41.41 per liter.

Year-to-date price adjustments stand at a net increase of P6.10 per liter for gasoline and P5.35 per liter for diesel.

Farmers in 4 Agusan Sur towns to stop selling palay to traders, middlemen

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everal farmers in four towns of this province will no longer settle for low prices of their palay offered by traders and middlemen, but will instead process it into high-grade commercial rice and sell it directly in markets.

The farmers, all agrarian reform beneficiaries in Trento, Bunawan, Veruela and Sta. Josefa, said they expect to realize this plan with the inauguration Tuesday of the P21-million rice processing plant in this town.

Leomides R. Villareal, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) – Caraga regional director, said the plant will liberate the farmers from middlemen and unscrupulous traders and make them productive rice entrepreneurs.

The plant is equipped with facilities like a multipass rice mill, warehouse power supply, recirculating mechanical batch dryer, five solar dryers and mist polisher.

It is a DAR project under the Convergence of Value Chain Enhancement for Rural Growth and Empowerment (Project ConVERGE).

The large-scale dryer and rice milling plant were funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Philippine government as part of Project ConVERGE’s P110-million allocation for the agrarian reform farmers in the four municipalities.

The local government units of the four towns shouldered 20 percent of the project cost.

DAR Secretary John Castriciones, who attended the inauguration, distributed P16 million worth of farm machines and equipment to the different farmers organizations of the province.

“We have the President who loves the farmers, the agrarian reform beneficiaries, and he has mandated me to distribute the agricultural lands to the farmers as soon as possible. And I, being one of the Secretary of our President believes that the farmers are considered as one of the true heroes of our country,” Castriciones said.

The official said President Duterte gave DAR a clear mandate to deliver all the necessary assistance for the farmers as a legacy of his administration.

The plant will be operated by the Southern Agusan Seed Producers

Cooperative (SASEPCO), which will serve as consolidator of the rice produce from three other agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations: Kahugpungan sa Malahutayong Mag-uuma Para sa Ekonomikanhong Kalambuan, La Fortuna Multi-Purpose Cooperative, and Baug CARP Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

Already, the cooperatives have cornered a P16-million rice supply deal with the Department of Social Welfare and Development after winning a competitive government bidding.

They were able to secure a certification from the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System with the technical assistance and capability building training from the DAR Provincial Office.

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the D.O. Plaza Memorial Hospital will follow suit in ordering thousands of bags of rice from them.

Jamil P. Amatonding Jr., Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II, said the farmers under Project ConVERGE will somehow address the negative impact of the Rice Tariffication Law, which also affected farmers in the four towns.

He said the farmers are expected to increase their yield by 30 percent due to the cost-effective mechanized farming system.

He said the modern farm inputs would boost production while significantly reducing the expenses incurred, especially during the planting season.

He said that based on the results of their strategic plan with the farmers their expense of P37,000 will be significantly reduced.

He explained that if a farmer yields P74,000 per hectare, with the mechanized inputs that would lessen their expenses, his net income will go as high as P45,000 to P50,000 per hectare.

Maximo Gegato, SASEPCO manager, said 20 of their 200 members stopped planting rice and instead grew bananas because of heavy losses in their harvest last year as a result of declining prices of palay.

He said traders pegged the palay prices at P700 to 800 per 50-kilo bag from what used to be P1,000 to P1,400 before the implementation of the tariffication law. (Chris V. Panganiban/MindaNews)

Local tourists dine at the Coastline Food Hub in Barangay Malisbong, Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat on Sunday, 14 March 2021. The restaurant, which opened two years ago, is less than a kilometer away from the mosque

where thousands of Moros where killed in the infamous Malisbong Massacre on September 24, 1974. MindaNews photo by BONG S. SARMIENTO

DOT-11 to enhance bicycle tourism as part of industry’s recovery plans

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he Department of Tourism Region XI (DOT XI) is looking at developing bike tourism as part of the tourism industry’s recovery plans.

“Marami tayong mga trails (we have many trails), we are now working with the local government units, I know Davao de Oro would want to push for that activities. It is included in our circuit development,” said DOT-XI Regional Director Tanya Rabat Tan on their efforts to enhance bike tourism in the region.

The DOT-XI is currently trying to develop regional tourism circuits which are clusters of destinations connected by an infrastructure in the case of bike tourism, the scenic locations are connected by a network of roads and trails.

The development of these tourism circuits form part of the Updated Regional Tourism Development Plan (RTDP), 2020-2022 and Regional Farm Tourism Strategic Action Plan (RFTSAP), 2020-2023 and which are anchored under the DOT’s Tourism Response and Recovery Plan (TRRP) and the Davao Region’s Recovery Program to Mitigate Losses from COVID-19 and to Adapt to

the New Normal.

“Davao Region has a potential for these kinds of activities for bikes or motorcycles. But we have to be careful for cycling we must have bike lanes. But for trails there is great potential, actually we have it (trails),” Regional Director Rabat-Tan said.

Potentials in Bike Tourism “Bike tourism in Davao can become a very viable attraction for both local and foreign tourists. Besides the usual routes that highlight the beauty of Davao's natural environment, we can also do historical tours of structures, obelisks and markers that date back to our pre-war American and Japanese times,” says avid cyclist Igy Castrillo, who works in public relations and book publishing.

Castrillo says he is helping DOT-XI in developing routes of bike tours which involves visits to natural scenic spots and also historical sites in and around Davao City.

“Further, we can devel-

op cultural tours that include visits to one or more of the nine museums that focus on our rich ethnic heritage and biodiversity of the region,” Castrillo said.

