Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 53 | Sunday-Monday, May 16-17, 2021 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VOL.14 ISSUE 53 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MAY 16-17, 2021

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A medical health worker receives her second dose of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine at Magallanes Elementary School in Davao City on Saturday. Medical health workers from public and private institutions and clinics in Davao City were scheduled to receive their second dose of vaccine on Friday but it was moved on Saturday due to tropical storm “Crising.” Edge Davao

Probe sought on damaged 384 doses of Covid-19 vaccines in Makilala

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 53 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MAY 16-17, 2021

SPOILED VAX President Rodrigo Duterte says he would rather end his friendship with China than leave it unopposed in the West Philippine Sea. Presidential Photo

Probe sought on damaged 384 doses of Covid-19 vaccines in Makilala, NC By MAYA M. PADILLO

legislative inquiry is sought after 384 vials of Coronavac (Sinovac) Covid-19 vaccines intended for senior citizens were damaged due to a non-functional refrigerator in Makilala, North Cotabato. In a statement, Vice Governor Emmylou “Lala” Taliño-Mendoza said the Sangguniang Panglalawigan (SP) is proposing to conduct a legislative inquiry in aid of legislation concerning the veracity of the information on the spoilage of the vaccine from proper authorities considering the sensitivity of the issue at hand and the scarcity of the vaccine supply. The inquiry also aims to propose measures to improve the guidelines on the proper handling of vaccines to prevent the reoccurrence of such incident and avoid recurrent vaccine spoilage. “Makilala has its own Ice Lined Refrigerator (ILR), which is used to store the vaccines. The issue is not about the ILR, but it is on the fact that after the power interruption, the ILR was

not plugged in when they changed the power source. Besides, both Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines do not need state-of-the-art refrigeration facilities as emphasized by Sec. Galvez. Hence, the absence of a sophisticated refrigerator should not be used as an excuse,” Mendoza said. The statement also stated that the SP would like to emphasize that should there be statements to be released, it should be coming from authorized agencies including the Department of Health (DOH). According to Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Spokesperson Philbert Malaluan, the LGU of Makilala borrowed a freezer to the Philippine National Police-Makilala to store the vaccines. However, a brownout occurred on May 7, 2021,

that resulted for the spoilage of the vaccines as required temperature of 2 to 8 degree celsius was not maintained. Malaluan added that because the power went on and off, the temperature reached beyond 8 degree celsius, which caused for the vaccines to lose its efficacy. He is firm on no one to be held acco for the incident as the LGU lacks facilities. He added that the Supplemental Budget, which is still pending at the SP, should be hastily approved to help the LGU for its Covid-19 programs. On her end, Mendoza stated that SP received the proposed SB No. 1 on April 29, 2021. On the same day, the said budget was included in the proposed Official Business and was calendared under Urgent Matter on May 4, 2021 as certified. The amount of the proposed SB 1 is P393,921,875.70 that includes proposal for donations, intelligence fund, infrastructure, health, trainings, capital

outlays, and among others. Mendoza said a day before the session on May 4, 2021, the Acting Provincial Budget Officer communicated that he cannot join the session. During the session, the SP unanimously agreed and there was no objection that the budget should be referred to the committee of the whole with the head of offices and focal persons for discussion and clarification. Mendoza also stated that as a general rule, appropriation ordinance such as Annual Budget and SB should go through three readings, which the SP diligently follows, according to its internal rules and procedure. She said last year, the SP approved four Supplemental and one annual budgets. “Should the executive find including the requests necessary, as alleged by BM Malaluan, they should have included it in the previous budget because they already know that vaccination program will really take place,” she said.

PH secures 202M doses of Covid-19 vaccines: Galvez

he Philippines has secured 202 million doses of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccines from various pharmaceutical companies and the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility. Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., the Chief Implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19, said 158 million doses were government-procured while 44 million doses were secured through the COVAX facility. “Ngayon po makukuha po natin na ‘yung 202 million doses. Ito po ang mabibili po natin at ibibigay po sa atin ngCOVAX (Now we can get 202 million doses from the COVAX

facility),” Galvez said during the Cabinet meeting on Thursday night at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang. A total of 300,000 doses of Sputnik V jabs will arrive next week and 1.3 million doses next month, along with 25,000 doses of Moderna vaccines procured by the private sector. On May 20, another 500,000 doses of Sinovac will be delivered and 1.3 million doses by the end of the month. Galvez said the government will be signing a head of terms, or summary of the intended terms of a commercial transaction, with PfizerBioNTech to purchase 40 million doses.

BJMP 11 investigates cause of PDL’s death

he Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-XI (BJMPXI) is currently conducting a thorough investigation regarding the death of a PDL (Person Deprived of Liberty) inside the Davao City Jail-Male Dormitory last May 10. A PDL identified as Jerry Nick Maño, 28 years old, from Brgy.31-2, Bolton, Davao City was reported unconscious inside his cell by his cellmates. The Nurse on Duty conducted and immediate assessment and medical intervention. “A Dispatch Team was immediately coordinated and was able to transport

the said PDL to Southern Philippines Medical Center. The said team tried to revive the said PDL on their way to SPMC. However, the attending physician declared him dead on arrival on or about 3:32 pm on the said date,” read the statement of BJMP-XI regarding the death of the PDL. Jail Chief Superintendent Leo Baldon said they are welcoming investigating bodies to conduct their independent investigation. Meanwhile all BJMP jails are still on lockdown with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 53 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MAY 16-17, 2021

NEWS 3

Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., the Chief Implementer of the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19, announces that the country has secured 202 million doses of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccines from various pharmaceutical companies and the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility. Edge Davao

JAS LCE expects majority of senior citizens be inoculated

ayor Jason John Joyce of Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental said that majority of about 4,000 to 5,000 of their senior citizen populace are expected to be vaccinated as soon as COVID-19 vaccines will be available in the municipality. Joyce said that almost all of their senior citizens have been eagerly waiting for their turns to be inoculated, adding that there’s not much difficulty for the local government to convince the A2 priority group sector. He added that their vaccination teams will be visiting the 26 barangays in the municipality, which are all geographically isolated and disadvantage areas (GIDAs), to administer the vaccination activities. As of date, a total of 235 health care frontliners in Jose Abad Santos have been inoculated for the first dose

of the COVID-19 vaccines. Joyce bared that 132 from the A1 priority group sector are still awaiting for their first dose jabs. He said they are set to schedule soon the vaccination for the remaining health care frontliners since additional vaccines have just arrived in the municipality and are now available. The health care frontliners include the personnel of the rural health unit, barangay health workers, Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs), personnel of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office and operation center. The mayor also mentioned that aside from the masterlist of the health care frontliners, they have already prepared the masterlists of the A2 and A3 priority groups. (PIA-XI/ Carina L. Cayon)

LTFRB to add 13 routes to ‘Libreng Sakay’ project By MAYA M. PADILLO

he Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB 11) disclosed that there will be 13 additional routes in the coming weeks for the “Libreng Sakay” (free rides) initiative for the frontliners and authorized persons outside residence (APORs) in Davao Region.

