Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 102 | Tuesday, July 13, 2021 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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VIBE DRIVE

VOL.14 ISSUE 102 • TUESDAY, JULY 13, 2021

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Sara still feeling the pulse of the people STORY ON PAGE 2

The Department of Public Works and Highways–Davao starts the construction work of Crooked Road along C. Bangoy Street in Davao City on Monday. Dabawenyo motorists and commuters complained of the worsening traffic situation in the area due to the delay in the completion of the street’s concreting project. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 102 • TUESDAY, JULY 13, 2021

VIBE DRIVE

A girl enjoys the sunset by the beach in the municipality of Linamon in Lanao del Norte on Sunday, far from the crowd and safe from the reach of COVID-19. MindaNews photo by RICHEL V. UMEL

Sara still feeling the pulse of the people By MAYA M. PADILLO rom being firm on her decision against running in next year’s presidential elections, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said she will be feeling the pulse of the people on the “Run Sara Run” movement.

Following her declaration that she is open to running as President in the 2022 elections in Cebu City last week, Mayor Sara clarified that she will be conducting consultations to get the thoughts of the people of her

running as President. “Because ang rason ana is kung kita-kita lang magistorya dinhi, of course, I would expect you to say na “dagan ‘day dagan Inday Sara” because amigo man nako sila. What we are

doing is asking the people nga dili nato amigo, unsa ba ang ilang thoughts about that,” Mayor Sara during the Special Hours with Mayor Inday Sara Duterte via Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Monday. Mayor Sara said among the reasons of meeting with Cebu City Governor Gwen Garcia is to ask her permission to conduct a consultation in the municipal level. “Nananghid mi about

doing consultations dinha sa mga taga Cebu. Nananghid pa ta to talk to the people at municipal level and duna pud nahitabo na paghatag ug pagpasalamat sa mga amigo, kanang mga naga-organize ug grupo encouraging me to run as president. Na-meet pud nako sila ug nagpasalamat ko sa ila and because amigo sila ang expectation nato na tubag sa ilaha is very positive,” the mayor said.

and the rest of Mindanao. The JPSTs are peacekeeping forces composed of contingents from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP). Winston Camariñas, head of the UNDP Cotabato Field Office, said the JPST station in Munai was turned over late last month to the Joint Peace and Security Committee (JPSC) as part

of the multi-stakeholder efforts to maintain peace and stability in the area. “Despite the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to challenge our peacebuilding efforts, the JPSC has remained tireless in delivering their mandate for peace and security, and has continuously pushed for the activation and deployment of joint peacekeeping teams across Mindanao. On our end, UNDP remains committed in its support to sustain the gains of the

Bangsamoro peace process,” he said in a statement. The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), the Japanese government, UNDP and the MILF have been cooperating for the establishment of the JPSTs. Under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed between the government and MILF in 2014, JPSTs have been tasked to support the

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Joint gov’t, MILF peacekeeping team activated in Lanao del Norte town

30-member Joint Peace and Security Team (JPST) was recently deployed in Munai, Lanao del Norte to help maintain peace and stability in the area. The new JPST station in Barangay Panggao was constructed with the help of the Japanese government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which both vowed continued support to peace and development initiatives in the Bangsamoro region

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34 Bukidnon returnees receive cash assistance

total of 34 former members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Bukidnon have received additional cash aid from the government in a ceremony held at the Provincial Capitol, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon over the weekend. Each rebel returnee got P50,000 in livelihood assistance from the Local Government Unit (LGU) in Bukidnon. The government has allocated the total amount of P1.7 million in financial assistance for the former rebels. One of the beneficiaries Beverly Serrano alias Bembem, a former political guide of NPA’s Guerilla

Front Malayag thanked the government for the additional cash assistance. “It will be beneficial to us because we will use this to better our lives and as a capital for our small business,” she said. Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Battalion Edgardo Talaroc Jr also thanked the LGU- Bukidnon for being active peace and development partners. “I hope that more LGUs will also help our FRs in their journey towards a better future. Our unending call to the members of the CNTs that they realize the lies and deception of their organization and choose to come down to live a peaceful life,” Talaroc said.

Kidapawan police mulls CCTV for buses, deployment of marshals

olice authorities here have recommended the deployment of marshals and installation of closedcircuit television (CCTV) cameras in all passenger buses plying this city and the rest of the province. On Sunday, Lt. Col. Lauro Espida, Kidapawan police director, said also being considered is the deployment of bus marshals who will ensure all passengers and bags are properly inspected. “The presence of CCTV cameras will help identify perpetrators of bomb attacks on buses,” he said. The recommendation came after a failed firebomb attack on a unit of the Davao Metro Shuttle Bus while

parked at Kidapawan City integrated bus terminal on July 8. Espida said the mild explosion at the rear portion of the bus did not create fire although the bag left by a still unidentified passenger contained flammable items. Found inside the bag were two canisters of butane gas, mobile phones, a 9-volt battery, and other incendiary bomb components. “It was meant to ignite a fire and eventually burn the bus,” Espida said, adding that the attempt could be related to extortion activities of a still-unidentified group from the bus company. He said the targeted

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EDGEDAVAO

NEWS

Department of Tourism 11 (DOT 11) director Tanya Rabat-Tan says her office will revamp its social media platform to increase its online audience, which will lead to helping the agency bounce back and restart tourism in the new normal. Edge Davao

DOT 11 revamps social media platform to grow online audience 8 Basilan cops charged over fake swab tests T By MAYA M. PADILLO

t least 8 police officers from Police Regional OfficeBangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) have been administratively and criminally charged for allegedly presenting fake swab test results upon entering Zamboanga City. Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Guillermo Eleazar earlier

ordered the filing of administrative and criminal charges against these policemen hailing from Isabela City and Lamitan in Basilan for presenting fake negative results of RT-PCR tests as they tried to enter Zamboanga City on July 5. The policemen were onboard MV Cassey Beatrise and MV Crystal Jane when

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he regional office of the Department of Tourism (DOT 11) is scratching its existing social media platform and recreate a new one to grow its online audience.

DOT 11 director Tanya Rabat Tan said the revamping aims to help the agency to bounce back and restart tourism in the new normal by giving impetus to the power of digitalization and social media. “This only means that we have level up to be

City of Mati launches mobile app for tourists and investors

new mobile application for tourists and investors in the City of Mati is now up. Aptly called the MatiApp, the new mobile application will make it easier for visitors to checkout resorts, hotels, restaurants and other tourism-related establishments before arriving in the City of Mati. MatiApp covers 4 sections — Tourism, Investment, Local Products

and Culture and Arts. All tourism attractions and all tourism related ventures and activities in the city are in the Tourism Section of the App. This will also give app users easy access to tourismrelated establishments and accommodations that will cater their needs while they enjoy everything that Mati tourism can offer. For the Investment Section, investment demography and

potentials of Mati City will be showcased. This app’s section will give potential investors in the city easy access to contact centers as helpline to assist them on their needs. The investment tab of the app will focus on 3 major investment complexes under Agriculture, Tourism, and Real property/infrastructure development, showcasing all the investment areas

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more proactive in engaging as we deliver vital and factual information not just on our destinations and tourism activities but also in advocating to the public the adherence to strict health safety protocols,” she said during the online press conference on Monday.

ith the projected restart of processing of hydropower project applications in Mindanao, proponents are advised to get endorsement from Local Government Units (LGUs). Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro, Deputy Executive Director of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), said this is important that has to be given focus and priority by the proponents of hydropower projects because the Department

