Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 114 | Tuesday, July 27, 2021 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

‘TRANSFARM’ TO BE MORE RESILIENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE

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VOL.14 ISSUE 114 • TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2021

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First person infected with Delta variant in Davao City was completely vaccinated STORY ON PAGE 2

A man walks in between two fire trucks of the Bureau of Fire Protection 11 (BFP 11) along Alvarez Street in Davao City on Monday. The city government of Davao has confirmed the first case of highly contagious Covid-19 Delta variant in Davao City. The patient, who already recovered, is a female personnel of BFP 11. Edge Davao

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

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President Rodrigo Duterte presides over a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members prior to his talk to the people at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila over the weekend. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

First person infected with Delta variant in Davao City was completely vaccinated By MAYA M. PADILLO

he first person infected with the highly-contagious Delta variant in Davao City has received two doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccines. Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, confirmed the 28-year-old female, who was swabbed on June 26, 2021, after her exposure to a confirmed symptomatic Covid-19 case at her workplace, was fully vaccinated.

resident Rodrigo Duterte ordered the local government units (LGUs) to look for a more acceptable way of vaccinating individuals to ensure their safety amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Duterte issued the statement in his prerecorded Talk to the People, as he bared that some LGUs are asking for additional

“Before her exposure, the patient has received two doses of the anti-Covid-19 vaccines,” Schlosser said. On June 27, 2021, the patient was reported positive. From June 28, 2021 to July 11, 2021 she went into mandatory quarantine. The patient completed the

required isolation period of 14 days and has since recovered. However, the confirmatory result of her surveillance test from the UP-Philippine Genome Center was received only two weeks after on July 24, 2021 by the City Health Office (CHO). “The patient is living alone, therefore, yung mga close-contacts na naidentify natin are all from

the workplace. There are 15 individuals identified as close contacts and were all swabbed,” Schlosser said. Schlosser also said the patient has no travel history. Schlosser also stated that the Davao City Epidemiology Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit of the CHO will conduct reinvestigation, repeat testing, and isolation in coordination with the Department

vaccines following the spike in Covid-19 cases in their localities. He issued the remark after National Task Force Against Covid-19 and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. told him that “rain or shine” and “day and night,” the LGUs are making sure that there will be no letup in the administration of Covid-19 vaccines.

Duterte, however, said it is unacceptable to let the public endure the long queues to get vaccinated against Covid-19, especially now that some parts of the country are experiencing heavy rainfall due to the southwest monsoon enhanced by Typhoon Fabian.“That’s not the way how to do it. We have to be more proactive,” he said. Duterte then directed

Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año to remind LGUs to be “more circumspect” by providing a safe and dry vaccination site for Filipinos. “Actually, mukhang hindi tayo nagkulang sa bakuna (perhaps, we do not have a problem with the vaccine supply). The problem is for the local governments to come up with a more sane

Cops raid 2 marijuana farms in Davao Sur town

olice operatives in Davao del Sur destroyed P3 million worth of marijuana plants and seedlings after its operations in Sitio Siman Da-ag, BarangayTacub, Kiblawan, Davao del Sur on Saturday (July 24). Citing reports from Davao del Sur Provincial Police Office, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Guillermo Eleazar said that around 15,000 fully grown Marijuana plants were burned during anti-illegal drugs operations in said barangay. The operation was launched by a composite team of the Special Operations Unit 11 (SOU 11) PNP Drug Enforcement Group, Kiblawan Mobile Force Company, 1st Davao del Sur Provincial Mobile

Force Company, and Philippine Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion. Operatives raided two clandestine farms, the first site with total estimated land area of 600 square meters planted with 5,000 fully-grown marijuana plants with a value of P1 million and the second site with total estimated land area of 1000 square meters planted with 10,000 fully grown marijuana plants estimated to be worth P2 million. Eleazar commended the police officers and its military counterpart involved in the operation. “Patunay lamang ito na matatag ang ating inilatag na programang Intensified Cleanliness Policy upang matulungan ang komuni-

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peratives of Task Force Davao (TFD) arrested a businessman from Cavite for possession of illegal firearms in a joint military and police checkpoint operations at Lasang checkpoint, Davao City early Sunday (July 25). TFD spokesman Captain John Louie Dema-Ala identified the suspect as Jazer Nachor Espartero, 32 a resident of B37 L16 freedom Vile Subdivision, Bucana Sasahan, Naic, Cavite. Dema-Ala said Espartero was onboard a Mitsubishi Estrada pick up travelling towards the city when flagged down for inspection at the light vehicle inspection

area of Lasang Checkpoint. Recovered from his possessions were a caliber. 45 pistol and one magazine loaded with seven bullets. Meanwhile, a 38-year old from Nueva Ecija was also arrested in the same checkpoint in possession of marijuana worth about P13,200. The suspect Arnel Alberca Pacquiao, a resident of 0621 Barangay Bitas, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija was onboard a Ford Ranger pick- up traveling towards the city when caught at Lasang Checkpoint. Colonel Darren Comia, commander of TFD,

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NEWS

Davao City First District Rep. Paolo Duterte and his wife, January, gear up for the last State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday. Rep. Duterte is the only member of the First Family that attended Monday’s SONA. Handout

No request for stricter quarantine classification for Davao City: Sara SEC Davao to clients: contact details needed for info link M T By MAYA M. PADILLO

he Securities and Exchange Commission – Davao Extension Office (SEC-DEO) has reminded all stock and non-stock corporations under its area of responsibility to submit their email addresses and mobile phone numbers on or before August 31. The extension office stated that these contact details, which are required under SEC Memorandum Circular Number 28, Series of 2020 or the requirement to create and/or designate

e-mail account addresses and cellphone number/s for transactions with the Commission, are necessary in the efficient transmission of communications between the Commission and its clientele. Corporations may download the forms referred to as Annex D-G from the SEC website and file them through email at MC28_S2020@sec.gov.ph. On July 15, the SEC announced the extension of

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6 children, 12 others rescued from distressed boat in Sulu

bout 18 persons, including four crew, aboard a motorboat in distress have been rescued at the Sulu Sea amid the inclement weather. Col. Hernanie Songano, Joint Task Group-Sulu and 4th Marine Brigade (4MBde) commander, said 12 adults and six children were rescued late Saturday in between Bakungan Island, Patikul and Tambanan Island, Luuk. Songano said a

multipurpose assault craft was dispatched for the rescue operation upon receiving a report around 2:10 p.m. Saturday that a motorboat named MB Bongarita was in distress at sea. “Upon the arrival at the location, MB Bongarita, was being towed by a civilian watercraft. However, the responders cannot withstand the strong wind, which made the passengers

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sa IATF ug naa na siya parameters kung asa ka dapat ibutang ang LGU depending sa data na makuha nila sa DOH Davao Region,” the mayor said during the Special Hours with Mayor Inday Sara Duterte via Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on

Monday. The reclassification concern has stemmed from the confirmation of Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, on Monday that a 28-year-old Dabawenya became the first person infected with the Delta variant of Covid-19 in Davao City. The mayor said the city will utilize the same Covid-19 response against the Delta variant, which is the test, trace, isolate or treat. She added that the Department of Health-Davao cited the things that need to be done: first, immediately

relocate the cases- get the update clinical and laboratory data, if case is still admitted or in the facility ensure that he/she correctly isolated, if the case is already at home, facilitate quarantine in a facility, if asymptomatic and RT-PCR negative may be discharged. Second, do immediate contact tracing-third generation contact tracing is recommended but prioritize location of close contact first, quarantine all contacts and conduct an RT-PCR, if 14day quarantine done from last exposure is completed. If asymptomatic and RT-PCR