LTFRB 11 Regional Director Nonito Llanos III told Edge Davao that currently, a route is already established catering to frontliners and APORs from Panabo City to Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City under the Golden Valley Bus Line

Corporation. “But all the major bus companies applied already and their papers are still under evaluation,” Llanos said. A “Libreng Sakay” through Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs) has also already started for the

medical frontliners and health workers from Panabo City going to Davao City. The “Libreng Sakay” is one of the priority programs under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Republic Act No. 115 via PUV Service Contracting of the Department of Transportation (DoTr) and LTFRB. Individuals must present their ID showing that they are medical frontliners and APORs. In a memorandum dated April 11, 2021, DoTr directed LTFRB to expand the implementation of

The request cited Boston to have the “highest number of attack rate and growth rate” of COVID-19 among local government units (LGUs) in Davao Oriental with 26 standing total number of positive cases, affecting more barangays therein. RIATF Chairperson Alex Roldan, regional director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) signed RIATF Resolution No. 05 Series

of 2021 on May 12, citing the joint request of the Provincial and Municipal IATF as “meritorious and thus vital in managing and preventing further spread of COVID-19” in the Municipality of Boston. RIATF Resolution No. 05 has directed local task force concerned, to “strictly” adhere to the IATF Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines and to

the Zoning Containment Strategy per National Task Force Memorandum Circular No. 2 Series of 2020. The Regional IATF further instructs concerned local task forces to adhere to “strict enforcement” of minimum health standards, intensified contact tracing, quarantine of close contact and isolation of confirmed cases. It stretches its order for local task force to impose

the free rides to APORs and medical frontliners, which is to be integrated in the Service Contracting Program, regardless of the community quarantine level in place. It also stated that it is in this time of pandemic that the critically impacted in the public transportation sector must be provided with continued financial support and assistance from the government, and at the same time, provide free rides to all medical frontliners who are in the forefront in battling the Covid-19 pandemic.

“granular lockdown of critical areas in the Zoning Containment Strategy”, if warranted, subject to the concurrence of the Regional IATF. Meanwhile, Boston Municipal Mayor Rowell F. Rosit issued Executive Order No. 05 founded on the Regional IATF approval and concurrence of joint provincial and municipal request to accelerate the quarantine status of his municipality.

Boston town placed under GCQ due to COVID-19 surge

he entire Municipality of Boston has been placed under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) status for 14 days starting May 13 until May 27 due to surge of COVID-19 cases. The Davao Regional Inter-agency Task Force (RIATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has given its approval and concurrence of such GCQ declaration based on a letter request of Davao

Oriental IATF and Boston Municipal IATF to escalate the quarantine classification of Boston from modified general community quarantine MGCQ to GCQ. Duly signed by Davao Oriental Provincial Task Force on COVID-19 action officer, Dr. Reden Bersaldo and approved by Provincial Governor Nelson Dayanghirang, the letter request dated May 9 was received by RIATF on May 11.

A1 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 53 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MAY 16-17, 2021

BSP says GIR level hit $107.25 billion in April

Deparment of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar says the agency favorably welcomes the signing by President Rodrigo Duterte on May 10, 2021, of Proclamation No. 1143, declaring a state of calamity throughout the Philippines due to the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak. Edge Davao

PRRD’s declaration of state of calamity due to ASF will boost biosecurity efforts

he Deparment of Agriculture (DA) favorably welcomes the signing by President Rodrigo Duterte on May 10, 2021, of Proclamation No. 1143, declaring a state of calamity throughout the Philippines due to the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.

“We consider the Presidential Proclamation No. 1143 as the muchneeded ‘shot-in-thearm’ as it will allow local government units (LGUs) to set aside part of their Local Risk Reduction and Management Fund or commonly known as calamity fund for quick

response purposes, and to allocate for the prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, rehabilitation and recovery that may be brought by the ASF incidence in their respective areas,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar. “The Proclamation will also enable us to partner

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 11 TH JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF Davao City

EJF-REM CASE NO. 17,900-21

SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM (SSS), Mortgagee, SILVINO R. GRUMO married to Perla Grumo Mortgagor/s. X-----------------------------------------------------X

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

Upon extra-judicial petition for foreclosure and sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by the above mentioned mortgagee against SILVINO R. GRUMO married to Perla Grumo, with postal address at , Lot 2 , Block 3 # 01 Orchid St., Phase 6, Doña Pilar Village, Sasa DAVAO CITY, to satisfy the indebtedness of the mortgagor/s which as of March 01 2021, amounts to (Php 1,919,156.01) Philippine Currency, including interest thereon, penalties and other charges and plus other legal expenses incident to foreclosure and sale, the undersigned Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court, Davao City, will sell at public auction on June 3, 2021 at 10:00 A.M., or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland, Davao City, to the highest bidder to CASH and/or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property mentioned and described below together with all the improvements found thereon,to wit: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-116977

“A parcel of land (Lot 2, Block3, Psd-11017190,xxx ), situated in the arrio of Sasa City of Davao, Island of Mindanao. xxx Containing an area of ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY ONE (181) SQUARE METERS, more or less.xxx” All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date. That in the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on June 24, 2021 without further notice. Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the above-described real property and encumbrances thereon, if any there be. Davao City, Philippines, April 29, 2021.