The more improved DOT 11 social media platform, which will be relaunched on July 17, 2021, will carry a new name from DOT Davao Region to simply DOT Davao for both Facebook and Instagram accounts. The new pages will be sporting new aesthetics also from colors, font, and layout to give it a more relevant look and to better connect DOT 11’s target audience as it re-establish its online presence. “We also found a

way to improve and will disseminate information by carefully curating based on classification and order of urgency. We will also be going the extra mile in engaging the public by being more responsive and actively participative especially with their online queries,” Tan said. Tan said the said project aims to improve the form and structure of DOT 11 social media account by streaming quality post

of Energy (DOE) will not approve and award the service of contract if the project has not gone any endorsement by any LGUs. “We are anticipating, moving ahead, resurgence or restarting of processes of any of the hydropower applications, the challenge, however, lies on the ground because one of the important challenges that many of power project applications that need to go through are on the ground particularly in with dealing the LGUs,” Montenegro said

in a virtual presser. Montenegro said MinDA is seeing many of these applications now actually progressing along several agencies of government starting with DOE being able to award service contracts and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), which is MinDA’s partner in terms of promoting financing of valuable projects in Mindanao. MinDA has been tracking quiet a number of several applications since 2012 up

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Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro, Deputy Executive Director of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), says proponents of the hydropower project applications in Mindanao are advised to get endorsement from Local Government Units (LGUs) because the Department of Energy (DOE) will not approve and award the service of contract if the project has not gone any endorsement by any LGUs. Edge Davao

DTI 11’s diskwento F caravans continue

Pork prices still high, unaffected by surge in imports, says SINAG

the local government units (LGUs) to offer more basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs) and agricultural products in each area they visit. DTI 11 Regional Director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi shared that with DTI’s twin mandate, they do not focus on business development

alone since they are also keen on empowering and protecting consumers. The second responsibility, she explained, encompasses various initiatives and interventions for the benefit of the general public. “All of use are consumers; therefore, everyone is DTI’s client when it comes to consumer empowerment and protection. With the Presyo Diskwento Caravan program, we are given the opportunity to serve more consumers, especially those who have difficulty accessing their needs due to economic or proximity-related reasons.

But with the PDC, we get to bring closer to them different BNPCs and agricultural produce at lower prices,” the local trade official said. Among the products available at the PDC are canned goods, such as sardines and corned beef, powdered milk, coffee, noodles, and condiments. In the meantime, DA 11 brings fruits, vegetables, and other fresh produce. “With the crisis that we have been facing for more than a year now, the PDC is one of the many ways we are looking at to bolster the con-

cause there are thousands or millions of different ‘lutong adobo’,” the DTI said in an emailed statement. “The attempt is to define what we will promote internationally and not redefining what adobo is to different people now,” it added, in all caps. The department last week said its Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) established a technical committee that will standardize Filipino dishes, with the first being adobo. The technical commit-

tee started developing a Philippine National Standard for adobo in May, with the “Kulinarya: A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine” as main reference. The proposal to have a national standard for adobo has earned negative feedback online, with questions as to the priority of the government amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from adobo, the BPS is also looking to set a standard for other dishes such as sinigang, lechon, and sisig.

The technical committee is made up of Via Mare’s Glenda Barreto as Chairman, Food Writers Association of the Philippines chef Myrna Segismundo, and Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines’ Raoul Roberto Goco. The committee also counts as members representatives from the University of the Philippines Diliman’s College of Home Economics, Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers Inc., Philippine Association of Meat Pro-

he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Region 11 has continued with its commitment to provide basic necessities and prime commodities at reasonable prices, serving even the farthest barangays, amid the pandemic. Through one of its regular programs, the Presyo Diskwento Caravan (PDC), the agency is able to reach consumers in the far-flung areas to offer several goods at prices more affordable to them. It has also partnered with the Kadiwa Rolling Store of the Department of Agriculture (DA) 11 and

he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Sunday clarified that the proposed adobo standard will only be for international promotion purposes, and not a mandatory standard for local households. According to the DTI, the suggestion to have a standard recipe for Filipino staple dishes such as adobo is in efforts to come up with a traditional recipe that will be promoted overseas. “Obviously, this is not a mandatory standard be-

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armers group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) on Sunday lamented the prevailing pork prices, even as imports have continued to enter the country. In a statement, SINAG noted that the reduction in tariff rates for pork imports and the increase of the minimum access volume (MAV) for the commodity did not impact prices. “Pork prices remain high, consumers have not benefited from the lowering of tariffs, and now have to contend with food safety concerns with thawed imported pork,” SINAG chairman Rosendo So said. Latest data available from the Department of Agriculture (DA) show that as of July 9, the prevailing price per kilogram of pork ham (kasim) is P340, while that of pork belly (liempo) is at

P380. Prices previously hit as high as P400. This comes even as the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported a spike in pork imports to 76 million, after President Rodrigo Duterte on May 10 issued Executive Order 133 which raised the MAV of pork imports to 254,210 metric tons (MT) from 54,210 MT. Prior to this, the President in April also signed EO 128, which reduced the tariff rates on imported pork to 5% to 20% from the previous rates of 30% to 40%. Foregone revenues from the tariff reduction are estimated at P1.3 billion, and could reach P11.2 billion this year. Still, inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages climbed to 4.7% in June. Inflation for the meat index remained high at 19.2%, but

cessors Inc., Department of Science and Technology - Industrial Technology Development Institute, Philippine Association of Food Technologists Inc., LTB Chefs Association, Asia Society Philippines, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Philippine Daily Inquirer. For its part, the DTI said there is “nothing to worry on this” and the measure is part of the groundwork to develop more creative industry exports. “To many Filipinos,

the best adobo is the one ‘cooked at home’ or cooked by their parents or lola’,” it said. “There is a lot of creativity going on and this must be encouraged,” it added. The DTI’s BPS is mandated to develop, promulgate, and implement standards for all products in the Philippines. It is tasked to promote standardization activities in the country and to ensure the manufacture, production, and distribution of quality products.

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ECONOMY

A meat dealer prepares pork inside Agdao Market in Davao City over tje weekend. Vendors have lamented the unstable supply of pork as the swine industry has yet to recover from the impact of African Swine Fever (ASF). Mindanews photo