2 ‎ 017-2022. The “Build, Build, Build” program, which is the Duterte administration’s ambitious infrastructure development plan, which is composed of thousands of projects to be implemented all over the country, continues to deliver its promise of creating infrastructure that improves the lives of Filipinos in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and

other challenges. Cabinet secretaries reported that 212 airport projects, 446 seaport projects, 10,376 flood mitigation structures, 26,494 kilometers of road, and 5,555 bridges have already been completed under the “Build, Build, Build” program. A total of 102 airport projects, 117 seaport projects, 1,090.30 kilometers of

railway, 2,587 flood mitigation structures, 2,515 kilometers of road, and 1,020 bridges are currently under construction. The government’s big projects in Mindanao include the much-anticipated Mindanao Railway Tagum-Davao City-Digos segment, a 100-kilometer portion of the larger 830-kilometer Mindanao

ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio bared on Monday there is no request from the city government of Davao to Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for stricter quarantine classification for Davao City following the confirmation of the reported case of Delta variant of Covid-19 in the city. At present, Davao City is under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions. “Wala ta’y request sa atoang IATF for a stricter community quarantine (CQ) status. Ang kanang CQ status mugikan na siya

year to go before his term ends, business leaders in Mindanao laud President Rodrigo Duterte for delivering his promises of peace and infrastructure projects in Mindanao. Infrastructure is among the top priorities of the Duterte Administration with public spending on infrastructure projects targeted to reach P8-9 trillion from

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

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Oil firms announce a reduction in pump prices of petroleum products starting today. Gasoline will be roll back prices per liter by P0.75, diesel by P0.60, and kerosene by P0.60. Edge Davao

24 infra flagship projects seen T to create over 300,000 jobs

Palace adviser eyes curbs on travel, dining out for unvaccinated people

posed of thousands of projects being implemented all over the country. A report furnished by the NEDA indicated that the construction of 12 of these projects amounting to PHP67.068 billion are ongoing and targeted to be finished by June next year. Included on the revised list of 112 IFPs approved by the NEDA Board last May 12, some of these include the PHP23.3-billion

North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway (NLEX-SLEX) connector road project, and the PHP12.64-billion C5 South Link Expressway project. The target completion of the eight-kilometer all elevated four-lane toll expressway extending the NLEX southward from the end of Segment 10 in C3 Road Caloocan City to PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila and connecting to the Skyway Stage 3 and mostly traversing the Philippine National Railways (PNR) rail track is in March 2022. Another of these IFPs are the PHP7.5-billion Flood Risk Management

Project (FRIMP) in Cagayan, Tagoloan, and Imus Rivers; the PHP5.44-billion Malitubog-Maridagao irrigation project; and the PHP4.8-billion Bicol International Airport Development Project (New Legazpi), among others. The NEDA said five other projects costing PHP87.77 billion also from a revised list of 112 IFPs were completed last month. Among them were the PHP65.39-billion Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, and the PHP9.76-billion Light Rail Transit (LRT) 2 East Extension, and the PHP5.72-billion Metro

was expected to stage a strong recovery before the end of the year with the rollout of vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). “This is a strong signal for the return to pre-pandemic or 2019 output levels by 2022. Growth will be driven by the government’s three-pillar strategy to accelerate economic recovery,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said in a reply to questions from the Philippine News Agency. Chua said the three pillars that will govern economic recovery include the safe re-opening of the economy, the implementation of the

recovery program, and the timely implementation of the government’s vaccine deployment program. “Once the present spike is over, the government will implement quarantine relaxations in a phased approach to boost our recovery this year. Over the near term, the government will work towards moving NCR (National Capital Region) to MGCQ (modified general community quarantine), or better, allow families and children to participate in the economy, and restart face-to-face schooling,” he said. As of July 22, some

5,560,029 Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus while 10,866,238 doses have been given as the first dose, according to the National Task Force Against Covid-19. Chua said the recovery program includes the PHP4.5-trillion fiscal year 2021 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the extended validity of the 2020 GAA, and the implementation of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives (CREATE) and Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer (FIST) laws. The 2021 GAA aims to address the Covid-19 pandemic through health-related

he government expects to complete 24 infrastructure flagship projects (IFPs) worth PHP194.78 billion before the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term in June 2022.

“The 24 projects are estimated to generate more than 300,000 jobs between 2017 to 2022,” the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said in a reply to questions from the Philippine News Agency. These are under the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration which is an ambitious infrastructure development plan com-

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he Philippines needs to make “bold moves” to check the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, and salvage the “make or break” fourthquarter economic results, a presidential adviser said in a statement on Sunday. Go Negosyo founder and Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said this means looking at lessening the mobility of unvaccinated people--including restricting them from entering certain establishments, eating out, or moving around the country. The government could also consider exerting more pressure on those who refuse to get vaccinated, he said. Individuals, meanwhile, can also be incentivized by making it easier for them to travel by doing

away with mandatory tests since they have become fully protected against COVID-19, he said. Concepcion also said incentives can be given to businesses that will aim for full vaccination of their employees, such as increased operational capacity so they can recover lost revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The palace business adviser said he made these recommendations during a meeting with the IATF, the government body tasked with making and implementing policies to check the spread of COVID-19. “If the coming fourth quarter will be a disaster because of the Delta variant, then the entire 2022 will face a severe challenge,” Concepcion said.

response programs and accelerate infrastructure development through the “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) infrastructure program. “We are investing in a wide range of infrastructure projects. They are not only roads or airports but also health facilities, also digital infrastructure --one of them is the National ID (identification). All of these are needed during this pandemic and our move to the new normal,” Chua earlier said in a media briefing. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said seven projects amounting to PHP39.9 bil-

lion that were part of the infrastructure flagship project (IFP) list approved in 2017, 2019, and 2020 have been completed. On the current list of 112 IFPs that was confirmed by the NEDA Board last May 12, there are 17 projects amounting to PHP154.8 billion that are expected to be completed by June 2022 when Duterte’s term ends. Duterte last March 26 signed into law the CREATE Act that aims to attract more investments and maintain fiscal prudence and stability by introducing reforms to the corporate tax and incentives system.

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PH can achieve upper middle-income status by 2022: NEDA

he Duterte administration is banking on key policy measures and reforms, including those aimed at placing the Philippines in a strong position to weather the impact of the pandemic, to boost recovery to achieve an upper middle-income country status by next year. The Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) retained its growth targets of 6 percent to 7 percent this year, and 7 percent to 9 percent in 2022. The Philippine economy shrank a record 9.5 percent in 2020 and posted a smaller contraction of 4.2 percent in the first quarter of 2021 but

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ECONOMY 5

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)-Mindanao Regional Governor Arturo Milan said President Duterte is the only President of the Republic of the Philippines who has done a lot for Mindanao in terms of infrastructure, peace initiatives and over-all development of the island. Edge Davao

Economic losses under ECQ: P123M a day in CDO; P10M a day in Gingoog Oil prices roll back for first time in months

fter months of consecutive price hikes, oil firms on Monday announced a reduction in pump prices of petroleum products starting Tuesday. Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. said it will roll back prices per liter of gasoline by P0.75, diesel by P0.60, and kerosene by P0.60. Cleanfuel and Petro Gazz will implement the same changes, excluding kerosene which they do not carry. The changes will take effect 6 a.m. on Tuesday, July

27, for all firms except for Cleanfuel, which will adjust prices 8:01 a.m. the same day. Prior to this week’s adjustments, gasoline prices were hiked for nine straight weeks and diesel by 14 weeks. Gasoline prices were last rolled back on May 18. Latest data available from the Department of Energy (DOE) shows that year-to-date adjustments stand at a total net increase of P13.60 per liter for gasoline, P10.90 per liter for diesel, and P9.30 per liter for kerosene as of July 20.

