Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 32|Thursday, April 22, 2021

THIS BAFFLING DISEASE CALLED LUPUS HEALTH P9 VOL.14 ISSUE 32 • THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

f

@EdgeDavao

www.edgedavao.net

edgedavao@gmail.com

P 15.00 • 12 PAGES

TOO SLOW

Payroll team’s poor performance main reason why JO salary is delayed: Sara STORY ON PAGE 2

Dozens of plastic bottles are brought back by waves ashore on the beachfront of Sta. Ana Port in Davao City. The City Engineer’s Office said garbage and plastic wastes clogged the drainage system of the city that eventually caused the flooding last week. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 32 • TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

TOO SLOW President Rodrigo Roa Duterte urges the Senate to give Executive Order No. 128 a chance and consider its intended effects. Edge Davao

Payroll team’s poor performance main reason why JO salary is delayed: Sara

By MAYA M. PADILLO ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio blamed a poorly performing payroll team as the culprit for the delayed salary of job order employees.

M

“Daghan offices delayed ang suweldo, ngano man? It’s a management problem sa mga offices, meaning ang management wala naga bantay sa ilahang payroll team, ang ilahang payroll team

wala ga-trabaho ug tarong para mapagawas nila ang ilahang mga suweldo on time,” Mayor Sara said.

Mayor Sara also said that other problem encountered on the releasing of the salary on time

is the delayed routing of salaries to the different offices.

“Basically kana and naa’y uban madugay sila sa pag route sa ilahang payroll sa lain lain mga offices. Ingon ana ang mga common na problem sa suweldo,” she said.

She said some JOs, who were detailed in various offices, get their salaries from the budget of the City Mayor’s Office (CMO)

“Ang naga asikaso sa ilahang suweldo is katong opisina or unit kung asa sila gi-detail. But we are still going to check kung asa na unit or asa na office siya exactly naka-assign,” the mayor said.

Based on the data from the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) there are more than 11,000 job order employees detailed in different offices of the city hall.

Senate to give Executive Order No. 128 a chance and consider its intended effects,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.

Roque maintained that the issuance of EO 128 aims to address the shortage in pork supply, stabilize the price of pork products, and minimize the inflation rate.

Duterte, he said, appealed to the senators to wait for at least two months to see the impact

of EO 128 in the local hog industry.

“Let us revisit the EO in two months to assess whether the aforesaid intended effects have been realized or met,” he said.

Roque added that the executive branch shares the same sentiment with the senators as it also seeks the recovery of the swine industry distressed due to the African swine fever (ASF).

“We are one with the Senate in ensuring the recovery of the local swine

industry and the attainment of sufficient domestic pork production,” he said.

Duterte decided to back the proposal of his economic team and the Department of Agriculture to continue the implementation of EO 128 until the country’s domestic pork supply increases.

On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the upper chamber is willing to negotiate with Duterte to

Give EO on imported pork tariff a chance, Duterte asks Senate

P

resident Rodrigo Duterte has urged the Senate to reconsider his order on reducing tariff rates on imported pork products, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

This, after Duterte stood firm on his decision to keep Executive Order (EO) 128 which temporarily modifies the rates on import duty on fresh, chilled, or frozen meat of swine for one year.

“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is asking the esteemed members of the

FGIVE, P10

US advises against travel to PH amid COVID-19 spike

T

he US State Department has advised against travel to the Philippines due to the high number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

In an advisory on April 20, the State Department raised alert level 4 for the Philippines, which has been grappling with the spike in infections and deaths in recent months that led to the re-imposition of stricter quarantine protocols in the capital and surrounding areas until April 30.

"Do not travel to the Philippines due to COVID-19,” it said.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for the Philippines due to COVID-19, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country," it added.

Level 4 is the highest travel warning category of the State Department.

The US State Department said earlier this week that it will boost its "Do Not Travel" guidance to about 80% of countries worldwide, citing "unprecedented risk to travelers" from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The US government also noted that there are restrictions in place affecting the entry of US citizens into the Philippines.

The Philippines on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, registered 7,379 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total tally to 953,106. This was the lowest caseload reported by the Department of Health (DOH) in 13 days, since the

6,414 cases logged on April 7.

The DOH said this brought the total active cases in the country to 127,006, of which 96.9% are mild, 1.3% are asymptomatic, 0.6% are critical, and 0.7% are in severe condition.

Meanwhile, the total number of recoveries also rose to 809,959 after 21,664 more patients recovered from the respiratory illness.

The death roll climbed to 16,141 with 93 new fatalities.

Security concerns In the same advisory, the State Department also warned Americans in the country to “exercise increased caution due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.”

Travel to Sulu Archipelago, including the southern Sulu Sea, due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping, is also discouraged.

Americans are also warned against traveling to Marawi City in Mindanao due to terrorism and civil unrest.

They should also reconsider going to other areas of Mindanao.

It also said that terrorist and armed groups “continue plotting possible kidnappings, bombings, and other attacks in the Philippines.” “Terrorist and armed groups may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, markets/shopping malls, and local government facil-

FUS, P10

VOL.14 ISSUE 32 • TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

Amid a drizzle, rescuers try to open the door of a car hit by a cargo truck in Barangay Patpat, Malaybalay City on Tuesday (20 April 2021). The driver suffered injuries but survived the crash. MindaNews photo by H. MARCOS C. MORDENO

Stricter policy to address plastic A pollution in Davao City urged

Davao City Jail sets up community pantry, PDLs pitch in to extend help

By MAYA M. PADILLO ollowing the street flooding that washed away massive plastic wastes, environmental group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) is urging the city government of Davao to implement stricter policy to address plastic pollution in Davao City.

F

Lawyer Mark Peñalver, executive director of IDIS, told Edge Davao it reflects how much wastes (mostly plastics) are being generated in the city.

“It also shows that we have failed to really manage our wastes which contributes to the flooding in our City,” Peñalver said.

Peñalver added the with the current policy environment, the city government of Davao should come up with a stricter policy that would address plastic pollution.

He said the passage of the ordinance regulating

single-use plastics is one, however, its implementation should be strictly observe.

He also said the city government should take the lead in promoting alternatives to single-use plastics and support those small enterprises that are working towards developing a sustainable alternatives to plastic.

“However, we should also not forget to make those who produce these plastic wastes accountable and responsible.

They are as guilty for the effects that brought by

their irresponsible and unsustainable practices,” he said.

IDIS has been advocating for a plastic-free Davao City.

In fact, the group commended 19th City Council of Davao City for passing the ordinance regulating the sale, distribution, and use of single-use plastics in the city.

Peñalver said the ordinance may not be what the group expected it to be, nonetheless, it is a step closer to addressing the plastic wastes issue in the city.

With this ordinance, single-use plastics such as drinking cups, ice cream cups, condiments or gravy containers, cup lids, stirrers, cutleries, straws, meal boxes, pastry or cake boxes, egg containers or clamshells, balloon sticks, and hand gloves are no longer allowed to be sold,

used, or distributed for free without a special permit to distribute and/ or use single-use plastic products.

Furthermore, one year after the effectivity of the ordinance, selling of the above listed single-use plastics will not be allowed unless with a “special permit to sell”, issued by the City Mayor’s Office and upon showing that there are no commercially available alternatives.

