Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 61 | Wednesday, May 26, 2021 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

TREATING COVID-19 PATIENTS AT HOME HEALTH P9 VOL.14 ISSUE 61 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021

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A senior citizen shows his vaccine card after receiving his first dose. Department of the Interior and Local Government 11 (DILG) 11 director Alex Roldan said that there is a possibility that vaccine card/pass will be used as travel requirement not only at the local level but at national level. Edge Davao

NOVEMBER TIMELINE

City targets herd immunity, will inoculate 10K vaccinees a day

STORY ON PAGE 2

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 61 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio says that despite rising cases of Covid-19 in Davao City, there is no discussion yet with the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force to impose stricter restrictions like placing the city again under enchanced community quarantine status. Edge Davao

NOVEMBER TIMELINE City targets herd immunity, will inoculate 10K vaccinees a day By MAYA M. PADILLO

he city government of Davao is expecting to achieve herd immunity by November or earlier this year that is why it is now ramping up its vaccination program by targeting to inoculate 10,000 vaccinees/Dabawenyos per day.

“Initially, ang na-discuss nato for us to finish in the soonest possible time, we need to vaccinate 10,000 vaccinees per day. We need

to up our resources, vaccine centers, tanan na it can vaccinate 10,000 a day,” the mayor said. The mayor emphasized

that this will only be achieved when the vaccine supply becomes stable. The city is aiming to inoculate an estimated 1.2 million out of the 1.8 million Dabawenyos in order to achieve herd immunity. Currently, the city administers 500 vaccinees per vaccination site and so far, the city has 19 vaccination hubs which include SM Lanang Premier, SM City Davao, A. Mabini Elementary

School, Malagos Elementary School, Crossing Bayabas National High School, Calinan Central Elementary School, Matina Aplaya Elementary School, Kor-Phil Vocational Training Center in Bunawan, Magallanes Elementary School, Mintal Central Elementary School, Buhangin Central Elementary School, Davao City National High School, Davao Medical School

residents aims to minimize person-to-person contact in the wake of the rising cases of the disease in the area. The GCQ declaration, he said, was based on the assessment and consultations with various offices conducted by the City Inter-Agency Task Force (CIATF) for the Management of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, following reports from local hospitals catering to Covid-19 patients that they have already reached

their full capacity as of Sunday. “Our neighboring localities are also experiencing the same situation and this is very difficult for all of us,” he said in a press conference Monday afternoon. Under Rivera’s directive, existing measures such as the border lockdown, “no movement Sunday” and the total liquor ban in all public places will remain in effect, with additional restrictions to ensure proper compliance.

Lawyer Arnel Zapatos, city administrator, said the majority of the businesses and industries in the area may continue to operate based on the guidelines set by the national IATF for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases but with some limitations. He said businesses are encouraged to implement alternative work arrangements if their operations will allow. Shopping malls, except for their grocery sections,

FNOVEMBER, P10

Kidapawan mayor mulls placing city under ECQ

ayor Joseph Evangelista is considering placing the entire city of 40 villages under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to curb the rising cases of Covid-19 infections. The city, now under modified general community quarantine, has recorded 39 new infections as of Monday afternoon. To date, the total confirmed Covid-19 cases in Kidapawan breached the 100 mark, about 60 percent of whom are asymptomatic.

“I don’t want the city to go back to ECQ period but if the spike continues, the city IATF may reconsider doing so,” Evangelista said in a statement on Tuesday. “We need everybody’s cooperation, aside from complying with the minimum health protocols, I urged you to avoid mass gatherings like parties, wake or any occasion where a huge number of people gather,” he added. The mayor noted that many forms of viral transmissions are happening

will be closed down while food-related establishments such as restaurants, fast food outlets, and eateries are only allowed to accept orders for “take-out and delivery, he said.” “Our general campaign is for people to stay home if they have nothing to do that are essential,” he said. Zapatos said the city’s 26 barangays will be divided anew into three clusters to limit the movement of people, including public and private transportation, he

said. He said each cluster is allotted two days each week, except on Sundays, to access food and other essential supplies. The curfew hours will continue from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. while the total liquor ban is extended until June 30. Border entries are only allowed for essential travel and all travelers coming from areas outside of Region 12 (Soccksargen) who will be required to submit negative

FKIDAPAWAN, P10

GenSan reverts to GCQ to curb ‘massive’ Covid-19 transmission

hopping malls and other “non-essential” establishments in General Santos City will temporarily cease to operate starting Tuesday (May 25, 2021) as the city is reverting to the stricter general community quarantine (GCQ) until June 30 due to the “massive community transmission” of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). In an executive order issued Monday afternoon, Mayor Ronnel Rivera said the restriction of movement of

FGENSAN, P10

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 61 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021

NEWS 3

The city government of Davao opens Davao City National High School (DCNHS) vaccination hub on Monday. The newest vaccination hub is currently catering to Dabawenyos who belong to priority group A2 or the senior citizens. CIO

BARMM grieves passing of Mindanao peace advocate

he Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has sympathized with the passing on Sunday afternoon of Catholic priest Fr. Eliseo Mercado, OMI, a veteran Mindanao peace advocate. “On behalf of the Bangsamoro government, we sincerely extend our sympathy to the passing on May 23 of Fr. Eliseo Mercado,” BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim said in a statement released late Sunday. Ebrahim said Fr. Jun, as Mercado was fondly called by many, was a longtime advocate for peace, especially in Mindanao. Ebrahim recalled that Mercado once served as chair of the National Peace Council that worked to resume talks with the national government and the rebel fronts. Mercado, according to the BARMM chief minister, figured prominently in the

peace overture between the Government of the Philippines (GPH)–Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), once serving as chair of the GPH-MILF independent ceasefire monitoring committee. “His knowledge and works on human rights, political transitions, poverty alleviations, and social reforms have greatly contributed to the process,” Ebrahim said. Before his demise, Mercado was also president of Notre Dame University in this city. He held a doctorate in Divinity and Humanity, and master’s degrees in theology and philosophy, as he also completed work in Islamic studies and Arabic studies at the Gregorian University in Rome and at the Oriental Institute in Cairo, Egypt. He also served as the Director for Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation for the

he City of Mati LGU has started its project of identifying street names in the five urban barangays of the city and assigning numbers to residences and buildings. Based on the Executive Order No. 48 issued by Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat, the technical working group is now in the process of completing the name of streets including number of houses and buildings within the barangays of Central, Sainz, Matiao, Badas and

Dahican. EO 48 series of 2021 in relation to EO 94 series of 2020 created Task Force Ngalan sa Kadalanan which aims to provide directions and correct information as to address and locations of one particular house or building for fast navigation. The Technical Working Group is composed of the City Engineering Office, Office of the Building Officials, City Planning and Development Office, City Assessor’s Office, City

FBARMM, P10

Davao City logs three-digit positive cases of Covid-19 By MAYA M. PADILLO

he surge of Covid-19 cases in Davao City continues and the city is now logging a three-digit trend of active cases and high score of deaths. Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio disclosed on Monday through Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) that based on the official daily Covid-19 case bulletin of the Department of Health (DOH) Region 11, the city recorded 1,015 active cases from the total 15,861 total cases since March 2020; 14,118 recoveries; and 728 deaths. “Ang total active cases is 1,015, it is increasing ug makita nato ang atong trend sa Davao City karon ga three-digits ta everyday sa atoang positive cases. Kining 728 total deaths, this is not

a joke no. There are 728 families who are grieving because they lost a loved one because of COVID-19 complications. Tinuod ni na gapanghitabo. Dili man ninyo sila kaila, wala man mo’y silingan na naigo or namatay because of COVID-19, but dili tungod wala mo’y kaila, dili ninyo makita, kay dili sya nagapanghitabo sa atoang siyudad sa Davao, tungod sa kadako sa Davao, tungod sa kadaghan sa tao,” the mayor said. Proof of the increasing active cases are the reports of the officials of the Southern