PH has enough money for COVID-19 war chest beyond 2022, DOF claims

he Philippines has enough funds for its COVID-19 war chest even after the term of President Rodrigo Duterte ends next year, the Department of Finance (DOF) said. According to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the government has exercised “fiscal prudence,” and the country will have enough buffers to sustain efforts moving forward. “I don’t think we’re good

only until six months. I think we are good beyond 2022,” Dominguez was quoted as saying to Duterte in an emailed statement from the DOF on Sunday. “So it’s not going to be easy, but because of the moves that you have made from 2016 to 2019, we are ready to handle this problem financially,” he added. The Philippine government has continued to accumulate debts to finance its

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he economies of Cagayan de Oro and Gingoog cities took a beating after health authorities implemented the Enhanced Community Quarantine from July 16 to July 31. Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño, director of the National Economic Development Authority 10 Director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño said that for Cagayan de Oro, estimated economic losses could reach P143 million a day since July 16 after the city implemented the strict

quarantine measures. She said stores, restaurants and malls took a serious beating, losing P123 million a day. For Gingoog City, Cariño said its economy nosedived with estimated losses reaching P10 million a day since July 16.

Cagayan de Oro and Gingoog cities were placed under ECQ, the most restrictive among community quarantines, from July 16 to 31, following the announcement of the Department of Health (DOH) that six patients with Delta variants were found in. “Prolonged ECQ would be catastrophic to the economies of these two cities,” Cariño said during an online forum Friday. Cariño said 92 micro and small firms in Cagayan de Oro have closed in May

and June 2021, displacing 1,260 skilled workers. She said some 331 establishments in Cagayan de Oro have retrenched 4,381 workers. Councilor George Goking, chair of the Cagayan de Oro Council’s trade and commerce committee estimated some 8,000 employees of stores that closed in the city shopping malls were rendered jobless on the first day of the ECQ on July 16. The ECQ is until July 31. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)

they are referring to as ‘underspending’ is 6 billion pesos or 1 percent of the total. The Department of Budget (and Management) and ourselves are going to each department to see where the P6 billion is,” Dominguez said in a televised meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte. “But Mr. President, this is 1% of the problem. In relation to what we have released of P660 billion, this is 1% and we are sure that it will be released, but in the meantime, we are asking

each department to really spend the money.” The Philippines has “no problem with the money this year,” the Finance chief said, noting that budget officials have already included about P45 billion for the procurement of more COVID-19 vaccines next year. “We do have the money for that. How do we use that money? Are we going to need booster shots? Are we going to need another set of vaccinations?” Dominguez said. “Whatever it is, please

tell us so we can properly allocate these funds,” he said. “I don’t think we are only good for 6 months, I think we are good beyond 2022,” he said. President Rodrigo Duterte criticized members of Congress for claiming that the executive branch has underspent during the COVID-19 pandemic. “One thing very wrong with Congress is they are not listening when you are talking... Sa Bisaya, tira pasagad. Maski saan na lang tatama,” he said.

Dominguez denies national gov’t underspending during pandemic

inance Secretary Carlos Dominguez on Saturday denied that the national government has been underspending during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several senators and House members earlier called for an investigation into how the executive branch spent for COVID-19-related items, saying the government has yet to utilize about P6 billion for the pandemic. “According to the DBM, we have already released 660 billion pesos. What

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On the possibility that a person will also get Delta variant if exposed to a person with a Delta variant of Covid-19.

Dako ang possibility nga kung natakdan siya sa Delta variant, Delta variant pud ang nakainfect sa iya, unless naa pa siya lain exposure sa mga other variants such as Alpha and Beta variants.” Dr. Annabelle Yumang

Department of Health 11, Regional Director

EDITORIAL The deadly variant The Davao City Health Office (CHO) has confirmed the first case of Delta variant of Covid-19 detected in Davao City. The CHO made the terse announcement after receiving confirmatory results of the surveillance test from the UP Genome Center last Saturday, July 24.

It is said that the 28-year-old female patient was swabbed on June 26, 2011, after she was exposed to a confirmed symptomatic Covid-19 case at her workplace.

Fortunately, the patient has completed the required isolation period of 14 days and has since recovered. Before her exposure, the patient has received two doses of the anti Covid-19 vaccines. The Davao City Epidemiology Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit of the CHO will reportedly conduct a reinvestigation, repeat testing, and isolation in coordination with the Department of Health Davao Region up to the third generation contacts of the female patient.

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These incidents call for all Dabawenyos to be extra-vigilant against the coronavirus.

Mercifully, there is nothing special that the public need to do to fight Covid 19 more effectively. Yes, Dabawenyos only need to continue to follow the minimum health protocols to prevent the spread of the virus. They are: staying at home, wearing mask and face shield, washing of hands with soap as often as possible, maintaining social distancing and be vaccinated against the virus. On the part of the authorities, as Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said, the response consists of testing, contact tracing, isolation and treatment. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

MAYA M. PADILLO Senior Reporter

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

CHRISTIAN JAY H. RAFAL ANA MARIE G. SILPAO Layout

LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. Consultant Correspondent Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. BORBON • MARY ANN C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO DAVAL SR.,TRIA • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY Columnists: ANTONIO V.“ADI” FIGUEROA • HENRYLITO D. TACIO •B.JOHN CARLO • MUJAHID NAVARRA ••FRED C. LUMBA • DENNIS R. GORECHO ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO •“GICO” G. S. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER GREGORIO G. DELIGERO VIDA MIA VALVERDE • HAROLD CAVITE M. PEREZ

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

The detection of the first case of this deadly fast-spreading Covid-19 variant must be taken seriously by all Dabawenyos. Take note that this is not the first Delta variant case in the Davao Region. Sometime last week the authorities of Tagum City also confirmed the city’s first case.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

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

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VANTAGE POINTS

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER Learn from the mistakes of others. History repeats itself. Life is what we make it. These are just some of the most often-quoted statements about life and living. But we learn life through our own experience. Here are some real lessons in life – as what I have experienced and what others have shared. You may agree to some of them or you may not, but that’s life. We cannot please everyone. Damned if you, damned if you don’t, they say. Don’t trust the power of your brain all the time. Sometimes, the brain has no control over forgetfulness -- especially if you are getting older already. No matter how good your intentions are (like helping other people), there are always those who look at it the other way around. They may think you have a hidden agenda. Don’t take too much of your time with those people who criticize you; they will stop annoying you if you don’t pay attention to them. Never estimate the power of one. It only takes one match to start a fire. Because of one vote, Adolph Hitler became the leader of Nazi Party in 1923. It was also because of one vote that led Charles I of England to be executed.

