Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 120 | Tuesday, August 3, 2021

URBAN FARMING POSSIBLE ANSWER TO FOOD INSECURITY

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

NO ECQ

AGRITRENDS P9

VOL.14 ISSUE 120 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 03. 2021

f

@EdgeDavao

www.edgedavao.net

IATF unlikely to place Davao City under ECQ again: Sara

edgedavao@gmail.com

STORY ON PAGE 2

P 15.00 • 12 PAGES

A woman falls asleep on a bench beside her fellow registrants, who are filling up the voter’s registration form, outside the Commission on Elections (Comelec) regional office at R. Magsaysay Park in Davao City on Monday. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 120 • TUESDAY 03, 2021

NO ECQ

Senator Christopher“Bong”Go registers the highest overall trust rating among incumbent senators, according to the latest survey of a political consultancy firm.

IATF unlikely to place Davao City under ECQ again: Sara

By MAYA M. PADILLO

M

ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio reiterated the city government of Davao is not seeing another trip to Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) status.

Mayor Sara said it is unlikely the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) will declare ECQ in Davao City following IATF’s recommendation to place NCR Plus (Metro Manila plus Cavite, Rizal, Bu-

lacan, Laguna) under ECQ from August 6 to 20, 2021 due to a surge in Covid-19 cases.

“Sa pagkakaron we do not see because our numbers have been the same for

the past two weeks, naa ta sa moderate risk, we do not see the IATF giving a community quarantine status diri sa Davao City na ECQ,” the mayor said.

However, the mayor warned Dabawenyos to prepare as no one knows how the situation in NCR will spin in Davao City considering the presence of Delta variants all over the world.

“Angay nga mag-andam

ta and angay pud na maging consistent ta sa atoang pag-observe sa minimum health standards para dili musaka atong cases. Gi-emphasize na nako ni kaniadto, usabon napud nako. Ngano man kabalak-an ang isa ka Delta variant? Tungod kay paspas siya makatakod.

Kung daghan ang matakdan, daghan ang manginahanglan ug hospital, and because

of the place last Wednesday (July 28).

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Guillermo Lorenzo T Eleazar lauded police personnel of Davao City for building a water reservoir and ensuring enough supply of water for bathing and washing.

Eleazar said during the turnover ceremony the policemen also distributed

some 100 food packs -containing two kilos of rice, canned goods, noodles, and personal hygiene kits- to the indigent families in the community.

More community projects should be initiated by police officers to help provide for the needs of the community, Eleazar bared.

“Saludo ako sa ating mga pulis na prayoridad ang

pangangailangan ng mga komunidad na kanilang nasasakupan. Hindi lang sila nagbibigay ng seguridad, handa din silang tumugon sa iba pang pangangailangan ng kanilang mga kababayan,”Eleazar said.

The PNP chief urged other police personnel to replicate the project in their respective areas of responsibility.

FECQ, P10

Davao’s R-PSB construct water facility in Paquibato

M

embers of the Revitalized-Pulis Sa Barangay (R-PSB) of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) constructed a water facility for the residents of a far-flung Purok of Barangay Colosas, Paquibato District, Davao City.

The project which is part of the R-PSB’s quick impact projects was formally turned over to the residents

DavSur lady worker arrested in drug bust

A

nti-narcotics operatives arrested a female job order employee of Davao del Sur in a buy-bust operation on Saturday (July 31) in Barangay (Brgy) Zone 1, municipality of Santa Cruz in Davao del Sur. In a report reaching the Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 Monday morning, the suspect was identified as Mae Cinderela Mantalaba, 47, a resident of Purok Santan, Brgy. Coronon, Sta. Cruz.

According to the report, Mantalaba is classified as a high value individual and listed in the directorate for intelligence (DI) watchlist.

The suspect sold a sa-

chet of suspected shabu worth P1,000 to an undercover police officer who posed as a buyer.

Authorities were also able to confiscate another 3 pcs. of transparent sachet containing 14.64 grams of shabu with an estimated market value of P219,600.00; cash money of P1,300 and one cellular phone.

The suspect, who is currently detained at the detention facility of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), will be charged for violating Republic Act 9165, or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

5.4M new voters register 3 months before deadline

T

he Commission on Elections (Comelec) has recorded over five million new registrants as of July 10, less than three months before signup ends.

Commissioner Rowena Guanzon on Saturday posted on Twitter that Comelec has processed 5.45 million registrants.

“As of July 10, we have around 5.45 million registrants @COMELEC. If we automatically reactivate 6.3 million that would be a record,” her Twitter account @ rowena_guanzon read.

The nationwide registration will end on September 30.

The Comelec has yet to update the approved applications as of the Election Registration Board (ERB) hearing on July 19.

The poll body also tackled a possible online revalidation of registered voters who have been deactivated for not participating in the last two elections.

“Comelec en banc will study if we can use online to a) revalidate or restore all names of those who failed to vote 2x consecutive elections b) I-rehistro for individual revalidation. That’s more than 6M voters,” Guanzon’s tweet read.

Section 27 of Republic Act 8189, or the Voter’s Registration Act of 1996, states that the ERB shall deactivate the registration and remove the registration records of any person “who did not vote in the two successive preceding regular elections as shown by their voting records”. (PNA)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 120 • TUESDAY 03, 2021

NEWS

3

A Dabawenya joining the vaccination queue takes advantage of the waiting period to take a photo of the beach at the“Bakuna by the Sea”vaccination site on Saturday (31 July 2021). The cluster vaccination, initiated by the Davao Tourism Association in partnership with the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao, aims to inoculate thousands of tourism personnel under Category A4 on a clustered approach. MindaNews photo by YAS D. OCAMPO

2 new Delta cases have household exposures

T

he Department of Health-Davao Region said on Monday the two new cases of Delta variants recently detected in Davao have exposures in their respective households.

Over the weekend, DOH 11 announced the two additional Delta variant cases in Davao City including a 47- year-old male (Case 2) previously tagged as discharged from the isolation facility on July 19, 2021. On July 30, 2021, he was transported and isolated in a Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facility (TTMF).

The other identified

case was a 36-year-old female (Case 3) and was discharged on July 21, 2021.

On July 29, 2021, she was transported and isolated in a TTMF. Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said Case 2 was asymptomatic and the exposure was within the household.

The patient already received first dose of Sinovac vaccine.

“The patients have fully recovered and the rest of the close contacts who are within the community and negative naman po,” she said.

F2 NEW, P10

Four Delta variant cases confirmed in Davao Region

By MAYA M. PADILLO

A

n official of the Department of Health-Davao Region confirmed that currently the region has confirmed four cases of Delta variants of Covid-19.

Dr. Rachel Joy Pasion, head of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU) of DOH 11, revealed that there are already four Delta variants detected in Davao Region: three in Davao City and one

S

enator Christopher “Bong” Go extended his warm congratulations to the people of Agusan del Sur for the successful launch of the country’s 131st Malasakit Center at the Democrito O. Plaza Memorial Hospital in the capital town of Prosperidad on Saturday, July 31.