For ATTY. FRANCISCO M. CAMPANER – the OIC Clerk of Court &amp; Ex-Officio Prov’l Sheriff

JULITO J. ANGGOT Sheriff IV

Upon extra-judicial petition for foreclosure and sale under Act 3135, as amended, filed by the above mentioned mortgagee against MARO MACASUHOT, with postal address at , Lot 6, Block 12, #06 3rd Avenue, Fortune Executive Homes, Bo. Pampanga, 8000 DAVAO CITY, to satisfy the indebtedness of the mortgagor/s which as of March 01 2021, amounts to One Million Eight Hundred Thirty One Thousand Six Hundred Ninety One Pesos & 05/100 (Php 1,831,691.05) Philippine Currency, including interest thereon, penalties and other charges and plus other legal expenses incident to foreclosure and sale, the undersigned Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court, Davao City, will sell at public auction on June 3, 2021 at 10:00 A.M., or soon thereafter, at the main entrance of Hall of Justice, Ecoland, Davao City, to the highest bidder to CASH and/or MANAGER’S CHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following real property mentioned and described below together with all the improvements found thereon,to wit: TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. T-109128 “A parcel of land (Lot 6, Block 12, Psd-11-014494, being a portion of Lot 557-C-1-8, Psd-11-014034), situated in theBarrio of Pampanga City of Davao, Island of Mindanao. xxx Containing an area of ONE HUNDRED FIFTY (150) SQUARE METERS, more or less.xxx” All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above-stated time and date.

That in the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on June 24, 2021 without further notice.

Prospective buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title of the above-described real property and encumbrances thereon, if any there be. April 23,2021 ,Davao City, Philippines,. For ATTY. FRANCISCO M. CAMPANER – the OIC Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Prov’l Sheriff IRVIN PAUL L. CUBELO Sheriff IV

holdings due to the increase in the price of gold in the international market also contributed to the higher GIR level, which were partly offset by the outflows from the NG’s payment of foreign currency debts, the BSP said. “The latest GIR level represents a more than adequate external liquidity buffer, which can help cushion the domestic economy against external shocks,” the central bank said.

The country’s adequate GIR levels as well as its strong macroeconomic fundamentals paved the way for a quick and timely response to the COVID-19 pandemic, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno earlier said.

6 PH companies land on Forbes’ Global 2000 list

t least six Philippine conglomerates and banking giants made with the LGUs — from the “We believe this will provincial, city, municipal give swine industry it to business publication and barangays — and hog stakeholders enough Forbes Global 2000 list, an raisers’ groups and the time to build defenses international ranking of private sector to craft and for areas that remain the world’s biggest, most implement their respective unaffected by what is powerful, and most valuASF contingency plan, termed as the Covid -19 of able companies. Based on the 19th anchored on strong and the hog sector,’” Secretary annual list released by sustained biosecurity, Dar said. surveillance, monitoring The DA has requested Forbes on Friday, the and protection measures, the declaration of the Philippine company that covering both ASF-affected state of calamity in March made the cut are the and ASF-free areas,” the DA this year, which was duly following: SM Investments, chief added. supported by the National BDO Unibank, Top Frontier Holdings, As per Proclamation Disaster Risk Reduction Investment 1143, the country will and Management Council Ayala Corp., LT Group, remain under the state (NDRRMC) chaired by Metropolitan Bank & Trust of calamity for one year, Defense Secretary Delfin Co. Overall, SM Investments unless earlier lifted or Lorenzana through extended as circumstances NDRRMC resolution ranked 877th followed by its banking arm BDO which may warrant. passed on April 20, 2021. placed 1,159th in the Global 2000 list. Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Top Frontier 11TH JUDICIAL REGION Investment Holdings, OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT-SHERIFF the top stockholder of Davao City diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp., ranked SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM (SSS), Mortgagee, 1,183rd while Ayala Corp. EJF-REM CASE NO. 17,902-21 came in at 1,801st. - versus - FOR: EXTRA-JUDICIAL FORECLOSURE OF Tycoon Lucio Tan’s REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE UNDER ACT MARIO MACASUHOT 3135 as amended Mortgagor/s. X----------------------------------------X

- versus -

he Philippines’ gross international reserves (GIR) reached $107.25 billion as of the end of April, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday. The total is $2.77 billion higher compared to $104.48 billion in March, the BSP said in a statement. The buffer is equivalent to 12.3 months’ worth of import of goods and payments of services and primary income, it said. The month-on-month increase reflected inflows mainly from the proceeds of several of the the National Government’s bond issuances which were deposited with the BSP, it said. An upward adjustment in the value of the BSP’s gold

LT Group placed 1,831st followed by Ty family’s Metrobank at 1,929th. Forbes based its rankings on the analysis of firms’ sales, profits, assets, and market value. Industrial & Commercial Bank of China ranked No. 1 overall, followed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Berkshire Hathaway. The United States boasts the most companies on the list with 590, followed by China (mainland and Hong Kong) with 350, according to Forbes. The other countries in the top five are Japan, United Kingdom, and South Korea with 215, 66, and 62 companies, respectively.

Forbes said the 2021 Global 2000 companies account for $39.8 trillion in revenues, $2.5 trillion in profits, $223.4 trillion in assets and $79.7 trillion in market capitalization.

Charter economic reforms to boost private sector role in recovery

epartment of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the private sector plays a “very crucial” role in the country’s economic growth and recovery amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Malaya, in an economic forum on Friday, said amending and removing restrictions in the Constitution will help to facilitate investments from private entities. “That is why we want to be able to bring foreign capital because our investments and gross capital formation decreased by negative 18.3 percent compared to previous statistics. So while it’s true that the government has an important role to play, private sector investment

is very crucial to economic growth,” he said. In the same forum, Center for Strategy, Enterprise, and Intelligence (CenSEI) executive director Gary Olivar said reforming the economic provisions in the Constitution will also help in attracting foreign investments. He added that big foreign investors in the country should be seen as partners for growth instead of being competitors.