Just because you are young, you won’t go far. Alfred Lord Tennyson was only 18 when he wrote his first classic. Napoleon Bonaparte was 25 when he conquered Italy. Sir Isaac Newton made his greatest discoveries before he was 25. Jesus Christ reshaped the world at 30. Do not despise the old folks either. Robert Frost wrote his famous poems when he turned 80. Oliver Wendell Holmes was a chief justice when he was 90. Architect Frank Lloyd did his best work at 86. Indestructible John Wesley was still preaching at 88. Learn to appreciate what you have in life. Do not get jealous with what others have. “Don’t compare your life to others,” wrote newspaper columnist Regina Brett. “You have no idea what their journey is all about.” There is no such thing as a one-man army. Heroes oftentimes have sidekicks (think of Batman and Robin). Two heads are better than one. You can accomplish more in life if you have a companion. Adam, the first man on Earth, was lonely -- until God created Eve. Say “Thank you” to those who have done something for you. In fact, say thank you even

before you ask for something – from God, from your boss, or from someone. At one time, a saleslady was surprised when I said those two words for what she had done to me. Life is full of opportunities to celebrate, so don’t miss any of them: your birthday, passing of the board examination of your nephew or niece, your sister having a child, your father turning 65 years old, or getting a promotion of your job. Practice dancing. There are times when happiness is appreciated and felt if you dance. Dance even if you are alone -which I do all the time anyway. Laurie Beth Jones, author of Jesus in Blue Jeans, once penned: “Sometimes we dance and sometimes we fall. And there is a net under us all.” If you can’t dance at all, try singing. Sing out loud. And whether you are a fine singer or don’t have that good voice to attract attention, please don’t sing Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” in public karaoke bars and pubs or you will end up dead. “And so I face the final curtain,” so goes one line of the song. Many times when you feel you are farthest from the truth, you are very close to it. And when you think you are on top

of the world, you can be sitting in a very dangerous place. If you want to watch someone grow several inches in stature before your eyes, just praise her or him in public. When the horse you are riding suddenly refuses to move, don’t kick it. Get off and look for the angel standing in the road. That horse might be saving your life. Do not despise the little things. Your 99.99 can never be a hundred without 0.1. Sweat the small stuff. Little things mean a lot. And never believe in yourself too much. You are just one in seven billion people living in this world today. If you are a good leader and secure with what you are doing, train someone who will take your place. Florence Littauer, a best-selling author of thirteen books, trained others how to become successful authors themselves. “If you think I am the proudest of my books, you are wrong,” she was quoted as saying. “I am most proud of the people I have helped to become writers themselves.” When traveling, don’t carry bags for just anyone. If you can’t say no, be sure to open those that you have to carry for your own sake (there might be some

illegal drugs inside and you will be in big trouble when you arrive at your final destination). When you are a tourist in another country, there are three things you should always bring with you: passport (your identification), air ticket (except when it is an e-ticket and you memorize the code), and wallet (if you want to buy something). Never leave your hotel without these three. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, someone told me. But how do you explain “out of sight, out of mind”? There are always three solutions to a problem: the right solution, the wrong solution, and the compromise. But more often than not, people choose the wrong solution for some unknown reason. Don’t be afraid to fail. Sir Winston Churchill suffered financial ruin more than once while his political career was seemingly aborted on several occasions. Perhaps it was Churchill’s numerous failures that led him to define success as “going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” If all fails, try love. After all, love conquers everything. “But the greatest of them all,” the Bible reminds, “is love.”

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

PLIGHT OF THE JESUITS The fall of Spanish colonial rule affected emotionally the Jesuits. Fr. Lorenzo Peiro, in a letter dated March 10, 1899 wrote that towards the end of 1898 the missionaries had to abandon the parishes. Fr. Saturnino Urios, the Jesuit superior in Davao, even ordered the desertion of Mati following reports the anti-Spanish sympathizers were moving close to the area. At Samal, after the Church vessels and vestments were collected, Fr. Peiro, the parish priest, had to leave behind “a big, solid house, almost finished, and some construction materials…. two carabaos which used to haul lumber for the house, two horses we owned for climbing the mountain when someone was sick, 50 sheep, some domestic birds and some furniture.” On Jan. 15, 1899, a ship was sent to fetch the missionaries but only the politico-military governor of Davao and his cohorts boarded. The following month, on Feb. 4, the boat Ro-

mulus showed up with the Mission Superior, but the priests decided that only Fr. Tomas Barber, an assistant in Davao and Fr. Piero would leave. Two months later, Fr. Vicente Balaguer, in a letter dated April 7, 1899, reported that after the Spanish authorities left town, “great alarm spread among the people.” To ensure that normalcy continued, Fr. Urios convinced the gobernadorcillo (mayor) of Davao and other local leaders “to continue as leaders of the people without introducing changes.” Following the Jan. 21, 1899 Malolos Congress, in Bulacan, the Philippine revolutionary forces loyal to Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo started to show agitation. Even the Jesuits of St. Francis Xavier’s College, New York, received reports of abuses against the clergy. The New York Journal, in its June 24, 1899 article (‘Jesuits at Manila Praise the Americans’) quoted the Order’s publication: “From Mindanao there is both bad and good news.

Shortly after Aguinaldo’s government was set up at Malolos the natives and halfbreeds grew so proud that they seemed to wish to rule everything. They became completely crazy; this word in all its force expresses their state. they sent emissaries to all the Visayan provinces, even as far as Mindanao. “Their behavior was the same as in all parts of Luzon; they traitorously slew the Spaniards and committed a thousand atrocities. Amongst these was the capture of fathers of the society in spite of the will of the people. “They seized on the good of the Church and did all sorts of evil: they made prisoners of almost all the fathers of the district of Surigao and Butuan and of the fathers of the district of Misamis.” Fr. Urios’ proposal for a status quo in Davao, though, was met with defiance. At the instigation of some leaders who were not included in the newly installed government, some residents showed hostil-

ity and refused to pay the tax to compensate the civil guards retained to secure and repulse Moro attacks in town. The impasse would last half a month. Fr. Balaguer took note of the brewing conflict in his letter, saying the hostility was due to personal interests: “Ambitious brains provoked by some crew members of the steamboat Romulus wanted to proclaim a republic and declare their independence. The latter told the natives that, instead of paying the tribute, they should cut off the head of whoever collects it. Those who posed as enlightened were contaminated with a corresponding fanaticism, and this effervescence excited repressed emotions. Each one believed that the hour had come to avenge injuries and take the law into one’s hands.” In Davao Oriental, the tension was getting more intense. Anti-clerical sentiment was high, the priests were detained but were not harmed. Still, the air of discord was seriously threatening the clergy who had

to seek refuge before the whole situation overturned. The New York Journal, citing the report of the Jesuits, added: “The fathers who were made prisoners were not maltreated. The fathers and brothers of the southern coast, those of Davao and some others from the interior were able to escape by means of an English steamer which touched the coast of Mati and Davao. The people are ignorant, fickle, and consequently fond of novelty. They follow their rulers like lambs. Being very timid they do not know enough to protest, and indeed they cannot protest, for their leaders are brutal and inflict the punishment of death if any complaint is heard against the proceedings of those in command.” Despite the risks, the priests still wanted to stay, but it was the belated order from their Mission Superior that mattered most. They had to respect it even if the missionaries “wanted to stay at all costs” in Davao.

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COMPETITIVE EDGE

Philippine athletes arrive at the Olympics via Philippine Airlines.