While the usage, distribution, and selling of sando bags, labo bags, and PET bottles are not included, IDIS and other environmental groups will still advocate and call for these single-use plastics to be banned or regulated.

IDIS has volunteered to help in the drafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the ordinance.

Clogged drainages caused street flooding:CEO

T

he City Engineer's Office (CEO) identified the clogged drainage in some areas which contributed to the large flooding in some streets in Davao City last week.

Atty. Joey Felizarta, head of CEO, said many of the drains in some areas were clogged with garbage and sediments.

"Mga clogged drainage puno sa basura," said Felizarta.

Felizarta said there is a need to conduct

regular cleaning of the clogged drains to help resolve flooding in the city.

"Kailangan ug regular cleaning. Apil na pud project implementation," he added.

It can be recalled that Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio ordered the CEO to conduct inspections of the city's drainage system.

"Migawas sa presentations sa CEO ug nakita nila nga ang atoang pumping stations of the

Department of Public Works and Highways 11 (DPWH 11) puno ug basura," the mayor said.

Driving rains on April 10, 2021 caused heavy street flooding around the areas of Kilometer 5 Highway, Tulip Drive, Barangay Matina Crossing; highway fronting barangay hall in Barangay Matina Aplaya; Purok 3, Susan Homes, Barangay Baliok; Bacanaya Villge, Barangay Catalunan Pequeño; Countryside Village and La Vista

Monte Village, Barangay Talomo; Goldland Subdivision, Barangay Bago Gallera; Spring Valley Subdivision, Barangay Buhangin; Gallera De Oro Subdivision, Barangay Bago Aplaya; New Argao, Datu Loho; Forest Lake, Bugac in Barangay Maa; Circumferential Road, Barangay 76-A; Opal Street, Marfori Subdivision, Barangay 10-A; J.P. Laurel Avenue, Bajada; and Quirino Avenue corner Jacinto Extension. By Maya M. Padillo

community pantry, similar to the ones being established in places around Metro Manila, has been put up inside the Davao City Jail Male Dorm with PDLs (Persons Deprived of Liberty) sharing some goods to help fellow PDLs inside the jail.

Captain Edo Lobenia, spokesperson of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-XI (BJMP-XI) recounted in his social media account “Habang nagsiset up na kmi ng community pantry sa loob ng Davao City Jail ang daming mga Persons Deprived of Liberty ang nag-usisa at nagtanong kung anong meron. Nuong nalaman nila kung ano siniset up namin may mga ilang mga PDL ang nag-abot ng mga biscuit at kape nila (While we were setting up the community pantry inside the Davao City Jail.

There were many Persons Deprived of Liberty looking and asking what is all about. When they learned what we were setting up, some PDLs shared their biscuits and coffee),” Lobe-

nia said.

The spokesperson said it was heartening that there were still PDLs who would want to help their fellow PDLs. “Biglang hinipo ang puso ko at nagkunwari na kakain muna ako ng agahan. Ang totoo nito ako ay umalis dahil hindi ko mapigalan ang tulo ng mga luha ko (It quickly touched my heart and I excused myself telling them I would eat my breakfast, but the truth is, I left because I cannot stop the tears falling from my eyes),” Lobenia said in his social media account.

He said the inspiration came from the community pantry established by businesswomen Ana Patricia Non in Maginhawa Street, Quezon City which has been replicated in different parts of the country.

The initiative inside the Davao City Jail called the Kakusa Community Pantry was realized by donations from Lobenia and his fellow organizer’s friends, family along with the private sector and the UP

FDAVAO CITY, P10

Social pension distribution for indigent senior citizens starts

A

bout 95 percent of the enrolled indigent senior citizens in Davao City have already received their social pension worth P3,000 for the lump sum of six months or P500 per month.

Department of Social Welfare and Development XI (DSWD XI) regional director Raquel Nuñez bared in the One Davao Virtual Presser that the agency employed measures to ensure the safety and protection of this vulnerable group, the senior citizens, from COVID19 infection.

“ Naghimo mi ug measure sama sa 50 lang ka senior citizens ang nakaschedule i-cater kada oras aron mamaintain gihapon ang social distancing (We established measures such as allowing only 50 senior citizens to be accommodate per hour so we can still maintain social distancing),” she said.

The DSWD also follows a schedule that enables the staff to efficiently cater the beneficiaries while strictly following the minimum health protocols set to avoid the spread of

FSOCIAL, P10

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 32 • TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

Crimson skies reflect on the waters in General Luna, Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte early morning Tuesday (20 April 2021). MindaNews photo by ROEL N. CATOTO

PCA continues distribution of cash, food subsidy for coco farmers

T

he Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA XI) thru the program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) has so far distributed to 24,000 beneficiaries of the DA-PCA Cash and Food Subsidy for Marginalized Farmers and Fisherfolks (CFSMFF) in the entire region.

Guesting in the One Davao Virtual Presser, Acting Regional Manager of the PCA XI Juvie Alayon called on other qualified beneficiaries of the said program to claim the cash subsidy worth P3,000 and food subsidy worth P2,000 . The food package is composed of rice, chicken, and eggs.

“ Duna pa kitay ginahulat ug ginapangita nga 8,000 beneficiaries nga qualified mahatagan ani nga programa hangtud katapusan sa Abril. (We are still looking for the 8,000 beneficiaries that are listed and qualified to benefit from the program until the end of April),” Alayon said.

The PCA official

stressed that not all coconut farmers may avail of such program. The government has set criteria for those who can claim for their subsidy.

Only coconut farmers who own or till land from half hectare to 2 hectares and those whose annual income are less than P21,000 are qualified in the program.

Alayon encouraged coconut farmers to visit the PCA offices in Davao City, Tagum City catering Davao del Norte and Davao Oro, Digos City catering Davao Occidental and Davao del Sur, and Mati City catering Davao Oriental.

epartment of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar said Executive Order 128 necessary to address the low supply of pork due to African swine fever (ASF) and the spike in its prices.

It will stay in effect until the domestic swine industry fully recovers and attain sufficient local pork production, the DA chief said in his report to President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday.

"Ang inaangkat lang po natin ay ‘yung kakulangan lang natin nitong taon.

So iyung mga measures na pinapatupad po natin through your approval ay mapababa natin ‘yung in-

flation kasi bababa talaga ‘yung presyo sa merkado dito sa mga imported pork (We are only importing what we need, our pork deficit for this year. The measures that we are implementing through your approval will lower the country's inflation as retail prices of pork in the market will also dial down because of imported pork)," Dar said during the Cabinet meeting.

The DA's national livestock program directorate projected that the country would have a supply deficit of 388,563 metric tons (MT) of pork, based on a supply estimate of

1,229,702 MT against a total demand of 1,618,355 MT this year.

Executive Order 128, signed by Duterte on April 4, reduces tariff rates on pork imports between 5 percent and 20 percent, from 30 percent to 40 percent.

"The EO 128 was a result of a painstaking process, that’s why ‘yung lowering of tariff (on pork imports and increasing the minimum access volume) will really lower down pork prices in the market," Dar said, adding that this will not kill the local hog industry.

Acting Socioeconomic

The PCA has also assigned a field officer stationed in every municipality specifically at the Municipal Agriculture Office to accommodate, explain, and facilitate requests of the farmers.