Tourism Office, Department of Public Works and Highways, Philippine StatisticOffice,SPCommittee on Infrastructure, SP Committee on Public Works and Highways, and the Liga ng mga Barangay. The TWG earlier conducted a 2-day seminar/ workshop for the said project. In the said workshop, the TWG members started the labeling and identification of streets without name including those with conflict. (CIO MATI)

Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) that the hospital’s ICU beds are now at critical level. This also prompted the private hospitals in Davao City to restart admitting Covid-19 patients. “We are not comfortable withwhatishappeningkaron sa atoang mga hospitals because makita nato na the moment na ni-open ang mga private hospitals it meant na puno na ang SPMC and sa ilahang tanan, SPMC is the biggest, so buot pasabot kung napuno na ang biggest nato na hospital na magaccommodate ug moderate, severe, and critical cases, then it is a sign that there is trouble,” Mayor Sara said. The mayor explained that Covid-19 is transmitted from one person to another

through droplets or saliva, which could then be inhaled or when it is touched by the hand and the same hand touches the face or nose. Meanwhile, Mayor Sara said that despite increasing cases of Covid-19 in the city, there is no discussion yet with the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force to impose stricter restrictions like placing Davao City again under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) status. “Wala ta’y ingon ana na discussion because dinha sa atoang task force naa pud dinha ang recovery cluster which of course is the group na dili gyud na sila gusto na mag ECQ ta or MECQ ta because we are trying to balance ang atoang Covid-19

center. “Just like the previous priority groups, we are also coming up with a masterlist of the A3 group so we would know how many vaccines are needed for this group,” Dr. Yumang said. Qualified under the A3 Priority Group is any adult between 18-59 years old with any controlled comorbidity. Identified comorbidities

are among the top causes of COVID19 and national morbidity and mortality which include chronic respiratory disease, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, cerebrovascular disease, malignancy, diabetes, obesity, chronic liver disease, neurologic disease, immunodeficiency state.

FDAVAO, P10

Mati LGU starts street tagging DOH 11 calls on individuals with comorbidities to register T ersons with comorbidities are urged to visit their barangay and register as they are the next priority group scheduled to get inoculated. In the virtual presser hosted by the Department of Health 11, regional director Dr. Annabelle Yumang has called on those individuals with comorbidities to get themselves counted by visiting their barangay

FDOH 11, P10

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 61 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021

The banana plantation established by La Frutera, Inc. has not been maintained and left to the mercy of nature following the stoppage of operations in 2019 in this photo taken on 19 May 2021 in Barangay Kayaga, Pandag, Maguindanao. MindaNews photo by BONG S. SARMIENTO

DOT wants to cut quarantine period of fully-vaxxed balikbayans, OFWs

n a bid to restart tourism-related economic activities, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat proposed cutting the quarantine period of balikbayan and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from 10 days to seven days. Puyat said the proposal for this “green lane” was already brought up with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and will be discussed with health experts in the following days. She said balikbayans or Filipinos returning home

for vacation, is the third largest market for Philippine tourism. However, they are discouraged to go back to the country due to the required 10-day quarantine period. “The protocols for the fully vaccinated and the non-vaccinated is the same. So we proposed to the IATF

if it is possible to have a different protocol for the fully vaccinated individuals,” she said. Romulo-Puyat cited Thailand as an example where she said the quarantine period of those who are fully vaccinated was cut from 10 days to seven days. “The point is, we have to start somewhere. It is like a test. If the DOH allows to reduce it to seven days, at least it is not 10 days. We can encourage more people to come. Just to test (this strategy) at least and it is not like we are the first (country to do this) but this

will be discussed with the DOH,” she said. The proposal for the “green lane” was first announced by the DOT last Friday. In a statement, the DOT said the “green lane” will also facilitate the entry of foreign visitors who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as part of the national government’s effort to reopen the economy. Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon said foreign tourism revenues in 2020 plunged to about P82 billion from P482 billion in 2019.

Local investors prop up equities, fixed-income markets in Q1

rading in the equities and fixed-income markets remained robust in the first quarter of 2021, with local retail investors accounting for 74.3 percent of stock market transactions as of endMarch, according to a report by the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) to the Capital Market Development Council (CMDC). The PSE reported that retail investors accounted for 43.3 percent of the volume traded by local investors compared to just 18.2 percent in 2019 and 26.9 percent in 2020. It also saw investor-re-

lated trading making up 59 percent of the total traded volume in the fixed-income market during the same period. Finance Secretary and CMDC chairman Carlos Dominguez III said the increase in retail investor participation in both markets point to the trust and confidence of the public in the regulatory bodies that are tasked to keep their capital and investment returns safe. “Let’s keep that in mind -- the environment of confidence in the system. Regulators are so important to provide guarantees to

investors and ensure them that they are not going to be cheated,” Dominguez told his fellow CMDC members during a recent meeting of the Council. PSE President Ramon Monzon said that despite the significant decline of foreign participation in the stock market to just 25.7 percent in the first quarter of 2021 from 55.5 percent in 2019 and 45.4 percent in 2020, the average trading volume still rose by 49.6 percent from 2020 up to the first quarter of 2021, “indicating that local investors have stepped up.” The year-to-date aver-

age daily value turnover in the PSE as of end-March 2021 was PHP11 billion, higher than the average of PHP7.35 billion in 2020 and the PHP7.29 billion in 2019. The month of January 2021 saw a daily value turnover of PHP11.04 billion, then went up to PHP12.35 billion in February and eased to PHP9.88 billion in March. “Market liquidity is off to a good start. Trading in the first quarter remains robust. We have almost a 50-percent increase in value turnover. Retail inves-

FLOCAL, P10

Peso sinks to P48:$1 level

he Philippine peso retreated back to the P48:$1 level on Monday, marking its weakest showing in over three weeks. The local currency lost 12 centavos to close at P48.065:$1 from last Friday’s finish of P47.945:$1. This is the worst performance of the peso since April 30. Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort attributed Monday’s depreciation to the remarks made by U.S. Federal Reserve officials.

“Some Fed officials, such as Philadelphia Fed President Harker signaled that the Fed should discuss reducing bond purchases sooner than later,” he said. Ricafort likewise noted that the peso has also weakened amid improving economic outlook as the NCR Plus bubble eased restrictions. The NCR Plus bubble— Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Bulacan—is under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions until May 31.