PAL: Official Carrier of the PH team for Tokyo 2020 Olympics F lag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL), in partnership with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), is the official carrier of the Philippine delegation for the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics (also known as Tokyo 2020). PAL will fly over 80 athletes and sports officials to Tokyo. PAL offers three weekly flights to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and daily flights to Tokyo’s Narita Airport. The international multi-sport event will be

staged from July 23 to August 8, 2021. PAL VP for Marketing Ria C. Domingo said, “It is a privilege for Philippine Airlines to be the official carrier of the Filipino men and women competing in this prestigious event. It is an

honor to carry to the games the best and the brightest in Philippine sports. We look forward to be of service to an undertaking that fosters teamwork and sportsmanship.” “Philippine Airlines has always been our flagbearer ever since it was founded. They continue to support us for becoming our partner in the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games. Our gratitude is overflowing for Philippine Airlines as they have been generous in providing all the necessary accommoda-

tion for the Philippine delegation. The Philippine Team looks forward to flying with PAL as we aim to bring home the glory and hopefully the gold,” POC President and Congressman Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said. Around 12,000 athletes are expected to participate in the games that will feature 339 events in 33 sports. The international organizers retained the name Tokyo 2020 even though the Olympics are taking place in 2021.

part of a tourism experience. It gives us a glimpse of a place’s culture and heritage. Through the development of Halal Culinary Tourism, we are encouraging the discovery and familiarity with the traditions of our Muslim brothers and sisters,” said Puyat. The Secretary explained that Halal, which means ‘permissible’, is something

that is clean and good for the health. “Halal is not exclusive to Muslims, it is for everybody. This is what we want to introduce through this project,” she added. The Mindanao Halal Culinary Tourism is a project of the DOT with the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

DOT Launches Halal Food Tourism

oinciding with the celebration of the Muslim festival Eid’l Adha, the Department of Tourism (DOT) launches the Halal Culinary Tourism series that introduces the initiative and showcases unique culinary finds in Mindanao. The video series can be viewed by the public on the Department’s social media platforms including

Facebook, YouTube and Instagram starting today. Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said that the development of Halal Culinary Tourism aims to promote the culinary heritage of Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and consequently its destinations. “Food is an important

Healthy herbs and spices used for cooking Halal dishes from Babu Kwan restaurant in Cagayan de Oro City. Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism

Bay Tal Mal’s Tiyulah Itum, a stew dish with braised beef or goat, originated from the Tausug tribe. Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism

Aside from promoting the culinary heritage of Mindanao and familiarity to its culture, the project also aims to document culinary practices of the area; create experiences and attractions by local government units (LGUs) and private enterprises for tourists; and promote Halal Tourism industry in the regions of Mindanao through culinary and heritage mapping. Featured in the launching video of the campaign are Halal-certified and Muslim-friendly establishments across Mindanao Regions. These include: Black Seed Burger in Davao City, which features “black seed” on burger, a traditional herb among western Asian culture that is believed to have medicinal values; SpiChef in Davao City, which offers the Mango Pineapple hot sauce, an innovation of fresh and natural herbs and spices; Bay Tal Mal in Zamboanga City, which offers traditional

Moro cuisines like Tiyulah Itum that is usually served during special occasions; and Hashy’s Cuisine in Cotabato City in BARMM, one of the pioneering Halal-certified sites in the region. Its culinary highlight is Sinina Kambing, a traditional Maguindanaon dish. The Sinina Kambing from Hashy’s Cuisine in Cotabato is a Maguindanoan delicacy. It is stewed goat meat cooked using local spices. Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism Also featured are: Babu Kwan and Torogan Kape in Cagayan de Oro City, Pater al-Kuwait House of Palapa in Iligan City, Dennis Coffee Garden in Zamboanga City, Mama Ping in Cotabato City, Tambilawan Kamayan Restaurant in General Santos City, and Radin’s Guinamos in Agusan del Sur. The Halal food tourism program promises to provide tourists with a unique and flavorful experience.

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AGRITRENDS

‘TRANSFARM’ TO BE MORE

RESILIENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

ice is the staple food of Filipino along with fish. “If we did not have rice, our deepest comfort food, we would probably feel less Filipino,” the late food columnist Doreen Fernandez once said.

On average, Filipino consume 114-120 kilograms of rice per capita per year. That’s almost double of the world average of 65 kilograms per capita per year, according to Dr. Eufemio Rasco, Jr., former director of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). What most Filipinos don’t know is that rice fields are one of the major contributors of methane in the atmosphere. The journal Science reported that atmospheric concentration of methane has more than doubled during the last 300 years and is increasing at an annual rate of about one percent each year. Methane, like carbon dioxide, is a greenhouse gas. Other greenhouse gases include chlorofluorocarbons (from air conditioners and refrigerators), and nitrogen compounds. Ground-level ozone, produced by burning fossil fuels, is also considered a greenhouse gas. The human-induced emissions of these gases result in largescale shifts in weather patterns called climate change. Climate change is bad news for the Philippines, which has more than 7,000 islands. “The Philippines is the third most vulnerable country to weather-related extreme events,” says the World Bank report, Getting a Grip on Climate Change in the Philippines. Among the most apparent consequences of climate

change are sea level rise, less rainfall, drought, and floods – all of which affect food production. “Despite the technological advances in the second half of the 20th century, agriculture remains to be one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change,” writes Apple Jean C. Martin in a policy advocacy. Transforming rice farms to be more resilient to climate change needs more science and technology enabling “transfarm” to produce climate change-ready crop varieties, according to Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Citing that the changing weather patterns, rising sea levels, extreme weather events are occurring and have affected economies and lives around the globe, Dr. Gregorio said, “Transformation in our food systems should start with our farmers, from a farmer as a producer-only to a transfarmer.” Dr. Gregorio said those words in a webinar organized by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service Foundation, Inc. His talk centered on “Food on an Increasingly Hot Plate: Climate Change and Food Security.” “Climate change in agriculture is not just a problem; it is a driver for research and

business,” Dr. Gregorio said, adding that “agriculture must be treated as business and industry and our farmers must be transformed to become transfarmers. NAST Academician Aura G. Matias explained the webinar aims to “inform the general public, particularly the youth, about the changing climate situation in the Philippines and how this will affect the Filipino way of life.” In his talk, Dr. Gregorio stressed the strong potential of the youth to create possibilities and new innovations in agriculture. In fact, he shared his own experience telling the audience that when he was still in high school, he developed a solar dryer and a refrigeration system. “It is good that young people are increasingly aware of the challenges and risks presented by the climate crisis and of the opportunity to achieve sustainable development brought by solutions to climate change. However, young people are not just victims, but also carry a lot of potential in carrying out and accelerating climate action. They possess massive power to advocate for change and to hold decision-makers accountable,” he said. “Be the heroes we never were and do it now,” Dr. Gregorio, a NAST academician, urged the youth. Those are words of wisdom as agriculture is one of the country’s main economic sectors. In fact, agriculture contributes 14% of the gross domestic product and employs over a third of the population. “Agriculture is extreme-

ly vulnerable to climate change,” states the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). “Higher temperatures eventually reduce yields of desirable crops while encouraging weed and pest proliferation. Changes in precipitation patterns increase the likelihood of short-run crop failures and long-run production declines.” This is bad news for the Philippines, indeed. “Agriculture in the country could be severely affected by temperature changes coupled with changes in rain regimes and patterns,” says the state-run Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). “Crops have been shown to suffer decreases in yields whenever temperatures have exceeded threshold values and possibly result in spikelet sterility as in the caLet’s take a closer look at some of these crops. Rice, grown under both irrigated and rainfed regimes, is the single most important agricultural crop as it serves as the basic food staple for over 80% of the population. “In areas where rain patterns change or when extreme events such as floods or droughts happen more often, grain and other agricultural produce could suffer shortfalls in the absence of effective and timely interventions,” the country’s weather bureau said. “Tropical cyclones, particularly if there will be an increase in numbers and/ or strengthen, will continue to exert pressure on agricultural production,” PAGASA added. The coun-