Sheika Abubakar Cañedo who with her husband Dax Cañedo, founder of the Mindanao Film Festival are passionate trail bikers, says they have discovered several breathtaking sceneries just around Davao City thru biking.

“Trail biking is addictive because you get to see so many beautiful places, this is the reason many people are going trail biking,” Cañedo lists several spots which include; Lantaw Dabaw, an elevated bike stop located in Barangay Dalagdag in Calinan which affords bikers with a commanding vista of Davao City and Davao del Norte.

Another biking location is Barangay Gatungan where a high ground that can be accessed by an uphill ride provides a panoramic view of Callawa Davao City. Another frequented spot is the Nenitas Trail in Catigan, Toril where aside from the rustic scenery, ramps along the trails provide adrenaline rush for adventurous riders.

abor groups lauded the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for its advisory against the “no vaccine, no work” policy being planned by some employers.

One of them was the Associated Labor Unions (ALU), which expressed relief that DOLE is supporting workers.

"The employees are grateful for the prompt positive reaction from

DOLE,” ALU spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said in a statement on Sunday.

He acknowledged that employees and DOLE are normally at odds over some policies but this time, he has “to convey the praise whenever it’s due."

On Friday, DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III issued Advisory 032021, or the Guidelines on the Administration of Covid-19 Vaccines in Workplaces.

Vaccination should not be made mandatory and those who refuse to be vaccinated should not be discriminated against, the advisory stated.

DOLE said workers cannot be terminated, refused promotion, or prohibited from entering the workplace just because they do not want to be inoculated.

The cost of vaccination shall also be paid by employers and not passed

Castrillo said aside from trails, downtown Davao City is also replete with attractions which can be accessed by biking.

“Shorter routes are those of the Davao Chinatown area with their distinctive arches and temples,” Castrillo said.

Last year the local government of Davao City thru its City Transportation and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) has demarcated bike lanes in major thoroughfares around the city and which has been used by many cyclists.

The bike lanes in Davao City were put place in accordance to the provisions of an existing Bicycle Ordinance signed in 2010 and is aimed at promoting cycling in the city.

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a resurgence in biking across the country including Davao as the shortage of public transportation during the period of strict community quarantine forced people to explore biking to move around.

Restrictions on travel outside their hometowns alongside a greater interest on physical fitness made people stay and explore their localities thru biking. (PIA XI/RG Alama) on, directly or indirectly, to employees.

Tanjusay believed the advisory, will also influence the ongoing “no jab, no job” raging debates that have been stoking pandemic industrial strife between workers and employers in the United States and in Europe.

"This Philippine government advisory saying workers cannot be coerced and discriminated

DOLE advisory against 'no vax, no work' policy draws praise

L

FDOLE, P10

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

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VOL.14 ISSUE 2 • TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021

On releasing a memo calling for unity within the ruling PDP-Laban party and directing all members to avoid discussing politics at this time as the COVID-19 pandemic continues:

I have the responsibility to enforce rules, promote cooperation, insist on civility and respect, and most of all, to remind you that we are one team. Before we can truly solve the problems of the country, we must first focus on ourselves and our beloved party.”

Sen. Manny Pacquiao Acting President, PDP-Laban

EDITORIAL Drawing inspiration Recognition to individuals who have brought pride, honor and inspiration to our lives is a welcome respite from the beatings we have taken from the pandemic as well as the gushing ripples of politics that are beginning to surface as the elections draw near.

PBA legend Robert “The Big J” Jaworski and football great Paulino Alcantara banner the latest addition to the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame. They will be enshrined to the elite list as the fourth batch of sports heroes whose exploits in their respective athletic fields have brought honor to the country and inspiration to any generations of Filipinos.

The final line up of the 4th batch of enshrinees to the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame (PSHOF) have been selected Friday, March 12.

Aside from Jaworski and Alcantara, the others comprising the ten sports heroes who were selected to be inducted into the PSHOF this April are Eric Buhain (Swimming), Dionisio Calvo (Coach-Basketball & Football), Arianne Cerdena (Bowling), Gertrudes Lozada (Swimming), Elma Muros-Posadas (Athletics), Rogelio Onofre (Athletics), Leopoldo Serrantes (Boxing), and Roel

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

Velasco (Boxing).

The selection committee, by virtue of Republic Act 8757 or the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame Act, is chaired by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez with Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham Tolentino as vice chairperson. Members are Games and Amusement Board Chairman Abraham Mitra, Philippine Football Federation Secretary General Atty. Ed Gastanes and Philcycling Secretary General Atty.

Billy Sumagui as NSA representatives, Philippine Olympians Association President Akiko Guevara and UAAP Executive Director Atty. Rene Andrei Saguisag Jr as private group representatives.

At a time when the country is in dire need of inspiration and motivation to survive amidst the pandemic, the memories of these sporting heroes resonate as a powerbank of energy that could fire us up through these hard times.

Remembering how these athletes sacrificed a lot for the country and live a very disciplined life is exactly the template that we need in order to vault back to life and power this country again to greatness instead of engaging in skepticism and blame-throwing.

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

the national association of newspapers

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NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

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

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LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. DR. MAURO L. PUYOD Consultant Cartoonist 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.14 ISSUE 2 • TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021

VANTAGE POINTS

7

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

LESSENING ROAD ACCIDENTS THROUGH DRIVER PH Road accidents kill someone every 24 seconds, with a total of 1.35 million traffic deaths around the world each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The number of fatalities annually has increased by around 100,000 in just three years, it adds.

It may come as a surprise but more people die from road crashes than from HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome), tuberculosis and diarrheal diseases, the WHO says.

“By the year 2020, if current trends continue, the annual number of deaths and disabilities from road traffic injuries will have risen by more than 60% to number three (from number 9 in 1990) on WHO’s list of leading contributors to the global burden of disease and injury,” the UN health agency states.