FPESO, P10

Vista Land posts P2.1 billion net income in Q1 on OFW demand

ista Land and Lifescapes Inc on Monday said it booked a net income of P2.1 billion for the first quarter of 2021 partly due to strong sales from overseas Filipinos. The figure is down 14 percent compared to the same period last year but an improvement on a quarterly basis, the Villar-led property developer said in a disclosure to the stock exchange. Reservation sales hit P16 billion or 4 percent higher compared to Q1 last year and 14 percent up compared to Q4, it added. “Over 50 percent of our

sales come from Overseas Filipinos and the demand from the sector remains resilient amid the current challenging time,” Vista Land chairman Manuel Villar Jr said. The company is also looking forward to the country’s vaccination rollout and the further opening of the economy, Villar added. Vista Land said its real estate revenue reached P6.3 billion for the period, down 13 percent while leasing income declined 9 percent to P2 billion. To weather the pan-

FVISTA, P10

EDGEDAVAO

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ECONOMY 5

Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar calls for a sustained and stronger “public-private-people” partnership to lead the transformation of Philippine agriculture and respond to the pandemic and other challenges. Edge Davao

PH expected to miss ‘21 economic growth target

he Philippines is likely to miss its already lowered economic growth target for 2021 as return to pre-pandemic levels will only be realized until late next year, according to Moody’s Analytics. In an analysis, Moody’s Analytics said it expects the Philippine GDP growth at 5.3% this year, falling short of the government target of 6.0% to 7.0%. “The Philippines isn’t forecast to return to pre-pandemic levels of output until the end of 2022,” the analysis read. “In contrast, China, Taiwan, South Korea and Vietnam have returned to previous output levels, while Indonesia and Thailand are on track to return this year. This makes the Philippines

the clear laggard in Asia,” it added. The Philippine economy shrank by 4.2% in the first three months of the year, marking the fifth consecutive month of contraction. For the full-year 2020, the country reported a contraction of 9.6%, the worst slump in record. The analysis noted the spike in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in April, when daily cases increasedby as much as 15,310 on April 2. The daily infections have since eased. “A contributor to the Philippines’ inability to control local infections in the earlier months came from the healthcare system being centralized. City and

FEXPECTED, P10

DOE to review Malampaya deal between Udenna, Shell

epartment of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso Cusi said his office will still review the transaction between a unit of Udenna Corp. and Shell Philippine Exploration B.V. (SPEX) on the Malampaya gas field. This, as SPEX sold its 45-percent stake in Malampaya to Udenna’s subsidiary, Malampaya Energy XP Pte. Ltd., at USD380 million. “(O)nce the transaction has been completed at the consortium level, it will still be submitted to the DOE for its review and approval in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 87 otherwise known as the Oil

Exploration and Development Act of 1972 (PD87),” Cusi said in a statement. He added the transfer of participating interest in Service Contract No. 38 (SC38) is governed by the joint operating agreement signed by the members of the Malampaya consortium, thus the sale of any or all participating interest should be consented to by

the consortium. “For its part, the DOE will, accordingly and judiciously, evaluate the legal, financial, and technical aspects of the transaction, and its impact to the obligations of (the) consortium to the Philippine government according to the terms of SC38 and PD87,” Cusi added. He said the agreement of Udenna and Shell is purely a business transaction, and the DOE “did not partake in the decision of SPEX to sell, the bidding or negotiations that ensued, and its outcome”. Once this deal succeeds, Udenna will have

of key agri-fishery industry players, resource persons, economists, and national and local leaders, and more than 6,000 participants at the online workshops, in a blended physical and virtual platform. Secretary Dar instructed concerned DA officials to earmark at least P55 million for the completion in four months of 11 commodity industry roadmaps, which will be coordinated by the agency’s Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF), co-chair of the NFSS steering committee. The PCAF, in partnership with the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and other concerned

DA regional offices and agencies, conducted the regional summits and workshops. “Armed with the updated commodity industry roadmaps, we can encourage and convince the private sector, including interested foreign companies, to invest in the country’s agri-fisheries sector,” Secretary Dar noted. On the “Mandanas ruling” and devolution issues, Secretary Dar said the local government units (LGUs) will have to take on an active and stronger role, with continued support and technical assistance from the DA and other partner-agencies.

Next year with the implementation of the “Mandanas ruling,” Secretary Dar said “the LGUs will have more resources to enable them to implement their respective Province-led Agriculture and Fishery Extension Systems (PAFES), and thus they will be doing most of the rowing.” “Devolution has been there for some time, but there is much work to be done in terms of the LGUs being more efficient and effective, particularly in giving priority and allotting more budget for their agri-fishery, and agribusiness projects and programs,” the DA chief said. For her part, assistant

90-percent ownership in the Malampaya gas field as it already acquired Chevron’s 45-percent stake in Malampaya. PNOC Exploration Corp., a subsidiary of stateowned Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), has a 10-percent interest in the Malampaya gas field. Udenna earlier said the firm believed that “Malampaya is a high-quality asset for the company.” Malampaya energizes 30 percent of the country’s power requirement. However, the country’s main source of natural gas is projected to be nearly depleted by 2027. (PNA)

secretary for regulations and DA-PCAF director Liza Battad said that institutional measures to adopt the agri-fishery scope of the “Mandanas ruling” have already been relayed to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). “We have identified important strategies that we hope would be translated into needed policies by the DILG, particularly in providing LGU extension with relevant, modern farm technologies and capacitating them, including livestock and fishery technicians, and more importantly farmers and fisherfolk, rural women, and

DA urges LGUs, farmers’ groups, private sector to help transform PH agri sector

griculture Secretary William Dar calls for a sustained and stronger “public-private-people” partnership to lead the transformation of Philippine agriculture and respond to the pandemic and other challenges, following the successful conduct of the 2021 National Food Security Summit (NFSS), from May 18 to 19, 2021. In his closing message, Secretary Dar reiterated the counsel of former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director-general and socio-economic planning secretary Cielito Habito during the NFSS plenary sessions

that “agriculture is too important to be left alone to the Department of Agriculture (DA).” “Pagtutuunan po namin ng pansin at palalakasin pa ang public-private-people partnership. Participation and engagement, and the whole process of consultation must be done well, as we have shown in this 2021 NFSS, where thousands of participants joined. We have to really engage as many stakeholders as possible, every step of the way, and that there is real meaningful engagement with them,” Secretary Dar added. The two-day summit brought together dozens

FDA URGES, P10

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 61 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021

On the surge of Covid-19 cases in Davao City with a three-digit trend of active cases and high score of deaths: We are not comfortable with what is happening karon sa atoang mga hospitals because makita nato na the moment na ni-open ang mga private hospitals it meant na puno na ang SPMC and sa ilahang tanan, SPMC is the biggest, so buot pasabot kung napuno na ang biggest nato na hospital na magaccommodate ug moderate, severe, and critical cases, then it is a sign that there is trouble.”

PERALTA

MAYOR SARA DUTERTE-CARPIO

EDITORIAL Red light and green light Mass coronavirus testing for people without symptoms continue to be rolled out citywide by the Davao City government.

Why we continue to do this is that hopefully rapid and regular tests will help to identify people who have caught the virus but not fallen ill, so they can self-isolate before they spread the disease. Because of this massive testing, Davao City registered the most number of new cases in the Davao Region. Is that bad news at all?

It’s not. It even helps us in the fight to contain the spread of this virus. The more we know people who are positive and who are negative, the better we deal with the situation. Will testing many people especially in the barangays help to contain the outbreak?

Let’s take it from the experts point of view. Using rapid tests to detect asymptomatic cases in the community is controversial and scientists are divided over the issue. However, many even though the tests miss

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After having identified who has the virus and who doesn’t in the community, the job does not end there. The usual notion of people is that when you get a test result stating that you are negative of the Covid-19 virus, they naturally feel safe and relax and go about doing their “normal” routine.