try lies in the world’s most typhoon-prone region, averaging 19-20 typhoons each year, of which 7-9 make landfall. Take the case of Laguna, which was hit by tropical storm Ondoy in 2009. It left P200-million worth of damage in agriculture as rice fields and vegetable crops were submerged in floodwaters. Three more typhoons hit the same province in 2009, affecting an entire rice cropping season. “Some farmers tried to save their rice crop by harvesting them before the typhoon came, but even their harvest was washed out by floodwaters,” wrote Maria Emilinda T. Mendoza, author of “Faces of Vulnerability: Gender, Climate Change, and Disaster.” “Livestock were also affected,” Mendoza further wrote. “There were incidents of pigs and ducks being washed out, while those that survived suffered from diseases. Consequently, some duck raisers in the municipality of Victoria closed their businesses.” Fish, like rice, is a staple food of Filipinos. Like rice, fish production will also be affected by climate change. A study released by the Worldwide Fund for Nature in 2015 considered climate change as “one of the main reasons for the decline of marine species in the last 30 years.” “Climate change is already having a profound effect on life in the oceans,” the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says. “Marine species tend to be highly mobile, and many are moving quickly toward the poles

to stay cool as average ocean temperature rises.” PAGASA confirms. “Migration of fish to cooler and deeper waters would force the fisher folks to travel further from the coasts in order to increase their catch,” it says. “Seaweed production, already being practiced as an adaptation to climate change in a number of poor and depressed coastal communities, could also be impacted adversely.” Speaking of coastal communities, they will be greatly affected by climate change as a result of sea level rise. “Sea level has risen by nearly double the global average rate over certain parts of the country from 1993 to 2015,” the Climate Change Commission reports. “Projections show that sea level is expected to increase by approximately 20 centimeters by the end of the 21st century.” Agriculture and climate change go hand in hand. “The role of agriculture in climate change is better appreciated in relation to the value agriculture contributes to the global economy,” said a SEARCA briefing paper. The 2010 World Development Report, drawing on analysis from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, calculates that agriculture directly accounts for 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions in carbon dioxide equivalent and indirectly accounts for another 17% of emissions from land use and conversion for crops and pasture. “As agriculture is highly sensitive to climate change, maintaining the right bal-

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of Health-Davao Region up to the third generation contacts of the case. “The action plan that we have done together with the Department of Health-Davao is retracing of those contacts and the patient itself para mare-swab natin and then we have to make sure na quarantine sila. At the same time we have to quarantine individuals including the patient and close contacts,” she said. Schlosser also urged Dabawenyos to follow the minimum health standards to prevent the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, Dr. Annabelle Yumang, director of DOH 11, explained that the delay of the delivery of results is due to the amount of specimens handled by the Philippine Genome Center (PGC), which is the only genomics-focused multidisciplinary research unit of the University of the Philippines (System) that offers a full range of DNA sequencing services from single gene sequencing to high-throughput sequencing. “Bisan kami sa regional office dugay gyud kaayo mugawas ang results maskig katong sugod nato ani. Ang atong kaso na isa muabot gyud ug three weeks, usahay naay bulan una pa mugawas ang results. Ngano man? We have only one testing center in the country the Philippine

Genome Center. Ipadala pa nato ang sample padulong didto, then diri sa atoa maghulat ta sa result. Kung imo siyang tan-awon dili lang ang DOH Davao ang nagpadala but tibuok Pilipinas na mga samples. Part lang ta niana sa ilahang gina-process for the whole genome sequencing,” Yumang said. Yumang also explained that specimens sent to PGC are selected based on the cycle threshold (CT), which is a measure of how soon after an RT-PCR test, the Covid-19 is detected in a sample. “Ang kaning pagpadala sa mga samples naa na gitawag na CT value. Sa laboratory ra ni makita nato ug ang requirement dapat ang ilahang CT value sa usa ka specimen kinhanglan nag ubos siya less than 30 CT value. Sa pagkakaron ang laboratory ra ang makakita niana ug sila makahibalo nga kinsa among the specimens nagpositive sa Covid-19,””she said. Yumang also said that there is a big possibility that a person will also get Delta variant if exposed to a person with a Delta variant of Covid-19. “Dako ang possibility nga kung natakdan siya sa Delta variant, Delta variant pud ang nakainfect sa iya, unless naa pa siya lain exposure sa mga other variants such as Alpha and Beta variants,” she said.

Railway network; the P69-billion Davao Expressway project meanwhile is seen to boost economic and social development in Mindanao while the 29-kilometer expressway project is currently up for the approval of NEDA; and in General Santos City, the proposed P959-million General Santos City Airport Industrial Complex or Aerotropolis that is seen to position Soccsksargen as a major international gateway in Mindanao. According to “Build, Build, Build” czar Mark Villar, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed a total of 1,952 kilometers of roads, 345 bridges, 437 flood mitigation structures and 13,485 classrooms in Davao Region. Among infrastructure projects that will start soon and are ongoing are the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project, Davao City Coastal Road, Tagum City Flyover, Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) Circumferential Road, Davao City Diversion Road Extension to Toril, Bangkal-Talomo-Puan Section, Davao City Metropolitan Bike Lane Network, Matanao-Padada-Kiblawan Road, access road leading to Lao Integrated Farms-Mt. Apo Trail-Balutakay Waterfalls, and construction of revetment along Tagum-Liboganon River. Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)-Mindanao Regional Governor Arturo Milan said President Duterte is the only President of the Republic of the Philippines who has done a lot for Mindanao in terms of infrastructure, peace initiatives and over-all development of the island. He is optimistic that Duterte can do great things for the country and Mindanao just like what he did for Davao City. He said this is among the reasons why he voted for him. “There is more optimism now among the people of Mindanao of greater things to

come but temporarily halted by the pandemic,” Milan said. Vicente Lao, chairman of the Mindanao Business Council, said he voted for Mr. Duterte because he though it is time that the national politics pay attention to the needs of Mindanao. Lao said if there are two things that he hopes to be achieved in his last year in office is to continue with the “Build, Build, Build” program and improve policies to invite more foreign investments in Mindanao. “I hope he will be able to convince the next president of the Philippines to maintain the momentum for growth in Mindanao. He was able to improve the share of Mindanao in terms of the benefits it’s receiving from the national government,” he added. On the other hand, Lao considered “Build, Build, Build” as Duterte’s biggest achievement. “We are so much behind other ASEAN nations in infrastructure, that is why we are not getting foreign investments,” Lao said. For Milan, the President’s greatest achievement is infrastructure. He said the country’s economy (GDP, inflation, unemployment, poverty rate) was also doing great not until COVID-19 came. “The President did a great job in the last five years putting up the reforms needed to bring the country to a middle income economy status,” he added. He also said that the top two things that he hopes the President to be achieved in his last year in office are the re-opening of the economy and the “Build, Build, Build” Program. “When I say Covid-19 and the re-opening of the economy include financial assistance to those affected by the pandemic like “ayuda” to MSMEs, OFWs and those who lost their jobs,” he said. By Maya M. Padillo

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dad na maging malinis sa iligal na droga at kriminalidad,” Eleazar said. Further investigation is underway to identify the cultivators while all marijuana plants were immediately uprooted and burned on site.