Globally, it is estimated that there are now roughly 100 million families coping with the deaths or disabilities of family members who were injured in a road traffic collision, recently or in the past.

In the Philippines, 35 Filipinos die of road accidents every day, with an additional 348 left with serious disabilities, statistics show. In fact, the Geneva-based WHO has touted the Philippines as one of the “dead-

liest” countries in terms of road safety.

And the toll is increasing each year. From 6,869 deaths recorded in 2006, it almost doubled in 2016 with 12,690 deaths, according to a report released by the United Nations health agency.

“One death is too many when it comes to road crashes because we know that it is highly preventable,” said Dr. Gundo Weiler, WHO Representative in the Philippines. “There are proven solutions available to protect Filipinos on the road.”

To help make the country’s roads safer, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) together with the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) and Quicktrans Cargo Moving, Inc. officially inked the research collaboration agreement to develop software and hardware solutions to train Filipino truck drivers using Internet of Things (IoT) last February via a virtual signing ceremony.

Present during the signing were Elizabeth Quirino-Lahoz, TIP President; Rowena Cristina Guevara, DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development; Enrico C. Paringit, executive director of Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development; Teddy Gervacio, Chief Executive Officer of Quicktrans

Cargo Moving Inc. “As the Philippine economy progressed in the past decade, evidenced by the expansion in the trucking industry, there is also an increase in demand for qualified professional truck drivers and helpers in fleet management and operations,” said a press release issued by the Science and Technology Media Service.

“However, the training of qualified drivers cannot cope with the increasing demand, leaving industries no choice but to accept underqualified and inexperienced drivers which often causes road accidents, costly insurance premiums, and increased risk in trucking operations,” S&T Media Service’s Jachin Jane O. Aberilla.

To address these issues, the aforementioned agencies launched the project entitled, “Drivers Roadworthiness Improvement Verification Education and Readiness for the Philippine Logistics Industry” – or DRIVER PH for short. It seeks to minimize road accidents by analyzing and evaluating truck drivers’ competence on the road.

“The DRIVER PH project will combine information communication technology (ICT) solutions to monitor and record the driving attitude of drivers such as their sudden acceleration, stopping, swerving, and

turning,” Aberilla wrote.

In addition, the project will also determine the degree of driving knowledge of drivers through a gamified assessment with emphasis on technical driving and vehicle roadworthiness know-how.

“The gathered data will be sent to a cloud to be processed using artificial intelligence and data analytics,” Aberilla explained. “A simplified dashboard that reports the fleet and up to individual driver reports will be accessible through a web and phone app by trucking operators.”

What DRIVER PH interesting is that it will also have a learning platform that will create suggestions on what to improve, what to maintain in practice, and what other things are needed to be learned as aided by artificial intelligence and data analytics in every trip made.

“We are currently working on the learning modules, webinars, and other materials for the learning platform,” said Engr.

Felizardo C. Reyes, DRIVER PH project leader.

He added that driving rules and regulations, laws, and road courtesy materials will also be available to allow drivers to learn at their own pace. The platform will also have a special function where operators and company headquarters can

supervise the progress of their drivers.

PCIEERD’s Paringit, whose agency will monitor the project, admitted that the potential of DRIVER PH is limitless.

“The same solution can be adopted in different transport sectors such as bus transport, jeepneys, taxis, TNVS, and hopefully even tricycles depending on the result and progress that it will impact in the trucking industry,” he pointed out.

Quicktrans Cargo Moving Incorporated is the technology adopter of DRIVER PH. As such, Gervacio expressed his excitement about the project. “This is the realization of our vision of having more professional truck drivers that will lead to reliable transportation of goods and services,” he said.

Guevara lauded the initiative and recognized TIP’s endeavors in research and development. “This collaboration is a great initiative given that technology adoption is also underway. This is what we aim in DOST, research turning into something useful and tangible,” she said.

DRIVER PH is a one-year project funded by the DOST-Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philippine Economy (CRADLE), one of the programs under the Science for Change Program (S4CP).

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

‘LOST’ MONUMENTS OF DAVAO Progress has its own way of destroying memorials that remind us of key events in the past, like bringing down monuments, sacrificing natural habitats, cutting down trees that survived the test of time, and tearing down historical markers that should be preserved for posterity.

Some of these ‘lost’ Davao landmarks are the Jones Monument, Rizal Monument, Victory Monument, and Key Monument, among others.

The iconic post-war Jones Monument was built at the intersection of five streets, namely: Uyanguren (R. Magsaysay), J.P. Laurel (Bajada), Jacinto, Claveria (C.M. Recto), and the extension of Uyanguren. It was named after American congressman William Atkinson Jones (1849-1918), author of The Jones Law of 1916, which replaced the Philippine Organic Act of 1902.

Jones, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (18911918) represented the first district of the Commonwealth of Virginia. His pedigree came from his forebears who fought several wars and served distinguishably in the American legislature and bureaucracy.

Enacted on August 29, 1916, Jones Law, was passed “to declare the purpose of the people of the United States as to the future political status of the people of the Philippine Islands, and to provide a more autonomous government for those islands.”

Meanwhile, Victory Monument, also known as the Davao Battle Memorial, was constructed after the war in tribute of the Filipino and American liberation forces who sacrificed their lives in a bloody conflict that finally set free Davao City in May 1945 from the Japanese Imperial forces. It got the name’s inspiration from Operation Victor V, an offensive operation devised to bring down the enemy in Mindanao.

The iconic landmark, for some reason, was later removed from its pedestal and supposedly given as a gift to the city of Cotabato. The monument now stands in a downtown plaza, visibly blending with the tree-decorated landscape.