This is the first Malasakit Center in Agusan del Sur and fifth in the Caraga region, after the Caraga Regional Hospital in Surigao City, Butuan Medical Center in Butuan City, Lianga District Hospital in Surigao del Sur and Siargao Island Medical Center in Surigao del Norte.

Another Malasakit Center was launched at the Adela Serra Ty Memorial Med-

in Tagum City.

All four cases have recovered.

Pasion cited the Variants of Concern (VOC) recently detected in Davao Region and as of July 29, 2021, 79 Alpha variants were detect-

ical Center in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur later that day which marks 132 Malasakit Centers established nationwide.

In his remarks delivered during the ceremony, the Senator, who serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, underscored the need to advance the health of millions of Filipinos living in vulnerable communities.

He lamented that financial barriers, such as hospital, medicine and transportation expenses, prevent many from disadvantaged backgrounds from enjoying quality healthcare, and explained that the new center will seek to address this by making the medical assis-

FMALASAKIT, P10

ed, 182 for Beta variant 182 and recently based on the update of the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) four Delta variants in Davao Region.

“Noong nagsimula na tayo nagpapadala ng specimens for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) since January wala pa pong nakikita na VOC pero right now through the enhanced bio-surveillance ng ating UP-PGC meron na tayong nakikita

na mga VOCs which is isa sa mga rason bakit meron tayong mga clustering and some of them are associated sa mga clustering of cases,” Pasion said on Monday.

DOH-Davao Region announced on Sunday that in the recent UP-PGC WGS report last July 29, 2021, additional variants of concern were detected in Davao Region from Batch 25 and 26 specimens. These were from 593 specimens sent last July

FFOUR, P10

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 120 • TUESDAY 03, 2021

Budget and Management Secretary Wendel Avisado takes a 10-day medical leave starting Aug. 2 after recently contracting the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Edge Davao

SEC launches new office B for fintech innovation

Avisado takes medical leave after hospitalization due to Covid-19

T

he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is paving the way for more innovations in the fintech industry to further promote financial inclusion and, at the same time, protect investors and other financial consumers.

The Commission on July 30 formally launched the PhiliFintech Innovation Office (PIO), under its Corporate Governance and Finance Department (CGFD), which will focus on the regulation of the use of fintech, or financial technology, in the Philippines.

The PIO is mandated to reduce gaps in consumer and investor protection tempered by financial inclusion, integrity, and stability through a dedicated focus on the regulation and growth of fintech activities; create better-informed policies for new and existing fintech innovators; and capacitate the SEC with expertise to effectively regulate fintech activities and promote an innovative culture in the corporate sector.

“Integral to our mission of championing the business sector, the capital market and the investing public, is fostering innovation,” SEC Chairperson Emilio B. Aquino said.

“Accordingly, the Commission has supported new and emerging business concepts while taking a pro-

active stance against any excessive risk buildup to ensure market integrity. The PhiliFintech Innovation Office will be at the forefront of building an enabling regulatory environment for fintech, in particular.”

Regulating innovative trading markets and technology-based ventures is part of the mandate of the SEC, as provided under Republic Act No. 8799, or the Securities Regulation Code.

The SEC previously supervised the registration and granting of licenses for non- traditional securities and instruments through its Non-Traditional Department, which was later abolished following the creation of the Insurance Commission in 2010.

The Commission has since delegated the regulation of non-traditional securities and fintech initiatives to other departments and treated them on a case-tocase basis.

To better prepare the country for fintech innovation, the SEC created the PIO in order to give greater regu-

latory focus on the industry.

The Philippines ranked 44th out of 158 countries in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s Readiness for Frontier Technologies Index.

It also placed second in information and communications technology deployment, skills, research and development, industry activity and access to finance among a host of countries.

The PIO will facilitate the processing of the registration of new fintech companies along with the appropriate department of the Commission. It shall likewise serve as the first point of contact for existing fintech companies, which have been operating without proper regulation or authorization, or which will introduce new fintech products.

The PIO shall document, analyze, and understand fintech business models and their possible impacts on the market and its participants.

With this, the SEC will be able to formulate and execute regulatory responses geared toward protecting investors and market participants, while concurrently promoting the growth of fintech firms.

Prior to the creation of the PIO, the SEC has been issuing rules and regulations in response to new technologies emerging in the market.

In 2019, the Commission

issued the Rules and Regulations Governing Crowdfunding, which allowed startups and small and medium-sized enterprises greater access to funding. It approved the country’s first crowdfunding portal, Investree Philippines, Inc., on December 22, 2020.

The SEC Philippines also approved in 2020 the use of the application Bonds.PH, and the PDAX DLT platform in distributing Retail Treasury Bonds to reach small investors, including the unbanked. It also cleared the selling of Premyo Bonds and treasury bonds through the country’s first branchless, digital-only bank – Overseas Filipino Bank – to cater to Filipinos working abroad.

Meanwhile, the SEC is preparing rules governing digital asset offerings and digital asset exchanges to provide the investing public with more options, as well as protect them from the misuse of such emerging assets.

“As it supports new and emerging business concepts, the Commission is cognizant of the risks that come with innovations,” Mr. Aquino noted. “To manage the risks, the Commission embeds safeguards in every policy action and further intensifies its enforcement and education campaigns to protect not only investors and other financial consumers, but also the integrity of the business sector.”

udget and Management Secretary Wendel Avisado will be on a 10-day medical leave starting Aug. 2 after recently contracting the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

In a statement Saturday night, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Avisado was hospitalized for eight days and quarantined for more than one month after contracting the virus.

It, however, did not elaborate on when Avisado’s hospitalization occurred.

Avisado’s leave, it said, was also “upon the advice

of his doctor to undertake a series of examinations as it has been 14 years since undergoing a quadruple open heart bypass.”

In lieu of Avisado’s absence, DBM Undersecretary Tina Rose Marie L. Canda was tapped as the agency’s officer-in-charge.

“Rest assured that the DBM remains steadfast and committed to its mandate of promoting the efficient and effective management of the national budget to support its budget priorities especially in the midst of the pandemic,” the statement added. (PNA)

Any COVID lockdown extension a risk to economic growth prospect: analyst

T

he Philippine economy could grow by 5.3 percent this year but a further extension to the new Delta lockdown could hurt prospects, Fitch Solutions said Monday.

Lockdowns, which in the past have been extended, could hurt domestic spending in the country which is a major growth driver, Fitch Solutions senior country analyst Michal Langham said.

“Another lockdown, unfortunately, again, that’s devastating for the Philippine economy. The Philippine economy is so driven by domestic activity. When they do impose these lockdowns it did disrupt growth,” Langham said.

“Essentially a lot depends on the extent to which this lockdown extended,” he

added.

Metro Manila will be under lockdown or enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from Aug. 6 to Aug. 20 to mitigate the spread of the new transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant.

When asked if the new pending stimulus package or the Bayanihan 3 could offset potential losses from the new lockdown, he noted that the economy “still fell rapidly” in 2020 despite Bayanihan 1.

“It really depends on how long the lockdown is in place and the size of the package relative to the economic loss,” he said.