“Ang pagpasok ng malalaking foreign investors ang siya ngang tutulong sa mga medium and small scale industries. Hindi po sila kakompetensya (The entry of large foreign investors will help the medium and small scale industries. They are not competitors),” said Olivar.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 53 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MAY 16-17, 2021

ECONOMY A2

Apo Agua Operations head Shake A. Tuason (leftmost), Tambobong National High School (TNHS) principal Robert G. Quibete (center), and 3rd District Councilor Hon. Antoinette “Petite”G. Principe-Castrodes try out the newly-installed handwashing facility during the turn over ceremony of rainwater catchment and handwashing facility donated by Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. (Apo Agua) and Davao City Water District (DCWD) to TNHS. PR

Apo Agua, DCWD turn over rainwater catchment, handwashing facility to TNHS

joint venture company between Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc. and J.V. Angeles Construction Corporation (JVACC), Apo Agua is undertaking Part A of DCWD’s Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWSP). Part A involves the construction of intake facilities, a water treatment facility, and treated water pipelines. Once operational, the project will deliver at least 300 million liters of treated water per day to DCWD for the benefit of more than one million Davaoeños. Through Aboitiz Foundation, Apo Agua contributed to the improvement of the school’s roof gutters that serve as rainwater catchment systems. The water from the roof catchment then goes to water tanks that store the rainwater, before it can be used through the handwashing facility. This contribution complements DCWD’s efforts to provide shortterm and long-term access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene facilities to all schools and communities in the city. “Apo Agua is very much committed to delivering water to Davaoeños, including residents of our partner communities who will not directly benefit from the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project, which includes Barangay Tambobong. We are doing this first here in Tambobong National High School to see how effective this system can be. We hope we will be able to replicate this project

in other areas as well,” said Apo Agua President Anna Victoria Lu. “We hope that with this facility, we are able to teach our students and the residents not just about protecting our watersheds, but how to conserve and recycle water as well,” she added. For his part, Tambobong National High School Principal Robert G. Quibete said that while it’s not the full scale solution, the facility could be the starting point for a more long-term access to water. “We are thankful because this project is not really a 100% solution, but it could bring a big help for us. We, Tambobong National High School, assure you that we will take good care of this facility,” he said. The handwashing facility also supports the city government’s efforts to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in communities they serve. Third District Councilors Hon. Alberto Ungab and Hon. Antoinette “Petite” G. Principe-Castrodes also expressed their thanks to Aboitiz Foundation and Apo Agua for donating the facility when the community needs it the most. “Access to safe water is a basic right of every human being. Today, in this time of the pandemic, the ability to access and use clean water anytime and anywhere has been more urgent and needed. Every person, especially the vulnerable sectors such as women and children, should have ready access to clean water,” said Hon. Principe-Castrodes.

More savings recorded from Pag-IBIG members in Q1 ‘21

espite the expected impact of the pandemic felt by Pag-IBIG Fund members, it has reported in its Virtual Kapihan today that P9.1 billion is recorded in the first quarter of 2021 from its regular savings while P6.7 billion is recorded from the Pag-IBIG MP2 Savings. Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Acmad Moti bared to the media in the said online presser that amid the pandemic, members saved a recordhigh P6.7B in the MP2 savings in the first quarter

of this year. “It is the highestever amount collectively saved by members in the program for any first quarter,” Moti said. In the first quarter of 2020 which marked the

NOTICE OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE AMONG THE HEIRS OF JUAN P. VISTO

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late Juan P. Visto who died intestate on January 18, 1985 in Malabog, Paquibato District Davao City,that the deceased at the time of his death, without a will, leaving a parcel of land covered with Transfer Certificate of Title No. P-443 with Homestead Patent No. (XI-1) 398 situated in the Barrio of Lamanan, City of Davao, Island of Mindanao containing an area of Four (4) hectares FIFTY (50) ares more or less has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE executed among his heirs, per Doc. No.221; PageNo.46; Book No.III Series of 2021, of the NOTARY PUBLIC ATTY.IRA CALATRAVA- VALENZUELA

start of the pandemic, members saved on MP2 about P4.6 billion. The regular savings of Pag-IBIG Fund members also increased by 13 percent in the first quarter of 2021 as compared to last year’s P8.04 billion which dipped by 13 percent low from the P9.22billion mandatory savings recorded in the first quarter of 2019. The Pag-IBIG Fund CEO also reported that P63 billion was released in 2020 for housing

loans benefitting 63,750 borrowers while P35 billion was released in the same year for short-term loans benefitting 1.74 million borrowers. “Our net income in 2020 reached P31.7 billion which is significantly high because we initially thought that because of the pandemic net income will only be between P20 to 25 billion. Many of our members continue paying their loans and saving as well,” Moti explained.

NOTICE OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late PELAGIO BLANCO ROBIN and ATANACIA GARCIA who died September 29 and December 24,1983 both at BArangay Coronon, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur ,that the deceased at the time of their death without a will or testament, leaving parcels of land covered with Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-1326, OCT No. P-737, Lot No. 313 and Lot No. 312-B situated in Brgy. Coronon ,Sta. Cruz ,Davao del Sur with waiver of rights, has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE executed among their heirs , per Doc. No.116; PageNo.25; Book No.21 Series of 2021, of the NOTARY PUBLIC ATTY.BEHN JOSEPH O. TESIORNA

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6 EDGEDAVAO

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On accomplishing high vaccination rollout:

Let’s not fear the vaccine because it is the solution and key to getting us back to our normal life.” SEN. BONG GO

EDITORIAL Scammers Despite the revocation of corporate registration of the controversial Kapa Community Ministry International after having been found to have engaged in fraudulent investment-taking activities, it doesn’t look like we have seen the last days of scammers.

Recently, the Davao City Anti-Scam Unit (CASU) warned the public against a couple from Sasa in Davao City for scamming. At least 20 individuals have filed a complaint at the CASU. The scheme is nothing new. They solicit money and promised a double return after a week and so on. Until they banish to thin air. One complainant said they lost a hefty amount worth P10 million.