Another exciting landmark was the Rizal Monument that originally stood at the rotunda where the Bonifacio Monument, which now serves as traffic circle, at the intersection of Magallanes

(A. Pichon Sr.), Claveria, and Washington streets. There are claims the same monument has already found its way in Mati City.

Something that is puzzling is the location of Key Monument. In the 1934 Revised Administration Code of the Philippines, Davao Port Road was a 1.6-km stretch from Jones Monument to Key Monument. If today’s Magsaysay Street was prewar Davao Port Road, then Key Monument was probably in reference to the Santa Ana lighthouse that still stands to this day.

Decades ago, Augusto Suazo, the recognized Davaoeño painter, conceived the idea of a Bagobo Monument in full ethnic attire holding a durian in both hands and standing. It was executed

by Ruperto Solon and the sculptor was installed across the entrance of the old Davao airport.

It was damaged when a bomb was exploded on March 4, 2003 in a nearby waiting shed. A similar statue, minus a pedestal, now stands at the small junction near the Bajada flyover. There’s also a variation of the sculpture with a Bagobo in lotus position and a durian between his palms.

Over the past three decades,

new landmarks have sprouted in various places throughout the city. Welcoming visitors to Davao City from the south is the massive Carabao Monument, which drew controversies in the past; it is the brainchild of the late city councilor Renato Bangoy. At the junction of J. P. Laurel Avenue and R. Castillo is the Golden Kris Monument, which is a tribute to the Moro heritage of Davaoeños.

The Monument of Peace and Unity in front of city legislature was unveiled in 1998, coinciding with the centennial of the country’s declaration of independence. It symbolizes the harmony between the indigenous settlers of the region and the migrants that have made the city their permanent home. The Ohta Memorial Monument built in 1926, meanwhile, is an obelisk dedicated to Ohta Kyosaburo, the first Japanese hemp planter in Davao City, who died in 1917. It can be found inside the Mintal Elementary School campus.

Due west is the Magsaysay Monument, a 35-meter-high obelisk supported by a tripod and a circular skating rink on the ground. The landmark was built under the auspices of the Phil-

ippine Veterans Legion, Davao chapter, sometime in 1959, roughly two years after President Ramon Magsaysay, to whom the memorial is dedicated, died in a plane crash. It is found inside the park that has also been named after him.

Going southwest, at Times Beach, specifically the Baywalk, is the David Monument, a statue showing a naked figure of a man and was the focus of disgust in the past from the sentinels of morality. The reason behind the controversial carving is a given; it is built near the entrance of a motel owned by the same person who commissioned the sculpture.

And as a testament to the prolificity of Davao sculptor Kublai Millan, a Datu Bago awardee, are the dozens of stone monuments and statues he had built in the last two decades (19992019). Among his credentials are the Durian Monument adjacent to the city’s international airport; the giant Eagle Monument at the city’s People’s Park; the Kampilan Monument in the province of Sultan Kudarat; the Risen Christ in Tagum City; and the Banana Monument in Panabo City.

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VOL.14 ISSUE 2 • TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021 VOL.14 ISSUE 2 • TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021

EDGEDAVAO

LIFESTYLE

CONQUER THE BATTLEFIELD WITH NEW VALUE-FOR-MONEY GAMING MONITORS

IN its quest to provide immersive gaming experiences to everyone, Lenovo Legion is releasing five new gaming monitors offering top-notch quality at a value-for-money price segment – the Lenovo Gaming G25-10, G2720, G27q-20, G34w-10, and Legion Y25-25 monitors. As the gaming industry has evolved, demand for high-fidelity visual gaming experiences has increased too.

These modern monitors maximize home movie entertainment and the visual effects of smooth and speedy gaming by integrating technologies that Lenovo has taken directly from the insights of its customers, and their price allows Lenovo to deliver the power of technology to more people for improving their everyday experience.

“The past year has shown that gaming is no longer a niche experience enjoyed by a small group. Through its ability to bring people together in a time when everyone is disconnected, gaming has now been embraced by people of all ages and from all walks of life. And so, Lenovo ensures that everyone can experience immersive games to the fullest by making our gaming devices and peripherals easily accessible and packed to the brim with top-performing features and functions,” said Michael Ngan, Lenovo Philippines President and General Manager.

All the monitors feature qualities that make them perfect for high-end gaming and the workplace, as they boast the raw performance to handle the most difficult gaming requirements. Combining higher refresh rates, better and safer viewing opportunities, and specialized software meant to reduce visual distraction, Lenovo’s newest monitors push the limits of system performance with top of the line components, allowing everyone to run any demanding game or visual content with ease.

Leave opponents in the dust Lenovo equipped the new Lenovo Gaming and Legion

monitors with lightning-fast refresh rates to give gamers the competitive edge they need on the battlefield. The G25-10, G2720, and G34w10 come with a rapid 144Hz refresh rate, while the G27q20 has a 165Hz refresh rate which makes all fast-paced action smoother. The Y25-25 monitor, on the other hand, has a whopping 240Hz refresh rate that makes it possible to spot opponents first before being discovered.

The monitors are also compatible with NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD Radeon FreeSync technology, which leaves no room for any disruptive screen tearing, blurring, and image lag. In addition, the G27-20, G27q-20, and G34w-10 have 1ms MPRT (Moving Picture Response Time) that removes ghosting and adds more clarity and quality in the middle of the action.