A higher vaccination rate is also another growth driver, he said.

The country’s gross domestic product contracted by 9.6 percent last year.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 120 • TUESDAY 03, 2021

ECONOMY 5

Yana (left), Ikay (center) and Mica, the young proprietors of Rainbow Bistro. The sisters resorted to online selling in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially to small business enterprises. MindaNews photo

by BONG S. SARMIENTO

Young entrepreneurs keep resto alive despite Covid-19 pandemic Fuel prices hike starting today

A

fter a round of rollback, pump prices of petroleum products are seen to go up this week, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said Over the weekend.

In its fuel price forecast for August 3 to 9 trading week, Unioil said the price per liter of diesel may increase by P0.70 to P0.80.

Gasoline prices, meanwhile, may hike by P1.00 to P1.10 per liter.

Oil companies usually announce price adjustments every Monday to be implemented on the next day.

Effective July 27, fuel firms rolled back gasoline prices by P0.75 to P0.85 per liter and diesel by P0.60 to P0.70 per liter.

Year-to-date adjustments stand at a net increase of P12.85 per liter for gasoline and P10.30 per liter for diesel.

BDO says profits reached P21.4B in first half of 2021

B

DO Unibank on Monday said it posted P21.4 billion in profit for the first 6 months of the year due to sustainable earnings and normalized operations.

Customer loans were flat at P2.3 trillion compared to the same period last year while total deposits grew to P2.7 trillion, it said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

Current Account or Savings Account deposits rose 13 percent, BDO said.

“BDO’s solid balance sheet, healthy digital capital position and sustained earnings performance put the bank in a good position to leverage on the country’s economic recovery,” it said.

BDO said its total provisions amounted to P6.8 billion as it continued to build

FBDO, P10

A

long the winding highway in Barangay Nagpan, Malungon, three young sisters, aged 15 to 23, have found a way to keep their business alive despite the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to hope that soon, this small restaurant that offers not just good food but a picture-perfect scenery of rainbow over rolling green fields, will reopen for dinein services.

Before the pandemic, Rainbow Bistro, as its owners named the restaurant, had become a pit stop for hungry travelers plying the cities of Davao and General Santos.

The restaurant offered Filipino dishes such as native chicken binakol, chicken hinalang, chicken pandan, chicken ubad (the innermost and soft part of the banana plant), pork humba and beef lauya.

It opened in October 2019, initially serving buko halo-halo and fresh pomelos. It was forced to close shop from March to November 2020 as community quarantines were imposed due to COVID-19.

Rainbow Bistro reopened in December 2020 as a “sisters’ act” by very young entrepreneurs — Mica Cejar, 23, and her sisters Yana, 17, and Ikay, 15.

“We do everything ourselves from cooking, wash-

ing the dishes and cleaning the place,” Mica told MindaNews.

Mica was able to get help from her sisters Yana and Ikay because they were forced to study at home as government has not allowed face-to-face classes nationwide.

Yana , who is in Grade 11, and Ikay in Grade 9, opted for modular rather than online classes as internet service is unreliable in their village.

Mica said business was doing good from December 2020 to February 2021 but slowed down thereafter as COVID-19 surges were recorded in the cities of Davao and GenSan, as well as in Malungon town itself, prompting stricter movement restrictions.

“Our target customers are the travelers. With the movement restrictions, we took another beating. There were few customers coming

in,” she recalled.

The sisters closed the restaurant last June to dine-in customers, not just because few of them were coming in due to stricter travel restrictions but also for their safety, as they have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.

With business turning worse because of the continuing onslaught of COVID-19, the sisters put their act together and used their fighting spirit to rise from the nightmare other small businesses are also going through.

“Instead of getting discouraged, we tried to look for other sources of income.

We ventured into online selling and we are doing okay,” Mica said. “Unlike before when we paid ourselves salaries, now we give ourselves only allowances so that we can still shop online.”

Mica, a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Marketing Management at the Stratford International School in nearby GenSan, said they advertised on Facebook, apart from regularly using the popular social media’s free features, to sell their goods and also promote their products via Instagram.

Family members, friends and friends of friends helped spread word

about the sisters’ restaurant and food delivery business.

The family-owned Rio Vista Farm and Forest received assistance from the Agricultural Training Institute – Region 12 headed by Abdul Daya-an, in the form of oven, freezer, chiller and chairs. Rio Vista is certified by the ATI-12 as an organic school of practical agriculture . Rainbow Bistro serves as the outlet of produce from Rio Vista, such as native chicken and buko.

Yana, the second of three siblings, noted that time management allowed her and Ikay to help and sustain the business with their elder sister Mica.

“We usually study at night and help cook or whatever we can do for the business during daytime,” said Yana, who has learned basic accounting by tracking their business expenses and sales.

Yana admitted the outof-class learning environment triggered by the pandemic is difficult for her, but it also provided her the opportunity to engage in business with her sisters.

“With face-to-face classes, you have teachers to explain the lessons,” she said, noting that home studying entails more individual research, which becomes a problem if the internet service is erratic.

DAVAO 6 EDGE VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 120 • TUESDAY 03, 2021

In saying that it is unlikely the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) will declare ECQ in Davao City following IATF’s recommendation to place NCR Plus (Metro Manila plus Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan, Laguna) under ECQ from August 6 to 20, 2021 due to a surge in Covid-19 cases:

Sa pagkakaron we do not see because our numbers have been the same for the past two weeks, naa ta sa moderate risk, we do not see the IATF giving a community quarantine status diri sa Davao City na ECQ.”

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio

EDITORIAL A surge in variant cases The bad news is out. We have about 200 cases of Covid-19 different variants of concern (VOC) in our part of the country.

Of the VOCs detected in the Davao Region, also known as Region 11, as of July 29, 2021, 79 cases of Alpha variants were detected, 182 of Beta variants and four cases of Delta variants.

Dr. Rachel Joy Pasion, head of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the Department of Health (DOH) 11, revealed that there are now three Delta variants in Davao City, while the fourth has been detected in Tagum City.

Make no mistake about it -- these variants of concerns have been associated with the current surge of cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Cebu.

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

the national association of newspapers

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

Whatever course of action we take in the fight against the virus, we have to start by taking the threat to our lives seriously, as Sec. Salvador Panelo, chief Presidential Legal adviser and erstwhile Malacañang spokesperson, recently stated. Mr. Panelo, a topnotch lawyer and political strategist, is right.

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

Historically, the Davao Region followed the surges in cases in the NCR and Cebu in previous cycles, a reason we, Dabawenyos, should be alarmed and be ready for our own surge of Covid-19 cases sooner or later. What should Dabawenyos do exactly? Let’s listen to and follow what our leader, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, says. She advises us to be consistent in our compliance with the prescribed minimum public health standards in combatting Covid-19. She is right when she says that the effective protocols will not change in combatting any variant.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

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

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 120 • TUESDAY 03, 2021

VANTAGE POINTS

7

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

STILL POSITIVE GROWTH FOR AGRICULTURE SECTOR “A high probability of maintained positive growth over the rest of the year.” That’s how the Laguna-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) sees the Philippine agriculture sector based on its performance in the first half of 2021.