People are just too gullible. As if the recent revocation of the corporate registration of Kapa by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is not proof enough that investment schemes are fraud. In Cagayan de Oro, the SEC also warned the public of the proliferation

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At any cost, scammers proliferate with the thought of taking advantage of the pandemic. It is for the public to be fully aware not to fall into the trap. 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 ANA MARIE G. SILPAO 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

of at least 28 groups and individuals engaged in fraudulent investment schemes. The SEC advised the public to be cautious in investing in the following entities – Masa Mart Business OPC, Mers Business Center, Royal O Financial Consultancy Services, Bitaccelerate or Bitaccelerateproject.com, Bitexpress Security and Commodity Contracts Brokerage; Solmax Global Ltd., Igniter 100, Royal O Consultancy Services OPC, IX Trade or IXTrade, Wonkacash or Wonka Cash App Financial Consultancy Services, Learn and Earn Online, 247 Cryptotrading, FX Cryptotrade Online, Iwatch.PH Corp., Seven Stag International OPC, RGS World Marketing Corp., Yumboss Corp.; Philhelp Administration of Financial Marketing, Jamsmart, Tradexpert or Tradexpert Technology Information Services, Align Assets, RL Aggregates and Diversified Lending Group Inc., Investrade Marketing or Investrade Digital Marketing Services, Cash FX or Cash FX Group of CFX, Doors Opportunity Online (DOO) or Door Opportunity Digital Marketing Services, and Hedge Trading.

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)

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VOL.14 ISSUE 53 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, , MAY 16-17, 2021

VANTAGE POINTS

ATTY. MIGS NOGRALES IBP DAVAO CHAPTER DIRECTOR

FORCED RESIGNATION IS NOT VOLUNTARY RESIGNATION; IT AMOUNTS TO CONSTRUCTIVE DISMISSAL. Dear IBP Davao, I need your help regarding my situation at work. I recently tendered my resignation at my job because I felt that it was impossibleformetostayemployed with my boss. I got infected with COVID-19 and although I have already recovered, I was treated differently by my boss and he stopped giving me work. Lately, he even refused talking to me whenever I would be in the area, with somewhat a hostile attitude in the rare instance that he decides to talk to me. He assigns most of my work to other people and whenever I get assigned to do any job, they are either the small jobs that require routine work or difficult and impossible jobs. When I tried to confront my boss, he even said if I am not happy with my job then I can just voluntarily resign. I have no means of income now and my wife is angry with me because she told me I should not have quit

my job, instead, I should have just stayed so that I can earn a living regardless of the discriminatory and hostile treatment. What should I do regarding this, Atty? Sincerely, ARROW

Dear Arrow, Although it is entirely within the prerogative of every employee to voluntarily resign from their job for whatever reason, a fine line between voluntary resignation and forced resignation must be clearly drawn. As provided under the Philippine Labor Code, an employee may terminate his relationship with his employer by serving a written notice on the employer at least one (1) month in advance. Failure to serve his employer a written notice may hold such employee liable for damages.

In such a case, this is what we commonly know as a “voluntary resignation” on the part of the employee – a free and voluntary act to end his/her relationship with his/her employer. On the flip side, there are unfortunate instances whereby an employee is left with no other recourse but terminate his relationship with his/her employer due to certain unbearable instances and factors in the workplace which are brought upon by the employer. Here, although on the surface, it may seem voluntary on the part of the employee, it is in actuality a forced resignation equivalent to constructive dismissal. As instructed by the Supreme Court in the case of Gan vs. Galderma Philippines Inc., 701 Phil. 612 (2013), the distinction between constructive dismissal or involuntary resignation and voluntary resignation is as

follows: “Constructive dismissal is defined as quitting or cessation of work because continued employment is rendered impossible, unreasonable or unlikely; xxx There is involuntary resignation due to the harsh, hostile, and unfavorable conditions set by the employer. xxx On the other hand, &quot;[r]esignation is the voluntary act of an employee who is in a situation where one believes that personal reasons cannot be sacrificed in favor of the exigency of the service, and one has no other choice but to dissociate oneself from employment. It is a formal pronouncement or relinquishment of an office, with the intention of relinquishing the office accompanied by the act of relinquishment. xxx” Thus, applying the above in your case, considering that your

former employer has created an atmosphere of hostility and unreasonableness which lead to your resignation, Philippine labor laws may treat your former employer’s actions as one of forced resignation, and, thus, the National Labor Relations Commission may rule that you were indeed constructively dismissed. Additionally, should your former employer raise the defense of voluntary resignation on his part, the burden of proof on the voluntariness of your resignation will fall on him. The above legal opinion is based solely on the appreciation of the facts and problem given and stated above. The opinion may vary when other facts, circumstances, and situations are stated. For more information and for further queries, you may contact the Legal Aid Office of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Davao City Chapter at ibpdavao@gmail.com.

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

DAVAO, TAGUM QUALIFY FOR VIE FOR ONE PLANET CITY CHALLENGE 21-22 Davao and Tagum are the two cities from Davao Region that are among the 16 cities from the Philippines that qualify for the One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) 2021-2011, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) – Philippines. Three other cities in Mindanao – Cagayan de Oro, Dipolog and Zamboanga – also made it to the list. All five cities have qualified before along with six others: Batangas, Makati, Pasig, Quezon City, San Carlos (Negros Occidental), and Santa Rosa. Joining the roster of qualifiers for the first time are the cities of Baguio, Legazpi, Ormoc, San Fernando in La Union, and Vigan. “The addition of five Philippine cities to the OPCC roster is a welcome sign of a more sustainable future. Also, we

are grateful to the 11 recurring city participants that chose to continue their engagement as this means that OPCC provides greater encouragement to strengthen their commitments. We honor what these cities have achieved, and we look forward to working with them over the next two years,” said Imee Bellen, WWF-Philippines One Planet Cities Project Manager. Participating cities will be submitting reports detailing their respective emissions, as well as their plans and goals for climate action in their localities. These plans will be checked by a panel of experts against a methodology derived from the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C. All the qualifying cities will then undergo an assessment framework to evaluate the city’s climate targets and their alignment with the Paris

Agreement. Participants will also receive guidance on the most effective actions to help them along this decarbonisation pathway towards net zero by 2050 at the latest. WWF-Philippines partnered with ICLEI Southeast Asia to guide participating Philippine cities on their reporting through a series of city workshops and consultations. OPCC 2021-2022 was launched last April 15. “Cities and local governments play a central role in combating climate change and are key actors in creating the climate-neutral, resilient future we need,” WWF-Philippines said during the launching. “For this, WWF created the One Planet City Challenge (OPCC), a friendly competition that supports cities in developing climate action plans and targets that align with the

Paris Agreement’s 1.5 °C maximum global warming goal,” it added. The OPCC recognizes leading cities and inspires other cities to join the movement. This year, the OPCC celebrates 10 years of engagement “during which time we have seen the participation of nearly 600 cities in over 50 countries.” For each run, OPCC awards a global winner for their sustainability measures. Previous OPCC global winners include Vancouver, Canada in 2013; Cape Town, South Africa in 2014; Seoul, South Korea in 2015; Paris, France in 2016; Uppsala, Sweden in 2018; and Mexico City, Mexico in 2020. Local winners are also decided per participating country. Last year, Batangas City was hailed as the country winner for the Philippines.