Never miss any detail The new monitors are also able to create vibrant and lifelike colors, making it easier for gamers to survey their in-game surroundings. The G25-10, G27-20, and Y25-25 offer a perfect balance of clear visuals and attractive design through their FHD 1920 x 1080 resolution quality with either 72% NTSC or 99% sRGB color accuracy. Meanwhile, the G27q20 and G34w-10 have QHD 2560 x 1440 and QHD 3440 x 1440 resolutions, respectively,

and 99% sRGB color accuracy, allowing high-quality and crisp images of games and movies.

The G25-10, G27-20, G27q20, and Y25-25 also feature HDR decoding technology that recreates images in realtime and renders sharp and stunning visuals without distortion. Likewise, the larger G34w-10 has an ultra-wide 21:19 aspect ratio and a Narrow bezel 3-side NearEdgeless 1500R curved panel that shortens the distance between the eyes and both sides of the screen, letting gamers absorb it all in.

Play in your comfort zone The G27-20, G27q-20, and Y25-25 have Lenovo’s Artery software that allows gamers to play by their own rules. It gives access to tools that quickly adjust settings directly on the screen through their PC for better performance. Every monitor also has VESA Mount Capability that adds more flexibility upon use.

All the new monitors also

carry TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free certification that assures protection for the eyes against harmful blue light radiation, flickering screens, and external Lenovo Legion Y25-25 reflections.

They’re also TÜV Low Blue Lightcertified, helping reduce eye fatigue for more dedicated gamers who play for hours at a time.

Moreover, the new monitors have a 3-Year Carry-In Warranty wherein users can simply drop off and pick up their devices at the nearest Lenovo repair center. The device is fully covered within its lifecycle, assuring users greater peace of mind and other benefits such as increased system uptime and productivity.

Conquer daily life too Today’s students and workforce can also use the new Lenovo Gaming and Legion monitors to get an advantage.

Aside from the aforementioned benefits, all monitors have at least 72% NTSC color-accurate panels that make colors pop.

This enables users to completely see every detail while reviewing notes, spreadsheets, and other documents. Graphic artists and video editors will have the best use of this, as they need accuracy and precision in fine-tuning visual content.

Film and series buffs can fully immerse themselves while binge-watching with the G27q-20 monitor’s Quad High Definition resolution, which is four times sharper than the standard 720p HD resolution. Additionally, the 34-inch G34w-10 gives users a bigger canvas to work on. With a larger screen, productivity is doubled as it cuts precious time wasted in actions like scrolling, zooming in, and repositioning programs.

Get your money’s worth The new Lenovo Gaming and Legion monitors are competitively priced and are available in Legion concept stores and Lenovo authorized resellers nationwide. To commemorate their launch, Legion is giving away a free monitor mount worth PHP 2,995 for every pre-order of the G27-20, G27q-20, and G34w-10 monitors as part of a promo. Offer valid while stocks last.

The online launch event of the monitors will be livestreamed at the official Lenovo Legion Philippines Facebook page on March 5, 2021, at 4 PM. Each monitor will be presented by the Lenovo Legion team and The Alliance, Legion’s group of gamers and influencers.

Members of The Alliance will also use the monitors in a mini-tournament featuring Valorant and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive during the event. Fans tuning in to the action also have a chance to win exclusive Legion merchandise and one of the new Lenovo Gaming and Legion monitors through an online raffle.

Learn more about Lenovo Legion’s new monitors by visiting lenovo.com/ph/en/legion.

9 ENVIRONMENT EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 2 • TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021

Siargao home to hundreds of plants and animals

I

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY HENRYLITO D. TACIO ADDITIONAL PHOTO FROM NRCP

f you mention Siargao Island in Surigao del Sur to foreigners, what comes to their mind immediately is the famous “Cloud 9) wave. One of the best surfs in the world, it is an incredible wave touched by the Pacific Ocean swell and winds.

What these foreigners – and even Filipinos – don’t know is that the island is also home to hundreds of flora and fauna, according to the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP).

Siargao has the largest protected area under the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) due to the mangrove forests. In fact, it is the second largest in Mindanao with 8,620 hectares and a single forest block consisting of 4,200 hectares.

Most of these mangroves are located in the municipality of Del Carmen, one of the oldest settlements founded by the Spaniards in this part of the country. Early records of missionaries dated as far as 1571, or barely 50 years after the discovery of the Philippines.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recognized the area as having the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the Philippines.

It is not surprising that most of Siargao’s wildlife species can be found in Del Carmen. In the website, surigaodelnorte.gov.ph, the provincial government stated: “(The municipality) is surrounded by several islets in the western coastal portion with beautiful beaches along Caub cave called Sugba. The sea, in contrast to the virgin for-

est, is rich in resources.

“Hundreds of fish species and numerous kinds of clams and crabs are found on the ocean floor. Shallow seas and coral reefs, even the murky swaps, are lined by almost endless raw mangroves inhabited by crocodiles of different sizes,” the website added.

Del Carmen is described as “a municipality of superlatives.” The website said: “The virgin forest orchid, and other ornamental plants can be seen; the widest natural grown mangrove trees and rarest crocodile species.”

The crocodile species found in the Del Carmen Mangrove Forest is the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), the largest land and river-dwelling predator in the world.

To make a necessary inventory of the flora and fauna found in Siargao, the NRCP members of Division V (Biological Sciences) conducted a study under the SAKLAW (Saklolo sa Lawa – Sustainable Communities) of the National Integrated Basic Research Agenda.

Dr. Cecilia Banag-Moran, who headed the study, reported the group found that in Del Carmen alone, a total of 110 species of plants and 403 species of animals from aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

In a statement posted on its website, it said that the researchers have “found remarkable plant

and beach forest species and possible new species of frog, rat, tarsier, insects, marine fish and decapod crustaceans.”

“With this rich diversity, a move for the global importance of Del Carmen, Siargao should be considered for its conservation and sustainability,” the statement said.