The cash subsidy is given to the farmers through a QR code which they may show and claim the P3,000 from the M.Lhuiller branches.

Meanwhile, the food subsidy is also given to the farmers through a QR code which they may show to the personnel of the DA during scheduled distribution of the food subsidy. (PIA XI/ Frances Mae Macapagat)

Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua, in the same meeting, reiterated support for lower pork tariffs, emphasizing the need to address the deficiency in supply while bringing down the country’s inflation rate.

“We are in a Covid crisis right now. We can’t afford that people will have an income problem and a price problem,” Chua said.

Chua said in his report the 4.2 percent inflation record this year can go down to 3.8 percent because of the temporary reduction of tariff (on pork import) as allowed under the EO 128.

Pork imports necessary to address supply shortage, spike in prices: Dar

D

FPORK, P10

DOT welcomes use of tourist sites as temporary hospitals

T

he Department of Tourism (DOT) on Tuesday expressed support for the construction of medical facilities in Rizal Park to help the country better respond against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

The statement was made by Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat during the groundbreaking of Manila Mega Covid Field Hospital, a temporary facility that will soon rise at the Burnham Green of Rizal Park.

“The DOT is gratified and honored to be able to use its parks and public spaces in support of the national pandemic response,” she said.

During the event, Puyat asked the Manila City Hall officials to make the facilities available even to those residing outside Manila --a request approved

by Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso.

The temporary hospital in Rizal Park was unanimously approved by the board of the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), an attached agency of the DOT. It can accommodate at least 500 patients with mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms.

Also approved was the proposal to use Quirino Grandstand as the site of a temporary drive-through vaccination center, which

can accommodate 350 to 450 persons per day.

“The City of Manila and the NPDC have taken the first step and we hope to see this replicated by other local government units in other parts of the country,” Romulo-Puyat said.

Burnham Green is named after renowned American architect Daniel Burnham, the urban planner who designed Baguio as the country’s summer capital and the city of Chicago.

The tourist site is a large open space in front of the Quirino Grandstand, and is popular among park-goers as a venue for different events like picnics and sports activities.

It is also the site of the Narra tree planted

by Pope Paul VI in 1970, and the bronze statue of San Lorenzo Luis given by Pope John Paul II in 1981.

Joining Puyat during the event were Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, chairman of the National Task Force Against Covid-19; IATF chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr.; IATF deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon; Metro Manila Development Authority General Manager Jojo Garcia; NPDC Executive Director Cecille Lorenzana-Romero; Health Assistant Secretary Romeo Ong, and Domagoso. (PNA)

VOL.14 ISSUE 32 • TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

EDGEDAVAO

ECONOMY

Temporary easing of pork import restrictions to address supply gap T

5

Landbank doubles funds for distressed swine industry

F

inance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has called on lawmakers to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive allowing increased pork imports at lower tariff rates for a temporary period to address the scarcity in the domestic supply of hog meat and ensure that pork remains affordable to Filipino families already reeling from the economic impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Dominguez said the recommendation to the President to temporarily reduce pork import tariffs and increase the minimum access volume (MAV) on pork imports was made by him and the Cabinet’s Economic Development Cluster (EDC).

This, after extensive deliberations and consultations among concerned agencies and the public, with all the tradeoffs considered in the cost benefit analysis done on this major consumer concern.

At the same time, Dominguez, as chair of the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank), said the government, through Landbank, will double its support for domestic hog raisers and feed millers by providing them loans for repopulating their stock and for feed milling.

In a letter addressed to Senate President Vicente

Sotto III, Dominguez said as chairman of the EDC, he was taking full responsibility for supporting and recommending that the President sign Executive Order (EO) No. 128, which temporarily modified the rates of the import duties on fresh, chilled, and frozen meat of swine and increased the MAV on such imports.

Dominguez said the period of the tariff adjustment under the EO emphasizes that “this is a short-term effort that does not aim to harm the domestic industry” and is actually "complementary to the programs of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in helping the domestic hog industry to recover.”

“I would like to take this opportunity to urge the Senate to support this measure so that some 100 million Filipinos who eat pork, especially the poor, will not

be penalized by high food prices. If left unresolved, poverty and malnutrition will increase,” he said.

Dominguez said elevated pork prices will add another problem to households whose incomes have already been heavily strained by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“With African swine fever (ASF) raging through farms for almost two years, data show that domestic supply will remain inadequate for the needs of consumers,” he added.

Pork prices in the National Capital Region (NCR) have already reached as high as PHP327 per kilo in March 2021, which is 59 percent higher compared to last year.

In March 2021, meat inflation increased to 20.9 percent and was the top contributor to overall inflation of 1.4 percentage points, even higher than the 1 percent contribution to inflation of rice at the height of the 2018 rice crisis.

To resolve the ASF crisis gripping the domestic hog industry, Dominguez said the DA has put in place several programs, among them, repopulating the swine population, compensating producers for losses in culled hogs, and investing in long-term solutions to the problems of the swine industry.

However, he added

these are medium-term and long-term solutions that will not immediately address the current price pressures affecting pork consumers.

Contrary to misperceptions, the DA does not intend to rely on importation alone to solve supply issues in the long haul, Dominguez said.

“Even with increased imports, a large part of domestic demand is expected to be covered by domestic production, which the DA will aggressively support with improved implementation of its hog production assistance and repopulation program,” he said.

Dominguez said the proposed pork import program will only cover 22.8 percent of total domestic consumption.

“The EDC fully understands that its ongoing efforts to support the domestic industry in overcoming ASF and other issues are critical,” he said.

Dominguez said the DA has been helping the hog industry recover since 2019 through various programs including: greater and easier access to credit, implementation of the Bantay ASF sa Barangay (BABay ASF) to strengthen surveillance and quarantine, and the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) pro-

FTEMPORARY, P10

he Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) is raising its available loan window in support of local pork producers and feed millers to PHP30 billion from PHP15 billion for distressed swine industry reeling from the adverse impact of the Asian swine fever (ASF).

This came following the directive from Finance Secretary and Landbank chairman Carlos Dominguez III for the state lender to double its support for hog raisers, feed millers, and other industry players dealing with supply shortfalls and retail price spirals of pork products.

“Landbank is doubling its funds available for financing swine repopulation, feed milling operations and facility upgrades in order to help address at the soonest the supply shortfalls and subsequent retail price spirals affecting both hog producers and pork consumers,” Dominguez said in a statement Tuesday.

He said the Landbank is taking steps to ease the supply and price pressures with additional funding support for stakeholders, as the steep rise in pork prices is partly responsible for the current elevated inflation that has exacerbated the daily woes of Filipino consumers amid the pandemic.

The funds will be available under the Landbank SWINE (Special Window and Interim Support to Nurture Hog Enterprises)

lending program for commercial hog raisers registered as cooperatives or farmers’ associations, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and large enterprises or corporations.

On March 17, 2021, the state-run bank, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA), launched the SWINE lending program to support the local hog industry amid threats from the ASF outbreak and assist hog raisers in sustaining and increasing pork production.

As of April 15, 2021, Landbank said it is already processing six loan applications for the SWINE lending program from the provinces of Tarlac, Cavite, Rizal, Bukidnon and South Cotabato amounting to PHP2.96 billion combined.