Santa Rosa was the country winner in 2016, while Pasig City took the top spot in 2018. The OPCC is also an opportunity for WWF-Philippines to help local governments expand on their actions to combat climate change. Over the next two years, WWF-Philippines will be working closely with participating cities to help them analyze their climate action plans and identify solutions to meet their mitigation and adaptation targets. The United Nations estimates that approximately 4.2 billion people live in cities and urban centers, which amounts to 55% of the worlds’ population. According to UN Habitat, cities produce 60% of greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing the carbon footprints of cities is a crucial step toward combating climate change.

EDGEDAVAO

JAS strengthens enactment of border control guidelines

he municipal government of Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental province has strengthened the implementation of its border control guidelines, particularly on the interregional travels. JAS Mayor Jason John Joyce said that they particularly tightened control over the regional border in Barangay Kitayo which is the boundary of JAS and municipality of Glan in Sarangani province, Region XII. Based on the recent joint RIATF-RTF Resolution, Joyce said that visitors and returning residents coming from other regions, as well as those returning overseas Filipinos, will be required to have negative RT-PCR test results. As to quarantine guidelines, returning residents and ROFs with no symptoms will no longer need to be quarantined, he said during Friday’s (May 14) “Gobyernong Balitaan” radio program over Energy FM Digos with the Philippine Information Center of Davao del Sur/ Davao Occidental.

He added that those manifesting symptoms will be assessed by the health care frontliners if they will be required for a home quarantine or will be needing admission to designated isolation facilities. The local government of JAS will also be issuing an Executive Order mandating stricter guidelines on mass gatherings, in a bid to maintain the zero local transmission of COVID-19 in the municipality. Joyce bared that mass gatherings like weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and other personal occasions will only allow up to a maximum of 30 people including the organizers, photographers, caterers, and among others. The 50 per cent capacity policy should be strictly followed for meetings and religious gatherings, Joyce said “Isipin nyo na lang na mas maganda ito dahil makakatipid kayo sa gastos (Just think that this is much better because you can save on costs,” the mayor urged his constituents.

VOL.14 ISSUE 53 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MAY 16-17, 2021

Mynt eyes empowering more MSMEs, OFWs

intech startup Mynt wishes to empower more Filipinos, especially the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and overseas workers, by leveraging how the GCash app could help them in their digital transactions, its executives said. “We want to mobilize the economy, help (the MSMEs) grow, especially in the ‘new normal’,” Fe Olivia Mir, head of growth marketing, said in a recent webinar. Sari-sari store owner April Mae Araracap has been accepting payments via GCash, and also offers cash in/out transactions in her store. “It is a huge help for me, because aside from earning, there would be lesser time to go to remittance centers,” she told the Philippine News Agency on Friday. This has become a huge help during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, since people could avoid

contracting the virus, Araracap continued. Mynt chief executive officer Martha Sazon has acknowledged that the demand for digital payments and transactions has increased during the pandemic. There are over 40 million registered GCash accounts to date. As such, the firm has been working on expanding the capabilities of the app beyond being an e-wallet. Further, Mynt targets to make the financial services app accessible in every cornerstone, Sazon added. The firm sticks to its goal of “finance for all Filipinos”, which Sazon said means enabling even

the ordinary “Juans” to save, invest, and insure their money conveniently at affordable prices. According to Araracap, she noticed that many people are now using GCash, and thought of including it in her business. “It does not require a huge capital, and I am just using a revolving fund,” she said. Sazon, meanwhile, emphasized that she wanted financial services to be within reach, wherein one does not need to go to the bank, as transactions can now be done through a few taps. “Our OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) could send remittances to their families simply by using the app,” she said. Online seller, Monic Rancap, said she already had clients abroad who pay for their purchased bags via GCash. “This app is really helpful to entrepreneurs like me who do online business. Big advantage of

using it is the fast payment transfers, and there is no need to physically transact in a bank,” Rancap told the PNA. She also pointed out that using the app is convenient, as it supports almost all known banks in the country. Fred Levy, Mynt’s commercial officer, said they want to redefine the app’s role among the MSMEs, and targets to launch new tools for them every quarter. MSMEs can have their own QR codes to avoid missend of payments. Mynt is also eyeing to enable OFWs pay their bills back home, invest, and access other local services such as buying groceries for their families. The firm is working on enabling the OFWs to access those services even without a local sim card. Currently, OFWs need to have a Philippine sim card to remit their money. “We will make international remittances as simple as possible,” Levy said. (PNA)

ter Reintjes fluked the 2 to open the table. A Boyes 6/9 brought the 2014 champions level again but the Blackpool man missed the 7 and Germany led again at 7-6. They then benefit from two huge flukes; first Reintjes missed the 9 only to see it fly up table to the opposite corner pocket. He then made a 6/9 for his side to lead 9-6 before it was Filler who fluked a 9; he missed the bank to the middle but it found the opposite pocket to take Germany to the hill. Great Britain took the next but Boyes had a tough shot on the 2 after their subsequent break. Boyes left it in the jaws and Filler kicked it in, opening the rack for Germany to clinch victory. “I can’t be disappointed,” said Boyes. “We weren’t in the event, got a last-minute call-up and we’ve got to the final. It was a strange match, we didn’t get off to the best of starts, then there were shot clock issues; it was just a strange match and in the end it wasn’t meant to be. We weren’t in the event, got a last-minute call-up and

we’ve got to the final.” Appleton added: “We couldn’t really find our rhythm but from 5-2 down we battled really hard, made some good shots and some good outs to get to 6-6 and from there it is a blur. They had some rolls but that is pool and when your name is on the trophy, your name is on the trophy. “I definitely feel like I am back to somewhere competing at the top level, so there are a lot of positives. Karl played amazing all week, probably the player of the tournament. I am so happy that I feel like I am back and compete again and I am looking forward to the future.” Appleton will next be in action at the World Pool Championship from June 6-10, an event he won in 2012, and which Filler snapped off in 2018. The next Matchroom Pool Series event is the World Pool Masters in Gibraltar from May 22-25, live on Sky Sports, DAZN and Matchroom.live. Full broadcast details can be found at matchroompool.com.