“Mas lalo pa nating paiigtingin ang ating kampanya sa ilegal na droga at operasyon sa marijuana eradication sa buong bansa at tuluyang mawakasan ang iligal na pagtatanim at pagbebenta ng naturang halaman,” he said.

congratulated his troops for a job well done, saying that these accomplishments show the determination of TFD personnel in conducting checkpoint

operations. “We shall remain focused in our support to law enforcement operations in Davao City amidst the pandemic,” Comia said.

process of vaccination than allowing people to queue as early as 4 o’clock in the morning and getting their shots at about 9 o’clock,” he said. Duterte gave the directive, as he warned that people would only be exposed to Covid-19 if they continue to flock to vaccination sites and stay there for hours just to get inoculated. He added that it would be better for others who cannot be accommodated to just go back rather than let them wait for so long. “They should be flexible enough to immediately look for a place which is dry and can house so many people and divide them into groups

and make a headcount of how many they can [inoculate],” Duterte said. The Philippines has so far received 30,985,130 doses of Covid-19 vaccines. It is expected to receive a total of 164 million vaccines this year. Around 5,560,029 of the 16,426,267 Filipinos given with the doses have already been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, while the remaining 10,866,238 have received their first dose. The government was also able to administer 472,356 vaccine doses nationwide on Thursday, less than 30,000 short of its 500,000 target per day in the third quarter of 2021. (PNA)

submission SEC M. C. 28, s. 2020 report until August 31. “The new deadline gives entities ample time to submit and avoid penalties,” SEC-DEO said. In the same notice, the Commission reminded “corporations, partnerships and individuals” that failure to submit the requirement beyond the deadline “shall be considered as non-compliant and will be subject to penalty in the amount of P10,000.” The SEC M. C. 28 report is also a pre-enrollment requirement in the Commis-

sion’s Online Submission Tool, a web-based submission and receiving system for corporations’ annual reportorial requirements. For newly registered corporations, submission of their official and alternate email addresses and mobile phone numbers is within 30 days from the issuance of their certificates of registration. For more information, please call the extension office at 0915-327-4459 or 0933-455-3537 or e-mail secdavao@gmail.com.

of MB Bongarita transfer to MPAC for their safety,” Songano said. The motorboat was sailing from Barangay Kanaway, Parang, Sulu to Malamawi Island, Isabela City, the capital of Basilan province, when its engine malfunctioned after it was battered by the strong wind and big waves brought by the southwest monsoon, Songano said.

All of the persons rescued were brought to Luuk District Hospital for medical checkup then to the 4MBde headquarters where they were assisted by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of Parang town. Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, Joint Task ForceSulu commander, lauded the efforts of units under the command of the task force.

negative may discharged. “Makita nato na naa siya’y additional testing sa RTPCR. Increase detection and ensure immediate isolation and quarantine. Granular lockdown which is naa sa atong action plan as well we adopted how to do it and the parameters from the national government. Actively look for cases or active case finding and test all cases using RT-PCR. Ensure all cases and close contacts are in a facility,” the mayor said. Mayor Sara said re-

gardless of the variant of Covid-19, there must be no let-up in terms of response because it is Covid-19. “Bisan pa ug unsang klase na variant na siya dapat intensive gyud siya and dili siya mag let up, magslow down or mag die down because it’s the still the coronavirus and the same pandemic na atong ginasagubang sa pagkakaron. Ang kalahian lang sa Delta variant, easily transmittable siya ug daghan siya ug matakdan,” the mayor said.

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‘TRANSFARM’... FROM 9 ance is critical to a stable and productive agricultural activity, which is the foundation for food security and by extension the alleviation of poverty,” the briefing paper stated. In time, climate-smart agriculture came into existence as a response to the problems brought about by climate change. “Climate-smart agriculture addresses the wider issues faced by agriculture in the face of global environmental change – the need to increase global food production by 60% by 2050 and to meet greenhouse gas emission reductions,” the briefing paper said. Climate-smart agriculture is anchored on three pillars in the context of local stakeholders and focusing on sustainably increasing farm productivity and income, strengthening resilience to climate change and variability, and mitigating the contribution of agricultural practices to climate change. Another SEARCA briefing paper compares cli-

mate-smart agriculture to sustainable agriculture and conservation agriculture practices “but puts additional stress on low-carbon agriculture and the use of plants that can reduce vulnerability to climate change.” According to SEARCA, the unique role of agriculture in development – the primary food source, significant potential for greenhouse gas mitigation and its sensitivity to climate change – entails those innovations in technology and practice be enabled and diffused locally and appropriately to respond to climate change. “Innovative technologies and practices may come from reinventing indigenous knowledge to suit the times or using new widespread and accepted media,” it pointed out. “The possibilities of potentially relevant agricultural technologies are extensive and there is a vast pool of yet undiscovered technologies and practices that may be crucially important for agriculture in a globally changing environment.”

on during the game.” The Americans undoubtedly had a difficult preparation for these Olympics. Their exhibition schedule was reduced from five to four games after Bradley Beal was placed in health and safety protocols and ultimately couldn’t travel to Japan. Another player had

to be replaced when Kevin Love pulled out with injury. And with Holiday, Khris Middleton and Devin Booker only joining the team Saturday after missing training camp while playing in the NBA Finals, nearly half the players missed some or all of the warmup run to the Olympics.

Manila Logistics Network: Bonifacio Global City-Ortigas Center Link Road Project. The NEDA further said seven flagship projects amounting to PHP39.94 billion that were part of the IFP list and were approved in 2017, 2019, and 2020 have been completed. Completed projects that were part of previous lists of IFPs include PHP18-billion New Clark City Phase 1, and the PHP14.97-billion Clark International Airport

Expansion Project, among others. All completed IFPs were no longer included in the updated version of the IFP list. In addition to the flagship projects, Cabinet secretaries reported that 212 airport projects, 446 seaport projects, 10,376 flood mitigation structures, 26,494 kilometers of roads, and 5,555 bridges have already been completed under the “Build, Build, Build” program.

COVID-19 efforts, with latest data available from the DOF pointing to $16.26 billion in budgetary support as of June 25, 2021. The budgetary support includes financing agreements with the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Agence Française de Développement, the Japan

International Cooperation Agency, and the Korean Export-Import Bank - Economic Development Cooperation Fund. According to the DOF, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has also given an assurance that P45 billion is available under the national government to purchase vaccines for children.

He noted that the fourth quarter is typically the strongest quarter for the private sector, and added that the country could not afford another setback to its economy. Concepcion said he hopes President Rodrigo Duterte and the Interagency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases will consider his proposals. On Sunday, health officials announced they de-

tected 55 additional cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant, bringing the case load for the highly transmissible variant to 119. The variant, first detected in India, is seen as responsible for the collapse of the healthcare system in the densely-populated nation, along with the uptick in cases in other Asian countries such as Indonesia and Thailand.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 114 • TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2021

SPORTS 11

Nasty Nesthy

Determination is written all over the face of Dabawenya boxer Nesthy Petecio (right).