We need to approach the tests in what experts define as “red light tests.” According to medical experts, tests must be seen as “red light tests” and not as “green light tests”. This means a positive test is a red light, meaning a person has the virus and must self-isolate. On the other hand, a negative test is not a green light, because the person may still be infected. This mindset has to be explained to the communities. Meantime, the tests must continue. 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

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many cases, they can still reduce the number of people who are walking around and spreading the virus without knowing they are infected. That is what’s important.

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VOL.14 ISSUE 61 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021

VANTAGE POINTS

EDGEDAVAO

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

POVERTY IS NOT A HINDRANCE “We were dirt poor. I had to work since the age of five, to help my mother feed my three siblings and me. Many days, I was lucky to have one full meal. On days when we had no food, I would drink lots of water just to fill my stomach. But my mind and spirit were never hungry.” The statement came from the mouth of Senator Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao, one of the world’s famous boxers. He said those words before the Oxford Union in Great Britain a couple of years ago. Pacquiao has joined a group of famous people who had been invited to speak at the Oxford Union. To name a few of them: American presidents Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and Jimmy Carter; British statesman Sir Winston Churchill; Nobel peace prize laureates the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa; and British singer Elton John. “The poverty of our century is unlike that of any other,” says English poet and novelist John Berger. “It is not, as poverty was before, the result of natural scarcity, but of a set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich. Consequently, the modern poor are not pitied, but written off as trash. The twentieth-century con-

sumer economy has produced the first culture for which a beggar is a reminder of nothing.” The National Statistical Coordination Board describes poor as “those whose incomes fall below the threshold determined by the government, or those who cannot afford to provide in a sustained manner for their minimum basic needs for food, health, education, housing and other social amenities in life.” But poverty does not happen only in the Philippines but also in other parts of the world. Currently, more than 8 million people around the world die each year because they are too poor to stay alive. The World Bank estimates that 1.3 billion people live in extreme poverty and Asia leads in numbers. Extreme poverty, defined by the World Bank as getting by on an income of less than US$1 a day, means that households cannot meet basic needs for survival. They are chronically hungry, unable to get health care, lack safe drinking water and sanitation, cannot afford education for their children and perhaps lack rudimentary shelter and basic articles of clothing, like shoes. “There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form

of bread,” observed Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule. Most parents say that education is one of the ways to beat poverty. But not always, as Pacquiao has proven it. “It is a matter of record that I only had traditional formal schooling until Secondary School,” he said in his speech. “It was only recently that I reached University level through the alternative education program.” Like most Filipinos, Pacquiao learned about life the hard way. “I read anything I could get hands on. I even read the newspaper that my lunch or dinner came wrapped in. I read signs everywhere, even on moving vehicles. I learned measurements and weights by constantly reading the rates and tariffs at the warehouses where I worked as a stevedore, a docker in your parlance. “At night, when I could not sleep because of the cold, I would read the labels on the carton boxes that served as my bed on the street pavement. The movements of the clouds, the tint of the horizon, and the clarity of the stars taught me when morning was about to come.” But what Pacquiao had in those days was perseverance, which he has still today. “For me,

the morning did come. Warm, bright and simply amazing – a lesson in what can be achieved if you have determination. If you ignore the odds against you, and as you are taught here at this magnificent institution, never, ever quit. “Think of David and Goliath,” he continued. “Look at me. I am not very big and I never had five smooth stones to throw at any obstacles, but determination is a power tool. I won a lot of fights.” Now, as a senator, many viewed him “as singularly illequipped.” He admitted: “I may not have financial acuity. I may not be historically fluent. I may not even be socially adept. But I am philosophically rooted in my personal adversities, which morally bind me to the general struggle of our people.” As a boxer, he viewed himself as a fighter. “I am a fighter, not just because it is my profession,” he pointed out. “I was a fighter long before I first set foot in a boxing ring. All my life, I have fought to live. Every single day in my youth, I fought for survival. Now, I do it and get paid for it. Then, I was lucky to get a piece of bread for it.” There are more than 100 million Filipinos now and most of them are living in poverty. “I believe, in all humility, that my

life is just a snapshot, it is a glorified blow-up of what millions of Filipinos live through on a dayto-day basis – the hardships, the challenges, the back-breaking, hope-extinguishing despair.” Pacquiao believed that his life would be an inspiration to average Filipinos “to fight, to rise above adversity, to conquer and defy, and to embrace life and all its difficulties.” Miracles happened in the past. It is still happening now. “Miracles do happen,” he said. “Dreams do come true. Being poor does not mean one must die poor. Hard work and persistence will set you free from the shackles of poverty. But it is faith that will take you to the very top.” Meanwhile, former American Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton believed that we can overcome the scourge of poverty if, as a global family of nations, we commit to invest in people. “Giving all men, women and children the tools of opportunity – education, health care, employment, legal rights and political freedoms – does not just serve humanitarian purposes. It is the key to economic, social and political progress,” she explained. “When individuals flourish, families flourish. And when families flourish, communities and nations will flourish as well.”

ATTY. DENNIS R. GORECHO PINOY MARINO RIGHTS

MUTINY AS GROUND FOR DISMISSAL Mutiny has become a common plot for blockbusters like the 1997 American historical drama film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film centered on the 1839 revolt aboard the Spanish-owned ship La Amistad during which Mende tribesmen abducted for the slave trade managed to gain control of their captors’ ship. After their capture off the coast of Long Island, an international legal battle followed on the issue whether the Mendes are slaves or legally free. The case was ultimately resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1841. Mutiny comes from an old verb, mutine, which means “revolt.” It is defined as conspiracy of overt act of defiance, oppose or attack upon ship authority by two or more seafarers subject to such authority. Mutiny is regarded as a most serious offense, especially aboard ships at sea. Wide disciplinary powers are given to the commanding officer because of the general view that the safety of the ship depends upon the submission of all per-

sons on board to the will of the captain. However, in some instances, Filipino seafarers who aggressively assert their rights are wrongfully accused of commission of fictitious offenses like mutiny leading to the early termination of their contract. Seafarers usually are adamant in standing for rights for fear of retaliation from the company or its officers on board, including dismissal based on fabricated grounds. Their concerted action to question in some cases are viewed as insubordination, desertion, mutiny or attempt to desert the vessel or refusal to sail with the vessel. The Maritime Labor Convention of 2006 (MLC 2006) recognizes the seafarers’ rights to decent conditions of work on almost every aspect of their working and living conditions including, among others, hours of work or rest, payment of wages, paid annual leave, repatriation at the end of contract, onboard medical care, accommodation, food and catering, health and safety protection

and accident prevention. The Supreme Court touched upon the issue of mutiny on the illegal dismissal case of NFD International Manning Agents vs. Ilagan (G.R. No. 165389 October 17, 2008) In their defense, the company argued that the seafarers were validly and lawfully dismissed from their employment for their acts of “mutiny, insubordination, desertion/attempting to desert the vessel and conspiracy among themselves together with the other Filipino seafarers in refusing and or failing to join M/T Lady Helene in its next trip or destination to Mauritius without just and valid cause.” The case emanated from the disagreement between the foreign captain and the Filipino chief engineer when the latter refused to resume his work in the Engine Room wherein the other Filipino crew sided with the Filipino chief engineer. The Supreme Court ruled that the seafarers were illegally dismissed and awarded them for the payment of the unexpired