Loans under this program shall be used for swine production, which includes the acquisition or importation of semen or breeding animals; feed milling operations; the construction, improvement or retrofitting of necessary facilities that are compliant to biosecurity protocols of DA, the industry or integrators; acquisition of fixed assets; and as working capital.

Eligible borrowers may avail of a short-term loan line or a term loan for up to 80 percent of their total project cost or financing requirement, with an affordable fixed interest rate of 3 percent per annum for three years, subject to annual repricing thereafter.

39, which directed the grant of a one-time financial assistance of P20,000 to all employees’ compensation pensioners who have partial or permanent disability, as well as to survivorship pensioners.

"This is great news for all EC pensioners who are further thrown into deep financial hardships made worse by the COVID pandemic. This attests to the President’s soft spot for the poor and the vulnerable,” Bello said.

The P20,000 one-time financial assistance will be granted to all EC pensioners for permanent partial disability (PPD), permanent total disability (PTD), and survivorship through ECC's implementing agencies, Social Security System (SSS) for the private

sector, and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for the public sector, once the implementing rules and regulations has been issued.

For her part, ECC executive director Stella Zipagan-Banawis said all qualified pensioners need not apply to the GSIS or SSS, as it will be automatically granted to them in the same manner as their pension was processed.

“The adverse effects of the pandemic on the economy, supplementary health necessities for the battle against the virus, and restrictions imposed on our mobility and social interaction, have increased the financial and health burdens experienced by the EC pensioners,” AO 39 reads.

senger cars recorded a positive sales growth in the January to March 2021 period.

Light commercial vehicle sales for the first three months of the year rose by 13 percent to 11,198 units from 9,895 units sold in the same period last year.

Commercial vehicle sales surged by 354 percent

in the first quarter of 2021 to 418 units from 92 units in 2020.

On the other hand, sales of passenger cars declined by 7 percent to 4,241 units sold between January and March this year from 4,567 units sold in the same period of the previous year.

FLANDBANK, P10

ECC earmarks P600M for one-time P20K assistance to pensioners

T

he Employees' Compensation Commission (ECC), an attached agency under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), has set aside P600 million to roll out the grant of a onetime P20,000 financial aid to vulnerable pensioners of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Social Security System (SSS).

In a statement, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that the P600 million earmarked by the ECC will benefit around 31,000 pensioners consisting of both private and public sector workers.

The Labor chief chairs the ECC. On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Administrative Order (AO)

Imported vehicle sales up 7% in Q1

A street hawker peddles back scratchers and other items along E. Quirino Avenue in Davao City on Wednesday.

Edge Davao

S

ales of imported vehicles for the first quarter of the year increased by 7 percent to 15,857 units from 14,554 units sold in the same period in 2020, the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) reported Tuesday.

AVID said all vehicle segments except for pas-

FIMPORTED, P10

DAVAO 6 EDGE VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 32 • TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

On the request for the Senate to reconsider Executive Order (EO) 128 which temporarily modifies the rates on import duty on fresh, chilled, or frozen meat of swine for one year:

We are one with the Senate in ensuring the recovery of the local swine industry and the attainment of sufficient domestic pork production.”

President Rodrigo Duterte through Spokesperson Harry Roque

EDITORIAL

Poor JOs

Not many people understand how it is to be a job order employee in the government. They are the ones doing the dirty work and the ones that get paid less. They are also the ones with no security of tenure. Disposable anytime, to say the least.

It is a pity that despite their status, they have also to suffer the hard fact that in the payment of salary, they are at the mercy of employees enjoying better status, pay and secured in their tenure. So you expect that JOs could hardly meet their needs for living and when their salary gets delayed, the only option is to run to loan sharks within the government offices.

Sad reality.

There are around 11,000 JOs in the city government as of last count and they have been facing the

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

the national association of newspapers

Printed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000, Davao City, Philippines Tel: (082) 224-1413 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 www.edgedavao.net editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net edgedavao@gmail.com

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

MAYA M. PADILLO Senior Reporter

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

CHRISTIAN JAY H. RAFAL GRACE M. BORDIOS Layout

LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. Consultant Correspondent 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

OLIVIA D. VELASCO SOLANI D. MARATAS RICHARD C. EBONAJASPER OLIVIA D. VELASCO V. BACSAL General Manager PresidentAdvertising Specialist Finance General Manager / VP Operations JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

dilemma of dealing with delayed salary.

The culprit? Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio points to a poorly performing payroll team. The mayor lamented the poor performance of the city government offices’ payroll team which led to the delays in processing of payroll which, by government standard operating procedures, go through a number of channels and signatories.

In the ideal world, the payroll team would have prioritized the JOs in the processing of payroll and waste no time in doing so. Perhaps, set a time frame for the processing.

In this time of the pandemic where life is hard, a ton of consideration and compassion is needed for people to think about the plight of the lowly employees in their ranks.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE MANILA MARKETING OFFICE RICHARD C. EBONA LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-YacapinProduct Sts. Development officer Cagayan de Oro City Address: No. 18 Purok 4B, Madelo Street, Lower Bicutan, Taguig City Tel: (088) 852-4894 Mobile number: +63 947 265 2969(smart); +63 916 955 8559(globe)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 32 • TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

VANTAGE POINTS

7

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

THE CRYING GAME “JESUS wept.” With this statement, as recorded in John 11:35, the myth that only women cry has been shattered. Yes, men do cry. In fact, Jesus is not the only man who cried in public.

Hollywood film actor Patrick Swayze, in the middle of a 1988 televised interview with Barbara Walters, expressed regret that his father had not lived to see him become a star in his own right.

As he recalled his dad with fondness, he burst into tears. “It’s like a water faucet when I talk about him,” he explained later on, “because I have so many things I wanted to say to him.”

American football player Dexter Manley cried in public twice. The first one was in 1989 before the US Senate Subcommittee on Education telling his experience on growing up with a learning disability. “I felt I was normal,” he said, with tears in rolling in his eyes, “but I was told I was dumb and stupid.” The second time was when, during a press conference, he failed a drug test that forced his retirement from football.

Another religious leader who cried in public unabashedly was Jimmy Swaggart. On February 21, 1988, the American evangelist, tears streaming down his face, confessed before a crowd of 6,000 and on television to having committed “a sin,” later revealed

to be the hiring of prostitutes.

In 1972, a lot of Filipinos probably cried when Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law. On the other side of the world that year, American senator Edmund Muskie was the leading contender for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. However, his campaign was derailed when, angered by a vicious attack on his wife by New Hampshire newspaper editor William Loeb, he began weeping during a speech. It was later revealed that the newspaper attack was part of a “dirty tricks” campaign orchestrated by Richard Nixon’s reelection committee.

Let’s talk about Nixon.

During a 1977 television interview, he told David Frost, “I never cry – except in public.” Nixon’s most famous public weep occurred in 1952 after he made his notorious “Checkers speech” and Dwight David Eisenhower decided to allow him to remain on the Republic ticket as the vice-presidential candidate. Watching this performance, Nixon’s college drama coach, Albert Upton, who had taught the future politician how to cry remarked, “Here goes my actor.”

Throughout literature, crying has been enshrined as romantic, good, and noble. Charles Dickens assures us: “Heaven knows we need never be

ashamed of our tears, for they rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts.”