first time in three months TIP-INS Cavaliers: Kevin Love (right calf strain management) missed his 46th game of the season. ... G Darius Garland returned after missing seven games with a sprained left ankle and scored three points in 12 minutes. ... Cleveland shot 57.1 % (12 of 21) in the first quarter and led 33-31. ... Osman was back in the starting lineup after missing three games with a sprained left ankle. ... Coach J.B. Bickerstaff picked up a technical in the fourth.

Wizards: Bradley Beal missed his third straight game with a left hamstring strain. Beal, the NBA’s second-leading scorer averaging 31.4, did participate in some pregame warmups. Coach Scott Brooks said Beal is getting better every day, but did not know if he would be available Sunday. ... G Raul Neto was out with left hamstring tightness. ... Westbrook broke a tie with Gary Payton and is now the 39th-leading scorer in NBA history with 21,834 points. ... F Chandler Hutchinson started his first game of the season.

Heart attack killed 73yo who received GERMANY ... FROMB1 AstraZeneca vaccine in CDO – police

eart attack caused the death of a septuagenarian who died minutes after getting his first dose here of the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19, police said. Lt Col Karl Terrence Caballes, medico-legal officer of Philippine National Police 10, said that based on an autopsy Zoilo Joaquin Borcillo, 73, did not

die because of the vaccine as earlier feared. “We did not find blood clots anywhere in his body or near where the point of the vaccine entered his left arm,” Caballes, who performed the autopsy, said in his report. Borcillo, a resident of Tin-ao, Barangay Agusan this city, collapsed after he was given his first jab of the

Hong Kong celebrates the power of art physically and virtually

hen event venues shut down globally during the pandemic, people flocked online in record numbers to satisfy their deep craving for art and culture. As the world cautiously looks to resume international travel and bring back events, it is fitting that art is a driving force to make this happen, with Hong Kong paving the way in the hope of safely staging large-scale events again. In May, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) rolled out the ‘Arts in Hong Kong’ campaign to promote a series of major events, in both physical and digital format, organised by fair organisers and cultural institutions around town. It ensures that audiences can reconnect with art and the vitality of Hong Kong, whether here in person or abroad. Safely hosting major international events After an absence of more than two years because of the pandemic, Art Basel is officially scheduled to take place from 21 to 23 May at the

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). More than 100 galleries from Asia, Europe and the Americas have confirmed their participation. In addition, Art Central will run concurrently at the HKCEC for the first time, and is free to attend with registration. The annual French May will continue to offer cultural entertainment, with over 100 events running from 1 May to 30 June. To ensure that all fair participants have a stressfree experience, bestpractice health and safety protocols will be followed, including mask-wearing, timed entry, reduced capacity, wider aisles and regular cleaning. Art events that defy borders and barriers Art has long had the power to break down boundaries, and unite and inspire people. Thanks to the depth of its imagination and creativity, Hong Kong’s dynamic arts community has nimbly pivoted to offer hybrid physical and virtual events for people around the world.

AstraZeneca vaccine at a shopping mall here. He died at the JR Borja General Hospital minutes later despite efforts by doctors to revive him. Caballes, whose report was read by Mayor Oscar Moreno during the daily COVID presser here said he found Borcillo’s heart and the arteries leading to filled with fatty deposits. He said the color of Borcillo’s heart was yellow indicating a buildup of fatty deposits. “Hirap na magpump nang dugo (The heart had difficulty pumping blood). There was no blood clots,” he said. He identified the cause of death as acute myocardial infarction or heart attack. AstraZeneca, a two-dose vaccine, has been plagued with questions of rare, but severe blood clot issues

connected to the shots. The Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, however, gave the green light to the vaccine saying the “benefits outweighs the risks.” Moreno said he hoped the autopsy report would put to rest the fears of senior citizens of being vaccinated with AstraZeneca. He said only 500 of the 1,200 senior citizens scheduled to be vaccinated today came for the inoculation. He said before Borcillo’s death last Wednesday, 6,275 seniors were already vaccinated. He said the vaccination of seniors will resume on Monday, May 17, at the SM Downtown Premier, Robinsons Grocery and JR Borja General Hospital. (Froilan Gallardo/ MindaNews)

sume does speak for itself,” Chandler told a media conference on Thursday. His opponent Oliveira is on an eight-fight winning streak and staked his claim to a title shot with a unanimous decision victory in December over American Tony Ferguson, former interim title holder who will meet Beneil Dariush in the co-main event. As the fighters shared a stage to speak to the media, Ferguson accused Chandler of dodging him as he sought an easier route to the UFC title and suggested his compatriot was being given prefer-

ential treatment by the UFC. “You said no, I’m going to be real. You got this handed to you. You got (UFC president) Dana White privilege,” said Ferguson. Former champion Conor McGregor had his sights on winning back the belt he lost to Nurmagomedov but defeat by American Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi in January saw him leapfrogged in the queue. Irishman McGregor is slated to meet Poirier in a rematch in July, with the winner likely to be back in title contention.

UFC ... FROMB1

WIZARDS ... FROMB1

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SPORTS B2

Germany’s Joshua Filler and Christof Reintjes defeated Great Britain 11-6 to land their nation’s second World Cup of Pool title.