The SEARCA released its outlook as the country has been under the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) pandemic for two years now.

“Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have noted with keen interest how the agriculture sector has managed to achieve a positive growth rate,” says Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA director. “However, the challenge of surpassing a 2% growth rate of the volume of agriculture production may possibly remain very elusive given the number of systemic challenges besetting the agriculture of the country.”

He adds, “Overall, what remains is the need to accelerate the transformation of the sector into a dynamic and highly productive sector through long-term institutional and programmatic innovative interventions to make the agricultural food system responsive to food security and poverty reduction targets.”

Agriculture plays an important role in the country’s economy with crops like rice, coconut, and sugar dominating the production

of crops and exports. According to the World Bank, agriculture employs 2.7% of the Filipino workforce, as of 2017.

“Looking into the macro-level indicators, it is clear that the Philippine government performed fairly well given the peculiar challenges brought about by the pandemic and natural hazards,” Dr. Gregorio says. “The positive growth of the sector during the past years is surely a noteworthy achievement. Productivity indicators could have significantly plunged if no necessary and immediate interventions in response to the pandemic were put in place.”

The SEARCA head says that there’s still that long years of concern on the need to increase the gross value added (GVA) of the agriculture sector and the country’s overall development remains.

“While we celebrate the success of the Philippine government in implementing programs and projects to help boost the agriculture sector of the country, what we need is a more science-based and forward-looking structure, institutional, and operational reforms in the agriculture sector that must be sustained across different administrations,” Dr. Gregorio says.

“In the second half of 2021, what is crucial are sustained mechanisms to reinforce a number of its institutional and policy reforms. Foremost of which is the

strong political will being shown when the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) that would have wide-ranging effects in the utilization of market-oriented policies in the sector in the coming years,” says Dr. Gregorio.

Dr. Fermin D. Adriano, in his Manila Times column, considers RTL as “the most significant change in our agricultural policy landscape” Republic Act 11203 was signed in February 2019.

“The RTL removed the quantitative restriction or import ban on rice, and in the process, lifted the sole authority of the National Food Authority to import rice. It allowed private traders to import rice provided that they pay the corresponding tariffs (taxes) for the imported stocks,” Dr. Adriano explained.

Systemic, long-term interventions are needed for livestock and poultry sectors to make them sustainable, Dr. Gregorio says. “As threats like the COVID-19 pandemic and a string of zoonotic diseases remain, comprehensive evaluation using One Health/EcoHealth framework is needed to operationalize how the livestock and poultry sector could achieve its triple bottom line of profit, people, and planet.

“Specifically, support is needed for improved access to better surveillance systems, integrated biosecurity measures, and technology-based operation systems.

Consumers are likewise enjoined to be more aware and supportive of livestock and poultry products that conform with higher quality standards.”

According to Dr. Gregorio, the fishery sector shows promise but more integrated infrastructure support is needed.

“The positive growth in the fishery sector could be further maximized with improved logistics and transport systems to increase competitiveness,” Dr. Gregorio says. “For years, the Philippines would benefit from sustained investments on an integrated infrastructure system that lowers production and transportation costs across the different supply chains related to the fisheries management areas in the country.

“Of urgent concern is the need to enjoin the private sector’s investment in cold storage facilities where various technological adaptations may be applied given that various designs have been made by more advanced countries on this aspect. This is a priority given that the fishing communities remain to be among the impoverished sectors in the country.”

MORE SUSTAINED SUPPORT For the implementation of the province-led agriculture and fisheries extensions systems (PAFES), more sustained support is also required.

“In light of the Mandanas Ruling, there is a need for an expedited increase of the capacity of the local government units (LGUs) to implement agricultural development programs that must be technically sound and with high-level of social acceptance and participation. Hence, a more sustained support for the implementation of PAFES is needed to empower our LGUs,” Dr. Gregorio says.

The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable agricultura“As natural hazards and other disruptions are becoming commonplace, the agriculture sector needs to transform as resilient systems,” Dr. Gregorio says.

“Given the significant impact of typhoons and floods to the crop sector as experienced in 2020 or even in the years prior, agricultural farming systems must be resilient. This clearly requires an increased percentage of Filipino farmers having internalized a decision-support system that would make them more agile and effective in responding to natural hazards and other potential external disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These include improved access to climatic and weather data, stress-tolerant crop varieties, good agricultural practices, crop insurance system, extension system and modern technological support, and innovative financial capital,” Dr. Gregorio says.

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

MATI’S ‘CURSED’ SETTLEMENT Founded in 1883 by Jesuit priest Fr. Domingo Bove, the history of Cuabo, a village in Mati City, is more cursed than tragic, and nature, thrice over, played a violent role in its life.

Its first settlers, chosen no less by the priest and known to Davao district governor Faustino Villabrille, were Andres Javier of Sigaboy and his family.

Fr. Bove’s plan to transform Cuabo into a village was simple.

The Javiers, upon relocation, would be responsible in keeping the shallow waters of Cuabo River open to foot traffic between Davao and Caraga and the family breadwinner would be able to collect the four-year debts contracted by the Moros from him as agent of a trader from Davao.

But the rise of the new settlement had its own share of opposition in Sigaboy. Some residents resisted the Javiers’ transfer thinking it was part of Gov. Antonio Garcia del Canto’s plan to move the visita or outstation from Sigaboy to Cuabo.

To disturb the idea, they even floated the claim there was no water in the new site, but this was negated after a good potable source and a stream feeding Cuabo River were found.

With Andres starting to build his house, Fr. Bove, while in Mati, received news from a former constable, part of the small village in Surigao, about the escape of seven families that comprised the settlement.

They were ordered to go to Caraga but decided instead to proceed to Davao district. He told the priest about the plan of his group not to settle anywhere but open a new visita.

The padre promptly sought the approval of Davao governor Joaquin Rajal for the transfer of the wanderers from the Surigao jurisdiction to Davao district. All told, the escapees joined the Javiers as the first settlers of Cuabo village.

The former Surigao villagers chose an area behind the bar of Cuabo shoreline

to provide better refuge for their boats against inclement weather. The place was near a massive tree that secured the chapel and the rectory from the northerlies. They also opened a space under the tree shade enough to dock the small bancas. For food, the new settlers built a fishpond and trained dogs to help in hunting wild boars. For staple, they planted sweet potato on the sandy soil.

This would severely change, however, when the southwesterlies came. The strong winds created foaming waves that pushed the current over the banks, inundating the entire village, washing away vegetation, and eroding the sand. When the next high tide arrived after a full moon, the wind arrived with much greater force. The waves dug up the trees, engulfed the road near the church, destroying part of the convent. Even the centuries-old tree was not spared.

But this was only a start of

two more traumatic episodes.

Fr. Bove wrote that the “next new moon took its turn in the destructive work, knocking all the posts, leaving not a single trace to mark the site once occupied by the chapel and tiny hut. The same happened to Andres’s house, built more sturdier than the chapel.”