BOC Davao holds first online auction, collects P10.9 million T 121, placing Davao City under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), both aiming to mitigate the number of COVID-19 cases in Davao City. According to the official guidelines issued by

the ACDD, all scanned and certified true copies of documentary requirements shall be submitted online through Google Forms and likewise, must be signed by the registered bidders. Furthermore, the registration fee shall be paid at the Port’s Cashier-Customer Care Center (CCC) – a one-stop-shop for all Customs services of the Port. Also, the online auction followed a sealed bid system where instead of dropping the sealed bids during face-

to-face auction, registered bidders dropped all their bids in a secured drop-box at the Port’s CCC. Keys of the drop-box is entrusted to the ACDD and COA representatives for safekeeping. The Public Auction comprised of one sale lot of 14,900 sacks of Vietnamese White Rice and was sold at a bid amount of Php 10.9 million pesos. As of this time, revenues from Public Auctions collected over Php 13 million pesos for the year 2021

in Southeast Asia. Villamora added that a central feature of the new URC sales platform is “Ate Chat”, an avatar that serves as a “digital concierge”. “Ate Chat receives and answers queries from sari-sari store owners,” Villamora said. “She also provides products and price lists and promos, and then directs those with queries to where they can order what they need online from distributors nearest them”. “This is literally sales at the hands of our distributors,” said Chay Mondear Saputil, vertical lead at Facebook Philippines. Saputil said the Facebook social commerce site

has provided “a unique solution that drives sales growth for URC’s distributors and their sari-sari store customers.” It has key analytics that helps URC tailor-fit content to drive community engagement and to allow a seamless ordering process. When it was launched, the platform received several thousand messages within the first two weeks. Sales, meanwhile, surpassed the target six times by November. “We’re so thankful we discovered the URC distributor page. Now, ordering has become a breeze and hassle-free because products are delivered to us. It

has been a big help, especially now that we’re having a pandemic,” said Catherin Cuico, a sari-sari store owner in Alabel town, Sarangani province. Saputil said using Facebook to lift sales has introduced URC’s distributors to “the world of conversational commerce and leapfrogging in terms of digital transformation”. “URC is now planning for its next phase of growth,” said Villamora. “It will soon automate community management and its ordering system.” He added that together, these will create a sustainable ecosystem to drive the company’s social commerce.

he Bureau of Customs (BOC) - Port of Davao through its Auction and Cargo SMC drops new coal projects in ‘big Disposal Division (ACDD) conducts its step’ towards renewables, Ang says 1st Online Public Auction on June 30, 2021, via an Miguel Corp said it use new technologies in the Microsoft Teams, where the said Port collectwould drop new coal transition to a low-carbon projects from its expan- future “without compromis- ed P 10.9 million worth of auction proceeds.

sion plans to emphasize its push for sustainable development and renewable energy sources, its president said. “We took the big step of dropping new coal projects from our expansion plans. Instead, we are ramping up our renewable power capacities,” Ang said in a Facebook post. Although the move will not be easy, according to Ang, there is a need for “strategic collaborations” and to

ing our economy’s growing power needs.” “This is not just an option for us, it’s an imperative—one that will provide the foundation for our vision of a better future,” Ang said. In April, SMC said unit San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp allotted up to $1 billion (P48 billion) for the construction of 31 new battery storage facilities nationwide. It has also been investing

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Big-time fuel price hike seen this week

otorists should brace for another round of increase in the pump prices of petroleum products in this week, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said. In its fuel price forecast for July 13 to 19 trading week, Unioil said the price per liter of gasoline may go up by P1.10 to P1.20. Diesel prices, meanwhile, may increase by P0.60 to P0.70 per liter. Oil companies usual-

ly announce price adjustments every Monday to be implemented on the following day. Effective July 6, fuel firms implement a price adjustment of P0.50 to P0.60 per liter for gasoline and P0.10 per liter for diesel. Year-to-date adjustments stand at a total net increase of P12.35 per liter for gasoline and P10 per liter for diesel.

The online auction is in adherence with Executive Order No. 31 of the City Government of Davao, regulating all public gatherings across government and private offices, and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Resolution No.

URC’s social commerce platform a boom for sari-sari store owners

niversal Robina Corp. (URC) has been tapping Facebook’s vast social network to allow a million neighborhood retailers in the Philippines to replenish their stocks with just a few taps, swipes and clicks. The company launched in October a program that uses Facebook to make it seamless for sari-sari store owners to order online from distributors of URC products. “With some one million or so of them spread across the country, sari-sari stores form the backbone of the informal retail sector,” said Oscar Villamora, URC’s VP for Customer Development

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On the move of the Department of Tourism (DOT 11) revamp its existing social media platform and recreate a new one to grow its online audience:

This pandemic has greatly affected tourism in Davao Region. This new normal has made social media one of the most powerful tools to resort to. It is primary if not the only avenue for mass information and promotion at this point. Through this (social media) we hope to grow our online audience.”

Tanya Rabat Tan DOT 11 director

EDITORIAL BWCs: Reforming the cops Slowly but surely, the Philippine National Police (PNP), is making improvements in the way it is doing its job in order to regain the confidence of the public as the people’s protector.

We are referring specifically to the full use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) by police officers while serving arrest or search warrants or conducting raids against criminal elements.

For reforms to take root, there should be willingness among the PNP rank and file to embrace reforms to begin with. As to the leadership, we trust in the sincerity of Director General Guillermo Eleazar. Eleazar has immediately ordered the creation of a technical working group (TWG) that will incorporate the rules crafted by the SC into the police guidelines on the use of BWCs.

Take note that the Supreme Court will be watching how the PNP will implement this order. The public that has been critical about the abuses of the police and yes, the members of the vigilant political opposition will be watching too.

In the coming days, we will be seeing a vigorous information campaign among PNP personnel on the use of the body-worn cameras, presumed to deter bad eggs in the PNP from committing abuses in operations.

It may be true that the move has been prodded by a Supreme Court order, but order or no order, it is still an improvement. The fact that it took a Supreme Court decision for the PNP to do it does not make it any less an improvement.

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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

Eleazar’s actions will impact on the PNP rank and file’s willingness to embrae the reform. As he himself said the use of BWCs will strengthen the PNPs human rights-based approach in conducting police operation.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 102 • TUESDAY, JULY 13, 2021

VANTAGE POINTS

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

THE FRIENDS CONNECTION “I think if I’ve learned about friendship, it’s to hang in, stay connected, fight for them, and let them fight for you. Don’t walk away, don’t be distracted, don’t be too busy or tired, don’t take them for granted. Friends are part of the glue that holds life and faith together. Powerful stuff.” – John Katz

*** A couple of days ago, I received a private message from a friend. Actually, it was a forwarded message sent to her by another person. After reading it, I might as well share it to all my readers here so you get a lesson or two from it: Many years ago, Armand was sitting on a couch on a hot, humid day, having coffee during a conversation with my father. As they talked about life, the father thoughtfully cast a clear, sober look at his son. “Never forget your friends,” the father advised. “They will become more important as you get older. Regardless of how much you love your family and the children you have, you will always need friends. Remember to go out with them occasionally. Do activities with them, get in touch with them…” “What a strange advice,” Armand thought. “I am an adult and

surely my wife and our family are everything I need to make sense of my life.” Yet, Armand obeyed him; kept in touch with his friends and annually increased their number. Over the years, he became aware that his father knew what he was talking about! In as much as time and nature carry out their designs and mysteries on a person, friends are the bulwarks of life. Now, in his 60s, this are the things Armand learned about life and living: Time passes. Life goes on. The distance increases. Children as well as grandchildren grow up and become independent and although it breaks the parents’ hearts, they are often separated from them. Jobs come and go. Illusions, desires, attractions, sex weaken. People do what they should not do. The parents die. Colleagues forget the favors. The races are over. But true friends are always there, no matter how long or how many miles they are apart. A friend is never more distant than the reach of a need, reaching out to you, intervening in your favor, waiting for you with open arms or ears with blessings for your life.