What happens when we cry?

Just under the eyelids are small glands which produce fluids that cleanse and lubricate our eyes.

When triggered by our emotions, the involuntary nervous system may signal these glands to produce excess fluid, or tears.

There are many reasons why people cry.

Our various emotions produce sensations that give us the urge to cry for joy, sorrow, anger, frustration, depression, bitterness, disappointment, failure or success, and the like. “Crying is a wonderful release - especially if you know what you’re crying about,” says Dr. Robert Jaffe, a marriage and family therapist in Sherman Oaks, California.

If your world is a little bit stressful, yell or cry. It’s not always possible in the typical office, but in some situations - a private office or your car, for instance a purely emotional outburst is perfectly acceptable. Screaming or crying, says Dr. Emmet Miller, medical director of the Cancer Support and Education Center in Menlo Park, California and one of America’s recognized experts on stress, “can provide a release for the emotions generating the stress you’re feeling.”

History has stories of famous

people shedding tears dictated by their emotions. American baseball player, at a press conference to announce his retirement in 1989, tried to read a prepared statement, but broke down and cried when he said, “Some eighteen years ago, I left Dayton, Ohio, with two very bad knees and a dream to become a major-league baseball player. I thank God the dream came true.”

Fifth Roman emperor Nero (Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus), remembered for his cruelties, unstable character, and persecution of Christians, reportedly shed crocodile tears. That was when he put to death his mother, and also when he murdered his wife Octavia.

Why is crying often associated with men and not men? According to psychologists, women cry more often than men, and for physiological as well as psychological reasons. “Women have a different set of hormones, which make them more weepy,” explains Dr. Dominic McAleer, an American psychiatrist. “But psychologically, many women have a close relationship with very young children, and must use a lot of emotive, expressive cues to get their message across. The man, on the other hand, has to be reserved. As hunter and fighter he couldn’t afford to cry – he had to see what he was doing. Men

traditionally can’t afford to break down, no matter what is happening inside. This internal stress is one reason that many die of high blood pressure and coronaries.”

Studies have shown that men who do not weep are more susceptible to maladies believed to have an emotional cause. Skin eruptions like weeping eczema, hay fever, colitis, digestive upsets and a dozen other nuisance may all in fact be the psychosomatic expressions of the frustrated need to cry in men.

Another study revealed that 73 percent of men feel better after crying. After all, crying is, still, a basic form of outlet for happiness or grief.

I asked a friend what made her cry. She blushed, apologized and said her little list was very corny. It wasn’t. “I cry watching people say goodbye at airports,” she said. “I cry for anyone who can’t appreciate Lino Brocka films. I cry about forgetting my mother’s birthday. And I cry when I see someone struggle to express love, when he has never been able to communicate it before.”

Clearly, many things move us to tears. We cry over military marches. We weep at the noble futility of Don Quixote. And we cry tears of eternal gratitude when man does finally reach an unreachable star.

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

AMERICAN STREET NAMES OF DAVAO In preserving the past, Americans are not fond of renaming places. Even in honoring the dead, bestowing recognition does not come at the expense of altering native names. When they took over Davao region and governed it for decades, this orientation did not change.

In the forty-two years (1899-41) that Davao was under US control, there were only three instances when roads were named after Americans, namely Gen. George Washington (1732-99), first US president; Frank W. Carpenter (1871-1945), former governor of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu; Lt. Edward Robert Bolton, the assassinated district governor of Davao. These roads honored with American names were all named out of necessity and convenience.

Gen. George Washington,

leader of the Patriot forces that won the War of Independence, served as first US president for twelve years (1789-97). A statesman and founding father of the United States, he presided the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which formed the U.S. Constitution and the federal government. Washington originally referred to a road linking Magallanes (Pichon Sr.) Street to Quezon Blvd. up to Magsaysay Park; it was opened as a short route to Santa Ana pier via the laborer’s village called Piapi (then known as Bonifacio).

Prior to his appointment as governor of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu on Dec. 16, 1913, Carpenter, the first civil governor of the department, first worked in the national government as executive secretary. His governorship was a success due to his affa-

bility in convincing the Moros to lay down their arms and accept American rule. After the war, the road was renamed in honor of Leon Maria Garcia, Sr., a former Davao City mayor.

On the other hand, Lt. Edward R. Bolton, a veteran of the 1898 Spanish-American War, was assigned in the district of Davao under the fabled 17th Infantry. He was the first quasi-civil military governor of the province but was hacked to death by a Tagakaulo ward on June 6, 1906 in Lacaron, Malita, Davao Occidental. (Barangay in Malalag, Davao del Sur, is named after him.)

In the case of Col. Thomas E. ‘Jock’ Clifford, Jr., at times dubbed as ‘the liberator of Davao,’ he is not honored with a street; rather, a park and a movie house once bore his name. As for Jericho, which was given by American Jer-

ry Roscom to Agdao, it was a personal choice A similar case was the informal call given to the short road between the old Jones Circle and Ponciano Reyes Street (now Cayetano Bangoy), which commuters once called Jones Street.

Gen. Douglas R. MacArthur, meanwhile, entered the roster of city streets only after the war, in deference to his contribution in the liberation of Davao from the Japanese juggernaut. MacArthur Highway, as it is now called, was the main route of the American liberators on their way to delivering the city.

On the other hand, Boston, a town in Davao Oriental named after a county in Massachusetts, U.S.A., was picked as the place’s alternative name due to the American soldiers’ difficulty in pronouncing its old name, Dacungbanua. The

new moniker stuck and gained currency. Since the early 1910s, the locality has been known as Boston even in official records.

The Libby Airfield of Ulas, Davao, was known for its involvement in the final chapter of the war when Americans servicemen and Filipino guerrillas joined hands in bringing down the Japanese steamroller. It was named after Roy Libby, a hemp planter killed in the 1909 Philippine Constabulary mutiny staged in Davao by disgruntled Filipino soldiers employed in the Philippine Constabulary (PC).

(On the claim that Times Beach has an American provenance, this assertion is false.

It got its name after the journalists working for Mindanao Times who, in the 1960s, frequented this littoral area for drinking bouts when it was still uninhabited and pristine.)

8

VOL.14 ISSUE 32 • TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2021 VOL.14 ISSUE 32 • TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

EDGEDAVAO

LIFESTYLE

A sunburst of summer colors highlight this short smocked dress with tropical leaves designs and beaded halter tie strap.

Fatigue short sleeved linen shirt with Aztec print.

THE SPIRIT OF SUMMER AT

KULTURA

Cool and casual white linen top with sea turtle print.

Crisp white linen top with Aztec prints.

WHILE travelling to your dream destination is currently on hold, you can still add a bit of sunshine to your wardrobe with Kultura’s summer collection.

Black linen shirt with Aztec print.

Capture the spirit of summer with the perfect sundress –pretty smock dresses, breezy umbrella dresses – in exotic tropical prints and colors that highlight everything bright and beautiful. There are also ethnic inspired wrap pants worn with tank tops that make stylish statements.

For men, there are linen tops in graphic prints and Aztec designs that will keep them cool and casual during sizzling summer days.