Construction of new structures ensued with the guidance of the padre. But then again came another tragedy that destroyed the place more brutally than the second. Fr. Bove, who saw these things occur, wrote in his July 12, 1883 letter to Fr. Francisco Baranera, saying: And indeed, within a month and a half, the waves came in from the sea three times to the attack, finishing off the new orator and poor but decent little house the absent owner had donated to me [for shelter].

Also brought down was the old corpulent tree… With such agitation in the sea and in the river, the poor inhabitants of Kua-

bu, all fishers, lost everything, i.e., their fishpond. In addition, the crocodile ate their dog with which they used to go hunting for deer. Nevertheless, they still wanted to build a chapel and a house for the missionary, using the few materials recovered from the destroyed house. But they made it so small that people could not all be accommodated when they assembled for Mass. They had to open two big windows in front to allow those outside to follow the Mass.

Through all the tragic events that overwhelmed the settlers, Fr. Bove and his gang decided to construct a new church made from solid materials, this time situating it farther from the shoreline. A wide street was opened with its end hosting a little park and two lots were set aside as future school sites.

Another structure was also built as the priest’s lodging.

On July 12, 1883, the statue of Cuabo’s patron saint, San Isidro Labrador, was installed.

8

VOL.14 ISSUE 120 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 03, 2021 VOL.14 ISSUE 120 • TUESDAY 03, 2021

EDGEDAVAO

EDGEDAVAO LIVING

Otoi Mercado, “Bunch of Blooms 1”, 2021. Oil on Linen Canvas.

Lito Pepito. “Vanda Orchids 1”, 2021. Watercolor on Paper.

Arnel Villegas. “Orchid 2”, 1996. Watercolor on Paper.

Brando Cedeño & Anna Cedeño. “Waling-Waling”, 2021.

Bas-relief in Stonecast Resin.

FLOWERS FOR FEATHERS Vanessa Ong. “Fiery”, 2021. Watercolor on Paper.

Me-an Tan-Guinoo. “Pink Flowers”, 2021. Acrylic on Canvas.

Artists unite for the Philippine Eagle

KADAYAWAN is just around the corner, and when one thinks about Kadayawan, images of flowers, fruits and Nature’s beauty and bounty come into mind.

Founded as a celebration of the harvest as well as recognizing all that is good and beautiful, the Kadayawan Festival is an intrinsic part of Dabawenyo culture and identity.

One of the images of Dabawenyo pride that is always preset for any celebration is the majestic Philippine Eagle. The Philippine national bird and symbol of strength, the Philippine Eagle holds its place as the noblest of fliers, but is threatened by environmental loss and degradation.

To help the Philippine Eagle bounce back through meaningful environmental, educational,

and breeding programs, The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) has taken on the task to save our national treasure.

While on normal times, the upkeep and programs of the Philippine Eagle Center (PEC) rely on guest admission fees to its Conservation Center. But the current pandemic has closed the center’s gates to visitors during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) periods, shutting down a vital source of

funds.

To raise funds, PEF went online with virtual tours, educational shows and film features to raise funds. But with the upcoming breeding season, finding fresh funds are critical which is why the PEF is reaching out to everyone who can help.

In a social media post: “With the second indefinite closure of the PEC due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we once again ask the public to help maintain the PEC as a sanctuary for our national bird and other wildlife.”

“The breeding season for Philippine Eagles is upon us!

And as the only conservation breeding facility for the Philippine Eagle in the world, we need your help now more than ever to keep the PEC a safe and conducive place for them to breed.”

Heading the call for help.

Davao artists came up with an art fundraising project entitled “Flowers for Feathers”, with pieces that capturre the most alluring feature of Davao during the Kadayawan season—the proliferation of flowers.

The exhibit will feature 11 of Davao’s most accomplished artists who didn’t hesitate to say yes to the cause. Participating in the fundraising project are Anthony Serafin, Lito Pepito, Brandon Cedeño, Anna Cedeño, Arnel Villegas, Saldy Mascardo II, Jing Rabat, MeAn Guinoo, Otoi Mercado, Vanessa Ong, and Benjie Yu. Talented artists with big hearts, their generosity is truly heartwarming.

The artworks can be viewed and bought online via ofapplesanlemons.com, on Facebook: ofapplesandlemons and Instagram: jibe_our_vibe. 100% of the proceeds will be donated

to the breeding program of the PEC. Every piece in the collection is a collectible and covetable.

Eve better is the artists agreed to offer the artworks at a price that is pegged below the artists’ current standard cost, making the pieces more accessible to everyone. However, should the buyers wish to purchase the artwork higher than the artist’s price, their donation will be highly appreciated.

With the sale of every artwork, the future of seeing more the Philippine Eagles take to our skies is made even brighter.

Donations can also be made directly to www.philippineeaglefoundation.org/donate and will aid in the breeding program.

Let us help to raise these crucial funds for our fine-feathered icon, a part of what makes us Dabawenyos!

9 AGRITRENDS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 120 • TUESDAY 03, 2021

URBAN FARMING POSSIBLE ANSWER TO FOOD INSECURITY Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

T

he world is not on track to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030, states the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in a new report.

New data that represents the first comprehensive global assessment of food insecurity – the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food – carried out since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) pandemic began, indicates that the number of people affected by chronic hunger in 2020, rose by more than in the previous five years combined.

Reversing this situation will likely take years if not decades, according to FAO and four other UN agencies (World Food Program, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, World Health Organization, and UN Children’s Fund.

“The pandemic continues to expose weaknesses in our food systems, which threaten the lives and livelihoods of people around the world,” the heads of five UN agencies wrote in this year’s report, The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the

World 2021 (SOFI).

SOFI notes that around a tenth of the global population – between 720 million people and 811 million – were undernourished last year. Some 418 million of that number were in Asia, the report says.

Global hunger index The Philippines is among those countries in Asia. In the 2020 Global Hunger Index, the Philippines ranks 69th out of the 107 countries with sufficient data to calculate 202 GHI scores. With a score of 19.0, the Philippines has a level of hunger that is moderate.

Some years back, the Philippines was listed by the FAO as one of the 13 low-income food-deficit countries in Asia (“those that do not have enough food to feed their populations and for the most part lack the financial resources to pay for imports”).

The other twelve countries – most of them thickly populated – were Bangla-

desh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

“In many developing countries, rapid population growth makes it difficult for agricultural production to keep pace with the rising demand for food,” wrote Don Hinrichsen in a comprehensive study published by Population Reports. “Most developing countries already are cultivating virtually all arable land and are bringing more marginal land under cultivation.”

Jacques Diouf, at the time when he was the director-general of FAO, echoed the same concern. “Population growth continues to outstrip food availability in many countries,” he pointed out during the 1996 World Food Summit in Rome.

Food security This alarms experts so much that the concept of food security came into existence.

FAO defines it as a “state of affairs where all people at all times have access to safe and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.”

People are said to experience lack food security when “either they cannot grow enough food themselves, or they cannot afford to purchase enough in the domestic marketplace.” As a result, “they suffer from micronutri-

ent and protein energy deficiencies in their diets.”