The message ended with this statement: “When we started this adventure called LIFE, we did not know of the incredible joys or sorrows that were ahead. We did not know how much we would need from one another. Love your parents, take care of your children, but keep a group of good friends.” When I was still in high school, I had the opportunity of knowing these friends for life: William (who now lives in Canada), Gerry (now living in Denmark), Ujean (a doctor who settles also in Canada), Abner (who still lives in our hometown, where I also live), Glocelyn (who real name is actually Lorna, but that’s a long story on how it happens), and Delia (now an American citizen living in the United States). When I started working for a non-government, I came to know Monching and his brother Daniel, who later became my friends. At one time, two Americans came to our office for training. Unknowingly, both became my friends, too: Gregory (who now lives in California) and Brad (a journalist). These days, I have several friends that to mention them one by one will not be enough to fill the recommended space for today’s column. Besides, if I enumerate

them one by one, I may fail to mention others. We need friends just as we need air, water and food to sustain us through life. “The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson. Just like husband and wife, friends also fight; friction also arises. In some cases, there are misunderstandings. “Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing,” Octavia Butler says. “There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it’s all over.” Gillian Anderson has also said: “Well, it seems to me that the best relationships – the ones that last – are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch has been flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is… suddenly the only person you

can ever imagine yourself with.” With that, I am reminded of the anecdote that was featured in The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. It goes this way: “I am looking for friends. What does that mean – tame?” “It is an act too often neglected,” said the fox. “It means to establish ties.” “To establish ties?” “Just that,” said the fox. “To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need for you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world…” And that, my friend, is what friendship is all about. To end this piece, allow me to quote the words of Muhammad Ali, one of the world’s well-loved boxers: “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.”

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

FILMMAKERS OF DAVAO Davao’s filmmaking industry did not start until a decade after the war. Prior to this, movies offered in prewar and postwar cinemas in the city were chiefly sourced from Manila, the center of Philippine filmmaking and the principal importer of foreign-produced movies. Jhul Regidor Antopina in an article dated February 27, 1957 published in Bagong Adlaw, a Cebuano publication, wrote that the first film outfit in Davao was La Suerte Motion Pictures. Its initial offering, Ang Bagani (The Warrior), was written in 1952 by dramatist Emiliano C. Gabuya, based on his novel titled Bagane. Zoilo Hugo played Datu Omalikpok in the movie. Antopina was the producer of Antopina Records, a recording outfit in the 1950s chiefly involved in Cebuano and vernacular songs. Among the singers under its label were Sergs dela Peña and the Moonwalkers, Natividad Borja, Marivic Arias, and Lydia Bayaton. The plot of the screenplay, according to Cebupedia, was about “a south-sea adventure story revolving around the love of a prince and princess of different tribes [and] novel includes songs and dances and versified lines in the ‘linumbay’ [rhythmic] tradition.” It was also inspired by the Mandaya culture. The next movie was Kaila Mo Siya (I Know Her), a romantic comedy.

Gabuya also had a type script in Davao in 1954; he titled it Bito-on nga Natagak (Falling Star). Prof. Resil Mojares, 2018 National Artist for Literature and renowned Cebuano historian, labels the second yarn as a “confused plot, replete with coincidences and stock characters, weaves a pattern of crisscrossing lives, of separations and reconciliations.” Apo Pictures Productions, the second film outfit, followed with its first presentation, Gihandum Ko Ikaw (I Miss You), produced and written by Ambrocio T. Suico of Digos City, the author of the Visayan novel Samal ug Talikud, serialized in the Bisaya magazine in the late 1970s. Directing the film was Fernando V. Alfon of Cebu, and starring Tony Delgado and Virgie Solis. The plan was to produce a follow-up movie, but nothing came out of it. Alfon, among others, also wrote and directed the Visayan movie Bugas Mais (Corn Grit), which starred Gloria Sevilla, the undisputed queen of Visayan films, and Fred Montecillo. Anahaw Pictures, Inc. was the third Davao-based movie company. Its first project was Ang Palad Nagbuot (Fate Decides), written by Greg Sanchez, a transplant from Cebu, who also directed it. The actors were from Cebu, among them Mario Palacio, Lolita Bituin, Ludy Ledesma, and Kadyo Roma. The

agency’s next project was Puga (Jailbreak), according to business manager Frank Fronteras. Then came Alde Productions, which produced Bagobo, after the Davao tribe. The plan was to dub the movie in Cebuano and Tagalog with Johnny Monteiro, a Manila-based actor known for his skill in swordplay or fencing, as part of the main cast, along with Virgie Solis of Cebu. An American mestizo, Monteiro was John Monteiro Montgomery in real life. He was dubbed as the ‘Douglas Fairbanks of the Philippines’ and had appeared in nearly 200 films, including Noli Me Tangere (1961), during his lifetime. He was a former stuntman with the SOS Daredevils. Last on the list was Dagohoy Productions which, like its predecessors, did not take off. Cebuano language scholar Erlinda Alburo, in her academic paper, The Rise of Cebuano Media in the Mid-20th Century (2013), also cited the first four Davao filmmaking companies. In the last four decades some films were shot in Davao. Diego Salvador (1973), a Visayan movie, and I Come with the Rain (2007), a Hollywood production, were filmed in Davao de Oro while No Breathing (2013), a Korean flick, was shot in the cities of Davao, Samal, and Tagum.

The first attempt to start moviemaking in Davao in the late 50’s coincided with the demise of the filmmaking industry in Cebu with the early death of Mat Ranillo Jr., and the transfer of Gloria Sevilla, Caridad Sanchez and other rising stars in the Visayas to Manila. This development also prompted Cebuano leading men like Bert Nombrado and Ben Amora, leading lady Virgie Solis, her cousin comedian, Tony Solis to come to Davao. Virgie became the wife of Enrique Lopez, a wealthy brother of Mati Mayor Polding Lopez, who later became Davao Oriental governor. Nombrado became a radio commentator, while Amora was elected Davao City councilor for many terms. On the other hand, Tony Solis, help the University of Mindanao Broadcasting Network (UMBN) start a drama production center together with Inday Jalandoni, a movie star from Manila. Another attempt to establish film-making in Davao was done by Satur P. Apoyon, who like Ambrosio Singco was a Davao newsman and Bisaya writer, when he collaborated with some Cebuano scriptwriters to come up with “Bol-anon ko Nyor,” starring the late Yoyoy Villame. The project met a lot of problems and the Cebuano-based producer lost money discouraging him to continue producing films in Davao.

In the mid-80s, Gloria Sevilla and Councilor Ben Amora did a sequel of “Pailub Lang,” said to be one of most successful Cebuano film after the World War II. It featured Councilor Freddie Vergara, a very popular broadcaster of DXDC RMN. In the first decade of the new millennium following the introduction of portable but high-tech electronic gadgets with capacity to shoot films and the advent of android cellular phones, renaissance in the Davao’s film-making industry showed promise. The highlight in the revival of Davao’s movie industry was the establishment of Cinematheque Centre Davao (opened on June 29, 2012) and Cinematheque Nabunturan (launched on December 10, 2018). If it is any consolation, Davao City has been given the credit as ‘the Hollywood of Mindanao,’ which has gained key support from filmmakers with roots in Davao. Among Davao’s famous directors are Briccio G. Santos, ex-chair of Film Development Center of the Philippines (FDCP); William Laranas, professor of cinematography at Ateneo de Manila; Tikoy Aguiluz, founder of Cinemanila International Film Festival; and Paul Alexander Morales, cinematographer and artistic director of Ballet Philippines.