Of the animals identified, 11 were amphibians, 14 mammals, 23 reptiles, 52 birds, and 81 marine fish. Nine species of plants and 34 species of terrestrial vertebrates are endemic to the Philippines. In addition, 45 species of plants and 17 species of terrestrial vertebrates “are not yet assessed for their conservation status.”

What is interesting about the study is that the amphibians and reptiles found in mangroves and surrounding habitats “are in excellent condition.” Because of this finding, the project researchers recommend “the need to place protection measures in the area.”

The NRCP study also pointed out that the highly-diverse Del Carmen mangrove forest is “home of interesting species, host to unique floral assemblages, and haven of high floral diversity.”

NRCP researchers said there are 54 mangrove species in the world and Del Carmen has 19 of these species or 35.19% of the total species.

“There is also a remarkable record of new 90 species of marine flora, thus, the need for continuance of correct and diversified mangrove planting,” the statement said.

The NRCP study was actually requested by the

Siargao’s local government unit in response for scientific evidence to support its bid to Ramsar, the Convention on Wetlands. It is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

The Philippines has now eight Ramsar sites which are “of internation-

al importance.” These are Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Mindanao, Naujan Lake National Park in Oriental Mindoro, Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Cebu, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Sulu Sea, the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area, the Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Con-

servations Area, and the Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetlands.

“The presence of threatened and endemic flora and fauna and possible new species, aside from the high diversity in the area is sufficient support for the Del Carmen Mangrove Forest to be listed under Ramsar for its long-term conservation and sustainable utilization,” the statement said.

10 EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 2 • TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021

Clearex is now in Mindanao, needs more distributors as commercial cleaning services is on the rise

T

he coronavirus is still on top of mind for all of us right now. It’s affecting our business, communities, and day-today lives.

In all public places and business establishments all surfaces, door handles, and equipment are now disinfected more often for safety.

And with still restricted movements allowed these days commercial cleaning services are on the rise.

In fact, at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, professional cleaning services have been in higher demand than in previous years. That’s why the industrial cleaning services market is expected to continue to grow considerably until 2025 due to the ongoing ramifications of COVID-19. Office buildings, medical facilities and public-facing businesses all over the country have to rely on cleaning products to continuously disinfect their spaces.

And the good news: highly effective yet affordable cleaning products are readily available in the market today. CLEAREX products -- dishwashing liquid soaps, fabric softener solutions, bleach,

detergents and toilet bowl cleaners -- comes from a wholly-owned Filipino company committed to providing top-quality cleaning products at a price that is affordable for the Filipinos.

CLEAREX provides a safer and cleaner environment for the public through its products that's developed, manufactured and delivered directly to end-users to ensure quality and are cost-saver.

Products are affordable and easily accessible through Clearex distributors nationwide.

Clearex is further looking for business partners. Whether you’re starting a commercial cleaning service or simply sharing the products to your friends and loved ones, let’s give the gift of protection to every Filipino through Clearex. Become Clearex distributors now!

CLEAREX has finally landed in Mindanao and is looking for Cleaning Partners in the promised land!

See if you qualify for City, Municipality and Community distributors in Mindanao.

Please contact Arra at 0917632-3315/ 09194595589 or message our fb at @Clearexchemicals.

By 2022, the Commission will require all non-stock corporations to enroll in and submit their reports through the OST. The authorized filer of a corporation may start submitting reports through the OST once they have successfully enrolled.

The SEC will no longer manually receive hard copies of the reports submitted through the portal.

Corporations may use the OST for the filing of their AFS, GIS, Sworn Statement for Foundation (SSF), General Form for Financial Statements (GFFS), and Special Form for Financial Statements (SFFS) during the initial implementation.

The OST will likewise accept submissions of Affidavit of Non-Operation (ANO), together with the GIS or AFS, and Affidavit of Non-Holding of Annual Meeting (ANHAM), together with the GIS. The reports will undergo quality check upon submission.

Once approved, the filer will receive a QR code indicating the final acceptance of the reports.

Upon successful submission, the reports will be made available to the public through the Online Submission Portal.

For the initial implementation of the OST beginning March

15, only stock corporations, including the branch offices, representative offices, regional headquarters and regional operating headquarters of foreign corporations, will be mandatorily required to submit their reports using the OST. Non-stock corporations, for the meantime, will still have the option to submit their reports over the counter.

By 2022, however, the Commission will require all corporations, whether stock or nonstock, to enroll in and submit their reports through the OST. Deadlines All corporations shall submit the GIS within the 30 calendar days following their respective annual or actual meetings.

For their FS, corporations whose fiscal years ended on December 31, 2020 shall observe the following filing schedule, based on the last numerical digit of their SEC registration or license numbers: 1 : June 1 to 30 2 : July 1 to 31 3 and 4 : August 1 to 31 5 and 6 : September 1 to 30 7 and 8 : October 1 to 31 9 and 0 : November 1 to 30 Corporations also have the option to file ahead of the pre-

scribed filing dates through the OST. Those whose fiscal year ends on a date other than December 31 should file their AFS within 120 days from the end of their fiscal year. Meanwhile, publicly listed companies and other issuers of securities should file their AFS within 105 days after the end of their fiscal years.

Corporations whose AFS are audited by the Commission on Audit (COA) may submit outside the prescribed filing schedule, provided they attach an affidavit and a letter from COA attesting to the timely submission of their financial statements and supporting documents to the state auditor.

Corporations required to submit the GFFS and SFFS will have 30 days from the deadline of their AFS submission to comply using the OST. The SEC will no longer require the certification under oath, previously prescribed under SEC Memorandum Circular No. 6, Series of 2006.