Most of those suffering from hunger are those living in the cities since they don’t have enough areas where they could plant vegetables and other crops. In comparison, people living in rural areas can always plant vegetables and fruit trees in their homeyard.

When pandemic stirred lockdowns and quarantines, agriculture experts then suggested urban agriculture as an alternative food security solution in urban areas.

“Urban agriculture refers

not merely to the growing of food crops and fruit trees but that it also encompasses the raising of animals, poultry, fish, bees, rabbits, guinea pigs, or other livestock considered edible locally,” explains Dr. Irene Tinker, an American professor in the department of city and regional planning at the University of California.

In recent years, urban agriculture has been creating a big impact in some thickly-populated areas. In the 1990s, the Beijing government decided that urban agriculture was an important

way to meet the city’s food needs. Today, farming in, around, and near Beijing not only provides residents with safer, healthier food, it also keeps farmers in business.

“Between 1995 and 2003, the income for farmers living just outside of Beijing doubled,” wrote Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg in their collaborative report published in the recent issue of State of the World, published by Washington, D.C.based Worldwatch Institute.

Good Food Farm Indeed, urban farming

FURBAN, P10

10

EDGEDAVAO

ECQ... FROM2

atong mga hospitals they cannot catch up with the pandemic, they cannot catch up with the needs sa mga daghan kaayo na pasyente therefore daghan ang mamatay. Ang uban man gud dili kaayo sila makasabot ngano kinahanglan gyud ta na mapababa nato atong mga cases. Because that way gamay ra ang manginahanglan ug hospital and gamay ra ang mamatay,” the mayor said.

Mayor Sara reiterated to always follow the minimum public health standards and that protocols will not change on any kind of vari-

ant.

The mayor advised Dabawenyos to be consistent in their compliance with the minimum public health standards.

“Kung makita ninyo pababa ang atong cases, although not really dako nga pagbaba sa cases. Ug nakita ninyo na pasaka napud ang NCR ug Cebu and we can expect na paghuman sa NCR ug Cebu kita napud ang magpasaka or magsurge ang cases as what we have witnessed for the past two cycles of surges diri. We always come after NCR and Cebu,” she said.

However, Schlosser said the City Health Office (CHO) is conducting re-tracing of the index patient (Case 2). She said re-tracing of the close contacts particularly the F2s and F3s are ongoing.

“Once we identified that close contact whether F1, F2, and F3, mandatory ang quarantine ng close contacts ng ating Delta variant case,” she said.

Meanwhile, for Case 3, the patient was also asymptomatic and the exposure is within the household. The patient has not yet received anti-Covid-19 vaccine.

The initial actions taken by the CHO were repeat isolation and collection of the specimen for index patient (Case 3) and close contacts from F1, F2, and F3. The CHO also conducted repeat swabbing and repeat isolation for the close contacts.

Schlosser said last July 31, 2021, during repeat swabbing, one household member tested positive.

“So lahat sila and the one that turned out positive was isolated again and also on the same way with the others pina-repeat isolation lahat ng close contacts including the patient.

As of the moment ongoing pa po ang close contact tracing especially F2 and F3 para repeat din ang swabbing and be isolated,” she said.

It can be recalled that the firs case of Delta variant (Case 1) in Davao City was announced on July 26, 2021, a 28-year-old female, who was swabbed on June 26, 2021, after her exposure to a confirmed symptomatic Covid-19 case.

On June 27, 2021, Case 1 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.

Case 1 was fully vaccinated with Sinovac vaccine.

By Maya M. Padillo

nized by former Cagayan de Oro mayor Oscar Moreno, where the winner received P200 and the loser P150, according to Pamisa.

Paalam did well enough to be accepted in the city’s youth team, but, during a time when his benefactor Pamisa was away on a competition overseas, he went back to scavenging after being kicked out due to a misunderstanding.

“Pagbalik ko galing Armenia, [nadatnan ko] si Carlo tumigil sa pagbo-boksing, pinalayas s’ya sa team,” Pamisa said. “Hinanap ko s’ya, nakita ko na naman, nandun sa basketbolan, naghahanap ng basura, “Sabi ko, ‘Bakit ka umalis? Balik ka, ako ang bahala, isugal ko reputasyon ko kasi nakikita ko sa iyo na malaki ang tsansa mo [na umasenso].’ Iyak s’ya, ang sabi sa akin, ‘Akala ko di na ako makakabalik.’”

Well, Paalam can consider himself lucky that he did.

A diligent worker and a quick learner, Paalam was quick to rise through the ranks, from winning gold in the Batang Pinoy and the Philippine National Games that earned him a call-up from the Alliance of Boxing Asso-

ciation of the Philippines (Abap).

Since joining the national team in 2013, the former scavenger has won bronze medals in the 2016 AIBA Youth Asian and World Championships and at the 2018 Asian Games as well as gold at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games which the country hosted in 2019.

“Magaling makinig kaya madaling gumaling,” Ronald Chavez, one of the coaches in the national team, said when asked about Paalam’s rise in the flyweight ranks.

Paalam got another major break last year when he found himself inside the magic circle of qualifiers after the final qualifying tournaments for the Tokyo Olympics were cancelled owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The young boxer has no doubt made the most of the opportunity, exceeding even the most optimistic expectations of Philippine officials. But Pamisa knew Paalam too well, as well as a character hardened by hardship, to no longer be surprised.

“Makikita mo talaga bata pa lang, matapang at madiskarte na,” he said.

“At tahimik lang, mabait na bata, di tulad ng iba. Wala kang masasabi.”

2 NEW... FROM2

MINDANAO... FROM 12

VOL.14 ISSUE 120 • TUESDAY 03, 2021

MALASAKIT ... FROM 3

tance programs of the government more accessible to the public.

“Nung unang panahon, marami sa mga kababayan natin ang kinakailangang pang lumabas ng ospital at pumila sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno para humingi ng tulong. Ubos na panahon nila, ubos pa ang pera nila sa pamasahe. Mangungutang at ibebenta pa niyan ang kalabaw para may maibayad sa naiwang balanse,” said Go. ”Ngayon, hindi na nila kailangang gawin ‘yan.

Kung may billing kayo sa ospital, puntahan niyo lang ang Malasakit Center at tutulungan kayo nito para maging ‘zero balance’ o wala na kayong babayaran,” he continued.

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop pioneered by Go where poor and other financially incapacitated patients may conveniently apply for medical assistance from the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The program was institutionalized under Republic Act No. 11463, also known as the Malasakit Centers Act, which President Rodrigo Duterte signed in December 2019. The Act, which Go authored and sponsored in the Senate, was passed with the support of various legislators such as Agusan Del Sur’s 1st District Representative Alfelito Bascug and 2nd District Rep. Adolph Edward Plaza.

The said law mandates all DOH-run hospitals and the Philippine General Hospital in the City of Manila to open their own Malasakit Centers. Hospitals run by local government units and other public hospitals may also establish their own provided they meet a standard set of criteria and guarantee the sustainability of its operations.

In his remarks, Go urged the next administration to continue the programs started by President Duterte especially those that continue to benefit indigents needing medical care.