portion of their respective contracts, unpaid wages , moral and exemplary damages and attorney’s fees. The minimum requirement of due process in termination proceedings consists of notice to the seafarers intended to be dismissed and the grant to them of an opportunity to present their own side on the alleged misconduct. To meet the requirements of due process, the employer must furnish the seafarer sought to be dismissed with two written notices before termination of employment can be legally effected, i.e., (1) a notice which apprises him of the particular acts or omissions for which his dismissal is sought; and (2) the subsequent notice after due hearing which informs him of the employers’ decision to dismiss him. The Ship Master is excused from furnishing a seafarer with the required notice of dismissal if doing so will prejudice the safety of the crew and the vessel, as in cases of mutiny. Even if the Ship Master was

justified in dispensing with the notice requirements, still, it was essential that his decision to dismiss the Filipino seafarers should have been entered in the ship’s logbook; and that a complete report, substantiated by witnesses, testimonies and any other documents in support thereof, duly sent to the manning agency. The record of this case is bereft of any such entry in the ship’s logbook or journal and of any report and supporting documents. The company failed to establish that the seafarers were guilty of mutiny or that, in any other manner, they posed a clear and present danger to the vessel and its crew which would have justified the Ship Master in dispensing with the required notices. The total absence of any prior written notice of the charges against them, the opportunity to defend themselves against such charges and a written notice of the subsequent decision of the Ship Master to terminate their employment establish the arbitrary and oppressive character of the dismissal from their employment.

DAVAO EDGEDAVAO EDGE

VOL.14 ISSUE 61 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Finding success in cacao beans amid uncertainties A

young agri-preneur from Malita, Davao Occidental may have had a challenging journey, especially with the challenges the pandemic has brought to everyone. However, Ella Yap’s determination has paved the way for her.

Agriculture is said to be the wisest pursuit that contributes to one’s wealth. It also teaches anyone who ventures into it good morals, while yielding genuine happiness. This has been manifested in the entrepreneurial journey of Ella, who continuously inspires farmers and young people in her hometown to look at farming beyond the hard work it entails, but as a huge opportunity to tap. Ella is the granddaughter of Celedenio Yap II, a cacao farmer who has been in cacao farming business since the early 2000s. He traded dried cacao beans, his main product, at the time he was just starting out. Being the first chairperson of the Provincial Cacao Council, he surely has invested so much love for the industry. In 2016, Celedenio, together with his son, discovered that tablea business is a treasure waiting for them to unleash. During the pandemic, Ella took inspiration from her grandfather, who was an active participant and partner of various government programs and initiatives. She thought of venturing into tablea processing with her mother. Following the lockdown, Ella concentrated on her farm and tablea processing even more. She also took advantage of the interventions from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Davao

Occidental. In August 2020, Ella registered her business with DTI and the local government unit (LGU). She then began joining seminars given by the agency to equip her further in running her farm and business. Among those she attended were on business continuity planning, entrepreneurial mind setting, greening the business economy, and the Brand Equity Development project. Her business was likewise enrolled in the One Town One Product Next Gen (OTOP NG) program of DTI and was assisted in improving the packaging and labelling of her products. But Ella knew that these were not yet enough. Thus, Ella made sure that she has the necessary knowledge when it comes to the registration requirements of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL). “Si DTI ang nahimo og eye opener sa ako nga ipadayon ang gamay nga negosyo kay gipakita nila kung unsa ang potential sa usa ka cacao farmer and tablea processor diri sa Davao Occidental (DTI became an eye opener for me to push through with the small business I had in mind since they showed me the potential of being a cacao farmer and tablea processor here in Davao Occidental),” Ella said. Ella is passionate about

building a name for herself. She does not want to be associated with her prominent family all the time when talking about business and the province’s growing cacao industry. She is currently building her processing area as a takeoff point towards getting a certification from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). At the same time, she already submitted an application for IPO registration. Her dream is to maintain her products’ good quality with the help of the different agencies. She also wishes to penetrate a bigger market and make her products be known worldwide. “Dako kaayo ang akong pasalamat sa DTI – Davao Occidental labi na sa pag push sa ako sa pag-apil sa mga seminars para mas makabalo pa ko unsaon paggunit ug pagpadagan sa negosyo (I am very thankful to DTI-Davao Occidental for pushing me to join seminars to learn more

about handling and operating the business),” she shared. DTI-Davao Occidental Program Office Manager Ma. Joycelyn F. Banlasan said her office has been implementing interventions to assist the local entrepreneurs thrive and survive the pandemic. “We don’t just give them free seminars and trainings because we are committed to seeing them grow. We make sure that we nurture them in every way we can. And hearing words of appreciation from our beneficiaries and clients challenges us to do more and be better in the implementation of our programs,” the DTI provincial head said while adding that they are beyond grateful to those who appreciate their efforts. Banlasan emphasized that success in agriculture or in business is not about the age of the dreamer. Success, she said, is a combination of hard work, resilience, and persistence. DTI11

DepEd TV officially airs on GMA’s digital channel

epEd TV, the Department of Education’s (DepEd) platform for multimedia classes, officially airs new episodes on GMA’s digital channel starting Monday, May 24. Students staying safe at home can watch educational programs every Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. via Channel 7 on GMA Affordabox and GMA Now as well as on other digital TV receivers. GMA Network, as it helps make education more accessible to Filipino learners

in the new normal, provides this Kapuso digital channel for free in cooperation with DepEd on its implementation of its blended learning program. DepEd TV has been airing on test broadcast since early this year. On May 24, DepEd TV will air new episodes with programs designed for Grades 1 to 10. Each episode runs for 20 to 30 minutes which are both available in English and Filipino, with five-minute breaks in between. The fresh episodes will

be lessons in Filipino, Math, English, and Science, with different time slots for each grade level. Select episodes and lessons will also be Mother Tongue-Based (MTB) to make learners better understand their lessons. DepEd TV will also broadcast quick tips on COVID-19 throughout the day to keep students informed on the safety protocols amidst the pandemic. Prior to the roll-out of the DepEd TV episodes, the teachers went through

the Teacher-Broadcaster Training Program to equip them in effectively delivering lessons using TV as medium. GMA News pillars Jessica Soho and Arnold Clavio, and veteran broadcasters Kara David, Sandra Aguinaldo, and Atom Araullo also took part in sharing their skills to the teachers through a series of workshops. Students and parents can catch DepEd TV via Channel 7 on GMA Affordabox, GMA Now, and other digital TV receivers.