Perfect for lounging at home, taking time out at the family farm, or shopping for essentials in the city, the Loungewear collection is available at Kultura Stores. You can also shop thru our website: www.kulturafilipino.com or thru Call to Deliver 09175174096. Kultura Smock dress with ethnic inspired blue and white prints. ships here and abroad.

Wrap pants with pompom trimmings, crochet top.

9 HEALTH EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 32 • TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

This baffling disease called lupus

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“L

upus is a disease that is hard to diagnose and hard to describe,” says Professor Pao Hsii Feng, a clinical professor at the National University of Singapore. “It is not contagious and its cause is still unknown.”

With those words, Prof.

Feng has brought us to a disease that exhibits symptoms so vague that doctors are left scratching their heads as test after test fails to detect anything amiss.

“What is wrong with my patient?” a doctor may ask himself.

But one thing is certain: Lupus generally affects more women than men – 10 females to 1 male.

“Women who are most likely to get lupus are those between the ages of 18 to 50 or those within the reproductive age,” points out Prof. Feng.

Although there are three types of lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE, discoid lupus and drug-induced lupus), SLE is the most serious form and that’s what most people are referring to when they say lupus.

The auto-immune disease was given its name by a 19th century French doctor who thought that the facial rash of some people with lupus looked like the bite or scratch of a wolf. Lupus is Latin for “wolf” while erythematosus is Latin for “red.” Systemic means that it may affect many parts of

the body, such as the joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, or the brain.

“Discoid lupus is descriptive of a characteristic skin lesion which may be found in SLE or may exist independently without any systemic features,” explains Dr. Sandra V. Navarra, co-founder and adviser of the Lupus Foundation of the Philippines. “Drug-induced lupus can simulate clinical SLE in many ways - but this is triggered by drugs.”

More often than not, people don’t know they have the disease because they don’t know so much about it. As such, actual figures of people with lupus, particularly SLE, are hard to come by. But the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) contends that incidence of lupus has nearly tripled over the past four decades.

That’s the bad news.

But the good news is that ten-year survival rates are now up by 80 to 90 percent, compared to 50 percent in the 1950s. A major factor for this is earlier diagnosis, resulting in treatment during less severe stages. “This has a positive

impact on the prognosis and outcome of the disease,” says Prof. Feng.

Still, the disease is potentially fatal especially when misdiagnosed and inadequately treated, says Dr. Ratanavadee Nanagara, associate professor in medicine of the Department of Medicine at the Khon Kaen University in Thailand.

And despite its prevalence, “too few people know about lupus or its potentially life-threatening health effects,” laments Dr. Keith Lim, a Malaysian consultant rheumatologist with the Subang Jaya Medical Center in Kuala Lumpur.

“Lupus is dangerous when it involves the kidneys, brain, heart and the blood elements,” warns Prof. Feng. “If you have lupus involving the brain, you may develop fits, depression and other psychiatric symptoms.”

Oftentimes, patients with severe lupus die.

“They often die from kidney failure or infection,” points out Dr. Alberto Santos-Ocampo, a Filipino rheumatologist who works at the Straub Clinic and Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii. “Patients with SLE are prone to infections, because of their abnormal immune system, and because of the immune suppressing properties of the drugs they are given to control their disease activity.”

“Many lupus patients do not experience bad

complications and are able to perform their daily activities quite efficiently,” Dr. Navarra adds, “except for some ‘bad days.’”

As lupus is a mimicking disease, “many of its signs and symptoms are commonly seen in other illnesses, including infections and malignancies,” admits Dr. Santos-Ocampo.

“In addition, lupus tends to evolve during its initial stages, and may not present with enough features for the clinician to ‘clinch’ the diagnosis.”

That was what happened to Marianne, a 16-year old high school student.

One morning, she experienced a terrible headache and was feeling drowsy. Her teachers told her to go home and take a rest. At home, she had an unexplained high fever – which went on for more than four days. When she went back to school, she was no longer the Marianne her friends knew: she was losing weight.

Marianne’s parents didn’t know what was going on with their daughter. Coming from a poor family, she was not given proper medical treatment.

She was brought to the public health hospital and was treated for a few days.

Then, she went back to the

school again.

Days passed and the teachers noticed that her condition was getting worse. Marianne was experiencing achy and painful joints and having sores in her mouth. At one time, while attending a class, she felt very sleepy.

“There must be something wrong with her,” one of the teachers said. So, they decided to bring her to a hospital and hoped that the student’s life would be saved. “She was very drowsy when I first saw her,” the doctor who treated Marianne recalled.

“There was very low platelet count on her blood test and as such it was very risky to have spontaneous bleeding anywhere in her body. If the teachers had not brought her to the hospital, Marianne would have been dead from massive bleeding.”

Over half of the patients with lupus develop a characteristic red, flat facial rash over the bridge of the nose. Because of its shape, it is frequently referred to as the “butterfly rash” of lupus. The rash is painless and does not itch. The facial

rash, along with inflammation in other organs, can be precipitated or worsened by exposure to sunlight.

“Sunlight exposure, especially those between 9 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon, triggers the expression of lupus as well as aggravates the disease,” says Dr. Navarra. She cites the case of the 21-year-old patient, who developed an unexplained fever for almost a week and unusually bad sunburn after a beach holiday in Boracay. Then, she experienced persistent, extreme fatigue and weakness for days even after six to eight hours of restful night-time sleep.

Most lupus patients, however, develop arthritis at some time during the course of their illness. Arthritis in systemic lupus commonly involves swelling, pain and stiffness of the small joints of the hands, wrists, and feet. Sometimes, lupus arthritis can mimic that of rheumatoid arthritis (another autoimmune disease), but is not as destructive.

Elsa, a 26-year-old female executive, did not only

FLUPUS, P10

10

VOL.14 ISSUE 32 • TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

GIVE... FROM2 recall his order on cutting pork tariffs.

Zubiri’s statement came after the Senate Committee of the Whole on April 15 adopted a resolution asking Duterte to revoke EO 128.

Under EO 128 signed

by Duterte on April 7, tariffs on pork imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) were reduced from the current rate of 30

percent to 5 percent for the first three months upon the effectivity of the order and 10 percent for the next nine months.

Pork imports outside MAV were also reduced with a lower tariff of 15 percent for the first three months and 20 percent for the succeeding nine months from the current rate of 40 percent, based on the EO. (PNA)

ities,” the State Department said.

“The Philippine government has declared a

“State of National Emergency on Account of Lawless Violence in Mindanao.”

COVID19 especially at the payout sites like gymnasiums or covered courts.

Nuñez highlighted the close coordination and facilitation of the local government units and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in providing security personnel in every payout site.

Following the almost completion of Davao City’s social pension pay-out, other provinces are already preparing the payroll and logistical requirements for the pay-out.

The Social Pension Program for the indigent senior citizens is an additional assistance or stipend to augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of indigent senior citizens.

Due to the pandemic, the DSWD XI distributed

at once a lump sum of the social pension good for six months or equivalent to P3,000. “ We are distributing this early for their January-June stipend so that our indigent senior citizens can already use the subsidy. We will be releasing the July to December by August or September. We are doing this to at least bridge the gap caused by this pandemic,” she said.