The public is encouraged to read Memorandum Circular No. 3 Series of 2021 available at the SEC website for complete information on the online submission of SEC reportorial requirements.

they treated their employees as family,” Salazar said, adding that he was able to support the education of his children with the help of the airline company.

On the other hand, DOLE-NCR

reported that it has facilitated the review and evaluation of the retrenched workers who were qualified to receive financial assistance through the Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program

(CAMP) under Bayanihan 2.

The program has a one-time PHP5,000 cash aid provided by the government to affected workers in private establishments.

(PNA)

way, and he does that for us," Boston coach Brad Stevens said.

A 12-3 spurt later in the third left the Celtics up 104-72 entering the fourth. Tatum stood out in that stretch, starting the run with a step-back shot before getting a steal and finishing on the other end with a nifty behind-the-back move. He wrapped up the scor-

ing in that quarter with a 35-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer.

"I didn't think we were great early," Stevens said. "They're harder to play big, so we obviously went small the next 42 minutes."

Brown and Tatum didn't play after that and Boston Stevens cleared his bench with about nine

minutes remaining and his team up 112-80.

Brown bounced back after making just 5 of 23 shots in Boston's loss to Brooklyn on Thursday night.

"My team needs me to make shots," he said. "Last game, I had great looks, they just didn't go down. They went down today."

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is truly God's gift," he said.

"We attribute the enduring faith of the Filipino people only to God's love, mercy, and fidelity and not to any merit of our own,” he added.

He also thanked Pope Francis for celebrating the Mass.

“I want to express our gratitude to you for leading us in this Eucharistic celebration and thanksgiving for the arrival of the

faith in the Philippines 500 years ago. We bring you here the filial love of the Filipinos in the 7,641 islands of our country,” he said in his message to the Pope.

“There are more than 10 million Filipinos migrants living in almost 100 countries in the world. They are united with us this morning. We treasure your concern for us and all migrants in Rome,” Tagle said. (PNA)

IKP and San Jose in Barangay Vicente Duterte on March 9, Tuesday, at around 2:53 p.m. leaving the victims homeless. All victims are temporarily sheltered at Kasilak Gymnasium and two other evacuation centers in the barangay.

Barangay Vicente Duterte chairwoman Remedios dela Luz said that she was really saddened about the incident. Luz expressed her gratitude to the First Congressional District Office, especially to Rep. Duterte, for the extended help to the fire victims.

“Possible ‘yan pero binase natin sa current reproduction number ng mga 1.9 so ibig sabihin kung hindi pa natin mapabagal ang pagtaas ng bilang ng kaso, ‘yan ang puwede nating maabot na numero per day ‘yan,” David said.

[It’s possible (to reach 20,000 cases per day) but it was based on our current reproduction number of 1.9. If we can’t control the surge in cases, we can reach 20,000 per day.]

“I mean, hypothetical lang naman ‘yan pero most likely hindi naman aabutin kasi at some point ay papasok na ang national government at local governments,” he added.

(I mean, it’s hypothetical, but most likely, we will not reach that point because the national government and local governments will do something about it.)

On Sunday, the country recorded 4,899 new COVID-19 infections bringing the total tally to

621,498.

The OCTA team, composed of experts from the University of the Philippines, as well as contributors from the University of Santo Tomas and Providence College in Rhode Island, US, earlier said that the daily new cases of COVID-19 in the country may reach 7,000 by the end of March.

The research team also said 12 Metro Manila cities were among the top 15 areas with a “significant” upward trend in the number of new COVID-19 cases.

The team said Quezon City, Manila, Pasay, Makati, Parañaque, Taguig, Caloocan, Pasig, Malabon, Valenzuela, Marikina, and Navotas have been reporting a higher number of new COVID-19 cases.

Completing the list were the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu in Cebu province.

However, Cebu City and LapuLapu were considered “exceptions” as they both recorded a downtrend in new cases.

against if they do not get vaccinated will serve as mold template in helping putting to an

end the raging debate between business groups and workers there," he said. (PNA)

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VOL.14 ISSUE 2 • TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021

11

626 IN ALL. Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham“Bambol”Tolentino (right) turns over to Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez the country’s entry by numbers for the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam, at the PSC office on Friday (March 12, 2021). The country will field 626 athletes to Hanoi from November 21 to December 2. (Photo courtesy of POC)

PH team count T for SEAG at 626

Singapore’s sports biomechanist in NSS

T

he Philippine team for this year’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games will be a bigger group than what was previously said as Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Bambol Tolentino presented the entry by numbers for the upcoming meet to Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Butch Ramirez on Friday.

The documents for the entry by numbers showed that the national team to Hanoi would now be composed of 626 athletes.

Initially, the POC was keen on sending 560 Filipinos to the SEA Games, but following talks between To-

lentino and the 39 national sports associations that will send representatives to the biennial meet, 66 more were added to the list.

“After a careful review – with the mindset of defending our overall title – we came up with these num-

bers,” Tolentino said as he presented the documents to Ramirez at the PSC office at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

The Philippines will bring in a huge group for athletics with 63 players, 38 in the male category and 25 on the distaff side.

Cycling has the next largest contingent with 39 athletes, while basketball and volleyball will each have 30 participants, 15 per gender.

Meanwhile, only 28 slots have been allotted for football, hinting that the Philippines will be fielding only one team for the event.

A total of 25 gymnasts will be called up for the SEA

Celtics hand Rockets 16th straight loss

H

OUSTON — Jaylen Brown scored 24 points and Jayson Tatum added 23 as the Boston Celtics coasted to a 134-107 win over the struggling Houston Rockets on Sunday night (Monday, Manila time).

"It was a good win for us," Brown said. "Everybody is back healthy now.