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VOL.14 ISSUE 61 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021

TREATING COVID-19 PATIENTS AT HOME By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

he hospitals are full. More people are being infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As hospitals are overwhelmed, there are less doctors and nurses who can take care of these patients. What should these infected people who are asymptomatic or having mild cases do? Where can they go? The answer is let them recuperate at home. In order to prevent infection while caring for COVID-19 patient at home, the following must be strictly observed, according to the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO): • Isolate the patient • Maintain at least onemeter distance; • Circulate the fresh air; • Designate one caregiver; • Wear a medical mask; • Wash hands frequently; • Use separate dishes, cups, linen, towels for the patient; • Disinfect frequently touched surfaces; • Dispose patient’s waste safely; and • No visitors allowed. Let’s take a closer look at these protocols. “If a patient with COVID-19 is going to be cared for at home, there are a few important things to consider,” explains Dr. Janet Diaz in WHO’s Science in 5 May 6 episode. “One is, the patient should be in isolation – meaning that we don’t want the patient to transmit the virus to other people.” Dr. April Baller, a WHO infection control expert, further points out: “The patient should stay in a separate room. If this is not possible, then they should

have a designated part of the home and their movements around the house should be limited. Also, there should be one meter, at least one meter distance between them and anyone else. Still on the issue of room, Dr. Baller emphasizes: “It’s critical to have good ventilation in that patient’s room and any shared spaces. So, this means to really have fresh, clean air coming through as much as possible. And this can be done just by opening the windows.” According to Dr. Baller, the patient’s caregiver should have no underlying condition. “Whenever patients receive care, they should wear a medical mask, as should the caregiver. And as soon as the caregiver leaves the room, they need to make sure to wash their hands (with soap and water).” Also, it is very important to clean and disinfect any frequently touched surfaces by the patient, Dr. Baller suggests. Any waste generated from the patient should be packed safely, she adds. In some instances, the patient may have a fever. “So, if you have a fever, you can take symptomatic treatments or antipyretics or drugs that reduce fevers to keep you comfortable,” says Dr. Diaz, head of clinical care within the

WHO. Dr. Diaz also suggests that a patient should eat and drink sufficiently. “Make sure you stay hydrated, make sure that you maintain some good eating habits, eat what you like, but ensure to keep yourself well-nourished and well-hydrated,” she says. The good news is: most patients who get COVID-19 will have no complications from it acutely. “They may not develop severe pneumonia and may not need to go to the hospital and that’s good,” Dr. Diaz says. But the bad news is that there are few patients – mostly those who have underlying diseases like cardiovascular disease or chronic lung disease and elderly – who may be at risk for developing severe disease, according to the WHO official. “These patients, if they’re being monitored at home, need to carefully watch their symptoms. There’s one thing I do want to emphasize: SARSCoV-2 we know is a virus. So, if you have COVID-19, then in patients that are being managed at home, we don’t recommend the use of antibiotics. That means medicines that treat bacterial

infection, because it’s a virus infection so it won’t respond to an antibiotic.” But why is there an increased demand of medicines like Remdesivir and also increased appeals for plasma therapy in the treatment of COVID-19? “At this moment, we have a recommendation against the use of Remdesivir for patients with COVID-19 because there was low certainty in the evidence that it had any benefit in mortality,” Dr. Diaz points out. “For convalescent plasma, we don’t actually have a recommendation in that guideline specifically yet, but what we don have in the clinical management guideline is also against its use, unless under clinical trials as evidence is accumulating on those interventions. So, we also do not recommend its use other than under clinical trials which are continuing and ongoing.” Dr. Diaz also reminds: “Remember that all care at home should be done under clinical supervision, which means the decision for when you decide to do home care or you decide to be hospitalized really should be done under

the supervision of a health care provider, according to the national protocols for COVID-19 care pathways.” When caring for patients at home, it is important to monitor the condition regularly. The caregiver should do this at least once a day and look for any signs and symptoms, complications or red flags. “The important point here to note is that the flags can vary slightly depending on the age,” Dr. Baller says. “For adults, these include them complaining of lightheadedness. They could be having shortness of breath, heavy breathing, complaining of chest pains, looking dehydrated.” For children, it can often be them suddenly appearing confused, being off their food, having blue lips or face. For infants, the red flag is the inability for them to breastfed. In some instances, a mild case may develop into a severe case if the patient is having breathing problems. The patient may only be suffering from anxiety or may really be running out of air. To figure out if what the patient is experiencing is real, pulse oximeter is

recommended. “It’s a fingertip device that can just be a small device put on your finger index,” Dr. Diaz states. “It is relatively expensive and simple to use. “We do have a recommendation saying that if you are at home and especially if you’re from a high-risk group – a person that may have a risk of developing severe disease – that monitoring your pulse oxygen, your oxygen saturation at home could be useful because you can detect, hopefully early, if your oxygen saturation starts to fall and then get the right intervention and care pathway started. So, 94 to 90 is a little bit low. However, it’s not below 905, which is the warning sign.” Now, if the number is 90 to 94, the patient should immediately call the clinical provider and tell him or her: “This is my number, this is how I’m feeling. What should I do?” By doing so, you can get some advice on what to do next. Among the warning symptoms to consider when a COVID-19 patient is treated at home are: shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. “That can imply that you’re having pneumonia and the

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Foundation Hospital, Brokenshire Hospital, Gig Oca Seamen’s Hospital, Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), Davao Doctors Hospital, San Pedro Hospital, and Metro Davao Medical and Research Center. The city is also looking at the creation of additional vaccination sites

to accommodate more vaccinees. Mayor Sara also said the city government is expecting vaccine deliveries next month and by the third quarter of the year. “Duna ta’y expectation, next month daghan kuno ang moabot nga bakuna,” she said.

within local households. He said all isolation and quarantine facilities are about 83 percent full. “It is difficult for all if we need to strictly prevent people from going out of their homes, requiring

them quarantine passes, limit passengers of public transport, among other features of ECQ,” he said. The mayor urged everyone to get vaccinated because this would save lives. (PNA)

reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction test results for Covid-19 starting June 1. Wakes, including the processing of related

“We’ve been trying to balance our health situation with our economy.Butwealsodon’t want to reach the point wherein our hospitals wouldbeforcedtochoose who to admit because of the lack of available resources,” he said. Zapatos said Rivera consulted National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez regarding the matter. AsofSundaynoon,the city government said all allottedbedsforCovid-19 patients are already 100 percent occupied while the intensive care unit facilities were over the critical threshold due to the continuing spike in new infections. The city recorded 37 new cases as of 6 p.m. Monday,bringingitsactive infections to 560, the highestamongcitiesand municipalitiesinRegion12 (Soccsksargen). The confirmed cases in the area since last year already reached a total of 3,311,with108deathsand 2,643 recoveries. (PNA)

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GENSAN... FROMP2 documents,areallowedup to five days but should be limited to not more than 10 people. Othermassgatherings, including religious services and other activitiesinvolvingmore than 10 persons, are prohibited. Masses and churchservicesshouldbe conducted online. Zapatossaidthemayor instructedthebarangays and the city police to monitor and enforce the additionalrestrictionsin local communities. He said data showed that aside from essential workers,thehighCovid-19 transmission rate was traced to parties and similar gatherings. The official said the additional restrictions are intended to break the chainofCovid-19infection in the communities and at the same time keep the city’s economy open “as much as possible.”

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Based on the Department Memorandum 2021-0157, individuals under this priority group may just provide as proof of comorbidity the following issued the past 18 months: medical certificate from an attending physician; prescription for medicines; hospital records such as the discharge summary and medical abstract; and surgical records and pathology reports. In the report of DOH XI as of May 23, there are now 55,125 masterlisted eligible population for A3; 353,268 masterlisted

eligible for A2 with so far 40,059 vaccinated with first dose. For A1 priority group, masterlisted eligible population is 84,692; vaccinated with first dose are 98,275 individuals while 39,116 were vaccinated with second dose. The Davao Region has so far received 371,730 doses of vaccines. Consumption rate for the first dose allocation is already at 62.36 percent or 138,334 while 39,116 doses out of the 129,865 allocation for the second dose have already been administered. (PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)

town leaders are responsible for the health system, rather than the central government,” it said. “As a result, there were not consistent policies and rigorousness around contract tracing, funding, and quarantine measures for those infected and their close contact,” the analysis added.