Germany wins Pool WC UFC set to crown new lightweight champion to replace Khabib

he UFC is set to crown either American Michael Chandler or Brazil’s Charles Oliveira as lightweight champion in Houston, Texas on Saturday, filling the void left by the retirement of undefeated Dagestani Khabib Nurmagomedov last October. Nurmagomedov, 32, announced his retirement in the cage following his submission victory over American Justin Gaethje in October 2020, prompting a rush to replace him at the top of one

of the most competitive divisions in the UFC. Former Bellator champion Chandler quickly dispatched New Zealander Dan Hooker in his UFC debut in January and will fight for the UFC belt in only his second bout with the promotion. He defended his right to the fight. “These days the word ‘deserve’ is a hard one to quantify, (but) I’ve been in this sport for over a decade - 13 years in August. My re-

FUFC, B1

ermany’s Joshua Filler and Christof Reintjes defeated Great Britain 11-6 to land their nation’s second World Cup of Pool title. The pair rode their luck at times in the final and also took advantage of some missed opportunities by the Great Britain pair of Darren Appleton and Karl Boyes, who were looking to complete a fairytale comeback. The duo won the World Cup in 2014 and returned at the last minute as late substitutes to this year’s event. Having crushed Netherlands in the quarter-finals and Slovakia in the semis, the British momentum came

to and end at the hands of Germany, who last won the World Cup in 2011 when Ralf Souquet and Thorsten Hohmann took the trophy in Manilla. “This final had so many ups and downs,” said Filler, who shares the $60,000 winner’s prize with Reintjes. “We both missed a 9-ball and made it and without these two 9-balls I don’t think we would have done the tournament because these two gentleman played so unbe-

lievable throughout the tournament. They put it a great final and in the end we were the lucky guys. “We fought every rack against Estonia and in the final; the break wasn’t really working but we fought to the end and we got the trophy, luckily. Without [my wife] Pia I wouldn’t win any tournament.” Reintjes added: “I am over the moon. Today was our day; we can miss every ball and they go into the pocket.” Germany drew first blood at the end of a nervy first rack which saw Reintjes miss the 3 before Appleton failed on the 4. The York-

shireman showed his nerves early in the match; a missed 5 in the sixth rack was his third crucial mistake and it denied Great Britain the chance to level at 3-3, and gifted Germany a 4-2 advantage. It was Boyes who missed the 4 in the next rack; leaving it in the jaws after Great Britain had taken advantage of a German pushout. Boyes’ 1 and Appleton’s 3 down the rail were good shots, but the missed 4 showed their fallibility. Germany came from their chairs to make it 5-2. The hosts settled after that and took the next three racks to level. Germany regained the lead at 6-5 af-

double figures. Washington clinched a spot in the NBA’s new play-in tournament for the playoffs involving the Nos. 7-10 seeds in each conference. On Friday night, the league announced that both Eastern Conference play-in games will be played next Tuesday with the No. 7 seed hosting No. 8 in Game 1 and the No. 9 seed hosting No. 10 in Game 2. The loser of the first game will host the winner of the second game on May 20. Washington improved to 33-38 after snapping a twogame losing streak and is within a half-game of Indiana and Charlotte, both at 33-37. Washington can still finish

anywhere between seeds 8 and 10. Boston has clinched the No. 7 seed. Collin Sexton had 26 points and Jarrett Allen had 18 points and 14 rebounds for Cleveland, which has lost seven straight on the road. Isaac Okoro had 17 points and Cedi Osman added 16. Washington took a 5856 advantage into halftime in a back-and-forth affair that featured eight ties and 12 lead changes. The second half was all Wizards as they never trailed and led by as many as 19. Brooklyn Big Three finally set to play together for the

FGERMANY, B1

Wizards clinch play-in spot with victory over also-ran Cavaliers W

Russel Westbrook had 21 points, 17 assists and 12 rebounds for his 183rd career triple-double and league-leading 37th this season.

ASHINGTON — Russell Westbrook got his first triple-double since passing Oscar Robertson and becoming the NBA’s career leader earlier in the week, lifting Washington past the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-105 on Friday night (Saturday, Manila time) and helping the Wizards clinch a spot in the play-in tournament. Westbrook had 21 points, 17 assists and 12 rebounds for his 183rd career triple-double and league-leading 37th this season. Davis Bertans scored 17 points, and Rui Hachimura and Robin Lopez each had 14 as seven Wizards reached

FWIZARDS, B1

8 SPORTS

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Boxer Eumir Marcial made rants against the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) over its alleged lack of support to his Olympic buildup.

BE LIKE MANNY

Boxing hope Marcial advised to return home

lympic boxing hope Eumir Marcial has to come home.

That is the appeal from the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) on Friday calling on the renegade Filipino middleweight to “come home” and “set an example to national athletes” as the country revs up its buildup for the Tokyo Olympics. In a report by boxing writer Nick Giongco of the Daily Tribune, ABAP president Ricky Vargas said: “I would like Eumir to rejoin his teammates.” Marcial made rants against the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) over its alleged lack of support to his Olympic buildup.

Vargas likewise urged Marcial to draw inspiration from Manny Pacquiao’s character. “Eumir said he idolizes Sen. Manny so I am calling him to be like Sen. Manny, who has put his love of country on top,” Vargas said. Last year, Marcial signed a professional contract with the Pacquiao-owned MP Promotions that saw him formally shed off his amateur status after seeing action in Los Angeles before Christmas. When Marcial turned pro, the ABAP lost contact with the Olympic hopeful as the Zamboanga native traveled to the United States. He stayed in Los Angeles for seven months and only came back to the Philippines last month. Instead of heading to Thailand to be with his ABAP teammates, Marcial went to Zamboanga to visit his ailing father and

resume his training there under the watch of a professional boxing trainer and a handpicked ABAP tactician. Marcial, 25, is due to fly to Dubai for the Asian championships beginning 21 May and is being lured to finally camp out in Thailand until the call time to head to Tokyo. “He has decided to go on his own and that’s not a good example not only to the other boxers but to the rest of the national team,” Vargas said. Marcial receives a monthly allowance of P43,000 from the PSC and another monthly stipend from the Philippine Air Force, which is not enough to finance his training given that he has a team helping him prepare. “It seems he doesn’t believe in the system of the ABAP but it was this system that will bring him to Tokyo,” said Vargas. “There’s only one way to remedy this. And that is for Eumir to join us again,” Vargas added.