There are a total of 264,792 beneficiaries of the program region-wide: 60,373 are in Davao City, 38,484 are in Davao del Sur, 43,572 are in Davao Oriental, 51,699 are in Davao del Norte, 20,859 are in Davao Occidental, and 49,804 are in Davao de Oro. (PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)

experience joint pains, but she was also having some breathing difficulty and was losing her hair. Likewise, her legs were swelling. “These symptoms are not unusual for a person having lupus,” Dr. Navarra says.

Since patients with SLE can have a wide variety of symptoms and different combinations of organ involvement, no single test establishes the diagnosis of lupus. This is the reason why lupus is hard to diagnose.

“A combination of symptoms is suggestive of lupus if other causes, including infection and malignancy, have been ruled out,” Dr. Santos-Ocampo says. “Diagnosis is usually done by taking a history of the patient and doing a full physical examination. The diagnosis is then confirmed by taking blood tests,” says Prof. Feng.

Since it takes time to diagnose someone having lupus, it may be too late to treat the disease once diagnosed. “We can control lupus, but not cure it,” admits Dr Santos-Ocampo. Prof.

Feng also says, “In its early stages, lupus is a treatable disease. However, if proper treatment is delayed then it can be fatal.”

As such, Prof. Feng recommends, “It is important

for patients with lupus to see a doctor experienced in the treatment of the disease. Since lupus is a chronic condition characterized by exacerbation and remission, patient compliance is very important. This means patients must be well educated with regard to the disease.”

“Once diagnosed with lupus, I determine any internal organ involvement and the severity of involvement,” says Dr. Navarra.

“These will influence the form of individualized therapy the patient will need.”

A variety of drugs are used, depending on how lupus manifests itself. “Controlling lupus is a more realistic goal than curing it,” says Dr. Santos-Ocampo.

“Never try untested remedies,” warns Dr. Lim. ““I have seen many patients who come to see us too late because they were using alternative forms of treatment. By that time, the disease has already done its worst course in the body.”

For those with lupus, Prof. Feng suggests: “Learn as much as you can about the disease. Learn as much as you can about your medications, too – both its good effects and side effects. Be an active partner with your doctor in managing the disease.” (Photos: istockphoto. com)

US... FROM 2

SOCIAL... FROM 3

LUPUS... FROM 9

DAVAO CITY... FROM3

TEMPORARY... FROM 5

College of Law Charivari.

The group began setting up the community pantry on April 18. Lobenia said City Jail warden Nimrod Valenia has been supportive of the endeavor.

With life difficult inside the jail because of the pandemic, Lobenia is inviting the public to pitch in and help the poor and lonely PDLs Naisip ko kasi na pwede rin magdonate ang mga pamilya ng mga mayayaman naming PDL at sa ganun matulungan namin ang mahihirap naming mga PDL lalo na yung mga wala ng dumadalaw or nagpa-

padala sa kanila ng pagkain lalo na yung mga senior citizen namin na mga bilanggo. (I was thinking that the families of rich PDLs can donate so they can help the poor PDLs especially those who have not been visited or those without someone sending them food, particicularly the senior citizen inmates),” Lobenia said.

For those wanting to donate to the Kakusa Community Pantry, they can directly message Captain Edo Lobenia (Facebook account Do Lobenia) or the Facebook page Second Chance Philippines. (PIA/ RG Alama)

gram to repopulate our hog population.

“To allay the fears of our local hog raisers, the MAV Management Committee (MMC) can also issue additional rules and regulations for the MAV allocation to be subject to a quarterly review as an additional measure to avoid imported pork flooding the market and depressing local prices

below profitable levels,” he said.

To immediately address the needs of consumers, Dominguez said the EDC recommended as an emergency measure the temporary increase in the MAV and decrease in tariff rates, which will then be gradually adjusted upward and completely restored to original rates after 12 months. (PR)

The President, meanwhile, said he is willing to retract EO 128 as soon as there is an improvement in the country’s domestic supply.

“I can understand from where the senators come from. There is also the domestic supply which they intend to protect and they are vehement about it because I think that they think that they are right,” he said.

The senators earlier appealed to the President to revoke EO 128 which temporarily modifies the rates on import duty on fresh, chilled, or frozen meat of swine.

President Duterte acknowledged that it was natural for senators to protect the local hog industry, but noted the inputs from his economic managers who were in favor of the EO. In an update on DA's effort to recover from the ASF outbreak, Dar said in early April, the PHP400 million budget was used to repop-

ulate the hog industry.

Sentinel pigs in areas where there are no reported cases of ASF for at least 90 days were distributed to 8,000 small hog raisers in eight regions, he said.

The DA is in partnership with private firms and local government units for the "Bantay ASF sa Barangay" or BABay ASF program, an awareness drive on biosecurity measures.

Meanwhile, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III on Tuesday called on lawmakers to support the President’s directive allowing increased pork imports at lower tariff rates.

He said he and the EDC made the recommendations to the President after extensive deliberations and consultations among concerned agencies and the public, with all the trade-offs considered in the cost-benefit analysis done on this major consumer concern. (PNA)

Under the program, short-term loans have a tenor of one year; term loan for permanent working capital is payable up to five years; and fixed asset acquisition is payable based on the cash flow or payback period of the project, with a grace period on the principal and interest.

The DA will provide the list of eligible program borrowers and assist them in the preparation of a business plan, enrollment in the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC), and in securing necessary permits.

The DA will also provide loan recipients training on biosecurity man-

agement and breeding or rearing of hogs, while engaging the services of different organizations in capability building and implementation of biosecurity protocols.

Landbank, for its part, will accept and evaluate loan applications of eligible borrowers and facilitate the release of loan proceeds.

The bank will also monitor the performance of the program and provide monthly reports to the DA. The Landbank SWINE lending program will be available until Dec. 31, 2026 in support of the DA’s hog re-population plan.

(PR) units in February.

Light commercial vehicle sales also slipped by 1 percent to 3,676 last month from February 3,728 unit sales.

that by May or June, we already have the) vaccine,” Marcial said.

Rosales added that once the vaccine finally takes full effect inside the players’ bodies, the PBA can begin the season right away.

“We’re looking at June the earliest,” he said but

Marcial added that it is also possible to have the games by the last week of May. Both officials said if the season begins within the said period, the PBA can still hold two conferences with the possibility of finishing it by February next year. (PNA)

On a year-on-year basis, sales of AVID members have recovered in March 2021 from March 2020 -the onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Sales last month jumped by 95 percent to 5,193 units from March 2020’s 2,663 units.

Compared to February 2021, sales last month declined by 4 percent from 5,401 units.

“The slow uptick of passenger cars is a result of continued low consumer confidence,” AVID president Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo said in a statement.

Month-on-month passenger car sales decreased by 10 percent to 1,372 units in March from 1,518

Adams made one of two free throws before Irving’s layup gave Brooklyn a 128-123 lead with 26.2 seconds left.

Lewis made a 3-pointer and Harris answered by hitting one of two free throws with 12.7 seconds left, leaving the Pelicans with a chance to tie with a 3-pointer. But Griffin fouled Ingram before the Penguins forward could get in shooting position and Ingram made both free throws with 11.4 seconds left.

New Orleans got with-

in three points three times, but each time Brooklyn prevented a 3-point attempt by fouling.

Harris made two 3-pointers, Irving made one and Shamet converted a three-point play as Brooklyn started the third quarter with an 18-6 run and took a 75-65 lead.