Moving forward, economic managers expect the economy to return to positive economy in the second quarter of the year. The NCR Plus bubble— Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Bulacan—is under general community quarantine with heightened restrictions until May 31.

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OMI based in Rome from 2003-2006. Mercado died at the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center at 3:25 p.m. Sunday from cardiac arrest as he was completing his isolation due to coronavirus

disease infection. “We will always remember Fr. Jun as one of the pillars of peace who steadfastly championed the cause of the Bangsamoro people,” Ebrahim said. (PNA)

that my hand will be raised when we finally meet.” With a win this weekend Oubaali says he plans to unify the division in an effort to prove he’s the best bantamweight in the

world. And as for whomever Oubaali has to get through en route to achieving that goal, well, it’s of little consequence as he says he’s only focused on achieving that feat.

response and recovery sa damage na nabuhat sa Covid-19 sa atoang economy. But remember tanan nga ECQ and MECQ quarantine classifications ginahatag gikan sa national government base sa ilang pagtan-aw sa atoang mga datus kung angay ba nga i-ECQ or MECQ ang isa ka lugar nga dili nato gusto mahitabo dinhi sa syudad sa Davao. Ang gusto nato isa ng mugawas lang ang kato lang duna’y importante na kinahanglan buhaotn sa gawas. Ang IATF na mu-decide kay sila man gahatag ug quarantine classification sa mga LGUs but we can request for reconsideration but usually man gud kung ECQ mahibalo ta kana gyud last resort na gyud na sa atoang national government and dili na sila muhatag

ug ingon ana kung dili nila makita na there is a problem gyud sa sulod sa hospitals,” she said. Mayor Sara reiterated her reminders for Dabawenyos to strictly comply with the basic public minimum health standards (PMHS) that include the proper wearing of face masks since others use mask by covering the mouth only and leaving the nose exposed; social distancing, which prevents droplets from being inhaled or touch one’s skin or for the virus to jump from one person to another; frequent handwashing with soap and water or alcohol; and staying at home due to the general community quarantine, which only allows people to leave their residences to access essential goods and services, to work, and do business, among others.

tors are very active in the stock market at least in the first quarter of 2021,” Monzon said during the meeting. Lawyer Benedicta Du-Baladad, former president of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Emilio Aquino also co-chair the CMDC, which is a coordinating body tasked to facilitate the development of the Philippine capital market. In the fixed-income or debt securities market, Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. (PDEx) President-Chief Executive Officer Antonino Nakpil reported that the market performed slightly lower in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, but investor-related trading made up 59 percent or PHP898 billion of the total volume of PHP1.5 trillion as of end-March this year. SEC Commissioner Ephyro Amatong, a CMDC member, said retail investors have kept liquidity high in both the fixed-income and equities markets. National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon, also a CMDC member, attributed the growing number of retail investors in fixed-income securities to the measures that had been put in place to make bonds accessible to small investors, and the successful financial literacy campaigns of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), SEC and the Philippine Dealing System Holdings Corp. (PDS Group). Monzon said savings by retail investors who can neither travel nor spend more because of the pandemic may have been diverted to investments in the equities markets. He said capital-raising activities in the PSE have also remained strong, with the year-on-year capital

raised growing 116 percent from PHP19.24 billion in end-March 2020 to PHP41.63 billion in endMarch 2021. Among the firms that have turned towards the equities market for their funding needs were DDMP REIT Inc., which raised PHP14.7 billion from its initial public offering (IPO); Cebu Air Inc., PHP12.5 billion from its stock rights offering (SRO); AC Energy Philippines, PHP5.37 billion from its SRO; and 8990 Holdings Inc., PHP3.7 billion from its follow-on offering (FOO). Monzon said the capital-raising pipeline remains “robust” despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, with several companies having filed applications for an IPO or expressing interest in setting up their own Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). In the fixed-income market, Nakpil said that secondary market trading was active despite the rise in the benchmark interest rates, particularly in the 10-year Philippine Treasury Bond yields which rose from 3 percent in January to 4.5 percent in March 2021 in line with a similar trend in US 10-year Treasury yields. For primary issuance activity in the corporate bond markets, Nakpil said in the first quarter, new bond listings reached almost PHP59 billion but due to the number of maturing bonds in the same period, the overall amount of listed bonds of PHP1.45 trillion was lower than at year-end 2020’s PHP1.47 trillion. Among the securities listed in the first quarter were SM Prime’s PHP10-billion fixed rate bonds (FRBs), Chinabank’s PHP20-billion FRBs, and the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC)’s PHP17.87-billion Asean Sustainability Bonds. (PR)

oue-Dasmariñas fights. Odd but another Pinoy, reigning WBC interim champion Reymart Gaballo is not listed but the fellow he beat last December for his title, Puerto Rican ex IBF titlist Emmanuel Rodriguez is listed #4! However, highly promising Mike “Magicman” Plania makes it three Pinoys as #9 among the bantamweights. Other Filipinos who make the latest Ring divisional rating are reigning IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas, #4 behind Juan Francisco Estrada, Srisaket Sor Rungvusai and Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez in that order; Mark “Magnifico”Magsayo, #7 at featherweight; Edward “El Heneral” Heno, #6 at light flyweight and the trio of WBA regular titlist Vic Saludar, IBF champion Rene Mark Cuarto and ex IBF titlist Pedro “General” Taduran, #6, #9 and #10 respectively all in the minimumweight. Topping the list at featherweights are Gary Russell of the US, the streaking Emanuel Navarrete of Mexico and China’s lone world titlist Xu Can. Dominating the rat-

ings at light flyweights are the duo of Japanese world champions Kenshiro Teraji and Hiroto Kyugochi and Nicaragua’s IBF world titleholder Felix Alvarado who won his world championship in Manila a few years back. A trio of reigning and former world champions from Thailand hold sway at the lowest boxing division of minimumweight or strawweight with WBA titlist Knockout CP Freshmart, new WBC titleholder Pechmanee Pradabsri and ex long reigning WBC champion Wanheng Menayothin hugging the top three slots. The Ring all weight top ten pound for pound fighters are: 1. CANELO ALVAREZ, Mexico 2. NAOYA INOUE, Japan 3. TERRENCE CRAWFORD, US 4. OLEKSANDER USYK, Ukraine 5. ERROL SPENCE, US 6. TEOFIMO LOPEZ, US 7. JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA, Mexico 8. VASILY LOMACHENKO, Ukraine 9. JOSH TAYLOR, UK 10. KAZUTO IOKA, Japan (philboxing.com)

demic, the company strengthened its digital initiatives with online reservation systems and virtual property tours, said Vista Land president and CEO Manuel Paolo

Villar. Vista Land operates residential and commercial property development businesses through several distinct units which include Camella Homes.

youth,” said Battad. Finally, Secretary Dar said “the perfect storm of 2020 has demonstrated the agriculture sector’s resilience, and reducing poverty remains an enormous multi-sectoral challenge. There is hunger because most people, due to the pandemic, loss of jobs and livelihood, cannot simply buy food, despite food is available.” “If this phenomenon is not understood and appreciated by detractors, they will always blame the Department of Agriculture. We beg to disagree,

as hunger and poverty is the problem that we have been addressing, even before the Duterte administration,” Secretary Dar said. “We should highlight these things to make the public understand that we, under the ‘whole-of-nation’ approach, commit to reduce the incidence of poverty and hunger through the Duterte administration’s ‘Plant, Plant, Plant’ program and ‘Pilipinas Kontra Gutom’ in tandem with the private sector,” he concluded. (PR-Frances Mae Ramos, DA StratComms)

“Peso also recently weaker as better economic prospects with the easing of NCR Plus to GCQ (from ECQ) amid new COVID-19 local cases lingering among two-month lows and in-

creased COVID-19 vaccine arrivals and rollouts,” Ricafort said. The improved outlook signals a pick-up in the economic recovery, as well as in importation activities.