“Ako naman, hindi ko sasayangin ang pagkakataong ito para magsilbi sa inyo.

Sabi nila, taga-gawa lang ng batas ang Senador pero I will not limit myself to only being a legislator. Trabaho namin ay constituency, representation at legislation.

Kaya basta kaya ng aking katawan ay pupuntahan ko kayo upang pakinggan ang inyong hinaing at reklamo,” reassured Go.

The Senator went on to thank the health workers and other frontliners for their contributions to the fight against COVID-19. To support them, he urged communities to stay vigilant against the continuing threat posed by COVID-19 by following the necessary health measures to stop it from spreading further.

“Bagama’t bakunado na ang iilan sa inyo ay ‘wag kayong maging kumpiyansa. Nandiyan ang banta ng Delta variant na four times more contagious sa original na variant. Tingnan niyo ang nangyari sa Manila.

Kawawa ang mga kababayan natin na ‘isang kahig, isang tuka’, ‘yung kailangan magtrabaho araw-araw,” warned Go. ”Kailangan namin ni Presidente ang tulong ninyo. Hindi namin kaya ito mag-isa. Kailangan namin ang kooperasyon at disiplina ng bawat Pilipino para malampasan natin ang krisis na ito,” he ended.

After the ceremony, Go’s staff provided meals, food packs, vitamins, masks and face shields to a total of 292 frontliners and 126 patients. Selected frontliners received pairs of shoes while some were provided bicycles for their commuting needs. Others were also given computer tablets for their children’s education or tupper packs.

The DSWD additionally handed out financial assistance to patients in need and 213 rank-and-file hospital employees, including janitors and security guards, in a separate distribution.

The ceremony was attended by Assistant Secretary Girlie Veloso of the Office of the President, DSWD Regional Director Ramel Jamen, 1st District Rep. Bascug, Governor Santiago Cane Jr., Vice Governor Samuel Tortor, Board Member Edwin Demegillo, Provincial Liga ng mga Barangay President Glen Plaza, Provincial Indigenous People Mandatory Representative Pablo Plaza, Mayor Frederick Mellana, and Acting Hospital Chief Dr. Maria Virgina Abacajen.

Other guests included Bayugan City Mayor Kirk Asis, Bunawan Mayor Sylvia Elorde, Esperanza Mayor Leonida Manpatilan, La Paz Mayor Michael Lim, San Luis Mayor Phoebe Corvera, San Francisco Mayor Solomon Rufila, Sta. Josefa Mayor Symond Caguiat, Talacogon Mayor Pauline Marie Masendo, Trento Mayor Willam Calvez, Rosario Mayor Jupiter Abulog, and Veruela Mayor Myrna Mondejar.

1, July 8, and July 15,2021 to the UP-PGC. Based on the WGS report, additional 178 VOC cases were detected in Davao Region. Among these, 48 are Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant cases, 128 Beta (B.1.351) variant cases, while 2 are Delta (B.1.617.2) variant cases.

“Whether it may be Alpha, Beta, or Delta or the

usual Covid-19 cases, follow pa rin ang minimum health protocols and vaccination ang ating panlaban at same management pa ra Aplha and Beta variants with addition of negative RT-PCR for our Delta variant. All in all nakaka-protect tayo sa ating mga sarili and loved ones just by doing the minimum health protocols and vaccination,” Pasion said.

FOUR ... FROM 3

URBAN... FROM 9 has started to show the way to securing food for families living in highly urbanized areas.

The Good Food Farm in Barangay Ususan, Taguig reportedly benefitted its 30 members from the Pamayanang Diego Silang in medium-rise BCDA Housing. They have jobs on top of a regular food supply as the Bayer Kubo also sells its extra produce to the community and eventually, to Conrad Manila Hotel.

The farmer residents are more grateful than ever for partnering with Bayer Philippines on the Bayer Kubo project, a 300-square meter farm right in the middle of their residences.

Among the vegetables harvested from the farm were tomatoes, okra, eggplant, sitaw, mustard, pechay, bitter gourd, lettuce, and bell pepper.

They also harvested herbs and spices like basil, tarragon, oregano, roselle, taheebo, gotu kola, serpentine, and lemongrass.

The residents had to go through an urban farming training from Bayer Philippines on technologies such as production of fermented fruit juice and fermented plant juice used as growth enhancers and pest deterrents for their crops.

Malou Furio, Good Food Farm president and one

of the residents, said they are set to replant this next season and are expecting vegetable seeds from the Department of Agriculture which has allotted funding for urban agriculture projects.

“We don’t want to neglect our farm,” said Furio.

“It is good that we are able to continue being productive during this lockdown.”

Nothing new The United Nations Development Program estimates that 800 million people are involved in urban farming around the world, with the majority in Asian cities. Of these, 200 million produce food primarily for the market, but the great majority raise food for their own families.

In a survey conducted for the United Nations, cities worldwide already produce about one third of the food consumed by their residents on average. This percentage is “likely to grow in coming decades, given that the need for urban agriculture could be greater now than ever before,” Halweil and Nierenberg wrote.

Urban agriculture is nothing new. The hanging gardens in Babylon, for instance, were an example of urban agriculture, while residents of the first cities of ancient Iran, Syria, and Iraq produced vegetables in home gardens.

should have given everything you and everything you worked, and it will hopefully show at the competition,” Knott added.

Knott has a personal best 23.01 seconds, the Philippine national record.

But in Tokyo, she has to exert more effort.

The 200m field parades many of the world’s best, including the US’s Gabrielle Thomas, who owns a 21.61-second mark in the race. Also in the mix are the Bahamas’s Shaunae Miller-Uibo (21.47) and Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson Herah (21.66).

In Knott’s heat, five of her rivals have sub-23 times.

“Tapering time is now over. It’s now time to show off and show out,” said the Orlando, Florida, native Knott, whose Olympic stint was threatened when she contracted Covid-19 in

Sweden in June despite having been vaccinated twice.

Pagunsan winds up 55th Japanese Tour campaigner Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines finished 55th among 60 players at the conclusion of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics men’s golf championship on Sunday at the Kasumigaseki Country Club.

The 43-year-old Pagunsan had a one-under 70 in the final round for a 1-over par 285 total.

Pagunsan bogeyed the final hole, his second on Sunday. The Filipino golfer also had three birdies for the day on the third, fifth, and sixth holes.

The Japan Tour mainstay started the Olympics in solid fashion, scoring a 66 for fifth spot in the first round, before struggling with rounds of 7376.

Gambia placing second with a clocking of 22.74 seconds.

Riley Day of Australia finished third to also qualify with a time of 22.94 seconds.

The best time in all

the heats was posted

by Christine Mboma of Namibia at 22.11 seconds to nip Gabrielle Thomas of the United States, who clocked 22.20 seconds.

its buffer against possible “pandemic-induced delinquencies,” lower than the pre-emptive provisioned in the first half of 2020.

Gross non-performing loan ratio is at 3.1 percent, or below its worst-case expectations of 4 to 5 percent, BDO said.

Banks, although considered as essential facili-

ties, also temporarily shut branches last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

More Filipinos are also turning into online channels for their financial needs.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) earlier said banks were optimistic but bad loans are expected to remain high.