Holiday on Team USA: We still have a chance

AITAMA, Japan — Kevin Durant had a shot. Then another about 20 seconds later. Jrue Holiday had one. So did Zach LaVine and Bam Adebayo. The US had five attempts on the pivotal possession of its latest basketball failure and came up empty on all of them. Enjoy the Playoffs with superstar-level streaming & get NBA League Pass at a special price! Try now > That not only doomed the Americans to an 83-76 loss to France on Sunday night, but showed their problems might last well beyond their Olympic opener. Because if a team can’t shoot, it’s not going to win. “The ball goes in or it doesn’t,” US coach Gregg

OKYO - Flyweight Carlo Paalam opened his Tokyo Olympic campaign with both fists blazing, dominating Ireland’s Brendan Irvine on Monday to advance to the Round of 16 of the boxing competitions at the Kokugikan Arena. The 23-year old Bukidnon native charged out of his corner the moment he heard the opening bell and never once let up, doing enough to put away the 4-1 split decision over the taller but outclassed Irishman. “Kahit dikit po ang laban, binuhos ko lahat ng natitira sa akin,” said Paalam, a gold medalist in the light-flyweight class after keeping Philippine boxers unbeaten three matches into the competition. The victory set up Paalam for a round-of-16 match against Algeria’s Mohamed Flissi, who drew an opening bye on the strength of his No. 4 seeding. The match will be

Popovich said. It sure didn’t fall much Sunday for the US. The Americans finished at 36 percent overall and were 10 for 32 (31%) from 3-point range. Durant, who holds a host of US scoring records and should break more in this tournament, was 1 for 6 on 3-pointers. Jayson Tatum was 1 for 5. Damian Lillard was 3 for 9. These are All-NBA players, shooting from a 3-point arc that’s closer than they’re used to. “Sometimes you make shots and sometimes you don’t,” Popovich said. “It’s not a question of what aspect of the game that you win or lose. It’s accumulation of everything that went

FHOLIDAY, P10

fought on July 31 (Saturday). Four more wins to the gold Paalam hardly looked fazed by the Olympic spotlight as he came out charging from his corner and immediately rocked Irvine with snappy one-two combinations and a big right near the end of the first round. The Filipino pug got the nod of all five judges under the 10-point must system but paid for the aggressive effort in the second, where he appeared to lose wind and allowed the Irishman to make it a contest. Paalam, however, wasn’t ready to bid goodbye. “Nakita nyo naman, pagod na pagod na pero suntok ng suntok pa rin. Gusto kong manalo po, para sa pamilya at sa team po,” he told reporters later. “Sa haba ng training, tatalunin ka lang? So buhos-buhos ko na lahat.”

Petecio stuns top-seeded Taiwanese in Tokyo thriller

OKYO - Dabawenya boxer Nesthy Petecio scored a massive upset of top-seeded Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting, 3-2, and reach the featherweight quarterfinals of the boxing competition of the Tokyo Olympics at the Kokugikan Arena. Petecio, 29, won the first round but got tagged time and again in the second round by a couple of clear long-range shots by a 5-foot-7 Taiwanese opponent who stood almost a head taller than the audacious Filipino pug. With everything to fight

for in the final round, Petecio looked to trail early until she started tagging the world’s top-ranked featherweight with stinging straights and an effective right hook in a slambang, back-and-forth finish. “Sabi nga po ni coach boy (Velasco),nakaw-na-

kaw lang, pa counter-counter at huwag magpatama,” Petecio said of the tactics against the tall and rangy Lin, a world champion as a bantamweight in 2018, that earned the split decision. “Iningatan ko lang na huwag akong matamaan ng solid,” she added. Her second victory in this quadrennial conclave moved Petecio into the quarterfinals against Colombia’s Yeni Marcela Arias Castaneda, who pulled off a similarly close 3-2 win over Stanimira Petrova of Bulgaria in the succeeding match.

For the record, Petecio, who is ranked No. 7 in the world two years since winning a gold medal at the worlds in 2019, stands a win away from the 19-man Philippine contingent’s first boxing medal in these Games - and three from the gold. It didn’t come easy. The match was so close the Cuban and German judges gave the fight to Lin by similar 29-28 scores under the 10-point must system employed by Olympic administrators in lieu of the old Aiba boxing organization.

Flyweight Carlo Paalam won a 4-1 decision over Ireland’s Brendan Irvine on Monday to advance to the Round of 16 of the boxing competitions at the Kokugikan Arena.

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 114 • TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2021

DABAWENYA BLOOD Davao clan celebrates as half-Pinay US fencer Lee Kiefer wins gold in fencing

Lee Kiefer of Team United States celebrates after winning the Women’s Foil Individual Fencing semifinal 2 against Larisa Korobeynikova.

BY NEIL BRAVO

family from Davao is celebrating a gold medal won by the USA in fencing on Sunday night.

Reason? The US fencer is half-Pinay and daughter of a Dabawenya doctor. Lee Kiefer won the gold medal in the women’s individual foil event in fencing to become the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in that discipline. The 27-year old Kiefer, whose mother Teresa Oropilla Kiefer hails from Tagum City, beat Inna Deriglazova of Russia 15-13 in the gold medal match. Lee’s triumph reverberated across many homes in Davao City and Tagum City as the thick Bacani-Oropilla clan celebrated her triumph--a journey that began in 2012 in London as a young 18-year old, followed by another futile try in Rio in 2016. “Oh my God, Lee just won the gold!,” Dr. Janice Bacani-Caran-

dang told Edge Davao in a message moments after the smashing win. The Bacani-Oropilla clan are now organizing a virtual Thanksgiving Party led by 92-year old matriarch Teresita, a retired pediatrician/psychiatrist now based in Louisville, Kentucky. It wasn’t an easy journey for Kiefer. After two unsuccessful stints in the Olympics and marrying long-time boyfriend and fellow US fencer Gerek Meinhardt, she had entertained thoughts of abandoning her Olympic dream. Like typical Filipino culture, the dream was not just personal. It was the entire family’s dream. A year after her stint in the Rio Olympics, she became the first American woman to earn the No. 1 world ranking in foil fencing, helping propel her toward the Tokyo Games. Along the way, she enrolled in medical school at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. In March, Kiefer withdrew from medical school to focus on preparing for the Tokyo Games. She said plans to resume her studies next March. ‘ROCKY BALBOA TRAINING’ With the onset of the pandemic, Kiefer trained under uncommon conditions for the Olympics. When COVID-19 kept her from visiting her club in Louisville, Kentucky, she practiced on a fencing strip in her parents’ basement. Before the pandemic, Kiefer regularly made a 90-minute drive to a fencing club in Louisville, but she was forced to practice in her parents’ basement. The idea of building the fencing strip surely struck her parents as the sensible thing to do. The Kiefers know fencing from the very core. Afterall, they are a fencing family. Her father, Steve, was the captain of the fencing team at Duke. Her older sister, Alexandra, won the 2011 NCAA championship in foil fencing for Harvard. Her brother, Axel, finished runner-up in 2019 for NCAA championship in foil fencing for Notre Dame. Her husband, who lost his match in Tokyo a day after Kiefer’s win, likewise, added up to that fencing family. They were teammates at Notre Dame and graduated before marrying in 2019. Kiefer and her husband have emerged as one of the sport’s most decorated couples. Meinhardt won an Olympic bronze medal as part of the men’s team at the 2016 Olympics. He heads into the foil competition at the Tokyo Games on Monday ranked No. 2 in the world, but on Sunday night his focus was on his wife.