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SPORTS 11

EDGEDAVAO

Oubaali says he’s put in his best effort in training camp and is looking forward to colliding with the Filipino Flash.

Oubaali guarantees M fireworks vs Donaire W

Dasmarinas to challenge Naoya Inoue on June 19

BC bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali is set to defend his strap against former Filipino titleholder Nonito Donaire this weekend in Carson, CA — and as one might expect from this particular matchup and location, an explosive fight is almost certainly anticipated. That’s exactly what Oubaali himself is expecting, telling RingTV that he’s coming into this fight well prepared and promising not to disappoint.

“I’m very excited to defend my title in Carson, California. It’s a great place for boxing and I hope that people attending and watching on TV get to enjoy this fight. I’m excited to share the ring with [Donaire] and I guarantee fireworks on fight night.” Oubaali shows plenty of respect to Donaire as a fighter, referring to him as a complete boxer, but says he too is perfectly able to

make any necessary adjustments in the ring and has no doubts that he’ll be victorious when it’s all said and done. “I have put my best effort in my preparation and you will see how I will beat him on May 29. Donaire is a legend in the sport and I respect him as a fighter but I am the world champion and I have no doubt in my mind

FOUBAALI, P10

andatory challenger Michael Dasmariñas of Philippines will challenge WBA and IBF bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue of Japan on June 19 at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas. Dasmariñas (30-2-1, 20 KO’s) is rated no. 1. He may not be the first name on everybody’s lips, but ‘Hot and Spicy’ has the chance of a lifetime to upset the odds against the fearsome ‘Monster.’ “Be as ferocious as the wild,” said Dasmariñas in a Facebook post. The top-ranked Filipino southpaw recently had a sparring with the

undefeated Carl Jammes “Wonder Boy” Martin (17-0, 15KO’s). The two elite bantamweights had a mind blowing high level sparring session at the Hardstone Boxing Gym. “Difficulties increase the nearer we approach the goal,” said Dasmariñas. Dasmariñas and Inoue (20-0, 17 KO’s) have agreed to terms for a 118-pound title fight that will be streamed worldwide on ESPN. Inoue, 28, hasn’t been in the ring since he stopped Jason Moloney via seventh-round KO in October 2020.

Bucks take 2-0 series lead with wire-to-wire victory over Heat

ILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points and Bryn Forbes led Milwaukee’s scorching start from 3-point range as the Bucks trounced the Miami Heat, 132-98, on Monday night (Tuesday, Manila time) to extend their lead in this first-round playoff series. Milwaukee shot 22 of 53 from 3-point range – including 15 of 29 in the first half – and never trailed while leading by as many as 36 points. The Bucks’ 22 3-pointers were their highest total ever in a playoff game. Forbes scored 22 points and went 6 of 9 on 3-point attempts. The Bucks own a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series as they attempt to oust the team that beat them 4-1 in the second round last year. Game 3 takes place Thursday in Miami.

Milwaukee’s two victories in this season couldn’t have looked much more different. The Bucks needed Khris Middleton’s tiebreaking jumper with 0.5 seconds left in overtime to pull out a 109-107 victory in Game One, which neither team ever led by more than eight points. Milwaukee essentially put away Game Two in the first quarter as its 3-point attack went from fizzling to sizzling. Milwaukee had shot 5 of 31 from behind the arc and made its fewest 3-pointers of the season Saturday. The Bucks were 10 of 15 on 3-point attempts in the first quarter alone Monday. The Bucks led 46-20 at the end of the first quarter and 78-51 at halftime as they posted the highest first-half point total in their playoff history. The hottest shooter on

the floor was Forbes, who signed with Milwaukee in November after spending four seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. Forbes came off the bench to score 14 points in the first quarter while shooting 5 of 6 overall and 4 of 5 on 3-pointers. Middleton finished with 17 points and Pat Connaughton had 15 while shooting 5 of 9 from beyond the arc. Antetokounmpo had 13 rebounds and six assists to go along with his 31 points. Jrue Holiday’s 15 assists were one off the Bucks playoff record that is shared by Paul Pressey and Oscar Robertson. Holiday also had 11 points and seven rebounds. Miami’s Dewayne Dedmon had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the Heat in both categories. Goran Dragic had 18 points and Bam Adebayo added 16.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points for the Bucks.

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 61 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021

8-division world champion Manny Pacquiao is only ranked no. 3 in the welterweight class.

WORLD-RATED

Manny leads 10 Pinoy boxers in Ring Magazine world rankings

lthough returning to the exclusive Ring Magazine’s all weight top pound for pound list remains, at best still a prospect, ten magnificent Filipino fighters led by Manny Pacquiao made it to the latest Ring’s divisional world ranking. Pacquiao, who has recently made it official that he would facing Errol Spence in August, is listed as Ring #3 at welterweight behind Spence who is #1 in the division above #2 Terrence Crawford but eerily, only #5 pound for pound below #3 P4P Crawford. According to the official Boxrec.com, the Pacquiao versus Spence bout scheduled for August 21 will be a unification with Manny’s WBA belt and Spence’s WBC and IBF unified belts on the line fueling speculations that the WBA will be prompted to reinstate Manny as its super champion.

The oddness of the situation is brought home by the fact that Yurdenis Ugas, the man WBA supplanted Manny as super champion is rated only #6 by the Ring behind ex WBA super titlist Keith Thurman and two time former WBC titlehold-

er Shawn Porter, #4 and #5, respectively. With #1 Spence meeting #3 Pacquiao, there is also a big chance that the Ring may be prompted to recognize the winner as its legitimate welterweight champion, leaving Crawford in a much more awkward situation in its pound for pound rating where he is listed higher than Errol. If Manny wins, most likely, he will also merit at the very least, consideration in the Ring, and any major ratings body’s pound for pound list. The highest Pinoy in the Ring’s divisional rating is former multi weight classes world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire who is listed #1 at bantamweight behind Ring recognized champion Naoya Inoue but above #2 Nordine Oubaali of France, the WBC titlist. Donaire will challenge Oubaali for the

WBC crown this coming weekend, May 29 in Carson City, California. Inoue, on the other hand will defend his unified WBA super, IBF and Ring lineal belts against Filipino IBF mandatory Michael Dasmariñas in June also in the US. Hall of Fame Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has earlier ruled against Inoue making a defense in Japan as existing health protocols there renders it impossible for any visiting challenger to put up a good fight much less, win. Another Pinoy, WBO champion Johnriel Casimero is listed at #3 behind Oubaali. Casimero is set to meet WBA regular champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, listed #6 in a unification fight also in the US. A win by Casimero will put him in the line against the winners of the Oubaali-Donaire and In-

FWORLD-RATED, P10