YULO... FROM 11

KRISTINA... FROM 11 BDO... FROM5

VOL.14 ISSUE 120 • TUESDAY 03, 2021

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS 11

Carlos Yul will compete in the vault finals.

Yulo eyes redemption

C

arlos Yulo vies in the men’s vault finals of artistic gymnastics on Monday night hoping to redeem himself from a disappointing performance in floor exercise more than a week ago.

Yulo scored 14.733 points to land in sixth place in the vault and be with the top eight participants who advanced to the finals.

Unfortunately for Yulo, he landed in 44th place out of 64 competitors in his pet floor exercise.

The 2019 floor exercise world champion also fared poorly in rings (24th), parallel bars (55th), horizontal bar (63rd), and pommel horse (69th).

“Hopefully he is more relaxed this time,” Gym-

nastics Association of the Philippines President Cynthia Carrion Norton said on Sunday. “But watching all the great gymnasts from all over the world could be intimidating.”

South Korea’s Shin Jeahwan is marching to the finals set at close to 7 p.m. (Tokyo time) as the top qualifier with 14.866 points, followed by Armenia’s Artur Davytan with 14.866 and Russian Olympic Committee top bet Nikita Nagorny with 14.783.

Sports Institute gets Sports Summit spotlight

T

he online National Sports Summit 2021 is now on its second to the last session as the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) presents a deeper view on the vital role of the Philippine Sports Institute (PSI) in the upcoming Session 24 this Wednesday, August 4.

PSC-PSI Grassroots Program Head Abigail Marie Rivera will be the resource person for the two-hour program which is expected to be attended by over 500 participants from various local government units (LGUs), National Sports Associations (NSAs), sports educators, stakeholders, and other private entities nationwide.

The PSI was revived and officially relaunched

in 2017 by PSC Chairman William Ramirez under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“This is a great opportunity for us to present the role of the PSI to our participants since most of them are our partners in grassroots development,” said PSI National Training Director and NSS Project Director Marc Edward Velasco.

The PSI is the sports agency’s arm to reach regional training centers.

It is also the agency’s groundwork for its grassroots program to scout and discover new talent in the provinces that will soon become members of the Philippine team and become world-class elite athletes in the future.

Nagorny added the Tokyo Olympics men’s team gold medal to the ROC’s collection earlier last week.

Rounding out the eight qualifiers were Brazil’s Caiou Sauza (14.700), Turkey’s Ahmet Onder (14.466), Hong Kong’s Shek Wai Hung (14.274), and Spain’s Nicolau Mir (14.133).

Carrion Norton said Yulo’s coach Munehiro Kugimiya picked Shin and Onder as favorites in the event but hinted Yulo could have a shot at a medal.

“According to Coach

Mune [Kugimiya], the two top vault athletes are Korea and Turkey with the difficulty of 6.02,” Carrion Norton said. “Caloy’s difficulty is 5.60. If Shin and Onder earn deductions and Caloy makes a perfect score, we have a good chance.”

Carrion Norton didn’t say if Yulo was bitten by the so-called “twisties,” which struck even the sensational Simone Biles of the US. The Associated Press described in a report “twisties” as the sudden inability for a gymnast to make the requisite spins -- or some-

times any spins -- for a particular maneuver.

Meanwhile, Kristina Knott gets on the Tokyo Olympic Stadium track on Monday morning to compete in the women’s 200 meters heats of athletics.

Knott will be running in Heat 7, the final heat, set for 10:18 a.m. (Manila time) hoping to break 23 seconds.

Her personal best is 23.01 seconds, a Philippine national record.

“My goal is to go sub23 (seconds),” Knott told the Tokyo Olympics official website days before the

pandemic Games opened on July 23.

There are seven heats for the event and Knott knows all those times of training are thrown out the window come the start gun.

“It’s championship time.

And anything to do with tapering should have been done weeks before,” said Knott.

She prepared for Tokyo under her coach Rohsaan Griffin and strength and conditioning coach Carlo Buzzichelli.

“At this point, you

FYULO, P10

Kristina Knott finished 37th out of 41 runners in the women’s 200m.

P

Kristina Knott finished 37th out of 41 runners in the women’s 200m.

hilippine sprinter Kristina Knott made an early exit from the women’s 200-meter run in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The 25-year-old Knott clocked 23.80 seconds, and placed last among five competitors in Heat 7.

Twenty four runners advance to the semifinals — the top three in each of the seven heats plus the next three best times.

Knott finished 37th out of 41 runners in the women’s 200m.

The Fil-Am sprinter’s time was also off her Philippine record of 23.01 seconds she registered during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

Jenna Prandini of the US, the world No. 13, topped the heat with a time of 22.56 seconds, with Gina Bass of

FKRISTINA, P10

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 120 • TUESDAY 03, 2021

MINDANAO TRIAD

Paalam tries to complete Mindanao triumvirate to Olympic medal

Cagayan de Oro’s Carlo Paalam in action during the Round of 16.

T

OKYO - Cagayan de Oro’s Carlo Paalam will try to join fellow Mindanao boxers Nesthy Petecio and Eumir Marcial today (August 3) in the flyweight quarterfinals against Uzbek Shakobhidin Zoirov in search of a win to get to the gold medal match.

The Dabawenya Petecio and the Zamboanga City pug Marcial have secured a ticke in the finals.

Paalam’s opponent Zoirov is the reigning Olympic, world and Asian champion.

The mission may be difficult, if not unlikely. But don’t tell that to Paalam who had to overcome so much adversity at such a young age that nothing in a dangerous sport like boxing seems to faze him.

Just over a decade ago, Carlo Paalam was roaming the streets and a landfill in Carmen town in Cagayan de Oro, looking to salvage anything that may be of worth from other people’s garbage.

Now he’s on the cusp of an Olympic medal.

That’s how much life has changed these days for the 23-year old Paalam, who, after two impressive victories in the preliminary stage in boxing, has a shot at a medal and money that could run in the millions of pesos, depending on the medal’s color.

“Syempre, tao lang tayo, may kaba rin,” the Bukidnon-born Paalam told Filipi-

no reporters after his command performance in a 5-0 round-of-16 win over Algerian veteran Mohamed Flissi, “pero meron rin tayo tiwala sa sarili at coaches ko.”

No one is happier for Paalam than Elmer Pamisa, a former national boxer turned coach who also is from Carmen town, where he first saw the son of a bakery helper going around looking for discarded items that he could sell for a few bucks.

“Nakita ko ‘yan, nangangalakal, namumulot ng basura sa amin, binebenta,” said Pamisa, who won a pair of silvers from the Southeast Asian Games during his time. “Sabi ko, ‘Mag-boksing ka na lang, baka dito ka pa aasenso.”

Former boxer turned coach Elmer Pamisa first saw Carlo Paalam roaming the streets of their hometown in Cagayan de Oro, looking for discarded items he can sell for a few bucks.

Back to scavenging The kid heeded the advice and immediately showed his promise in Sunday bouts in the orga-

FMINDANAO, P10