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COMPETITIVE EDGE

Vape and heated tobacco products viable solutions to smoking: doctor

on-combustible alternatives like vapes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) are practical solutions to cigarette smoking epidemic, the world’s leading cause of preventable death and diseases, said a respected family doctor and tobacco harm reduction (THR) advocate. Dr. Lorenzo Mata, president of Quit For Good, a non-stock, nonprofit organization that advocates real, practical, and tangible solutions to the smoking problem, said the traditional ‘Quit or Die’ approach is not working to substantially reduce the risk of death and disease from smoking. “In our country, there are almost 17 million smokers. And a shocking rate of more than 117,000 Filipinos die each year due to tobacco smoking. Equally alarming is the measly quit rate of 4-percent measured as of 2015 which largely remained unchanged from

2009,” he noted during the 4th Asia Harm Reduction Forum held virtually on June 28, 2021. He recommended that another option must be provided to adult smokers who do not wish to quit. “Tobacco harm reduction, through the use and promotion of safer alternatives to combustible tobacco, should be employed to substantially reduce the risk of death and disease of smoking,” Dr. Mata said. THR is defined by the 2021 Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction report as “a range of pragmatic policies, regulations and actions which either reduce health risks by providing safer forms of products or substances or encourage less risky behaviors.” Dr. Mata identified innovative electronic nicotine delivery systems which eliminates the combustion process, such as heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes or vapes, as

examples of THR. “Beyond any reasonable doubt, vaping is considerably less harmful than combustible cigarettes. Almost all the harm done by cigarettes arises from the smoke which is caused by combustion. Vaping does not produce smoke—only vapor,” he said. “What happens in smoking combustible tobacco is a chemical change. What happens in vaping is a physical change,” he said. “In chemical change, this is brought about by extreme heat or combustion that causes oxidation of the original substance which then creates different chemical substances. The byproduct of oxidation is already totally different from the original substance. That is why from tobacco, it now comes out as smoke containing harmful substances where hundreds are toxic,” he further explained. “When it comes to

vaping, you just heat the liquid until it vaporizes. When you create vapor, you don’t change the original substance to a different one. This, my friends, makes a lot of difference in public health,” Dr. Mata said. The doctor said that another alternative to cigarette, which has no combustion are HTPs. “Similar to e-cigarettes, there is no burning. But unlike vapes, nicotine is naturally found in the tobacco. By heating the tobacco without burning it, HTPs only produce vapor,” he said. “Vapor products and HTPs are not completely risk-free but they only carry a small fraction of the risk of cigarettes. Allow me to remind everyone, however, that the best way to avoid the harms of cigarette smoking is as simple as quitting completely,” Dr. Mata said. Citing the conclusion of a 2021 Toxicology Report

Journal review from the University of Occupational and Environmental Health in Japan, Dr. Mata said the “use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products could lead to a significant reduction in exposure to harmful substances compared to combusted cigarettes.” “These are just some of the many scientific studies supporting the lessharmful claims regarding electronic vaping products. The bottomline is this: the deadly effect of cigarette smoking is due to combustion of tobacco that produces smoke which contains carbon monoxide and more than 7,000 chemicals,” he said. Dr. Mata said this means that vaping clearly is a viable alternative to cigarette smoking. “In line with this, we urge the government to consider the best possible differentiated legal framework through careful review of the science and

evidence presented on the matter, and defend the right of the consumers to make better choices for themselves,” he said. He said that “the considerably less harmful products should not be taken off the shelves while the very much harmful product remains easily accessible and that the harm reduction potential of electronic vapor products should be maximized instead and regulated to minimize the risk to the youth and the nonsmokers.” The Asia Harm Reduction Forum is a nonprofit and interdisciplinary organization that advances public health education for the improvement of lives and environments across the globe. It is an international avenue for experts, academics, and advocates to share and exchange research findings, product developments, and pragmatic solutions on tobacco harm reduction.

MATI

CHOICE CHICKEN This Mati City-branded poultry product -- Mati City Choice Chicken--is now being sold in the city’s market at only P160 per kilo. This.is being raised by local farmers and dressed by a private firm until.the city government finishes its own dressing plant, a work in progress. (Mati CIO)

LANDBANK lends P1.89 billion to OFWs for business ventures

s part of its continuing support to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) has approved loans worth P1.89 billion for 1,297 borrowers under the OFW Reintegration Program (OFW-RP) since its launch on May 2011. Of this amount, P1.84 billion has been released as of endMay 2021. Jointly implemented with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the facility offers credit assistance to OFWs to pursue business opportunities as an alternative to overseas employment. The Bank has earmarked P1 bil-

lion for the said Program. LANDBANK said that loan applications under the OFW Program increased steadily since the COVID-19 outbreak, with total approved loans reaching P219 million for 176 borrowers from March 15, 2020 to May 31, 2021. “We understand the financial difficulties being faced by many OFWs due to the ongoing pandemic that has affected overseas deployments. Through the OFW Reintegration Program, LANDBANK is closely working with OWWA in supporting OFWs to acquire their own businesses as an alternative source of income,” said LANDBANK

President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo. Under the OFW-RP, eligible OFWs may avail of loans for working capital or acquisition of fixed assets at a minimum amount of P100,000 and up to P2 million for a single proprietor borrower, and P5 million for a group of OFW borrowers, with a fixed interest rate of 7.5% per annum. The short-term loans under the Program are payable up to one (1) year, while the tenor for term loans shall be based on cash flow but not to exceed seven (7) years, inclusive of a maximum two (2) years grace period on the principal. Aside from providing

access to credit, LANDBANK has also been supporting OFWs by facilitating the efficient delivery of financial support under the social amelioration programs of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). As of May 28, 2021, LANDBANK has transferred a total of P3.06 billion to DOLE’s regional accounts for distribution to beneficiaries under the Department’s Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) for OFWs Program and the Tabang OFW Program. At the same time, the Overseas Filipino Bank (OFBank) was launched on June 29, 2020, to pro-

vide a safe, convenient and responsive banking experience to OFWs and their beneficiaries. A wholly owned subsidiary of LANDBANK, the OFBank is officially the first branchless digital-only bank in the country after securing a digital banking license from the Monetary Board (MB) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on March 25, 2021. As of May 31, 2021, a total of 37,199 accounts were opened through the OFBank’s Digital On-Boarding System with Artificial Intelligence (DOBS-AI), which allows OFWs and Filipinos residing overseas to open a mobile banking deposit ac-

count online through their mobile devices. Interested borrowers for the OFW Reintegration Program may contact the nearest open LANDBANK Lending Center or Branch nationwide or call LANDBANK’s customer service at (02) 8-405-7000 or at PLDT Domestic Toll Free 1-800-10-405-7000. For more updates, please Follow, Like and Share the official LANDBANK Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts (@ landbankofficial), Twitter (@LBP_Official), join our Viber community (@ LANDBANK), or visit the LANDBANK website (www. landbank.com).