The Nets increased the lead to 12 points before Ball scored seven straight New Orleans points to lead a Pelicans surge that got them within 93-92 at the end of the third quarter.

governing body, and three of major European leagues, English Premier League, Spanish La Liga and Italian Serie A, along with their federations, warned over the "socalled Super League" and said they would stick together and take all measures "to stop this cynical project."

The new mid-week competition means that the 12 European clubs plus three others wish to play in the Super League that they govern rather than the UEFA competitions, the top-tier Champions League and second-tier Europa League.

Following their joint decision, these clubs are now having a dispute with the UEFA and FIFA. European Super League format

In Barcelona's statement, the 15 founding clubs will play in the Super League regularly as they are the founders of the competition.

But the total number of the participants will be 20 as a further five clubs will qualify for this contest based on their achievements in their local leagues in the prior season.

Similar to Champions League fixtures, the Super League matches will be held midweek.

The tournament starts in August as 20 teams in two groups of 10 will play home and away matches.

The best three clubs in each group will qualify for the quarterfinals. The fourth and fifth clubs in the groups will play a twolegged playoff for the last eight berth.

PORK... FROM 4

PBA... FROM 11

NETS ... FROM 11

LANDBANK... FROM 5

IMPORTED... FROM 5

FIFA... FROM 11

Commercial vehicle salesdeclinedby6percent to145unitsinMarchfrom 155unitssoldinFebruary.

“Butletusnotdiscount the commendable performances of light commercialvehiclesandcommercial vehicles, and the hardworking teams that drive them.

We see these two segments as our industry’s lifesavers as they lend indispensablesupporttothe country’s revitalized infrastructuredevelopment programs,”Perez-Agudo added. (PNA)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 32 • TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

11

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial confirmed that he will meet with the IATF next week to discuss the fate of the PBA.

PBA eyes vaccination T of players, personnel T

FIFA opposes breakaway European Super League

he Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is looking to vaccinate everyone from the players and coaches to the league employees before looking to begin its 46th season.

PBA board vice chairman Bobby Rosales said on Tuesday the plan has been discussed during their meeting the day before.

“The first order of the day as discussed in the board will be for the whole PBA family to be vaccinated,” said Rosales, the governor for Terrafirma.

He added that the inoculation is crucial in determining what setup the league will be using for the

upcoming season, whose opening has been postponed thrice mainly due to the recent rise in coronavirus disease 2019 cases within Metro Manila and some other provinces.

“We believe that if everybody has been vaccinated, then it might be easier for the government through the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) to

allow the season to open,” Rosales said. “We’d like to look at the vaccination of the whole PBA as the first option so that maybe we can get a better option than a bubble if the IATF will allow it.”

While not ruling out another bubble with Commissioner Willie Marcial baring that Ilocos Norte is among the provinces which was offered to become the host, the PBA is looking at a closed-circuit type of tournament hosting for this season with the Ynares Center in Antipolo City as the main arena.

Marcial confirmed that he will meet with the IATF next week to discuss the

Nets take down Pelicans

K

yrie Irving scored 32 points and Joe Harris had 24 to lead seven Brooklyn players in double figures as the short-handed Nets held off the host New Orleans Pelicans 134-129 on Tuesday night.

Landry Shamet added 18, Blake Griffin scored 16, Jeff Green had 15, Bruce Brown had 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 10.

The Nets (39-19) played without James

Harden, who is out indefinitely after suffering a setback in his rehabilitation of a hamstring injury; Kevin Durant, who is dayto-day with a thigh contusion; and Nicolas Claxton and Reggie Perry (health and safety protocol).

Zion Williamson scored 33 points, Brandon Irving had 27, Lonzo Ball and Naji Marshall added 15 each, and Kira Lewis Jr. had 11 to lead the Pelicans (25-33), who lost their fourth straight game.

Marshall’s 3-pointer

started the fourth-quarter scoring and gave New Orleans a two-point lead before Brooklyn went on an 11-3 run.

The Pelicans twice got within one point, but the Nets rebuilt the margin to seven both times.

New Orleans got within two points three times, but Brooklyn answered each time and Irving’s jumper gave the Nets a 126-122 lead with 52.4 seconds left.

The Pelicans’ Steven

FNETS, P10

fate of the PBA. Regarding the vaccine shots, Rosales said procuring them would not be a problem as Manny Pangilinan, the team owner of TNT, Meralco, and NLEX, and the San Miguel Corporation, which also owns three clubs in San Miguel Beer, Ginebra, and Magnolia, have committed to buy vaccines while Marcial has sought the help of the Philippine Red Cross as well.

Marcial also hopes that the vaccines would arrive very soon so that the league can finally open its new season.

“By May or June, sana magkaroon kami ng (I hope

FPBA, P10

he Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) on Monday said that it stands against the newly founded European Super League and football's governing bodies have to impose sanctions on this project.

"Against this background, FIFA can only express its disapproval to a 'closed European breakaway league' outside of the international football structures and not respecting the aforementioned principles," FIFA said in a statement.

It stated that the game's governing bodies should "employ all lawful, sporting and diplomatic means to ensure this remains the case" as FIFA said that the world football's governing body has been promoting solidarity and integrity in football.

FIFA added that it calls all the parties to have "constructive" dialogue to secure the unity and spirit of the game.

Many big clubs in Europe such as AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Tottenham Hotspur said in a joint statement on Sunday that they launched a new initiative, the European Super League.

In addition, another three teams are expected to join.

Meanwhile, Spain's Barcelona said in a statement that the clubs, who will participate in the annual Super League, will go on to play in their national leagues each.

In a joint statement, UEFA, European football's

FFIFA, P10

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) dribbles against New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) during the first half at the Smoothie King Center. Reuters

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 262 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 VOL.14 ISSUE 32 • TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

KANGAROO KAI Kai Sotto to play for Adelaide 36ers in Australia's NBL

F

ilipino teenager Kai Sotto is taking his basketball journey the LaMelo Ball way -- play in Australia first.

The 7-foot-two lanky youngster is packing his bags to strut his stuff Down Under.

Sotto will play for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL), the team announced on Wednesday morning and confirmed by the young player's camp himself.

This development comes after Sotto left the NBA G League's Ignite program, in a mutual decision with the team. Ignite offered NBA-level coaching both on and off the court to prepare elite prospects for an NBA career, but Sotto left the team without playing a single game for the squad.

In a statement, the 36ers said that Sotto signed for two seasons with an option for a third. Sotto is signed under the NBL's "Special Restricted Player" rule that allows the club and the NBL to build on strong

relationships within the FIBA Asia region.

"We are delighted to welcome Kai, both to the club and the City of Adelaide. Attracting a player of Kai's potential from Asia, and more recently the United States, to Adelaide will only enhance the club's reputation for identifying and developing elite basketball talent," said Adelaide chairman Grant Kelley.

"Kai realizes that he has work ahead of him as all rookies do when coming in to this tough league, but his combination of height and developing skill-set give him every chance to raise his game. With hard work, his ceiling for growth is very high," added Adelaide general manager Jeff Van Groningen.

The 36ers currently have a 1014 record, good for just seventh in

FKANGAROO, P10

Kai Sotto has agreed to play professional ball for the Adelaide 76ers in Australia’s NBL.