So that was a good confidence booster for us."

It's the 16th straight loss for Houston, which was playing without John Wall and several others because of injuries. The losing

streak is the second-longest in franchise history behind a 17-game skid in 1968.

It's the fifth win in six games for the Celtics, who overwhelmed a team playing with only one of its regular starters in Victor Oladipo. He led Houston with 26 points on a night the Rockets made 16 of 50 3-pointers.

"Early in the game we had good flow and pace... and then the second and third quarters that kind of stopped," coach Stephen Silas said. "So yeah, we've got

to do better."

The Rockets, who haven't won since Feb. 4, have lost seven straight home games for the first time since 2006.

Boston was only up by four after one period, but pulled away by halftime.

The Celtics had a 13-point lead early in the third quarter before using an 11-2 run, with nine points by Kemba Walker, to make it 79-57 with about 10 minutes left in the period.

"The game rewards you if you approach it the right

FCELTICS, P10

Games, while 24 taekwondo jins, 24 fencers, and 21 wushu practitioners will be on the team as well.

The allotted spots include 18 for esports, aquatics 17, boxing 13, canoe-kayak 19, pencak silat 16, golf 7, handball 10, judo 17, jiu-jitsu 6, kickboxing 12, karatedo 15, kurash 10, muaythai 12, table tennis 3, tennis 8, triathlon 8, beach volleyball 6, weightlifting 14, wrestling 13, and vovinam (Vietnamese martial arts) 6.

Tolentino later said he looks forward to the PSC’s budget deliberation for the SEA Games scheduled from November 21 to December 2. (PNA)

he Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) brings world-class Singaporean sports biomechanist Dr. Marcus Lee, in-charge of Team Singapore, in the 7th session of the National Sports Summit 2021 entitled “High-Performance Sports and Athletic Success” this Thursday.

Dr. Lee manages the national team of Singapore providing support in biomechanics and injury prevention. He heads the Sport Biomechanics team of Singapore Sport Institute and is a director on the board of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports.

PSC Chairman William Ramirez shares the need for Fili-

Jaylen Brown scored 24 points as the Boston Celtics coasted to a 134107 win over the struggling Houston Rockets.

pino sports educators, trainors, coaches, and stakeholders to gain awareness in this field.

“We need to open the pathways for Philippine sports by allowing them to learn from experts in sports science.

We are beyond grateful to Dr. Lee for sharing his expertise,” said Ramirez Prior to this, the National Sports Summit 2021’s second batch of speakers featured clean and fair play efforts in the country by Philippine National Anti-Doping Organization (PHINADO) President Dr. Alejandro Pineda Jr. and Sports Science and Sports success by International Basketball Federation (FIBA) doctor Dr. Jose Raul Canlas where some 900 participants have joined online.

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VOL.13 ISSUE 262 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 VOL.14 ISSUE 2 • TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021

LEGENDS PBA legend Robert Jaworski leads the latest enshrinees to the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.

4th batch of Hall of Fame enshrinees selected

T

he final line up of the 4th batch of enshrinees to the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame (PSHOF) have been selected Friday, March 12.

The PSHOF Selection Committee after a formal election this morning, announced the ten sports heroes who were selected to be inducted into the PSHOF this April.

They are Paulino Alcantara (Football), Eric Buhain (Swimming), Dionisio Calvo (Coach-Basketball & Football), Arianne Cerdena (Bowling), Robert Jaworski (Basketball), Gertrudes Lozada (Swimming), Elma Muros-Posadas (Athletics), Rogelio Onofre (Athletics), Leopoldo Serrantes (Boxing), Roel Velasco (Boxing).

The selection committee, by virtue of Republic Act 8757 or the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame Act, is chaired by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez with Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham Tolentino as vice chairperson. Members are Games and Amusement Board Chairman Abraham Mitra, Philippine Football Federation Secretary General Atty. Ed Gastanes and Philcycling Secretary General Atty. Billy Sumagui as NSA representatives, Philippine Olympians Association President Akiko Guevara and UAAP Executive Director Atty. Rene Andrei Saguisag Jr as private group representatives.

“It’s been a pleasure. Naapreciate ko ang review committee, malaking tulong.

Salamat sa inyong recommendation. I am glad that a new batch of people who fought for the country and sacrificed a lot will be given recognition to inspire the new generation of sports heroes,” said Mitra during the election where the review committee observed proceedings.

Tolentino appreciated the work of

the both committees and thanked them “for this recognition of our sports heroes which is an inspiration to all.”

Ramirez commented that the process of selection was a journey of discovery. “I would like to thank everyone for all their work. It is very enriching for me to be part of this awards” expressed the PSC chief, adding that “I am pleased with the choices of both the review and selection committees. Congratulations to all the 4th batch enshrinees!”

Enshrinees will receive P200,000 each plus the PSHOF trophy. Details of enshrinement will be announced later. The Committee is looking into holding the ceremonies earlier than the previously targeted schedule of May 29. The cash prize was doubles for this enshrinement in consideration of money valuation over time.

Upon the deadline of nomination last January 31, the review committee buckled down to screen the nominees and submitted a shortlist to the selection committee last March 5. The shortlist served as a guide but the selection committee still went through each nominee’s credential and made their own selections which were officially finalized in a short virtual meeting and election ceremony Friday.

The review committee is composed of media stalwarts Ed Andaya (People’s Tonight), Joe Antonio (People’s Journal), Rey Bancod (Tempo), Dodo Catacutan (Spin. ph), Quinito Henson (Philippine Star), Tessa Jazmines (Larc&Asset PR), Jun Lomibao (Business Mirror) and Tito Talao (Manila Bulletin).