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AGRITRENDS

THIS WONDER TREE CALLED KAKAWATE I

Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

f there’s a tree that should earn the sobriquet “wonder,” it should be the fast-growing kakawate, known in the science world as Gliricidia sepium. In fact, that was Dr. Edwin C. Villar, deputy executive director for research and development of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resource Research and Development (PCAARRD). “The wonder of kakawate lies in its multipurpose uses,” wrote Dr. Villar in a feature which appeared in The PCAARRD Monitor. “It is used as a live fence to surround property boundaries, as shade tree, wind break, and more importantly as a feed resource for livestock raisers.” Kakawate, also known as “madre de cacao,” is a leguminous tropical tree that grows mostly in forests and could grow from five to ten meters tall. Although native to Central America, it has been naturalized everywhere, including the Philippines, because of its adaptability to any type of condition. Because it is easily propagated and grows quickly, kakawate can be grown in the initial stages of reforesting denuded areas, an intermediate step to be taken before introducing species that take longer to grow. “The tree could resprout very quickly after

pruning,” wrote Rita T. dela Cruz in an article circulated by the Bureau of Agricultural Research, a line agency of the Department of Agriculture. “Many farmers plant them mainly to shade other perennial crops like cacao, coffee and tea.” Since kakawate is fast-growing, it can also be planted in steep hillsides and uplands to reduce erosion of topsoil, the single most important resource on farmland. “Soil is related to the earth much as the rind is related to an orange,” explains an American geologist. Topsoil – the upper, outermost layer of soil – is built up over time. It takes 200 to 1,000 years to form 2.5 centimeters of rich topsoil. “Topsoil is necessary for life to continue, since it is needed for plants to be able to grow,” explains Jethro P. Adang, the current director of the Davao-based Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC). “Plants are need-

ed by people and by animals, and topsoil is like the bottom brick of a building: Pull it away, and the building will fall. So too with topsoil: Take away topsoil and you can take away life.” Soil erosion, considered by Worldwatch Institute as a “silent crisis,” makes farmlands infertile. Studies have shown that loss of a few centimeters of topsoil can reduce the productivity of good soils by 40% and poor soils by 60%. Aside from controlling erosion, kakawate may help replenish the fertility of the soil. “As a leguminous species, the perennial kakawate could improve and enrich soil conditions through fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, addition of organic matter through dead or decaying roots, and modification of soil porosity,” Adang says. “Planting kakawate is a good way of restoring the fertility of denuded farms.” Being rich in nitrogen, some innovative farmers use the leaves of kakawate as organic fertilizer (green manure) in fields and gardens. At the MBRLC, kakawate leaves – along with other household “garbage” (like peelings of squash, patola, upo, pineapple, etc.) – are utilized as compost materials in its sustainable vegetable gardening system called Food Always In The Home (FAITH). Also, kakawate

posts are used as trellis for string beans, ampalaya, and black pepper. Indigenous knowledge also indicates that kakawate has a broad spectrum of uses against pests and as an herbal medicine both for humans and animals. Fresh leaves applied to the skin are used as insect repellent, according to the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction. Sap of bark, leaves and roots have been used for wound healing. A medical study has shown that kakawate prepa-

ration is as effective as sulfur lotion in the treatment of scabies. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that kakawate leaves contain coumarin, which can be converted into an anticoagulant “discoumerol” found to be an efficient rat killer. “Anticoagulants are an efficient natural method of pest control because they reduce the protein prothrombin, a clotting agent secreted in the liver, and eventually cause death from

internal bleeding,” the FAO noted. Tests have shown that while the toxin produced by kakawate does not act rapidly, repeated doses lead to fatal hemorrhaging within a few days. “Unlike many other poisons, anticoagulants do not produce bait shyness, which rodents tend to acquire as soon as the first victims of other poisons are taken,” the FAO said. Aside from rodents, kakawate also acts potently on insects. In many countries, its leaves are placed in chicken runs, or left to soak in hot water and used to eliminate fleas and lice on domestic animals. In the Ilocos region, a study made by the Mariano Marcos State University found out that kakawate leaves can be used to control diseases that attack garlic like purple blotch and bulb rot. To prepare the concoction, the leaves are pounded using mortar and pestle. One liter of water is added to a kilogram of pounded kakawate leaves. The mixture is filtered being sprayed to the plants infested by pests. In Science City of Muñoz, organic rice farmers sprayed their crops with fermented leaves and twigs of kakawate and neem trees to control pests and diseases. Some farmers found it convenient and effective, too, to just allow the kakawate leaves to drift to their farm when they irrigate. In Baguio, a botanical pesticide prepared from kakawate leaves and other herbs are used to fight against worms that attack cabbage and broccoli like cabbage butterflies, leaf miners, inchworms, and diamondback moths. According to farmer-trainer Michael Bengwayan, the botanical insecticide is prepared using half drum of water, wild sunflower shoots, kakawate leaves, and cigarette butts. One sack of sunflower shoots and kakawate leaves are gathered. The sack is tied up so the leaves would not come out of the sack. Then the sack is immersed in the drum filled with one half drum of water. Also immersed in the water are about 100 cigarette butts. A heavy stone is placed on top of the sack to prevent the materials from floating. The drum is then covered.

FWONDER, P10

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Mayor Sara said it is important for her to know the thoughts of the people particularly those who do not know her. “Importante sa akoa ang pulso sa mga tao kung nakaila na sila sa ako, ganahan ba sila sa ako. Ang importante is muadto ka sa isa ka lugar, makita nimo kung nakaila ba ni sila sa akoa? And ang reception nila sa ako kay warm or cold? Because important na siya ngano man? Because daghan kaayo ang buhaton, daghan kaayo ang trabaho. Like diri sa atoa sa Davao City, it is very easy na

makig-istorya sa mga tao because they believed in my capacity and they trust me as Mayor of Davao City,” she said. The mayor also said that she, her mother Elizabeth Zimmermann and father, President Rodrigo Duterte, already discussed about the matter. “Yes, dunay discussion but ang discussion is limited sa tulo lang kabuok tao, my mother, my father and ako,” she said. Mayor Sara clarified that there was no decision reached during the discussion with her parents.

maintenance of peace and order and stability in areas that will undergo the decommissioning process. The decommissioning process is under the normalization track of the CAB, which aims to help MILF combatants make the transition to peaceful civilian life, while their communities will be transformed into peaceful, progressive and resilient communities. To date, four barracks and six field stations have been turned over to the JPSC, with 12 teams and 366 members now deployed in the Bangsamoro region and other parts of Mindanao. On behalf of the Joint Peace and Security Committee, Alim Isah Bato, MILF-JPSC member, accepted the newly built JPST station in Munai town, which are manned by seven AFP members, eight PNP members and 15 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the MILF’s armed wing. The Japanese government, which supports the establishment of the JPST

stations across the region, has been a steadfast supporter of OPAPP for the attainment of sustainabledevelopmentand lastingpeaceinMindanao,and a committed development partner of UNDP, Camariñas said. Okada Fumiaki, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, signified the Japanese government’s commitment to supporting the work in the Bangsamoro region. “As the peace process in Mindanao is developing, the Japanese government and JICA (Japanese International Cooperation Agency) will continue and further expand the cooperation for the transition to Bangsamoro autonomous government, the normalization process and improvement of socioeconomic infrastructures,” Fumiaki said. The JPSTs have trained together to maintain transitional security in areas mutually selected by the Philippine government and the MILF to aid the peace process in the Bangsamoro region.

bus by extortionists left Arakan, North Cotabato on its way to Davao City via Kidapawan City when the blast occurred at the Kidapawan transport terminal at 3:45 p.m.

Two units of the Yellow Bus Lines were also bombed and torched in January and June, respectively, this year in North Cotabato, which were blamed by authorities to extortion groups. (PNA)

to 2015 especially when the agency set up the One Stop Facilitation and Monitoring Center (OSFMC), which handles the fast tracking of pending Renewable Energy (RE) projects in Mindanao. In 2015, OSFMC received 59 new applications adding to a total of 290 applications for RE projects with a combined capacity of almost 3,000 megawatts (MW). Montenegro said these power projects applications, hydro, biomass and solar, were being put on hold a few years back especially when Mindanao power situation has seen an excess of supply. Among the challenges noted was that there is no longer Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) being made available. FIT is a policy designed to support the development of renewable energy sources by providing a guaranteed, above-market price for producers. “We are fortunate that Department of Energy

(DOE) has recognized the recommendation of MinDa for it to extend the allocation of FIT or implementation of FIT allocation to hydropower projects considering that there is a lot of pending hydropower projects in Mindanao,” he said. Montenegro added that the problem at that time up until perhaps in recent years was that many of the proponents saw the difficulty of moving forward to the next step particularly in terms of being able to be contracted considering that most of the Electric Cooperatives (ECs) and Distribution Utilities (DUs) in Mindanao were already fully contracted as early as 2015 or 2016. “So there was no room for them to be able to sell for their products and for their energy to be utilized even the kind of contracting portfolio that most of our DUs and ECs have,” he said. By Maya M. Padillo

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intercepted by local health officials at the Zamboanga port. “We have zero tolerance for this kind of shameful and unscrupulous act. Hindi natin palalagpasin ito. I am directingthePRO-BARtolook into this and lodge criminal as well as administrative charges against these PNP personnel,” Eleazar said in a statement. The police officers were reportedly fined, placed in quarantine and underwent swab testing before they were sent back to their respective ports of origin. Criminal charges for alleged violation of Section 9, Paragraph B (Tampering of records or intentionally providing misinformation)

of Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act will be slapped against the policemen. Eleazar said the incident should serve as a reminder and stern warning to other police personnel to follow the law and set a good example for the general public “Papaano tayo seseryosohin at rerespetuhin ng publiko kung tayo mismo ang hindi sumusunod sa batas?” the PNP Chief added. “Being a policeman does not mean we are above the law. Hindi tayo exempted sa pagsunod sa batas,” he added.

and content. She also said this will help people from Davao Region to be properly informed and help DOT 11’s strategies become timely and relevant. “This pandemic has greatly affected tourism in Davao Region. This new

normal has made social media one of the most powerful tools to resort to. It is primary if not the only avenue for mass information and promotion at this point. Through this (social media) we hope to grow our online audience,” she said.

that are open and feasible for all interested and potential investors, while giving them easy access to contact centers to assist them of their needs. Mati’s homegrown and local products will be highlighted on the Local Products Section. This will open opportunities to local SME’s to enjoy higher reach, by going digital with the help of the app. Trainings and education regarding digital marketing will also be provided for the SME’s to guide and to further help them access and maximize the use of digital platforms in growing their own brands. The last section of the app will be the Culture and Arts section where grassroots of the people of Mati will be highlighted by magnifying the local tribes of Mati city. This section will feature the local tribes’ way of living, governance, customs, as well as the cultural relevance of some bizarre attractions located in many areas under the ancestral domains. The City of Mati app team was developed by Al Francis Delagua, a proprietor of AIDOTPH IT SOLUTIONS

who also developed the Mati HeatMap App which shows the locations of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the city thereby giving caution to the public to stay away from the said areas. Delagua said that anytime this week, the App will officially be launched. Final edits and some improvements are being made as of the moment to make the app more efficient and organized for the users. For now, the app is accessible through the website www.cityofmati.ph. The users can also directly download the app through the site down to their mobile phones. The app is said to be a One Stop App for individuals that have relevant interest in the city be it in tourism, investment, products or even just simply wanting to know Mati through their cultures and arts. City of Mati Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat said that the mobile application is just a step towards her administration’s dream of making Mati fully digitalized in the near future. (CIO MATI)

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fidence of consumers that we have a stable supply of BNPCs in the region, particularly during a community quarantine,” Ambi noted. From January this year, DTI 11 has already benefitted a total of 419 households in Davao City and Davao del

Norte. Apart from them, the PDC is also a venue for the 42 retailers and manufacturers to earn while extending a hand to the consumers by offering discounts. They generated an aggregate sales of Php 217,806.75 during the two different caravans.

lower than 22.1% previously. “Secretary William Dar can gloat on the record-high pork imports. But for the millions in the agriculture sector, he will be remembered, long after his retirement and of his principals, as being the most avid pro-importa-

tion Secretary of Agriculture that single handedly destroyed our capacity to produce our own food,” said So. For his part, Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Noel Reyes said “pork prices were tamed, as well as food inflation.”

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The materials are left to rot for two weeks. After that, the drum is opened and the water with the decomposed decoction is allowed to pass through a screen and sieved to remove the substrates and decomposed leaf tissues. A fine mesh cloth is used to finally filter the water. One liter of this solution is mixed with 15 liters of water. Now, it is ready for spraying. “This is our effective, simple and inexpensive control for worms and larvae,” Bengwayan wrote. “The only disadvantage is that the decoction smells and the applicator should cover all his body and face to prevent the smell from sticking to his skin. But the extract is safe when in contact with the skin.” Kakawate is so effective against pests that researchers from the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) expect the patent issuance for insecticide from the kakawate plant. According to Science Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said that six years after the NRCP applied for an invention patent, they see now the forthcoming awarding of the invention patent on insecticide made from this plant pending the final issuance of letters patent. “The invention patent covers the use of organic compounds from the kakawate plant as an effective insecticide,” said a news release. “In contrast, Intellectual Property Office (IPO) patent database further states that the compounds can be used to repel insects and reduce oviposition in the field during mating season to the host plant.” The news release added, “The use of organic chemical compounds from plants in pest management can help reduce synthetic insecticides, which are harmful to health and the environ-

ment. This can also improve crop growth and avoid the spread of diseases by repelling insects.” Another good thing about kakawate is that it is an excellent feed for livestock. Studies have shown the kakawate leaves have a dry matter (DM) digestibility of 56%-68% crude protein (16%-18%), crude fiber (21%), phosphorus (0.13%), and carotene. Animals fed with kakawate leaves for the first time find the herbage unpalatable because it contains anti-nutritional agents: 1%3.5% flavonol and 3%-5% total phenol on DM basis. “Once the animals get used to the distinct odor of the fodder leaves,” Dr. Villar said, “the feed intake is improved, especially if mixed with leaves of other species.” At the MBRLC, dairy goats are fed with 20% kakawate in combination with two other nitrogen-fixing shrubs (50% Desmodium rensonii and 25% Flemingia macrophylla) and 5% napier grass. “But we also provide our goats concentrates to let them produce milk,” adds Adang. Studies conducted at the University of the Philippines at Los Baños showed that when banana bunches are stacked with kakawate leaves, the fruits ripen quickly. The reason: kakawate leaves emit bioethylene, a gas that ripens fruits. Another advantage is that bananas ripened with kakawate leaves lose only five percent of their weight while those not treated lose 19 percent of their weight within six days. The versatility of a tree can be measured by its wide array of uses,” Dr. Villar pointed out. “Kakawate is well-adapted to humid areas and acidic, infertile soil. It suits well to varied production systems and can be grown easily together with other grasses or herbaceous legumes.”

halftime on the legs of a 21-7 run closing out the second quarter, largely with Ayton on the bench. He went back to the pine with 10:24 left in the third after his fourth foul. Ayton started the game on fire with 16 points in the first 14 minutes but finished with 18. Antetokounmpo, who

had 18 points and eight boards at halftime, is the first player since LeBron James in 2016 to have a 40-10 output in back-to-back games. He had 42 points and 12 rebounds in a Game 2 loss. Booker missed nine of his 11 shot attempts in the first half with the Bucks keeping bodies nearby.

-- tweeted his congratulations. “Congrats Novak on your 20th major,” said Federer, an eight-time champion at Wimbledon. Federer praise “I’m proud to have the opportunity to play in a special era of tennis champions. Wonderful performance, well done.” Djokovic also now has

85 career titles while he has become the first man to break the $150 million prize money barrier. A gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics could give him the first ever Golden Grand Slam by a male player. “Novak is a great champion, he is writing history on this court,” said Berrettini.

in renewable energy sources such as the 200-megawatt solar farm with battery energy storage capacity in Bulacan, which would help power the New Manila International Airport. San Miguel is developing

the new airport in Bulacan. The majority of industries in the country still rely on traditional power sources but many giant firms have started to engage more in low carbon operations.

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Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 18 points and eight boards at halftime, is the first player since LeBron James in 2016 to have a 40-10 output in back-to-back games. Jeff Hanisch, USA Today Sports/Reuters

Italy beats England on penalties to bag Euro title

ONDON — Italian footbal’s redemption story is complete. England’s painful half-century wait for a major title goes on. And it just had to be because of a penalty shootout. Italy won the European Championship for the second time by beating England, 3-2, on penalties on Sunday. The match finished 1-1 after extra time at Wembley Stadium, which was filled mostly with English fans hoping to celebrate the team’s first international trophy since the 1966 World Cup. “It’s coming to Rome. It’s coming to Rome,” Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci shouted into a TV camera amid the celebrations, mocking the famous lyric “it’s coming home” from the England team’s anthem. For England, it was ut-

ter dejection again — they know the feeling so well when it comes to penalties — after Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italy’s imposing goalkeeper, dived to his left and saved the decisive spot kick by 19-year-old Londoner Bukayo Saka, one of the youngest players in England’s squad. That was England’s third straight failure from the penalty spot in the shootout, with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho — players brought on late in extra time seemingly as specialist penalty-takers — also missing. As Saka and Sancho cried, Donnarumma was mobbed by his teammates as they sprinted toward him from the halfway line at the end of the second penalty shootout in a European Championship final.

Giannis, Bucks eclipse Suns in Game 3 120-100

ILWAUKEE—Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 41 points with 13 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks claimed Game 3 of the NBA Finals in dominant fashion with a 120-100 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night. Coming home also appeared to bring Antetokounmpo sidekick Khris Middleton and point guard Jrue Holiday new life. Middleton had 15 first-half points and Holiday connected for four 3-pointers in an explosive third quarter as the Bucks pushed their 15-point halftime lead to 22. Holiday had 21 points and Middleton added 18.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates with the trophy after winning his final match against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini. Toby Melville, Reuters

Game 4 is on Thursday (Manila time) in Milwaukee. Phoenix fell behind in the second quarter and never recovered with top scorer Devin Booker unable to find his stroke in a 3-of-14 shooting night that shifts the momentum of the best-of-seven series. Milwaukee ate in the paint, shredding the Suns’ small-ball lineup as DeAn-

dre Ayton sat idle due to foul trouble. The Bucks, who had 54 points in the paint in Game 2, matched that number in Game 3. Threes started to fall for the Suns in the third after Phoenix missed 12 of 14 treys in the first half, but Booker never found a rhythm. The Suns scored 118 points in each of the first two games to build a 2-0 series lead but shot 29 percent from deep in Game 3 thanks largely to Jae Crowder’s 6-of7 night. Cam Johnson came off the bench to help keep Phoenix in the game in the third

before Antetokounmpo completed a three-point play and found Pat Connaughton for a 3 to end the third. Johnson’s emphatic, and-one poster dunk over P.J. Tucker had cut the lead to 10, and his reverse layup on the next possession made it an eight-point game just four minutes earlier. Booker did not play in the fourth quarter. Chris Paul left the game for good with the Suns down 23 with 5:02 left in the game. He had a team-high 19 points and nine assists, scooting past Scottie Pippen on the all-time playoffs assist list. The Bucks led 60-45 at

ONDON -- Novak Djokovic won a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title and sixth Wimbledon on Sunday with a four-set victory over Italian slugger Matteo Berrettini with rival superstar Roger Federer hailing the achievement as a “wonderful performance”. The world number one triumphed 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to move level on 20 majors with Federer and Rafael Nadal. His win also put him three-quarters of the way to the first calendar Grand Slam of all four majors since 1969. “I could definitely envisage that happening and I

hope I will give it a shot. I’m in great form and played well and having my best form at Grand Slams is my number one priority,” said Djokovic. A sixth victory at the All England Club for Djokovic, who was playing in his 30th final at the Slams, added to his nine Australian Opens, two Roland Garros titles as well as three at the US Open. Should he win a fourth title in New York in September, he will become just the third man in history after Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) to complete the calendar Grand Slam.

“It was more than a battle. He is a true Italian hammer I felt it on my skin,” said Djokovic of Berrettini. Of sharing the record with Federer and Nadal, he said: “It means none of us three will stop. Roger and Rafa are legends, they are the reason I am where I am today. “They showed me what I needed to do to get stronger, physically, tactically and mentally. Over the last 10 years it has been an incredible journey that’s not stopping here.” Federer -- who bowed out in the quarter-finals while Nadal did not play

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RAINED OUT Saso fifth as final round of LPGA rained out

YLVANIA, Ohio — Nasa Hataoka of Japan was declared the winner of the Marathon LPGA Classic when the final round on Sunday (Monday, Manila time) was washed out by relentless, heavy rain.

Filipina-Japanese Yuka Saso bagged $63,817 (around P3.2 million) with the joint fifth finish with rounds of 71-67-64.

Hataoka had a six-shot lead over Elizabeth Szokol and Mina Harigae. She won for the fourth time on the LPGA Tour, and her first LPGA title in two years. Filipina-Japanese Yuka Saso bagged $63,817 (around P3.2 million) with the joint fifth finish with rounds of 71-67-64. The US Women’s Open winner finished at 11-under 202, matching Amy Yang of Korea, Caroline Masson of Germany and Austin Ernst of the US. Bianca Pagdanganan’s 50th-

place finish, after rounds of 71-71-68, was worth $6,082 (around P300,000). The final round began at 7 a.m. with hopes of beating the rain. That lasted only a few hours before Highland Meadows was soaked, and soon became unplayable. Donna Mummert, the LPGA’s senior manager of rules and competition, said the greens were the first problem as the tournament tried to resume. By mid-afternoon, it was the fairways that were so soaked the LPGA had no choice but to end the tournament. The LPGA said the forecast was not favorable for a Monday finish, and it didn’t help that Evian Championship — the fourth LPGA major of the year — is scheduled to start on Wednesday. Danielle Kang, the defending champion, birdied the third hole to pull within eight shots and wanted to see the LPGA acquire more resources to be able to handle weather. “There is 18 holes of golf left out there,” Kang said. “I played three of them. I always look at golf tournaments as 72 holes, so when we don’t get to finish 72 holes ... and it’s not the LPGA’s fault, it’s not anybody’s fault. Sometimes we don’t have enough resources.” She did not elaborate on what resources could have made a difference. The tournament was a 54-hole event in the early 1990s. Hataoka lost in a playoff to Saso in the US Women’s Open last month. Her last LPGA Tour victory was the Kia Classic in 2019, though she won twice on the Japan LPGA later that year.